*Disclaimer - Sadly, I own nothing of Twilight with the exception of merchandise, bought and paid for. I do, however, own my love for borrowing the characters and playing with them however I choose to. I thank Stephenie Meyer for creating the TwiWorld and for allowing us to have our fun with it. She owns Twilight, the insanity it created in my mind is my own.

Thanks to Shug for all her editing work as my beta reader. :)

Whatever Works

The Truth and Nothing But

I was grateful to Siobhan for staying with Esme, allowing Edward and I to have that time together. It saved Edward a bit of awkwardness having her there when we got home. Esme didn't get the chance to grill him about his interviews, or our night out. Siobhan was just about to leave when Maggie arrived with Evan. He toddled off to the kitchen with both grandmothers to get a glass of milk and show them how he'd learned to write a 'big E.' I was anxious to see it, as well. Seeing as his attempts at lettering on my card resembled squiggly lines compared to the boxed shape of the trains he drew, I imagined the new letter would look more like a train. With his strong vocabulary, it was easy to forget he was still a toddler. Edward had other ideas, and held me back.

Maggie ran through a list of reminders for Edward, and warned him not to spoil their son. Edward wore a shocked look, as if he weren't capable of indulging anyone. His act was ruined with one glance my way – his cheeks flushed straight up to his ears, and Maggie caught on to our exchanged glances.

"Ah, indulgence all around then? Well, good on you!" She gave Edward's side a pinch, smiling up at him with affection. "About time you did something special for your girl! By the way, I should warn you that I had a little talk with Evan about his confusion over the home issue. He may make himself a little more at home here than you'd care for."

"Not possible." Edward assured her. "This is his home too."

"Yeah, well… um… he kind of likes the idea of having twos. Two grandmums nearby. Two homes. Two Mums and Dads…"

My eyes flew to Edward. He was staring at me with that frustrating unreadable expression.

"I'm sorry if that's awkward for you, Bella," Maggie continued speaking in our silence. "If there's another way you'd like to put it, feel free to have your own talk with him. I know you do a lot for him every time he's around anyway, but please don't feel like you have to be his Mum when he's here. Don't let him take charge over you – you're the boss!" She leaned in to speak in a lower voice. "You should make this one do all the dirty work anyway."

"She does!" Edward assured her. "She had me cleaning the toilet the other day."

Maggie smiled at me and mouthed, "Awesome!"

"Do you want to see how we've got it set up for him upstairs? Right now, he's in with me – sort of. And Bella's got a playroom set up for him. I want Evan to be involved in setting up his own 'big boy' room for when he's ready. Come on, I'll show you."

"He already told me, in detail, but if it makes you happy to show me, lead the way! And then I'm off… I've got my own bit of fun to look forward to with two nights off. I'm liking this co-parenting, Edward. One promise you'll keep?"

He smiled bashfully as he gave her a hug. "I don't make empty promises these days, Mags. I swear. I'll be here."

The minute she was out the door, Edward swept me off to the side. "Oh my god… I apologize for that. She made you uncomfortable, didn't she? I'm sorry. I asked her to tone it down. I honestly don't think she means to be forcing us on you. I guess because I've been talking about you incessantly since June, she's not realizing how new this is for us. God, first I spring the big L-word on you, and then my ex has got you playing Mommy. I'm really sorry. You must be overwhelmed. I'd be overwhelmed."

I was actually overwhelmed by his sweetness. And I worried that I'd messed up by not finding a way to profess my own feelings for him before we came home. "Don't worry about me. I'm actually getting used to Maggie. She's so blunt – I totally get her," I retorted with a snicker. "I found it funny that you basically said the same thing just this morning, and I'm still adjusting to that. You're so protective of Evan, it came as a shock. I'm trying to stay in the background so you can feel safe, and so that you have your own bonding time."

His face lit up. "No more background, Bella. I thought I made that clear. I want you at my side for everything. But I don't expect you to take on a role you were completely unprepared for. I won't be asking you to do the dirty work with my son."

And yet, later that night…

"Bella?"

A voice in the dark woke me. It couldn't be a mirage – my dream Edward never wore flannel. Dream Edward normally wore no pants at all. This one was in blue flannel pants. They were remarkably similar to my own flannels that I had picked up not long after moving to London. I really felt the dampness in the air at night, and they were toasty. My dream Edward always stroked my cheek too – he didn't shake my shoulder.

"Bella? I'm really sorry to wake you, but Evan –"

I bolted straight up in bed. This wasn't a dream. "What's wrong with Evan?"

"Bad dream? He woke up crying. Now he says his tummy hurts. I don't know what to do, and I don't want to call Maggie in the middle of the night!"

I was already on my feet, heading for their room. Evan was tucked into Edward's bed, and he looked so tiny. "Hey, Ev! What's wrong, buddy? Daddy said your tummy hurts?"

He nodded as he sat up. One tear rolled down his pink cheek.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry! Is that what woke you?"

He shook his head and more tears rolled. Edward stood by me wrought with angst.

"Need a hug?" I whispered as I climbed onto the bed beside him. He was kneeling beside me in a flash with his arms wrapped around me and his head buried against my chest. Edward sat beside us, stroking his hair as I rubbed his back.

"Maybe he misses Maggie," Edward suggested quietly.

"He's been here overnight before and he was fine," I countered. "Did something scare you, Ev? Bad dream?" I pulled him onto my lap. He peeked over at Edward and then frowned.

"You can tell us, buddy. There's nothing to be scared of here. Tell me what's wrong and we can fix it for you, okay?"

It wasn't long before I felt the problem. Wetness seeped through my shirt. "Want to come to the bathroom with me?" I asked him quietly.

He shook his head. "Daddy made me a bath already."

"Okay. Do you want me to get you some different jammies?"

Evan stared up at me as if trying to assess how much I knew about his situation. He must have determined I could help, because he nodded as he clung to me. Edward was already pulling several sets out of the drawer he had put Evan's clothes in.

"You might want to get a towel, too," I advised him, pointing to the wetness on my shirt as I hitched Evan up on my hip. "Do you want Daddy to help you with this?" I asked him softly when Edward left the room.

"What if he's angry?" Evan whispered back. His hand moved to my hair, and he began twirling a strand around his finger.

I made a shocked face. "Oh! I know he won't be angry. I think you should tell him what happened! He wants to help you."

"Hey, are you two telling secrets without me?" Edward ruffled his son's hair as he teased us. "Can I play, too? I'm going to tell Bella a secret first." He leaned in and whispered loud enough for Evan to hear, "I have the best little boy in the world, and I'm so happy that he's here. Now I'm going to tell Evan a secret. Don't listen! Ev, I think we should have a sleepover – all of us. What do you think?"

A wide smile spread across his face, and he nodded his agreement.

"And that's my girl's hair you're playing with, dude."

Evan erupted in giggles. "My Bella, Daddy."

"Hmm. Maybe we can share her. Can I help you get into some new jammies? I rather like these ones, because they're like mine. And Bella's too! Look, we're all going to wear the same pyjamas tonight!"

I didn't want to burst his bubble, but I was itching to get out of my matching jammies. I was almost as wet as Evan! Edward directed me to his t-shirt drawer when he took Evan from me, and I made a rapid change while he was distracted. The pants weren't as wet as the shirt. It was better.

"Evan, I want you to know that you can tell me anything," Edward said softly as he stripped off Evan's wet pants. "Do you know that's what dads are for? No matter how much you mess up, you can tell them and they still love you. And they help you! My dad was amazing – he never got angry with me when I made a mistake or had an accident. I still mess up sometimes, and you can tell me when I do, okay? Is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

Evan looked at him with the most serious face and nodded. "Those are backwards, Daddy."

I cupped my hand over my mouth to stop from laughing out loud. Edward was glaring at me with amusement in his own eyes as he stripped the new pants off Evan and turned them around. "Much better. Thank you for telling me. That wasn't so hard, right?" He gave him a big hug, kneeling in front of him. "Ev, did you have an accident?"

"No, Daddy. I peed."

I was so grateful for turning this back over to Edward. Evan's earnestness was killing me, and there's no way I would have been able to respond to him as straight-faced as Edward was.

"I see. Did you pee in your bed or mine?"

Evan's eyes looked impossibly large as he stared at his father. He tucked his lips into his mouth and just stared without blinking.

"Ev? I'm not upset – I just need to know where we're going to sleep. See, I know if I was you, I'd be a little bit nervous sleeping by myself in a new house. I might have bad dreams or have to pee, and I might want someone with me. But I would like to be in a dry bed, wouldn't you?"

"Do I have to go home?" His question came out of nowhere, and I wasn't laughing at that one.

Edward smiled at him and shook his head. "You are home, buddy. I'm not sending you away for any reason. Okay? Now, can you show me which bed you peed in?"

He held his arm out and pointed to Edward's bed. His lips were tucked away once more. I started stripping the sheets off, and Evan tugged on his dad, pointing to the other room.

"There too?" Edward asked. I could see the struggle for him not to laugh this time. "Okay. You and I will take care of that one. Deal?"

The three of us settled into my bed. It was dry and easier than making up a bed in one of the spare rooms. Evan fell fast asleep, his tummy ache miraculously gone once he found out he wouldn't be sent away.

"The kid is like, two feet tall! How big can his bladder be?" Edward whispered in bed.

I snickered into my hand so I wouldn't wake Evan. "What I want to know is how you escaped dry? Why did I get peed on, but not you?"

"Beginner's luck?" he quipped.

"Add this to your Evan Manual – no drinks before bed."

"Done." He leaned over Evan and kissed me tenderly. "Thanks for helping. Again."

"Anytime," I replied with a wide yawn. "I'm really tired. Didn't get much sleep last night."

"No?" He was grinning at me with that lopsided smirk. "Funny. Me neither. G'night, Bella."

~ 0 ~

Evan woke us both the next morning. He made no bones about telling us we had to have breakfast before we showered. The three of us sat in the sunroom, with our matching pyjamas and bedheads, eating cereal as we tried to identify what types of birds were in the garden. Evan decided he wanted to draw the birds, so I got his paper and crayons out while Edward went to help Esme out of bed.

With my new insight into Esme's meddling ways, I found myself contemplating her every move, analyzing every comment. She was quite critical of her son – it's not a wonder he spent his life being defiant. I could tell it was me being more aware and not her being more judgemental, because Edward's reactions were typical. He rolled his eyes when she commented on the scruff of his beard – and didn't shave it. Following a remark to Evan about dads not knowing what to do for little boys, like mums and grandmums did, Edward cut his son's food up into bite-sized pieces, and even cooked a meal for us the next day.

Edward watched him constantly. He played with him. and read to him. He helped him in the bathroom and got him snacks and drinks as needed. Only once did I see him visibly frustrated. He had taken Evan to the park at the side of the house to kick a ball around before lunch, and Esme commented on Evan's dirty hands at the table. Edward pushed his own chair back in a huff before lifting Evan out of his booster seat.

"I didn't wash my hands either. God forbid we eat a bit of dirt." They both returned to the table squeaky clean. Evan was chatty, but his dad was quiet. I made a promise to myself to never criticize Edward's efforts. He was doing great with very limited knowledge and no experience with kids. His earlier comment to me about doing better without an audience struck home.

"I think it would be great if you and Evan could spend a couple of days alone – just the two of you," I remarked one night after the next weekend visit. We were snuggled in bed, recounting all the funny things Evan had said or done while he was there.

"Ah. I knew it. You're sick of us already."

I made a face at him before kissing his scruffy chin. He didn't shave at all when Evan was here, not wanting to waste any time with him. "Never. I was just thinking about how much I loved having you all to myself for that night, and I think Evan would love it too." I felt him swallow heavily.

"What would I do without my back-up?" He smiled at me, stroking my hair. "You're always here to help me fix it when I screw up."

"And what's the last thing you screwed up?" I asked softly. "You're a great dad, Edward. Everyone messes up sometimes. Everyone. You know, you're a pretty awesome boyfriend, too."

He chuckled. "Who's made plenty of mistakes, but here we are… I get it. Thank you, Bella. You mean the world to me, do you know that?"

"You kinda rock mine, too," I replied with a grin as I positioned myself over him. "It seems we're alone – do we get playtime now?"

~ 0 ~

He took my advice on alone time with Evan when Maggie agreed to have him stay with Edward while she was in school. Edward decided to take him to see the trains, and maybe go for a short train ride to Oxford and back. Evan was filled with excitement over their planned adventure that would begin on an Underground train into the city.

I hadn't been left alone with Esme for any length of time since gaining my new perspective of her. I didn't like being reserved around her, but I still had a job to do, and I was reluctant to make things more difficult for Edward. If he could forgive her, it was silly for me to hold onto a grudge he didn't even have. I put forth my best effort to be relaxed as we spent the afternoon in the sunroom.

"Have you given more thought to how your roses will go in come spring?"

Esme smiled over at me. "I have a suspicion I will be at the old house when I want to enjoy my roses. This garden will be filled with citrus trees?"

My eyes flew to my lemon tree. Did she think I was planning to take over her garden? "No, I doubt it. I'm sure Edward will be putting your roses in, just like he did for you in LA."

"If not citrus, is there something you'd prefer?"

I studied her face and her body movements, and then cursed myself for being suspicious. She was simply being Esme. I relaxed slightly, looking at my tree. "This was a one-off thing, really. There's no room to keep a whole orchard indoors over winter."

Her smile broadened. "Well, I suppose the real prize is having you here, come spring. I think it's adorable that Edward is emulating Carlisle's sweet gestures. I hope it's working. I've never seen my son happier."

"He looked up to his dad," I replied in acknowledgement.

Nodding, Esme's eyes dropped to her lap. "He'd be so proud of Edward this past year. He's really turned things around. And he'd be tickled to see him with you! Of course, he'd boast that he taught him all the tricks of being romantic. He borrowed from Carlisle's book for your birthday, in particular. The tree, the night of extravagance… so much like my Carlisle." Her smile was so genuine when she looked over at me. "I've been trying to keep my nose out of it, but I want you to know how thrilled I am that you and Edward are a couple. I didn't know if he could do both at once – he had already committed to being part of Evan's life, so adding a new relationship at the same time could have been disastrous. It's just the opposite."

"I'd never intrude on what he has with his son," I reassured her. It was a relief to really talk to Esme again. Edward and I had just sort of become a couple, without an announcement or making any statement about our relationship. We were together, and that was it. I hadn't realized it would make a difference having Esme acknowledge it, but it did. Perhaps she would realize that her days of being able to manipulate him were over, and just let him live his life. "Edward makes me happy, too."

"It's struck me, the similarities – you came into his life at such a vital time; just like Carlisle did with me." Her voice was wistful as she thought of her husband. "My son would not be the man he is today if not for Carlisle. Even without trying, he would right my wrongs. I miss him. Terribly."

Her grief was real. Regardless of mistakes she had made, she had lost more than she should have. "Edward tells me how much love there was between the two of you. It must be incredibly difficult to have lost the man you adored."

"I didn't deserve a man like him, but my son… Edward needed his influence, and he deserved a good father." She smiled at me with such a sadness it ripped at my heart. "Evan does, as well. And now, he has two. You know, initially I was terrified for him. Knowing how devastated Edward was when his birth father rejected him, I never wanted that for Evan. My son wasn't ready for the kind of responsibility that comes with a child. He was trying to get his act together, but he was still such a mess. I foolishly tossed all the blame for that on Tony, but in reality, I was the one who lied to our son. I'm as much to blame – more, actually. Edward was so lost, and it was my fault. All I could envision was Evan paying the price in the long run. I couldn't see how my own son could possibly pull it together enough to not ruin that little boy's life."

"But he did," I remarked in a whisper void of the bitterness I'd felt over that subject. I was interested in hearing Esme's version of her deception. "He's great with Evan."

She reached over and gave my hand a squeeze. "He certainly is. God forgive me, I didn't have faith in my own little boy. I didn't see he'd become a man who was capable of all that he is. Because of that, I could have destroyed his little boy's life. Yet he forgives…" Her hand moved to wipe at a falling tear. "That's Carlisle's doing – Edward's capacity for forgiveness. I kept him from his son, Bella. I didn't believe that he could be a proper father to him. I was so wrong."

"Esme, he forgives you because he loves you. The same way you forgave him for his mistakes. It seems to me that it should be Edward you're talking to, not me."

She stared ahead blankly, pausing a long while before speaking again. "I don't think he'd forgive all, if he knew everything. You'd think I would have learned that eighteen years of lies were enough. You'd think I'd be grateful that he let me back into his life after learning about that." She was wringing her hands, wrought with tension as she continued staring off at nothing. Perhaps there were scenes playing out in her mind – memories of times that still tortured her, as well as her son.

"I had so little faith in him… was so determined to keep him from his own son that I convinced him to delve further into the life that's kept him hostage. I didn't think it would get so intense. I never wanted to put him in danger… never wanted to fear for his life every time he stepped out of his house. What I wanted was something for him to focus on. He does well when he's working on something he believes in. I thought if Maggie saw he didn't plan to stop working so much, she'd at least keep him at bay. You see, Benjamin is her Carlisle."

New tears rolled down her cheeks as I listened on in dismay. Oh Esme… how could you do that to your son? And your grandson?

"I was furious that he'd gone off to see Maggie and meet Evan. I fell in love with that sweet baby boy the moment I set eyes on him – he's so much like my Edward. I wanted him to have the kind of life Edward had with Carlisle as a father. Benjamin could be that kind of father for Evan."

"Edward is that kind of father!" It was out before I could stop it, and Esme sobbed as she nodded in acknowledgement.

"If I could go back in time, I would. I should have supported him. I should have listened to Carlisle. I should have stayed out of Edward's business in the first place. It snowballed, and then it was out of control. There have been many times in my life where I thought I was unworthy of Carlisle's love and devotion – now I'm unworthy of the same from my son. Carlisle forgave me." A loud hiccup-sob stopped her briefly. "He forgave me and took me out for a nice evening together. Dinner. Dancing. I had no idea that was the last date we would ever have."

Sighing, I leaned forward to address her. I didn't trust that my voice would be strong enough to carry. "Esme, it was an accident. Please… please talk to Edward about this. He blames himself. Do you know that? It's not healthy for either of you to continue blaming yourselves."

She stared blankly ahead. As if she were oblivious to my plea, she continued on. "I panicked after he was gone. I felt certain that I was being punished for my sins against my son and my husband. I was terrified that Edward would abandon me for taking away the man who loved him as a father after causing him to lose so much time with his own son. I used his guilt for my own benefit. He thought I'd be damaged for life – he promised to take care of me. His father had, as well. But Tony lied. When I needed him most, he turned us away. Edward himself had dismissed me from his life once already. And Alice… I never thought I'd see the day that he would turn away from his sister."

I cringed and clenched my eyes shut, wishing I could close my ears off as well so I wouldn't hear any more. She had kept this to herself for months. Perhaps she meant for Edward to remain in the dark. I couldn't keep this from him – yet, I couldn't bear to tell him either.

"This is my punishment… for all of my deceit. For being foolish, and naïve, and so bloody needy."

A change in her tone put me on edge. I had a feeling she was no longer talking about Edward and Evan. Good God. What else had she done?

"I went to Tony the minute I suspected I was pregnant. I was so young, and terribly frightened. But I was in love. And Tony made all of these promises that I foolishly believed. When I discovered it was a false scare, I suspected he wouldn't keep his word if it was just for me."

I swung around to face her, slack-jawed. This was new. This was entirely new. "Esme… I'm not following…"

"Edward wasn't an accident. He was a skilfully planned way to achieve what I wanted. Tony was clueless, and never figured it out. He was on tour when his wife was pregnant with Rosalie, so he didn't know when the baby bump should appear or anything like that. And of course, there was no need for birth control – I was already pregnant, as far as he knew.

"He moved me to New York to keep things quiet. That's when I clued in that his promises were all empty. He never intended to leave his wife, and start over with me and our child. Hell, I didn't even have his child at that point. But he had something that I still wanted."

I eyed her, not having a clue what to even think that meant.

"He had money, dear. Oodles of it. And I felt a sense of entitlement to it, particularly when I actually did become pregnant."

"For taking advantage of you," I stated softly.

"For making a fool of me. Arrangements were made for me to stay in New York. He provided me with a nice, steady income. Shush money. And I met Carlisle. A real man. A good man."

"A competent father for Edward."

She smiled wryly. "But there were complications.I had fallen for Carlisle. Kind of threw a wrench in my idea of living off Tony's wealth. For a brief period, I actually valued money more. Leaving Carlisle, I returned to Chicago. And then, my Edward was born." Her voiced dropped to a whisper with those words. "The moment I held my baby, I was done for. He was my world." Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she cupped her hands to her face as she sobbed.

I was a wreck myself. Regardless of her deceptions or her motives, her love for him was genuine.

"I didn't want Tony having anything to do with this perfect baby boy. I lied to him. Told him the baby wasn't his –"

A smile filled my face. "You chose love over money after all."

"No, dear. I blackmailed him. I was underage when we met. And I had knowledge of two other girls he was involved with. He had a fondness for the young ones. He'd be giving me money either way – but he preferred to carry on as usual. And I got my fortune, and the baby boy I desperately wanted. Best of both worlds.

"When Carlisle showed up in Chicago, I was flabbergasted. He wanted me. He wanted my son. He adored Edward every bit as much as if he were his own. He pleaded with me to choose him. He made promises that he did keep. And we were happy. Eventually, my lies didn't seem to matter. I somehow had a magnificent family, and was amassing a fortune on the side. I convinced myself that I deserved it all."

"Carlisle didn't know about your financial arrangement with Tony?"

Her face twitched before settling on a stoic mask. "Not until the last day."

A gasp escaped me.

Esme broke down at that point. No amount of acting skills could mask her guilt. "I argued with Edward before he left to meet Evan. I desperately wanted that little boy to have the life Edward had growing up – with two good parents who loved him. That is more important than any amount of money. My son left me with a broken heart, because I felt like I was seeing him for the very first time – who he really was, I mean, not the reckless boy I imagined him to be. I realized that my lie had prevented Tony from possibly feeling what Edward does for his own son. I not only lied to Edward as he grew up, but I robbed him of the opportunity of ever having a relationship with his birth father.

"I confessed everything to Carlisle. I was tired of the lies and secrecy. And I wanted the money gone. Edward has more than enough – he didn't need tainted wealth. I asked Carlisle to arrange for it to go to Evan. All of it. Every last cent that I'd taken from Tony. He agreed and left to take care of things with his lawyer. I fully expected him to come home with divorce papers as well. Instead, he forgave me. And took me on one last date. The fortune was bequeathed to Evan much too soon. He should have had years with his grandfather. I have never deserved a man like Carlisle."

I was torn. The woman I'd grown to love over the past months seemed very deserving of her husband's love. That couldn't have all been an act. I could understand her being scared and making mistakes. I couldn't fathom ever choosing wealth over the kind of love she professed to have for her husband, but I was never in her position. All I knew was that I deeply believed her love for Edward, and he loved her just the same. I wished he had told me about this part so I would have been prepared with my reactions. Only now did I understand what the tension was about after the reading of Carlisle's will. Alice must have thought Evan was getting a portion of her father's estate. Edward had said there was a surprise for him after the reading. He couldn't have known before then.

That's when it hit me. "Edward knows all of this now, right?" I asked tentatively.

The expression on his mother's face told me otherwise.

"Shit. Oh shit, Esme! You have to tell him! He's been blaming himself for the accident all this time!"

New sobs wrenched through her slight frame. "I never wanted that! On my life, I swear, I never wanted that. I just want to keep him from being hurt anymore. He has good things in his life now! He has Evan. He has you! He deserves to be happy."

I left my seat and bent to embrace her. "So do you, Esme. You have to put all of this behind you. Neither of you can live with the guilt you've placed on yourselves. You have to tell him."

"He'll leave me –"

"He loves you," I assured her. "That means everything to him."

"You know him," she whispered. "Tell me, Bella. Do you think he would forgive me for using the accident to save myself from losing him, too? Will I lose him?"

"Esme!" I said with a whimper. "He knows! He's always known your prognosis – he told me himself. He played along because he loves you. He's always intended to take care of you, regardless of paralysis. You are important to him! You don't have to do anything to make him love you. Just be his mom. And talk to him. Stop going behind his back. Stop following gossip. Just watch your son around home and you'll see everything you need to know about the kind of man he is."

"I want him to be safe."

"He has security when he's working."

"I'm more concerned with his heart, actually."

I stared at her incredulously. "You don't trust me?"

"Oh, honey! No – I do trust you! You are the best thing that's happened to my son in a very long time." Esme finally looked me in the eye as she gripped my arm. "Bella, I need to ask your forgiveness, too. It was partially my fault that Edward ever doubted you. His mistrust issues are well founded –"

"I know!" I shook my head in disbelief. This was the last woman who should be judging me for digging into Edward's past. He forgave me and moved on. I wasn't about to go into it all with her.

She kept her gaze steady. "You know about Jessica? Edward knows?"

Just as I started to respond, my phone rang. I considered ignoring it to continue on with Esme, but Edward was the only one who would be calling me. I excused myself, giving her shoulder a squeeze as I stood. "Hold on, Esme."

"Bella! Are you alone?"

"Um, no… give me a sec." I told Esme I'd make us some tea and hurried into the kitchen to talk to Edward. "Okay, what's wrong? Where are you?"

"We're at the hospital. Evan… he… Bella, I really need you. Can you come?"

A/N ~ I know, I know... a nice long chapter and then... bam! You can hate on me, but I only love you. ;) Thanks for reading! XX ~ SR