Hello again!

This chapter was a full rollercoaster to write. It actually came pretty easily, but I've been so exhausted lately I felt like it was a slow drip instead of a pour.

I've been given a new class to teach till the end of the year, with only a day's notice I might add. So, I've been a tad stressed. But stepping up and adapting seems to be pretty standard in the teaching profession, so I better get used to it.

I wanted to write a chapter that was a little more fluffy. This story has been a smidge on the sad side, so I thought our friends could do with an easy night.

I hope you enjoy!

BPOV

"Is it terrible?" Edward asked, unsure of himself. He rolled his empty coffee mug around in his hands in a nervous gesture.

It was Thursday and Edward had picked me up from work and we'd gone to my favorite cafe near my apartment.

I was helping him work on his plans for the workshop he would be teaching in the month between the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. After our meeting on Monday, I told him to think about what he wanted the students to complete by the end and then break that down into the steps they would need to complete it. I told him that it was easier to think about the end product first, then we can work our way forwards to plan the skills they will need to learn to complete each step.

Even though he was accomplished and successful composer, teaching was very obviously something Edward didn't feel confident with, if his body language was anything to go by. It was one thing to have a skill, it was another thing entirely to explain and teach it.

"It's not terrible at all," I assured him with a smile. "You have some really clear steps, and there's only one that I think should really be split into two lessons."

Pride shone from his face as I slid his notebook back towards him and his shoulders sat a little more confidently. "Really? I thought you were going to tell me that I had to start again."

"No," I laughed. "You did good. Now you need to think about what skills the students will need to have to do each step." I could see the trepidation begin to return. "You've got this, Edward. You know how to do what you want them to do, you just need to figure out what the how is."

Edward ran one of his hands through his hair, leaving it in disarray. "You know, I never thought so much went into planning lessons. This is a lot of work already and I'm only teaching eight of them. I can't imagine doing this for an entire year!"

I couldn't help but laugh at him. "Why do you think teachers are always so excited for school holidays? We're all so exhausted by the end of the year, we need two months off or we'd die."

"I don't doubt it," he said, his tone so serious it set off my giggles once more.

We worked on mapping out his lessons for a bit longer, the cafe slowly emptying around us as afternoon turned into evening.

It was easy, spending time with Edward. I was often taken aback by the natural way we seemed to get along. It always felt effortless, like we'd known each other our entire lives and not just recently.

I frequently wondered what it was like for him. On some level, he had been looking at my face his entire life. How much of an adjustment had it been for him as we became friends?

Edward insisted on driving me back to my apartment building, even though the cafe was a short walk away. He'd winked as he said you never knew what could happen on a short walk at twilight.

"So, I'll see you on Saturday, yeah?" I asked as he pulled up into the parking lot at my building. Edward and Alice were going to meet my brother, Rose, and Jasper on the weekend. "Emmett tried to convince me again that we should all go to their house because he has a grill, but I shot him down. I know it's just because he thinks he'll be more intimidating on his own turf. I pointed out that grilling on their rooftop in November was, frankly, a ridiculous idea."

"He doesn't have to worry about not being intimidating, if I remember him correctly," Edward chuckled with an impish grin. "He was sitting down when I saw him in person, but I've seen pictures. And he has the whole cop thing to fall back on, which really adds to the intimidation factor."

I laughed because I knew underneath Emmett's imposing presence, he was a big teddy bear. "Don't worry. I'll protect you," I said, patting his arm. "And I'm sure Alice will be your backup, should you need it."

Edward huffed and rolled his eyes, but he still wore his charming, lop-sided grin. "Can we bring anything?" he asked.

"Just yourselves," I smiled. "Trust me, there will be enough food. You always have to plan ahead when it comes to feeding my brother, so I'm always over-prepared."

"You're making it all sound like a military operation. Dessert Storm," Edward chortled.

I giggled along with him. "It can be a bit like that, yeah. But Emmett's also like a wild animal; feed him enough and he'll begin to trust you. "

"So, I should bring something with me on Saturday?" he joked.

I rolled my eyes and reached for the door. "Goodnight, Edward," I said in a sing-song voice.

"Goodnight, Bella," he parroted back at me as I got out of the car. "See you on in a few days."

My smile stayed firmly in place on my face, even when I was alone again in my second-floor apartment.

~oOo~

"Mmmmmm," my brother hummed as he came through my front door early on Saturday evening, before promptly walking directly to the kitchen to investigate what I had been cooking. "It smells so good in here."

Feeling the need for a distraction, I'd spent the afternoon cooking. In the mood for comfort food, I'd made a large batch of chicken and dumplings in the slow cooker, and in the oven was a butternut squash casserole. Ready to come out of the oven when Jasper, Edward, and Alice arrived was also a muffin tray of mac and cheese bites, and a puff pastry wrapped brie with cranberry preserve I'd recently seen on the cooking network. For after dinner, I had a triple-berry cobbler, which I knew would end up looking like a bubby, jammy, delicious mess.

"How much food did you make?" Rose asked, looking around at the various dishes I had prepared.

"Enough for everyone to be able to have a plate after your husband has been at it," I quipped with a smile.

"Hey!" Emmett groused as another knock sounded on the front door. "I resemble that comment!" he called after me as I went to answer it.

It was Jasper, with a bottle of red wine. "Hey," he said as he leaned down to greet me with a hug. Pulling away, he held the wine out to me. "I hope this goes with whatever you've cooked. It smells heavenly."

"It'll be fine," I replied, shutting the door. I took the bottle and led him back to where our siblings were.

As Jasper hugged Emmet and Rose, I went straight back to the croc-pot, lifted the lid and prodded at the dumplings to see if they were rising properly, then checked the oven to see how the casserole was coming along.

When I turned back around, it was to the sight of the three of them having some sort of silent conversation. Jasper nodding his head in my direction made me realise it was about me.

"What's going on?" I asked, accusatorially.

All three sets of eyes snapped to me and both Emmett and Jasper stood to attention.

"Nothing, Darlin'," Jasper answered quickly. "I was just checking to see who I should pour a glass of wine for."

"Mmhmm," I hummed sceptically and narrowed my eyes at him. "Well, you better make mine a generous one, then."

"Yes, Ma'am," he saluted, moving to take two wine glasses out of the cupboard.

"You okay, Bells?" Emmett asked, assessing me with a curious look on his face.

"Yes," I responded, taking the nearly full glass Jasper offered me. "Why?"

"I don't know. You just kind of seem a bit jittery."

"I'm not jittery!" I objected.

My brother held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, not jittery. Maybe a little nervous, then."

"If I'm nervous about anything, it's you three being weird around Edward."

Rose crossed her arms over her belly, one eyebrow raised. "Why would we be weird around Edward?"

"Maybe not you," I conceded to her. "I trust you. Especially after you've met Alice. But, can you make any promises about these two?" I waggled my thumb between our brothers.

"Hey!" Emmett and Jasper protested in unison.

I huffed at my big brother, arms on my hips. "Really, Em? You weren't planning to 'put the lean on him', then? I guess your desire to grill outside in freezing cold had nothing to do with wanting to grill Edward, too?"

Emmett feigned ignorance, hand on his chest and eyes wide and innocent. "I would never! How could you think I'd do something like that?"

Rose and Jasper both snickered as I rolled my eyes. "Come on! Like you haven't done that with every guy I have ever dated, including Jasper."

"So, you're dating Edward now?" Emmet asked, an edge creeping into his voice.

"What? No, I…No, I'm not dating him. That's not what I meant," I stammered, my brain taking a moment to catch up with my mouth. "I meant that you've always tried to rattle any guy in my life you thought had an agenda. I just want you to be nice. It would be great if you could all be on your best behavior tonight, please."

"Hey! Don't lump me in with him," Jasper grumbled. "I'm a very well-behaved boy, I'll have you know."

"I'll believe that when I see it," Rose chuckled under her breath.

The timer on the oven dinged, letting me know that the appetizers were finished. As I pulled the second tray out of the oven, a quick knock from the front door rang through the apartment and we all went silent. I was just about to call that I'd be right there, the hot dish still in my hands, when a devilish look washed over Emmett's face.

"Emmett," Rose warned lowly, but he had already strode out of the room.

"Damn it!" I cursed, quickly setting the casserole down and throwing off the oven mitts as I rushed after him. "Seriously, Em?"

But I was too late. With his long strides and a headstart, my brother was already unlocking the door as I followed him into the living room. I could tell by the set of his shoulders that he was puffing himself up, trying to make himself look as imposing as possible. While I knew that he saw it all as good fun, I didn't know how Edward would take it. There was a strong possibility he would turn tail and run at the sight of my big-ass brother.

But when Emmett pulled the door open, he froze. From behind, I saw his head drop, as if he was looking down at the ground. As I came around him, I saw why.

"Hi!" Alice waved enthusiastically, bouncing on my welcome mat. "Oh my god! You must be Bella's brother, Emmett. It's so nice to meet you. I'm Alice Cullen."

Alice stuck her hand out, having to reach upward because of her and Emmett's substantial height difference.

It seemed her beaming smile and bubbly personality had disarmed my brother. His brows were creased, though a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, as he took Alice's small hand in his large one and shook it slowly. "Hi," he said, a little bewildered.

"Hi, Alice," I welcomed, muscling Emmett to the side as he still hadn't moved out of the doorway. "Thanks for coming."

"Hi, Bella! Of course. Thank you so much for inviting me." She stepped forward and pulled me in for a friendly hug. "Edward won't be long. He's just being a slow-poke."

"Maybe if you hadn't jumped out of the car before I'd even parked, we could have arrived together," came Edward's voice as he walked up behind her. He was wearing a crew knit sweater and dark jeans under his gray peacoat, holding a glass container with a bamboo lid. "Good evening, Bella," he said smoothly, smiling at me.

"Hey," I said, feeling suddenly nervous all over again. There was definitely an awkward moment where I didn't say anything else, and all four of us just stood in the doorway. After a beat, I recovered. "Come in, come in. We don't want to let all the warmth out."

Emmett and I stepped back, allowing the Cullen siblings to enter.

"Here," Edward said, holding out the container he was carrying. "Mom sent some homemade brownies. I'm pretty sure her exact words were triple chocolate chip."

"Aw, Esme," I gushed, taking it from him and looking inside. The richly dark squares had a perfect crackly top and they smelled decadent. "She didn't have to do that."

"Believe me, she wanted to. Not only does she love to spoil people, but your pie was also so good, she's probably, secretly trying to impress you."

I rolled my eyes. "Trust me, she doesn't have to try very hard. Your mom is hands down one of the most impressive people I've ever met."

"She'd be flattered you thought so," Edward grinned.

Emmett clearing his throat broke the flow of our banter. He stuck out his hand and when Edward took it, my brother shook it with exaggerated firmness.

"I'm Bella's big brother, Detective Emmett Swan," he said, his tone low and a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Seriously?" I huffed. But Emmet ignored me, still holding onto Edward's hand.

"Edward Cullen," Edward said politely. "Nice to meet you."

"So, Edward," Emmet went on, finally releasing Edward's hand. Emmett must have given him a mighty squeeze because I saw Edward flex his fingers before he stuff his hands into his coat pockets. "Your mommy still makes treats for you to take to your friend's place, huh?"

Edward looked unsure how to answer my brother's idiotic question. On the other hand, I was fuming. "I swear to God, Emmett," I warned. "You better stop right now or you won't be getting any of these brownies."

"Aw! Come one!" Emmett whined, his shoulders sagging. "I was only joking around."

"Well, you better knock it off right now or I will hit you."

"Fine," he harrumphed, then turned and made his way back to the kitchen.

I turned back to Edward and Alice with an apologetic expression. "I'm really sorry about him. My brother… has an odd sense of humor."

Edward laughed good-humoredly. "Don't worry about it," he waved me off.

"Your place is really nice," Alice complimented, looking around as we followed after Emmett.

"Thanks," I smiled at her.

By the time we joined the others, it looked like Rose had also told Emmett off with a clip over his head as he was rubbing his ear with a slight scowl. I couldn't help the small, self-satisfied smirk at the fact that Rose never let him get away with anything.

"Hi, Rose," Alice trilled, dashing over to pull her into a friendly embrace. "You look great! That top really suits you."

Rose chuckled. "Thanks, Alice. It's nice to see you again."

Alice beamed back at her.

"Rose, this is Edward," I introduced. "Edward, this is my sister-in-law, Rosalie. You might recognise her from that day in the hospital and from the diner that time."

"Yes, of course," Edward said, stepping forward and offering Rose a hand. "It's great to meet you properly. Bella talks about you a lot."

Rose's smile, for her, was warm. Though I'm sure to Edward it would have seemed tepid. "It's nice to meet you, too. I've heard a lot about you, also."

Edward ran his hand through his hair, showing the tips of his ears which had turned pink a little.

"And this is Jasper," I pointed over to where he was leaning against the counter. "Jasper, this is Edward and Alice."

Jasper nodded his head in greeting. "Nice to meet ya both," he said, hamming up his weak Texan accent a little, which made Alice giggle.

Edward stepped forward and offered his hand, which Jasper at least shook less firmly than Emmett. "Hey, man. Nice to meet you, too."

I didn't quite know what I should do or say next, and it looked like the others were having the same trouble. My kitchen wasn't huge, so it was starting to feel a little claustrophobic, trying to contain six people as well as all their nervous energy.

"Would you like a quick tour?" I asked, feeling the need to escape. "I suppose I owe you one after you showed me all around your parent's amazing house."

The lopsided grin that always seemed to make my heart thump spread across Edward's face. "I mean, you did show me around your whole town," he chuckled. "But, sure."

"I want a tour!" Alice said, mock-childishly.

I couldn't help but laugh at her pouting. "Well, come on then."

There really wasn't much to show them in my tiny apartment. They'd already seen my living room as we walked through it to the kitchen. I showed them the closet-sized spare room, which had been advertised as a second bedroom but I used it as an office, as it was only just big enough for a computer desk and a bookshelf that I used for all my files, books, and supplies.

Alice was distracted as soon as she spotted the wardrobe in my bedroom. She was like a moth to a flame. Though I felt a slight invasion of my privacy, it was hard to ignore the joy Alice got from inspecting every item of clothing I seemed to own.

Edward was much more enthralled by the wooden Orcas in the glass dome, completely amazed when he turned the small handle and the two animals began to undulate.

"This is beautiful," he said when I came to stand beside him.

"It's cool, right?" I smiled up at him. "My dad gave it to me for my birthday. He said it reminded him of when he used to take me down to the cliffs at La Push and we'd watch for dolphin and whale pods. I'd cry if I saw one of them swimming by themselves, thinking that they had been separated from their family and were lost."

Even though the memory was still wistful, it was colored by the fact that while I was so upset for the poor creatures out at sea, lost and alone, I was the one actually separated from my partner. By the pensive look on Edward's face, he wasn't unaware of the irony.

We moved back to the kitchen to get the appetizers and take them into the living room, as my kitchen was too small to accommodate the six of us.

Emmett had claimed the armchair, digging into the food on the tray before any of the rest of us had finished sitting down. I sat on the couch, sandwiched between Rose and Edward, while Jasper had brought in a chair from my kitchen table and sat across from us. Alice, however, sat criss-cross on the floor at the other end of the coffee table. She was opposite from my brother and I didn't envy the view her low vantage would give her of Emmett shoveling food into his mouth.

The conversation hadn't moved far from pleasantries, generally talking about how we were and how work had been that week, when my brother once again directed his attention to Edward.

"So, what is it you do?" Emmett asked, being a smart-aleck.

I could practically hear Rose's eye roll as she shook her head at her husband. Edward's knee bumping against mine was the only thing that stopped me from blowing up at my idiot brother. He seemed calm beside me, his body language hadn't changed so I knew he wasn't offended. But when I looked at him, his charming lopsided grin held mischief.

"Was that not in your background check?" Edward asked back in challenge.

Emmett's hand paused halfway to his mouth, another mac and cheese bite in his grip, as his eyes met Edward's. "You got me there," he laughed heartily. By the set of my brother's shoulders, I could see he was finally relaxed around Edward. "What is it you do as a composer then? Do you, like, make up symphonies, or something?"

"No, I don't write symphonies," Edward said with a smile. "I work freelance, writing music for a range of different clients. I've done ads, theme music for a few podcasts, and the score for a small Netflix show. But currently, I'm mainly working with a game developer."

"What kind of games are we talking about?" asked Jasper curiously. "Like iPhone games?"

"Video games, actually. I've been working with a company called Singer Studios. They make…."

A surprised gasp from Emmett interrupted Edward. "You're shitting me! You worked on Blood's Curse and Bathory's Castle? I love those games!"

I nudged Edward. "See, I told you he would think it was cool," I chuckled.

"You knew?! And you didn't tell me?" Emmett asked accusatorially.

"Sorry, Em." My apology sounded insincere as I giggled. "He told me when we went to Forks and it was kind of the least important information to tell you after that trip."

"Least important? Pffff," he blew out in dispute. "Those games are hectic! In Bloods Curse you're a soldier fighting against the hoarding vampire army of Vlad the Impaler and instead of the game ending if one of them kills you, you turn and have to start playing for their side. It was such a good twist! And in Bathory's Castle, you're one of the townsfolk that's been sent up to the castle as a servant, only to find a vampire den of horror that's nearly impossible to escape from. It's full gore and it's fantastic!"

Turning to Edward, my eyebrows were raised in amused shock. "That's what you work on?"

Edward smiled back at me sheepishly, a hand running through his hair. "Yeah. Kind of. But I don't have anything to do with the plots. I just compose the score."

"Wow. Like a proper movie soundtrack or something," Emmett marvelled. "Kudos, man. You're really good. The music is creepy as fuck."

"Thank you?" replied Edward, his tone turning it into a question, obviously not knowing if it was a compliment or not.

"It must be great working for the people who make the games," Jasper said. "Do you get a finished copy before they go on sale?"

"He does. But he doesn't play them," Alice answered for her brother.

"What? Why not?" sputtered Emmett, shocked to hear that.

"Are they boring when you know what's going to happen?" Jasper added.

Both he and my brother were leaning forward like they were trying to solve a riddle. The two of them got together regularly to play different video games, so the idea of someone not playing them was puzzling.

Edward shifted a little in his seat under their scrutiny. "Um… Well, that's got a little to do with it. But I've just never really been a video game player."

"He's practically a grandpa," Alice giggled. "Has been since he was a kid."

Edward kicked his foot out at his sister, knocking against her leg. Alice poked her tongue out at him in response.

"What do you do with them, if you don't play them?" I asked. "Use them as coasters?"

Edward shook his head and laughed playfully at me. "No," he chuckled. "Maria gave them to co-workers or clients she was trying to win over. I would have donated them to a toy drive or something, but they're kind of gorey and not really child appropriate."

"Dude," Emmett drew out in excitement. "Isn't there a new game coming out next year? Are you working on it? When you get your copy early, can me and Jasper have it?! It would be so sweet to get it before all the trolls start spoiling it online."

"Emmett!" Rose scolded. "Don't act like a mooch."

"But, Babe," he whined. "He said he can't donate them, so what's he going to do with them?"

"Yes, but you should wait to be offered instead of demand. It's rude and, frankly, a little presumptuous."

"I didn't demand. I asked," he mumbled back, under his breath.

Rose huffed a begrudging laugh. "Don't mind him, Edward. He's practically a giant twelve-year-old in a grown man's body."

Edward chuckled, good-naturedly. "It's okay. He can have my advanced copy when I get it. Better off it goes to someone who will appreciate it than sit on a shelf at my place."

"YES! You're the best!" Emmett pumped his fist in celebration, then leaned over to high-five Jasper. "Man, this is going to be so awesome! We're going to smash through it before Garrett even gets one in a store."

My brother was bouncing in his seat like he was Alice, excitement beaming from his wide smile. It seemed Edward had finally won him over. Apparently, all it took was bribery.

Over dinner, the conversation finally ended up on what had brought us all together. I had been chatting with Rose in the kitchen about some workplace drama that had been going on between a few nurses and one of the asshole doctors, while we refilled our drinks. As we walked back to our seats, I was distracted when I heard the direction the conversation the others were having had taken.

"See, I don't think that explains why she separated them," I caught Emmett saying, halfway through whatever his point was. "In the letter, she said she was scared of whoever she was running away from and that she specifically chose Dad because he was a police officer."

"What's your theory then? As you clearly have one," Edward challenged, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, Bree was obviously running from something or someone dangerous enough for her to believe that she needed to hide all trace of her daughters. My best guess? She somehow escaped from a human trafficking ring that was going to auction off her babies to the highest bidder. She got out and tried to hide as much evidence of her and the twins so they would never be found."

The picture Emmett had painted made my blood run cold. I'm sure my face showed the dismay I felt at that idea. I tried to keep in mind that my brother had spent years in the police force and as a detective, and he had seen and heard a lot of the scary stuff that went on in the world. But I had never contemplated that my birth mother's story could be anything as horrifying as what he'd described.

"Don't you think that's a bit far-fetched?" Jasper asked. "To me, it sounded like she was just a scared teen from a pretty religious background. Maybe she was trying to bless as many families as she could."

"Then how do you explain all that stuff about her being scared of them then?" Emmet countered.

Jasper shrugged. "I don't know, man. Didn't she tell Charlie she couldn't go home if she was pregnant? Maybe she hid it from everyone and no one even knew she was pregnant. Or maybe they were some kind of Evangelical, 'shun the evils of modern society' kind of religious."

"Okay, that just sounds super culty," Alice commented.

Listening to their theories, my skin started to feel all prickly, uncomfortable in my own body. It felt exactly like being in the room after I'd lost my son and all the doctors who were treating me just stood around my hospital bed and debated my 'condition' as if I weren't laying right there.

Finding my voice, I cleared my throat. "Can we talk about something else, please?" My voice came out timid, giving away the vulnerability I felt.

Emmett looked at me with worry. "Sorry, Bells," he apologized. "We didn't mean to get carried away."

The room fell into an uncomfortable lull as everyone tried to think of something different to talk about.

Beside me, I could practically feel Edward's energy. From the shift of his body, I knew he was concerned. He probably wanted to ask me if I was okay. After weeks of sitting next to each other in our Monday meetings, it was like we had become attuned to the other.

"You want to know what I think's funny?" Rose suddenly asked the group, breaking the awkward silence. "That the adopted brother and sister look more alike than the full-blood relative ones." She waved her finger, pointing between Edward and Alice, and me and Emmett.

Her commentary broke the tension and we all chuckled, looking between us.

It had always been something that we'd found funny growing up. I looked so like Charlie Swan, that if you didn't know the full story, you would never have suspected I was adopted.

"We definitely looked more alike when I didn't dye my hair," Alice explained with a tinkling laugh. "Naturally, my hair is a strawberry blonde color. But I've been dying it since I was a teenager because the pale look really washed me out."

"When she first started, she was deep in the Emo scene," Edward explained, a teasing tone to his voice.

Alice reached over and slapped her brother on the leg. "No, I wasn't, you butthead. It was more witchy vibes, a la The Craft or Practical Magic. And it's not like I didn't grow out of it," she finished with a huff and an eye roll.

"I'm sure you look nice no matter what 'vibe' you're goin' for," Jasper faux whispered, leaning toward her as if to keep his words private.

Rose elbowed me in the side with a smirk on her face, smug over having called that Alice would be Jaspers type.

Alice's cheeks blushed in a way that seemed all too familiar to me. Especially when I was sitting beside someone who could make me blush by just looking at me.

"Well, I definitely wasn't as stylish as I am now," Alice said. "But then again, the early two-thousands weren't that fashionable in general."

"Just you wait till that era comes back into fashion and all the kids start wearing things we wore as teenagers," said Rose with a mock shiver.

"It's already started," I pointed out. "I'll see a student wearing something and it gives me instant flashbacks to high school."

"The squiggly choker necklaces?" Jasper quired with a chuckle.

"I swear, I saw a girl in a coordinated, powder blue velour tracksuit the other day, and she wasn't even in P.E," I laughed back.

The tension finally eased and we were all able to settle back into a comfortable rhythm. It was easy to see how this could become a common occurrence. Edward and Alice both slotted into the brother/sister/friend group combo seamlessly. Almost like they had always belonged and we only had to meet for our group to be complete.

Emmett soon decided it was time for dessert and insisted we serve both the cobbler and the brownies Esme had sent, then began searching through my freezer for ice cream he could have with it all. We followed his lead and each filled a bowl with a little bit of everything, topped off with a squirt of whipped cream. It was kind of obnoxious, yet incredibly delicious.

"Mmmm," Edward hummed as he ate a spoonful of the triple-berry cobbler I'd made. "This is so good, Bella. It might even be better than the apple pie you took to my parent's house."

My heart warmed at his compliment, my cheeks tinging pink once again. "Thank you," I said with a bashful smile.

"I don't know, man," Emmett said as he scooped another spoonful from his half-empty bowl. "Her pies are pretty legendary around here."

Rose nodded in agreement. "It's probably what I'll miss most when we're in Texas for Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong, the catering Mom organizes is always great. But it'll never compare to a Bella Swan pie."

I could feel my embarrassment rising at the praise and attention. "They're exaggerating," I brushed off, my blush deepening.

"I'm sure they're not," Edward impugned with a smile, his eyebrow raised.

"What are you going to do about Thanksgiving this year, Bells?" Emmett asked, drawing my attention back to the group.

"Probably a classic pumpkin and maybe a cherry. Dad is always partial to my pecan pie, though," I answered. "Or do you mean how am I getting there? Angela said I could get a lift to Forks with her and Ben two days before, and they're going to drive back on Black Friday to avoid traffic."

My brother looked at me curiously, a crease between his eyes. "Has Dad not called you?"

"No," I replied, confused. "Why would he need to call me?"

"I talked to him the other day and he told me that he, Sue, and Seth had decided to visit Leah in Georgia for Thanksgiving," he explained. "It sounded like a pretty recent decision, but he said he was going to talk to you about it."

I tried to hide my hurt and disappointment. "Oh. no, he hasn't said anything."

"He was at work when I rang him, so maybe he just got busy and it slipped his mind." It was a plausible explanation. Dad was notoriously bad with phones. "Or he could be nervous to talk to you," Emmett went on. "I think he wants to get their blessing to ask Sue to marry him."

"Why do you think that?" I asked.

"He said he needed to run something by us both. Which in cryptic Dad-speak probably means that he's got some important news to share. And what other important news could he have for the two of us that isn't about him finally getting us a new mommy."

"Ew, Emmett," Rose complained. "Don't put it like that. You make it sound really weird."

While I was extremely happy at the idea of my dad and Sue getting married, with them off to Georgia and Emmett, Rose and Jasper heading to Texas to visit the Hales, I was left without any to celebrate the holiday with.

"Okay, then," I conceded, trying not to sound sad. I felt a little let down and left out. In an effort to bolster myself, I forced a smile. "I'm sure I can figure something out. Maybe I'll still go to Forks with Ange. I'm sure the Webbers wouldn't mind me crashing their dinner."

Angela's father was the local Baptist pastor. Growing up, Angela and I had become close due to kids always treating us a little differently because of what our fathers did for a living. Few people wanted to invite the Chief of Police's kid to a party and they always thought Angela was going to be a stick in the mud. Our dads were also comfortable letting us hang out at each other's houses, knowing we wouldn't be getting up to any trouble in either place. Consequently, I knew the Webbers well and knew they would welcome me with open arms if I needed somewhere to go.

"You could always come and have Thanksgiving with us, Bella," said Alice, breaking through my wallowing. She looked quite excited at the prospect.

To be honest, her offer shocked me a little. Thanksgiving was usually something you celebrated with your family and I barely knew the Cullens, outside of Edward. Wouldn't it be weird having me there?

"That's really generous Alice. But I don't want to imposition your parents."

"You wouldn't!" she countered enthusiastically. "Mom always makes so much food, and it's not like we don't have room."

"I don't know," I said uncertainly. What if the Di Nalis were invited as well? The last thing I wanted was a repeat of the last dinner.

"Alice is right," Edward affirmed. "Mom always makes way too much food for just four people. And I know she would be thrilled if you came for Thanksgiving. She's not the only one." He was staring into my eyes and I couldn't look away, caught in a trance by his sparkling emerald orbs.

It was like my brain shut down and without thinking too hard over the decision, I suddenly heard myself asking, "If you're sure."

"I'm sure," he replied, his crooked smile warming his face. "I'd love it if you came. We all would."

My heart fluttered in my chest. "Okay," I agreed, more easily than I could have ever imagined.

And just like that, the hole I had been trying to dig my way out of got a little bit deeper.

Well, there you go! This dinner went a lot smoother than the one with the Di Nalis. Even though Emmett tried to give Edward a hard time, he couldn't stay defensive for long.

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Till next time!