I broke my all time record driving Chris to school that morning. I never topped the speed limit, but I came close more than a few times, and I steered clear of the slow lane the entire way. The irony of driving faster than I normally would did not escape me. Edward's notorious tendency for speed definitely ingrained itself in my mind. Any time Josh would venture past sixty-five, he accused me of passenger seat braking. I firmly insisted I was just flexing my right leg. He never bought it.

Men get very defensive about their driving skills. This is something I learned when I was quite young but have had reaffirmed ever since. Josh went so far as promising Chris, when he was just a toddler in the back seat, that his father would be the only one teaching him to drive when it was time. He was certain I'd give our child a complex, paralyzing him with a fear strong enough to deter him from driving a day in his life. Craziness. Although, I do think raising the legal driving age to oh, say...twenty-five is ideal. It just makes sense. After all, you can be the best driver in the world; it's all the other crazies behind the wheel that you have no control over.

Chris was happy as a clam when we left the house. Edward was still there as we were walking out the door, promising once again to be back later that night. He mentioned something to me while Chris was brushing his teeth about needing to hunt, but he made sure to tell me that he would be staying somewhat "local" to do so. I understood his needs completely, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me a little that he would be gone all day again. I was hoping for some alone time with him while Chris was at school. He seemed to be very aware of little ears whenever he was in my house, and I was eager for some time where that fear would not exist at all for him.

I talked about all kinds of things with Chris as we walked into school. I paid careful attention to him as we passed his friends and other parents. He never gave any indication of breaking his train of thought with me in order to listen to anyone's thoughts. I was slowly becoming confident in my belief that any unnatural ability, for some still very unexplained reason, applied only to Edward.

"I hope you have a really fun day," I said as we breezed through the door into his classroom.

He smiled brightly before crossing the room to put his backpack in its assigned cubby. I followed with his sweatshirt.

"Don't forget this. It will be cold at lunch," I said as I bent down to put it away.

"Thanks."

He leaned forward and threw his arms around my neck, burying his face in my hair.

"Love you, Mommy," he mumbled, and I held him tightly.

"I love you, Chris. I'll see you at three."

Chris nodded once before turning and walking out the door to presumably join his buddies on the playground. I trailed after him, eager to get back to the house and see if Edward was still there, but also content to take my time and watch Chris as he ran through the gate to the swings.

"Bella!"

I turned just in time to see Jacki, mom to one of Chris' closest friends, rounding the corner toward the classrooms.

"Hi, Jacki. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm hanging in there. You know," she said with a huge smile as she motioned at her ever expanding belly.

I nodded happily, remembering with perfect clarity the months of nausea and zero energy I endured during my own pregnancy. I was not one of the lucky pregnant women you see glowing with happiness and excitement. In fact, I don't think I left the tile of our bathroom floor for the first two months after the first home pregnancy test proved positive in twenty seconds instead of the necessary two minutes. It was miserable. Nothing could have prepared me for it, but I tried my best not to let it dampen my spirit or attitude. Once the shock wore off, I was thankful. Everyone was very supportive, constantly reminding me that the sickness was an indicator of a strong pregnancy. Regardless, I was truly thrilled and thankful to be pregnant. We may not have planned any of it, but I was immediately convinced of my future. It included the child that had me praying to the porcelain gods incessantly. Of that much, I was sure.

Jacki paused to kiss her son, Jance, goodbye. She zipped up his sweatshirt, chuckling as she wiped lip gloss off his cheek while he grimaced in feigned disgust.

"Have a fun one, Jance," I called as he smiled in my direction and took off running.

I turned back to her, "It's great to see you. You look fantastic."

She laughed lightly, giving me a wink as she disappeared inside with all of Jance's belongings.

I shoved my hands in my pockets and leaned against the wall as I waited.

"I think I'm driving my husband crazy. He looked absolutely terrified when I burst into tears over running out of syrup this morning," she mumbled as she reemerged from the classroom.

"Sounds about right," I replied with a soft smile.

"I don't know, Bella." She continued with a sigh, "It's even worse this time."

I gave her another sympathetic nod. A part of me really wanted to stand around and catch up, but I was just too eager to get home and back to Edward. I hoped that maybe he'd still be there when I returned. I knew the chances were slim, but a girl could dream.

"So, what is new with you? I saw Josh picking Chris up last Friday. How is that going?"

Coming from anyone else, the very personal questions, asked in such a casual way, would have been upsetting but Jacki was the exception. She'd been there for me since the morning she found me crying in my car at the school. It was the first time I'd dropped Chris off with the knowledge that I wouldn't be the one picking him up. Josh was taking him for the weekend, and despite our weeks of preparation and talking about the new arrangement, I felt an overwhelming sense of failure and loneliness. I knew it was irrational, but that didn't mean I felt any less miserable.

I barely got Chris situated in his classroom before the tears started. Josh assured me that he'd bring him home, or let him call me, at the first sign of homesickness. I trusted him to keep his word. He loves his son as much as I do. Unfortunately, none of that helped me survive the morning without plenty of tears. I must have checked four times to make sure his teddy bear and favorite set of p.j.'s were tucked safely inside his overnight bag.

I broke down once I was in the safety of my car. A few minutes later, I saw Jacki walking in my direction and hoped she'd just let me be. She stopped and gave me a sweet and knowing smile. I saw her wavering out of the corner of my eye before she made her decision and closed the distance between us. A soft knock on my driver's side window told me she was set on intervening. A big part of me was thankful that she was reaching out despite my desire to keep my personal life private. My mother was there for me as much as possible, but Jacki was an impartial third party. That made sharing with her appealing. She wasn't jaded by a divorce of her own. My experiences were not personal to her, and I thankfully slipped from my seat and into the passenger seat of hers after some gentle coaxing.

"Coffee and pancakes?" She asked softly as she drove us to a nearby cafe.

"Sure, and thank you. Just, thanks..." I trailed off quietly as I blew my nose into a tissue she'd offered just a moment before.

"No thanks needed."

I saw that she was examining me carefully as she waited for an update on everything between me and Josh. I was tempted to tell her a little about Edward. I'd never shared about him with anyone in my life, other than my husband, who didn't know of our relationship when it happened. I suppressed a chuckle as I tried to imagine what I could possibly tell her. Explaining that a vampire from my past, one with whom I fell madly in love with, had returned in his immortal perfection when he thought my child was in danger would most likely prove...awkward to say the least.

"Things have been really good, thanks. I'm doing well. Chris has been fantastic. And, you?"

She absorbed my answer with an intense stare.

"I'm great. I'm trying to enjoy the last two months of having only one little guy at home. I can't believe how fast this pregnancy has gone."

"I understand. Everything changes with two, but you're a pro. It's only going to get better," I offered, sure of the fact that she would accept the new addition to her family with ease and joy.

"Let's hope so."

"Well, I would love to talk some more, but I have a doctor's appointment at nine. Can we get breakfast next week? Maybe Tuesday?" She asked, pausing as she pulled her cell phone from her purse.

"Tuesday sounds great. We need to catch up," I answered.

Her smile was genuine, "Absolutely."

"Have a great day, Jacki. Good luck with your appointment. Hope all goes well," I said as she turned and made her way to the parking lot.

"Thanks! Have a great weekend," she said as she was already half way across the yard.

I was right behind her, eager to get home for so many reasons.

I pulled into my driveway and raced to the front door. I didn't think he'd still be there, but I had to make sure before I gave up my hope of some time alone.

"Edward?" I called as I closed the door and walked into the family room.

I didn't feel his presence. I was fairly certain he would have met me in the entryway if he'd waited.

The house was empty. I sighed and decided it would be best to get some light housework done before the shopping I knew was needed to get us through the weekend.

I started for the kitchen when my heart skipped a beat. I caught sight of a figure in the corner of my den. Whipping around as quickly as possible, I gasped in recognition.

"Don't be scared."

There was complete silence after that. No one spoke or took a breath.

I could hear the kitchen clock ticking as her eyes roamed my face with frantic attention.

Alice. She was everything I remembered. She stood as still as a statue, caught in front of a side-table full of framed photos. She faced me with a shy, almost terrified looking smile.

The silence continued, and I realized that she looked uncharacteristically shocked.

"Bella," she finally spoke, breaking me free from enormity of the moment. As far as I knew, she wasn't going to arrive until sometime on Sunday so I was definitely unprepared.

"Alice."

Her eyes brightened at the sound of her name falling from my lips. It was an involuntary response to the situation. My mind was trying to catch up with my eyes. She continued to regard me carefully, the nervous smile never lessening.

"Oh my," she whispered in awe.

I arched an eyebrow slightly at that comment. What had her so surprised?

"May I hug you?" She asked with such sincerity and need in her voice. It struck me as ironic that this tiny woman, who was infinitely stronger and superior to me in every way, was asking permission to embrace me.

"Alice." I felt silly for only be able to utter her name again, but the truth was, I was as desperate for a reconciliation with her as I was for one with Edward.

I was so ready to be over all of it. It was as if something shifted in the universe...again. Being married, having a child, learning to be selfless, and just plain getting over myself taught me that I was done holding on to pains of the past.

"Yes, please," I managed to mumble. In the next instant, she was directly in front of me. Her piercing, golden eyes stared meaningfully at me for a second more before she moved forward and enveloped my body with her arms. She managed to snake them around my torso, exerting the perfect amount of pressure needed to comfortably draw me in. She turned her face and rested it on my shoulder.

"I'm probably not going to let go for a while," she spoke softly.

I laughed lightly at her words, tightening my arms around her in response.

"Oh, Bella. I've missed you so much. I wish I could explain," she began. I felt her cool breath through my sweater. It felt right.

I also felt immediately exhausted at the idea of rehashing the past with her. Edward and I had spent the last couple of nights going through the motions of understanding the mistakes and errors of our ways, and I had no desire to do the same with Alice. It was all the same.

"It's okay. I promise. It's all okay."

I felt her shaking her head back and forth subtly before slowly pulling back in order to make eye contact.

"It's definitely not okay. Look, I know you've been having these conversations with Edward, and I don't expect you to go through it all again with me, but I owe you my own apologies. We all do."

I was surprised at her ability to understand my feelings so completely.

"No apologies right now. Please. I just want to know how you've been," I began.

She smiled brightly for the first time. True joy shone in her eyes, and I took a breath in response to her overwhelming display of contentment.

"We're all doing much better now."

"Better now?"

"Yes."

She did not give me anything more to go off of.

"Things are better now, because?" I asked, hoping she would be suckered into providing more details.

"Because we've been missing a part of our family for a long time."

Her explanation made sense. A small seed of guilt took root at the thought that I was partly responsible for keeping Edward away from the rest of the Cullens for so long. I wondered if perhaps he'd underplayed the amount of time he spent here keeping an eye on me and Chris. Maybe it was too difficult for him to stay at home while everyone was coupled up. I was feeling worse by the minute.

"I'm so sorry for that," I began. I wasn't sure what else I could apologize for, but I knew that making life more painful for any of the Cullens was the last thing I wanted to be accountable for.

Alice's raised eyebrow and slightly confused look preceded her question, "You're apologizing?"

I looked honestly at her, not attempting to hide any emotions.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Well, if he wasn't spending so much time here, or probably wallowing in guilt over the whole thing, he would have been home with you guys, where he belonged," I answered.

Alice actually flinched.

"Bella! I didn't mean Edward. Gosh, you are still as humble as ever."

There were no words to describe the mix of emotions at that revelation. She was actually implying that my absence from their lives had affected more than just Edward.

"I don't know what to say," I finally replied.

"You don't need to say anything. It's the truth."

We regarded each other quietly for a minute after that. Alice ran her hands over the bright yellow, cashmere sweater she wore. I wasn't used to her fidgeting, especially with her clothes.

"Umm, we should probably talk about what we're going to tell him when he finds out I came early."

"Right. He told me you wouldn't be here until Sunday."

"Yeah, well, that was the plan, but I just couldn't wait. I tried. Everyone will tell you I really did try."

I laughed lightly at the look of desperation on her angelic face.

"It's fine with me. I'm just worried about you know who. I won't tell him anything," I began, but Alice quickly cut me off by waving her hand nonchalantly in front of her.

"No use. He will know the minute he gets near the house."

Right. He would be able to smell that Alice had arrived.

She moved slowly back toward the bookshelf she'd presumably been observing when I arrived home. I saw her gaze fall on a framed photo of the whole family on Chris' second brithday. "It doesn't really matter anyway, Bella. He'll be angry at first, but the truth is, not much could make him stay mad right now."

"Why is that?"

She threw me a quirky smile over her shoulder before returning her attention to a standalone photo of Chris.

"Because he's too busy realizing that he won't be able to go another day without you in his life."

I was speechless after that. It all became so real in that instant.

"Sorry. I know that was a lot," she whispered once she saw my shocked expression.

I recovered as quickly as possible, "It's okay. It's just been so unexpected."

"Which part?"

"All of it."

She nodded her head emphatically before replying, "I understand and so does Edward. That's why he'll just have to get over the fact that I completely disregarded what he asked me to do."

"Uh oh," I mumbled.

Alice laughed lightly. She spoke carefully, "You will tell him that I showed up and was an emotional wreck. I just couldn't bear the fact that he was with you, and I couldn't begin trying to make amends as well."

"Okay," I started, but she was quick to cut me off and continue.

"You'll also tell him that Jasper will be here by tomorrow, and we will be back for a visit by seven tomorrow night."

"Right."

"And now, Bella..."

"Yes?" I asked, unsure of what would follow.

She looked at me happily before moving to clasp my hands in hers.

"We're not going to say another thing about Edward. In fact, I don't think his name will even come up. We're going to talk all about you. I want to know everything. Spare no details, and you better start with that amazing little guy over there," she explained, pointing her thumb backwards at one of my favorite pictures of Chris.

I laughed at her exuberance. I took a deep breath before motioning to the couch. We both sat. I began talking, and it was almost four hours before my stomach's persistent growling drove us from the house to a nearby diner. We were there for a good hour before I had to leave to pick up Chris. I don't think I'd ever talked so much at once in my life. We said our goodbyes, Alice leaving to meet Jasper, with plans for both of them to return on Saturday night. I felt happier and lighter than I had in years as I drove to the school that afternoon.

"Edward is here!"

Chris' voice echoed through the small bathroom just as I finished running a comb through his wet hair.

"How do you know? I didn't hear anything," I replied, glancing at the clock and realizing that it was almost eight.

"I hear him yelling!" He exclaimed with a carefree smile.

Uh oh. I quickly handed Chris his toothbrush, reminding him to squeeze the tube from the bottom, before excusing myself.

"Brush for two whole minutes!" I called back to Chris as I sped to the front door. I had a pretty good idea why Edward was "yelling", and I wanted to try and quell his fit before it really got off the ground.

I opened the front door and had to bite my lip from laughing at the site that greeted me. Edward stood half-way up the driveway, staring obstinately at the empty passenger seat of my car.

He was literally seething in anger and disbelief.

He whipped his head up to meet my eyes as soon as he heard my chuckle.

The slight tilt of his head and serious look told me tread lightly.

He composed himself quickly after my appearance. It quickly became veiled anger instead of outrage.

"Hi, Bella." His voice was gruff but very loving.

He was trying so hard. It was endearing.

"Hi, Edward." I gave him a small smile, shrugging my shoulders once in a sort of truce.

I wasn't going to play dumb.

"Alice has been here," he finally said.

I pursed my lips and nodded my head in agreement.

"I can't believe it," he grumbled, his fists clenched at his sides as he turned his head to face the street.

I assumed he didn't want me to see his lips moving as he spewed a few choice words for his dear sister under his breath. Ever the gentleman.

I made my decision quickly. I'd debated how I was going to broach the subject with him, but seeing his obvious hurt over the situation cemented my first plan. By the way that he jumped when my fingers reached out and gathered his fist into mine, he did not realize I left the porch. Carefully, I urged him to open his hand and then quickly snaked my fingers through his when he acquiesced.

The warmest pair of honey eyes flickered to mine. He took a deep, relaxing breath before moving to face me completely. I took his other hand in mine so that I held both. His fingers grasped mine desperately, still careful not to squeeze too hard.

"Try not to be too angry with her."

He huffed a little and turned his head away.

"Edward," I whispered, needing to see his eyes.

"Yes?" He immediately brought them back to me.

I smiled and reached up on the tips of my toes. His hands instinctively pulled themselves free from mine and wrapped around my waist in order to help me reach my intended target. I moved my hands to his neck and leaned closer. Once I was close enough to be able to whisper in his ear, I dropped a kiss on his neck instead and spoke.

"I had one of the best days possible in a very long time today," I began.

Edward's fingers pressed lightly into the small of my back, anchoring me to him.

"I know that you guys had an agreement," I added, slowly moving my lips to ghost over the skin of his cheek.

"We did."

"Yes," I continued. "She is sorry, but please try to understand. It was too difficult to wait. She was very eager to explain and talk," I said.

Edward's fingers trailed partially up my back.

"I was so happy today," I added, hoping my sucker punch of a statement would work.

Edward bit his lower lip in concentration. I gave myself a mental high-five. He was trying so hard to remain angry, but I was playing dirty. He didn't stand a chance, poor guy.

"I'm glad she made you happy," he finally murmured, falling right into my trap.

"Mmm," I added, moving my lips slightly in order to kiss his jaw. It clenched slightly as my breath fanned out over his neck.

"She did."

"Okay," he answered.

"Not angry anymore?" I asked, smiling softly into the hollow of his throat.

Edward moaned.

"Not really. I can't concentrate enough," he whispered, pulling me even closer until our bodies were flush against each-other.

Victory.

"Bella," he groaned softly as I innocently wedged my hands between our chests and ran them, palms spread, down his stomach.

"Yes, Edward?"

"Did she put you up to this?"

I laughed loudly, loving how adorable he sounded. He gave me a serious look, desire and intensity pouring off of him in waves. I would not lie to him.

"No. When I said that she made it a good day, I meant it. But you, Edward, you make every day right. You make," I began, but his lips cut me off mid sentence.

His kiss was urgent but gentle. His arms wrapped around me, and I moaned contentedly against his mouth as he moved his lips brilliantly against, on, and around mine. His hands occasionally gripped my hips, light squeezes reinforcing the idea that he wanted more.

I tried to control my enthusiasm as I kissed him back. It was so perfect; it felt like I would never breathe again without him just like that. His lips caressed mine, and his hands were nearly painful as he anchored me, but it was the best sensation I could imagine. I could not get enough of him. Our mouths dueled in a sweet battle that I would gladly fight forever.

"Bella," he finally whispered, and I shivered as his cool breath mixed between us and in my mouth.

I pulled back only slightly as I ran my right hand over his cheek. He was panting slightly, and his forehead was crinkled in concentration. I was so proud of him for initiating the kiss. Part of me realized I'd been waiting for him to make the first move; I needed the confirmation that he was willing to take the risk. He most definitely jumped with both feet, and I was so thankful.

I ran my hands from his chest, up over his shoulders, and into the hair at the back of his neck. Another soft moan poured from his mouth as he leaned forward, seeking another kiss. His lips were softer, and with some sort of unspoken agreement, we kept the contact simple. I grew needy for more and moved to wrap my arms around him, but he stilled me. The tiny pause served as a reminder to me of our situation. I pulled back slightly, giving him a genuine smile as he shifted his warm gaze to the house.

"He's coming to look for us now," he whispered with a warm smile of his own.

I regretfully stepped away from him, reaching my hand out to press two fingers against his lips in a promise of more to come. His eyes closed at the contact. I marveled at his beauty.

"Shall we?" I asked, taking another step away and toward the house.

He studied me for a second with a gorgeous grin on his face.

"I'm right behind you," he answered, and I trusted completely that he was and always would be.