I wanted to portray the life of an average adult, with all the responsibilties and not much else happening.  Her writing is where her imagination can take flight.  I'm glad you like how I've written her.  

Oops, I almost missed responding to this one.  

It did surprise me how so many had such strong and varied responses to the gifts--both rejected and accepted.  It must be why gifts is one of the five Love Languages.  Gifts are not one of my love languages, though it is my husband's number two.  I try to be gracious and accepting of gifts, but I'm weird in what I appreciate more.  I'm with Bella here, and I'd appreciate the hand-carved wolf more than the crystal/diamond heart, but we split on the reasoning.  She doesn't feel worthy of the expensive gift, while I would much rather receive a gift that took time, effort, and thought, than one that took a big bank account.  I'd rather have the homemade card than one from the store, I'd rather have someome make me something, than buy me something, and I love it when people know me well enough to choose a specific gift, rather than a gift card or advice to "exchange it for what you want if you don't like it."  To me it really is the thought that counts.  

Prom was wonderful for my daughter.  Her shoes looked great, her hair looked so pretty, and her homemade silk corsage outlasted those with real flowers.  I'm glad we went with the tiara; she was my princess.  I love French braids, but I'm not good at them myself.  She has long, thick hair, and we did rag curls, pulled back from her face in French twists.  Just last night she removed the acrylic nails of her manicure, swearing she's never getting them done again.  I'm glad she could have her special night.   

Thank you so much.  When I read the original series, I couldn't wait to get to the end.  Mostly it was because Meyer wrote things so different from my own perception, and I couldn't tell where she was going with her story.  Bella behaved wildly different from me, to the point she seemed abnormal at times.  When I read or watch a movie, I try for willful suspension of disbelief, but Meyer challenged me on that note.  She was willing to break so many rules of what's normal and expected, and I had to read all the way through just because I had no idea where she would take it.  The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard was another of those books that just didn't make sense in my mind.  Her son goes missing and she goes off to get drunk.  It was hard to swallow that one.  

As much as canon bugs me at times, I try hard not to break with it, because it's ultimately her story.  I'll stretch it, rationalize it, and rework it, but I fight not to throw it out.  If she says vampires sparkle in the sun, can get human girls pregnant, and gestate a child in 30 days, then so be it.  I'm a writer, I can work with any prompt.         

Thank you so much!  I've just posted the update.  Fatal My SQL errors happen every time I update, so it only appears on the front page when I ask the admins to put it there.  

In canon, Jasper was the most dangerous to Bella.  Giving him 25 more years to gain control lets him interact with her, but he's still got his edge.  I also rely a bit on Jackson Rathbone for my Jasper.  That man has an intensity I didn't feel while reading the books.  In Criminal Minds, he played a cross-dressing serial killer, and made him/her very believable.  With his gift of empathy, I wonder if he'd get a rush from manipulating emotions, like riding a mental roller-coaster.  

As to the hunt, I just had to write that one.  There aren't too many predators in North America, and bears hibernate, and wolves don't climb trees.  It sort of had to be a cougar.  Irony on two levels:  Edward's favorite food about to make a meal out of her.  Plus her friends call themselves cougars.  

Thank you so much.  It's funny, but even with adults and a conscious decision to try to have a baby, we still wind up with the canon pregnancy.  Pregnancy hormones suck, especially after the baby is born!  I couldn't watch the news for a year after my baby was born.  Every story was personal, and I'd just cry.  

This is a choice I wouldn't have made.  I'm not a big believer in biology being the ultimate link between parents and children.  I'd have opted to go the adoption route, after spending plenty of time alone with my new husband.  But Bella isn't me, and she definitely would have wanted this.  Edward knows her better than she knows herself, and he can foresee her anger and bitterness directed at him, if he doesn't take it this far.  She held a lot of resentment toward Mike for denying her more children.    

The chapter with hunting was one of my favorites.  If by some twist in the universe, I was given a chance to become a vampire and live forever, I'd want to know everything before I agreed.  Vampires are so fictionalized, I've seen many different examples of how they feed, from a total bloodbath in Trueblood, to syphoning off a spiritual life essence in a movie I barely remember.  Some vampires have to kill, and others take a little sip.  Some can drink donated blood, and some have to feed from a live victim.  Some can eat real human food, and others won't touch the stuff.  Nailing down those details is important to Bella, and I believe any sane person would want to see it for themselves.  Still, you're right, and nothing is going to change her mind.        

Good luck on the publishing front.  I thought about going that route with one of my own, but publishing has changed a lot in the last ten years.  These days, even with a publisher, you could still get stuck with a lot of the hard work yourself.  Even published writers are left doing much of the promoting of their books themselves, while publishers take a big chunk of the profits.  I myself am going to try electronic publishing.  I've got one novel written and edited to the best of my ability, but I'm worried about putting my name on something with so much sex and profanity.  I've got a second novel that needs a bit of rewriting and editing to be ready, and I've got an AU Twilight story I could rewrite to be totally original.  Three novels, and not one I'd feel comfortable publishing.  So, I'm working on a fourth, and I really think this one will break the ice.  

Ancient history and sci-fi?  I would be interested in reading that. 

A name I don't recognize.  I love hearing from new readers; thanks so much for the five cup rating!  I lwonder if your name is I anticipate, or Ian-ticipate.  Either way, I like it.  

I do think this chapter was true to his character as I've painted him.  He claimed to be a "people person" way back before they were serious.  He keeps getting himself involved with the people in her life, like Kaylee and her family.  He did know the Newton family from his time in Forks, That mind-reading talent would let him know whether or not Mike is going to be a problem, and he subscribes to the idea of keeping friends close, and enemies closer.  I also wanted to give a peek at how he might be as a father, with Candi's kids.  

A few weeks ago, I went hone to see my family.  While we were there, my husband and I went to spend an evening with friends: my ex-husband, his wife, and their two daughters.  The first time around, I married a great guy.  I wasn't ready for marriage, and it didn't work out between us.  The break-up was painful, but he's still a great guy, and the second time around he married a wonderful woman.  Our kids got to play together.  I think I'm lucky that we could salvage a friendship from the ruins.   

My head is overflowing with useless information.  If I didn't write, it would probably explode...make a terrible mess. 

Edward has some good motivations for the invites.  Most of what Bella does concerning Mike, is all for Sam's benefit.  She was a child of divorce, and she knows how it is to lose one parent in favor of the other.  

Agreed!  I always choose the slowest line, and find the least helpful store associates.  During holiday shopping, I bring a book to read in lines, and I try to come armed with a few chocolates to give to friendly cashiers.    

Some people do keep score with gifts, and there is an expectation that if they give, it will be reciprocated.  It can be tricky.  For me, I try to be generous, and when someone gives something, I make sure I show appreciation.  I'm funny though, for me, the best gifts don't cost money.  Someone made me a loaf of homemade bread when i was sick, and that touched me more than any monitary gift could.  I always appreciate thoughtfulness more than expense.  

Well, this is a canon aspect of her personality.  She didn't like getting gifts in the original, and wouldn't accept a diamond from Edward--he had to get her crystal.  

There's a reason for her gift issue in an upcoming chapter.  Being a newlywed, there are a lot of things they'll need to sort through as they get to know each other better.  I want that car too.  

A linguistics professor was teaching his class.  "In English, a double negative becomes a positive, but two positives can never become a negative."

From the back of the room he heard a student mutter, "Yeah, right."

I love that!  So many, many people get that backwards.  

"My coffee cup holder is broken, I'd like you to send me a new one."

"Sir," he replied, "our com;puters don't come with coffee cup holders."

"Sure they do," the man insisted.  "Every day I sit down at my computer.  I turn everything on, then press the button on the front.  My coffee cup holder slides out, and I set my mug on it.  It's broken, and I'd like a new one; I really miss it."

(I know I don't have to respond, but I'm allergic to dead air and wasted space.)

In canon, so much of what Edward wanted was shoved aside for what Bella wanted.  He never allowed himself to ask for more than what she was willing to give.  Here, she cares about what he wants, and even if he doesn't think it's possible, she wants to at least try.  

Thanks for the review and the coffee!

I love new readers!  It does amaze me that someone could wade through so much reading in just a few days.  I can't pull that off, and I know what's going to happen.  Thanks for the review, and I'm not counting.  

(Shaking fist)  Dang you Stephanie; you made them too stinking tough!  

Well... the story I'm going with, is that Alice's visions are never entirely reliable.  She sees best when there's a plan and a decision made.  Aro knows this, so he didn't plan, but crashed the reception spur-of-the-moment.  She did see there would be unexpected and unappreciative guests, so when Jacob, Leah, Tyler, and Mike showed up, she figured that was it.  She was also a bit preoccupied with all the wedding details.  She didn't foresee the attack, becasue there wasn't supposed to be any attack.  Aro is always looking for an advantage, and a chance to collect a powerful talent.  If he could break up the Cullen coven, and steal a couple talented children from Stregoni Benefici, then it's worth arriving uninvited.  

Edward was overwhelmed with all the guests at the wedding, plus he wasn't exactly on his guard, since they were out on the ocean.  The Volturi came aboard at the last stop, and were only planning to observe, until Bella stepped out in her wedding gown.  By the time Edward recognized the unfamiliar thoughts, it was too late.  Jacob probably smelled them, but because of all the Cullens, he didn't investigate right away.  

If that doesn't suit you, we could say they rowed up to the yacht in a dingy, and surprised everyone.  Thanks for the review.     

One thing the vamps are good at, is hiding in plain sight.  If anyone sees that giant wolf on the deck, it could be a bit tricky to explain.  

When readers respond like that....writers cackle with glee.  I always found it funny that so much of the canon story happened right under the noses of normal humans, and no one was the wiser.  Even the police chief and protective dad, Charlie didn't get there was more going on than simple teen rebellion.  

I did the garter toss, and I just don't understand why.  It's not as if they're used to hold up the stockings anymore.  I could just picture how much Bella hates to be the center of attention, and that silly tradition.  

Thanks so much.  I was told that most people don't read the wedding scene, because it's all been done before.  I confess, I'm not much into the design of the gown or the specific flowers.  I don't care about all the details, though I'm sure Alice did it up right.  I like the things that stand out and make it memorable.  I like when the mistakes and the bad things make it even more memorable.  The snowstorms could have ruined everything, but Alice made it work.  

For my wedding, I told the florist, no mums (I hate them) and so of course half my bouquet was mums.  My wedding gown tore as I walked up the aisle, and half the guests couldn't find the reception.  But those things didn't matter, it was about the marriage, not "my special day" as so many girls think of it.  If you can't take a few mishaps and disappontments, then you're not ready to get married.   

After this next chapter, we can cross that one off the list.  

Thanks for reading and reviewing.  I think here I could have done some cutting, without losing anything necessary to the story.  It's starting to feel like taking a road trip with kids, hearing them ask, "are we there yet," ever mile.  It's not bad if you're close, but if you're only halfway, it can make you wish you could teleport.  

It's nothing to write house about.

Thanks again, just running out of things to say.

Sometimes they just can't be on the same page at the same time.  

It's not important at all.  But sometimes those unimportant things take on new significance when you're a bride.  For me, it was having a good photographer, and getting some great pictures.  I'm not sure where those pictures are now; the album's gone missing.  I used to think that virginity til marriage was silly.  Who wants pain and awkwardness on their honeymoon?  But now that I'm older, I realize it's not so silly.  Who better to share pain and awkwardness with, than someone you love and trust.  

That wedding seems to take forever to get here, doesn't it?  I fell a bit into the trap of writing the minutiae, afraid to leave anything out.   

I'm not sure if my daughter would really be so mature, if she were in some of the situations I put Sam in.  But in a lot of the Sam scenes, I asked her what she would do, to make sure I wasn't too far off.  I'm separated from three of my siblings by eight, ten, and twelve years.  I was glad to have them--until it was often my responsibility to change diapers and get them ready in the morning.  Now that we're all grown, they're a lot easier to be around.  It would probably be different for Sam, since she would no longer be an only child.  As always, thanks for the thoughts.  

Now that I think about it, Bella is behaving like a cougar.  Now that she's claimed her sexuality, and allowed herself to fully embrace being his lover, she doesn't want to give it up.  Maybe she's gone a bit overboard, but it is in her canon character.   She tended to push him, both before and after the wedding.  Thanks again. 

That sounds so cute.  I love the idea of parents being the guardians of their children, even when they're old enough to be married.  The wedding tradition of the parents giving away the bride should hold some responsibility as well, to make sure he's worthy.  I watched a movie a long time ago, where the girl's mother tried to break her away from her boyfriend.  She thought he was bad news, and didn't want to see her daughter hurt.  Well, the two married against her wishes, and the mother then became an advocate for him.  When things got hard, and the girl wanted to seperate, her mom wouldn't let her.  "You wanted this.  Go to your husband; you're his wife now."    

I've seen a lot of scams linked to people taking advantage of older people retiring to Florida.  One of the ones that bothered me most, was younger men who romanced older women, trying to swindle them out of their retirement, nest eggs, and even social security.  Renee has seen these stories too, and she's worried Edward could be pulling a fast one.  But then she gets to observe them together, and realizes he's for real.  Shef feels like she's a little to blame for Bella's first marriage, since she kept quiet about her misgivings concerning Mike.  I think she's a bit awed by Edward as well.  Thanks again.  

I'm not sure Denise feels bad about much, since no one really got hurt.  Typically those parties are much tamer than they sound, and I'm sure Bella getting drunk was just a little more excitement than they planned.  I think Edward moving back to his apartment had a lot more impact on Bella than a few alcoholic drinks.  

Thanks again.  I don't think it was ever really stated in the books how dangerous it was for normal people to know about vampires, but I'd imagine it was a lot more serious than Bella was ever led to believe.  I liked that this was a reminder that even though Alice acts like the perpetual flighty teenager, she's much older than that.    

Funny, but every now and then, I'll hear about how teenagers in school were discovered having sex in some crazy location.  But it makes me wonder, could the faculty and staff be doing the same, only with more stealth and creativity?   Having keys to closets, and storage, could make the difference between getting caught and losing a job, or having a stimulating rendezvous.  I have to wonder if Edward felt he was tweaking Mike Newton's nose, sneaking off with her while the man and his mother were nearby.  (Is that insane, wondering about the psyche of a fictional character in a scene I wrote myself?)  

I'm sure Denise pictured a bachelorette party that would rival the wildest man's.  She'd probably have Bella waking up in Vegas, wearing an Elvis jumpsuit if she had her way.  

I probably stretched Bella's compassion a bit with this story.  In canon she was a bit more self-centered, but I figure that's how most teenagers are, and experience could have changed that.  Knowing how she was treated during her divorce, I figured she'd have learned some empathy.  Seeing another mother's pain would probably bring that out.  

The movie, "Dead Man Walking," is about a nun who spends time with prisoners on death row.  In an interview with the nun the movie was based on, she talked about how these prisoners are treated by their families and communities.  She mentioned how horribly the families of these felons are treated by their neighbors.  If the families continue any support of their loved one, they're shunned, and often driven out of their community by threats, vandalism, and harrassment.  Some people hold that you're guilty by association.  The community only sees the acts that get them arrested and imprisoned.  But a loved one would know everything else that would define them.  How could a mother turn her back on her beloved son, no matter what he's done?  

When I first posted this story, I received a PM from a rape survivor.  She told me I was the first one who understood her feelings about her attacker.  She didn't want revenge, she just wanted to know it wouldn't happen again.  She wanted to move on with her own life, heal, and forget.  Her supporters couldn't understand why she wasn't angry, pursuing some kind of justice and revenge.  Without a time machine, sometimes there is no real justice. 

I have in-laws in Fort Worth.  I love visiting Texas, because it really does seem that Southern Hospitality is alive there.  It could be that I live in too urban an area in North Carolina to see the South at its best.  The kids in school here... it's a mess.  The teachers here have very little recourse for discipline issues in the classroom.  A lot of them resort to treating the kids like they're in prison--then the kids act like criminals.  I grew up in rural schools like yours, and wouldn't dream of acting up with any teacher, whether they were a sub or not.  If I got in trouble at school, I got it double at home.  It really does depend on the teacher, whether they have problems or not.  Kids can sense weakness.  Like dogs, you've got to show them you're the one in charge, or they'll walk all over you.  I miss Jr. High... here it's all middle school to high school.  "They are just kids."  So many teachers these days could stand to learn that lesson.  

I still don't know why I went to the trouble of giving Jace a backstory and a loving mother.  Maybe it's because so many would have wanted him strung up for what he did.  Those same folks would have turned a blind eye to Edward's "slips," when he was a murderer.  I don't think anyone is all bad or all good, and if we can sympathize and understand Edward's motivations for killing, we sort of owe it to Jace to do the same.  Maybe it's a fairy-tale world, where there's an explanation for everything, and we can know the reasons why.  Nothing is ever really that simple.  A good editor would probably have cut it.  Thanks again for reading and commenting.  

I totally sympathize; subbing is the hardest job in teaching--and teaching isn't a picnic.  I've thought of being a sub, but I don't think I could take the disrespect that even young kids throw at a sub.  Kids really do learn more from our examples than our words--unless it's bad words.  They'll pick those up so fast.  

There are all kinds of ways Bella could know Jace was the one who hurt Kaylee.  The trouble comes from her not wanting to lie.  Oprah once said she used to get phone calls she didn't want to answer.  She'd tell Steadman to answer the phone and say she was in the shower.  He wouldn't like, and she had to take the calls.  So, she started running to the bathroom, where she would stand in the tub, and tell him to let the caller know she was in the shower--which he would do--so it was the truth.

There are a lot of opinions about how to handle this situation.  Personally, I think a 21 year-old deserves a second chance, and professional help.  I don't spare much thought for those who are sentenced to death.  But I think the bigger impact comes from living in a society where we can kill someone who's not actively fighting to harm us.  I'm not a big believer in justice, because such serious crimes can never be repaid--even with death.  As to feeding and housing them for the rest of their lives, I don't think that's the best option either.  

In chapter 56, Sam gets to voice an opinion much like your own.  I tried to cover all sides, from Kaylee's dad who wants to shoot him, to Bella who wants to forgive him.  I'm sure Bella would sing a different tune if it was Sam in that position.   

I've often been of this mindset when I see horrible things that victimze innocent people.  I used to say we shouldn't lock up violent criminals, but set them free, and give the victim's family their address.  Over the years, I've softened on my beliefs.  Especially where young people are concerned, I'd rather see remorse, restitution, and rehabilitation--not revenge.  Justice really doesn't exist.  No matter what they do to Jace, Kaylee is still scarred for life.  

Thanks for seeing the complexity of what I've written.  Sometimes, trying to stay true to the characters is difficult when my own feelings are so strong.  Black and white are difficult for me to write.