Carlisle's work schedule was mostly to credit for keeping his relationship with Bella under the radar. They'd had several more conversations about when to disclose things to Rosalie and decided on waiting until Bella got back from her trip to Forks.

On the day she was scheduled to go back, everyone took their turn saying goodbye and Alice made sure she a moment alone to talk to Carlisle.

"You're sure you'll be alright getting back?" He asked her.

Bella nodded. "Yeah I'll be fine." She gave him a little smile and then let it fade. "I'm gunna miss you."

Carlisle raised a hand to place on the side of her face and Bella put hers over his. "You're not going to disappear on me, are you?" He was kidding but Bella saw just a hint of seriousness in his eyes.

"I already can't wait to come back.. maybe.. maybe more permanently..?"

He continued to look her in the eye and nodded. "I'd like that." Carlisle added, "Thank you, Bella."

"Thank you," she told him before leaning in to giving him a long hug. Her eyes closed and she inhaled his scent against the jacket he wore. Not being able to feel his arms around her for several weeks was surely, and perhaps dramatically, going to feel like torture.

Bella looked up at him as they separated just an inch or two before pulling him down in for a kiss. "I love you," she whispered against his lips. It still felt so new to say that.

"I love you, too." Their lips danced off one another's several more times before Bella finally forced herself to pull back. "I'm going to miss that too." She sighed and gave him a closed-mouth smile.

"I'll be here." Carlisle looked down as she grasped one of his hands. "Enjoy your time with Nessie and the rest of your family."

"I will." Bella tried to focus on home much she missed all of them rather than on how much she would miss Carlisle. "I'll see you soon."

"Be safe, Bella."

..

Renesme waited on the steps of her house watching the children play in the yard as she awaited her mother's return. When Bella finally pulled up in the driveway, the two of them shared a simultaneous smile before sharing a big hug.

"I missed you," Bella said with a smile.

"We've all missed you, too." Renesme pulled back and her children all came running to join them, each giving Bella their own individual hug and kiss.

"It's almost time for winter break from school!" Jacob Jr. exclaimed.

"I know!" Bella said back enthusiastically. She laughed and they all scattered back out into the yard to kick a soccer ball around.

"Where's Jake?" Bella asked.

"Working on a project at Sam's house," she said with a shrug. "How was your trip?"

"It was good," Bella said with a grin, not fully decided on if she was going to inform her daughter about her connection with Carlisle.

What's the harm? Bella and her Nessie were pretty open and honest with one another.

"I'm sure it was great to see everyone," Nessie went on. "I'd like to make a trip there myself some time. I miss them all, too. I feel like these guys would get a kick out of Emmett." She motioned to the boys playing in the yard.

"Yeah, I'm sure they would." Bella smiled and looked outward as they ran around. She snickered at their wild antics. "I think I'm going to go back after Christmas. Alice planned this little.. trip."

"What kind of trip?"

"Skiing." Bella laughed. "They haven't been out and about as much and I think she's deprived of socializing. I agreed to go."

"That's great." Nessie nudged her. "How, um.." she giggled a bit as she asked, "How's Carlisle?"

Bella smiled and looked down. "He's.. good."

"Was I wrong?" Nessie asked, "In thinking there might be some potential there?" She then added excitedly, "Oh! Did he give you the present?"

"Yeah." Bella rolled up her sleeve and showed off the bracelet, allowing Nessie to look into the center of it.

"It's so cool, right?" She gushed. "And I'm not just saying that because I helped him pick it out."

"It's amazing," Bella agreed. "And if I'm ever away.. for a little while.. I'll always have you close by." She smiled. The two of them hugged again.

"Damn.." Renesme said as they parted.

"What?"

"I really thought there was something there," she said, "Between you. He was nervous picking that out. You seemed to have-"

"You were right," Bella blurted out, making her daughter whip her head up with big eyes.

"What!?"

Bella chuckled and toyed with the charm on the bracelet as she looked down at it. "You were right."

"Wait.." Renesme put her hands out as she smiled excitedly. "Did he say something? Did you? What happened?"

"We talked.. and," Bella chuckled, "Actually when he gave me the bracelet I just.. kissed him."

Renesme patted her hands together and laughed. "I knew it!" She raised her eyebrows. "And he kissed you back?"

Bella nodded and looked down as she smiled wide.

"Well no wonder you want to go back," Nessie said, giving her a squeeze. "He could've come back here with you again."

"He has to work."

"Right.. so.. are you two.. what's the right word.. together? In a relationship? Or are you just feeling it out for now?"

"We're.. together." Bella nodded. "It feels sort of fast because we haven't seen each other in so long but.. it feels.. right."

"What feels right?" Jacob paraded out the back door where the two of them sat and greeted Nessie with a quick kiss. "Did the boys behave for you today?"

"For the most part," she grinned.

"I put on some water for spaghetti," he added as he greeted Bella with a hug. "How were my favorite bloodsuckers?"

"Jacob.." Renesme swatted him. "Don't forget you're married to one."

He laughed and Bella smiled at him. "They're good."

"They're not moving back here are they?"

"No," she said. "I wish."

Renesme cleared her throat and Bella gave her a look.

"What?" Jacob asked. He looked back and forth between then and then to Bella.

"Nothing."

"You hooking up with Dr. Dracula or something?" He joked, making Nessie smirk and raise her eyebrows. When Bella didn't deny it he straightened up a bit and asked more seriously. "You're hooking up with Carlisle Cullen?"

"We're not.. hooking up." She shook her head. The phrase sounded too sophomoric for her connection with Carlisle.

"Don't tease her," Nessie defended her mother. "It's about time you're happy, Mom."

"You're serious?" He looked at both of them with his hands on his hips. "Because when I first asked the question I wasn't serious."

"It wasn't something we planned," Bella explained. "I kind of can't believe it myself." She chuckled.

Jacob finally let out a laugh and ran a hand through his hair. "I may need a beer or two to wrap my head around this."

"Don't overthink it, Jake."

"Doctor Cullen.." his perfect grin made Bella shake her head. "Did he take your temperature yet?"

"Jacob Black!" Renesme used his full name like she did with their sons.

"You know I'm stronger than you, right?" Bella asked, rising to her feet.

"Try it Swan," he called her to him with one hand and bounced around like a boxer. His playful antics made Bella laugh.

Rather than fight him she went and gave him a hug, squeezing him a little extra tight when she went to release him. Jacob groaned and then laughed before calling in the boys to wash up for dinner.

"Going to join us?" He asked her.

Bella smiled and scooped up his youngest son as he went to run past her. "I'd love to."