La Donna e Il Dottore

Epilogue

So, thank you to everyone who read my story for the Godfather of All Writing Contests. I'm so thrilled with the outcome and the stories submitted were nothing short of awesome! So well written! I've decided to expand this. It'll probably be a novella, not a full-length fic, similar to Mechanics and Mistletoe or A Thin Line Between Love and Hate. I'm rereading my submission to see where things will be going. Thank you for reading and supporting me!

Are you still with me? Don't throw sharp objects at me ... here's your epilogue.

Epilogue

Six Months Later

"Dr. Masen, we've got incoming," said Lauren Mallory. She was a nurse at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. And a thorn in every male attending's side.

"Thank you, Lauren, but with this signature, I'm off," he said. "Dr. Novak is on duty this evening. I have a date with my wife." Lauren scoffed and turned on her heel, presumably to find Dr. Novak. Dr. Masen went to the locker room and changed out of his scrubs, pulling on a pair of jeans and a button-down shirt. He scrubbed his hands in his hair before sliding on his sunglasses, picking up his car keys. Twirling them in his finger, he rubbed his wedding band on his left hand and made his way home. Using the hands-free option in his Audi SUV, he dialed home.

"Hello?" came the sweet voice of his wife.

"Hey love, I'm on my way home from the hospital. Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"I was thinking we could spend the night at home, Doc," she said.

"Beautiful, you know what your therapist said," he chided. "You can't just stay cooped up in our house."

"Please? I promise I have a good reason," she wheedled. "I want to talk to you, about ... um, stuff."

"Very specific, love," he deadpanned. "Do you want me to pick up dinner?"

"No. I made us dinner. I'll be out on the lanai," she smiled. "Love you."

"Love you more," he breathed, getting onto the highway and driving the half hour back to his large home he shared with his gorgeous wife. Backing his SUV into the garage, he made his way inside and he grinned as he smelled his favorite meal being made. "Honey, I'm home."

"Oh, don't even start."

He rounded the corner and he saw her. Isabella Swan, now reborn as Annabella Masen. Her once-long brunette hair was now cut to her chin, with caramel highlights littered throughout. She was standing in the kitchen, her hands on her hips with an adorable scowl on her face. "What?" Edward laughed. "You're my honey and I'm home."

"You're an ass," she snorted, shaking her head.

He walked toward her and wrapped his arms around her slender body. She stiffened at first, but eventually melted against him. "You're tense, love. You haven't flinched like that in a couple of months."

"Rough day," she whispered. "Dad called."

"I thought he'd give you time," Edward sneered. "You need time away from that life, Bella."

"I know! I know," she said. "He called because he was worried about me and he missed me. I miss him, too, but until he walks away from ..." She sniffled, wiping her cheeks and pressing her forehead to Edward's sternum.

"He said a year, Bella. He needed to make sure that the Wolf Pack was truly gone," he whispered, running his fingers through her hair.

"I know," she sighed.