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Recovery is often the worst part of a caesarean. Bella was no different. The amniotic sac collapsed in on itself. Aaron removed it and the placenta. She was bruised and skeletal, had three cracked ribs and was tightly stitched. She hardly had enough power to stand but she was smiling. She lit up every time the boys were in the room, which was a lot. They loved Aaron. I'm thinking that was not because he was cuddly.

Bella was resilient. She was walking around within three days. She still looked like she was a few months pregnant. The house was always filled with laughter. Bella paid for it but she didn't seem to have a problem.

"She's going to leave one day," Aaron said when we were alone. I'd thought of that but it was something we hadn't talked about.

"I know," I responded. I was in no mood for this conversation.

"She's going to leave one day soon," he emphasised. He knew something. I poured myself a scotch and sat down. I figured I'd need it. "She keeps calling some guy named Charlie."

"Oh good," I put my drink down, "That's her dad. If you weren't afraid of making friends you'd know that."

"All the more reason to stop playing house with her. She lives on the other side of the country, literally." He poured a scotch and sat down across from me. He always conducted conversation like an interrogation.

"I'm not playing house with her," I explained to him, "And she's not leaving." I picked my drink up and took a sip. Here it comes.

"What the hell are you playing at?" he mirrored my actions.

"I'm not playing at anything," I told him. I wasn't playing at anything, right?

"Consider yourself warned," he pointed with the hand that held the glass. Thank you Captain Buzz-kill.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" I went out to Isabella while she was taking a walk outside.

"Sure," she smiled. She was happier than I'd ever seen her. I didn't want to burst the pretty, glowing bubble we were in.

"Are you going to leave?" there was no better way to put this.

"No," the smile disappeared, "I can't go back to forks." She looked like she would cry. I put my arms around her and she cried into my chest. "My dad's trying to find me," sob, "But he's not the only one." She fell against my chest. I carried her to the house. I lay her down on the bed and held her till we were asleep. When I woke up I was sweating. Anthony and Eli had crept in between us and were fast asleep too. They all looked so peaceful. The man in the doorway, however, did not.

Get your ass out here he mouthed. I detangled myself from hot little palms and silky brown hair.

"I tell you not to play house and you go and sleep with her?" he dragged me by the wrist like a naughty school boy.

"Stop making it sound like we had sex," I pushed him down into a broom closet.

"This is worse," he hissed.

"This is nothing," I tried to get him to let go. I should know better by now.

"It's not nothing. It's a loaded double barrel shotgun. Stop playing with it." He walked out to breakfast. I went back to Bella. She'd gain some weight and her stomach had flattened out. Her hair had shine. Her eyes had light. She was actually very beautiful. I was suddenly met by deep brown eyes and a radiant smile. She kissed the twins and detangled herself. We tip toed out of the room.

We were still laughing at ourselves when we got to the dining room. "I see standards have slipped," Judge brought himself to my attention. The man picked the most horrible moments to pitch up unannounced. Bella turned her face as though she'd been slapped. Even Aaron looked down.

"Watch your mouth or I will have you removed," I calmly told him. I held Bella's hand and led her to the table. I placed her in front of me and glared from behind her. "Judge, this is Bella," I tucked her hair behind her ear, "Bella, the rude man at the table this morning is my father," I leaned down and put my chin on her shoulder, "Pay no attention to his opinions."

"Nice to meet-" She started. I pulled back her arm. I wanted to spare her this.

"Or his presence," I pulled out her chair. She sat and started eating. No one said a word. Aaron kept looking toward the hall. The boys knew better than to show themselves to anyone.

"Six weeks and not a single word," Judge said after swallowing.

"You treated my guest worse than you'd treat a street hooker and you wonder why I don't call," I replied. We had a way of communicating and ignoring each other simultaneously.

"She's been here for six weeks?" he raised his voice slightly. I could hear him cutting. I wasn't looking at him though.

"I am a grown man and that is not your business," I put my fork and knife down and looked at him, "But if you're really interested you could always ask Bella. She's sitting right here," I put my hand on hers and we looked at each other across the table.

"Young lady," he put down his knife but kept his fork in his hand and turned to her.

"Bella," she looked up at him. There's life in her yet.

"How long have you been here?" he sat up straight. This was going to get ugly soon.

"A while," she took a sip of her juice.

"Don't," I said without looking at him. He sighed and went back to his food. I heard Aaron sigh softly in what I believe was relief. Breakfast was eaten in silence after that.

"Let me walk you out Judge," I hinted. This was not going to be pleasant. I wanted to get it done and go see the kids. They must be awake by now. Life could get pretty lonely when you had to hide from everyone but three people.

"How old is she?" he looked up at the sky.

"She's legal," I said after a minute. If I told him I wasn't sleeping with her then I'd have to come up with another reason she was here.

"Jesus Christ, she's eighteen." He touched his forehead. This must look very bad, seeing as I'm thirty six. She was literally half my age. This was bad even for me.

"That's the age of consent in the blue states," I pointed out to him.

"There's nothing worse than a scorned child. When you get bored with her and put her out there's going to be trouble." He said as we descended the steps.

"She's not leaving," I told him when we got to his car.

"You'd better not be thinking what I think you're thinking," he said as his driver opened the door, "Three failed marriages are more than enough."

I hadn't actually thought of that but it would solve a lot of problems.

"You can't be serious," he paused in the doorway. "You are not marrying an adolescent."

"Unfortunately that isn't your decision to make," I walked back into the house and heard him slam his car door angrily. It was stupid of me to tell my father that without even consulting the second party involved but before I did that I had to listen to Aaron tell me what a bad idea this was and how stupid it was of me and how the papers would have a field day et cetera. Then I had to actually propose marriage to someone who hardly knew me and put it in a manner that would not make me seem like a dirty old man.

I went inside and finished my breakfast. I would need all the strength I could get to get through this day.

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