"Ephraim," Bella called. "Your mother says you have a visitor at the house."

I looked to her, and then I looked to Edward. Then I bolted. I didn't phase, I wanted to keep my clothes, but I ran for all I was worth. The leaves fluttered behind me. Needles were getting stuck in my hair as I scraped too close to branches. I leaped over the river in a flying bound. I looked into the house and saw them through the glass wall. It was, it was Didi.

I didn't slow until I had my hand on the door. Then I thought to look at what I was wearing. Alice's wardrobe had finally arrived so I was wearing a yellow T-shirt and khakis. Not high fashion, but well, this is me. I ran a hand through my hair. Mama was going to have to cut it again soon. I put both hands to my curls and scrubbed to shake out all the needles. Then I dusted off my pants. Didi was in a dress. A red and white print with flowers cascading down her. She had her hair braided down her back. I took a breath and opened the door.

"You called for me?" I asked Mama.

She smiled. "Yes. It seems Didi was hoping to have a word with you. I'll just head back over to our place. I'll be there if you need me." She kissed my cheek as she passed and sent me an image of me playing the piano with Edward. Yeesh, Mama, I'm not up for that yet.

"Hi," I said quietly.

"Hi." She didn't smile. Something was wrong. I stepped to her side and put a hand on her arm, smoothing the sleeve of her dress. "Ephraim," she started. Then she sighed and paced into the kitchen. Then she turned and walked back to me. She looked up at me and I was locked into her blue gaze. Then she shook her head and paced again. The next time she came up to me she pursed her lips. Then she bit the lower one and started to turn away.

I grabbed her shoulders gently. "What?" I asked. "Just tell me."

"I can't just tell you. It's not that simple," she said hotly. Then she held my eyes for a minute, weighing.

"Is it Joe?" I asked.

She smiled now. "No, it isn't Joe. Joe is – still a problem, but not a serious one. This is... You know why I told you not to come to my house, don't you?" she asked.

"Aaron." I said.

She gasped slightly. "I didn't know you knew his name." She turned and paced again. "Aaron is..."

"A relative?" I guessed. "Your brother?"

"Yes. He's my brother." She approached me again in her track but turned before looking at me. "He's also..." she struggled but couldn't find the word. "How frustrating," she said. Now she came back and stood in front of me. "Can you read it from me? There are those in your family who can do that. Can you understand the words I don't say in the words I do?" She looked up into my eyes again, trying to press her thoughts across the space between us.

"Didi?" What she said didn't make a lot of sense. I thought I knew what she was getting at though. Reading minds, but not the way Edward did it. The way Mama did sometimes. Not mind-reading, just really smart. I wasn't that smart. "I don't think I'm the person for that. My Mom-"

"No. I can't involve anyone I don't have to." She started to pace again but I stopped her. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders again, but she had already turned. My arms crossed over her chest and my hands held her elbows.

"I will avoid him. I'm not scared of him, but if you want me to stay away from him, I will." My face was just above her hair. She smelled so good.

"Yes. Please." She bent her arms to hold mine. I felt her lean into my hold and I tightened it.

"Don't be afraid," I told her. "I will take care of you." I shook my head, that wasn't right. "We can take care of each other," I said instead.

"I hope we can," she whispered. I felt her chest rise as she sighed again. "You are so warm," she murmured and laid her cheek to one of my arms. "I haven't felt warm since I left Mom."

I kissed her cheek then. I inhaled her scent. She sighed again. "I need to make Joe understand," she muttered. I felt her shifting and opened my arms reluctantly.

"Do you have to go?" I asked.

"No," she said with a smile. "What would you like to do?"

I'd never had anyone over except Joe. What should we do? What would she like?

"How about you show me around?" she suggested. "This is a magnificent house."

I smiled and started leading her through the rooms, telling her about my family. Some I knew more about than others. Rosalie and Emmett, they'd stayed with Mama and Edward until I was two. I made her laugh several times with stories of Emmett. My great-grandparents and Alice and Jasper I knew less well, but was able to describe them for her.

When we came back down she sat to the piano bench. "And who plays this?" she asked, folding back the cover.

"Um, Mama. Rosalie when she's home, and Edward, my grandfather. But he usually stays with Bella in their cottage."

"I don't smell vampire on these keys, Ephraim," she smiled slyly. "I do smell your mother, but I believe you play as well."

I hung my head. "I only started learning," I admitted.

She patted the bench beside her.

I sat down and wondered what I could possibly play for her. Edward had been keeping me focused on airs and etudes. They were all right, but not flashy. I started an Air and quickly left what I remembered behind. I stayed in key, kept the chord progression, but changed the melody as I played. I kept thinking about how beautiful Didi was, how her blue eyes startled and held me, how her smile made me melt. I stopped suddenly.

"That was great, Ephraim. Why did you stop?"

I shook my head, unsure how to answer. Was that how Mama did it? She wrote music all the time, she and Edward.

"Can you play that again?" she asked.

"I don't think I can."

She frowned. "Oh, well. All right," she started to get up.

"I don't think I remember what I did," I admitted.

"What?" she asked.

"I – I was making it up. I don't think I remember all of what I played. I ran through a little of the melody again, but it didn't sound the same.

"You made that up?" she asked and smiled broadly. "Well, then make up something else," she encouraged with a smile.

Something about her smile, her lips. I pulled her to me and kissed her. It felt like a thousand sparks had just lit on my lips. She stepped back quickly; she pressed her lips together and breathed deeply. They did fit to mine, just as I'd hoped her lips would. "I think I should settle things with Joe first," she said.

I nodded and met her eyes again.

"This isn't where you live," she said. "Show me your house." She took my hand and pulled me to my feet.

"It isn't a house," I warned her. "When we need a house, we come here. It's... well it's home." I knocked before opening the door.

"You knock?"

"Not usually," I said with a smile.

Mama was sitting in one of the chairs, computer in her lap. "Hello again!" she sang. "Welcome to the nest."

"Nest?" she asked.

"Well, I'm still choosing a word for it." She got up and put her computer in the seat. "You can see it all from there. That door is my and Jacob's room. That one is Ephraim's. That's all there is."

"Cozy," Didi murmured. "Can I see your room?" she asked with a smile.

"I'm going to step out. Mama wanted to talk to me about something." I doubted that. But now Mama would want to talk to Bella about something. Gossips.

"It's, it's messy," I warned her.

"That's Okay. I'm not a neat freak or anything." She squeezed my hand.

I held my breath and opened the door.

She dropped my hand and walked into the room. She turned in a circle. "Well, it is your room." She went to my perch and ran her hand over it. I'd worked some good grooves into it with beak and talons. She climbed up my wall and jumped from the top. Her skirt flew up and I blushed looking at her legs as they flashed. She turned again and found my scratching post. It had been re-carpeted a few times. It was taller than she was. I walked to my nest and fell into it.

"No bed?" she asked.

I ran a hand over the back of my very large leather bean bag that was chair, bed, and nest. I laid back a bit and saw her from upside down. That was different. Still pretty, but in a new way. She giggled and turned her head to look at me right side up. Then she kissed my nose. "You have a great room. And it isn't that messy." She kicked a ball out of the way and fell onto my lap. "Comfy. I should probably get going before people miss me." She meant Aaron, I was sure.

"One more for the road," she said with a grin, wrapping her arms around my neck. Her body fit so perfectly against mine. I put my hands to her hips and my fingers met in the small of her back. She kissed me this time, and the difference was obvious. She probably didn't guess the last had been my first kiss. Her lips didn't meet mine; she had one above and below my bottom lip, pulling it into her mouth. I trembled a little feeling the suction, the edge of her teeth. I closed my lips together and her top lip was in my mouth. My tongue reached out and touched it. I parted my lips in awe of her flavor. She was sweet and sour, fruity and tart. She let go of my lip and jumped up. She ruffled my hair. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said as she left.

I didn't move. I thought it might be a long time before I moved again. Which is why I was still there when Mama came back in.

"Ephraim? Are you all right?" she asked. "What happened?" she asked now.

"She kissed me." I closed my eyes remembering.

Mama kissed my nose, waking me. "Hold onto that. It will get better, but you don't want to forget."

"Better?" my voice broke again.

"Yes," she said with a sly smile. "Much better."

"Ewww, Mama!" I complained when I knew what she was talking about.

She laughed at me. "You don't think it's gross anymore, so don't try that on me."

"It is when YOU talk about it." I hunched.

She laughed louder.