"I read this twice and then out of curiosity went and skimmed some of the reviews on this chapter and was surprised to see how many people jumped on the "Hate Isabella" bandwagon.
Which is easy to do but in all honesty you have to look at the character study in this story before you're quick to put her into the nearest horror story to be eaten, lol.
Bella basically made friends with a dying woman who left everyone she knew or loved. Lizzie was the adult and Bella was a child / young adult with a very caring / protective nature. A lot of anger should be placed on Lizzie in a way because she sort of forced Bella into a situation where in order to protect her past mentor / friendship and give her memory honor, she's forced into a perspective where she's to blame for simply loving a family she spent years caring about before she even met them. LOL - why do I feel like I'm writing a review on an episode of Dramabeans here? Heeheheheh. It's all so Asian drama where you’re so hooked on it you feel like you’re in a Twilighted heroin addiction support group by the time you end a chapter and click to review! Damn I love it!~
Ok the Sophie and Edward scenes are brutal but they have to be and I thought given Sophie's view on Bella being a fairy and Edward kinda telling her she disappeared was brilliant in this story because in Edwards heart of hearts Bella was like a magical being. She appeared out of nowhere and like lifted a curse left on his heart and family. So of course the easiest explanation to a child and to himself is that she never really existed.
This pain / betrayal to Edward sort of throw him exactly back into the situation that happened with his mother: to lose someone he loves. He's kinda thrown back into a child like emotional reaction where he just lashes out and shuts down inside. And then he questions everything he ever thought or felt about her hating himself for allowing himself to love and put trust into her. Him tearing apart the rooms and every picture of her is sort of an outward view of how Edward himself is torn apart and destroyed on the inside so of course he's tearing apart every memory of her just like his heart is torn apart and destroyed on the inside. In many ways the things Edward loves most about Bella is her caring, protective, mothering nature. Which he has not had from anyone since Lizzie abandoned the family. Her leaving left a wake more damaging than a tsunami, that any coming to terms with a terminal illness ever could on her husband and children.
As the reader I'm not angry with either Bella or Edward in what they are both doing currently trying to cope with this situation. My anger is more towards Lizzie. Isn't it great that she could run and hide away with her illness from her own husband and children and then sort of adopt Bella as her replacement child? I mean basically she abandons her own child in the name of protecting them but completely misses out on their lives and accomplishments, but she's there to witness and shape Bella's life. She sees Bella graduation and gives her piano lessons even though she's ill, but she cannot be there to shape or love her own children? It's a little messed up there in her thinking. I would think that Carlisle, while reading her journals, might be a little angry with this. Even with his love and devotion to her being his wife this is such a selfish thing she has done. Her thinking she was protecting them all from pain didn't do so, all it did was sort of throw a crippling disease of pain that has been eating away at everyone she claimed to love when she left them all behind. Leaving a scar more disfiguring on them more than losing a parent to illness ever could.
Yes it brought Bella to them but at what price? It's sort of like a gift in getting Bella but also a gift that comes with a price in so many ways.
I really loved how in this closing of the chapter you gave Dr. C’s voice and perspective on his son and an outside view of Edward at this time, for down the line he's gonna be the only one who is gonna be able to voice to him what he needs and doesn't want to hear in order to face things.
It also gives the added perspective that Edward has not only lost his first love. He also is mourning the loss of his mother for the second time. And for the second time, he also had no last words he could say to her. Edward also seems to be channeling all the blame in this situation on himself, like somewhere in his mind he thinks his mother left him because of something he did and then Bella also left him for the same reason.
This was so telling in Bella's true nature:
'But then, I worry for her. She is too empathic. She puts herself through hell for the sake of others. She knew that she would have to lose me at some point, but she also knew that I am alone. So she pushed aside the idea of how tragic the outcome of such a friendship would be for her, just because she knew that I had needed someone."
With how rough Edward is right now and the dark place he is in. I wonder if Bella isn't in worse shape. Last we saw she went to Lizzie grave site in some mystery location. I wonder if Bella hasn't completely shut down in guilt and pain herself. Edward is barely functioning but I wonder if she's worse than he is. I keep thinking something bad is going to happen to her or with the three months passing without a word something is going on with her. It should be interesting to see what's coming next. As always I love this story and love to look at it from all angles.
Exceptional work here!~"
Which is easy to do but in all honesty you have to look at the character study in this story before you're quick to put her into the nearest horror story to be eaten, lol.
Bella basically made friends with a dying woman who left everyone she knew or loved. Lizzie was the adult and Bella was a child / young adult with a very caring / protective nature. A lot of anger should be placed on Lizzie in a way because she sort of forced Bella into a situation where in order to protect her past mentor / friendship and give her memory honor, she's forced into a perspective where she's to blame for simply loving a family she spent years caring about before she even met them. LOL - why do I feel like I'm writing a review on an episode of Dramabeans here? Heeheheheh. It's all so Asian drama where you’re so hooked on it you feel like you’re in a Twilighted heroin addiction support group by the time you end a chapter and click to review! Damn I love it!~
Ok the Sophie and Edward scenes are brutal but they have to be and I thought given Sophie's view on Bella being a fairy and Edward kinda telling her she disappeared was brilliant in this story because in Edwards heart of hearts Bella was like a magical being. She appeared out of nowhere and like lifted a curse left on his heart and family. So of course the easiest explanation to a child and to himself is that she never really existed.
This pain / betrayal to Edward sort of throw him exactly back into the situation that happened with his mother: to lose someone he loves. He's kinda thrown back into a child like emotional reaction where he just lashes out and shuts down inside. And then he questions everything he ever thought or felt about her hating himself for allowing himself to love and put trust into her. Him tearing apart the rooms and every picture of her is sort of an outward view of how Edward himself is torn apart and destroyed on the inside so of course he's tearing apart every memory of her just like his heart is torn apart and destroyed on the inside. In many ways the things Edward loves most about Bella is her caring, protective, mothering nature. Which he has not had from anyone since Lizzie abandoned the family. Her leaving left a wake more damaging than a tsunami, that any coming to terms with a terminal illness ever could on her husband and children.
As the reader I'm not angry with either Bella or Edward in what they are both doing currently trying to cope with this situation. My anger is more towards Lizzie. Isn't it great that she could run and hide away with her illness from her own husband and children and then sort of adopt Bella as her replacement child? I mean basically she abandons her own child in the name of protecting them but completely misses out on their lives and accomplishments, but she's there to witness and shape Bella's life. She sees Bella graduation and gives her piano lessons even though she's ill, but she cannot be there to shape or love her own children? It's a little messed up there in her thinking. I would think that Carlisle, while reading her journals, might be a little angry with this. Even with his love and devotion to her being his wife this is such a selfish thing she has done. Her thinking she was protecting them all from pain didn't do so, all it did was sort of throw a crippling disease of pain that has been eating away at everyone she claimed to love when she left them all behind. Leaving a scar more disfiguring on them more than losing a parent to illness ever could.
Yes it brought Bella to them but at what price? It's sort of like a gift in getting Bella but also a gift that comes with a price in so many ways.
I really loved how in this closing of the chapter you gave Dr. C’s voice and perspective on his son and an outside view of Edward at this time, for down the line he's gonna be the only one who is gonna be able to voice to him what he needs and doesn't want to hear in order to face things.
It also gives the added perspective that Edward has not only lost his first love. He also is mourning the loss of his mother for the second time. And for the second time, he also had no last words he could say to her. Edward also seems to be channeling all the blame in this situation on himself, like somewhere in his mind he thinks his mother left him because of something he did and then Bella also left him for the same reason.
This was so telling in Bella's true nature:
'But then, I worry for her. She is too empathic. She puts herself through hell for the sake of others. She knew that she would have to lose me at some point, but she also knew that I am alone. So she pushed aside the idea of how tragic the outcome of such a friendship would be for her, just because she knew that I had needed someone."
With how rough Edward is right now and the dark place he is in. I wonder if Bella isn't in worse shape. Last we saw she went to Lizzie grave site in some mystery location. I wonder if Bella hasn't completely shut down in guilt and pain herself. Edward is barely functioning but I wonder if she's worse than he is. I keep thinking something bad is going to happen to her or with the three months passing without a word something is going on with her. It should be interesting to see what's coming next. As always I love this story and love to look at it from all angles.
Exceptional work here!~"
