Character ages: Bella, 22; Edward, 28 almost 29; Tanya, 32, Harlow, 6; Max, just turned 6; and Leo, 2 ½-ish.
I googled all jokes because I am no comedian. So no copyright infringement intended.
Chapter Ten
can't get enough of your love, babe
Edward
Leo fell asleep before the movie even started, and Max and Harlow knocked out halfway through. They didn't even touch the snacks Bella brought.
Now, the credits are rolling. We finished the movie on our own. I tried to turn it off as soon as Harlow closed her eyes, but Bella insisted she had to finish it and asked me to leave it on.
Now, her fingers are running lightly through my hair, getting my attention as I lay back against the couch with Leo on my chest.
"Lay bubby on the other couch so I can make a bed on the floor for them."
She makes a bed, laying out about 10 blankets to make it soft enough. I didn't even have enough so she made me run to her house and grab more.
"How can you only have two blankets, Edward," she says, shaking her head, throwing pillows on the floor against the couch.
"I don't know, Bella."
"How do you stay warm in the winter?"
"We use the heater."
After the kids are comfortable on the floor, and Bella snaps her picture, we move to the kitchen because Bella is starving. She sits on a stool, pulling junk out of her snack sack.
She offers me a licorice and bites into her own before asking, "Do you know how to use a microwave?"
"Yes, smartass," I say, rolling my eyes.
She tosses me a bag of popcorn. "Get cookin', good lookin'."
I bust up laughing, and cook her the popcorn as she eats about 10 licorices. We go back to the living room, climbing onto the couch above our sleeping kids. She grabs the remote, flipping through the channels before settling on some show I've never seen before.
She cracks up laughing every ten minutes, and it really is music to my fucking ears. She stuffs her face with popcorn, not giving one shit that she's spilling it all over the place. She offers me some, but I shake my head.
"I brought the fruit snacks you love. Do you want some?"
"Will you get them for me?"
"No, lazy. I wanted you to get them so you could get me a soda." She grins.
"I don't have even have sodas, Bella."
"Oh yea, I forgot I was at the Farmer's Market." She jokes.
I wrap my arm around her shoulder, laughing at her dumb joke, and pull her closer to me. She snuggles into my side, and I watch her show with her until she falls asleep against me. I don't move until I'm sure she's really out then I steal one of the blankets off the floor and cover her up.
Then I go to my own bed, falling asleep without a blanket or a pillow.
Bella
What do you get when you have a cat that eats lemons?
Chewing my laffy taffy, I toss the wrapper on the bed beside me. It's one in the morning, and I can't sleep. I'm sure Edward is snoring away and won't see my message, but I text him another joke anyway.
Why do hamburgers fly south for the winter?
Wait, what about this one. Did you hear the joke about the toilet?
I stuff one last candy in my mouth, my stomach so full I could throw up. I shove the rest of the candies in the drawer of the nightstand, hiding them from the kids. They eat their own, and then steal mine. Sometimes, you just have to be sneaky.
Five minutes go by and Edward doesn't respond so I bring up Netflix on my phone, deciding to binge watch The Walking Dead. Edward got me hooked, and I can't watch it with kids or they'll have nightmares for years so I wait until they go beddy bye and immerse myself into the zombie apocalypse.
Just when Maggie is about to cut Lori open…I've already watched this episode three times so I know what happens…Edward's message pops up, making my show automatically pause.
A sour puss. So they won't freeze their buns. Nevermind, it's too dirty.
I smile so big my cheeks hurt.
You cheater! Did you google those answers?
Yes, Bella.
You're no fun!
Why are you still awake?
Because I'm not tired.
Edward leaves me hanging, and I finish my episode, tears streaming down my cheeks when Rick cries over Lori. Gets me every damn time.
Will you remember me in an hour? He texts, confusing the hell out of me.
Of course.
Will you remember me in a day?
Why are you asking me this?
Just answer the question, Bella!
Yes!
Will you remember me in a week?
Yes.
What in the world is happening right now?
Will you remember me in a month?
YES!
Will you remember me in a year?
Not if you don't stop asking me these questions.
Bella!
Fine, yes, I'll always remember you.
I think you won't.
I will. I'm rolling my eyes at you right now.
But really my heart is pounding with him being so damn serious.
Knock, knock.
Who's there? I ask without even thinking about it.
See? You've forgotten me already!
Oh, I'm going to kill him.
You got jokes, huh? I say, only half embarrassed that I thought he was being all heartwarming and intimate. That's what I get for waking him up!
Go to sleep, babe.
I don't respond, but I fall asleep with a stupid smile on my face.
…
…
…
Bella
Two weeks later I'm shopping with Leo, looking for Edward's birthday present. He told me only yesterday that his birthday is tomorrow. I don't know how I didn't know his birthday. What kind of friend am I?
We've been searching for the perfect gift all day long and coming up empty, well except for the new hat I found him. I like his old one, but one can never have too many hats. It's nothing like the fishing hat he got me, though. Which is a blessing.
He told me he didn't want a gift, but everyone wants a gift on their birthday even if they do say they don't. I bought his favorite cake to bake, but I literally had to slap my hand over his mouth when he tried to argue about it.
He can be so hardheaded sometimes.
It's been three weeks since Thanksgiving, since Tanya left out of town for work.
Three weeks.
THREE!
She left the day after Thanksgiving and has not returned. She has not called Max once. Not once.
Who fucking does that?
Edward said they argued before she left, and he told her he was done.
She must have taken that literally, I had told him one night, trying to figure out what in the world was going on.
I meant it literally, he had said, and I shut my mouth.
Now Edward's birthday is tomorrow, and we're 10 days away from Christmas, and she hasn't showed up. I can't wrap my mind around that.
I had to be the one to help Max decorate his Christmas tree. I mean, I didn't have to do it, but I wanted to and plus he asked me to help so of course I did.
I love it, Bella! He had yelled jumping up and down, his little arms wrapping around my legs. It was adorable. Harlow, Leo and Edward all help. Leo broke two ornaments before Edward grabbed him up, keeping him occupied on the couch while we finished.
Tanya has no soul, I just know it!
I am thinking such bad thoughts about Tanya as we exit the store, I almost miss the little old man selling puppies at a table out front. They are the cutest little things I've ever seen.
"Gimme the puppy," Leo says, excitedly yanking on my jacket. "I want it."
"We can't get a puppy," I say slowly, but thinking why can't I have a puppy?
"Yes, mama, please."
"How much are they?" I ask the man.
"They're free, little lady. I got too many of them to keep."
Free?
"I'll take two," I say, picking the two cutest little ones in the box.
He gives us a box to put them in on the ride home, and I tell Leo that one puppy is for Edward for his birthday because who wouldn't want an adorable little puppy for their birthday?
I can't wait to give it to him.
We're halfway home when my phone rings, and I bounce in my seat when I see it's Edward. I've never been good at surprises so I have to try so hard not to tell him.
"Hello."
"Bella," he says in that wonderful way he always says my name.
"Yes, kind sir?"
He chuckles in my ear. "You're such a smartass. Call Mrs. Hale and see if she can babysit tonight."
"Why?"
"Because I said so."
I roll my eyes even though he can't see me. "Uh huh, sure."
"I want to take you out to dinner. You always feed me, let me feed you, babe."
What, what!
"Okay, where will we go?"
"Wherever you want, Bella."
"Will you buy me hot chocolate at the Sweet Shoppe afterwards?"
I can tell he's smiling when he says, "Yes."
"Okay, I'll go."
"Good, later babe."
I call Mrs. Hale right away and she says she would love to spend the evening with the kids, but once the kids are home and I tell Harlow, she is not a happy camper.
"Mrs. Hale doesn't let us watch TV!"
"Low, she doesn't even have a TV."
"I know! It's so boring there." She pouts.
"You've only been there once."
After a few minutes, she says, "It's okay. I'll go, mommy."
How cute. She says it like she has a choice.
When the kids are occupied, I go check on the puppies in the backyard. I hid them in this little cage I found in the storage shed. Not sure why Rosalie of all people would have a cage, but I'm thankful for it now.
Hopefully bubby can keep the puppies a secret until tomorrow morning.
Edward
"Edward, don't leave me here," Harlow whispers, tugging on my hand, her eyes wide. "I will die so bored here."
I laugh and lift her up, kissing her head before setting her back down. "It's just for a little while, baby. Think you can handle that?"
She taps her chin, thinking real hard, and then she smiles like her mom. "Will you bring me something back?"
"What do you want?" I ask her.
"Ice cream?"
"Sure, Low. I'll bring you ice cream," I say, and she hisses, "Yes!" before running to Max to tell him Edward's bringing ice cream!
He gives me a thumbs up that has Bella looking back at me. I wink at her, and her eyes narrow. It's cute as hell.
Once we're on the road, I ask her where she wants to eat, and she says the diner. "Believe it or not, I don't think I can eat another piece of pizza in this lifetime."
I don't believe it. I bet she will be eating it soon enough. As little as she is, she can pack in the pizza.
It's not far to the diner, and I listen to Bella sing every song that comes on from my playlist even the old school dirty ones. She sings louder than the music, and it makes me laugh. She sings it like a serenade, and my heart fucking races when she smiles at me.
We choose a booth in the corner, and I sit across from Bella even if though I really want to sit right next to her. She bites her lip reading the menu, and I feel good sitting here with her.
"What are you having?" She asks, but she keeps talking before I can answer. "I was thinking of getting the chicken strip dinner because I love that thick, buttery toast that comes with it, but it's like 13 dollars."
"Get whatever you want, Bella. I don't care how much it costs."
She raises an eyebrow. "Oh really? What if I wanted the grilled, rib eye steak with a side of fried shrimp topped with escargot and cheese sauce?"
"I'd say that's fucking disgusting."
She laughs and orders the chicken strips, and I watch her nibble on them for a year before we leave and I get her her hot chocolate.
"Thank you for dinner, Edward."
"You're welcome, Bella. Thanks for coming with me."
She smiles while she sips her chocolate, and I don't ruin the night by bringing up Tanya. I planned to tell her about the divorce, about her ridiculous fucking text message she sent me today, but it can wait until tomorrow, or whenever.
We head home to pick up our kids, a bag full of ice cream sitting between us.
