95

The day before the custody hearing has everyone on edge.

When I ask Jasper if he can help us, his nerves get the best of him, and he mainly just projects his own worry for Alice. She paces, and she's bitten her nails down to nubs.

Victoria and Laurent both swear that we have nothing to worry about. They've backed Gianna into a corner, and from what Bella has shared on her end, my ex-wife could potentially do jail time for her false accusations. That's the gist of what we know because Bella can only share the bare minimum of what's going on in Washington.

That being said, my vampire still hasn't come home to us. I haven't physically seen my mate in fifteen days, and it's taking its toll on me. I've lost weight, and I barely sleep. Bella tells me she's struggling with the distance too. Our frustration increases when the Senate officially denies her request for a furlough so she can attend the hearing. Until an official decision has been made, she's staying in Washington while the investigation is underway.

"How's it going, man?" Angela's bodyguard asks.

Thanks to everything going on, we've had to hire a security detail for my daughters to live their normal day-to-day lives, thanks to the unwanted attention from the press. Alec put me in touch with an immortal couple. Together with Principal Greene, we could intertwine the girls' schedule with the new students. While classes are separated between vampires being tested and humans for learning, as long as they're in the same building with Alice and Angela, I have nothing to worry about.

In mere seconds, Rosalie or Emmett can be at their sides if anything should happen. It's a long shot, but we're taking every precaution.

I sigh and rub at the ache in my chest. "The girls aren't worried about tomorrow. They're mainly more nervous about seeing their mother again than anything else."

Emmett nods and tosses a football twenty feet in the air and easily catches it with one hand. "If you ask me, they don't consider that monster their mother anymore." He shrugs. "I've heard Alice refer to Bella as her mom more times than I can count, and that's saying something, considering what I am. Angela doesn't like talking about it because she misses her, but I know she feels the same way as her sister."

I smile sadly because we've come so far, yet it feels like we're at a standstill. Nothing will feel right until Bella is back home and in my arms.

I look over my shoulder and find my girls sitting with Rosalie. They've been messing around with Alice's special effects makeup for hours. Their boyfriends have been the perfect stand-in models, hence why Emmett is pretending to have a serious conversation with me. It's an attempt to get away from the madness. He's sporting three very realistic gashes down the side of his head.

"How is everything going at school?" I ask him. "That's always one of Bella's first questions when she calls."

"Pretty good. We've blended in well." He chuckles. "My girl's beauty garners her a lot of unwanted attention, but her attitude leaves something to be desired."

Rosalie hisses from her seat.

"Em, come back over here," she beckons with a bent finger. "Alice just taught me how to perfect a believable black eye. I can't actually give you one, but I can at least make it look like I did."

Emmett chuckles and passes me his football. "Duty calls. It's hard to tell your one and only no," he warns.

I recall the argument over getting the girls brand new cars for their birthday. "Tell me something I don't know."

"I'm for real, man. Trust me when I say that it only gets worse after the three-day burn. You'll learn to stop fighting it. Just nod your head and smile. Throw in a few yes dears every now and again for good measure."

"I'll keep that in mind."

He pops a kiss on his wife's lips and whispers something that makes her smile bashfully as she dabs costume makeup over his eye. I'm glad the McCartys are here. I wish it was under different circumstances, sure. But the girls enjoy having them around. They fit in effortlessly and spend a lot of their free time around here.

It's not that I don't trust Jasper and Ben to keep Alice and Angela safe. Jasper's busy with his testing, and Ben finally started working as a bleeder down at VC. Jane and Alec offered to postpone his hiring date but Angela refused. Besides, Rosalie and Emmett are trained in damage control. God forbid the reporters who follow our every move get past the school's security.