EPOV

Emmett stood before me in khakis, a white polo, and brown loafers. "Well, what do you think?"

I shook my head. "Nope, it's all wrong. You look like you're trying too hard. Rose is looking for a down-to-earth guy who just wants to get to know her. You're going bowling; think nachos and stale beer."

"What do you want me to do? Throw on a ratty gym t-shirt and sweats? I need to at least try to impress her."

"Don't be a smart ass, Em," I snapped. "Throw on some nice jeans and t-shirt. You look like you just walked out of a frat house. I'm telling you, she wants casual. I've already set her up on dates that weren't her type just to make this one look even better. Not that you need it, of course."

"Gee, thanks. From the pictures you've shown me of her, she's a beautiful girl. Does she really want to spend the night bowling?"

"I'm positive. You're right, she's gorgeous, but she spends her days in a garage. She's a lady and one of the guys. Besides, it's on her list of hobbies. You've got to trust me; I know what I'm doing. I've matched over a hundred people in my career to date."

He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a nervous breath. "Yeah, all right. I still feel a little weird that you're gonna be there, basically on my date with me, though."

I clapped him on the shoulder. "You can't think of it like that. I'm not going on the date with you. I'm there, in the background, to make sure your first date goes smoothly and turns into many more dates after. It's kind of like a…guarantee, I guess you could say. Now go get changed or you're going to be late."

—MM—

"Wow," Emmett said under his breath as we walked into the bowling alley. "She's even more beautiful in person. But who's the short, pink-haired chick beside her?"

My eyes snapped up from my phone, spotting Rose with no one else but Bella beside her at the counter. "That's Bella…but why on earth is she here?" I wondered, mostly to myself. "Come on, let's go say hello and get this date started."

"Come here often, pretty lady?" Emmett grinned at Rose as he sidled up next to her.

I was ready to intervene but was pleasantly surprised when Rose turned toward him, a bright smile on her face. "You must be Emmett, and actually, I do. Are you ready to lose?"

"Bring it on, baby. I'll have you know I bowled a little in college. I just happened to be the highest scorer on the team."

I watched in triumph as they walked over to their lane, their hands just grazing one another. It was easy to see there were definitely going to be more dates to come after this one.

I smirked over at Bella before turning my attention back to Emmett and Rose. They were head to head, laughing quietly as they tried to figure out how to set up the scoreboard. I had no doubt that Emmett already knew how, but was just playing it up for Rose. "So, tagging along to watch yourself lose? They look pretty cozy over there, Miss. Swan. Are you ready to just concede defeat? The sooner you do, the sooner we can get started." I waggled my eyebrows.

Something flashed in her eyes as she smiled at me. It almost looked like…hope. "Rose was pretty nervous, so she asked if I would come for moral support. But you're right, they do look cute together, don't they? The competition is definitely going to be tight, but you can't count me out. Her date tomorrow is a great guy."

I leaned on the counter beside her, nudging her with my elbow. "Oh, get off it, Bella. Be honest with me. You want it, too, don't you? You'd seem more…into this whole thing if you didn't."

She sighed heavily, rolling her eyes up toward the ceiling before glancing back at me. "Are my tells that easy? Remind me to never play poker, I guess. The guy tomorrow…he's a good guy, but I'm pretty sure he's gay." She laughed.

My eyes widened in realization. "Wait, you're serious? You're actually into the idea? You were so appalled by it when I brought it up—and besides, I'd never actually force you to have my baby on a bet. I was hopeful that if I planted the idea, you'd come around to it. But I didn't expect it to be so soon…holy shit!"

"Well, that's good to know, I guess." She chuckled softly. "I'd have really wondered about your scruples if you would. But…yeah, I'm into the idea." She chewed on her lip, mulling something over. "I should probably tell you something…"

I ran my fingers down her arm before clasping our hands together. "What is it, sweetheart? You can tell me anything."

"I stopped taking my birth control about two weeks ago."

"You…so you could be…"

"I'm not. We used condoms too, remember? I wanted to be ready for when we decided to start trying, though. But there's something else we need to talk about before I am. Probably in private."

I glanced over at where Emmett and Rose were happily ribbing each other while also sharing longing glances. I turned back to Bella, taking in her serious expression. "Let's head back to my place. We can talk about it there."

—MM—

"Can I get you something to drink? Are you hungry? We could order takeout?"

She fidgeted in her spot, clasping and unclasping her hands. "Actually, takeout sounds really nice, but I'd rather get everything off of my chest first. Is that okay?"

I nodded, my stomach doing flips from nerves. "Sure, yeah, of course."

"Okay, so, we're going to do this whole baby thing, and I was talking to Rose—"

"Rose knows?"

Her head snapped up, her gaze meeting mine. "Oh, yeah. I, uh, I hope that's okay?"

"I don't feel the need to keep it a secret from people who are important to us. It's fine. Please, continue."

"If we're going to do this, I think we need to have a custody agreement from the beginning, to protect both of us and the baby. It'll make things easier if we don't work out."

I sat there quietly for a moment, mulling it over. "I don't see us not working out, but it's not a bad idea, just to be safe. I'll have my lawyer draw it up and we'll go over it together. I also have a condition of my own, if that's all right?"

"Oh! Yeah, of course. Hit me with it."

"Well, if we're going to be doing this whole baby thing, we'll need constant access to one another, you know…for trying purposes." I smirked before continuing. "So, in order to achieve that, I thought it might be a good idea for you to move in here with me?"

She snorted softly. "You're asking me to move in here so that we can fuck like rabbits, and really, I'm not against that idea. But what about my apartment?"

I shrugged, trying to hide my grin at her statement. "We can keep it if you like and sublease it, or I'm sure my lawyer could find a few loopholes to get you out of the lease."

A smirk played on her lips. "Breaking the lease isn't the problem, Mr. Match. My dad owns the apartment. We'll have to tell him everything."

"Everything? Bella, I've never even met the man! You can't be serious that you expect me to walk into his home, sit down on the couch, and say 'it's nice to meet you. Oh, and I plan to knock up your daughter, hope you don't mind!' Can't we just say we're moving in together?" I nearly begged.

I glared at her as she tried to hide her amusement, but was unsuccessful as she laughed loudly.

"Maybe say it with a bit more class, but that's exactly what I'm expecting. I have a great relationship with my dad, and I plan to keep it that way. Besides, if you can't handle a little confrontation with my dad, maybe you're not ready for kids."

"I can't believe I'm agreeing to this." I muttered to myself. "But let this be a testament to how serious I am about you and having this baby."

She grinned before leaning in and kissing my cheek. "You'll be fine, Edward."

"Let's just hope I leave with my balls intact, or we'll both be screwed."

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who are in the Us/Celebrate! I'll be cooking and I'm sure a lot of you will be too. I didn't want to forget to post, so here you go!

I hope you all have an amazing day! I'm thankful for all of you.