Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s): T, Parkward
Disclaimer: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.
Prompt: Elbow

I could see many people from the greater town of Forks who were also having dinner at the Lodge glance over when the chief walked in ahead of Edward and me. It was easy to see why my dad loved this small town. Everyone greeted everyone else with a smile, and in my case, not a few questioning looks at the young man who had hold of my elbow as he escorted me in.

Mike and Jessica Newton were wrestling with a small child in a nearby booth, much to my surprise. I had heard they had gotten married but had no idea they had already started their family. Jessica gave out a little squeal when she saw me, handed her slippery little one over to Mike and jumped up to give me a hug. If I had been surprised to see her with a child, I was even more shocked to see that she was pregnant again.

"Bella! Oh, it's been so long," she exclaimed as she reached around her belly to hug me. Her eyes ran up and down Edward appreciatively before darting back to where Mike was trying to get their child to wave at me when it let out a 'bye-bye.'

"At least three years," I answered her with a laugh. "Looks like you've been busy!" I gave a little wave back to her baby who then erupted into giggles much like I remember Jessica sounding like. "Boy or girl?" I asked about the one Mike was holding as I walked over to say hello to him with Edward in tow.

Pointing to first the toddler and then her stomach she said, "Girl, boy. She's eleven months and I'm due in two."

"Hi Mike. Wow, why so close together?" I asked as I instinctively reached for their little girl. There's just something about babies that makes me want to hold them. Then after a few minutes I remember why it is I'm not in a hurry and hand them back.

Mike was the one who responded. "We read a study that if they are born close together you don't get some of the sibling rivalry stuff."

"What the study didn't tell us was how exhausted I would be," Jessica chimed in as she sat down with a huff.

I laughed. "No, they usually leave those tidbits out, don't they? Oh, and this is my friend Edward," I said, finally introducing him. The little girl was completely ignoring me and leaning toward him with her arms out and hands grasping. "Don't mind him, he has a way with the ladies," I said as I handed the child over to the cooing and smiling man.

"There's just something about little girls, Bella," he said while continuing to coo. "They just flirt their way into your heart." The child picked that moment to give him a loud, wet kiss and I could see Edward's heart melt. It was so easy to see us together, him holding our little girl with that look of adoration. I shook my head to dislodge the picture, I had only known him for a day and I was already picturing him with our children? When my eyes met his, however, I could see that he was thinking the very same thing.

We spent a few minutes chatting with Mike and Jessica. For me it was catching up, for Edward it was getting war stories from high school. He had no trouble believing that I had been clumsy in school and kept chuckling as Jess regaled him with tales of my own personal mortification. Before long, though, our table was called and Edward reluctantly handed their child back to them. Jess grabbed my hand as he went to return to my father and whispered, "W-O-W," managing to put three syllables into the one word. "That guy's a keeper!"

"That's what I'm finding out," I whispered back and separated with promises to keep in touch.

"Enjoy catching up?" my dad asked when I got back to him.

"Sure, just surprised to see them with two kids already. Didn't they just get married last year?" I asked while shaking my head.

"Try three years ago, Bell," he said with a look. I asked him about the look, but he just murmured "later" as he picked up his menu.

The Spanish Inquisition continued over dinner, just a bit more subdued. I could tell my dad was impressed with Edward's straightforwardness, even when asked about how he paid for medical school (student loans) and when he thought those would be paid off (about twenty years). Dad was concerned when he found out that the person Edward shared a practice with was a single, very pretty woman, but I laughed at his raised eyebrow.

"Tanya's wonderful, dad, honest! She's the one that told Edward to talk to me in the first place," I informed him. He just grumped that it was highly irregular until Edward pointed out that their families were so close that he thought of her as more like a cousin.

Thankfully the word seemed to spread that Charlie was meeting my friend for the first time and people left us mostly alone. A few adventurous souls came over to say hello, mostly to get the dirt on who he was, I'm sure, but we spent most of the meal just talking. Edward offered to pay, but Charlie told him he had enough to take care of with school loans. "I think I can swing one meal for my daughter and her boyfriend," Charlie said as he handed his card to the waitress. I looked at Edward with a smile and blush, mortified at my father's slip, but he just smiled at me.

We drove back by Charlie's house to drop him off, having convinced him that it was better for us all to ride in Edward's car than make him look like a criminal in the back of the cruiser. "I've got some fish I just caught yesterday, Bell," he told me. "Why don't you come in and get some?" I knew that was dad-code for 'I want to talk to you in private.' Apparently, so did Edward, because he just told me he would wait for me.

"What's up?" I asked my father as we walked in. He just headed to the freezer and pulled out a large number of steelhead and put them on the table for me.

"I just wanted to give you some fish," he said, so I just folded my arms and looked at him. He caught my eye and sighed. "It's hard to admit that your little girl has grown up, Bella." Looking at the fish he shoved his hands in his pockets. "I guess I just want to say that I hope you find that out one day, and that he seems like a good guy to find that out with. I saw how he was with the Newton's little one. He seems like he would make a great dad."

My whole body relaxed when he said that. Unfolding my arms I took the two steps necessary to wrap them around my dad. Laying my head on his shoulder I whispered, "Thanks dad, but I doubt he'll be as good as you."

Charlie just harrumphed and gave me a small hug in return. "Well, now, get your fish and get going. I don't want you having to drive too long in the dark." Charlie and I weren't big on expressing emotions but in that moment we both knew we had told each other how much we loved the other. I grabbed an old shopping bag and loaded the fish up, hoping Edward liked it. As I was walking out the door my dad stopped me one last time. "Oh, I think I should tell you that I've been seeing Sue Clearwater, Leah and Seth's mom."

Sue's husband had died a number of years ago and I knew my dad had helped her through the mourning process since he was mourning as well. Her husband had been one of my dad's best friends. It seemed they had bonded over shared grief. "I'm glad, dad, really," I told him as I gave him another hug.

Climbing in the car Edward eyed the bag. "How much fish did he give you?"

"Believe me, for Charlie, this is only a couple days' supply. I hope you like fish, because I plan to pawn some off on you," I told him.

"Well, it just so happens I do like fish," he said with a smile as he reached over and took my hand to hold it over the console, "almost as much as I liked being referred to as your boyfriend."

"I thought we were going to take this slow," I whispered. "If we're already declaring our relationship status, then we aren't going too slow."

"How about 'exclusively dating as friends'?" he asked. "That fits the 'boyfriend' title, doesn't it?"

"I think that sounds about right," I said, my fingers tingling where he touched them and once again feeling the desire to kiss him.

"Can I ask you one last thing before we go?" he said as he rubbed my knuckles with his thumb.

"Sure."

"Would you put the fish in the trunk? I don't want them smelling up my car."

Imagine traveling four hours with defrosting fish? Nope, that wouldn't be pleasant. Even is she dumped a bunch of ice in that bag, it will start to smell.