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  I　paused　with　my　hand　on　the　doorknob；　smiling。　Sure；　at　the　time；　Charlie's　words　had　terrified　me。　The
  ultimate　doom：　telling　Renee。　Early　marriage　was　higher　up　on　her　blacklist　than　boiling　live　puppies。
  Who　could　have　foreseen　her　response？　Not　me。　Certainly　not　Charlie。　Maybe　Alice；　but　I　hadn't
  thought　to　ask　her。
  〃Well；　Bella；〃　Renee　had　said　after　I'd　choked　and　stuttered　out　the　impossible　words：　/Worn；　I'm
  marrying　Edward。　Tm　a　little　miffed　that　you　waited　so　long　to　tell　me。　Plane　tickets　only　get　more
  expensive。　Oooh；〃　she'd　fretted。　〃Do　you　think　Phil's　cast　will　be　off　by　then？　It　will　spoil　the　pictures　if
  he's　not　in　a　tux—〃
  〃Back　up　a　second；　Mom。〃　I'd　gasped。　〃What　do　you　mean；　waited　so　long？　I　just　got　en…en　。　。　。〃—I'd
  been　unable　to　force　out　the　word　engaged—〃things　settled；　you　know；　today。〃
  〃Today？　Really？　That　is　a　surprise。　I　assumed　。。。〃
  〃What　did　you　assume？　When　did　you　assume？〃
  〃Well；　when　you　came　to　visit　me　in　April；　it　looked　like　things　were　pretty　much　sewn　up；　if　you　know
  what　I　mean。　You're　not　very　hard　to　read；　sweetie。　But　I　didn't　say　anything　because　I　knew　it　wouldn't
  do　any　good。　You're　exactly　like　Charlie。〃　She'd　sighed；　resigned。　〃Once　you　make　up　your　mind；　there
  is　no　reasoning　with　you。　Of　course；　exactly　like　Charlie；　you　stick　by　your　decisions；　too。〃
  And　then　she'd　said　the　last　thing　that　I'd　ever　expected　to　hear　from　my　mother。
  〃You're　not　making　my　mistakes；　Bella。　You　sound　like　you're　scared　silly；　and　I'm　guessing　it's　because
  you're　afraid　of　me。〃　She'd　giggled。　〃Of　what　I'm　going　to　think。　And　I　know　I've　said　a　lot　of　things
  about　marriage　and　stupidity—and　I'm　not　taking　them　back—but　you　need　to　realize　that　those　things
  specifically　applied　to　me。　You're　a　completely　different　person　than　I　am。　You　make　your　own　kinds　of
  mistakes；　and　I'm　sure　you'll　have　your　share　of　regrets　in　life。　But　commitment　was　never　your　problem；
  sweetie。　You　have　a　better　chance　of　making　this　work　than　most　forty…year…olds　I　know。〃　Renee　had
  laughed　again。　〃My　little　middle…aged　child。　Luckily；　you　seem　to　have　found　another　old　soul。〃
  〃You're　not。。。　mad？　You　don't　think　I'm　making　a　humongous　mistake？〃
  〃Well；　sure；　I　wish　you'd　wait　a　few　more　years。　I　mean；　do　I　look　old　enough　to　be　a　mother…in…law　to
  you？　Don't　answer　that。　But　this　isn't　about　me。　This　is　about　you。　Are　you　happy？〃
  〃I　don't　know。　I'm　having　an　out…of…body　experience　right　now。〃
  Renee　had　chuckled。　〃Does　he　make　you　happy；　Bella？〃
  〃Yes；　but—〃
  〃Are　you　ever　going　to　want　anyone　else？〃
  〃No；　but—〃
  〃But　what？〃
  〃But　aren't　you　going　to　say　that　I　sound　exactly　like　every　other　infatuated　teenager　since　the　dawn　of
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  time？〃
  〃You've　never　been　a　teenager；　sweetie。　You　know　what's　best　for　you。〃
  For　the　last　few　weeks；　Renee　had　unexpectedly　immersed　herself　in　wedding　plans。　She'd　spent　hours
  every　day　on　the　phone　with　Edward's　mother；　Esme—no　worries　about　the　in…laws　getting　along。
  Renee　adored　Esme；　but　then；　I　doubted　anyone　could　help　responding　that　way　to　my　lovable
  almost…mother…in…law。
  It　let　me　right　off　the　hook。　Edward's　family　and　my　family　were　taking　care　of　the　nuptials　together
  without　my　having　to　do　or　know　or　think　too　hard　about　any　of　it。
  Charlie　was　furious；　of　course；　but　the　sweet　part　was　that　he　wasn't　furious　at　me。　Renee　was　the
  traitor。　He'd　counted　on　her　to　play　the　heavy。　What　could　he　do　now；　when　his　ultimate　threat—telling
  Mom—had　turned　out　to　be　utterly　empty？　He　had　nothing；　and　he　knew　it。　So　he　moped　around　the
  house；　muttering　things　about　not　being　able　to　trust　anyone　in　this　world___
  〃Dad？〃　I　called　as　I　pushed　open　the　front　door。　〃I'm　home。〃
  〃Hold　on；　Bells；　stay　right　there。〃
  〃Huh？〃　I　asked；　pausing　automatically。
  〃Gimme　a　second。　Ouch；　you　got　me；　Alice。〃
  Alice？
  〃Sorry；　Charlie；〃　Alice's　trilling　voice　responded。　〃How's　that？〃
  〃I'm　bleeding　on　it。〃
  〃You're　fine。　Didn't　break　the　skin—trust　me。〃
  〃What's　going　on？〃　I　demanded；　hesitating　in　the　doorway。
  〃Thirty　seconds；　please；　Bella；〃　Alice　told　me。　〃Your　patience　will　be　rewarded。〃
  〃Humph；〃　Charlie　added。
  I　tapped　my　foot；　counting　each　beat。　Before　I　got　to　thirty；　Alice　said；　〃Okay；　Bella；　come　in！〃
  Moving　with　caution；　I　rounded　the　little　corner　into　our　living　room。
  〃Oh；〃　I　huffed。　〃Aw。　Dad。　Don't　you　look—〃
  〃Silly？〃　Charlie　interrupted。
  〃I　was　thinking　more　like　debonair〃
  Charlie　blushed。　Alice　took　his　elbow　and　tugged　him　around　into　a　slow　spin　to　showcase　the　pale　gray
  tux。
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  〃Now　cut　that　out；　Alice。　I　look　like　an　idiot。〃
  〃No　one　dressed　by　me　ever　looks　like　an　idiot。〃
  〃She's　right；　Dad。　You　look　fabulous！　What's　the　occasion？〃
  Alice　rolled　her　eyes。　〃It's　the　final　check　on　the　fit。　For　both　of　you。〃
  I　peeled　my　gaze　off　the　unusually　elegant　Charlie　for　the　first　time　and　saw　the　dreaded　white　garment
  bag　laid　carefully　across　the　sofa。
  〃Aaah。〃
  〃Go　to　your　happy　place；　Bella。　It　won't　take　long。〃
  I　sucked　in　a　deep　breath　and　closed　my　eyes。　Keeping　them　shut；　I　stumbled　my　way　up　the　stairs　to
  my　room。　I　stripped　down　to　my　underwear　and　held　my　arms　straight　out。
  〃You'd　think　I　was　shoving　bamboo　splinters　under　your　nails；〃　Alice　muttered　to　herself　as　she　followed
  me　in。
  I　paid　no　attention　to　her。　I　was　in　my　happy　place。
  In　my　happy　place；　the　whole　wedding　mess　was　over　and　done。　Behind　me。　Already　repressed　and
  forgotten。
  We　were　alone；　just　Edward　and　me。　The　setting　was　fuzzy　and　constantly　in　flux—it　morphed　from
  misty　forest　to　cloud…covered　city　to　arctic　night—because　Edward　was　keeping　the　location　of　our
  honeymoon　a　secret　to　surprise　me。　But　I　wasn't　especially　concerned　about　the　where　part。
  Edward　and　I　were　together；　and　I'd　fulfilled　my　side　of　our　compromise　perfectly。　I'd　married　him。　That
  was　the　big　one。　But　I'd　also　accepted　all　his　outrageous　gifts　and　was　registered；　however　futilely；　to
  attend　Dartmouth　College　in　the　fall。　Now　it　was　his　turn。
  Before　he　turned　me　into　a　vampire—his　big　compromise—he　had　one　other　stipulation　to　make　good
  on。
  Edward　had　an　obsessive　sort　of　concern　over　the　human　things　that　I　would　be　giving　up；　the
  experiences　he　didn't　want　me　to　miss。　Most　of　them—like　the　prom；　for　example—seemed　silly　to　me。
  There　was　only　one　human　experience　I　worried　about　missing。　Of　course　it　would　be　the　one　he　wished
  I　would　forget　completely。
  Here　was　the　thing；　though。　I　knew　a　little　about　what　I　was　going　to　be　like　when　I　wasn't　human
  anymore。　I'd　seen　newborn　vampires　firsthand；　and　I'd　heard　all　my　family…to…be's　stories　about　those
  wild　early　days。　For　several　years；　my　biggest　personality　trait　was　going　to　be　thirsty；　it　would　take
  some　time　before　I　could　be　me　again。　And　even　when　I　was　in　control　of　myself；　I　would　never　feel
  exactly　the　way　I　felt　now。
  Human。。。　and　passionately　in　love。
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  I　wanted　the　complete　experience　before　I　traded　in　my　warm；　breakable；　pheromone…riddled　body　for
  something　beautiful；　strong。。。　and　unknown。　I　wanted　a　real　honeymoon　with　Edward。　And；　despite　the
  danger　he　feared　this　would　put　me　in；　he'd　agreed　to　try。
  I　was　only　vaguely　aware　of　Alice　and　the　slip　and　slide　of　satin　over　my　skin。　I　didn't　care；　for　the
  moment；　that　the　whole　town　was　talking　about　me。　I　didn't　think　about　the　spectacle　I　would　have　to
  star　in　much　too　soon。　I　didn't　worry　about　tripping　on　my　train　or　giggling　at　the　wrong　moment　or　being
  too　young　or　the　staring　audience　or　even　the　empty　seat　where　my　best　friend　should　be。
  I　was　with　Edward　in　my　happy　place。
  2。　LONG　NIGHT
  〃I　miss　you　already。〃
  〃I　don't　need　to　leave。　I　can　stay___〃
  〃Mmm。〃
  It　was　quiet　for　a　long　moment；　just　the　thud　of　my　heart　hammering；　the　broken　rhythm　of　our　ragged
  breathing；　and　the　whisper　of　our　lips　moving　in　synchronization。
  Sometimes　it　was　so　easy　to　forget　that　I　was　kissing　a　vampire。　Not　because　he　seemed　ordinary　or
  human—I　could　never　for　a　second　forget　that　I　was　holding　someone　more　angel　than　man　in　my
  arms—but　because　he　made　it　seem　like　nothing　at　all　to　have　his　lips　against　my　lips；　my　face；　my　throat。
  He　claimed　he　was　long　past　the　temptation　my　blood　used　to　be　for　him；　that　the　idea　of　losing　me　had
  cured　him　of　any　desire　for　it。　But　I　knew　the　smell　of　my　blood　still　caused　him　p