A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. I do not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.

I was less than ten minutes behind Jacob, so when I pulled into Masen's and saw his Volvo in the parking lot, I was relieved. As it was Sunday morning, we hadn't yet opened, but Jacob and I knew Emmett would be here preparing for the lunchtime diners.

I used the back door to enter the building, and before I'd even closed it behind me, I could hear raised voices.

I quietly stepped into the kitchen to see Jacob with his back to me as Emmett stood in front of him, holding his shoulders. They were in a heated conversation, so I ducked out of their eye line but could still see them.

"Jacob, calm down." Emmett was stern as he gripped Jacob's shoulders and lent down slightly to meet his eyes, trying to connect with him.

"Calm down? Uncle Emmett, he's lied to me for months!" Jacob sounded furious as he shrugged out of Emmett's hold and took a step back.

"Technically, yes, but he had his reasons. He didn't want to hurt you," Emmett spoke calmly, but it didn't seem to make a difference to Jacob's attitude.

Jacob scoffed. "Well, that backfired!" He shrugged his shoulders before looking back to Emmett. "How can you be happy about this?"

"Because your dad's happy," Emmett answered immediately. "I haven't seen him this happy in… well … since you were born. He was on top of the damn world when you were a baby. A wife and this amazing kid and then, when your mom left him, he started fading. Not straight away, the cruelness of it was gradual." Emmett ran a hand through his hair before continuing.

"At first, he thought she'd return, we all did, but as time went on, it became obvious she wouldn't. But your dad wouldn't accept that; he loved you so damn much he couldn't comprehend how she could leave and never play a part in your life. He was crushed. He hid it well for you, but, J, a light went out. You didn't know him before, so you didn't know any different, but I did, and I'm telling you when he's with Bella, he has that light behind his eyes again. He laughs in a way I'd forgotten he used to; a carefree laugh I remember from when we were kids."

"But I thought he was happy. The two of us, we were a team, we always told each other everything." Jacob sounded hurt more than angry, and I think Emmett heard it too, as the tone of his reply was softer.

"J, I know you and your dad have a special bond; I witness it nearly every day. He's been devoted to you, and you've never had to share him with anyone. Now you have Vanessa, and he has Bella, but you still have each other. You'll always have each other."

Jacob's voice was rising, his hurt turning back to anger as he shook his head. "But now I'm finding out he's actually been miserable, and he's had this whole other secret life. How can I trust anything he says?"

"Of course, you can trust your dad, J! Christ!"

"Really? He's been sneaking around…"

"Jacob," Emmett interrupted sternly. "You're acting like a dick right now."

I flinched slightly as silence hung in the air, and uncle and nephew stared at each other.

Jacob's breathing quickened as he stood taller and squared up to his uncle, but Emmett continued unperturbed. "J, I love you. I've loved you since the moment your dad placed you in my arms and hovered over me to check I wouldn't drop you. And I haven't. Not once. I've been there for you every step of the way, trying to make up for your mom's absence like this entire family has. I was the one sneaking money to you so you could get him a Father's Day gift when you were little. I was the one distracting you with McDonald's when he kept you off school on the day he knew you'd be making Mother's Day cards." Emmett took a step closer to Jacob and raised his voice slightly. "We've always put you first, but I'm warning you kid…if you stop your dad being happy now…if you can't put him first in this situation, I will drop you so fast your head will be spinning."

I couldn't see Jacob's face, but he appeared stunned into silence as Emmett continued.

"Jake, your dad is not perfect, but I think he got it fucking close, closer than most when it comes to being a dad. And he's done it alone. I was there for him, but not at 3 AM when he couldn't sleep worrying how he'd afford your birthday party or when you cried night after night for your mom. He's given up his whole damn life for you, and he has picked you over every relationship he's ever had."

"I know," Jacob said with a softer voice.

"No, Jake, he won't say this to your face, so I'm going to because you need to hear it. He's chosen to be the best damn father he can, every damn day since he was nearly the age you are now, and he will do it again. He'll live alone. He'll see Bella at your birthday, at your anniversaries, and your kids' milestones. And he'll be crushed every damn time. So please don't make him choose, J, because he'll choose you. He will always choose you. So you need to be careful what you wish for."

Jacob studied Emmett's face after his speech and sighed. "I'm not saying he has to choose," he sounded slightly repentant before his anger boiled over again. "You're making me out to be the bad guy. I haven't done anything wrong here; he's the one fucking my mother-in-law!" Jacob's crude analysis of the situation made me flinch.

Emmett looked less affected as he scoffed and shook his head. "From what I understand, they're fucking, yes, Jacob, thank you for that analysis," he continued sarcastically before turning serious again. "But it's more than that. Have you stopped to consider they're in love?"

Jacob was quiet as my brother continued. "They're reading books together on the sofa, having breakfast in bed, and cooking dinner together after a long day at work. Your dad's there when Bella needs a spider catching or another pair of hands to take delivery of her new washer. Have you thought about Bella in all this? She raised Nessie alone when Nessie's dad was abroad and then died. Do you have any idea the strength that would take? To provide for her, to be alone night after night while your kid sleeps. To tackle parents' evenings, Father's Day, Christmas Day, every damn day, alone?"

Jacob sighed. "I'm not saying they haven't both been great parents or made sacrifices; I know they have, and of course, they have every right to be happy but…with each other? Really? After all this time, are there no other women he could be with? The only one he wants is my wife's mom!"

Emmett shrugged. "I could say the same about Nessie. What if your dad and Bella met first? Then, because of them, you met Vanessa. You'd give up your relationship with her, would you? You'd never see Vanessa again. No worse than that, you'd see her every so often. You'd crush yourself to see her at family events. Maybe she'd turn up alone and miserable, or maybe, probably worse, she'd bring a partner, and you can watch them together and pretend you're fine with it. You'd make small talk with her and her new boyfriend when you know how you feel about her? You'd do that, would you? Do you want that for your dad? Do you want that tension at every milestone in your life? Your kids' lives?"

"He knew that could happen when he started this … thing with her."

"No. No, buddy, he didn't. He worried about that, but deep down he thought you'd man up and accept his relationship. Even support it, like he supported you when you wanted to get married at twenty-two. He said you had a mature head, you could handle it, and I agreed, until now."

Jacob was silent, looking down at his feet until he spoke again. "They're…they're really in love?" It finally sounded like his anger had receded slightly.

Emmett looked at him for a few seconds longer than usual before nodding. "Yes. Yes, kid, they're in love."

I could sense Jacob had calmed now. Emmett must have sensed it, too, because he stepped closer to him and held his shoulders. "Is it the relationship that's upsetting you or the secrecy?"

Jacob started to answer but paused. "I … I don't know. I haven't unpacked all this yet. I thought Dad and I were close. But he told you. Not me."

Emmett nodded as we both simultaneously realized that was part of the problem. Emmett knew, and he didn't. It wasn't that I had kept it a secret from everyone; it was worse than that. Someone knew, and it wasn't him.

"J, he didn't tell me. Not at first. I guessed." I couldn't see Jacob's face, but his shoulders dropped some of the anger they had been holding, and his body softened. "I could see when he was happier and worked out the reason why. I saw the chemistry between them that was there every time they were together."

Jacob physically shuddered at Emmett's words but sounded calmer when he spoke again. "But then he told you."

"Yes. But surely you can see why it was easier for him to tell me, not you. He wanted my approval. But he wants yours more."

Jacob nodded but stayed silent.

"Part of the reason they hadn't told you yet was because they wanted to make sure they were serious about each other before you knew. What was he meant to do, J? If they didn't work out, it could affect you and Nessie; he didn't want that, especially in the run-up to your own wedding. If it's any consolation, I know they were planning on telling you both after Bella's birthday."

"That was yesterday."

"Exactly, you beat him to it by a day or two."

"I didn't mean to! I just walked in his house the way I always do, and it was obvious she was there, and they were … doing things." He shrugged. "I didn't know what to say. You might have guessed, but I … I never considered they would look at each other in that way."

"They have a lot in common; similar ages, raising their kids alone, arranging your wedding, putting you kids first your whole lives."

Jacob nodded, and his voice was softer when he spoke. "I was pretty harsh when I walked out on him, I just…. I couldn't get my head 'round what was happening."

"Good job we both know he'll forgive you then." Emmett clapped Jacob on the back, and the tension and anger in the room dissipated.

Just as I was about to step forward and talk to Jacob, Emmett asked what I was desperate to know. "You haven't told Vanessa, right?"

"No! I will if they don't, but I'll give them a chance to tell her first because even though you called me a dick, I'm not that much of one."

Emmett laughed. "I only said you were acting like a dick. You're a good kid, J; I get that you were taken by surprise and acted harshly because of it."

"Still, I probably shouldn't have come here and shouted at you," Jacob admitted a little sheepishly.

Emmett shook his head and spoke seriously. "I am glad you did. I'd rather you take your anger and hurt out on me, not your dad. He doesn't need to hear that. J, he really needs you to accept their relationship." Jacob nodded as Emmett continued. "This is a good thing, Jake! Your dad is happy, happier than I've seen him in a long time. Don't you think?"

Jacob shrugged. "Yeah, I mean, he did seem really happy in the run-up to the wedding; I just thought he liked having a project, a focus, especially when he was damn miserable when the wedding was over, and we were back from the honeymoon."

Emmett coughed. "Yes…well…I'll let him tell you about that time if he wants to, but let's just say hiding all this from you kids took its toll on their relationship, and it sure as hell hasn't been easy on them. To be honest, I've been worried sick about him. I told him keeping this secret was making him ill, but…" Emmett shrugged. "…but despite those difficulties, they've still made it work, so give them a chance, yeah?"

Jacob nodded as I took a tentative step forward, feeling apprehensive when they both turned to me.

"Hi," I started nervously, but as soon as Emmett spotted me, he spoke up.

"You!" He pointed at me, almost angrily. "You were going to give up on the love of your life? Just like that? Huh?" He seemed mad, but Jacob hadn't spoken yet.

I looked at my son, then back to my brother.

"No. I wasn't." I shook my head at Emmett before turning to Jacob. "Jacob, I'm so sorry for the way this all played out. I never wanted to lie to you or hurt you, but I'm not going to stop seeing Bella … I won't … I can't …"

"I wouldn't ask you to do that." Jacob interrupted as relief flooded through me. "I'm sorry I overreacted; I just … I didn't know what to think."

I took a cautious step closer to him, followed by another and another until I was close enough to rest my hands on his biceps. I felt his shoulders lose the remainder of their tension and lower. "I get that you might need time. We still have a lot to talk about, and when you're ready, I'll answer any questions you have. But, Jacob, you need to know Bella and me…we're serious."

I removed my hands from his arms and scrubbed my hand down my face. "I'm in love with her, Jake."

"Oh, man!" Jake said, sounding exasperated as he threw his hands up in the air. He looked at his uncle and back to me. "I mean, it's still weird, but I guess … I 'spose … if you're happy …" he shrugged. "I'll be okay with it … soon … I just don't want to feel like you're lying to me."

"I know. I hated hiding it from you; we literally lost sleep over it and argued over it. Trust me, we won't be doing that again any time soon," I told him, finally feeling like I'd taken back the role of the adult in this conversation and was no longer on the back foot.

Jacob nodded, and I pulled him into a hug complete with manly back slaps just as my parents bustled into the room, ready to lend a hand with the lunchtime preparations.

"What about Mamaw and Pop? I bet they know too?" Jacob said as we parted. Jeez, he wasn't going to let this go any time soon.

"I don't think so," Emmett answered as my mom looked from Jacob to Emmett to me and back again.

"Know what?" My mom hung up her jacket before her, and my dad looked at me expectedly.

Well, while I was telling people…

I took a deep breath and just told them the way I should have with Jacob weeks ago. "Mom, Dad…Bella, and I are together. In a relationship." I cringed slightly, waiting for their shock, their questions, their concern.

Instead, my mom clapped her hands together and squealed in delight as my dad turned to her.

"See! You owe me fifty bucks, Ez!"

"Darling," she turned to him and held his shoulder, "we have a joint account!"

My dad was unperturbed. "I know that, dear, but I want the cash. In my hands. I might get those new golf gloves…"

"What do you need new gloves for?" She interrupted him with mock exasperation.

"These have new grip technology, darling; Billy has a pair, he says…"

Emmett laughed before he interrupted them. "Errr, Mom, Dad … back to Edward."

"Oh, yes, we're really happy for you, Son," my dad told me as my mom also turned to me, smiling.

"Yes, dear, it's wonderful news. We suspected as much, but we didn't know for sure; you were keeping it quiet, I imagine."

Jacob scoffed, and all eyes turned to him.

"Jacob's not too impressed," Emmett explained, clapping his nephew on the back.

"Oh?" My mom sounded surprised. "What's not to like?" she asked Jacob.

"He's lied to us for months, and you all seem cool with that!"

"Oh, Jacob! When you get to our age, you realize it's intentions that matter more than actions. Did he intend to deceive us? No, I don't think so. He just wanted his relationship to find its feet. He had to know there was something there to tell us about before he could tell us anything at all."

"I think it went a bit beyond that." Jacob scoffed, and I grabbed him playfully in a headlock.

"Thank you, son. I'm never going to live this down, am I?"

"Nope. Maybe one day Nessie and I will laugh about this, but I am not there yet."

"Well, speaking of Nessie. We need to tell her." I released Jacob, and he balked at me.

"We?" He looked at me in horror. "Oh no, old man, that's all on you."

I nodded and turned more serious, "I need to get back to Bella."

What did you think of Emmett? And Jake?

I have a milestone birthday coming up next month, consider your review a gift to me, it would mean so much and your reviews really do encourage me to continue. If you're enjoying this story please spread the love and recommend it anywhere you can!

Thanks as always to my great team of people: Frannie Walsh, Christy Wicklund, Gail Gaber, RebAdams, Heather Stack Riggs and Julie Gotcha Dodge for giving up their time to beta, pre-read and make banners for this chapter.