The Officer


On Wednesday morning, Bella was wide awake before her alarm went off. She was exhausted, not having slept very well throughout the night, but knew spending any additional time in bed wouldn't do her any good. She got up, picked out a set of clothing, and tiptoed into the bathroom. It took her less than thirty minutes to get ready. Because she was still an hour ahead of schedule, she decided to make coffee and eat a bowl of cereal instead of her normal routine of grabbing a granola bar and stopping at a coffee shop on the way to campus.

The television caught Bella's attention as she entered the living room. It was on, the volume barely audible. She wondered if Edward was awake. She approached his makeshift room, stopping when she reached the sheet.

"Edward?"

There was no answer. Discreetly, she peeked around the curtain. Edward was sound asleep, curled up in the fetal position. The sheet was tangled around his legs. The blanket had been kicked to the floor. Bella couldn't help herself—she went to the couch and crouched down beside him.

He looked relaxed. No concerned frown. No worried pout. It was the most peaceful she had ever seen him. Afraid he might be cold, Bella retrieved the blanket from the floor and carefully placed it over him. Edward straightened his legs and rolled onto his back. Bella held her breath. She didn't want him to wake up and catch her hovering. He didn't wake, however, and Bella quietly backed away. She turned off the television before slipping out of the room.

The morning dragged on for Bella. Her mind kept wandering to Edward. Was he awake? What was he doing? Did he feel at home enough to make something to eat? Would he be out looking for a job? She hoped the time alone would help him to feel settled in.

By the time her class was over, Bella was anxious to get home. Her apartment was empty when she arrived. The couch was back to its normal state, and Edward's belongings were tucked neatly out of site. For how nervous his presence made her over the past two days, she was surprised by her disappointment to find him gone.

Bella made lunch, cleaned the apartment, studied, and then watched television. Edward had yet to return. It was difficult for her not to worry. She kept telling herself he was a grown man and didn't need supervision. Still, a part of her feared he would find trouble.

It was almost six o'clock when there was a knock on the door. Bella looked through the peephole, quickly opening the door when she saw it was Edward.

"Hey, you're back!" When she saw the bags he was holding, her eyes went wide. "Oh, my gosh. Let me help you."

"I've got it." Edward stepped inside and dropped the bags to the floor. "These are for you." He held out a small bouquet of violet, yellow, and white wildflowers.

"Oh," Bella said, clearly surprised. "They're beautiful. Thank you. What's the occasion?"

"I didn't realize there had to be an occasion to buy a girl flowers," Edward said cautiously.

"There doesn't. I just . . . wasn't sure if you had a specific reason, that's all." Bella rummaged through the kitchen for a vase. When her search turned up unsuccessful, she opted to place them in a tall glass. "What else did you get?"

"Just a couple more things I needed." Edward shrugged, then his lips curved into a devilish grin. "And this." He retrieved something from one of the bags and tossed it on the counter.

Bella picked up the small box. "Cake mix?"

"Yeah. Something to put the Funfetti on."

"Gross." Bella wrinkled her nose then smiled so Edward would know she was teasing. "You were gone all day. What else did you do?"

"I applied for a few jobs. Not as many as I had hoped, though. Walking around and filling out applications took longer than I expected. I talked to a few managers, too. Wanted to leave a good impression, you know? Some of the applications asked about felony convictions, but even if they didn't, my work history has all been at Waterview. It's pretty obvious where I've been."

"They're not supposed to discriminate. They can't not hire you because of a felony charge alone. I looked it up."

"No, but . . ." Edward shrugged helplessly. "If the conviction relates to the job they can. I was charged with robbery, so that pretty much applies to anywhere with merchandise and cash registers. Besides, they can always find another reason."

"You'll get a job. I know you will." Bella believed that there was someone out there who would give Edward a chance; all he had to do was find them.

"I hope so. Hey, before I forget . . ." Edward reached into his back pocket and pulled out a wallet. It was shiny and stiff, and it showed no signs of wear.

"Is that new?"

"Yeah." He opened it and pulled out what remained of his 63 dollars. "It's not much, but I want you to have this."

"Edward, no." Bella shook her head.

"I want to contribute something."

"I'm not taking your money."

"I don't expect a free ride. I don't even care what you spend it on. Just take it, Bella. Please." Edward dropped the cash onto the counter.

Bella eyed the bills sitting between them. She honestly felt bad taking what little he had when he didn't even have a job, but she could tell it was important to him. Putting her hands on her hips, she looked him squarely in the eyes.

"Tell you what. If it means that much to you, I'll accept the money. But I'm only taking half. Deal?"

Edward contemplated her proposal. He didn't want to argue, but he didn't want push something that made her uncomfortable, either. He nodded once. "Deal."

Bella divided the money, sliding half of the bills back toward Edward. He returned them to his wallet, relieved that she somewhat accepted and that he still had a few dollars to his name.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, changing the subject to a more comfortable topic. "I'm making spaghetti."

"It smells good."

"Have a seat." Bella gestured to the small, square card table. It took up the entire dining room. "It's almost ready."

They ate mostly in silence, but it wasn't altogether uncomfortable. Edward stared at the flowers, which sat in the center of the table. His intentions weren't to make any sort of grand gesture with the bouquet; in fact, he had shied away from anything more romantic on purpose. It was simply a thank you—a way to show Bella that he appreciated everything she was doing for him. He wished he could do something more, but his options were limited while money was scarce.

Even if he had the means to present Bella with a dozen red roses, he didn't want to overstep her boundaries. He still had yet to figure out if there was something more going on between her and Jake—or anyone else for that matter. Besides, Bella had already made it clear that they were friends. He didn't want to hear her say it again.

Edward volunteered to clean the kitchen after dinner and had just finish drying the last dish when the telephone rang.

"That's probably her." Bella picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Officer Evenson. I'm here to see Edward Masen."

"Sure, come on up." Bella pressed "9" on the dial pad to buzz her in, and then hung up the phone. "I'll put away the dishes if you want to get the door."

It didn't take long for the officer to reach the apartment. When she knocked, Edward promptly opened the door.

"Hello, Edward. It's nice to see you again."

"Officer." He stepped aside to allow her entrance.

Evenson shook her head at his formality but smiled as she stepped into the apartment. Bella watched her with a combination of curiosity and apprehension. The officer appeared older than Edward—maybe late thirties or early forties—and stood a few inches taller than Bella. She looked nice enough. The only thing intimidating about her was the uniform. However, that didn't change the fact that much of Edward's fate lay in her hands.

"How did it go today? Was the map helpful?"

"Very. No job yet, though."

"It's only been a day. These things can take time for anyone. Don't let it discourage you." Evenson turned to Bella. "You must be Isabella."

"Bella," she corrected. "It's nice to meet you, Officer Evenson."

"Please, call me Esme." The women shook hands. For how delicate Evenson appeared, Bella found her grip deceptively strong. "Edward tells me you're a psychology student at UW."

"Yes. I'm graduating this spring."

"Wonderful! What are your plans once you're finished?"

"I, um . . . I don't really know yet," Bella admitted sheepishly.

"I'm sure things will all fall into place. Are you working?"

Bella hesitated. "No, but I'm looking into a few internships at the moment."

"That's an excellent idea." Evenson glanced around the small kitchen. "Bella, I need to take a look around your apartment, but before I do, do you have any questions for me?"

"I don't think so," she answered slowly.

Evenson pulled two business cards out of her pocket and handed them to Bella. "I'll be meeting with Edward once a week for the next two months, and then twice a month after that. Home visits will typically be done by me, but any parole officer may conduct a search at any time. If you have any questions or concerns, no matter how small they may seem, even if you just need someone to talk to, I want you to call me. I'm here for you, too."

"Really?"

Evenson smiled kindly. "I want Edward to be successful. I know you do too, but it can be overwhelming to have a loved one in his situation. He's going to turn to you for support. It's a lot of pressure, it can be frustrating, and if you have no one to turn to who understands the position you're in, you're going to reach your breaking point. I don't want that to happen, and Edward doesn't want that to happen."

Bella risked a glance at Edward. His expression was unreadable.

"I'm going to have a quick look around. Nothing too intrusive. You're more than welcome to accompany me if it makes you more comfortable."

"Sure, I—" The sudden ringing of Bella's cell phone interrupted the three of them, and they all turned to look at the offensive device sitting on the counter, blaring out a popular nineties tune.

I'm too sexy for my shirt
Too sexy for my shirt
So sexy it hurts

Edward was close enough to read Jake's name on the screen. He gave Bella a questioning look.

"If you knew him you'd understand," she mumbled.

"Why don't you answer it? I'll show Officer Evenson around."

Bella nodded gratefully. She grabbed the phone and quickly turned around to hide her embarrassment. "What?" she hissed in answer.

"Uh . . . hello to you too, sunshine."

"Sorry. I'm just—what do you want?" she asked, less irritated this time.

"Nothing in particular. Just calling to see how you're doing."

Bella sighed. "I'm fine. Edward's parole officer is here right now. Can I call you back?"

"Oh, yeah, sure. Everything's okay, right?"

"Yes, everything's fine. Standard procedure."

"Okay. Call me when you can."

"Of course."

"See ya, Bella."

Bella ended the call. When she turned around, she was shocked to see Edward standing in the living room watching her. She shouldn't have been surprised. Her bedroom and the bathroom were the only two places in the apartment that afforded any privacy.

Edward looked away quickly, abashed to have been caught. He didn't want her to think he was eavesdropping on purpose. He pointed to her bedroom door. "I didn't know if you'd want me in there," he explained.

Before Bella could respond, Evenson stepped out of the room.

"Everything looks good."

"That's it?" Bella asked.

"For now." Evenson turned to Edward and took his hand. He seemed taken aback at first, but Bella didn't miss the way he squeezed her hand in return. "Good luck with the job search. I'll see you next week. If you need anything before then, call me. That goes for you too, Bella."

"Thank you."

Once Evenson departed, Bella let out a deep breath. "That went better than I expected," she admitted.

"How so?"

"I don't know. I guess I just didn't expect her to actually care, you know? She seems to genuinely want you to succeed."

"She cares about you, too." Edward approached her slowly. When he spoke, his voice was quiet and sincere. "She was right, you know. About you reaching your breaking point. I don't want that to happen."

"I'll be fine. I'm more worried about you."

He reached for her but then thought better and dropped his hand. "I'm serious, Bella."

"I know you are. Don't worry. I can take care of myself."

"But Bella, I don't want to end up hurting you."

"Are you planning on doing something illegal?"

"No!"

"Are you going to violate your parole?"

"No."

"Then we'll both be okay," she insisted.

Edward hoped she was right. He wanted to get his life back, and he didn't want to cause Bella any emotional distress in the process. He also liked the thought of them being okay together.

"Do you truly believe that?" Edward asked uncertainly. He needed to know if she honestly felt that way. The last thing he wanted was for her to attempt to make him feel better with empty words.

"Yes," Bella answered with conviction. "I truly do."