Things have been crazy, blah blah blah, but I'm really sorry to be so late! We had a rough couple of weeks, and while everything is fine now, it's been a little hard to get back into the swing of things. Thank you so much for sticking around.'

Fair warning, this is definitely kind of a filler chapter...but I think you'll be excited for the next chapter!

… …

In some ways, the shift in Edward and I's relationship had seemed subtle. But really, things were so drastically different than they had been just one year ago that sometimes it didn't feel real.

I rested my cheek against his bare chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart. His hand moved up and down my back languidly, and I couldn't believe how happy I felt. The last few months had been hectic. I had already been worried about becoming a mother and how to take care of a baby, so when Mila had been born a few weeks earlier than expected, it had been even more overwhelming. I was incredibly lucky that Edward was so hands-on with our daughter, because otherwise I'm sure I would have gone insane without all of his help. It had been hard to go back to school, even if it was a few weeks later than everyone else in my class, both because I had to leave my baby and also because catching up was hard work.

But tonight, all of that stress and worry just seemed to fade away. Edward and I had always had incredible sexual chemistry, so I had known that it would be easy to fall back together. What I hadn't expected was that it would be a little different- and better. It wasn't just about sex anymore, so while that element was still there, something else made the connection between us feel even stronger.

It still scared me. I knew Edward and I both still had issues to work through, and that maybe we were moving too fast in some ways. But I was more committed than I had ever been, and so was Edward. We had time, and neither of us wanted to let the other slip away again.

"This is nice," Edward murmured, smiling crookedly. "But..."

"But?"

"I...I miss Mila. I love all three of us sleeping under the same roof, and this would be the first time we don't put her down to bed here. Would it be okay with you if-"

"Yes," I said immediately, sitting up slightly. "I know what you mean."

He texted his mom to let her know the change of plans, and even though it was late, she assured him that she was up late anyway, waiting for Carlisle to get home from his shift. We dressed quickly, and I couldn't hold back a little laugh as we both shoved our shoes on.

"What?"

"Did you ever imagine this? That the two of us would be rushing out of bed at almost midnight, because we miss our baby?"

Edward laughed too, pulling me close to kiss me. "No. But I'm happy things did turn out this way."

The car ride was brief, but filled with smiles and laughter and holding hands.

"Were you missing her too badly?" Esme asked as soon as she opened the front door to let us in.

"Are we that obvious?" Edward asked as he kissed his mom's cheek.

"Well, sending me a text at almost midnight to see if you could come pick her up kind of gave you away," she teased. "But I understand. It does get easier, but it's so hard at first."

Mila was fast asleep, and I watched with stars in my eyes as Edward gently picked her up and got her into her car seat. My heart always melted around the two of them, and seeing how much Edward loved our baby just intensified that. After a quick kiss and a hug from Esme, then a much longer goodbye between her and Mila, the three of us headed home.

"I'll put her in her crib," I said, reaching for her once we got inside the house.

"Bring her to bed for a while. She'll need to eat soon, anyway."

We got into bed, and Edward took Mila from me and rested her on his chest. I leaned my head against his shoulder, looking down at our baby. I loved her always, but there was something special about when she was sleeping.

"I was thinking that, if you're okay with it, you stop sleeping in the guestroom," Edward said quietly, looking down at me. "And I have a few therapy appointments scheduled over the next few weeks...and I was hoping that maybe you could come to one, if it fits into your schedule. I'd like to have you there."

"Okay. To both."

He smiled and kissed me, and I didn't even worry about whether we were moving too fast or what it would be like to go to therapy with him. I just wanted him, and I knew that we could make it work.

… …

My dad smiled down at Mila, totally smitten.

I sat back on the couch, my hand in Edward's, as I watched the two of them. Seeing Edward with Mila was incredible for so many reasons, but it was also amazing to see my dad with his granddaughter. It was different for me, but the sight of both was almost overwhelming, because I felt so lucky that Mila had these men in her life.

"She's getting awfully big," my dad commented between blowing raspberries on Mila's stomach. "What are we gonna do with you, little lady? You'll be all grown up in no time!"

"Oh, don't say that," Edward said with a shudder.

"Just wait," my dad cautioned. "Bella is the reason for all of my grey hairs."

Sue rolled her eyes. "Oh, it has nothing to do with the fact that you're just getting old?"

"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side!"

Mila made an angry squawking noise when she felt that no one was paying enough attention to her, making everyone laugh.

"Kind of a drama queen, aren't you?" My dad said, his tone stern. But he quickly went right back to tickling her belly, and I think all of us, including Mila, knew he would probably never actually be stern with her. He got far too much joy out of spoiling her already, and she was only two months old.

"How are you doing, Bella?" Sue asked. "Is school going okay? Is Mila's schedule getting a little easier to get used to?"

"School is fine. It's been really fast-paced, especially because I started a little late, but I'm just taking it a day at a time. Even when it's totally crazy and overwhelming, I still enjoy it. And things have calmed down a little bit with Mila. She still wakes up through the night for a feeding or two, but it's definitely easier to handle now that we have more of a routine down."

"What about you, Edward? Are you ready to go back to work?"

I listened as Edward talked about getting ready to take over his classes again, and told Sue what his schedule would be. Even though he was talking about cutting back on his teaching course load, or maybe taking a break from teaching at the university all together, he still had freelance work on his plate, too.

"Well, I'm sure you won't want to be going back to work, but I really am looking forward to having Mila here a few days out of the week," Sue said. "Oh, come look upstairs. We got a little room put together for her."

Edward and I followed Sue upstairs, with my dad and Mila in tow. Sure enough, the small room between my old bedroom and the master bedroom was all set up as a nursery. It had always been an "office", but no one had ever gotten any use out of it. Now it was all set up for the baby, including her name painted on the wall above where the crib was situated.

I felt tears come to my eyes as I looked around, seeing that both my dad and Sue played a part in putting the room together for Mila. I recognized my dad's craftsmanship on the crib, as well as the small bookshelf in the corner. Sue had already filled it with books, including some I recognized from my childhood.

Sue, seeing that I was overwhelmed, just put her arm around my shoulders. "We love you, Bella, and Mila. We want you to have a place here."

"Thank you," I whispered, even though that felt like it didn't properly express just now grateful I really was.

Edward took my hand and squeezed, seeing that I was overwhelmed with emotions. I squeezed back, knowing that the three of us were very lucky.

… …

Hoping to post the next chapter of Ineffable on Tuesday, and then this story again on Friday. Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed this little filler chapter- next chapter will have Edward's therapy appointment in it. See you then!