Both thanks and apologies are due. You were all so sweet with your reviews and encouragement, I really hate to make you wait so much between updates. I'm blessed to have readers as understanding and patient as you are! I hope you'll enjoy this one!

Special thanks to my beta and pre-readers!
Disclaimers: Twilight is © Stephenie Meyer!
Song: Lego House by Ed Sheeran


¤ You Came Too Early ¤


Chapter 28- Normalcy

BPOV

A drum beat filled the car, the well-known lyrics were heard not long after that; Give me a second I, I need to get my story straight—

Bip.

It first sounded like an old rock song, Van Halen style-like with a synthesizer, until Sia's voice came on; You shout it out, but I can't hear a word you say, I'm talking loud—

Bip.

The next one came in with no music, its first words being almost sang a capella; I'm at a payphone, trying to call home, all of my change I spent on you—

Bip.

"Emma!" Edward growled in frustration and Emma startled in the backseat. As her eyes snapped up into the rear mirror and into her dad's, I couldn't help but giggle. I was used to the random-mode and skipping habit my daughter always had when she insisted on plugging her iPod into the car, but her father obviously wasn't. It had started to get on his nerves a while ago, now.

The next song had already started, with a guitar playing rapidly, and Taylor Swift's voice filled the background behind Edward's threat: "You better let this song play 'til the end, or I unplug your iPod."

"We can listen to mine," Juliet suggested quietly, already stretching her arm out to give her metallic pink one to me.

Emma ignored her, her whole face turning red. "Let me just skip this last one, Dad," she pleaded fervently, like it was of capital importance.

"Why?" Edward asked, frowning. I wondered, too; this singer was one of Emma's favourites. But as the chorus came in, I got it.

Weeeee-e, are never ever ever getting back together.

Edward's eyes flashed to me before they landed on the road in front of him. One corner of his mouth twitched into a distasteful smirk. "Okay, maybe one last skip," he said; I chuckled.

Emma didn't wait for us to tell her twice and sure enough, the familiar skipping bip was heard again, cutting short Taylor's slightly annoying, over-played song.

The new song was a very welcomed ballad that seemed to please both father and daughter. Juliet, on the other hand, looked a bit disappointed. I reached out and took her iPod with an encouraging smile. "We'll listen to it on our way back, sweetie," I said as I slid it into my purse.

"O-kay, Mommy." She shrugged and smiled, showing off her pearly whites. Nothing would shatter her good mood today, not now that we were officially going to the zoo.

Once we exited the 134-E highway, finding the zoo and its parking lot was a piece of cake. It was opening hour and cars were arriving from every side. Edward followed the direction a young boy with the zoo logo bib gave him and found a spot not too far away from the entrance. Juliet was literally bouncing in her booster seat by the time he turned off the motor.

"Now, what did I tell you?" Edward inquired, turning around in his seat with a serious look at the girls I've rarely seen on his face while addressing them.

"No running away from you," Juliet said with a grave nod, her pigtails bobbing.

"And making sure that you can always see us," added Emma, strengthening her high ponytail.

A huge smile broke on his face, and he nodded. "Alright, then. Let's go have some fun!" Both girls unbuckled their belts and got out of the car – Juliet with difficulty, but she managed. I looked at Edward with an amused smile. He was just as eager as the girls. My list of rules would have been endless, but I guess Edward's covered the basics. As long as the girls were under his watch and having fun, Edward trusted them to behave.

We followed the girls to the lineup to buy tickets, hand in hand.

"This is nice," I said to Edward, enjoying the fact that for once, I could be present during my daughters' vacation, and get to enjoy a day like this. For the first time since I'd arrived in L.A. I was doing an activity with Edward and our two kids which wasn't uncomfortable, nor fake. It didn't feel like cheating, passing as one functional family while we weren't. I knew there were tons of issues that needed to be sorted out, but today, it felt genuine.

Edward smiled and brought our hands to his lips to kiss my knuckles. I had a feeling he knew exactly what I meant. "I'm glad you're here," he said.

Edward paid for everyone and I let him without complaint. The girls bickered when he specified their ages – eight and four – but I knew he did it to elicit a response out of them, a statement to how fast he thought his babies were growing up and how he would stop it from happening if he could. The cashier only laughed it off, the kids' price being all the same for anyone under twelve, and gave Edward four tickets in the form of bracelets.

I helped Juliet with hers, while Emma looked at the park's map. The first thing she spotted were the ice cream stands and the lions' habitat. Edward excused himself, saying he would be back. I watched him from afar as both kids inspected the map by my side. He went to a kiosk, talked with the man working at it, got his credit card out and signed something.

Noticing very few people were doing the same, I read the banner above the stall; Conservation Programs.

"What was that about?" I asked Edward with a smile once he was back.

"Oh, that, you know... Emmett would kill me if I were to come to the zoo without making a donation to preserve natural habitats in the wild." He smirked, and I didn't even want to ask how much he'd just donated.

"Come," Juliet suddenly urged us. "I wanna see the koalas, and hippopotamus, and some hyrax, too." She tugged on my hand.

"What's a hyrax?" I asked Edward, who laughed, bemused. Shrugging, I followed the three of them, feeling giddy for the day.

Some part of my mind drifted, wondering why I hadn't gone to places like this with my kids before. It'd been so easy to let myself get stuck in a routine, with school and work, somehow knowing they had their dad to do this kind of stuff with them. But in the end, I only deprived myself of such great opportunities, and getting to know a new side of Emma and Juliet. Just as Edward never really lived through a regular week, I'd never shared that kind of moment.

The thought saddened me.

Edward and I balanced ourselves as parents and with our lifestyles. But being together would work just as well. Better, even. If getting back with Edward would've hurt my children in any way, I wouldn't allow myself to even think about it. But it was the opposite actually, and it was bittersweet. We'd missed out on so much, refusing the girls what they could've had. Should've had.

Gosh, we'd been so stupid.

I pushed the thought away, not wanting to get worked up over it today, of all days. I wasn't nearly done thinking of the sort; the guilt, the hurt, and the feeling of failure were always going to be there when thinking of the past five years. It filled this new start with doubts, but I knew I needed to get past this.

Wondering if it was even realistic to wish for Edward and me to get through it on our own, the idea of a counselor popped into my mind. That would be a conversation I'll need to have with Edward, but it would have to wait, for now.

We started with the Children's Zoo, where both girls gushed over the ocelots. There was no doubt that these wild cats were dangerously beautiful. Meerkats, flamingos, amphibians and komodo dragons, Emma and Juliet ran from animal to animal with enthusiasm. Edward and I followed, just as equally fascinated. I finally got to know what a hyrax was. Cute, fury, kinda big rodents, that had the most disturbing little teeth.

"How comes they look like vampires?" I asked Edward, who laughed out loud.

"What?"

"Well, they do. Kind of." I crooked my head to inspect them closely. Yup, those teeth were actually pointed. "They're weird," I decided.

Emma, who was reading the sign beside us, corrected me. "Rock hyrax are often mistaken for rodents, but are more closely related to elephants, it said."

"Huh!" I exclaimed, not quite understanding what was in front of me.

"But they're so cute," Juliet cooed after a while, as Edward gently forced her to move on.

Edward spoiled both girls with some ice cream. I refused one, knowing very well Juliet wasn't going to finish hers. As it happened, as soon as it started to melt on her fingers, she whined that she didn't want it anymore. I hurried to lick what was spilling, attracting Edward's mesmerized stare at me. Knowing very well where his thoughts had gone, I winked at him.

"You're killing me," he groaned, his fingers tightening on his own cone, which cracked a bit.

"Mom, Dad, hurry up!" Emma called, as we approached the gorilla reserve.

When noon arrived, we decided to avoid the lunch traffic at the restaurants and continued our exploration of the zoo awhile longer. We'd seen more than half of the park by the time we arrived at the American black bears domain.

"They're sleeping," Juliet pouted. They were three of them, all resting in the shadow of a big tree. With a day as hot as today, I couldn't exactly blame them. I mean, it was noon.

Emma took Juliet's cast-free hand. "Come this way, we'll get a better look," she said before they took off, leaving their father and I on our own. They walked all the way around the glass-made fence, closer to where to bears were napping. Edward looked at me, nodding with his head as a sign to follow them, and took my hand.

"Ah! I bet you guys wanna know everything there is to know about the mating habits of the black bears, huh?!" A voice suddenly boomed behind us. I barely had the time to turn around when a huge arm wrapped around my shoulders, another one going around Edward's, separating our hands. "You came to the right place." Emmett wiggled his eyebrows between us.

Edward shook his head, laughing. "You're an idiot," he said, giving his friend a manly hug, who freed me to reciprocate.

I observed Emmett. With his beige safari uniform and his pilot-like sunglasses, he looked nothing like the distinguished husband of famous actress Rosalie Hale. And yet, he looked very much in his element. On his tag, it read 'Emmett McCarty, veterinarian'. He wasn't just a 'prop' here, as he was at his wife's arm while she was doing PR, but he was a real asset to this zoo. It must be a very gratifying job and I understood why Emmett still enjoyed it and kept working here, despite his wife's generous income.

"Enjoying your day?" Emmett asked, before he looked at me with an adorable pout. "Aren't you leaving soon?"

I smiled, hoping to hide the heartache I was feeling at the mention of leaving. "Yeah, in about three days." Edward fidgeted beside me, clearly uneasy.

"Hey, did you have your break, yet?" Edward asked his friend. "You want to have lunch with us?"

"Sure," Emmett beamed.

"Good. I'll go get the girls."

There was a short moment of awkwardness as we looked at Edward's leaving form. Then Emmett removed his glasses, putting them on the top of his head, and grinned at me. "Well, I guess it's safe to say lots has changed since you first arrived, huh?"

My only response was to smile and blush, which amused Emmett immensely. His laugh echoed around us. "Aw, man. That's great. I'm happy for you guys, whatever you decide."

I scrutinized him for a moment, wondering just how much he knew – how much of it was from what Edward had told him, and how much he actually figured out on his own. "By the way," he continued, doing all the talking, "I'll have to remember to give Edward his key back; the one he'd given Tanya and she gave Rose."

"Oh." That got my attention. "How is she?"

Emmett shrugged, uncomfortable. "She's pissed. But..." He looked at me, "I think she kind of understands, you know. I mean, she'd seen it coming; we all have."

I cringed, wondering how in the world we'd been so obvious to everyone but ourselves. "Do you think she… like, she's going to give him trouble?" I was relieved to know she didn't keep the key, but somehow, I needed to make sure.

Emmett seemed to think about it for a short while, then shook his head. "I don't think so. She's not the type." I exhaled my relief in a smile and Emmett smiled back, knowingly. "Besides, we both know that you're the ex that came back."

That felt like a slap to my face.

I was so shocked, so taken aback by Emmett's statement – joke, whatever that was – that I took an actual step back.

It really was a question of perspective. I must've seemed like a horrible home-wrecker from Tanya's point of view. I was afraid others might see me this way, too.

Horror settled on Emmett's features and he grabbed my upper arms. "Oh, fuck. Bella, no!"

He crashed me to his chest, hugging me tight. "That's not what I meant," he pleaded in my hair. "We all know why you came back, and we're all glad you did. Edward sure is."

He let me go so I could breathe, yet kept a firm grip on me. I looked up at his face, biting my lips. There was something genuine about this man, you couldn't doubt him. "Look," he continued as in a confession, "Edward's my man, and if he's happy, I'm happy." He hesitated. "And Bella, I haven't seen him this happy. Ever."

We both turned our head to look at Edward and the girls further away, near the family of bears Emmett was taking care of. As if sensing our gazes lingering on him, Edward glanced back at us, frowning a bit. We must've looked weird, me being kind of limp and Emmett holding me up with both hands wrapped around my shoulders.

I smiled weakly at my ex-husband, the love of my life. He smiled right back, a natural response.

"See? He needs you," Emmett simply stated.

-:-:-

That night, Edward sneaked in to my room as I was getting ready for bed. I didn't hear him enter until he closed the door and I noticed the 'click' it made. He was looking at me, his back to the door.

"What're you doing?" I asked, smiling coyly.

"What does it looks like I'm doing," he replied, walking towards me, removing his white t-shirt.

I bit my lips and shook my head. "Edward, no. The girls—"

"—are both asleep in their bedrooms across the hall," he finished for me. "We'll just have to be quiet," he added with a seductive smile, before crashing his lips to mine. One of his hands lost itself in my hair and I didn't really need any more convincing. I grabbed his shoulders, pulling him to me.

"I missed you," he moaned between kisses, and though we'd spent the whole day together, I knew exactly how he felt. His free hand went to my waist, his fingers gently digging into the plump side of my hips. "Gosh," he breathed, "you're so soft. So warm. You're beautiful."

He lay me down on the mattress, not before he'd removed my night shirt. His lips caressed my skin, gently finding their way down and between my thighs. With skilled fingers, he removed my last piece of clothing, pulling it down my legs. "And I love your shoulders," I began to enumerate as he came up slowly, kissing my calves and the interior of my thighs, "the sound of your laugh, and your—tongue! Oh, God,howI love your tongue!"

That last part came out louder, huskier, than I'd meant to. I arched my back, taken by surprise, but loving it. He sniggered at my sudden declaration, but didn't stop. I urged him not to stop.

We were anything but quiet that night. If Edward laughed at my badly muffled cries, he wasn't much better with all the guttural sounds that escaped him once I reciprocated the gesture. And fuck me if I didn't find it incredibly sexy!

We rested for a while, naked and wrapped in each other's embrace, appreciating the normalcy of it. What would have been complicated and awkward – not to say, impossible – only a few days ago, was suddenly our new reality. A very good one, at that, if only for a few more days.

With his slow breath steady in my hair and his hard, warm body behind mine, I was starting to fall into a deep, peaceful sleep, when I suddenly felt him stir.

"Sweet dreams, love," he whispered, kissing my temple. He gently replaced the blanket on top of me as he rose from the bed. I watched him pull his boxers and plaid pyjama pants up in silence, conflicted with myself; it would be so easy to pretend to be asleep.

By the time he was putting his white t-shirt above his head and walking towards the door on his toes, I'd made my decision. "Edward?" I sat up, holding the sheet to my breasts.

He stopped, his hand on the knob, and turned towards me. "Yes?"

"Stay. Please?"

A huge, honest grin formed on his face, sending sweet butterflies into my belly. It was undoubtedly the one word we both wanted me to utter.

-:-:-

"Mommy? Are you asleep?"

Though I did hear the question, I was too out of it to answer. It was still dark outside and given the fact we were in the middle of the summer, it revealed a lot about what time it was.

"Mooom-my," the childish voice repeated, coming closer. I felt the blankets being pulled and a little body climbing under it. I was glad I'd imitated Edward and put my night shirt back on.

"Juliet, no," Edward's sleepy voice suddenly whispered from the other side of me. He lifted his head above my body and looked at our daughter, drowsily. "It's the middle of the night; go back to bed."

Clearly, Juliet was taken aback. As much as I'm sure she wasn't expecting to find her father in my bed, it was the fact that he'd told her not to join us that shocked her.

Her bottom lip started to quiver and she took a step back. Edward insisted, his voice gentler. "You know the rule, no more mid-night visits. Mommy's sleeping, and so was I."

"It's dark. I don't want to go back alone," Juliet cried, and I immediately knew that Edward was a goner. This kid totally had him wrapped around her little fingers, and I wasn't even sure he realized it. Unable to refuse her, he got out of the bed, went to his baby girl and picked her up.

"I'm going to tuck you in, and that's all," he warned her as they exited the room.

"Sure," Juliet acquiesced, clinging to him.

I smiled and rolled the other way, wrapping myself further into the covers. I guess I should've been glad; at least he'd tried. He only gave in to half of her whims, trying to be on my side about this and show a united front.

Edward never came back to bed that night... I couldn't say it surprised me.

-:-:-

When I came downstairs the next morning, Edward was by the stove, cracking eggs into a pan. He was still wearing his plaid pants and t-shirt. Juliet was at the table, paper and coloring pencils everywhere, but Emma wasn't with them.

"Mmh, smells good," I cooed, hugging Edward from behind, my arms going around his waist. I felt a little bit bold, but Jules was facing away and Emma was nowhere to be seen.

Edward chuckled. "Well, it's not muffins or waffles, but it will have to do," he said, teasing, and added the vegetables he'd previously cut into the mix; onions, peppers and mushrooms.

"It looks delicious," I praised sincerely. Letting go of his waist, I unconsciously rubbed his back as I stood next to him.

"Did Jules mention anything about us being in the same room again?" I asked, my voice low.

"Not at all," he said, throwing a glance at our youngest. Then he moaned, tensing up. "Oh, yeah, right there," he said as I'd found a sore spot. I frowned at him, though I continued to rub. "I slept lopsided on Iris the doll and Barry the bear," he explained, pitifully. I burst out laughing, attracting Juliet's interest.

"Good morning, Mommy!"

I went to her, kissing her disheveled hair. "Hey, baby. Where's your sister?" I asked, looking at what she was drawing; giraffes, tigers and pandas. At this pace, Edward's fridge was going to be covered in zoo's related drawings.

"She's on the couch," Juliet replied, "playing on her DS."

"Well, breakfast is about ready," intervened Edward from the kitchen. "Why don't you gather your things and go get her."

"I'll go," I said, brushing her hair back with my fingers. "You clean this up."

Just like the rest of us, Emma was still in her pyjamas. Unlike Jules, though, her long, reddish hair was well combed, cascading straight down her back. We ate Edward's omelette, chatting, laughing, and enjoying our lazy family morning. Neither Edward nor I mentioned anything about it being our last; the next day would be Juliet's appointment at the hospital for her broken wrist, and the day after that, I would be leaving. It was a silent agreement between us; we would enjoy it while it lasted, neither of us willing to bring the subject up.

"Rose called me, this morning," Edward suddenly admitted.

"Right," I said, "what did she say?"

Yesterday, while we'd eaten lunch with Emmett, he'd invited us over for dinner tonight, saying he and his wife would love to see me one last time, before I left. Edward had mentioned that his sister had already reserved the same evening. Emmett had then said he would talk about it with Rosalie.

"Well, she invited Alice and Jasper over," he said, shrugging, but I could see the cheerfulness in his beautiful green eyes. These were his closest relatives and friends, wanting to get together with me one last time, for his sake. Of course it would cheer him up. People back home wouldn't be half as supportive.

Biting my lips, I tried to repress the nerves that threaten to creep up in me, and smiled back. "Sounds great!"

"Is Henry going to be there?" Emma asked.

"Of course," Edward said.

"Yay!" Both girls exclaimed, excited.

-:-:-

"Huh," was the only sound that escaped my half-open mouth when Edward parked his Volvo in Rose and Emmett's huge paved driveway, in Malibu. Behind his car, the gates were slowly closing back.

The house – a villa, really – was surreal. It looked Italian, with its huge arched windows, each one accompanied by a 'Juliet balcony'. Its façade was made of stonework, and on its left, three garage doors.

"Isn't it a bit over the top?" I asked Edward, nodding towards the doors.

Edward's chuckled. "That's Rosalie's guilty pleasure; her cars, and their mechanic." My eyebrows rose high. Who would've thought?

Before we let ourselves in – directions Emmett gave us through the interphone at the gate – Edward pointed to a silver, sport-looking bike. "Jasper's," he simply said in lieu of an explanation, letting me know his sister had already arrived.

The interior was just as luxurious. It opened to a double-story foyer that made it easy to navigate from room to room. I tried not to peak as Edward lead us towards the back, but noticed a few things nonetheless. The ceiling was high, and its original wood beams crossing each other attracted my eyes. The floor was made of rich hardwood, which contrasted beautifully with the white-cream colored walls. All the decoration and furniture were exquisite and sophisticated, yet it did look like people were living here; discarded empty glasses stood on the low table in the living room; toys and a pair of baby socks were left around in the family room; frames showing wedding and baby pictures were hung on the walls.

Okay, so maybe I did peak around a bit.

I followed Edward and the girls towards the voices, as they seemed to come from the kitchen, further back. Once we got there and turned the corner, it wasn't the size of the room, its cabinetry refrigerator and styled oven hood, or even the counter made of marble that stunned me, but the huge floor-to-ceiling windows and open patio doors that lead to a terrace that overlooked the Pacific Ocean.

"Wow," I croaked quietly. Juliet and Emma didn't wait for us as they joined their aunt and uncle outside, along with Emmett, Rose, and their little boy.

"The house is a bit ostentatious and way too big for just the three of them. Emmett really felt self-conscious about it at first," Edward confessed, having stopped beside me. "But if Rose fell for its three garages, he sure fell for this view."

I nodded, still awed. "That's understandable; I would, too."

Edward chuckled to himself. "That's good to know."

I gave him a weird look, wondering what he meant, but he only grinned at me and swiftly kissed my lips. With a gentle hand to the small of my back, he walked me outside.

"There they are!" Alice exclaimed seeing us. She came to us, embracing and kissing both Edward and I, like she'd done each time we'd seen her.

"Hey, sis!" Edward simply welcomed, nodding towards Emmett and Jasper who waved at us, cheerfully.

"Rose, your house; it's beautiful," I told her when she approached to kiss both my cheeks. I wasn't so much looking at the house than at the view, and Rosalie seemed to notice.

"Thank you," she laughed. "Would you like a tour?"

"I'd love one," I nodded, make sure my kids were alright. They were with little Henry, running towards a trail on the left of the terrace that lead to a beautiful garden of well-maintained bushes and palm trees, where a set of swings waited for them. There was also a huge pool with a spa, decorated by a waterfall. Closer to the terrace, a huge staircase made of wood led down the cliffs and onto the beach. Giggling, Alice followed them while our three men got comfortable on the patio chairs, looking towards the horizon.

As I walked back inside with Rose, I heard Emmett make a comment about some guys that were surfing nearby.

"Does Emmett surf, too?" I asked Rosalie when she handed me a glass of rosé. She looked amazing, comfortable in skinny jeans and a light blouse, her long blond hair loose on her shoulders. She wasn't wearing any shoes.

"Yup," she grinned. "He's not very good at it, but he enjoys it. And it's not like he cares what he looks like." She laughed.

"Is that how he and Edward met?"

She looked at me, frowning a bit, as if she thought I knew. "It is."

I nodded and forced a smile. Somehow, I couldn't help but remember Edward's failed relationship with my brother. They'd been roommates through college, but surfing was what they'd really bonded over. I also knew for a fact that both Seth and Jacob would've loved Emmett and his exuberant personality.

I followed Rose through the house, loving how she was sharing parts of her life. She didn't brag, but I couldn't help but notice how different our lives were. What she mostly loved about this house was the placement, for it was private, keeping the fans and paparazzi away. There were only a handful of people who knew where she lived, and the neighbors were pretty far away and just as discreet as her. I couldn't help but ask her if there was anyone I knew amongst them.

Just like Edward's, the bedrooms and their joined bathrooms were gathered on the second floor, but theirs were about twice the size. Rose and Emmett's bedroom wasn't the biggest, but it was situated the furthest back, so their windows looked out onto the ocean, just like the kitchen and dining rooms did, below. Henry's nursery, on the other hand, was about half the size of my whole apartment in Seattle. The last room Rose showed me was a space that didn't exist on the first floor, for it was where the three garages were situated. It was a gym.

Yep, our lifestyles were nothing alike.

"What do you do with Henry when you both have to work?" I asked her as she closed the door of the gym and we headed downstairs. Surely being on set, in the middle of a production, would demand a lot of time and energy. And now that I'd seen Emmett at his own workplace, something told me he wasn't one allowed too many long vacations either; his work at the zoo was too essential.

"We have a Nanny," Rose answered.

I huffed a laugh; of course they'd have a Nanny.

Rosalie shrugged with a smile, unapologetic. She had success, and money, and she wasn't going to apologize for having both. And I was starting to comprehend there was nothing wrong with that. I'd always thought it was for a life like this that Edward had left, but I knew now there'd been a lot more going on. I couldn't spend my life resenting everyone who'd made it.

"So Bella, tell me. What happens next?" Rosalie asked as we reached the first floor and walked back towards the kitchen and terrace.

I looked at her, confused. "What happens neeext?" I repeated, my intonations different from hers. She'd been curious; I sounded clueless.

She chuckled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear so she'd get a better look at me. "You and Edward, being back together. What's the next step?"

"Oh." I exhaled. I thought this was going to be Alice's interrogation, not Rose's. "I'm not sure."

Rose frowned, clearly finding it odd. "Well," she tried, "are you still leaving in two days?"

My head snapped towards her, trying to decipher her meaning. "Of course," I said. "Why wouldn't I?"

We'd arrived back in the kitchen and Rosalie re-filled our glasses of wine, shrugging nonchalantly. "Well, why would you?"

My eyes grew bigger, incredulous. "It's not that simple," I said with a disbelieving laugh. "I still have a job I need to go back to; friends and family, people who care about me. Not to mention the girls' friends, and their school. Our life is in Seattle."

Rose looked at me, a weird, sympathetic expression on her gorgeous face. She was nibbling her bottom lip, pensive. "But is it, really?" She asked simply, throwing a quick glance towards the terrace, as Emmett and Edward's sudden laugh reach us.

Of course she was right; a big part of my life was now here, too, in Los Angeles. I diverted my eyes, looking down the counter and playing with my glass of wine. "Edward and I haven't discussed it, yet," I admitted. She frowned again and I shrugged. "We just keep postponing it. We'd rather focus on the 'now'," I admitted.

There was a silence. I looked up at Rose's face; she was reading me like an open book.

"Oh, my God," she exclaimed, laughing yet patronizing, "you guys are totally having sex! Bella, I thought we talked about this."

I blushed, and hated myself for it, but didn't let it deter me; I was too annoyed. How she had implied that I didn't care what the consequences my actions would have on my girls was still vivid in my memory. When I answered her, I held my ground. "Yes, we talked about this, Rose. And what you need to understand is that I would never do something that would intentionally hurt my children. Ever. And I do thank you for caring," – I meant what I'd just said – "but this is between Edward and me and you need to. Back. Off."

Rose looked taken aback, but she quickly composed herself, an impressed smile forming on her face. "Fair enough," she nodded, sounding respectful. She was the kind of person that needed to be reminded of her place from time to time, and respected the people who dared to do so. She looked behind me, and chuckled. I turned to see who she was looking at and my eyes locked with Edward's. He seemed amused; it was obvious he'd heard the last part of our conversation, ready to intervene if Rose had, once again, over-stepped her boundaries. I was glad he didn't have to.

Still smiling, Rosalie winked at me before she went outside, patting Edward's chest as she passed him by. In an amused voice, she confessed, "I like her."

"So do I," Edward replied, coming to me and kissing the corner of my lips, being both teasing and chaste. "So do I."

-:-:-

Dinner was served and we all filled our plates. There was way too much for six adults and three children, but no one mentioned it; grilled vegetable salad, BBQ chicken breast, filets mignon, baked potatoes, bread, and even more. It smelled delicious, and the conversation was flowing easily. Edward helped his godson with his baby fork as he ate his potato and some chicken, while Jasper was cutting Juliet's meat. Emma just pricked her fork in the middle of her filet mignon and chewed it hungrily.

I thought it was the right moment to tell my ex brother-in-law, and everyone, what had happened at my work in the last forty-eight hours. I cleared my throat, capturing everyone's attention, and opened my mouth; "I have an announcement to make—"

"You're getting re-married?!" Alice exclaimed hastily, clapping her hands.

"You're pregnant?!" Emmett added, equally roused, slapping Edward on the back, who choked on his mouthful.

Everyone laughed.

I wish I could say I blushed. Instead, all the blood left my face. "What, no!" They were idiots; I knew they were joking, yet for good measure, I made sure that they got it, "No, certainly not, and no!" I repeated, looking in order at Alice, Emmett, and then my own daughters, who looked a bit too delighted for my taste.

Emma grinned, shrugging at me, palms in the air, as if to say 'I didn't say anything, Mom.'

She didn't have to. I knew too well where her thoughts had gone.

"What's wrong with you, people?" Edward grumbled with a laugh, probably wishing he had better friends at the moment. It only served to provoke another round of laughter.

"Anyway," I said once everyone had calmed a bit, "my announcement actually concerns Jasper," – I looked at him – "who is going to see his book published."

Alice gasped. Emmett, Rose and Edward beamed. Jasper stayed stoic. "No way," he said, clearly shocked. I nodded, explaining to him the processes that'd been started at the publishing house. The more I spoke, the more Jasper's smile returned.

"Bella, this is amazing," he finally said, coming to me and hugging me. "You're amazing!"

"You're welcome," I replied, laughing as I awkwardly patted his back. Over his shoulder, Edward sent me a look, his happiness and love very apparent in his eyes.

When Jasper went back to his seat, Alice half-climbed on his lap, kissing him deeply.

"Ugh, please, you're disgusting," Emmett whined.

"Coming from you!" Edward laughed, for Emmett and Rose were the worst couple he knew when it came to being affectionate in public.

"Mom," Emma suddenly said, "maybe uncle Jasper's book will become a movie."

"Oh, oh! And Miss Rosie will play in it," Juliet added, all excited.

Emma nodded. "And Dad will compose the music!"

Every adult smiled at their cuteness. "Who knows? It can happen." I acquiesced at their idea. "It will be like a huge family project." They both giggled.

"Well, speaking of a family project…" Alice suddenly crooned, sitting back on her own chair. A protective hand went to her flat stomach and she grinned.

"What?!" Edward was the first to react. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" He exclaimed, but his question was only rhetorical; he was already rising up, going to his sister to hug her.

"Congratulations," I said to both Jasper and Alice.

As they were saying their thanks, both Rosalie and Emmett looked confused. "But," said Rose, "weren't you still trying, like, last week?!"

Alice giggled. "What can I say? I feel it."

Edward, Jasper and I shared a look. We all knew better than to bet against Alice.

-:-:-

After the meal, Emmett, Jasper, Emma and Juliet got seriously involved in a game of Hungry Hungry Hippos in the living room. From what I could see, Juliet was winning, to Emmett's chagrin. Rosalie and Alice were speaking in the kitchen while Edward had gone upstairs to change Henry. Both Rose and Emmett appreciated the help, and Edward was glad to spend some time with his godson. He was as crazy for the little guy as he was for his daughters – and as he was going to be for his future niece or nephew, I'd no doubt.

Slowly, I walked outside, leaning on the terrace's fence, and looking at the sunset. I had no desire to leave in two days; as unexpected as it was, Los Angeles had certainly grown on me. But I also needed to be realistic. I sighed, contemplating the view.

"Bella? You alright, love?"

I smiled at the sound of his voice, straightened and turned around. Edward was walking towards me, Henry still in his arms. The eighteen-month-old boy was wearing a two piece pyjama, his curly head resting on Edward's shoulder. He sucked lazily on a training cup full of milk.

"I'm fine," I answered, rubbing the little boy's back. He smiled at me behind the cup, dimples appearing on his chubby cheeks. I was still so dazzled by the rich color of his eyes; as blue as the ocean.

Snapping out of it, I looked up at Edward, who was smiling at me with tenderness.

"Do not get any ideas," I warned him. There had been enough insinuations here tonight.

He only laughed. "Not a chance," he said with a wink. Finally something we agreed on.

Rosalie walked outside then, taking Henry from Edward.

"Thank you for taking care of him, tonight," she told him.

"Anytime," Edward answered. "Goodnight, buddy." The boy waved cutely as his mother took him away, his cup never leaving his lips.

As soon as we were alone, Edward wrapped his arms around me. "What is it?" He asked, confusing me. "Sometimes, when you think no one's looking, you get this upset look on your face. What's troubling you, love?"

I scowled at myself. "That obvious, huh?"

"Tell me," he said. And he was right, communication was still the key.

I sighed, not really knowing where to start. I put both hands on his chest, staring at them while speaking. "It's just that, sometimes, I over-think too much. Take yesterday, for example; as much as I was having a great time with you and the girls at the zoo, I couldn't help thinking that I should've done that more with them, and I blamed it on being a single mom, which brought up the whole break up thing again. It's always going back to that, and I have so many regrets, and I feel like I'm always going to feel this way, but I don't want to." I looked up at him. "I wish I could see the past five years as something positive, but I can't – I don't know how. And I'm scared these feelings are going to ruin our chances. To be honest, I don't know if we can do it on our own, Edward. And maybe it would be a good thing to get some help, like, a relationship counselor, or something." Edward nodded, listening intently. "I realize we haven't had the time to give this a real shot, and we have way more urgent problems to fix, like for example the fact that we live in two different cities, but I think that... that we... you know..."

The more I talked, the more confused my thoughts became. And yet, Edward's expression went from a concerned frown to a smile, to a big fat grin. Slowly, I'd started to stutter, and stopped talking all together. "What?" I frowned slightly, puzzled. "Why are you smiling?"

"Because," he said, his hands still on my waist, "do you know what I hear when you speak like that?

I shook my head. "What do you hear?"

He kissed my forehead and grinned down at me, his eyes shining. "What I hear is you telling me that you're in. That you're in for the long run."


To be continued...

Oh, and Merry Christmas!
Kat -x-