A/N: Sorry for the delay...yesterday was a fun filled day at the amusement park with a preschooler. I hear you groaning, but don't pity me - we had an awesome time =)

We're almost to the end, so this chapter is a bit longer than the rest. My most sincere thanks to mycrookedsmile, jessypt, and pipapear, who are all assured me this wasn't totally lame & checked for flaws. If there are any, they belong to me in my editing. Thanks for reading & once more, sorry for no review replies this time.


EPOV

My parents believe I'm leaving for Tennessee for Emmett's graduation, but that's only partially true. They decided to drive out to Boston from Chicago so they could transport my belonging back home. I had intended to sell all my furniture and ship my clothes and a few other personal items, but they'd insisted this would be less expensive as well as a fun opportunity for them to try out the new Winnebago my dad recently purchased. More power to them, I suppose.

After my conversation with Bella about telling her parents, I realized I've been putting off doing the same, and it's now or never. It's inevitable that I'll see my Uncle Carlisle and Aunt Esme during my visit, and there will be no hiding the truth from my parents after that.

Not to mention that I haven't been able to bring myself to take the ring off my left hand since returning from the weekend that turned my whole life upside down.

I take my parents out to dinner on Friday night after they've had a chance to get cleaned up from their long drive. Our conversation is light, and it's so great to see them, but I keep my left hand out of view as much as possible in the dark restaurant. Over dessert and coffee, I decide to bite the bullet.

"So, I have some news," I begin, looking back and forth between them. "I met someone."

My mother's faces lights up, and I can see her eagerness for details. "Oh really? Why haven't we heard about this young lady sooner? And why isn't she here with us?"

"Son, you're not throwing away your new job over this, are you?" my father asks, practical and stern.

"It's complicated," I say, taking a deep breath. "For now, nothing's changing. Maybe it will down the road, but we haven't figured that out yet. I really care for her, though, and I've spent a lot of time thinking about things in the past month. The reason she's not here tonight is because she goes to school in Tennessee. With Emmett."

"Oh, Edward," my mother sighs, "a long distance relationship?"

"It's more than that. I know you're probably going to be mad at me, but please don't be. We . . . we got married in Vegas." I carefully lift my left hand from my lap and place it on the table, revealing my cheap wedding band.

My father's face immediately goes red, but he manages to keep himself composed, as we're in public. My mother gasps and tears well in her eyes.

As expected, they're upset. My mom seems to have more hope for the situation than my father, who doesn't find it quite as romantic. He tells me in no uncertain terms that I'm an idiot. Of course, I don't tell them all the details or just how drunk I was that night, but they can probably make their own assumptions. Eventually, they calm down and hear me out. I don't expect them to accept everything right away.

"I'm meeting her parents on Sunday. If everything goes well while I'm there, I'd really like to bring her up to Chicago to meet you guys, once you're home. I think it would help if you knew her. She's sweet and smart and I really care about her. It would mean a lot to me."

"Of course we want to meet her," my mother assures me, and I immediately feel better as we begin making our tentative plans.

In the morning, we pack my belongings into the trailer my dad has hitched to the back of his Winnebago. Graduation goes well, albeit longer than I care for, but soon enough, I'm rolling my suitcase up to the ticket counter at the airport. The flight is smooth, and when I get to baggage claim, Emmett is there to greet me with a smile.

"How was the flight, brother?"

"Not bad. You ready for tomorrow?" I ask, shaking his hand and hugging him with my free arm.

"For sure," he says, hugging me back. "You up for some company? Rose and Bella are back at my place hanging out."

Without thinking, my lips part in a smile at the notion of seeing her, and I know Emmett sees it.

Bella and I have been talking a lot, and being realistic with myself, I know I've grown comfortable knowing she's there every day. Being apart gave me a lot of time to think, and combined with how well I've gotten to know her and have started to like her even more, I'm ready to get this all figured out. Yeah, we're technically married, but just thinking of this as any other relationship is helping me prevent freaking out.

"Hi," she mouths timidly as Emmett and I come through the door to his apartment. She's smiling, and I know I'm smiling right back, and if feels like we're both locked in tunnel vision.

I approach her, and she steps around the kitchen island until we're face to face, less than a foot of space between us. My hands move to touch her, but I'm tentative, unsure if this is okay. I watch her eyes, warm and just as nervous as I feel, but the way she bites her bottom lip makes her look far too sweet to hold back any longer. I place my hands gingerly on her hips, then slide them around until I'm embracing her. Her arms find a place over my shoulders, wrapping around my neck and pulling me down to her. I nuzzle my face into her hair and we stand that way, silently, for at least a full minute.

Reluctantly, I pull back, but I find her hand and draw it to my lips, kissing her knuckles. She giggles a little, her cheeks going crimson, but she allows me to press our palms together and twine our fingers for a moment.

We don't talk about us or anything serious. Instead, the four of us enjoy our time together, hanging out, laughing, and sharing a few beers. I want so badly for Bella to stay the night with me, but Emmett's couch is too small, and the last thing I want is for her to wake up with a crick in her neck right before her graduation. Before letting her go, though, I pull her in for another long hug, kissing her forehead and opening her car door to see her on her way safely.

.

I'm so anxious that I'm sweating like it's desert heat in Tennessee when Bella approaches me, Emmett, and his parents with her own mom and dad in tow. Bella looks just like her mom, though the older woman's hair and eyes are lighter. She's looking me up and down appraisingly, whispering something in Bella's ear that makes her gape at her mother. Mr. Swan, however, has a more stern expression. His dark eyes are hard, as though he's scrutinizing every detail about me. I see his thick mustache twitch, and it makes me shiver a little, but when Bella takes his hand and kisses his cheek, everything about the man softens. He looks at her adoringly, like she's still a little girl, and kisses her temple. It's obvious how much he loves her, so I can't blame him for being skeptical in my presence.

"Dad, Mom, I'd like you to meet Edward Masen," Bella says with a smile. She hides it well, but I can see the nervous energy in the way she gestures. "Edward, these are my parents, Charlie Swan and Renee Dwyer. My stepdad Phil couldn't make it. He coaches AA baseball in Florida, and they had a game."

I reach out to shake their hands as introductions are made with Emmett's parents as well, and moments later, Rosalie and her family join us, creating a buzz of conversation, smiles, and more handshakes.

"Mrs. Dwyer, it's a pleasure to meet you." I try to lay on the charm with Bella's mom, hoping that if I can get in her good graces, she may help with Mr. Swan. Despite being divorced, they seem to get along well. "I can see where Bella's beauty comes from."

"Oh please," she says with a lighthearted laugh, "That gorgeous hair is all from her father. The Swan eyes, too."

"But the smile is all yours." I lean closer, speaking into her ear so only she can hear me. "I'm sure you've hooked your fair share of men with that smile, just like Bella caught my attention."

Renee pats my cheek gently and just shakes her head. "There seems to be no lack of charm in your genes."

Charlie clears his throat, and when I look in his direction, I see he and Bella are holding hands again. It's once more clear how close they are, no matter how gruff he may come across otherwise. I suppose it's true what they say about men being suckers for their little girls.

"What time's that reservation?" he asks, looking back and forth between Bella and me.

"Not for another hour," Bella replies. "I was thinking we could walk around downtown and get a drink beforehand. Sound good?"

They all agree, and my aunt and uncle look at me, eyebrows raised. "I assume you're going with Bella and her parents?" Carlisle inquires.

Bella nods, so I hug my family goodbye and tell them I'll be back at Emmett's apartment later on to spend some time with them. We set off toward the parking lot, and Bella and I sit in the back of Charlie's rental car together.

It's a pleasant late afternoon, so we sit around a small square table on the patio of a little pub Bella selected. The women are sipping martinis while Charlie and I each drink a beer.

"So I have news," Bella says, smiling over her glass. Everyone's attention is on her. "I was waiting to tell you in person," she continues, looking at her parents, then passing a quick glance my way. "I've had a change of plans for graduate school. I'm not staying here."

"Did you apply for another loan?" Charlie asks immediately. "I don't want you to be buried in debt by the time you finish." It's pure concern in his tone, but Bella continues to smile.

"I didn't give up hope on my other choices, so I've kept up trying to figure out what my other options were. Nothing turned out for Pittsburgh, but that's okay because I'm moving to Chicago."

"Chicago?" I say involuntarily, my heart racing.

"I finally found an internship so I can go to Northwestern! They'll cover fifty percent of my tuition and give me a small stipend. The loans I would have been using for the graduate program here will cover the rest, as well as my books and housing. Isn't that amazing?"

Renee is up instantly, hugging her daughter, and Bella looks over her mom's shoulder at me.

"Chicago?" I say, although I already know it's true.

She nods and bites her lip the same way she did the night before, and I can't help but smile back at her. Her parents congratulate and tell her how proud they are. A few minutes later we head out to the restaurant where we have our reservation. Dinner is pleasant, and despite getting the third degree from Charlie about my family, background, field of study, and future plans, I feel like everything goes well. When we're done, I say my goodbyes and leave them to some family time while I go back to Emmett's to see my own family. Bella promises to call me the next day after she sees her parents off, and I tell her I'll be waiting.

.

After all the parents have gone on Monday, we gather back at Emmett's apartment, along with a handful of their other friends for a small party. I socialize with those I'd met before, moving back and forth between Bella and the others. My eyes are constantly drawn in her direction, and we exchange small smiles whenever we catch each other looking. I feel so comfortable interacting with her this way, but by the end of the evening, I crave time alone with her. We need to talk about so much, and her recent news regarding Chicago was completely unexpected.

Everyone has gone except me, Bella, Emmett, and Rosalie, so we tidy up enough that it won't be a huge mess in the morning, and Emmett and Rose go to bed.

"You tired?" I ask, pulling Bella close to me as I sit at the kitchen table.

"A little. Tonight was fun, huh?" Her legs press against mine as I absently trace her fingers, but the few drinks I've had make me feel a little frisky. I catch her off guard by yanking her down onto my lap, and after her surprise wears off, she settles on my thighs, sitting sideways.

My forehead rests on her shoulder, and my arms hang loosely around her waist. "Can we do something tomorrow?"

"Like what?"

"I don't care. Whatever you feel like."

"Sure."

We stay this way for several minutes, slowly settling into one another more and more until I feel like I'm going to pass out sitting here.

"I'm beat," I say, nudging her to sit up.

She turns her face and looks at me, carefully choosing her words. "Want to come back to my place? I mean, I can't imagine the couch is too comfortable, and I just . . ."

"Yeah," I interrupt before she can reveal any more of her nerves. "That would be great."

We stand, and I go to the closet where my suitcase is, pulling out my backpack and throwing some clothes and my toothbrush in there. When I'm ready, I leave a note on the counter for Emmett, letting him know where I've gone, and I follow Bella out of the apartment. She walked the few blocks over earlier, so we head off on foot. Bella reaches for my hand halfway down the first street, and I gladly give it to her.

I change into pajama pants and a clean T-shirt back at her place, and when I step out of her bathroom, she's standing in front of the mirror in a tiny tank top and shorts that sit low on her hips, revealing more than an inch of skin. Her whole body looks inviting, and my mind goes to the obvious places, but I try my best to put a hold on those thoughts, at least for now. It would be too easy to just get tangled up in sex and distraction, but I want to do this the right way. I move toward her, and she turns, slowly coming into my arms. I grip a handful of her thick hair, holding her close and inhaling her sweet, feminine scent. It's hard to believe that just over a month ago I was so apprehensive about her because these days, she's all I can think about; having her here in arms, I don't think I want to turn back now.

"Ready?" she asks, and I nod, leading her to the bed. We lie face to face, and our talk about Chicago begins.

She tells me that Northwestern had been her top choice for graduate school months before we met and that she had settled on staying here to do her Masters program when the financial issue became an impasse. Her desire for something better won out, though, and she had inquired about the internship just days before Vegas. While it would have been flattering if she'd sought out a school in Chicago knowing I was moving home, I was much more at ease when I realized she had done so of her own volition. There is no pressure that she's changing her plans solely for me.

We talk about how coincidental it is that my family lives in Evanston, and though we aren't discussing suddenly moving in together or anything, this feels like a step in the right direction. I haven't won over her father yet, which I can't blame him for, but I now believe there's a chance this could actually work.

I pull her into my arms, enjoying the warmth and softness of her body as we drift to sleep.

We spend the next day together, and I don't waste time making plans for us to go up to Chicago. Since I'll be staying with my parents until I get everything secured with my new job and find a place of my own, we're going to fly up on Wednesday night. Bella will stay until Saturday, since she's not officially moving to Chicago until later in the summer. I purchase our tickets and tell her with absolute sincerity that I'm really excited for her to meet my parents – and for them to meet her.

We decide to go for a movie to wind down from all the chaos of our respective graduations and family visits, and I'm really glad we do. We hold hands, making me feel once more like a teenager with his first girlfriend, but I can't deny I sort of like that. My thumb brushes over her ring, and I'm reminded of how absolutely crazy this all is, yet at the same time, I recognize the difference in how we're both handling it. Still, the constant reminders are there; all I can do is take this one day at a time. Being honest with myself about my feelings for Bella seems to be a good way to go.

There's an arcade inside the theater, so after our movie, I drag her out to play some games. With twenty dollars in quarters, we're free to let loose and have fun. She starts with Whack-a-Mole, then I lead us over to Pac-Man. She challenges me to DDR next, but I refuse, claiming I don't dance like that and suggest Ski-Ball instead. She likes my suggestion, and we end up playing until most of our quarters are replaced with long strings of prize tickets. We try a couple other games, and when only one quarter remains, I grab her hand and guide us toward the claw game. She's skeptical of my skills, but I give it a go, successfully dropping the stuffed toy into the chute. She laughs as I hand it to her, shaking her head at the odd little toy.

"What on earth am I going to do with a stuffed banana?"

"It's not just a stuffed banana," I say, pulling her toward me and wrapping my hand around the back of hers to examine the toy. "It's a stuffed banana man with dangly arms and legs. And sunglasses. He's cool."

"You're such a dork," she laughs.

I squeeze her tighter, and as I'm looking down at her, full of joy and so near to me, I can't help myself. I stop her giggling with a tender press of my lips against hers, and her happy little noises turn to a soft hum of approval. I test her reaction carefully, moving my lips slowly, but it's Bella who wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me harder. I want to keep going, despite our public display, but some kid asks us if he can play, so we politely move out of the way of the game. Bella's eyes meet mine briefly before dropping down, and she's biting that lip again. So damn cute.

"Let's go get you a better prize," I say, gesturing toward the glass display case, and she agrees. We end up with cinnamon flavored wax vampire lips, a Chinese finger trap, a pen with a sparkly pom-pom on top of it, and a three foot long pixie stick.

When we get back to Bella's place, I kiss her again – really kiss her – and we keep kissing, content to do only that until the phone rings and Rosalie invites us out for late night drinks.