We were both quiet for a few minutes. My mind was racing. It had never entered my mind that Bella could be both a vampire and a mother and now she could. Jacob could give her that gift where I couldn’t. And I couldn’t begrudge them that; I wanted to see a piece of Bella live on in the mortal world.

“What are you thinking?” She asked with a half smile.

“I think that’s my line.” I slumped down into the couch beside her reveling in the small contact I now had with her as our arms, hips, and thighs barely touched each other. It was more than I thought I’d ever have again. “I was thinking that Jacob was right. About everything.”

I guess a part of me hoped she would deny it, but she didn’t, she just nodded.

“Tell me to leave, Bella, and I’ll go,” I spoke softly, my eyes glued to the floor studying her boots.

She drew in a long breath then slowly let it out. “I don’t want you to leave, Edward, but we…can’t go back. We can’t be together.”

 She might have kept talking, I wasn’t sure. My ears were ringing and I suddenly knew what it must have felt like for Bella back in the woods the first time I left her. It was no surprise that when I said I didn’t want her to come all she heard was I didn’t want her, because that was all I was hearing right now.

“Edward.” Her smooth hand was forcing my face to her, making me stare into eyes that no longer looked at me like I was the sun and the stars. “Your family misses you so much. Esme just hasn’t been the same. And Alice…” she trailed off shaking her head sadly. “You have to stay for them.”

Was there a worse punishment than having to spend the rest of eternity a part of Bella’s life, but not with her? To have to watch her marry another man knowing that there would never be another woman for me? To know that just a few houses over she was making love to him while I ached to be with her? “You must truly hate me to suggest this,” I murmured looking away but too weak to get up and lose the small amount of physical contact I had with her crammed as we were on the small love seat. “I already told you I wouldn’t leave if you asked me not to. If it is your wish that I stay here and watch you live out your life with Jacob, then so be it. After all, the dog will die sooner or later. He is still half human,” I pointed out to myself.