Beside Still Waters by AmyZini
Review by Les16
Rating: M
Genre: Angst/Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Edward/Bella
Summary: Separated by years, yet tied to each other through the birth of a child, Edward and Bella struggle to work together when confronted with the unthinkable.
If you are looking for a story that will draw you in and then stick with you, kind of like that favorite song you can't stop singing in your head, then Beside Still Waters by AmyZini is the perfect story for you. It's a lovely, well written, and honestly, kind of a difficult story to read. It starts out with a shock, Edward and Bella are divorced, have been for years now, and Edward simply just walked away leaving Bella to raise their daughter. No explanation, no warning, just gone.
So, right away we're already wanting answers...answers AmyZini gives a tiny bit at a time. You would probably get frustrated by the lack of information, but for one thing. We find out really quick that little Gracie is sick...really sick. She's been diagnosed with a brain tumor, cancer, so the story quickly shifts focus.
The writing in this story is flawless and even though the chapters are short, I promise you will not mind a bit. There is so much information disclosed in those chapters, you will surely be amazed. AmyZini's characters are all well developed multifaceted people. Bella could easily come off as stubborn and bitter, but instead you find yourself wondering how she's managed so well for so long by herself. Edward, you would think you would want to hate him, knowing he abandoned his wife and child, but instead you want to find out what drove him away. There are layers upon layers to her characters, and you find yourself anxiously awaiting for each one to be peeled away.
Staring at the man before me, it was hard to remember how he once personified everything I held dear. What had changed him from the teenage boy willing to dive into the ocean to save a stranger, to someone who could walk out on his wife and infant daughter?
I'd seen no hint of weakness in him in the beginning. He was always so sure of the right path—unfailingly strong in his convictions and belief in forever. You are my gravity he would whisper to me before drifting off to sleep. And in those days, I believed him.
But gravity shifts, and suddenly you find yourself hurtling through space alone.
As Grace's condition becomes even more dire, Bella is forced to live with Edward because his house is closer to the hospital and they both want to do whatever they can to help their daughter. They fall into a sort of uneasy truce, each circling around the other, but neither stopping long enough to talk. As it should be, Grace is their primary concern, but how long can they continue to avoid the elephant in the room? How long can Bella stubbornly refuse to ask for the answers she deserves, how long will Edward keep letting his guilt eat away at him?
Edward and Bella have a multitude of issues to deal with while trying to care for their sick daughter. Meddling mothers, well meaning friends, too many years of unanswered questions, guilt, and disillusionment all come together to make a story that is as gripping as it is heartbreaking. Underlying all of this, there is a sense of hope, though a hope for what is soon to know. I am very anxious to see where AmyZini takes this story, but I know I can't wait to find out. Add Beside Still Waters to your list of must read's, you won't be sorry!
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