oOo
Jackie was teasing Bella mercilessly all through lunch, making insinuations, giggling, and wondering aloud whether her sister'd had a nice evening.
Their parents, of course, showed some interest too, so Bella told them that, yes, there was someone she was seeing, but that it was very new.
"But he's a nice boy?" Renee wanted to know.
"He's very nice, mum."
"But he's not exactly a boy!" Jackie piped up with a snorting giggle.
"What do you mean, not a boy?" Charles Swan, though open-minded and liberal, blanched. "You mean… you mean you're seeing a girl?"
All eyes were on Bella, who wanted nothing more than to throttle her sister.
"What Jackie was trying to say in her inept way was, that Edward is not exactly a boy. He's… well…" Bella swallowed. "A man."
"He's, like, fifty!" Jackie exclaimed.
Now, it was Renee's turn to get pale.
"He's not!" Bella smacked her sister's arm. "He's forty," she added softly, staring at her mashed potatoes.
"Wow." Charles cleared his throat. "That's quite some age gap."
"I know," Bella whispered. "But I really like him, Daddy. You should meet him. He's a lovely person."
"Well, he sure looks good," Jackie said. "For an old guy!"
"Can you just hold your big mouth for one fucking second?" Bella screamed.
"Bella!" Renee scolded.
"Be good, girls," Charles admonished.
After that, they turned to more harmless subjects, but Bella was mostly silent.
If that was her family's reaction to the mere fact they had been on one date, what was everybody else going to say? And they didn't even know the rest – that Edward was a widower, and that he sometimes drank too much…
She was glad when lunch was over. She played her weekly game of Rummy with her dad.
"Don't mind Jackie," Charles said in his usual good-natured tone. "You know how she is."
"I really like him, Daddy."
"I know. You've been so happy the past few weeks. You're sparkling, Pumpkin, and if a man does that for you, I like him too."
Bella looked up and smiled, her dark eyes meeting her father's similar ones.
"Of course, if things get, um… serious between the two of you, I'd certainly like to meet him."
"Sure, Daddy."
She told everyone goodbye at half past four and finally made her way to Maida Vale with a fluttering heart.
Edward opened the door of his house only a second after she'd rung the doorbell, making Bella wonder whether he'd been waiting behind the front door.
"Hey," he beamed.
"Hey."
This time, there was no awkward moment. He placed a soft kiss on her lips, and his hand went to her face, covering her cheek, his thumb passing over her skin.
He shut the door and helped her out of her coat.
"Did you have a nice lunch?" he asked, taking her hand as he walked her into the living room. His long fingers felt spectacular wrapped around hers.
They sat down on his large, burgundy velvet sofa, facing each other. Edward took her hands into his.
"I'm so glad you're here."
"So am I."
They were silent, the connection between their hands speaking loudly and clearly.
Bella moved closer to him, and Edward moved closer to her.
He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her ear through her hair, and her cheek. He sighed.
"Bella."
"Edward."
She inhaled his scent again. It turned her brains to mush.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too."
He sighed, and placed a gentle kiss on her temple. His lips moved lower, to her cheek.
"Bella… I…"
She moved a little, just so that she could look into his eyes.
"You are so beautiful, Bella. A beautiful person, and a beautiful woman. And you are so important to me."
"Edward," she sighed.
And then, they melted into a kiss.
oOo
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