"Momma, Momma, Momma!"

I looked up to see a blur of pink and green run into my classroom and straight into my arms, almost pushing me to the floor, where I sat organizing the toy cubby.

I laughed as the little girl stood up and smoothed out her Hello Kitty skirt. Her strawberry curls were tangled from running down the hall, and her large brown eyes were hidden behind pink, star-shaped sunglasses. "Why are you wearing your sunglasses inside, baby girl?"

"Because we went outside today, Momma! We went for a walk!"

"You did?"

She nodded, her sunglasses sliding down her nose as her head moved.

"What did you see outside?"

"The playground."

I laughed at her matter-of-fact answer. "Anything else?"

She shook her head. "No, Momma. Do we get to go now?" She bounced excitedly, and I heard something move in the metal lunchbox she was holding.

"Maggie Lynn, did you eat your lunch today?"

She looked down at her lunchbox and then back to me, grinning sheepishly. "I ate most of it. I promise."

I cocked an eyebrow at the sneaky child in front of me. She knew I wasn't pleased so she played on my one weakness.

She wrapped her little arms around my neck. "I love you, Mommy.

I laughed again and returned her hug. "Come on, baby," I said, standing up and taking her hand. "Let's go eat, now that I know why little miss didn't eat her lunch is so hungry."

She giggled and dragged me down the hallway and into the parking lot. I unlocked the truck and she immediately climbed into the backseat and buckled her seatbelt, smiling proudly as I climbed into the front and turned on the ignition.

I grinned and shook my head. My daughter was definitely a responsible little one.

Thankfully the drive to the diner wasn't long. By the time I pulled into the parking lot and spotted my father's police cruiser, Maggie was ready to bolt out of the truck and into the restaurant. I unbuckled her seatbelt and helped her down, laughing when she landed in a puddle and proceeded to stomp around in it. At least her shoes were machine washable.

We walked into the diner, just like we did every Friday afternoon. I waved to Lauren, the young woman who manned the register in the afternoons.

"Hi, Esme," she said. "They're all back there already."

That was all Maggie needed to hear. She squeezed my hand and ran ahead, dragging me behind her as she made her way to the large corner booth in the back.

"Grandpa!"

She released my hand as soon as my father came into view, and ran into his arms. I slid into the booth beside her, across from my mother and baby sister.

"Ready for next weekend?" I asked Bella as Maggie animatedly walked her grandpa through her day.

She nodded. "I've been ready."

I loved the sweet smile that played on my sister's lips as she thought of her upcoming wedding. Bella and Edward had dated since high school, and while some people thought my own experience with the concept of high school sweethearts would cause me to disapprove, I couldn't be happier for her.

They were smart and had decided to wait till after college to tie the knot. Now they both had stable careers, and were ready to start their lives together.

"Speaking of the wedding," Bella began, "I got a call from the dress shop, and your dress will be ready to pick up tomorrow. We should make a day of it, and spend some time in Seattle taking care of last minute things."

I nodded, loving her idea. Her time had been so monopolized by wedding planning in the last several months it felt like I had barely seen her outside of bridal appointments.

I turned to Renee. "Mom, would you mind watching Maggie tomorrow?"

"Of course not, dear. We would love to take her for the day. You know we always love having time with our granddaughter."

Maggie stopped her play-by-play of her day. "I get to go to Grandma and Grandpa's tomorrow?"

"Yes, baby girl," I said, smoothing her hair. "Mommy and Aunt Bella have some things we need to do tomorrow. Are you okay with that, if you stay with grandma and grandpa?"

"Mom, Grandma always makes me cookies. I wanna go!"

I laughed. "Okay, short stuff, settle down. I know you'll have fun."

"Did you hear, Grandpa?" she said, pulling on the sleeve of Charlie's uniform. "I get to go with you and Grandma tomorrow!"

"I heard, short stack." He looked up and winked at me before continuing. "Maybe I'll take you for a ride in the car."

Her eyes lit up. "With the lights, Grandpa? I get to play with the lights?"

"Yes, ma'am, Miss Maggie."

She squealed excitedly and everybody laughed.

I couldn't help but smile as I watched her eat her fries. So much of my life hadn't gone the way I planned, and there were brief moments when I envied Bella because her plans were all coming to fruition. The beautiful little girl beside me was my one true love, though. Nothing in the world was more important to me than my daughter.

I looked down to see her happily swirling ketchup around her plate with her last french fry, oblivious to my watchful eye, while telling Charlie about the rest of her day.

I turned my attention back to my sister, content that Maggie was happy and would let me know when she wanted to leave.

"What's on the schedule for next week, Bella?" Mom asked.

She shrugged. "All that's really left is the stuff we're wrapping up tomorrow. I guess I planned right because there's no last minute rush."

Renee nodded. "That's good, sweetie. What kind of trouble is Edward getting into in his last week of freedom?"

She put down her fork and rolled her eyes. "Evidently the boys are going camping."

I snorted and tried not to laugh out loud. I would pay money to see those boys camp without killing each other.

"Oh, to be young and getting married again," Renee said wistfully.

"Yeah, you can have it, Mom. I'm tired and ready for this week to be over. I just want to be married already."

Renee patted Bella's arm and gave her a sympathetic look. "I hear you, baby. You've never been one for a big show being made of things – especially when they revolve around you."

I smiled to myself as I watched my mother and sister. It was a running inside joke in our family to question whether we were Renee's children at all. We were both so much like Charlie it was eerie. Bella even looked just like him, whereas I shared our mother's light features.

Renee was what was once called a "wild child." She was outgoing, easily excitable, and loved to be the center of attention. Bella was the complete opposite. She shied away from the spotlight, and anytime it was on her she's tried to deflect people's attention to someone else.

She had fun planning her wedding, but I knew when the day came my baby sister would be a bundle of nerves.

For my part I just hoped Maggie would be calm and remember what she was supposed to do.

As if she read my mind, Renee suddenly turned her attention to her granddaughter.

"What about you, Miss Maggie? Are you excited for Aunt Bella's wedding?"

Her head bobbed up and down as the largest grin spread across her face. "I get to carry Aunt Bella's dress. Mommy says I have to be very careful and I can't let it touch the floor."

Maggie couldn't wait to perform her big important job. I would never forget the night she came home from an afternoon with Bella and told me what her job was. She made me sit down on the couch with her, and I watched curiously as she crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap, preparing herself for a very serious discussion.

Bella hadn't informed me that she would be asking Maggie to carry her train that day so I had no idea what was coming, and my mind raced with countless possibilities, each more terrifying than the last.

She told me in a very serious, business-like tone that Aunt Bella had asked if she would please carry her train when Bella walked down the aisle.

I blew out a huge breath and slumped back against the couch, laughing. She was completely offended and informed me that I didn't understand the supreme importance of her job.

She had been practicing for weeks. Once she discovered that one of our spare blankets was longer than I was she took it upon herself to tie it around my neck, and coerced me into walking around the house like that while she carried the bottom of it above the floor.

I giggled at the memory, causing her to momentarily forget her french-fries and look up at me.

"What's funny, Momma?"

"Nothing, sweetie. I just can't wait to see you in your dress at the wedding."

"My dress is black and white," she announced to the whole table. "And it has a red ribbon to match mommy's dress."

"Oh, I can't wait to see you in it, sweetheart," Renee said. Only Bella and I had actually seen the dress on her yet.

"You'll be the prettiest girl at the ball," Charlie chimed in.

"A ball?" Her eyes grew wide. "Like in Cinderella? Are we going to a ball? I want to go to a ball. And dress up in a big, pretty dress just like Cinderella. Can we, Momma? Can we, please?"

She was tugging on my arm, and pouting, trying to give me her best sad puppy eyes. I laughed and pulled her into my lap, nuzzling her neck playfully.

"What grandpa means is that after the wedding there's going to be a party. A big party where all of Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward's friends and family get to dance and have fun."

She put a finger to her lips and thought for a moment, before looking up with a confused expression.

"Like in Cinderella?"

"Yes, baby. Just like in Cinderella."

"Okay," she said. "But I don't want mice to help me get ready. I don't think that would be good. You can help me, Momma."

"I would be honored, baby girl."

The rest of the meal was spent casually discussing Bella and Edward's honeymoon plans, while Maggie colored on the paper tablecloth.

They were going to the Bahamas for a week, and while it hadn't been Bella's first choice, Edward's parents owned a timeshare there so their stay would be free. If there was one thing my sister hated more than being in the spotlight it was people spending money on her.

Edward was a music teacher at the high school, and while he didn't make much money, he loved to spoil Bella with what he did make. His parents', however, came from old logging money, and were more than happy to help with any expenses that came along.

Bella insisted that she and Edward pay for as much of the wedding as possible, but his parents did end up contributing somewhat. She was desperate to visit Italy and they wanted to pay for the honeymoon there, but Bella was dead set against it, even though it was her dream location.

Everyone had arrived at the compromise of a free week in the Caribbean, and every day that her trip grew closer Bella grew more and more excited. She couldn't wait for some alone time with Edward after all the hectic months of wedding planning.

We talked for what seemed like hours, enjoying the last few minutes of freedom before the wedding week would begin. By the time Maggie finished the small slice of cheesecake Lauren had brought her, I could tell she was tired and ready to leave.

I brushed the hair back from her forehead as she set her fork down. "Ready to go, baby girl?"

She nodded and tried to stifle a yawn. "Yes, please, Mommy. I wanna to watch Monsters Inc. when we get home."

Charlie put some money on the table for the bill, and Maggie lifted her arms, looking at me expectantly. I picked her up, and we said goodbye to the family. She was such a good girl all through dinner that I grabbed a couple of the chocolate peppermints from the counter when she wasn't looking. I would surprise her with them later.

By the time I got her in the truck she was nearly asleep. I knew she wouldn't make it all the way through her movie, but I put it on for her when we got home anyway. She rushed through her nightly routine of brushing her teeth and her hair, and came running back out into the living room as soon as she heard the movie.

Normally on a Friday night I would sit down in the kitchen with her while she did any worksheets the teacher sent home with her. She knew that if she did homework right after school on Friday it meant she could have fun all weekend and it wouldn't be interrupted by pesky addition and subtraction problems.

It definitely wasn't her favorite way to spend a Friday afternoon, but I was insistent about her work being done. Tonight, though, we had spent longer than I intended at the diner and she was tired. I decided to snuggle up on the couch with her under a throw blanket and enjoy her DVD instead.

She climbed into my arms when the movie started, and started playing with my hair.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, Miss Maggie?"

"When I go to Grandma and Grandpa's tomorrow where are you gonna be?"

"I told you, baby, I'll be running errands with Aunt Bella."

"But where, Mommy?"

"In Seattle. Remember Seattle? I took you to the zoo there last year."

Her eyes widened. "I 'member, Momma! I got to feed the big white bird, and it wanted to play tag with me!"

I couldn't help but laugh. Edward had convinced her to feed the geese and one of them became quite interested in her. We knew it couldn't get to her, but she was convinced it wanted to play with her by the way it kept running toward the fence.

"Are you okay with that, sweetie? Do you not want me to go?"

She shook her head. "No, you go, Mommy." She stood up on the couch, ignoring my disapproving glance. She took my face between her little hands and kissed the tip of my nose. "I worry about you, Mommy."

I wrapped my arms around her, and settled her back down in my lap. "Nothing's going to happen to me, baby. Grandma and Grandpa will let you call me anytime you want tomorrow."

She nodded, satisfied with my answer, and turned her attention back to the movie. I intertwined our fingers as I watched her struggle to keep her eyes open. My little girl was such a worrywart. I tried to tell myself that she wasn't at the age where she could truly understand that she came from a single-parent household, but I knew she did.

There had been an issue a year ago of some of the older boys on the playground making fun of her for not having a daddy. She pretended it didn't bother her, but I knew better, and I knew she worried over me more than she normally would have because of it.

Exactly as I knew would happen it didn't take long for her to fall asleep. I turned off the movie, and lifted Maggie's sleeping form into my arms. She mumbled "Mommy" in her sleep as I carried her down the hall.

I tucked her into her bed and pulled her blue and pink duvet up around her. I turned off the lamp and walked to the door where I leaned against the doorframe and watched her sleep for several minutes.

I was blessed with a child who began sleeping through the night almost immediately, and even now rarely woke up in the middle of the night.

It had been a busy day, and tomorrow would be even more hectic for the both of us. She deserved a good night sleep. We both did. The week ahead would bring things I wasn't sure I was ready to face, but as long as Maggie was happy and content I could be too.

.

Poke.

"Mom."

Poke.

"Mommy."

Poke.

"Esme."

That woke me up.

"Esme?"

Maggie giggled and climbed onto the bed. "It's time to get up!" she said.

Groaning, I pulled the blanket over my face. "I don't want to."

"But you have to!" she said, yanking the blankets off me. "It's time to go to Grandma and Grandpa's!"

I opened one eye and watched as she bit her lip, trying not to laugh at me. "I think you want to get rid of me just so you can eat all of Grandma's cookies." I smiled when she nodded vigorously, and pulled her under the covers so I could snuggle my baby girl.

"Did you have a good night sleep?"

"I did, but now you're suffocating me, Mommy. Let go!" She wrestled her way out of my arms while I tried to hold her tighter. There was no way I was going to let my baby keep growing up so quickly. She folded her arms and pouted. "Are you gonna make me breakfast?"

I balked. "Demanding little child, aren't we?" I teased. "Why don't we call Grandma and see what she thinks?"

Maggie nodded and reached for my cell phone on my bedside table. "I wanna do it," she said. I showed her how to unlock the phone and find my mom's number, and before I knew it she was walking out of the room with the phone to her ear like a CEO taking a call.

I shook my head and grinned as I made my way to the bathroom to shower and get ready. Life with a child was never boring. That was for sure.

When I emerged twenty minutes later, Maggie was sitting in the middle of my bed, with the little purse Bella's best friend, Alice, bought for her.

"Momma, I'm hungry. Grandma's making me pancakes. Hurry up and get dressed!"

When we finally left the house, Maggie was all but dragging me to the car. The night before she acted like she didn't want me to go to Seattle, and now she was practically pushing me away.

Just like getting everywhere in Forks, the drive to my parent's house was relatively short. Bella's car was in the driveway when we arrived, and Renee was already waiting on the porch for her only granddaughter. Maggie flew into her arms, and began to talk a mile a minute while I grinned and walked past them into the house.

Bella was sitting on the sofa, absently flipping through channels. She didn't even notice I had walked in until I nudged her arm gently. "Hey, ready to go?"

"Oh, hey, sis," she said, looking up. "Yeah, I guess we should head out. Where's my favorite niece, though? I need a kiss."

"Aunt Bella," Maggie said, skipping into the room. "I'm your only niece."

"That's right you are," Bella told her, placing a kiss on her cheek and another on her forehead. "That means you automatically default to being my favorite."

Maggie turned to me looking confused. "What's a 'default'?" I had to laugh. She was too adorable. "It means you're her favorite, baby."

Her mouth formed a giant 'O' while she processed this. She opened it and closed it several times before finally throwing her hands up, saying, "I'm confused."

"So am I," Charlie said, walking into the room. He gave me a kiss on the cheek before Maggie launched herself into his arms. "Grandpa, they confused me, and now I'm really, really, really hungry, but do you know what?"

Charlie feigned surprise. "What?" Maggie leaned forward and thought she was whispering in his ear but we all heard a loud, "We get pancakes!"

"And judging by the smells coming from the kitchen I bet they're done," Charlie said. "Why don't we go see?" Maggie nodded while Charlie turned to me and Bella. "Why don't you girls stay for breakfast? You know your mother would hate you picking up something greasy this time of the morning."

Bella and I rolled our eyes at each other, but followed him into the kitchen. Charlie got greasy fast food on his way to the station every morning. The hypocrite.

After breakfast I kissed Maggie goodbye, and Bella and I climbed into my truck to begin the journey to Seattle. Bella started yawning almost immediately, making me laugh.

"Late night?" I teased.

She rolled her eyes but smiled. "Yes, but it had more to do with work than humping my gorgeous fiancé. I hate having to get everything ready for someone else to take my clients for a week. It makes me nervous."

I could definitely sympathize. Bella was a speech therapist in Port Angeles and the few kids who required her services were like children to her – much like my class was to me. I couldn't imagine willingly turning over control of my classroom for a week.

Still, I knew any trepidation about her work was trumped by her excitement over finally marrying Edward. This day had been coming since they were five.

"So, on a scale of one to ten how nervous would you say Edward is?"

"On a scale of one to ten he's already reached pulling his hair out."

I laughed. "It can't be that bad."

"Oh, yes it can. You know Edward." We both grinned. Wedding planning had to be driving him insane. "He's just glad right now that he'll have his best friend here soon. Emmett hasn't been able to get away much lately, and Edward's sick of being buried under wedding stuff in the house."

"When is he getting in?" I asked quietly.

Bella stared at me for a long moment before answering. Her eyes scrutinized me until I began to squirm in my seat, feeling like I was under a microscope, and wishing I hadn't asked.

"Edward says the day after tomorrow," she finally answered.

I nodded and turned my eyes back to watch the first cars begin to dock the ferry.

"Are you… uh… okay with that?" Bella asked.

"Why wouldn't I be? It's not my wedding." I cringed as soon as the words left my mouth. I hadn't meant to snap at my sister. She was under enough stress already and she didn't need my petty bullshit added to the pile.

But when she spoke she didn't sound angry at all. If anything she was concerned. "Hey, I thought we talked about this already. Edward told you to let him know if you weren't comfortable. I can get Alice to stand up with me, Es, if you think you can't."

"I'm fine," I said. "I want to stand with you. I was only curious."

She nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer, and went back to watching the water as the ferry docked. "It's cool. You're allowed to freak out."

We pulled off the ferry and drove into Seattle, deciding to go to the dress shop first. Bella's alterations were done already, but we had changed our minds about my dress at the last minute and so the new one needed to be tried on one last time.

I considered myself very lucky to have a sister who wasn't acting like some insane bridezilla. She didn't force me into a dress I hated and would never look good in. Instead, we made the decision together, and then chose a beautiful dress for Maggie that would compliment mine perfectly.

When we arrived at the shop and I slipped into the red satin dress I knew right away the seamstress had done a perfect job. It fit perfectly to the body I had busted my ass in the gym everyday to get back after Maggie was born.

"Wow," Bella whispered when I turned around. "You're going to look better than me."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah right. Like that's even possible with the dress you picked out. No one's going to even glance at anyone but you."

She didn't look completely convinced as I smiled at my reflection in the mirror before changing back into my jeans. I may have been thirty-one, but I sure as hell didn't look it in that dress. There was no way I would outshine Bella on her wedding day, but at least I knew I would look damn good.

We stopped at a Starbucks to get a couple lattes before heading to the wedding planner's office for a last check that everything was really ready. "You really ready for this?" I asked when we left half an hour later. "I'm ready for it to be over," she replied with a laugh. "I just want to be married already. I wasn't kidding when I told mom that last night. This part of it is exhausting."

We decided to meet Alice and our cousin, Rose, for a late lunch in Port Angeles on our way back to Forks. It was only three in the afternoon, but I missed my daughter like crazy and couldn't wait to pick her up.

"Where's Maggie?" Rose asked once we joined them in a booth.

"With her grandparents. I don't even want to imagine how much they've spoiled her today."

Everyone laughed. It was no secret that I had the most spoiled child in all of Forks – possibly all of the Pacific Northwest. The whole town loved her and she was fawned over wherever she went.

"So," Alice said, practically bouncing with excitement, "only one more week left!"

"You mean only one more week of freedom left," Rose muttered.

I smiled, sympathizing with her. Rose's thoughts on marriage were well known by all of us. Her and her boyfriend, Emmett, had been together their whole lives, but we all knew they would never marry. It wasn't Rose's style. She liked the illusion of freedom, while still being tied down. They were at the point of having a common law marriage anyway, so it hardly mattered in the long run.

"You be quiet," Alice said, turning to Rose. "She won't even let me throw her a bachelorette party. But don't worry." She tapped her temple. "I have something planned anyway."

"Oh no, Alice, don't. Please," Bella begged.

"It's just drinks, Bella. Just the four us. Come on. Nothing crazy, I promise. Just some quiet drinks."

Bella looked skeptical. "If you're lying to me I'll make Rose kick your scrawny little ass."

Alice scoffed. "I'm hurt."

"Well, you do have a horrible track record of going overboard," Rose said. "You'll have to excuse Bella for being worried."

"Oh, whatever," she scoffed. "You're just jealous you didn't come up with my brilliant plan first."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Yeah, okay, Alice. You keep thinking that."

The rest of the meal passed quickly, and once everyone was finished we said goodbye to Rose and Alice and climbed into my truck to continue the journey home.

"Thanks for coming with me today," Bella said.

"You're welcome. It was fun to get out and be in the big city for a little while. And I love that I finally have my dress."

"You mean your perfect dress that's going to have every man at my wedding falling all over you?"

"Oh, hush," I said with a smile. "I am not that hot."

She snorted. "Okay, Esme. Whatever you say."

"Besides, I can remember hearing stories about every girl in the high school throwing themselves at Edward constantly, and who owned that boy? You did."

"Still do," she said. It was clear from her tone she was already miles away and back in Forks with her fiancé.

"And a week from today it becomes official."

She squealed a little, like it had finally occurred to her that she wasn't dreaming, and then we both broke out in a fit of giggles. "I'm really getting married," she mused. I glanced at her and started laughing again.

"Yeah, Bella. You really are."

I pulled into the driveway of our parent's house a little after dark. Bella's car still sat in the driveway next to dad's cruiser, but there was an unfamiliar car parked across the street. I wondered who it belonged to.

As soon as she heard the car, Maggie rushed out the house and flew down the steps to meet me.

"Mommy!" she yelled, jumping into my arms. "You're home!" I swung her around, making her giggle.

"I sure am, baby girl. Did you have fun today?"

She nodded vigorously. "I did, Mommy. I played all day and helped Grandma make the cookies, and then, guess what?"

"What?"

"I made a new friend!"

"You did? Well, tell me about your new friend. What's she like?"

"Not a she, Mommy. It's a boy." Ah, hell. My daughter was the most beautiful six-year-old on the planet. I knew this would happen one day, but I wasn't ready. I probably wouldn't be until she was forty.

"He told me he's friends with Grandpa, and so I asked and Grandpa said yes, and so then they both played Chutes and Ladders with me, and do you know what, Mommy? They beat me!" She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, making me laugh. She was precious when she looked like that.

"Well, anyone who can beat you is definitely someone I want to meet."

She gasped like she just remembered something important, and ran ahead of me into the house. "Come on, Mommy. I want you to meet my BFF."

Bella came around the side of the car while I stood there shaking my head in amusement. "Did she just say 'BFF'?"

"She sure did."

"Now this I have to see. Let's find out what's got her so excited."

I slowly followed Bella into the house. I had a weird feeling, like something was out of place. The house smelled different. It was still the home I had always known, but there was something else. Like there was a cologne I knew, but couldn't place, even though Charlie never wore any so that thought was ridiculous.

I heard faint voices coming from the living room. I knew I was in trouble the moment I turned the corner and caught the flash of blond hair.

There, sitting on the floor, playing Hi-Ho-Cherry-O with my child was my worst nightmare. He looked up and my knees nearly buckled when those piercing green eyes met mine.

"Hello, Esme," he said quietly, like he was testing my name after not having said it for a long time. If I hadn't been so shocked I would have melted. His voice was just as perfect as I remembered.

I couldn't move, let alone speak, but I forced out the one word that would always be my greatest weakness.

"Carlisle."

A/N: This will probably be the only A/N unless I feel the need to address anything that comes up down the road.

I don't own Twilight, and I do not profit in any way from this story. Your kind words are all the thanks I need.

This story is betaed by Mackenzie L. Kr2009, anhanninen, and texasunshine pre-read. A banner made by Mackenzie can be seen on my profile.

The only promise I can make as far as an update schedule is that the story will be finished. I'm aiming for every week, but that might be too lofty a goal, given the length of the chapters.

I can be found on Twitter (at) melissammo for teasers and general hilarity. We have lots of fun.

Thank you for reading! I hope you love Maggie and her tale as much as I do.