"Lily please calm down I'm working."

"But I'm Bored Dad."

"Why don't you see if Alice will take you down to the play area while I finish my paperwork." Edward watched as his six year old, bronzed hair girl sighed and went to find his assistant. He knew it wasn't her job to watch his daughter but ever since he kicked his wife out a lot of things had changed.

BPOV

"Alice? Alice Cullen?" I stopped in my tracks as I walked in to the tall Houston building.

"Bella? Oh my god its been forever how are you!" She ran up to me giving me a tight hug.

"I'm good. Just job searching. I just graduated from college majoring in child development. How are you? You look amazing." I said while taking a step back to look at her. She graduated a year before me. We use to keep in contact when she first went off to college but our friendship went on the back burner as we both got busier.

"I'm good. Been working here for two years now for Edward. You remember don't you. One of my brothers best friends."

"Yea I think so. Was he the one I had a crush on and you the other tall blonde guy? Or the opposite?" We laughed at our childhood memories.

"No, you had it right the first time, though my crush seemed to work out well. Jasper and I have been together for about six months now. He is actually Edwards partner with this company. And my brother Emmett owns one of the hottest clubs in town. Wait did you say you majored in child development? What happened to nursing?"

"Turns out I'm not a fan of blood. Plus I like kids. I minored in literature so I could possibly get a teaching job but I haven't had any luck finding any jobs."

"Well what about a nanny position?"

"I don't know. I'm about to run out of money as it is and I need something that will pay my rent. And possibly get me a new car."

"Well I know it will pay well because Edwards rich as hell and I watch his daughter most of the time right now. Which is taking me away from my assignments and making him more busy. Therefore later nights at work. Pretty much Jasper and I half live at Edwards trying to help out."

"Ok wait a minute. Edward is only like, 25 how in the hell does he own a company and have a kid which means married?"

"Getting a divorce actually but anyway yea he and Jasper started the website friendster when they were freshman and now they have this." She waved her hands around the building while glancing into the playroom.

"Wow I didn't know that they started that website. That's insane. And I am sorry to hear about Edward and his wife."

"Come here." She grabbed my hand taking me in the direction of the daycare. "Can you guess which one is Edwards?" She said with a sly smile.

"Well I would like to guess the girl with bronze reddish hair but she seems to old."

"Six actually but you are right. He got his wife, well girlfriend at the time, pregnant when he was 19. She didn't continue school but he did. She's an amazing little girl. Her name is Lily." We both looked back through the large window watching her. She sat alone putting a puzzle together as the other kids ran around screaming and playing what looked like tag.

"She looks sad." I hadn't meant to say it out loud. But she did look sad. Her hair was frizzy and her skin paler then it should be.

"Yea the split has been hard on her. She hasn't seen her mom in almost 6 months. Though I'm not sure that even if she tried that Edward would allow her to come near Lily."

"Why?"

"Because she got really heavy into drugs. He tried to help but sometimes enough is enough and sometimes people don't want help. He let her come back once after the first split but within days he found her passed out on the bedroom floor when he came home from work. Lily hadn't eaten all day because she was so high and drunk. That was the last straw for him."

"Wow. That is a lot to deal with. I can't believe he still shows up to work in one piece."

"Well he has Jasper, Emmett, and me. And maybe now you?" She asked turning towards me.

"I don't know Alice."

"Oh come on I will take you to meet him. Well re-meet him, just give me a sec." She walked over to the daycare door and poked her head in. "Hey Jenny can you keep an eye on Lily I will be right back, I have to run up to the office really quick." The woman, Jenny, nodded in response and just like that she was dragging me to the elevator.

"Alice is he even looking for a nanny or whatever?"

"Well no not exactly but he has mentioned it. It's just been so hectic lately he hasn't had time to actually think. Which is why I am an assistant so I do half his thinking for him. And lets face it you are the best for the job. We all know you and trust you and you have had training with kids."

Even though Elevators were suppose to be fast it seemed to take forever to make it to the tenth floor. I hadn't seen Alice alone in about 6 years and It was longer for Edward and the rest. I smiled to myself remembering how Alice and I would talk about our dream dates with Edward and Jasper. We even went as far as planning our weddings with them.

Yea I know kind of pathetic but growing up in Forks, Washington didn't give us much to do. But it did give us one hell of an imagination. She gave a small knock on an office door but didn't wait for a response.

"Hey Edward. I have a surprise for you." He looked up as she pulled me into the room.

"Bella Swan? How have you been?" He walked around his paper filled desk to give me a hug.

"I'm good. Was just telling Alice that I am in town job searching-"

"And she majored in child development, so, I found you a nanny!" She said beaming. He looked between the two of us.

"Speaking of nanny where is Lily?"

"Daycare center with Jenny. I told her I would be right back."

"If you have a daycare center why do you need a nanny?" I asked confused. Seemed logically just to use that.

"Because she hates being there all day. And I really didn't want her growing up in an office. But it seems that is what it is going to come to I guess. Unless you really want the job?"

"I would love to help out. But what is it that you need me to do?"

"I will leave you two to talk this over. Edward I am going to go check on Lily see if she wants to go with me to the post office."

"Thank you." He said with a small smile as Alice left the office. He looked tired and worn out. He didn't seem like the carefree guy from high school at all. Marriage, divorce, a kid, and owning a company really seemed to beat him down.

"Look I know you are busy Alice said that things have been crazy lately and I don't want her to push me onto you for a job or anything. I can just go." I went to stand up but he stopped me.

"No shes right. I need someone to help me with Lily. Her mother did everything before. All the girly stuff and well everything. Its said to admit but I wasn't around much and I know now I have failed as a father and a husband."

"I don't know that I would go that far. Owning a company has got to be time consuming."

"Yea it has been. Ok so how much has Alice told you?"

"That her and Jasper pretty much live with you to help out. Is that what you need? A live in Nanny?"

"That would make things easier. I usually have to leave fairly early and she hates mornings as much as I do. There would be no charge obviously for your room. I have plenty of space. I don't really know what the average pay but how does 600 a week sound? That should take care of almost all your needs right?"

"That sounds amazing actually."

"How about your living arrangements now?"

"I'm on a month to month lease and its just a studio apartment. Why?"

"Just wondering if I would need to pay for breaking your lease early." He was writing what looked like his address down and other random facts. When he handed me the paper I realized that it was medications, allergies, and phone numbers. I saved his and his office number right away and sent him a text so that he would have mine.

"Thanks. You don't know what this means to me."

"No problem and believe me you are helping me just as much. But I guess I should get packing and find Alice so that I can meet Lily." He handed me a key.

"For my house. Don't worry I have a spare. But you don't start today since it is Friday. Just take the weekend to move in. We should all be able to help after all the craziness dies out around here today."

"Thanks. I will see you soon then." He gave me a smile and went back to work as I left his office. I honestly couldn't believe what just happened. I came to apply for the daycare center and got a live in nanny position that pays better then I could have ever expected. And to top it off it was for my high school crush.

"Hey how did it go?" Alice asked as I walked over the elevator to the main floor.

"Good I got the job and I move in this weekend. I came down to see if you were back so I could meet Lily."

"Yea shes right over here." We walked to the receptionist desk where Lily was going through a blow of candy. "Hey Lily this is my friend Bella. Me and your dad went to school with her."

"Hi." She said looking at me with those sad eyes.

"Lily, Bella is going to be watching you from now on."

"You don't want to anymore?" Her eyes grew big and worried.

"No sweetie I will still be around Bella is just going to be helping out like I do now. Remember we talked about this." Alice was kneeling in front of her now as she nodded in understanding.

"Ok."

"Well I have to go to my apartment and pack." I said turning to Alice.

"That is silly come with me." She was holding Lily's hand as we walked back to the elevator. Lily glanced at me then at my hand and took a hold of it.

"How long have you known my daddy?"

"Well I guess for almost 9 years. But we hadn't seen each other in a very long time." She smiled a little and then studied her reflection in the elevator doors. We made our way to Alice's desk and she made a few quick phone calls to hire a moving truck and guys to pack my stuff.

"Ok now all you have to do is go let them in. Here take my car. I will ride home with Jasper anyway. Just make sure to go to Edwards to let them in there too."

"Your going to my house?" Lily asked with a tug on my arm.

"Yea I have to move my stuff in."

"May I come with you?"

"Why don't you ask your dad. But I don't mind if you do." She smiled again and ran to her dad's office.

"Anything I should know?" I asked Alice.

"She seems to like you so that is good. But shes just had a hard year. I think she misses her mom more then she lets on but she knows why she isn't there. Granted that might be more information then she needed at the time but Edward didn't want to lie to her. He never wants to so she mature for her age. But don't let that fool you. She is still 100% kid in there. Just need to get it out somehow." Lily came back out saying that Edward said yes. We said goodbye to Alice and left.

Lily didn't talk much as we drove to my place and then to hers. And well my new home. I was glad to see that it was outside of the city. The house had a gated entrance I punched in the key code that was at the top of the paper Edward had given me and the gate silently opened. I expected to see a mansion and though the house was big it wasn't the size of some of the ones we passed.

I was please for that. I really didn't want to be lost in a house.

"So want to show me your house?"

"Sure." She grabbed my hand pulling me along through each room. The basement was where Alice and Jasper had been staying with another spare room down there. Though since I was the nanny I figured stay closer to Lily was needed so I choose the room on the second floor near hers. A bathroom lay between them and on the other side of my new room was a large room that resembled a music/art/library room.

"Do you play?" I said laying my hand on top of the beautiful grand piano.

"No really. Dad was always going to teach me but he is busy a lot. Mom would draw with me though and I like to read." I was amazed at the talent she had as I looked at the many drawings that covered the walls.

"What else do you like to do?"

"Nothing really. I just like being at home and in my room."

"But your 6 Lily. You should like going out side. Or playing with others. Getting dirty or playing in the rain." She gave me a weird look.

"Mom told me that dirt is for boys. That I am a girl so I have to be classy and do things like study and shop and be pretty."

"Well studying is good. Shopping can be fun and your already a beautiful little girl. But dirt isn't for just boys. And there is more to being a girl then just being stuck in a house or mall." I didn't grow up being exactly girly. I didn't learn that side of myself till high school but still some of my favorite memories were with Alice riding on her her parents quads with them or playing in the woods or hide and seek in the corn field. That is until we watched children of the corn.

"Well you like to draw so why don't we go to the store and get some chalk and we can play outside." The moving guys showed up not long after we returned from the store. I showed them to my room which was rather large actually it was the size of my studio apartment.

We had so covered the entire driveway in random drawings of body outlines, rainbows, foot prints from walking in the chalk, and random names we had written. We had made our way to the back yard where a small basketball court was. I was shocked to learn she had never played so I taught her the game horse. It reached 5 o'clock before I had realized it and we made our way inside so i could make dinner.

"Whats your favorite food?"

"Um, hotdogs!" She said excitedly.

"Ok well lets get cooking. Want to make them on the grill?"

"Sure." I found some baked beans in the pantry and started those and then started to make hard boiled eggs and potato salad. "Where did you learn to cook?"

"I taught myself. My mother wasn't much of the hands on type and my dad was more of a microwave dinner type. So when I got sick of eating crappy or going out to eat I just started teaching myself."

"Will you teach me?"

"Sure come here." I grabbed a stool and put it in front of the bowl for the potato salad. I taught her measure each ingredient and place them into the bowl she seemed to be having fun. I quickly realized that we were going to have a lot of food when we started peeling the eggs.

I grabbed my phone and texted Alice telling her to invite Emmett over as well. Thankfully she didn't ask why. Lily had asked to make dinner a surprise because she was excited that she help make it. Lily had fun smashing the hamburger meat into the right shape and we brought them to the back deck. She was disappointed that she couldn't use the grill but didn't throw a fit about it.

"Hey where are you guys?" Alice's voice rang out throughout the house just as Lily and I set the last dishes of food on the table on the deck.

"You want to bring them out here?"

"Yea!" She ran off as I placed the lemonade Lily made on the table.

"Whats going on?" I heard Edwards voice as Lily giggled. Alice was the first to appear.

"Omg! You did all this Bella?" I turned to see everyone standing at the slider.

"No not all of it. Lily was a huge help." She beamed up at her father looking proud of herself. "Don't worry she didn't use the stove or grill ." I said with a laugh as he glanced at the grill.

"Bella you really didn't need to do this." He said looking back at me.

"It was fun. I really don't mind. And Lily asked if I would teach her to cook." He glanced at her then.

"It really was fun dad." She said swaying back and forth. I was amazed at the smile on her face. It seemed like a different girl then the one I had meet a few short hours ago. "Can we eat now?"

"Yes." He laughed as everyone finally moved to the table. Emmett came over to me giving me a bear hug.

"How ya been?" He asked sitting down.

"Good you?"

"Good, thanks for the invite. Alice wasn't sure why you had said for me to come over. I haven't had a home cooked meal in a really long time." Everyone was rather silent when we began eating. Lily and I got many compliments on the food and she continued to beam happily. The food soon disappeared and light conversation started. I was taking care of the few left overs when Edward came into the kitchen.

"You have already done to much today. Let me take care of everything and clean up."

"I really don't mind. Plus you worked all day. I only played with chalk and played basketball my day was much easier."

"Wait, you got Lily, my daughter, to play outside, let alone play basketball?"

"Yea she said she hadn't ever played so I taught her the game horse."

"I haven't seen her smile this much in almost a year." He was looking at Lily out of the kitchen window.

"Well from the sounds of it she had a rough year. And not the most normal childhood so far from what she has told me." After taking care of everything we rejoined the group outside. I enjoyed tonight and I was hoping and praying there would be many more to come like this.

"Bella what are we going to do today?" Lily asked as I set a plate of scrambled eggs in front of her. It was Monday, my first day, and also August 16th.

"Um, well what would you like to do? But I do need to ask when do you start school?"

"I don't know. I will be in first grade though." While she ate her breakfast I looked around for school information. I found a folder from where she went last year and figured it was probably best to get her enrolled and buy the things she needed. I grabbed the credit card Edward said was for what ever she needed and then helped her pick out clothes.

"So what kind of things do you want for school?" I asked as we stood in the back to school isle at the nearest store.

"I like Selena Gomez. She's on the Disney channel." We spent a good couple hours shopping for new clothes and school supplies. And then drove to her school to make sure all the paper work was filled out. "What do you we do now?" She asked as we left her school.

"Well, what other things have you never done that you want to do?" She looked a little sad again. "What is it?"

"Well last year a girl had her birthday party at a place called Craig's Cruisers but mom wouldn't take me and dad was busy working."

"Well then lets go." Well got into Alice's car that she insisted I use because she didn't like my old rusted truck. She said it wasn't very trustworthy with a kid.

"Wow I wish dad was here this is awesome!" She said when we got out of the car and was standing in front of the 'family fun center'. Her face was priceless. I snapped a quick picture and sent it to Edward.

"Well maybe we can get him to come some time."

EPOV

"Do you think I am a bad father?" I asked Alice.

"No, I think you are a busy father trying to do the single father thing. Why?" I handed her my phone with the picture I received from Bella. She looked so amazed and happy and I hated seeing that face only in a picture. I wanted to be there for her. I have been busy her entire life. I didn't want to be to busy for her anymore.

"You should go."

"Are you kidding we are swamped."

"And that is what I am here for. And don't forget you have a partner in all this. Edward you spend so much time trying to make sure she has an amazing life. But really all she probably wants is you."

"I don't even know anything about her." I placed my head in my hands. How could I have become this bad.

"Then go and get to know her. What's the point of all this if you can't enjoy it with her. Go. I will handle your business calls and I will let Jasper know you are taking the day off and we will see you tonight." I shut my laptop and grabbed my suit jacket. "Might want to change first though." She added with a laugh.

"Thanks. You guys have been amazing through all of this."

"I know." She whispered as I gave her a hug and left.

I drove home quickly as possible. I was about to text Bella when I received one from Alice instead telling me where they were so I could surprise Lily. Wearing 'normal' clothes felt odd but good. I drove to the Craig's cruisers that Alice told be they were at and quickly went in. It didn't take me long to find them. They were in a back corner playing skee ball. Bella had hundreds of tickets sticking out of her back pocket as Lily took another shot up the ramp.

"Whats next?" I watched Lily turn and ask Bella as she handed her the tickets she won.

"I don't know are you hungry yet? They have a pizza buffet."

"Starving." I said when I finally approached them.

"DAD!" Lily jumped into my arms hugging me. "What are you doing here?"

"I took the day off work to spend it with you. So how bout that pizza?"

"Yes!" I set her down and she dragged me over to a table.

The day was amazing. I had never seen Lily have that much fun and seeing her with Bella and the way she made her smile so much made me happy.

"I'm glad you could come. It was nice to see you guys together." Bella broke me out of my trance while I was staring at Lily picking out her prizes.

"Yea. I'm glad to. This is the most relaxed I have been in years."

"You guys never did this as a family?"

"No, Jessica usually went out with friends after I got home from work. She said she deserved it after spending all day stuck in the house."

"Sorry but that's bullshit."

"No need to be sorry. I put up with it because she was Lily's mother."

"And because you loved her." I stated.

"No, well I thought I did in the beginning. But not long after we got married I realized it was more because I didn't want her to have a broken family. But then I soon realized that she was already in a broken family. And then Jessica got into drugs and I just couldn't do it anymore."

"I'm sorry. That must have been hard on both of you."

"Alice and Jasper have been great. throughout everything. Emmett hangs out a lot too."

We fell into silence as we left the arcade and went our separate ways. I took Lily home while he went to check in at the office.