Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Edward POV

I looked at my phone as it buzzed on the diner table.

Dad

This was probably the twentieth time he had called me, not that I was interested in what he had to say. With him, it was always the same thing.

You need to move on.

Happiness will come to you when you let it.

Nobody said you had to love her to marry her.

Love comes later.

He was like a bad fortune cookie with his relationship advice.

"Refill?"

I glanced up to find the waitress standing before me with a steaming pot of fresh coffee. I nodded with a slight smile as I pushed my cup forward to meet her half way and then watched as she carefully poured the brew.

"Son?"

I would know that deep, grizzled voice in my sleep as it had made its appearance in more nightmares than I could count.

I slowly turned to find Charlie Swan standing above me. His dark, soulful eyes, so reminiscent of his daughter's that I was certain he could see my soul just like she had.

"May I join you?" he asked as he motioned towards the empty seat in front of me.

I nodded in agreement in spite of myself.

I could never say no to his daughter or him as it turns out.

I listened as he asked the waitress for coffee and then ordered a slice of pie.

"You want one?" he asked he motioned towards me only to shake his head with a slight smile.

"Just bring him apple and I'll take cherry."

The silence that was always comfortable settled between us as the waitress left only to reappear as if by magic with a cup coffee and a thermos pot of the brew for us to share while she busied herself with his order.

"What are you doing?" he asked me, catching me off guard with his question.

I knew what he was edging towards. He had caught me in here every night for the last two weeks avoiding being at home. This behavior of mine was not new. I had done it after Bella left for Florida, leaving him to sit with me in silence as I struggled to learn how to breathe without her.

"What do you mean?" I countered innocently, only to watch him quirk an eyebrow of disbelief at me followed by a low scoff that made me grin as he caught me in another lie like always.

"Son, I'm worried about you."

Son.

Hearing him call me that gutted me every time.

I wasn't his son not matter how much I wanted to be.

Once I was his son even if it was only in name and he was a better father to me than what my dad ever had been.

"Charlie, I'm ok," I began softly, letting the lie fall from my lips with ease.

"oh, are you?" he countered with a snort of laughter.

"Yes," I replied with a grin.

"What could possibly be wrong?" I continued on as he continued to look at me, calling me out on my obvious lie.

"I have a great job," I said as he nodded in agreement.

"I am set to be married to a great girl in two weeks," I continued on hiding my grimaced as he watched me closely then nodded again.

"Isn't this what everyone wanted? What they told me to do? To move on? To find happiness?" I said as the pitch of my voice grew louder with my insisting that I had done everything that had been asked of me after losing Bella.

Charlie let the silence settle between us again as he looked at me with those damn eyes that have haunted me in my sleep for years now.

"I only wanted for you to be ok and this doesn't look like ok to me, Edward," he finally spoke in a firm, yet fatherly manner.

"So, tell me, are you ok?" he asked once more, knowing the answer, just needing for me to say it.

AN:

Thanks for reading! Sorry I dipped there for a while. I work in health care and while I work in a clinic setting due to covid 19 I have been called back into the hospital to assist where needed. It's kept me busy and a little anxious which made it hard to write. I believe my tour might be up next week so I will be back in clinic for a while again so I should be able to return to updating.

Thanks for your patience,

Mamasutra

xoxo