"Bella."

Her heart rate spiked as her eyes snapped up to meet Edward's face, begging him to prove that he had spoken her name.

Edward needed no encouragement and cleared his throat. He, himself, wished to hear the voice that seemed so familiar, yet so distant at the same time.

"Bella," he spoke softly, again.

Bella smiled as the very rich masculine voice hung in the air and her tender eyes didn't miss him wince as he attempted to speak again. Although Bella had asked Edward a question, it had been lost to him. To Edward there were some words that needed to take precedence over others and these were the words that he greeted Bella with.

"Thank you."

The overwhelming emotions that seemed to bloom in Bella's chest at two sincerely spoken words looked for a release in her glassy eyes. Determined not to cry and show Edward how much his words meant to her, she crossed her arms over her chest – her typical subconscious way of trying to shield herself - and bit down on her bottom lip.

"What for?" she shrugged. "All I've done is sit here and talk with you."

"Don't trivialise that, Bella," Edward breathed, his gaze intense. He closed his eyes and swallowed in an attempt to suppress the pain down his left cheek, before he continued. "It's meant a lot to me."

She ducked her head and Edward wish that he had the ability to move close enough to her to lift it up again and bring her eyes back to his. His words, in this instance, were his greatest asset and realising this, he continued.

"Thank you for not letting me go through this alone."

In his own way of going out on a limb, Edward extended his hand palm up towards Bella.

Hearing his words and registering some movement, Bella was compelled to look up. She glanced between Edward's hand and face, unsure of how to respond. She was beginning to feel connected to this man – a man who could very well wake up the next day and remember his life story and the fact that he has a family waiting for him. She wasn't stupid. She realised these things, but, even still, she couldn't deny herself the opportunity to accept Edward's acknowledgement and move forward through the forging of more connections.

"You're welcome," she breathed, unwinding her arms from around her chest and placing her hand in his. Immediately, a pulse of energy travelled up Edward's arm and he wondered if Bella had felt it too. He didn't get the chance to ask.

Bella was pondering if Edward's skin also tingled with energy as they touched, when her standard "old phone" ringtone startled her. She was startled more by Edward's response to the sound. She felt Edward's hand retract and followed it as it seemed to habitually reach for something near his right thigh. Her brow furrowed.

Was this muscle memory? Had Edward's mind, in his previous life, been trained to respond to that ringtone?

Becoming acutely aware that she had yet to answer her phone, Bella reached down into her handbag to retrieve it, only taking her eyes of Edward's stilling form at the last minute.

"Hello," she answered, watching Edward stare perplexedly at his right hand before turning to meet her eyes.

"It took you a while there, Iz. Is everything all right?" Jacob queried, playfully. He'd never had to wait that long for Isabella to answer the phone and it was a long standing joke between them that she was closer to Siri than she was to any human. Jacob became truly concerned when she didn't register the joke.

"Yes, I'm fine, Jake. How are you?"

"Well, I was okay until I realised that my buddy, my pal, has been missing in action since we went to the hospital together." Jacob sighed, as he thought of how best to address his concern. "Iz…"

"I know, Jake," Isabella answered, wanting to try and push this discussion back for another time and place. "How about I come over tonight?"

Edward didn't hear how Bella ended the call. Her previous words played around in his head like a scratched record.

How about I come over tonight?

Who was this Jake and why did even thinking the name cause his jaw to tense and his chest to tighten?

"Edward?"

Bella drew his attention and he noticed that she had replaced the phone in her bag.

"Sorry about that, I…"

Edward interrupted Bella before he had a chance to think.

"It's okay, Bella."

Bella raised an eyebrow at Edward's tone.

"Then why do I get the feeling that it is anything, but okay?"

Edward didn't look at her as he ran his right hand through his bed flattened bronze hair.

Bella had no idea what had caused such awkwardness between them, but she tried to overlook it as Nurse Cope arrived with a lunch tray.

"We're going to try you on solids, today," she grinned, placing the tray on a table with wheels and pushing it towards the man that Isabella called Edward.

"Thank you, Nurse Cope. I'll do my best," Edward automatically responded, courteously, regardless of the fact that he was in a less than agreeable mood.

The Nurse stilled then, puzzling both Edward and Bella, before her cheeks rose and she smiled.

"Well, that's a Midwestern accent if ever I've heard one," she clapped her hands together. "Now I have more places to look for your family. I better get the ball rolling…"

Isabella stared at nothing in particular as Nurse Cope's words resounded around the room, causing a strange heaviness to form in her stomach. With a new lead – a new clue to Edward's past – it was probably only a matter of time before he was united with those who knew him before. Standing up and collecting her bag, she waited for Nurse Cope to depart before turning her eyes towards Edward.

"Leaving already?"

"Mhmm," she nodded.

"Enjoy your visit," he murmured, turning towards the tray in front of him and attempting to lift a lid with his one good hand.

"Visit?" Bella thought for a moment, before bending down and removing all of the lids on the tray.

"Thanks."

Bella could only nod and offer a small smile before leaving Edward to his meal.

But Edward thought nothing of food as he watched her disappearing form.

"Jake is a very lucky man."

And he realised, for the first time since they'd met, that she hadn't mentioned anything about tomorrow.

Okay, so they've hit a bump in the road. What do you think?

I'd be a lucky woman if I received feedback.

All the best,

Karry.