Thank you for your lovely response to the first chapter. It was unexpected, but much appreciated. Teddy waves at you all and sends you kisses.

~Bella~

I stopped across the street, staring at the house. It was a large three-story home, older but obviously recently updated. Given that Edward was an architect, I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised by this fact. The neighbourhood he was in was upscale; quiet, wide streets, neatly manicured lawns, and well-maintained homes were the norm here. Hard to believe that only a few blocks on the other side of the park where I lived looked so different. The streets were much narrower, the houses tidy but small, and none had the smartness of the area that surrounded Edward's home.

As I approached the house, carefully balancing the dessert and small gift I had picked up for Teddy, I thought of the tiny space I was living in. My entire apartment would fit on Edward's porch. But it was only temporary, I reminded myself. As soon as I cleared the past away and was back on my feet, I could move. At least the house I was living in was clean and the neighbourhood, while not as nice as this one, was acceptable. I sighed as I looked at the large windows of the house. That was what I missed the most living in a basement apartment. The light. That was why I went to the park so often.

I smiled as I realized that because of that fact, I had met Teddy.

And as the door was pulled opened and I was greeted by two smiling, green-eyed, copper-haired hosts, I had to admit I was okay with that. Because I had also met Edward.

~Edward~

Both Teddy and I raced to be the one to open the door for Bella. I had seen her hesitating across the street and had wanted to immediately go and get her, but I knew she was nervous and I had to let her come to us. I was thrilled when I saw her start to cross the street.

The last thing I expected to find when we went to the park for Teddy's ice cream and playtime was Bella. Teddy had talked about his reading lady constantly since I'd gotten home, but somehow, I had an image in my head of an older woman, like Mrs. Cope. Not the petite, dark-haired, very-not-old woman curled into the corner of the park bench, who'd greeted my son with a smile that could melt the polar ice-caps.

As I watched them together, she pushed her reading glasses onto the top of her head and looked around, her gaze falling on me as I waited for the ice cream. I swallowed heavily as I took her in.

This was Teddy's reading lady?

She was dressed in a loose sweatshirt and leggings, her feet in sneakers. Her hair hung down her back, and the glasses she had pushed up were one of the sexiest things I had ever seen. I blinked as I took the cones from the vendor. Teddy's nanny, Kate, had never mentioned how young and attractive Miss Bella was either. I wasn't sure I was prepared for how much this affected me.

When she had indicated I had ice cream on my face and used her finger to wipe it away from my cheek, the way I'd captured her hand and used my tongue to remove it from her skin had happened without even thinking. I should have been embarrassed by my actions and apologized immediately. But I didn't.

I should have been shocked at my behavior.

But the only shock was the desire to taste even more of her.

And now she was here, standing on my porch. Stepping forward, I grabbed the box from her hands. "I could have gotten that from your car, Bella." I looked up and down the street. "How far away did you park?"

She shook her head. "I don't have a car, Edward. I walked here."

Internally, I cursed myself. I should have asked her. "I could have picked you up."

"Nonsense. It's a beautiful day and not a long walk."

I didn't argue with her, but knew I wouldn't let her walk home. I would drive her myself.

I ushered her into the kitchen. Teddy grasped her hand and chatted excitedly as I set down the box, fighting the urge to open the lid and peek. I smiled as I watched Bella hand Teddy a small package.

He grinned. "Can I open it now, Daddy?"

"Sure, kiddo."

He pulled off the paper, his eyes widening with excitement as he looked at the two books she had brought him. She knelt down beside him, speaking quietly. "I loved these when I was your age, Teddy. I still have them. I thought you might like to have your dad read them to you."

Teddy nodded and looked at me. "Maybe…tonight, Daddy… Bella could read to me?"

Bella's eyes widened.

"If Bella would like to, I'm good with that."

Teddy looked at her pleadingly. "Please, Bella?"

She smiled at him. "I'd like that, Teddy."

I hid my grin. If she read to him, she'd be staying longer.

I liked that.

*()*

I'm not sure who was more excited with the dessert Bella revealed after we all ate far too much spaghetti. The meal had been filled with laughter and teasing, Teddy soaking up the attention Bella lavished on him. When she lifted the lid on her "cake," both Teddy and I let out whoops of delight.

Cupcakes.

She had made a bunch of tiny cupcakes, some chocolate and some vanilla, all thickly frosted and arranged in the shape of a T.

She smiled shyly at our enthusiasm. "Now you don't have to choose, Teddy," she explained. "You can have some of both."

Teddy stood up on his chair, throwing his chubby arms around Bella's neck. I felt my throat get thick as she wrapped her arms around him and held him close for a moment. His smile was wide when he pulled back, telling her this was his best birthday ever.

Looking down at the stack of cupcakes, I had to agree with him. The unexpected meeting of Bella and cupcakes. It had been a great day.

*()*

Bella's voice was a pleasant hum in my ear as she read to Teddy. He was snuggled into her side on the couch as she read from one of the new books she had bought him. His eyes were beginning to droop, and he was struggling to remain awake. I knew he didn't want his time with her to be over, and I shared his sentiment. My mind was already churning out ideas on how to get to her stay after he fell asleep. I knew she would think she should go once he was in bed, but I wanted her to stay so I could get a chance to know her better.

I smiled as I watched them, their two heads so close as she leaned down. Teddy's hair looked like fire beside the dark of Bella's long dark locks. Her arm was wrapped around him, holding him close and he looked completely content. Sadly, I knew how much Teddy yearned for a mother, and although both my sister and mom doted on him, it wasn't the same. I had never seen him react to another woman the way he was to Bella, though. I had to smile a little at that thought. I couldn't remember the last time I had reacted to a woman this way either. There was just something about her that drew you in.

"I think he's out." Bella's soft voice interrupted my thoughts and I looked up, smiling at the sight of him now fast asleep, his head on her lap. Her hand was rhythmically stroking through his hair as she smiled back at me, and the overwhelming desire to feel her fingers run thorough my hair, to be allowed to lay with my head nestled in her lap filled me. I blinked at her, caught off guard by the sudden need to be close to her.

"Edward, are you okay?"

I stood up, nodding. "Sorry, um, just thinking. I'll tuck him in."

I gently gathered him into my arms, inhaling the pretty scent of her as I leaned in to take him. For a brief moment, our eyes locked, an intense gaze passing between us. "Don't go anywhere," I murmured.

Her eyes widened, and she nodded. A soft, rosy glow bloomed across her cheeks as I continued to look at her.

It was lovely.

*()*

The sofa was empty when I returned to the living room after tucking Teddy in. Panicked, my gaze flew around, but my shoulders relaxed when I saw her outside on the porch, leaning against the railing. I went outside to join her, frowning when I saw her purse on the swing. She was planning on leaving. I didn't want her to—not yet.

She turned as I approached, a shy smile on her lips. "Such a nice neighborhood—so quiet. You must spend a lot of time out here on the swing."

I pulled a hand through my hair in embarrassment, unsure of how to tell her I rarely came out here unless Teddy asked to. The porch swing felt like something…special. A place to sit and talk with someone important. Not a place to sit alone. "Um, no, actually. We spend a lot of time out back."

"Ah. I would make myself at home on the swing with a good book."

"You're welcome to use it—anytime, Bella."

She shook her head sadly. "That's not a good idea, Edward. I couldn't refuse his birthday wish, but…it's not a good idea for me to come back."

"He'll be crushed," I said flatly. So would I.

"I'll see him most days in the park." She smiled at me, but I noticed it didn't reach her eyes this time.

"Why, Bella? Why can't you come here again? Did I do something to make you uncomfortable?"

She shook her head. "Far from it. I feel far too comfortable here with you."

I stepped forward and bravely took her hand in mine. "Then why?"

For a moment, she was silent, her gaze looking past my shoulder. When she spoke, her voice was quiet. "Why didn't you ask me any questions before letting me come to your house? You basically opened the book of your life for me. Why didn't you need the same before you let me come and spend time with you and your son? How did you know I wasn't married?"

I snorted at her question. "Because if you were married, I would have known it a couple of minutes into our conversation this morning, Bella. You're not the type to chat up men in parks. You would have brought up a husband and put me in my place, quickly."

"How do you know that?"

I shrugged. How did I explain something I simply felt so strongly? That was the kind of person she was. Somehow, I knew it. "I just do."

I lifted her hand. "I also noticed this this." I traced my finger on the thin line that wrapped around her ring finger, almost faded, hardly noticeable, unless you were looking. And I had been looking.

I glanced up at her. "And your eyes told me."

"My eyes?"

I nodded. "They held such sadness. I recognized the same look from when my wife and I were having problems. I knew you were married, but not now." My fingers tightened on hers. "My son's crazy about you. I've never seen him act like this before. He likes you, Bella. Very much." I paused. "I like you as well."

Her eyes were huge in her pale face, and I wondered if I'd crossed the line. I pulled her over, sitting her on the swing, and then I sat beside her, my hand still clasped around hers.

She swallowed nervously. "Edward, I don't think you want me around your son."

"Why?"

She drew in a deep breath. "Because you're wrong. I am married."

She began to pull her hand away and I held on even tighter. "Not happily."

She smiled sadly. "No. He left me a while ago. Just disappeared. It took months and the last of the money I had to make sure I was safe from any other debts he'd racked up, and then we finally found him, living under an assumed name. I started divorce proceedings, but with all the other legal issues, it's so…complicated."

I swallowed, having to ask the question. "Do you still…love him?"

Her reply was swift and firm. "No. Absolutely not. I'm only waiting for the final papers."

"Fine. I'm fine with that. Or are you telling me you're not ready to see other men yet?"

"It's a difficult situation. I can't drag you and Teddy into it."

"Can you tell me, Bella?"

She closed her eyes. "I don't want to relive it all…"

"Only what you can, please. Tell me why you don't think I want you around my son and let me make up my mind about that."

She looked at me, the pain evident in her eyes. "I married a con-man, Edward. A so-called investment manager. He took everything I had. He got me to trust him, and in turn, I got my friends and neighbors to trust him. He took everything they had. He forged my signature on loans and forms, making me responsible for debts I never knew existed. And once he had everything he could get from me, he disappeared, leaving me with a mound of debts and a trail of people who no longer trusted me. I lost my home, my business, and what I thought was my life. He took it all."

"Fuck, Bella—I'm so sorry."

"All I had left was my house, because it was still in both Alice's and my names. Our parents had left it to us jointly when they passed away. I found out he had tried to get a mortgage on it and failed—thank God. I lost everything but that, Edward. I found out the live I'd been living was a lie. I was nothing but a means to an end. And people who trusted me, believed me because I said he could be trusted, lost huge as well."

"That's why you moved?"

"Part of it. I sold my house and repaid what I could to people, but I couldn't pay everything. I had to declare bankruptcy, but not all the debts were cleared. I have a debt I'm working off, plus what I owe my sister for her share of the house, even though she insists she doesn't want it. I hadn't planned on moving…but everywhere I went back home, I was reminded of it. People talked. It was affecting my sister and my niece. I couldn't get any clients—I had basically lost all the local ones, except one or two. They couldn't trust me anymore." She wiped away the tears rolling down her face. "So I moved here. I still had some clients based here that came with me when I reopened my business, and I thought I could rebuild with a new start."

"You were very brave to do that, Bella. Most people wouldn't have even tried to pay people back. Surely you know it's not your fault."

She shrugged. "I had to try. It was the only way I could live with myself. Some of them had given him everything they had—their entire life savings. But it was too hard to stay."

"So you're here, alone."

She smiled shakily. "I met Teddy. He made me feel not so alone."

"I'd like to help you feel that way as well."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Why? Because you made a mistake and trusted a con artist?"

"I shouldn't have. I was in a bad place in my life when I met him. I felt lonely and he made me feel needed. I was incredibly stupid—I see that now."

"There is a reason they're so successful. They make people believe them. It doesn't make you stupid. It makes you human." I hesitated. "Do you have enough clients to…make ends meet?"

She shrugged. "I scrape by. I work as a waitress some mornings from six a.m. to two p.m., plus the occasional shift I can pick up. Then I work on the design stuff in the afternoons and evenings. I'm also a graphic artist."

I felt the burn of anger that she had to work so hard. All because she had trusted the wrong person. He had destroyed her life, and she was struggling to start over.

"So, let me make sure I understand this. You were taken in by a con artist, pretty much lost everything, including your home. Then in a move most people wouldn't think of, you chose to try to repay back some of the debt so others wouldn't suffer. Have I got it right so far?"

"Um, simply put, yes."

"Okay. So then, even though you would be alone, you moved to make things easier on other people, and you are working two jobs to try to do the right thing."

"Yes."

"You've been victimized, hurt, and embarrassed, and instead of slinking away, you've faced everything honestly and with a determination to do right by people."

Dull colour infused her cheeks; her embarrassment evident.

I squeezed her hands again. "I think you're exactly the kind of person I want my son to know, Bella. You're the kind of person I want to know."

She smiled sadly. "He's such a bright spot in my days."

"I want to be a bright spot as well."

"I don't know if I'm ready…" She started to stand. "I should go now."

I gripped her hand tighter. "No, Bella. You haven't let me say everything I want to say."

"I'm not sure what else you can say."

"Just hear me out, Bella. Please."

"Okay."

"Your husband is the one at fault here. Your only mistake was trusting someone. And that's what you do when you fall in love. You trust them. He was the one who betrayed your trust. I'm sorry for what he did. I'm sorry about the money. But most importantly, I'm sorry for the important things he took away from you: your family and friends. Their trust."

I drew in a deep breath. "But frankly, I'm rather disappointed in them as well."

"I don't understand."

"He did this, Bella, not you. You're just as much, if not more, of a victim as they are. They lost money, yes, but you lost everything. And then they turned their backs on you when you needed them the most?" I shook my head. "They should have supported you."

"My sister and her husband did. And my friend Emmett. They stood up for me."

I shook my head. "Not enough. They should have all supported you."

She stared at me.

I leaned forward, meeting her anxious eyes. "Do you know what I think?"

She shook her head.

"I think you were supposed to meet Teddy. I think you need us as much as we need you."

"Edward…"

"Let us be your friend. Be part of our life."

"But…"

"No buts. You were hurt. You tried to do the right thing, regardless. You're still trying. I'd be proud of my son if he followed that example. Nothing you've told me has diminished the way I see you. There is nothing to give me pause to have you around Teddy. Nothing."

"I was so blind…"

I shook my head. "You made a mistake, and you paid a very dear price. That's how I see it."

"Not many see it like that."

"I do." I stood up, bringing Bella with me. "Mrs. Cope will come sit with Teddy while I'll take you home and you can think about it."

"Think about it?"

"I want you in our life. Teddy wants you in our life. If you want to be in it, you're welcome."

"As…?"

I smiled at her as my thumb ran over her cheek. "Whatever you'll give us. If friends is all you can do, then friends is fine." I paused. "For now."

Her eyes widened.

"I'm a patient man, Bella. I'll wait."

"What if…"

I pressed a finger to her lips.

"I'll wait."

And you'll have to wait until Tuesday for the next update. Thanks for reading.