Beautiful Disaster

Everyone except Alice and my father seems to find her answer hilarious, the same as with Emmett’s when he keeps it short with a loud, "I’m thankful for not having to smell gherkins on Rose’s breath 24/7 anymore!" Then they kiss, probably with a little too much tongue than most people would find appropriate, but I don’t think either of them really cares.

Once Rose and Emmett are behaving like proper parents again silence falls for a moment as Jazz seems more than a little reluctant to pick up, but after a moment he opens his mouth nevertheless.

"I’m thankful for everyone I know being healthy, and that despite the abysmal economic situation right now having found somewhat of a semi-secure freelance job for the next months."

Bella gives a whoop at his words that Rose echoes with loud clapping, once again making me wonder why I’m always the last to hear of such things. Jazz nods his thanks to Rose, then grins at Bella, and with his eyes flickering to me for a second he adds, "And I’m thankful for my friends, above all else."

Before anyone can read too much into that, I pick right up from him.

"I’m thankful for Bella loving me and bearing with me even when I behave like a stubborn idiot, and she has to guide me with her oh so gentle words to see reason again."

The lovely woman in question snorts at that, then gives me a light kiss before she murmurs a low, "Smartass!" into my ear. I snort, then go on.

"And because it’s so true, I’m also happy for having the best friends in the world."

Bella echoes my words, although she adds that she’s ecstatic about the first book she did a collaboration on hitting the shelves soon, before she, too, adds the friends remark. When my mother doesn’t offer her own thanksgiving comment right away Bella leans close to me and chuckles softly, then adds, for my ears only,

"And every time I wriggle my ass around on this abysmally uncomfortable chair I get reminded of how much fun it was to have your c**k in my ass while Jazz was f**king my pu**y this morning, and oh boy, I’m so very thankful for that, too."

I try hard to disguise my laugh with a snort but still catch a look from my mother that tells me plainly that while she has no way of knowing what exactly Bella just said that drew that reaction from me, she can take an accurate guess at the nature of our whispering. Yet there’s only amused happiness on her face when she does it, before she turns to the table at large and offers her own thankfulness – that includes for a cask of 1996

Château lléoville Barton Saint-Julien Bordeaux that she brought with her from last summer’s visit to France.

Carlisle offers a rather dry line about things going well in the hospital, and Nate, trying to be gallant but without appearing as if he is insincerely polite offers thanks to the cooks of the dinner, and of course Esme’s invitation.

Then it’s Alice’s turn at last. At first she clears her throat, then proceeds by making gooey eyes at Nate that make me pray inwardly that Bella will never turn to such saccharine moves, but from the way she keeps frowning I feel assured that unless she wants to tease me in the future I’m on the safe side.

"I’m thankful for so many things, like my newest clothing line being the hit in France and Italy, and of course everyone around me being healthy, but most of all I’m thankful, no, scratch that, amazingly grateful for having met Nate, because he’s everything I’ve ever looked for in a man, and more than I could have asked for!"

Way to sucker-punch someone without even talking to them, and the somewhat awkward silence that follows her words shows that I’m not the only one feeling like that. Trying to rescue the situation, my mom then asks a seemingly harmless question.

"So, Nate, how did you and Alice meet?"

It’s funny how everyone suddenly perks up, while trying to seem inconspicuous about it. The fact that Alice tenses a little is not lost on me, but considering the way she usually acquires her conquests, I expect that to be because the tale probably involves alcohol, which, considering their painful breakup, wouldn’t be a surprise to me.

Only that what Nate relates, with an easy smile and not a care in the world of what his words cause, exceeds my expectations by far.

"Actually, we met in Paris. Cheesy, right?" he offers, then smiles at Alice as he takes her hand in his. "I was there for a guest lecture at the Sorbonne, and Alice for a fashion show, I think. Then we ran into each other again in New York, had dinner together, and when it happened a third time here in Seattle, it started feeling a little too much like it was meant to be. And, well, the rest is history!"

The silence meeting his words is palpable, and when Bella finally asks the question we’re probably all burning to know the answer to, her voice is oddly hollow.

"How long ago was that? That you met in Seattle, I mean. I guess New York was in September?"

The week of her birthday party, if I remember correctly.

Nate obviously realizes that the mood on the table has suddenly changed, but the question is innocent enough, so he answers promptly.

"About four weeks ago, why do you ask?"

If things have been awkward before, now they are painful, and I’m not the only one who spares a quick glance in Jasper’s direction. He’s about the only one not avidly following Nate’s words, the way he keeps looking at the half empty beer glass in his hand with his face absolutely devoid of emotion. I don’t know how to react, stunned as I am by the implications, and feeling Bella go oddly still at my other side doesn’t help my indecision.

My mother tries to jump into the gap then, offering a slightly strained, "Well, that does sound like fate," but her words do nothing to dissolve the tension.

But they seem to tear Jazz out of his stupor, for he drains his glass with a long gulp, then stands up, the sound of the chair scraping across the floor grating up my spine.

"If you will excuse me for a moment," he offers in a near soundless voice, then he is out of the room. Still torn with indecision I’m looking after him when Bella jumps to her feet, running after him as she calls his name, sympathy so heavy in her tone that it’s impossible for anyone not to make the connection.

Nobody says anything for at least twenty seconds, when, probably picking up on the general mood in the room, the baby starts to cry. Rose laughs mirthlessly as she gathers her daughter in her arms and grabs a napkin, then gets up to feed the baby in the other room.

"Mona, you already have impeccable timing, why do I get the feeling you’ll make sure that your mommy and daddy won’t be able to get you a sister or brother unless we hand you over to someone else for a few hours each week?"

She’s barely around the table when Alice gets up to follow her. Through the whole exchange she has been obviously uncomfortable, but while she seems all too ready to seize the opportunity to flee, she doesn’t really look apologetic.

"Edward, will you help me clear the table?" my mother asks me, and I’m not sure if she does it to keep me occupied, or because she wants to squeeze the details out of me in the kitchen. Either way I nod, happy not to belong to the unhappy few left sitting at the table.

True enough, the moment I’m done putting the last dishes into the washer I find her looking at me, concern making her face appear years older than her birth certificate states.

"I might not know all the details, but I simply remember that Bella told me about their breakup two weeks ago?"

I just reply with a mute nod.

"And I presume she didn’t sit on that information for a month already?"

"Nope."

She sighs then and rubs her eyes, before she turns a stern look at me.