My entry for the Tricks and Treats Contest 2022 - such a thrill to receive the 2nd Place Judges Vote, Candyland & Pumpkin Patch Awards. Thanks so much to OhgeeFantasy and the team around her who host this contest every year.
Special thanks to Ipsita and Sally Hopkinson for helping me knock this into shape for submission at the very last minute. Meeting up with Sally and Lizzie Paige in my home town was incredible - a really wonderful time together.
Do you have any questions?" Angela asked at the end of the tour, still annoyed she'd had to dump me in this at such short notice.
"Um, yeah. Can we go over the gas heating, the oven, and the keys."
"Yep, let's do it." She wanted me confident and comfortable for the month I'd be looking after their home.
We stood at the tiny control panel, and she pointed out the only two buttons I should ever need to use: on/off and up/down to adjust the temperature.
Easy-peasy.
I struggled to light the gas cooktop with their child-proof lighter, and the self-igniting oven was a little tricky, but we agreed I'd get used to them. Their espresso maker filled the house with a mouthwatering aroma as it percolated away on the stove, and it delivered a decent cup of coffee.
The pantry had all the sauces, spices, and dried herbs anyone could want. Its contents, as well as anything in the fridge, were mine: cheeses, two kinds of milk, a pumpkin, apples, leafy green veggies, and celery and carrot sticks (Ben's go-to snack with hummus or Rojo's Classic Five Layer Dip). The freezer was tiny, but there was a grocery store five minutes away with a liquor store and pharmacy close by.
In explaining the house keys—one set for each car—Angela recommended I deadlock the front and back doors overnight. There had been a couple of break-ins in the street—information it would have been nice to know before I agreed to this. Well, I wasn't backing out now, not when they were leaving in the morning.
Someone had to look after the chickens.
They'd been planning this trip ever since Gianna was a month old. Little Gigi hadn't met her Hawaiian relatives yet, and this was going to be the first time Ben's whole family was together since Covid.
There was just one problem. Angela's parents—my aunt and uncle—forgot their commitment to housesit when they grabbed a deal on a Viking cruise to New England and Canada. We'd heard them talking about changing autumn foliage and natural spectacles, never realizing they'd be away at the same time.
It actually suited me. My roommate's car had been badly hail-damaged, so she was able to drive mine while her repairs were done. I also needed a break from living with Rose and Emmett, tired of sleeping with earplugs and opening the bathroom door to Emmett peeing. It didn't seem to matter how long we lived under the same roof. I never remembered to knock, and he never remembered to lock the door.
"Are you ready to meet the chickens?" Ben asked, and I followed him out onto the deck he'd just finished building. He pulled off his Uggs and slid his feet into a giant pair of Crocs by the door. "Use Angela's," he suggested. "You don't want to bring chicken shit into the house."
"Is there an area I should avoid?" I tried not to look horrified as I surveyed the longish grass and weeds—how this lawn was going to remain unless I mowed it. He'd done the front yard earlier, but then they forgot Gianna's six-month vaccinations were scheduled for today and had to rush over to the clinic, finishing just in time to get me from school.
"Not really," he answered. "They crap everywhere, even where they sleep and eat, but I've cleaned the coop today, so you won't have that mess to deal with."
I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. Unless he was giving them something to stop them from pooping, there'd be plenty more mess during the month, so I had better get used to it. According to Angela, their Silkie's were calm, friendly, and docile. She was the one who wanted to keep chickens, but Ben had taken over the role of looking after them, won over by the organic eggs they supplied.
"They don't make a racket in the morning?" I asked as I crunched my way up a white pebble path alongside their ancient garage that housed the classic car he was restoring. There didn't seem to be any poop in these stones as I tried to keep up with his long strides.
"No, they're not roosters."
So, only the male of the species did the cock-a-doodle-doo'ing at dawn. I now knew something else about chickens.
He jiggled one of the keys in the garage door, which screeched at being forced open, then lifted the lid of a large plastic tub full of pellets.
"I keep their food here, but there's enough in the feeder for a few days. They'll peck around outside for worms, and you can give them fresh scraps, but this is all they really need. Come on. I'll show you."
"Okay." I followed, hoping they'd take a liking to me.
I hadn't divulged that I'd murdered someone else's bird when I looked after their place a few years back. Bobby was excellent company, chatting away for a whole week until the terrible accident when he poked his little budgie head out the moment I let the door fall after filling his water. In a state of denial, I kept praying he'd wake up, and then I made things worse, not thinking straight. I took photos of a bird with a broken neck and purchased what I thought was a passable replacement at the local pet store. When his owners returned a few days later, my friend took one look at the new Bobby and asked, "Where did this other budgie come from?"
If I wanted to banish the memory of the terrible accident forever, I needed to keep two helpless chickens alive for the next four weeks.
Ben opened the roof where the chickens were resting on a thick bed of wood shavings, and they greeted us with a low but unsettled sound. The white one stood up as if she'd never seen the roof open before. She was like a caricature of a chicken—a puff of white feathers above a beak with no eyes. The other one was a brownish-gray version, cowering away from the two giants peering in from above. Ben gave her a gentle shove, and she fluffed up her feathers as if she were getting ready to attack him.
"Is she angry?" I asked, thinking we should close up the roof and leave them be.
"No." Ben lifted her off the nest. "Kiev is just stubborn."
"Kiev?" I had to confirm I'd heard that right. "As in Chicken Kiev?"
"And the white one is Jollibee."
"You're serious," I questioned, only half believing him.
"Yeah, back home, we never had chickens as pets. We'd play with them in the morning and eat them that night."
"Good grief." I winced, and he belly laughed, enjoying my reaction to the anecdote. "Just show me how to feed them."
Chuckling, he crouched down by the open door. "Reach in and lift that tube off the wall." It was a little awkward, but I managed to unhook it. "Take it to the faucet by the deck and fill it halfway with water."
Dodging some shockingly big clumps of poop, I carefully crossed the grass to the safety of the pebbles, and refilled the tube, hanging it inside the coop. Ben had done the same thing with the tube of pellets farther inside, showing me it was still quite full before hanging it back up.
"What do you think?" he asked as he slid their bolt shut for the night. "They usually take themselves to bed before dark."
"No problem," I assured him, having already promised I'd let them out and feed them in the morning, then have them safely locked in by sunset. No fox or cat was going to get to these girls on my watch.
Locking the garage proved to be an insurmountable hurdle, however. Without an exterior handle, I couldn't seem to pull the door shut and wiggle the key to get it to engage.
"I'll move the tub into the house so you don't need to open the garage."
"Good idea," I agreed, not pleased that I'd failed.
Relieved to find nothing nasty smeared on Angela's Crocs, I pulled on my socks and used the handwash in the laundry. Having poop everywhere was not something I'd considered when accepting this gig.
"Can you get her?" Angela asked when I came into the kitchen and heard Gianna crying. She was still sleeping beside their bed in a crib she'd just about outgrown. "I'll make her a bottle."
"Hello, Gigi girl?" I smiled at her open arms and picked her up. "Are you a hungry baby?" I had to shift her weight to my hip when I returned to the kitchen. "She's getting heavy."
"She was eighteen pounds today. I mean, Ben's six-three, so it's no surprise she's on the ninetieth percentile." She pulled out a chair for me while shaking a bottle of milk, then handed it over.
I cradled Gianna in the crook of my arm, hoping I was doing this right. Little fingers caressing the bottle and contented noises told me she was happy.
"So I'll drop you at seven?" I already knew they had to check in two and a half hours prior to departure.
"Sorry?" she asked, checking items off a list as she placed them in a backpack. "Uh … yes, seven is perfect."
"What happens at the other end? Is someone picking you up?"
"Ben's dad is coming. He's so excited to finally meet Gigi."
Suddenly, Gianna let out an enormous wail, and there were tears on her cheeks. Angela had me tip the bottle a little higher, and the contented sucking noises quickly returned.
"When the milk runs out, she bawls instead of getting angry. Breaks my heart, really." She ran her hand over her daughter's head.
"I'm sorry, Gigi. Auntie Bella's not very good at this." I rocked her gently, keeping a close eye on the flow from the bottle. "I hope I do a better job with your chickens."
Angela stood up straight and stared at me. "You're not worried about this, are you? There's really nothing to it."
"No, it's just … like anything new, it takes time before you get comfortable."
"You can call us if you have any questions, but please know you have the support of some wonderful neighbors. We've already told them Auntie Bella will be here, so expect Sam or Emily to come over and check on you in the next few days. She was the one who convinced me to get the chickens. Jake is harmless, but you might find him a little too friendly, so I'd have an exit excuse ready when you see him out front. His wife, Leah, is just gorgeous, though. Edward and Kate are next door, but I'm not sure what's happening there because I haven't seen her in a while, and he hasn't offered an explanation. You just need to know that he's nice. They're all really nice people. Our little community is the main reason we still live in this teeny tiny house. Are you sure you're okay to sleep on the couch tonight?"
"Of course, I'm okay. We agreed it will be easier in the morning if I can look after Gigi while you two get ready to leave."
She sighed as if she were relieved. "You are amazing, Bella, and there's some lucky guy out there swiping on Tinder who's going to find out one day."
I just smiled at the type of joke people made all the time now we'd reached this stage in our lives. We were educated, working, and coming out the other side of the pandemic. We could travel again. We'd talked about time being precious, how times had changed, windows of opportunity, and the things that were looming, ready to impact our lives.
My mother was even suggesting sons of acquaintances who might be a good match, and I knew I'd have to buckle eventually and go on a date.
"We're ordering pizzas tonight," Ben announced when he came in and found Angela still in a frenzy of packing. He picked up his daughter from my lap, and she squealed with delight when he peppered her cheeks and neck with kisses. As I watched them, I couldn't help thinking they'd made a good life in this teeny tiny house with wonderful neighbors and a baby who'd cemented their world. Their obvious happiness was something Ben's family would remember long after their vacation was over.
~'|'~
I didn't sleep too well on their couch when the living room had a doorway, but no door. Just as I'd finally drift off, Gianna would wake up, and I'd see zombies shuffling around the hallway with bottles of milk.
It was still dark when I left them at the airport with two large suitcases, a backpack that converted into a portable crib, and their precious Bugaboo car seat, which clicked straight into their stroller. Between them, they had everything covered, but I was relieved that Ben's dad would be there to help.
There was enough time to go back to the house and let the chickens out before work. Angela told me not to stress about them staying in every now and then, but it didn't feel right to imprison them on day one. For all I knew, they might plan their revenge on the new keeper and shut down egg production.
"Good morning!" I sang to them, but all I got in return was that same low howl. It sounded like chicken speak for go away and leave me alone. I lifted the lid to make sure they were okay and greeted them. "I know it's early, ladies, and a little bleak out today, but just think of the juicy worms awaiting you out here?" Jollibee did lift her head, but without seeing her eyes, I couldn't tell if she was acknowledging me.
A heavy piece of wood jammed into the dirt was the way they propped the door open, and the water feeder looked as full as I left it last night. When I leaned in to unhook the second tube with the pellets, I couldn't reach it, no matter how much I twisted and stretched. Six-foot-three Ben had made it look easy, but I was going to have to go in there for any chance of success, and it was just as well that I looked where I'd be crawling, because there was a fresh pile of poop right where my left knee would have made contact with terra firma.
"Ow!" I yelled when I banged my head hard on a ceiling beam—talk about a knee-jerk reaction. This chicken coop was an inhospitable place for humans, even a five-foot-five one like me. Last night, I'd been unable to lock the garage, and now I was the wrong size to complete a seemingly simple task. Carefully backing myself out of my jail, I felt like Alice in Wonderland when she ate that cake that made her grow too big for the room.
After a night with little sleep, then the early run to the airport, I had no option but to adopt Alice's simplistic attitude to these unfolding problems. With the White Rabbit in my ear about being late, a solution would have to wait until later. Unfortunately, I now couldn't ascertain if I was leaving enough pellets for the day, so I grabbed a bowl from the kitchen, filled it, and placed it inside the open door.
We'd driven Ben's old Chrysler 300 to the airport, and with only 60,000 miles on the clock, it ran like a new car compared to Angela's Mazda CX3. Leaving the house, the Chrysler keys were the only ones I could find, and I supposed they must have taken the other set with them. The subject of spare keys never came up, so I figured there was no need to mention it when the Chrysler was a perfectly good car.
~'|'~
I drove home from school in a great mood, having ended the week on a high. My fifth-grade class was basically the same as the fourth graders I'd taught via Zoom the previous year, and I'd learned how to challenge them while allowing just enough freedom to help them succeed. Having a group of parents who were forthcoming with their approval and constructive feedback gave me a certain confidence as well.
We discussed seasons and opposing hemispheres, talking about harvest, why certain trees dropped their leaves, and what was different about the ones that didn't. Their assignment, due by Thanksgiving, would build on the success of a project they'd done before. It was a fill-in-the-blanks story about a prize-winning garden they'd submitted in spring filled with daffodils, roses, fluttering butterflies, and the sound of buzzing insects. Now they had to look at the same garden giving up the last of its produce and shutting down for the approaching winter.
I'd been given permission to play the 1993 version of The Secret Garden—a movie that had entranced me when I was a child. It presented them with a series of sensory moods that I hoped would channel their minds into imagining a garden losing its leaves—how the bare branches allowed light to penetrate to the ground, just as they grew new leaves in spring to shade fledgling plants. I also reiterated that this assignment could only cover the season of fall and not the freezing conditions of winter.
The final task for the week was to go over the rules for the Jack-o'-lantern contest on Monday. We were never going to get permission for our kids to use knives, so the staff were carving pumpkins at home and the students were voting for their favorite. The entries would only be available for limited viewing, allowing time to tally the votes and declare the winner of this year's trophy—strangely reminiscent of last year's trophy—ready to grace someone's mantelpiece for Halloween.
When I pulled into Angela's driveway, there were no friendly neighbors, only a box on the porch marked "organic produce," and nothing to show it was meant for this address. Chickens laying organic eggs. Organic produce delivered by someone familiar with the street. You really couldn't get much more local than that. I'd heard people say this was where we should be heading if we were serious about changing the world.
Unlocking the front doors, I carried in my basket with its folders full of papers. I often stayed at school to mark sheets and upload results, but since the end of Daylight Savings Time, it was dark by six, and I had to be home for my two feathered friends.
Bringing the box inside, I left it on the counter, wondering why Angela hadn't mentioned it was coming and if there'd be another delivered next week. I did eat vegetables, but a whole box of them seemed excessive for two adults and a baby just starting on solids.
Reading a text from Angela, saying they'd arrived safely, I looked out the laundry window and saw Jollibee foraging on the lawn, so Ben saying they usually took themselves to bed by dark was already a bit of a stretch. We hadn't covered this eventuality, so I wore Angela's crocs and crunched my way up the pebbles, hoping Jolliebee would accept this as the final call before closing. Instead, she ignored me, so I herded her from behind while carefully watching where I put my feet. Slowly, she inched toward the coop, and finally climbed up the ramp to their bedroom.
The bowl I'd left had been tipped over, and there were pellets scattered over the ground. The local birds must have been feasting while I was at work, but there was nothing I could do until I came up with a better idea.
Lifting the cover, I ignored Kiev's protest at being moved, disappointed when there were no eggs. I bid them a good night, hoping they'd be a little more welcoming tomorrow.
Inside, the box contained a variety of veggies in there loose, much the same as those already in this fridge. I threw out a rotten orange and one potato that was dubious, and then had to scrape the thick soil off a dozen potatoes and then scrub them, along with a pumpkin and two sweet potatoes. I now had twenty apples and two bunches of carrots in the fridge, along with a couple of nice heads of cauliflower and broccoli. What remained in the box was that old-fashioned spinach I didn't like, but I could accept it served a purpose as packing material. I discovered three dirt-covered beets at the bottom, which confused me as I'd never known anyone who bought them fresh before.
It made me suspect that these could be the scraps Ben had mentioned, confirmed by a Google search that gave me a list of fruit and vegetables I could safely feed to chickens. Spinach. Beets. Apples and especially pumpkin seeds. Perfect. I intended to take some pumpkiny delight into the staff room before Thanksgiving.
Unfortunately, this pumpkin wasn't big enough for me to carve into a Jack-o'-lantern, and I still had other groceries to buy.
Packing away the scrubbed and dried veggies, I cut up a selection of my least favorites, ready to fling handfuls around for the girls to come across as they searched for worms. They would love me by the end of the month.
~'|'~
After an hour of schoolwork and then another searching the internet, I concluded that Ben had bought the most efficient product on the market. These chicken feeders were expensive, so I needed to find a way to use the one I had. Tomorrow, I would get rid of the poop, then put something down to protect my knees so I could crawl in there and locate a better place for the second tube.
While watching a YouTube homesteading channel, I heard a distant doorbell and decided I'd be damned if I'd be answering this door at night. Only a stranger would come here without calling first.
"Hello?" I jumped at the voice coming from the window beside me. "Are you there, Bella?"
"Who is it?" I asked with my heart racing.
"It's Edward from next door. Did they deliver my box of veggies?"
Oh, God. Why didn't I wait? I could have easily asked my cousin before packing away an entire box of organic produce that wasn't mine!
"Yes, sorry! I'll meet you out front!"
I turned on the porch light and opened the door, checking him out through the security door. He really did look nice and stood out there as if he expected me to have it ready to hand over. When I pushed open the security door, he took a step back, as if I'd surprised him. "I was looking for Auntie Bella."
"I'm Auntie Bella. Come in! Come in!" My voice sounded shrill as my brain scrambled up words to explain why I'd taken his delivery for myself.
"I was expecting Angie's auntie. You know, an older woman."
"That's my mother." I laughed. "They've just started calling me that since Gianna was born."
He nodded, and his eyes landed on the open box on the counter. Politely, he waited for me to address the silent question that hung in the air.
"I have a confession to make." It was the only place I could start. The truth was always better than a lie.
He lifted his eyebrows, and I kept on going. "I didn't know we were expecting anything, and then I thought it might be for the chickens, so I washed everything and put it away."
He looked shocked. God, this was so awkward. "Don't … worry about it. Honestly. They always bring too much. I'll just …"
Go was what he didn't say, and I hated starting off on the wrong foot with their nice neighbor. "Please. I want to repack the box and give it back to you. I may have chopped up some spinach and half a beet for the chickens, but the rest is intact. There's a recipe for cauliflower and broccoli soup."
I saw him hold back a smile, and then relax a little.
"Okay," he agreed, and the dynamic changed between us. I was no longer mortified, and while he turned down my offer of coffee or tea, he did accept a glass of water, as if he didn't want me going to any trouble but was happy to stay for a while. "You were going to give the beets to the chickens?"
He was grinning at me when I looked up from my hunt through the fridge and pantry, amazed I'd stashed stuff everywhere. "I didn't know what to do with them to tell the truth. I've never cooked them."
"You never had baked beets?"
"Never," I said, trying to make sure I got every last thing.
"Well I'm definitely cooking them for Thanksgiving. Family tradition."
"Will you see your family for the holiday?" I asked, reminded that some of mine would be elsewhere this year.
"No."
He just left it at that—strange when he was the one who brought up the family tradition.
"Two and a half beets." I made sure he saw me pack them. "I think that's it, but I promise to bring over anything else I come across." Placing the recipe sheet on top, I folded in the four sides so it would stay shut.
Without a reason to stay any longer, he stood, holding the box under his arm. I followed him out and he asked, "How are you getting on with the chickens? Ben said you had limited experience."
"Ben's limited is my zero, Edward. I already have a problem."
"Oh yeah?" he asked, going out the door but waiting on the stairs.
"I can't reach the feeder with the pellets. I need to find an alternative."
"Do you want me to take a look?" He put down the box as if he was preparing to do so right away.
"No, you go home and enjoy your evening. I'm not your responsibility."
He nodded. "Sure. Hit me up in the morning if you change your mind. I'm pretty handy."
"Thank you, Edward. I really appreciate the offer."
He stayed for a few seconds more, and then smiled, picked up his box, and went next door.
Nice. My cousin said the guy from next door was nice. She didn't say how thoughtful he was or that he would grow on me more every minute. There may have been a mystery surrounding his relationship status, but I was only getting single vibes tonight. Maybe I'd ask him outright and see what he said.
Either way, I'd be crazy not to accept his offer when it seemed so genuine.
~'|'~
Refreshed from a good night's sleep, I went out early and bought a pooper scooper, a bucket, a roll of small trash bags, plastic gloves, and newspapers. For my sanity, I had to deal with the poop situation.
Realizing the problem was nowhere near as bad as I'd built up in my head, I was soon shifting the girls so I could tackle the inside of the coop. The noise I previously found threatening was actually muffled and timid. They didn't want to budge, but there was no way I could be rough with these gentle creatures. When they did finally move, the poop where they slept was gross, but I had to admit to a little thrill at finding the egg Kiev had laid.
Determined to get every last landmine from the base of the coop, I laid out sheets of newspaper where I'd already been so I could crawl around with my bucket. Then I heard a familiar crow and found Jolli beside me, refusing to take a hint when I moved her along. There wasn't enough room to turn around, and I had another Alice in Wonderland moment trying to back out when my shirt got caught and I couldn't move.
"What the hell?" It wouldn't budge, even though I was prepared to rip my shirt to get out of my predicament. Each yank felt like I was tearing down the walls, and panic flared in my chest. "Let go of me, you bastard!"
"Do you need help?" Edward asked, popping his head over the fence—no doubt having heard the commotion.
"I'm stuck!" I called out, wondering how he was going to reach me when the front door and side gate were locked. "Can you jump the fence?"
Then before I knew it, he was beside me. "Don't need to." With one strong pull, he freed me. "I have a key to the gate, so I can come in for the chickens."
Of course. Ben would have had to rely on him or one of the other neighbors if I hadn't agreed.
"Thanks." I sighed when I managed to back out completely.
"What were you trying to do, Bella?"
I would have asked the same question of the girl with the plastic-lined blue bucket half-full of chicken shit, currently ripping off a pair of plastic gloves.
"Yesterday, when I was trying to unhook the feeder, I almost kneeled in doodoo. I've been cleaning it up."
"Ben doesn't expect you to do that. You're already doing him a favor." He reached in and the feeder came out in a jiffy.
My mouth fell open. "How did you …"
I soon lost interest in the question, watching him use his physical superiority to help me out. If he was handy, then he was probably seeing a solution, and I couldn't stop staring, eager to see what he came up with.
"What do you do for a living, Edward?"
There was no truck out front, so that ruled out a few professions. Maybe something in construction or engineering. He'd look good on site with a hard hat on his head.
"I'm a school counselor. High school."
Wow, I took a deep breath, and then another. I wasn't bold enough to give him the ultimate compliment, but I so admired the kind of mental strength he must possess, and his masculinity had just got me a little hot and bothered. Unknowingly, he'd just become a dangerously attractive combination, and I knew I'd better find out if he was taken before I said something I might regret.
"I honestly don't know how you do that job."
"Ben said you teach elementary, and I couldn't do that. Little kids with big problems must be heartbreaking."
"I don't think I'll be any good at that side of my job. I've been very lucky so far. No bruises. No kids abandoned or homeless."
"For me, the worst evil is in the parent or caregiver who uses words as their weapon. So much damage to heal and so hard to prove."
Wow, what a package he was. What a catch.
"I think we should hang it here, on the outside." He held the feeder in position to demonstrate. "The simplest solution is often the best."
Back to the task at hand, I tore my eyes off him to focus on what he was proposing and saw his idea had merit. Without a ledge to stand on, thieving birds would have to hover in the air hummingbird-style to access the pellets, plus he was using the existing timber supports.
"We just need the brackets." He made his way to the garage with his keys. Obviously, he'd have that access when that's where Ben usually kept the feed.
I followed him inside, and the smell of wood and grease took me to a time when I was little Bells, hanging around Dad in his shed, watching him tinker with something. He would have loved a son but made do with an inquisitive daughter. He still loves his shed with a Mariners game on the radio, and I still love to surprise him out there with an icy cold beer.
"Here we go." Edward smiled when he turned to me, holding a power tool and jiggling something in his hands. "He had spares."
I trailed behind him, eager to see everything he did, holding the power tool and brackets while he marked the wood with a pencil he'd put behind his ear.
In no time, he'd done it, handing me the feeder to make sure I was satisfied, and I was so happy that I hugged him. He'd just made everything so much easier.
"Bella."
From the way he said my name, I realized I'd hung on for too long, and I stepped back, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. You've been so kind. I don't know what came over me."
His expression was unreadable, and I wondered what excuse he'd use to make his exit.
"You don't have to be sorry. I just … I haven't had a pretty woman in my arms for a while."
Suddenly, his emerald eyes captured me, and I couldn't believe I'd missed how unique they were before.
What was he saying? What had he said? It wasn't nearly enough to satisfy my curiosity.
"Angela said Edward and Kate."
He shook his head slowly. "We broke up. She's been gone for two months now."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. I almost made a big mistake, that's all. We weren't meant for each other."
I didn't have to ask another question because he'd given me everything I needed to know. The relationship was over, and I was the first woman to hug him since the split. It made me want to hug him again.
"I'd like to do something for you, Edward. Are you free for dinner?"
"You mean like a date?"
It was impossible not to mirror his smile. "I mean like I cook and you eat."
"Then yeah. I like that kind of date."
~'|'~
My whole outlook on the month ahead had now changed. No longer bogged down with the negative side of keeping chickens, I was humming to myself in the kitchen, having gone out again and stocked up on everything I'd need, and currently enjoying the aroma of pumpkin, sweet potato and zucchinis baking for my vegetable lasagna. After many attempts, I felt like I'd nailed the right combination of vegetables, rich tomato sauce, and authentic Italian cheeses. Even Emmett, the carnivore of our house, was scraping the plate and asking for seconds, so I'd been making double lately to get leftovers for work.
When I heard the knock at the door, I thought it might be one of the other neighbors, but I was delighted to see Edward.
"Dead set that smells so good. Is it ready yet?"
Damn, add adorable to the package. "About halfway there."
He let out a sigh and said, "I'll come back when I can't stand it any longer."
"Come in now if you want! I could use your advice on something."
He hovered around while I stirred ricotta and basil into the sauce, then spooned some into the baking dish, layering pasta sheets, baked vegetables, mushrooms, baby spinach, mozzarella, and parmigiano cheese, sprinkling a little salt and pepper here and there.
"How long now?" he asked when I covered the dish with foil.
"Well, I haven't used this oven before, but usually about forty minutes."
He opened the oven door for me. "What was the advice you were after?"
I loved that he remembered while obviously starving, and I got out the hummus and the carrot and celery sticks for him. "Do you know anything about carving a pumpkin?"
With a grimace, he replied, "Not much."
"Because we have a contest at school on Monday for the teachers."
"Thanks." He bit off a piece of carrot. "Wow, you guys really get into it."
"We're not doing the carving at school, but we try to have fun when we can."
"We have a morning tea once a month. That reminds me, someone volunteered me to make pumpkin pancake muffins for the next one."
"Sounds like the recipe got jumbled up."
He chuckled. "I know, but it's apparently easier to serve them as muffins. Do you have an opinion on cooking fresh pumpkin as opposed to canned?"
"There's definitely something about the way pumpkin caramelizes when it's baked in the oven. It's so yummy."
"And how much longer now?" he asked, and I threw my head back and laughed. It did smell really good.
~'|'~
"So, do you do Thanksgiving activities with the students?" he asked.
"We absolutely do. There are a range of projects, and I'm allowed to incorporate something that's important to me personally."
"What's that?"
"I'm introducing the concept of giving something for Thanksgiving. The kids are encouraged to come up with ideas for things to eat, decorations, and jobs they can do for the hosting family like washing cars or raking up leaves before lunch or dinner. I know it might be the only time they ever think about giving for Thanksgiving. It's just something our family does, rather than one household having to do all the work.
He smiled as if he approved. "I like that idea."
We'd spent the afternoon comparing schools and finding more similarities than differences. Edward was a few years older and had completed his masters. I was still considering mine. He saw the role of a counselor as a conduit between the students and their teachers. He tried to listen and not anticipate because everyone was different. He felt his strengths lay in identifying disabilities and facilitating the right kind of help. While he'd majored in psychology, he was only able to make referrals to psychologists and other mental health resources. There were a lot of forms and reports to complete.
He'd originally rented his house, buying it from the family of the owner when she passed away, and he'd had plans to extend and remodel until Covid put them on hold. Now he was single again, he wasn't sure if a house in the suburbs was what he really wanted. I didn't ask, leaving it up to him to offer to explain what happened with his ex. He didn't.
While talking about Angela and Ben, it became clear that he knew much more about their lives than I did. He was one of a handful of guests at their tiny Covid wedding last year. He was there when they left for the hospital when Angela went into labor.
I dragged myself away when I saw it was getting dark, and with no sign of the girls on the grass, I went out and lifted their roof to discover them already in bed for the night. While they still crowed at me to leave them alone, I did feel more settled with them now, so maybe there really would be nothing to this.
I came back inside to see a man and a woman on the porch with Edward, and all three turned when I opened the security door.
"Hello, Bella. I'm Sam, and this is Emily. We're from the house with the green roof across the street. We came over to invite you to our Halloween party."
Edward bumped me with his elbow. "It's only so you don't call the cops."
"Stop," Emily laughed at him. "It really won't go late, Bella, and it's not a big affair. It's just our little tradition."
"She's got me carving pumpkins at the moment," Sam declared, grabbing my attention.
"I need to carve one myself, Sam. Could you give me a few pointers?"
"Sure, come on over and bring this guy with you. We don't see enough of him these days."
I looked at Edward to answer. The last thing I wanted was for him to think I'd ditch him for a better offer, especially since I was already becoming quite attached. Just as I was about to encourage him to come, he agreed with a grin big enough to make us all smile.
~'|'~
"Not bad," Sam announced. "Are you sure you haven't done this before?"
I really couldn't take too much of the credit when he'd given me the design, the method, and all of his patience. "You're a good teacher," I said, truly meaning it. What was in front of me was like nothing I'd ever seen before. This thing's mouth was so exaggerated on one side—cigar-between-the-teeth style. Instead of a cigar, it had a worried-looking baby pumpkin jammed in the large set of orange teeth we made by slicing just the skin off and cutting gaps in between.
"That's awesome," Edward stated as he stood back and looked at our creations, glowing with tealight candles inside. "You might have a shot at winning the contest."
I just scoffed, not wanting to admit he could be right. There was a chance that the pre-loved trophy would be on my mantlepiece on Monday night.
Edward had got caught up in the fun and gone home to get his own pumpkin. Carving the Batman logo was a great idea, but Sam's toothy horror was the standout of the evening. It was the embodiment of evil with its long pointy teeth top and bottom, like something that would surely burn in hell for eternity. Sam's second effort was quite simple, a pumpkin that merely looked like it was going to puke.
"Can I please have the tealight candle?" I asked. "I might display mine on the porch tonight."
"I wouldn't do that, Bella," Emily advised. "Someone's stealing them. I reckon it's creepy Jake."
Sam shook his head as if he wanted no part of the conversation, but now two of the women who lived here had a similar opinion, and for some odd reason, I wanted to meet Jake and see for myself.
"Is he coming to the party?"
Emily looked a little concerned. "I've invited his wife, Leah, so yeah, probably."
Excellent. I'd have my opportunity on Monday night when there'd be safety in numbers, and then I'd know if I needed to avoid him.
"How about I fire up the grill?" Sam offered, but I felt I'd be outstaying my welcome when we'd already been here for hours.
"Thanks, but I'm still full from lunch. I should go, but I owe you, Sam. Count me in to help out on Monday night."
"Yeah, I should go home, too," Edward echoed.
"Did you want the pumpkin scraps and seeds?" Emily asked and smiled as I took the plastic bag from her. "I really miss my chickens."
"You don't have them anymore?" I asked.
She stared at Sam and then shook her head, "We came home a bit late one night and they were pretty much gone."
"Just shut 'em in before dark, Bella, or call one of us to make them safe. You don't want that to happen to yours."
"No." The threat of predators suddenly felt very real.
Edward and I crossed the street together and I turned to him at my gate. "Thanks for today, Edward. Isn't it incredible that I got stuck in a chicken coop and we ended up becoming friends?"
"No, Bella, thank you for today. You know I haven't been over to Sam and Emily's place in months? You're like a breath of fresh air."
"I'm very glad." It felt like the perfect moment to hug him again, and had I not been carrying a pumpkin and a bag of scraps, I might have. Instead, the perfect moment passed, replaced by self-conscious hesitation.
"Well, goodnight."
"Goodnight, Edward." I went inside without mentioning that I'd love to see him tomorrow. It was naive to think he'd spend any more of his weekend with me.
Opening the door of the fridge, I made room for the pumpkin. Then I stared at the enormous mouthful of orange teeth and decided it could reside on the deck until Monday. I also went up to check I'd latched the little roof above the girls.
I had a shower, then made a hot chocolate and sat on the bed, grateful for the day I'd just had. Edward and I really had become friends, and if I'd had a hand in bringing him back into the fold after the split, then that was something to celebrate. Angela and Ben were right to want these people in their lives. It was a real treat being around them.
~'|'~
"Good morning!" I sang to my two little ladies, crowing their annoyance at the mere sight of me. "I know, I know, but I have surprises awaiting you out here, a veritable world of discovery!" Jolli was moving forward in slow motion, and Kiev was parked in her usual spot, almost weightless when I lifted her off the nest. They took so long to reach the top of the ramp that I gave up on the misplaced expectation that they'd joyously run around and gobble up the pumpkin seeds I'd thrown over the grass.
"Suit yourself," I grumbled and went back inside, disheartened. I'd already checked the grass before I tossed the pumpkin seeds in the air, so there wasn't even any pooper scoopering to do. Bored, I vacuumed the teeny tiny house, and that didn't take very long. The little hand-held on the wall in the laundry had a blue flashing light but died when I tried to use it. Thinking I could fix it, Google diagnosed the problem as a failed battery.
The laundry window was my way to check on the girls without going outside, and Jolli had red maple leaves stuck to the top of her snowy-white head. Her stance suggested she wasn't sure why she was suddenly wearing a hat. These birds were so peculiar that rather than confront her, I took a picture to send to Angela.
Killing time waiting to see if she uncovered the treats I'd scattered around for them, I couldn't believe how overjoyed I was when Edward knocked on the front door again. He'd gone to some trouble to look particularly nice today, matching a charcoal jacket with black jeans and immaculately polished boots. There was a hint of cologne that needed proximity to fully appreciate.
"You know how Sam was talking about backup last night? We didn't swap phone numbers in case you can't make it home before sunset."
"You're right. We didn't. I'll get my phone."
He set me up as a contact, called himself, and then looked like he was after an invitation to come in.
"I was just going to make coffee. Care to join me?"
"I'd love to, and then I thought we could go out. My treat. The Brick has a good selection of vegetarian food."
"Are you vegetarian?" Not that I had anything against vegetarians, but I was already hoping to cook for him again, and my vegetarian repertoire was pretty limited.
He looked surprised. "No, I just assumed you were after that incredible lasagna and then the polite exit when Sam offered to grill."
"Oh, no!" I laughed. "I might avoid chicken for the next month, but I'm definitely a girl who loves her meat."
His gaze fell on my lips, and I realized the innuendo I'd just uttered. To mention it only would make this worse, so I made coffee as if it hadn't happened. My only excuse was that I'd forgotten how to navigate the sexual side of dating. While I did appreciate the way Edward looked, the idea of being intimate again scared the heck out of me. That's why I usually kept to myself, accepting only invitations from friends who were already in relationships. I'd heard too many stories about online dating to imagine I'd meet someone nice—someone like the man currently sitting in my kitchen.
"So, should I get changed to go to lunch?"
He put a hand in the air, as if he was questioning why I'd ask. "No, you look amazing."
Amazing. Not just nice. Wow. "Then I'm ready to go whenever you are."
"So, I know just about everything about your work, but I don't really know anything else about Auntie Bella. I do know Angie didn't prepare me for you to move in."
It was sweet how he sprinkled these compliments into his conversations. They bolstered my confidence and endeared me to him.
"Well, I share an apartment in Tukwila with my best friend and lately her boyfriend. They're madly in love, and I'm starting to think it might be time to part ways, but I don't really want to live on my own."
"I can offer you my spare room if you get stuck."
I didn't think he meant it seriously, so I didn't treat it that way. "Well, I do really like the neighborhood already." We both smiled at the half-truths being bantered between us.
Just like yesterday, talking to Edward was easy. I told him about my childhood growing up with a cop for a father and a school teacher for a mother, how we all used to have Thanksgiving in the big house where Mom and her three sisters grew up in Forks, where Angela and I spent a couple of weeks every summer holidays. After two of the sisters moved out of state and our grandparents passed away, we still spent every Thanksgiving with Angela and her family—only this year it was just me and my parents. I asked him who he'll be sharing his baked beets with.
"Not sure I will. I have already celebrated one Thanksgiving."
I frowned, wondering what that could mean.
"My sister married a Canadian guy, and I flew up to BC earlier this month to have Thanksgiving with them. They surprised everyone by announcing they were pregnant."
"Congratulations," I offered, but something about his expression was off, as if he was happy for his sister, but there was an underlying sadness around the news.
"Do you want to have kids one day, Bella? I mean, I'm sorry. I just really wonder why you're single."
"I do want kids, but I'm an old-fashioned girl in a modern world, expected to find a partner online when I can't even bring myself to create an account. I'm a homebody who cooks dinner most nights of the week, and I spend at least an hour on schoolwork as soon as I finish my day because it keeps me sane."
Edward glanced at his phone and sighed, then got up to leave. "I'm sorry, Bella. Please forgive me, but I have to go."
I followed him out as far as the porch, but he didn't look back, rushing to his car and speeding away. It was an awfully abrupt ending to what had the promise of another great day, and I couldn't help wondering about the timing. He was all smiles and compliments until the moment I admitted why I was single.
Surely, he wasn't going to ghost me.
~'|'~
Edward's car lights shone into my bedroom after I went to bed, and his car woke me up when he left for school. I needed to be up early, anyway, feeding the girls on my way out the door. With the car already packed, I only had to grab my toothy pumpkin friend.
At first, I thought I was seeing things when there were holes in place of teeth, and I blamed our local birds until I discovered undeniable evidence. Showing me only their inert side, those two little bitches had been prancing around on Ben's deck, pecking and pooping, and I hadn't even noticed when I put them to bed.
Really, I was angrier with myself for not checking the Jack-o'-lantern last night, because I would have had time to carve another one or even take a stab at repairing the damage, and now my one shot at winning the trophy was over.
Certain these chickens didn't have the brain power to premeditate anything, I propped open their door, hung the feed tube on the outside, checked the levels of feed and water, and left them to it, knowing the sun would be rising before long.
I decided to take the pumpkin with me anyway and look at the funny side. For all I knew they might give me a special award for the most hideous entry.
"What were you thinking?" Jane asked when she gaped at the pumpkin on my staff room desk. In the light of day, the pock marks (or peck marks) were like a terrible case of acne. That wasn't even mentioning the teeth, which I now attacked with a knife, as if some were meant to be missing. By the time the others dribbled in, I'd convinced everyone that this was my entry, telling them my neighbor gave me the idea.
We displayed our creations on trestle tables in the hall, suitably decorated by the fourth and sixth-grade classes, and two of our wonderful admin ladies gave up their time to supervise the viewing and voting. Just before the final bell was to send them all back to class, a winner was announced by way of the entry being placed in the middle with the trophy in front.
Mine.
"I thought it was brilliant, Bella," Jess Stanley congratulated me.
"I don't believe it," Jane protested, shaking her head, and I cracked up with laughter, explaining what had actually happened.
By the end of the day, I had more than twenty emails praising my entry, some humorously full of chicken memes. Shelly Cope sent just two words, "Gloriously ghoulish," and it felt quite surreal leaving with the trophy in my basket.
Putting the girls to bed early, I planned to keep a closer eye on them to look for mischief in their personalities.
After handing out candy to two wizards and an alien, I had a shower, donned my leggings and black turtleneck, and made black smoky eyes blend out into dark red bruises. I didn't need to go to a lot of trouble when the addition of white contacts made the look really pop.
I took my pumpkin to the party, seeing Edward's place in darkness.
Emily greeted me at her front door in a black wig, red velvet dress, lots of cleavage, and long sparkly red eyelashes. She was even more mesmerizing than the candles floating in the air above us. A murder of crows erupted from their fireplace and flew up the wall. Sam, as a blue devil with a long tail, waved from the bathroom, sticking a procession of cockroaches to the tiles.
"What can I do to help?" I asked, surprised they'd gone to so much trouble.
"Come out onto our deck, my dear," Emily lured me in a quasi-Russian accent. Opening her arm for me to follow, I wondered for a moment what I was getting myself into.
They'd hung sheets from the roof and were projecting videos with creepy woods, flying bats, tombstones, and fiery Jack-o'-lanterns. The music they chose came right out of an abandoned carnival, where the merry-go-round sounds sinister when played too slowly. An outside gas heater made it warm and gave off the perfect-colored light. Sam's toothy Jack-o'-lantern held center stage, glowing bright from an LED candle and some sort of mist haphazardly oozing out. The effect was fabulous, and I soaked it all in to use if I ever had a party like this.
"We're not sure about the mist thingy, yet. We borrowed it for tonight."
"I love it, Emily. Now, tell me how I can help."
"Okay. Follow me."
She took Tupperware from the fridge: guacamole, chopped veggies and a bag of corn chips. "Make that Jack-o'-lantern look like it's vomiting onto the board." She handed over a spoon and tongs, and after feeling a little daunted at first, I soon had the giggles, accepting that vomit didn't have to be the most elegant substance on earth.
I was lighting tealights in mason jars and sticking large spiders to the outside when I heard people arriving. The blue devil introduced me to Emily's brother Jasper and his girlfriend Maria. With them was creepy Jake and Leah.
"Shit, your eyes." Jake jumped back, startled.
"What do you mean?" I glared at him, enjoying the fact that I'd unsettled him.
Cringing behind his wife, he kept pointing in quite an amusing way, actually. To everyone else, I smiled, but I only glowered at him, keeping in character.
The doorbell kept ringing as kids came up for treats and guests arrived: more neighbors, colleagues, Sam's parents, and younger brother. They all picked at the dips, veggies, and cheeses until Emily brought out hot dogs that looked like giant bloodied fingers and steamed pork buns with an opening that made them appear as if they were screaming. If she was going for delicious and gross, she definitely nailed it.
While people found the tale of my winning Jack-o'-lantern entertaining, I really knew no one here, and Edward's absence disturbed me. He hadn't actually said he was coming, and I'd only assumed because he said nothing when Emily told me to bring him. These people, including Jake, had all been very friendly, but the main reason I came was to see him. When it was eight o'clock and there'd been no message on my phone, I asked Emily if she was still expecting him.
"He contacted Sam to say he couldn't make it. Apparently, something happened at school. That's all I know."
Maybe he really was ghosting me.
~'|'~
Edward must have come home after I fell asleep that night, and I lost contact with the limited hours he was at home each day. Then one night, he drove in as I was taking the garbage bins out, and I waved. He came over, and in the dim glow of the porch light, I could see the dark circles shadowing his eyes.
I was concerned. "Is everything okay?"
"I really don't want to talk about it."
"If you're ghosting me, you can just say you don't want to see me anymore. I'm a big girl, and I'll survive it."
He grabbed a handful of his hair. "Bella, that's not what this is, but I just … I need to get some sleep right now."
"Sure," I replied and walked away. He was ghosting me all right. I'd looked it up, and his version was textbook, only it was harder for him to disappear when he lived next door.
The thing I hated most was that he denied it.
The house was chilly again when I went inside. I'd had to restart the heating several times now, and it wasn't easy getting back to sleep after I woke up freezing in the middle of the night. This time, I looked up the error on the panel, and we apparently had ignition failure, so I turned on the split system in the living room and shut every door in the house to force some heat into my bedroom. Their other duvet was in Gianna's cot, and I laid that over my bed as well. With a second pair of socks and a beanie, I'd make do for now.
The back yard was annoying me. The two chickens that made such a mess of my Jack-o'-lantern hadn't even touched the pumpkin seeds, and there were apples, spinach, and beets laying around as well. Even though the grass hadn't grown, it still looked terrible and was hiding things that shouldn't be there. I just picked it all up and told the girls they could whistle if they wanted any more treats from me.
Two days later, I had car trouble. An ABS warning light appeared on the dash, followed by a stabilization error, and I called my usual mechanic who diagnosed a fuse or sensor when I said it handled fine. He warned me not to speed, but the next day, it was raining and slippery, and I spun out, almost hitting a car in the next lane. I'd never lost control of a car before and it terrified me.
The Mazda keys were in Hawaii. The spares were at my aunt and uncle's house, and they were sailing to Canada. The spare keys to their house were also on the set taken to Hawaii. Rose checked with her repairers, who wouldn't guarantee a day when they were still waiting on parts, and everyone wanted their work done before the holidays.
Sick of everything and everyone letting me down, I spoke to Emily, who said it might be easier if I went back home, and she looked after the chickens until I came back. Rose agreed to do whatever I wanted. They came to pick me up, and I left.
I tried to reacquaint myself with the non-stop television, chatter, and the constant kissing. Even with inadequate heating and poop to pick up, I still missed the teeny tiny house and my chickens. Five o'clock would come around and I'd want to go over there to check they were safe for the night.
~'|'~
When Rose and I arrived home on Tuesday, Ben's Chrysler was parked in the street. Rose was rummaging through her purse, so she didn't notice how much the sight of the car unnerved me.
With so many thoughts flashing through my head, I knew the one I most wanted to be true was the least likely. One weekend in his company, and it was Edward who I really missed.
The keys I'd left with Emily were now sitting on our kitchen counter when Rose sat in Emmett's lap, pressing a hundred kisses to his face. I usually went straight to my room, but today, I needed an answer.
"Where did the keys come from, Emmett?"
All I got was a finger pointing at the patio, and suddenly Edward was standing in front of me.
"You shouldn't be driving that car," I warned him. "It's not roadworthy."
"I got it fixed. Nothing very complicated."
Only he belonged at another place. Seeing him here didn't feel real.
"Why are you here?" I asked, wondering how he got my address.
"I thought if you had the car, you might come home."
"Were you called up for chicken duty, Edward?" My little laugh fell flat when there was no humor in his green eyes.
"I hate seeing your place in darkness. I miss you."
"You can't miss me and never come home."
"This is the thing. It's been my life for too long."
"Well, I like to stay home." There was no point saying otherwise. I'd already told him I was a homebody.
"So do I."
I frowned. "You don't make any sense, Edward."
He looked away from me, staring at something in the distance. "I've been at my mother's house, in the hospital, at the hospice, planning her funeral."
"Has your mother died?"
He nodded and I felt a sinking sensation. "I'm so sorry, Edward."
"I'm not even sad, Bella. All I feel is relief."
"How's your father, your sister?"
"My dad's gone, too. He got Covid in the first wave and never came out of the hospital. My sister went home yesterday. She's devastated."
His whole being showed grief and exhaustion. I moved toward him, rubbing his back, and watched a tear run down his cheek.
"Her baby will never meet our parents."
The moment I heard Rose and Emmett giggle, I knew it was wrong having Edward's tears here. I wanted him home in case he really broke down.
"Come with me," I said, taking his hand and leading him to my bedroom. "Sit down while I pack my bag."
"You'll come with me?" he asked, like a broken little boy.
"Of course, I'll come with you."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Bella, but it was too much when we'd only just met."
"That's okay, Edward. I understand."
"No, you don't understand. Kate left me because she resented the time I was spending with my mother, and I couldn't start a new relationship until this part of my life was over. Then you moved in next door, all sweet and gorgeous and funny and needy." He laughed. "You just blew me away, and I was free to enjoy myself as long as I didn't say anything.
"Then one of my cases, who was on suicide watch, still got his hands on a gun and blew his brains out. Happy Halloween, everyone! I was too scared to tell you because I had fucking Kate in my head, nagging me to come home.
"I don't have a nine to five job, Bella. If there's a crisis, I can't just tell them to make an appointment for Monday."
"No, you can't."
He needed this release, and we had to leave so he could ramble as much as he wanted.
"Come on, let's go home." I picked up my bag, and we came out to the two lovebirds rubbing noses. "We're outta here, kids."
"We'll bring the car over as soon as it's ready," Rose offered.
"No rush," I replied while rushing to leave.
"Thanks for this, Edward." Emmett waved.
Edward raised a thumb as we left.
I had to wake him when we pulled into the driveway, and I made him go home to sleep, promising to come over later with dinner. The poor guy was so tired, it was the least I could do. Then I entered my teeny tiny house and felt the difference immediately.
The heating was working.
Grinning, I went to the window to check on the girls, and my hand covered my mouth.
The car, the heating, and now the lawn had been mowed. Impressive.
It didn't matter if this was some grand way of apologizing or just him asking for a chance to start over.
The man had found the way to my heart.
~'|'~
Two weeks later …
"Which one do you prefer?" Edward was watching my reaction as he popped a sample of warm pumpkin pancake muffin in my mouth.
"Hmm, I think I like the bacon. Not sure about the chocolate chip."
"Everything tastes better with bacon." He grabbed me, licking crumbs off my lips. "Especially you."
I giggled and lifted my jaw to his kisses, not caring that we were just as bad as Rose and Emmett now, constantly kissing and teasing each other. Edward had been very patient with me, knowing my anxieties about consummating our relationship. I wasn't scared anymore, but two weeks still felt like too soon. We had sleepover dates instead of actual sex: talking, snuggling, and exploring each other. We set ground rules about peeing in the toilet with open doors and leaving hair all over the basin or the bathroom floor.
"What if they don't like me?" Edward's concern about meeting my parents was cute for a grown man.
I wrapped my arms around him. "They will like you." I could only repeat it so many times. "You're bringing baked beets and home-made pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. That kind of opens the door to their approval."
He let out a pained sigh. "I just want them to know I'm serious about you."
"They will know, Edward, and they'll see how much I like you, how I've fallen in love with you. Do we really need to worry about what they think?"
He sat down and pulled me into his lap. "If you're going to move in with me, then yes, we do."
"Edward." I squirmed, not sure we needed to discuss this again.
He held onto me, grazing my neck, turning my insides to jelly. "Just for a month while you work out what you're going to do."
"And then it will be another month. I already know what you're like."
"I can't help it. I want this. I want us."
I looked into his gentle eyes, pleading for me to agree, and I did want to give him an answer, but I didn't have one yet.
"Let's just get through Thanksgiving, okay?"
"Okay," he conceded, leaning his head on my shoulder, but I knew it wouldn't be long before he brought this up again.
Thanks for reading and for those who voted in the contest - love ya!