Edward shifted his gaze from the table onto her, his breath catching in his throat as he laid his eyes on his wife.
Phoebe really was... the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. It was still strange for him to wonder how she had felt otherwise, how many had caused her to believe that was not the case. The early afternoon sun streaming in through the windows cast bright rays of upon her hair that made her look ethereal and every time she smiled, her eyes sparkled beautifully.
He felt foolish, for orchestrating a life other than what they were living in currently and he swore to protect it with everything he had.
“You are right,” he nodded sagely, clearing his throat in a bid to ignore the growing fire in his groin. “I have heard that children are rather all-consuming. As wonderful generally are, it wouldbe wise to focus my efforts on keeping you happy and pleased, while I have you to myself.”
Phoebe giggled as he leaned in to kiss her, smirking as a dark blush spread over her lovely cheeks.
“I am happy,” she sighed contentedly. “More so than I thought was possible. My parents... were everything to me, before they passed. They made every day of our lives feel as though we were living beneath a cloud of blessings. And I feared that I would never again be fortunate to experience such goodness again. And yet, here I am – so incredibly happy, it feels as though I am in a dream that I hope to never wake up from if that is the case.”
Edward reached out to her, gently caressing her cheeks as he murmured,
“This is no dream. I am real – and so are you. Even better than a dream is what we will make of this life we have together. There is much I wish to do with you, Phoebe. I... wasn’t much of an aspirational man. I focused more on the facts and rules of life, than the potentials and possibilities within it. I didn’t even believe that I would live to this age and I was scared to hope for more than what I had. But you... you have lit a fire in me. You have returned my life to me – because I now can see that I was barely living. And it might sound silly, but I can dream now and all I hope to see when I close my eyes is you. I gave up so much because I believed it was the best course of action. I couldn’t fathom the possibility of having more than I already did. And now... I feel like a king. Phoebe, I cannot thank you enough, for loving me. For saving me.
“I knew my father had not meant to leave my mother behind, but I still thought it cruel that he had anyway. And while the fear of leaving you behind still hovers in my heart, persistent like a troublesome nuisance, I want to focus on the better things I have in my life, and not the possible eventuality of my death. I know that it would not be easy to deal with, but I still want to keep at it regardless. I hope that you will kindly lead me through my darkest days.”
Phoebe stared at him intently, before she moved closer and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his chest. Instinctively, Edward wrapped his arms around her and focused his mind on the presence of her body against his.
It was almost funny, how a simply hug was flooding his senses with many different emotions that he could hardly fathom two days ago.
“We are partners, Edward,” she said after a little bit. “Together, we will navigate our difficult days and enjoy the good ones. You do not have to be afraid, Edward. I will never abandon you to face any hardship by yourself.”
She pressed a kiss to his jaw, smiling when he tilted his head downwards and kissed her lips, once, twice, soft and chaste.
“Neither will I,” he promised in turn.
And he knew they would do everything in their power to uphold their word.
“You are in a rather good mood today,” Barbara remarked with suspicion in her gaze. “That does not bode well for me.”
Edward chuckled, picking up the tea pot to pour his aunt a cup of tea. He always preferred to serve her himself, unable to keep himself from wanting to cater to her needs.
He had begun to experience a stronger desire for that when it came to Phoebe. He grew restless when he did not know how she felt and only her satisfaction would bring him ease. It was remarkable, how much he cared about and for her, even more so that he enjoyed catering to her every whim.
“Perhaps I am simply attempting to share my good mood with my favourite aunt,” he teased as he filled his own tea cup as well.
Barbara’s gaze narrowed. “Somehow, that is even worse. And I am certain that I am your only aunt.”
“I could have hundreds, and still, you would be the only one I adored endlessly,” he grinned, unrestrained.
Barbara made a face that portrayed irritation, but he could tell by the light in her eyes and the smile on her lips that she was secretly pleased.
“Are you going to tell me the reason why you are here interrupting my perfectly peaceful day? And where is that wonderfully charming wife of yours? I am somewhat perturbed that you believed I would be more interested in your company than hers,” Barbara said as she raised her cup to her lips.
“Can a man not simply wish to visit his relative with the intention of checking on their well-being?”
“A man could, but not a rather occasionally fearsome terror like you, dear.”
Edward laughed, pleased when Barbara joined him with soft chuckles of her own. When the noise of their laughter died down and a comfortable silence filled the air, he told her,
“We’re having a child, Phoebe and I.”
Her eyes widened and for a moment, she simply stared at him, speechless. Then she shook her head, leaning back in her seat.
“I suppose congratulations are in order, then.”
Edward nodded. “We are both excited, and a tad nervous, as well. But aside from that... I worry that this might be the one task I am not qualified for. I know that I held onto the resolve of having a child as soon as I could and I was intent on doing things my way – which might have ended up with me leaving the child’s upbringing to the duchess, solely. However, things have changed. I have changed and I want to be involved in any andall the ways that I can be. It is easier said than done, though, as I can barely remember much about my father, other than his sickly expressions. I know he was a good man. I know that he was loved dearly. But I need to know more. I need to understand what made him a good father – because... I think he was. I might have been upset that he passed and left mother and I behind – and no matter how much I understand and acknowledge that it was not his fault, I still cannot feel as though it was unfair, still. Nothing I say or think will change what happened, but I do believe he was a great man. And I want to know if I have any chance of becoming a man he would have been proud of.”