Beta: Frannie

Prereaders: Jill, Pearly, and Ariel

My heart: Full if love for my readers and reviewers.


My father has apparently decided this is a cause for grilling steaks, so we've migrated to the back patio. It is nice to sit out here with the two people I love most in the world, a cold Corona and lime in my hand. The weather is perfect, and Mom has changed the music from the offensive country to Queen—one of the few bands we can all agree on because who doesn't love some Freddie Mercury?

The weather is perfect, not raining for once in Seattle, and the smell of Mom's garden combined with meat being grilled makes it feel like all is right in the world.

"So, Isabella, huh?" Mom leans her elbows on the table, resting her chin in her palms and looking every bit like an older, cancer-ridden Shirley Temple.

"Cool. This again. Dad, you still keep your gun in the same place?"

Mom punches my arm surprisingly hard for a sick woman, and I resist the urge to give her the satisfaction of rubbing the sore spot.

"Drop your facetious front, Edward. Is she pretty?"

I close my eyes, forcing myself to take a deep breath.

"Do you think Dad and the Chief would be so fixated on me having the hots for her if she looked like a troll?"

"So you do, then? I know you do; I just want to hear it come from your face."

"She's pretty, okay? Any person in possession of at least one eyeball can see that. But I have a lot of other cases of pretty women. That's all she is, a case. I wanted to be the one to follow her on her date because I was getting antsy in the office. That's all."

"Okayyyy," she sings, dragging on the 'y'. "Just...Edward, don't close yourself off to the possibility of love, okay? It always happens when you least expect it, but if you're so adamantly avoiding it, you'll miss your chance at happiness."

There it is, again. That stupid 'H' word.

"I know, Ma. Can we please drop this now? You seem like you're doing well; it's nice to see."

And finally...fucking finally...my mother doesn't push it further. It's a miracle; I didn't know she knew how to not meddle.

I'm both grateful and a little worried at the same time.