I don't where the week has gone, but I managed to reply to reviews just a few minutes ago!

They spent the day in the sitting room next to Edward's office. There were times Quinn was with them, and times he napped upstairs. Bella hadn't expected Edward to be so open about himself, as private as he was, but he told her about more than just his current likes and dislikes.

"Growing up, my father pressured me to be perfect, and even then I wasn't good enough for him. He never said one agreeable thing to me as far as I recall. Ma tried to make up for it, but it wasn't nearly enough."

All she could think was that he must have had such a sad childhood. Carlisle proved that money wasn't the answer to everything, and it couldn't make everyone happy.

"I made sure I was an obedient daughter who got perfect grades and never got in trouble because I feared my parents wouldn't love me if I messed up. They expected me to keep the house clean, and then as I grew up, I either made dinner or we ate cereal. They didn't appreciate half of what I did for them."

Edward snorted. "I assure you, they've figured it out now. How are they even coping without you? Take out? Pizza or PB&J every night?"

"Maybe they hired a maid."

He chuckled. "They'd have to."

The thought made her sigh. "I don't want to be that person anymore. I was meek and let them run roughshod over me."

Brushing her hair back from her face, he said, "I wish I'd taken the time to notice you in high school. Back before I was the man I am now."

"I wish that, too, but you never saw me." She shifted her legs to get more comfortable. "God, I had such a crush on you. You were cute, you were good at baseball, and you seemed to be a friendly guy who never looked down on anyone. You can't imagine how dumb I felt when I worked up the courage to say hi to you and you kept walking."

There was sadness in his eyes at her admission. "I tried to keep my head down and not upset Carlisle, but it hardly worked. I was in my own world. I'm sorry for that, but I can't change the past."

"That's true, so remember that when you wish this wasn't your life. You can't do anything about it now."

Edward shook his head ruefully. "I'm not an honorable man, Bella. Do you understand that my lack of morality doesn't bother me except for how it applies to you? I don't deserve to be walking around a free man. I should be under the jail."

Her jaw fell open. "It doesn't bother you?"

"No, and that makes me the worst kind of monster. I don't regret what I've become in order to run the business, but I look at you and suddenly I hate every terrible thing I've done."

Bella didn't expect him to say he didn't even hate that he was a murderer. "So you've killed people, and that's okay with you?"

Looking out the window, he answered, "Do you see why I don't talk about it?"

"If I don't hear it from you, I can only imagine the worst."

"Believe me, whatever you're imagining, it's worse." Looking back, he met her gaze directly. "Not all of them have died by my own hands, but I've ordered the deaths of countless men."

She had to take a minute before replying. "And you don't want to change?"

"I can't. You don't understand how deep this goes. There's no out, Bella. I am who I am for life."

It was surreal to hear him say that. "You don't scare me like this, sitting here together and talking. But the idea of what you do terrifies me."

"It should."

"And I understand that I'm never truly safe, which makes it harder to reconcile the two halves of your life."

"You're safe within these walls, but that's the best I can offer."

Of their own accord, her eyes widened. "How do you leave the house knowing you could die running to the store?"

"I'm not afraid to die." He shrugged.

So casual, the way he spoke of dying. "How is that even possible? I'm afraid, and I fear for our son."

"You shouldn't." Leaning forward, he pinned her with his vehement gaze. "Though we're horrendous people, the Five Families have a code of sorts. We don't target wives and children, especially not those of the bosses. Can you imagine the hell that would rain down if someone were to go after a wife or child? It's inconceivable, so the answer is to leave them untouched. It's the biggest reason I needed you to be my wife as soon as possible."

"So which is it? I'm only safe in the house, or I'm free to wander about?"

He tilted his head in acknowledgment of her astute question. "It's both, unfortunately. There's always the risk of someone going rogue and deciding they don't like the rules. As a matter of fact, we're down to four Families because someone targeted the wrong person and the entirety of their men had to be wiped out."

She rubbed her temples. Their lives were consumed with peril. Not only couldn't he change it, but he also didn't want to. "I have to find a way to live with it. I thought I had, but each additional revelation is a shock."

"If you decide you want nothing to do with me, I can't blame you."

Those words made her throw her hands in the air in frustration. "Jesus, Edward, I slept with you knowing you're a criminal. I let down my guard because I wanted you more than I wanted to retain my common sense. I can't judge you now, I just need some time to process the information."

"That's fair."

Needing a break, Bella suggested they eat lunch. They took turns entertaining Quinn until Bella said she was tired and went upstairs to take a nap. In truth, she needed some time alone. It was difficult not to judge Edward, but she didn't think it was fair of her. He had never hidden who he was or what he'd done, and she knew from the years worth of news reports that he was not a saint.

If she accepted him for who he was, flaws and everything, could she live with the consequences? When the alternative was to be miserable for the rest of her life and keep both of them celibate, she thought the answer was that she could. Hadn't he accepted her flaws and not tried to tell her to toughen up or stop being herself? He even admitted he liked who she was when they first met, and she knew she'd grown since then.

Feeling solid in her decision, she headed out of her room to find Edward. Unsure what she would say when she saw him, she knew she had to find a way to tell him she didn't think he was the scum of the earth. Apparently, she would join the crime syndicate, because she would keep his secrets and take them with her to the grave. She ignored the voice telling her it was wrong, that it went against everything her father had taught her from a young age as a police chief's daughter. Simply put, there was no way to remain the same person she was mere months before.

Edward was in his office, the door propped open a few inches. She stood in the hallway for a second, determining if he was on the phone or with someone. Hearing nothing, she pushed the door open and stepped in.

He sat behind his desk, his dove gray suit coat hanging on the back of the chair and his tie loosened. Looking up from the file on his desk, he gave her a slight frown and a hesitant smile. "Bella?"

She moved without thinking, crossing the floor and skirting around the desk to his side. When he stood to meet her, she immediately lifted up on her toes to press her mouth to his.

It felt natural and thrilling, and so, so good to have him hold her again. With only the barest hesitation, he pulled her close and ran his tongue along her lips. Allowing him that intimacy, she opened for him. With a groan, he buried his hand in her hair and lifted her several inches off the ground until she met his height. Turning off her brain, she decided to listen to her body and her heart instead.

It wasn't heat and fire the way their first time had been. It was easy, comfortable; a reconnection after nearly a year. Similar to the kiss they shared on their wedding day, it spoke more of possibilities and promises than impulsiveness.

When Edward finally broke away, he set her back on her feet but kept his arms around her. "I can't tell you how grateful I feel that you accept me for who I am."

"There are two sides to you," she murmured, looking into his face. "I choose this side, but I can't shun the other side. Both parts make you who you are."

Resting his forehead to hers, he said, "I will do my best to always be this version with you. I know I have two sides, like an alter ego, and I can't help it. I have to be that other guy in my business life, but I want to be this guy in my daily life."

"I've seen you do it with Quinn; I know it's possible."

He pressed his lips to hers for a brief kiss. "I promise to try, Bella."

"I promise the same."

"I can't think what to do from here." He chuckled, pulling back.

"I don't know, either. We don't have to rush anything, with me being four weeks postpartum, but I want more days like today."

"I do too, but I also want to take you out. I want to have a proper date."

She pretty much hadn't ever had that. How would they make it work? "Who would watch Quinn?"

"Rose?"

At that point, she almost regretted not hiring a nanny when he suggested it. Almost. "I'll ask her."

"Any night you choose, I'll make it happen."

"It's nice to have clout."

"It is." He grinned and squeezed her hand. "How was your nap?"

"I didn't actually sleep. I laid in bed and thought about you instead."

Groaning, he ran a hand through his hair and smirked at her. "I thought about you while you were up there. We can make this work, but it might take more than either of us is prepared for."

"I know it won't be a cakewalk, so I agree to work on it with you."

"Marriage, huh?"

"They say the first year is the hardest." They knew better than most what a disaster it could turn into.

He nodded. "We've had a rocky start, but we'll do better from here on out."

"I know we will. One thing I have to work on is to be open with you because I tend to shut down and keep my thoughts to myself when I'm not feeling brave enough to speak up."

"I'll try to ask you what you think and feel. God knows I say what's in my head without thinking it through."

"You don't say?"

He kissed her temple. "This is the Bella I like. Funny, honest, and kind."

"Not snarky, hormone-ridden Bella?"

Pressing his lips together, he tried not to laugh.

She rolled her eyes. "You don't have to say it. I know. But you have to admit, you pushed all my buttons when you found me in Port Angeles."

"It wasn't all intentional. Finding out you were pregnant was a major shock and learning of my parents' treachery was hard to swallow. I didn't handle it well, but then to see you act so differently caused a chain reaction in me."

Before she could respond, they heard Quinn through the monitor in Bella's pocket and they both turned to leave the room.

"Do you think we should make a change to our sleeping arrangements?" Edward asked in an awkward tone as they ascended the stairs.

"I don't think I'm ready for that yet," she whispered.

He rested his hand on her back. "Do you know you lower your voice when you're afraid of my reaction to what you've said?"

She swallowed. "Yes, actually. It feels like my vocal cords stop working. Words get stuck in my throat."

"It's okay if you don't want to move into my room."

"I like my room, but I also like the idea of being with you."

"See, you managed that in more than a whisper." He slid his hand down until he held hers. "I like the idea of you in my bed—a lot—but I understand completely that it's too soon."

Face flushed, she entered the nursery to pick up a crying Quinn. "Did you wake up hungry, little man?"

Though he quieted in her arms, he continued to protest. She sat in the rocking chair, feeling a sense of déjà vu from that morning. She unzipped her hoodie and pushed up the shirt she wore underneath to accommodate Quinn's needs.

"You don't know how satisfying it is to watch you feed him."

Bella glanced over at Edward as he sat down in the armchair. "It is?"

"I don't know if I can explain it properly. It's amazing that you can nourish him from your body. He's such a miracle as it is, Bella. Do you realize I never thought I'd have children?"

"You didn't?"

"I expected to die alone. I didn't think anyone would accept me for who I am, to marry me and give me offspring. Either that, or I'd be stuck with an arranged marriage and I would have to force myself to have children for the sake of the business."

Her pulse quickened at the thought of Quinn growing up to be a murderer. "Oh God."

"It hit you just now, didn't it?" Edward said quietly, looking at his lap.

"You want him to follow in your footsteps?" she choked out around the fist of terror squeezing her throat.

"It'll be up to him, I swear. I didn't have a choice, not really. I said no repeatedly, but what good did that do?" He shook his head. "My family would have lost everything if I didn't step up."

Looking down at Quinn, she tried to picture him as a grown man following in his father's footsteps as a criminal mastermind. "I can't imagine him doing . . . that."

"Right now, neither can I. Don't worry, I've already set up provisions for him so he'll have money no matter what he chooses to do with his life."

It made her sigh in relief. "He'll have to make the decision himself. I can't push this on him, and I don't want you to, either."

"But if he does want this, what will you do?"

Again, she looked down at her baby boy, knowing the answer without needing to think it through. "I'll accept whatever he decides."

While these two will never be perfect and their life together will be bumpy, I know you're ready for openness, honesty, and some happier times.

*As a few people have brought it to my attention, 'under the jail' is a phrase meaning the person is so bad that even being in jail isn't punishment enough. They should be buried under the jail. It must be a regional saying.