so, I said the next chapter would come only on holidays but Gio and Maya kept buggering me to write something and I can't deny the girls lol or myself and Ash... anyway! hope you enjoy this new chapter and I'll see you next on Christmas! this time for sure lol

Paul was ready to start the weekend. He didn't always get the whole afternoon free, so he was looking forward to spending some quality time with Maya.

"Daddy, can we watch 'Mulan'? Gio said it was very good," Maya said. She batted her lashes at him, and he was a goner.

"Of course, shorty." Paul smiled when she pouted at him.

"Daddy, no! I'm tall now!" Maya scowled, putting her tiny hands on her waist. It took everything in him to not laugh at her. Paul knew she would never forgive him if he did so.

He placed his hand on her head, pretending to check her height against his knee. "Nope, you're still short, shorty," Paul replied, tickling Maya and delighting in the sound of her giggles.

It wasn't easy being a single parent, but Paul didn't mind the hardships most days. Of course, it would be easier if he had someone to share the burdens of life with, but he was content.

If a certain brunette's face entered his mind when he thought about dating, well, no one had to know.

"Okay, peanut, go change into your pajamas, and we can start our weekend sooner than later," Paul said, pushing Maya towards her room before going to the kitchen to start on some snacks.

He was making the sweet popcorn that Maya loved when his cell phone started ringing. Paul was surprised to see it was Bella calling, but a smile appeared in his face nonetheless; Bella Swan intrigued him.

"Bella, what do I owe you for the pleasure of this call?" Paul practically purred on the phone. He enjoyed making Bella blush, and he was certain her face was pink on the other end.

"Paul, hey! Sorry to call out of nowhere, but I was hoping you could help me." Bella sounded frantic, and Paul frowned. She went on rambling, "I know this is probably out of nowhere, and I'm not making any sense now because I'm—"

"Breathe, Bella." Paul chuckled when she took a loud, gasping breath. "I understood half of what you said, and that's saying something."

Bella laughed breathlessly, which made Paul smile. "Sorry, I know I probably sound like a lunatic. I'm just hanging by a thread here and I'm losing my mind."

"What can I help you with?" Paul asked, sitting at a chair in the kitchen, still able to keep an eye on Maya, who was rummaging through her toys.

"I'm really sorry it's on short notice," Bella continued, still out of breath, "but Charlie has a night shift and my neighbour's niece is sick and I was wondering if you could watch Giovanna for a few hours. She's been begging me to see Maya for the last few days."

Paul was startled. He knew Bella somehow trusted him a little, with how many playdates the girls had had over the months since they had met, but asking to watch her daughter? That was a big step, and he was pleased she trusted him this much.

"Yeah, sure. I can watch Giovanna for a while, no problem," Paul spoke, getting up and walking towards the living room. He smiled at Maya who ran towards the couch and hopped onto it. "When should we expect you two?"

Maya's ears pricked up and she turned her head to gape at him with wide, owl-like eyes.

"Is fifteen minutes alright?" Bella asked in his ear, sounding a little less panicked. "Thank you so much, Paul."

"No need to thank me, I know you would do the same for me," Paul replied, going to sit next to Maya. "We'll see you soon."

He quickly finished the call and turned to Maya, who was still looking at him curiously.

"Yes, peanut?" Paul asked amused, knowing exactly what his daughter was asking without saying anything.

"Was that Miss Bella?" Maya asked, mischief in her eyes—that looked remarkably like his.

"Yes, it was," Paul drawled, enjoying the scowl Maya was giving him. "Is there something you want to ask?"

"Is Gio coming to visit?" Maya asked, smiling already before Paul nodded. She squealed and clapped her hands. "Yay! I'm going to bring my favourite doll to show her."

Paul laughed as Maya rolled off the couch and rushed back to her room. He would never say anything, but he himself felt like running with the idea of having Bella come to his house.

It was different having two little girls in the house, but Paul realised he didn't mind. Giovanna was very polite and a nice contrast to the firecracker Maya was. Dressed in a pretty blouse and jeans, Bella thanked him a million times already, literal hearts in her eyes—a sight which sent his own heart pitter-pattering—and he couldn't wait until she came back.

"Do you think your mummy will let you sleep here?" Maya asked, and Paul tuned in to the girls' conversation.

"I don't know, we can ask." Giovanna shrugged, continuing to paint.

"Where she go?" Maya asked in that blunt way kids usually ask.

"She went to meet Mike, a friend she went to school with," Giovanna said, looking at Maya with a concentrated look on her face. "I don't like him."

"Why not?" Maya asked, and it was a question Paul wanted to ask too.

"He keeps looking at my mummy like she was a pie, and I didn't like it," Giovanna said with a small pout.

Paul had to hold back a laugh at her comparison before her words clicked. And then, his heart fell and a weird knot formed in his stomach.

He tried not to let it bother him that Bella had asked him to babysit Giovanna so she could go on a date. Paul couldn't judge her, but at least she could have said something beforehand.

Why should it affect him if Bella went on a date? It shouldn't. Shaking himself of those feelings, he decided to make a snack for the kids. Anything to keep his mind off things he shouldn't ask.

"Thank you so much for helping me out, Paul. I don't even know how to start thanking you," Bella said, when she came to pick Giovanna. She blew on her hands and rubbed them up and down the sides of her jeans-clad thighs. "Oof, it's freezing out there!"

"No problem, Bella, I was happy to help," Paul managed to say without expressing what he was feeling. He kept his face stoic as he extended an arm out and motioned at her to come inside. "Giovanna and Maya are almost done eating if you want to come in."

Bella frowned at his lacklustre greeting, which was different from what he usually did when he saw her, but she entered the house. Paul tried to hold his tongue and not mention the man she had gone on a date with, but he forgot about their daughters.

"Mummy! You're back!" Giovanna ran towards Bella, who kneeled in front of her daughter before giving her a tight hug. Giovanna pulled back and frowned. "Did that Mike stop looking at you like a pie?"

Bella squinted and cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"I think she meant he was looking at you like he wanted to devour you." Paul sounded angry even to his own ears.

"Oh. Oh!" Bella looked like a deer caught in headlights. "I didn't make that connection, but now that Gio mentioned…oh."

"If you need me to babysit again next time you have a date, just give me a heads up, would you?" Paul said before he could stop himself; Bella's confused face was messing with his mind.

"Date? Do you think I went on a date with Mike? Eugh, no!" Bella scrunched her nose as if she had smelt something funny. "I was trying to get a job at his shop, but I guess he never got over the crush he had on me during high school."

Paul was speechless; he didn't know how to react to this new information. If she was looking for a job, maybe he could help her with it.

"Do you know Sue Clearwater? Maybe she can help you with getting a job if you're interested," Paul suggested, the ache in his chest now having vanished into thin air. All of a sudden, he felt like he could walk on water if he wanted.

Bella's face lit up. "Yeah, I know her. You really think she could help me? Oh, that would be great, Paul! Thank you so much!"

Seeing her enthusiasm, something fluttered in his chest. He didn't know what was happening to him, but he was curious to find out more.