Insanity has overcome me, but here I am, with another WIP for you all!

This one was originally posted in 2008 under the name Imma Vampire. I have since pulled it, because here I am, rewriting it. It will follow the same general premise of the original fic, but this time, I'm developing it a little further. If you read before, welcome back, if you are brand new, welcome!

This one is totally unbeta'd, so all mistakes are fully on me!

See below for posting schedule!

Chapter One: Bella

I stared at the massive piles of boxes that were stacked around the living room and felt my shoulders tense at the thought of having to unpack it all. I didn't know how we'd managed to accumulate so much stuff.

I ran a hand across the back of my neck, pinching the stress from the tops of my shoulders as I let out a sigh. Upstairs, I could hear the heavy beat of music, likely coming from my eldest son's room.

We'd been in Seattle almost a week, and in that time, I'd barely spent any time with my boys.

My phone beeped somewhere in the room, and I looked up from the boxes, helpless. That was it, I couldn't take it. I needed a break. I searched the room, finally finding my phone hiding under a newspaper on top of a stack of boxes. I checked my email, biting my lip anxiously. It was junk mail, and I scowled. It'd been two weeks since I sent my editor the latest draft of my book, and I'd yet to hear anything back from her. It was driving me up the wall.

Little feet coming down the stairs drew my attention, and I turned to see Luke looking at me, his brown hair an absolute riot. My heart melted at the sight of my baby. How was he already six?

"Hey, Baby, what are you up to?" I asked, pushing past the boxes. He pointed beyond me to the back door.

"I was gonna go look for bugs."

I fought a shudder and shook my head. "What if we did something else?" I said, trying not to grimace. With three boys in the house, I'd had my fair share of bug encounters, but I still couldn't stand them.

Luke looked intrigued, and I smiled, ruffling his hair. He looked just like me, even down to his little button nose. The only difference was his bright blue eyes. They had been a highly unlikely recessive gene, one that had his father and I in several fights after he'd been born. My idiot ex had not understood the genetics that had come into play there. I'd been accused of cheating on him more times than I could count.

"What are we going to do?" he asked, tilting his head curiously. My heart melted all over again. If he learned how to wield that look, I was going to be in serious trouble.

"Why don't you get your brothers and we'll decide together," I said motioning up the stairs. Luke grinned and raced up the steps. I pulled my phone out of my pocket as I heard doors slam open. I heard a shout, and my eyes fluttered shut as I tried to take a calming breath. The boys were shouting, and I waited, unsure if I needed to step in. It sounded like Luke was moving on to the next room though, and a moment later, there were heavy clomping steps coming down the stairs. I smiled as Luke and Simon came down. Simon's hair was getting long and kept flopping in front of his glasses as he came downstairs. I stuffed my phone back in my pocket. I'd look up activities later if we couldn't find anything to do.

"Where are we going?" Simon asked, shoving his hair out of his eyes again. I smiled at him. He was almost as tall as me now, though he was still as skinny as a rail. He had his father's light brown hair, but my dark eyes.

"I don't know, I thought we could go for a drive, get to know the area? Maybe find something fun to do together," I suggested. Simon shrugged his thin shoulders while Luke wiggled in excitement beside him. I glanced up the stairs and spotted Jason's sneakers near the top of the steps, though he was still obscured from view. "Jase?" I asked. He grunted and it was honestly about as good of a response as I was going to get. I rolled my eyes and nodded. I grabbed my purse, glancing out the window. It had been cloudy this morning, but it looked nice out. Still, it was Seattle, and I briefly wondered if I needed to get the boys in coats, or ponchos at the very least. Before I could suggest it, Luke had the front door thrown open, and he and Simon were racing to the back seat of my car. I looked up at Jason as he came down the stairs. Somehow, my baby had grown up over the summer. He'd been a tall skinny kid last Christmas, but now he was looking like a man. He'd been taller than me for years now, but now his broad shoulders had started to fill out, and his jaw had started to get wider. He was probably going to need to start shaving soon. My stomach clenched at the thought. I could teach him, I was sure, but I knew he'd hate that. I'd have to call Jasper or my dad to help him out. The thought weighed heavily on me, and I reached out to him as he passed me. He flinched away from me and I sighed in resignation. He was in a difficult phase; he'd been expelled from school at the end of last year for getting into a fist fight with another kid on campus. It had been the straw that broke the camel's back after a year of him acting out. I'd realized that the way things were, I couldn't handle him alone, and so July I'd sprung the move on the boys. Luke and Simon had been disappointed, but they were generally easy going and had eventually gotten on board. Jason had barely spoken to me after he'd screamed about the move.

I knew he hated it. He was born in Washington, but he'd been living in Arizona most of his life. Part of me had been worried about taking him away from his friends, but it was those friends that had kept getting him into trouble. After my divorce, things had been all right with the boys. Luke had been barely two, and Simon had been only six, so he hardly understood what was going on. Jason had been older than the boys, being eleven, but though he'd struggled with it at first, he'd been all right, at least for the first year or two. Then there was this switch and he just became impossible. I'd taken him to a therapist, child psychologists, and so many doctors, but nothing had helped him. He wouldn't talk to any of us. I was hoping a change of scenery, and possibly some positive influences from my dad or Jasper would do him good. Lord knew Tyler wasn't going to step in. We'd been divorced four years now, and though he'd tried at first to see the kids, that had quickly lost steam. It quickly became apparent that he wanted nothing to do with me or his sons.

It should have clued me in, when we'd gotten married and he'd been insistent upon me not only keeping my last name but giving Simon my last name as well. He told me it was so that Jason would be included and not feel different from his brother or mother, but in hindsight, I realized he didn't want to be associated with his boys. It still pissed me off, though I was grateful all my boys had my last name and not his.

Jason stomped out to the car and I let out a tight breath, following him out of the house. It was humid out, but otherwise, the weather wasn't terrible.

I made sure the front door was locked before I headed down to the car. I opened the door just as Jason was reaching back to try to punch Simon. "Jason!" I shouted. He grunted, dropping his fist and turning back around. Simon, for his part, just shook his brother off. I glanced at the boys in the back seat to make sure everyone was all right before I settled into my seat, pulling my seatbelt on and starting the car.

"Guys, I know we're all a little stressed right now," I said quietly. "But, can we just promise to try to get along? Just for the afternoon?" I was desperate, and I was about ready to bribe them. I just needed one day of peace between my boys. Jason used to be the most amazing older brother to Simon and Luke before he'd entered this phase, whatever it was.

Behind me, Luke smiled at me in the rearview mirror. "Okay, mama."

I smiled at him as I pulled the car into reverse, edging down the driveway. Jason shoved headphones into his ears and Simon shrugged, looking out the window. Yeah, definitely about as good as I was going to get right now.

I started driving us toward the city. I hadn't lived in Washington in years, and when I had been here, I'd lived in Forks. I'd spent some time in Seattle, but it had been years. I navigated us through the traffic, deciding I'd head toward the aquarium. If nothing else, I knew the boys would enjoy that.

Luke gasped, drawing my attention to him. I pulled to a stop at the red light and looked at him in my rearview mirror. "What's wrong?" I asked. He had his face pressed against the window; his eyes wide. I looked left and blinked. The top of a roller coaster was peeking out through trees. "Mama! What is that?"

I frowned, shaking my head. "I don't know, baby. Should we go check it out?" I suggested. Luke and Simon chanted courses of yeses from the back seat and I smiled, turning on my turn signal. I turned us in that direction and realized what was going on. "It's Bumbershoot!" I said surprised. I'd been to the art and music festival a handful of times growing up, but I'd never seen rides like this there before. I glanced at Jason. "Do you remember me taking you here? You must have been four," I said, shaking my head. Jason glanced at me, and though he had his headphones in, I knew he heard me. He didn't respond and I shook my head turning back to the road. My resolution set, I navigated us to the parking lot. The boys were out of the car so fast I had to hop out, shouting at them to stop and not take off. They were usually good about that, but I could tell how excited they were. I grabbed my purse, lengthening the strap so I could carry it across my body. I already knew I'd have to keep up with the boys, and I wasn't going to risk getting slowed down by my purse falling off my shoulder.

I took Luke's hand to keep him close to me as we walked in the parking lot. He was wiggling so much, it was hard to keep hold of him, and I laughed. Ahead of me, Simon and Jason were striding toward the gates, both of them eyeing the rides. I bought us tickets, getting the boys ride tickets as well before we headed in. It was like a state fair, though much smaller, and almost immediately, the boys were heading in opposite directions. "Whoa, everyone hold up," I said, holding firm to Luke's hand and yanking on Jason's arm. Simon stopped, looking back at me and shifting his shaggy hair out of his eyes. "We're going to do things as a family," I said firmly. Simon and Jason sighed, and Luke was trying to wiggle out of my grasp, his eyes glued on the Ferris wheel.

"Can't we just…" Simon's voice drifted off as he looked over his shoulder at the rollercoaster. I stared at him. Simon was my quietest, most reserved child. The fact that he wanted to ride the roller coaster was shocking. Generally speaking, he wasn't much of a risk taker or thrill seeker.

I could see Jason looking over his shoulder as well, and I let out a long breath. "Okay, fine. You two can go ride the roller coasters, if and only if," I said snapping so that Jason gave me his attention again. "You stick together. Do you understand me? I don't want you two to leave each other's side." I gave Jason a hard look. He'd been difficult lately, but I didn't think he'd let his brother come to any harm.

"Fine, whatever," he grunted. I nodded.

"You two go ride those rides, then meet us right back here in," I glanced at my watch. "One hour, all right? One hour." I looked at Simon, who looked at his watch. He nodded and I sighed. At least one of them was listening to me.

"Thanks mom!" Simon said, taking off with Jason. I grunted, feeling anxious. Jason was old enough to take care of himself and Simon, but I was still worried. Next to me, Luke was whining.

"Mama! I wanna go on the fairest wheel!"

I smiled, looking down at him. "Ferris wheel, sweetie,"

He grunted, tugging on my arm. He was surprisingly strong, and I moved with him toward the ride. The line split in two, and we hopped in on the left. Luke was staring up at the Ferris wheel with eyes so wide, I wanted to take a picture of him. I slipped my phone out, snapping a photo as stealthy as I could while he was distracted. Just like their mother, my boys hated being in front of the camera.

I put my phone away before he could notice my photo taking and smiled. "Can we get cotton candy next?" he asked, turning his head and taking in the food vendors. I laughed.

"Maybe some real lunch first," I said, shaking my head. He looked disappointed a minute before grinning. His little dimples were full of charm as he smiled at me. I took a deep breath, smiling at him. He looked just like his father with that smile.

After Luke had been born, Tyler lost it. He'd moved out, telling me he needed time and space to think. My naïve ass had thought he'd be back in a few days, but somehow, a year passed us by. He came by to see the boys at first, but by the time our divorce was finalized, he didn't even do that much. I knew he'd been cheating on me, and while I'd been pissed and broken-hearted for myself, it couldn't compare to the rage I'd had at him for how he'd treated our kids. He'd been amazing with Jason when we first got married. I'd had Jase young, and not a lot of guys were willing to take on a young mom and someone else's kid, but Tyler had stepped in just fine. Even when I'd had Simon, Tyler had still been great with the boys. But it seemed three had been his breaking point. I hated Tyler for the shit he'd pulled, but I would always be grateful to him for bringing me Simon and Luke. I loved my boys fiercely; they were my whole world.

We moved forward in line, and Luke was squirming so hard he looked manic. I smiled at him, squeezing his little hand. The next group stepped up and we were up next.

"How many?" the teenage boy working the ride asked me. He sounded bored.

"Two," Luke shouted excitedly. The boy looked at me and Luke before sighing and motioning us forward. He turned to the other line as Luke and I prepared to step into the next car. Each one looked like it housed about six people, and though I was definitely going to go on this ride for my son, I couldn't help the anxiety building up in me. I really didn't do well with heights. I guess as long as I didn't look down, I'd be okay. The ride came to a stop and we moved forward, climbing into the car. To my surprise, two people joined us in the car. I sat down, yanking Luke so that he was sitting next to me. He wiggled closer to the edge and I grunted. "Baby, not so close," I said, trying to pull him closer to me. Across the car, I looked up to see a little girl with bronze curls poking her head curiously over the edge of the car.

"Is it going to go fast?" she asked, her sweet little voice anxious. I looked up at the man I presumed to be her father and felt my breath catch. Holy hell he was beautiful. He had thick bronze hair and a wide jaw coated in stubble. He was long and lean, and I watched as he brought one hand up to push through his hair. Good god, how long could one man's fingers be?

I was shocked at my own observations of him. It had been years since anyone had caught my eye in any way, and though I'd had a couple casual flings since my divorce, there had never been anyone I'd been this immediately attracted to.

Rein it in, Bella. He's got a little girl and he's likely married.

The thoughts sobered me instantly. There was no way I'd ever come between a marriage. No matter how attracted I was to the guy.

The little girl looked across at us and smiled at me. Her massive blue eyes mixed with her strawberry blond curls just melted my heart. I smiled back at her.

"Mama! Look! We're moving!" Luke said, oblivious to everyone around him. I clutched onto him with one hand while the other hand braced on the seat beneath me. I could do this. I could get through this ride for Luke.

Across the car, the man turned his attention on me, and I made the mistake of meeting his eyes. His eyes were mesmerizing. Bright, brilliant celery green. I felt absolutely hypnotized in his gaze. He offered me a small smile, and I tried to smile back, though it was more of a grimace. Luke tugged out of my grasp, edging to the side of the car. The car had a cage around the top, and I knew it would have been just about impossible for him to tumble out, but instincts took over, and I reached out with both arms, yanking him back to me. "Mama, stop, I wanna see!" he said, struggling against me. I grunted. He was getting big.

"Sweetie, I don't want you so close to the edge, look from here, okay?"

He sighed, pushing my arms away. The wheel stopped about a quarter of the way up and Luke frowned. "Why did we stop?" he demanded.

I was focusing on breathing and not looking out of the car and seeing how high we were.

"We had to stop so new riders can get on," the man said, drawing our attention. We looked at him. "Do you remember when the ride stopped to let us on?" he asked. Luke nodded, glancing out the side again. The little girl was watching us curiously. I would have given anything for Luke to be sitting as still and patient as her right now.

"Mama, what's that?" he asked, standing on the bench. I grunted, wrangling him down again.

"Baby, it's not safe to stand up. We have to stay seated."

Luke huffed, and across from us, the man laughed. I looked at him. He had a devastating smile, crooked and warm and absolutely perfect. I felt my breath catch just looking at him.

"That's Puget Sound," he said, leaning forward to get Luke's attention. Luke looked at him. "Have you been there before?"

Luke shook his head, and the man looked surprised. When he looked at me, I grunted as Luke stepped on my stomach, trying to wiggle out of my grasp. "We just moved here," I said, letting out a heavy breath. Luke scooted closer to the edge and I tried to just let him go. It would be easier than fighting him. I could always have him sit down when we started moving again.

The man nodded. "Oh, well welcome to the area. How long have you been here?"

I focused on him. He was an excellent distraction. "About a week. It's been quite an adjustment, but I think it's a good one, in the long run."

He nodded, smiling as his daughter slipped off her seat and came to stand by Luke. She was a little shorter than him and had to stand on her tiptoes to look out.

"I'm Edward and this is Clara," he said, leaning forward and offering me one of those massive hands. I licked my lips and leaned toward him a little, taking his hand. It was warm, and immediately, I felt small fissures of warmth radiate up through me from his touch. I blinked, surprised.

"Bella. The monkey turning my hair grey is Luke," I said, noticing he was trying to climb the wall. I let go of Edward's hand and tugged my son down. He shot me a frown over his shoulder. Edward laughed and the sound was deep and warm and shot through me, warming me. I shifted on my seat. Never in my life had I had such a physical reaction to someone before.

"How old are you, Luke?" Edward asked, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees. Luke turned from the view and we started moving. I yanked him down next to me.

"Six," he said proudly. Edward smiled.

"Clara is about to be six, isn't that right, Princess?" he said looking at his angelic daughter. She grinned wide and nodded. God, she was gorgeous.

"Happy early birthday," I said, smiling at her. She beamed at me.

"Thank you."

We continued to climb, pausing again when more people were let on. I let go of Luke so he could explore again. I sat back, shutting my eyes and trying to breathe.

"Are you all right?"

I opened my eyes and looked at Edward. He was leaning toward me, looking concerned.

"I'm just bad with heights," I groaned, shaking my head. Edward nodded. Clara was up off the bench and came to sit next to me. I looked down at her in surprise and she pulled her little pink backpack off her shoulders and opened it, offering me a little white stuffed rabbit. It was a little worse for the wear, but Clara held him affectionately before placing him in my lap.

"This is Mr. Bubbles," she said, patting him on the head. "He makes me brave and chases away the monsters, right Daddy?"

Edward was beaming at her. "That's right, Baby."

Clara turned back to me and nudged Mr. Bubbles closer to me. I picked him up carefully. "He'll help you be brave," she said confidently.

I smiled. "Thank you Sweetheart, I think he is helping me."

She beamed at me. She seriously was the cutest thing I'd ever seen.

I looked up to check on Luke. He'd climbed up next to Edward and was looking out at the view behind him. Edward leaned back in his seat, answering Luke's questions when he asked about various landmarks he could see. I turned to Clara.

"What other rides have you been on today?" I asked her. She looked up at me.

"Well, Jodi wanted to go on the roller coasters, but that was too scary for me. But she and Emma went, and Daddy and I went on the swings and then the slide," She said nodding.

"Who are Jodi and Emma?" I asked.

"My sisters."

I nodded. "Are they with your mom?" I asked. Was I trying to find out more about this man's marital status through his five-year-old? You bet I was. Clara frowned, and her little shoulders deflated.

"No," she shook her head. "I don't have a mommy."

Oh god, what had I done? I instantly felt bad about prying. God I was the worst. I reached out to her, rubbing her little shoulders comfortingly. She looked up at me and snuggled into my side, surprising me when her little arms came around my waist. "I like you," she whispered. I laughed in surprise.

"I like you too, Sweetheart." It was the truth. It was impossible not to like her. We started moving again and I looked up at Luke. Edward was gently guiding him into the seat so that he was sitting while we were moving. I shot Edward a grateful look. We paused again at the very top of the Ferris wheel and Luke popped up again. Clara scrambled up as well, pulling herself up on her little toes to look out at Seattle. "Daddy look! It's our house!" she said pointing north. Edward smiled.

"I don't think we can quite see our house from here," he corrected. She shot him a look over her shoulder that had us both chuckling. Luke frowned and looked at me.

"Mama, where's our house?"

I shook my head, helpless. "That way, somewhere," I said pointing north. "But Baby, I can't look."

Luke accepted that and turned his focus back out on the view.

Edward looked at me. "What neighborhood did you move into?"

I blinked at him, licking my lips. "Uh, Ballard."

Edward looked surprised. "That's where we live too. It's a great area," he assured me. I let out a little breath.

"I've heard good things about the school district."

"The schools my girls have all been in have been wonderful," he agreed. That gave me something to focus on.

"How many kids do you have?"

Edward winced a little. "Three girls."

I stared at him in surprise. "How old are they?" If Clara really didn't have a mom that was looking out for them down on the ground, they had to be old enough to wander around on their own.

"My oldest is fourteen going on twenty-five," he said, rolling his eyes. I laughed; I knew the feeling. "My middle is ten."

I shook my head, blown away by the similarities of our kids. "We have kids at the same ages," I told him. Edward blinked in surprise. "Well, except my oldest is fifteen."

Edward stared at me. "You have a fifteen-year-old?"

I nodded. I understood his skepticism. I'd been sixteen when I had Jason, and even now I knew I looked younger than my thirty-one.

"I know, I know," I said chuckling. "No one believes me. Most people still assume I'm their babysitter."

Edward laughed, shaking his head. The wheel started moving again and Luke came to sit by me again.

"Mama, can we get hotdogs for lunch?"

I looked at him. "Sure, Baby." I reached out to muss his hair and he grinned up at me. He'd recently lost his first tooth and the big gap in his smile just wrecked me. I looked up at Edward and Clara. "Have you all eaten lunch yet?" I asked. Edward shook his head. "Would you like to join us?"

I didn't know if I was overstepping my bounds here. I wanted to get to know Edward and his impossibly cute daughter more. The fact that he had girls my boys' age felt like an impossible coincidence.

"What do you think, Princess? Are you hungry?" he asked Clara. She nodded enthusiastically and smiled, turning back to me. "We'd be happy to join you guys."

I warmed a little. The wheel stopped once more before we were finally climbing off the thing. Honestly, I had no idea one ride around the Ferris wheel could take so freaking long. We all stepped off the ride and moved to the side. I crouched down in front of Clara, offering her her bunny back. "Thank you, Sweet Girl, for Mr. Bubbles. He helped me quite a bit," I said softly. Clara grinned, holding the bunny to her chest. I smiled at her as I stood. I looked at Edward. "I'll call my boys and have them meet us so we can get food."

He nodded, pulling his own phone out. "I'll call my girls as well."

I nodded, turning my attention to my phone. One hand was still firmly wrapped around Luke's, knowing that if I let him go he'd wander off, too entranced with everything around him. I brought the phone to my ear and though I heard someone pick up, it was only a grunt that reached my ears. I sighed.

"Honey, we're getting some lunch. Would you two join us?"

Jason grunted again and I took a deep breath, trying to find my patience. "Great, meet us by the food booths. Can you see them?"

Jason grunted and hung up. I sighed, stuffing my phone in my pocket. I looked at Edward who was hanging up his own call, looking exasperated. "Right?" I asked, groaning. He shook his head.

"She used to adore me. Now, I mortify her with my very existence."

"At least she talks to you," I said, shaking my head. Edward frowned in sympathy as we started walking to the food booths. I let go of Luke so he could walk with Clara. Thank god my little boy wasn't shy like I'd been. They were chattering away about candy and other favorite things. I glanced at Edward who was beaming. "You don't know how happy it makes me to see Clara be so chatty," he whispered to me. "She's been so reserved lately. She usually doesn't have a shy bone in her body, but lately, I don't know, she's just wary of people. It's great to see her open up again."

I smiled at him and nodded. "Luke is great for that. He's got two brothers who mostly ignore him, so he's good at demanding attention and talking to people regardless of whether they want to talk to him or not," I joked. Edward chuckled.

"So, Bella, what brought you to Seattle?"

I shifted, rolling my shoulders as tension settled over them again. "Fresh start," I said, nodding. "I uh," I frowned. He was a stranger. I shouldn't be getting into family drama with him. "It was just time for the boys to have a different environment," I said finally. Edward nodded. "How long have you been here?"

"All my life," he said looking up. "I was born and raised here. It's home."

I smiled. "What do you do for work?"

He let out a long breath. "I'm a doctor," he said, reaching up to rub his neck. I watched his long fingers, momentarily dazzled.

"What sort of doctor?" I squeaked. He looked at me with a frown and cleared my throat, shaking my head.

"I'm a cardiologist."

I nodded, impressed. How did he manage to be a cardiologist with three girls, and apparently, no mother in the picture?

"What about you?" He asked, looking at me.

"Oh, well, back in Phoenix I taught kindergarten. It was great because it let me keep a similar schedule to the boys, which is crucial being a single parent." Yeah, okay so maybe I was dropping some hints. It didn't hurt to see if he might pick them up. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow and I smiled a little to myself. Maybe he was interested. "But uh, about a year ago I sold my first book deal." The deal had been what allowed me to get us out of Phoenix and up here into a decent neighborhood. I never would have been able to afford it on my teacher's salary.

"You're a writer?" he asked, looking impressed. I smiled and nodded. "What do you write?"

I blushed. I was still awkward talking about my writing even though my first book had been out for months now. "Oh, well, fiction, mostly. My first book deal was a historical fiction about the civil war," I said, glancing at him. He looked surprised. "But uh, my new book is a little different. More sci-fi than fiction," I said, shaking my head. What had urged me to write this book was beyond me, but I'd loved writing it and my agent had been thrilled with the pitch. Now, if only the editor would get notes back to me already. It was killing me to wait.

"That sounds really interesting. I'll have to find a copy," he said smiling. I blushed. I hoped he didn't. The reason my historical fiction had been popular had nothing to do with the meticulous research I'd done and had everything to do with the steamy romance between the main characters.

I licked my lips nervously and looked back at the kids. Clara was showing Luke Mr. Bubbles. My rambunctious boy was surprisingly tender with the stuffed rabbit. I let out a relieved breath.

"So why Seattle?" Edward asked. I looked up at him.

"Oh, I grew up in Forks," I said motioning vaguely. "Most of my family is in Seattle now, so it made sense to come back and be close to them."

Edward nodded. "I know what you mean. I wouldn't be able to do anything if my parents didn't still live near me to help take care of the girls." He shook his head. "I'm forever in their debt for stepping up to help us out."

I stared at him curiously. There was obviously a story there, but it didn't seem like the time or place to get into it.

"Dad!"

We both looked up at the blond girl running toward Edward. She must be his middle child. She was long, like he was, but not quite with his height, at least not yet. Her bright blond hair was pulled into a ponytail and there were bruises all over her knees and shins. I couldn't tell if she was highly athletic or highly accident prone.

"Jodi," Edward said, reaching out to her. "Sweetheart, this is Bella and her son Luke," he said starting introductions. Jodi glanced at me.

"Yeah, okay, dad, you'll never guess what I just caught Emma doing," she said, her face almost manic with her excitement. I saw Edward's shoulder tense and I shook my head.

"Jodi, you rat! I wasn't doing anything!" A girl about my height was running after her sister. She was gorgeous, with long strawberry blond hair and Edward's bright green eyes. She was dressed in a short skirt and bright white sneakers. She looked like she was about sixteen, but that could have been the makeup she was wearing. She reached her sister and Jodi spun out of her grasp, cackling.

"Girls," Edward growled. His oldest glared at her sister. "What were you doing, Emma?" He asked. His daughter shifted, looking up at him innocently.

"Nothing, daddy." Holy crap, those eyes of hers. Edward melted under his daughter's look and she smiled sweetly at him. I didn't blame him. His girls were gorgeous, and they'd be difficult to stay mad at.

"Nothing but flirting with her boyfriend!" Jodi shouted. Edward whirled around to look at her then whirled back to look at Emma. Her eyes had gone impossibly wide, and I snickered at the horrified and pissed off look on Edward's face. I'd caught Jason sneaking in late a few times last year and though I couldn't be certain there was a girl, I'd had to sit him down for a chat just to be sure. I don't know who hated it more.

"Boyfriend?" Edward growled. Emma shook her long hair.

"No, daddy. Jodi is just trying to get me in trouble," she shot a look at her sister who was grinning wide. "It's just a boy from school. He was working on one of the rides and I said hi, that's it."

Edward reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He seemed to be debating with himself for a long moment before he finally shook his head. "Okay, fine. I don't want to know," he said firmly. Jodi frowned but I saw Emma's shoulders sag in relief. Edward looked at me. "Girls, this is Bella. Bella, these are my daughters, Emma and Jodi," he said pointing them out. I smiled at them. Jodi grinned at me, but Emma just frowned, giving me a strange look. I tried not to take it personally.

"Mama, I'm hungry," Luke said, tugging on my arm. I looked down at him and nodded.

"I know, Baby. We'll order." I looked up to see Simon and Luke cutting through the crowd. I sighed in relief. I knew they would be fine, but I hadn't stopped worrying about them since they'd left my sight. "Boys," I called, waving them over. Simon came over and let me put my arm around him, but Jason kept his distance. "Simon, Jason, this is my new friend Edward and his daughters, Emma, Jodi, and Clara," I said pointing them all out. Simon smiled awkwardly. He was so socially awkward—something he definitely got from me—but he did try. Jason ignored everyone, though, when Emma flipped her hair I did notice Jason looked her way. I rolled my eyes. "What does everyone want for lunch?" I asked.

"Hot dog!" Clara and Luke shouted. I smiled at them.

"Ew, no," Emma said, shaking her head.

"Those tacos smell good," Simon said, sniffing the air. I nodded, pulling my wallet out.

"Okay, you boys get what you want, and we'll eat together over at those benches, all right?" I asked. Simon and Jason nodded, taking the money. Edward turned to Emma and gave her money. She was eyeing Jason critically, and I didn't know if that look meant she thought he was cute or if it was more sinister than that. It was really difficult to read her.

"Five minutes," Edward told her. She nodded and stalked off. Jason and Simon went to go get tacos while Edward and I took Jodi, Clara, and Luke for hotdogs.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to him. He looked at me. "Jason is going through this phase. I think he's said maybe five words to me since March," I said, shaking my head. He let out a breath and nodded.

"I get it, it's the age," he said, nodding. I sighed, turning my attention to Jodi.

"So, Jodi, how old are you?" I asked.

She looked at me in surprise. "10," she said, looking me over.

I smiled at her. "So is Simon. Maybe you'll be in school together," I said softly. She shrugged cluelessly and I smiled at her. I didn't want to be playing matchmaker, not by a long shot, but I knew it would help Simon if he even knew one person at school when it started. Jason would be fine—he'd find people, or he'd keep to himself depending on his mood—and Luke was so cute and outgoing that he'd make friends in no time. I worried about Simon though.

We moved forward, ordering hotdogs and sodas. I tried to pay, but Edward beat me to it, paying for everyone's lunch. I looked at him in surprise. "You didn't have to do that," I said, shaking my head. He smiled at me.

"I'm happy to. Consider it a rather meager, welcome to Seattle lunch."

I smiled at him before I turned to the two youngest. I helped them dress their hotdogs, opting to hold their food for them until we got to the tables. Edward grabbed my hotdog with his, helping me dress mine. Jodi piled ketchup on hers, licking her lips in anticipation. We all made our way over to the benches, and Clara and Luke climbed up, looking eagerly at me. I smiled at them, pulling out a napkin to set down as a placemat for them before I set up their food. Immediately, they both dug in. I smiled as I settled next to them. Edward sat across from me with Jodi, who had ketchup smeared across her face. "Jo," Edward said, shaking his head and handing her a napkin. She smiled at him with full cheeks and worked on chewing her food. Edward handed me my hotdog and I smiled at him.

"Thank you," I said, picking it up.

"Welcome to Seattle, Bella."

Okay, for those of you keeping track, I currently have four WIPs plus a handful of things I'm working on to publish later this year, so I don't have a whole lot of free time. That being said, this one is already written, so it will be a bit different. I have no set schedule for this, when I post, I post. Sorry, but that's just how this one is going to have to roll out.

If you are dying for something regularly updated, three of my WIPs have hard and fast schedules, so check out any of those!

I'm so excited to be back in this world with this big bunch! Check out my group on Facebook for photos that go with the chapters. xx