I apologize for all of the confusion with chapters. I'm pretty sure I finally straightened this out! :)

Chapter 3:

Bella hadn't expected to call Edward at all, let alone so soon. But, in her defense, .she never expected events to occur the way they did.

A few months had passed since Melanie had moved in with Bella and both were beginning to adjust. Bella was still having issues balancing motherhood and a social life, mothering always took precedence. The days passed quickly though; Mel had school five days a week, playgroup after school, plenty of friends for playdates and when she was home with Bella, she was a resourceful girl who contented herself with her toys. The two had come to understand each other and had developed a mother-daughter bond.

Bella smiled to herself, remembering a warm October evening when she and Melanie had had their first of many movie nights. They had curled up on the large comfortable pleather couch, Bella in her favorite sweats, her hair sloppily pulled back and Mel in her adorable pink ballerina pajamas. Warm blankets covered them, they leaned together, but still had their own blanket. A pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, with two spoons sticking out from it, sat between them and they absently picked at it. Adam Sandler, in the movie Bedtime Stories, was playing in a new imaginary world that Mellie was eagerly drinking up.

"Mommy, can you tell me a bedtime story?" she asked Bella later that night as she was being tucked into bed. "Not one from a book, but one you make up from your head."

Using fragments from children's stories that she had edited in the past, Bella wove a fairytale for Mellie complete with just the right amount of romance, action and adventure for a six year old girl. When Mel had finally dropped off to sleep, Bella quietly tiptoed out of her bedroom and into the study next door. It was a Friday night, so Bella had very little reading to do for work. Instead, she looked over the notes that Edward, Mr. Cullen, had been putting into Mel's Take Home Journal in which the two communicated. His notes were filled with encouragement and praise for both herself and Melanie. He informed her that Mel often bragged about her mom and all the fun that they had. But, he found it necessary to tell Bella, Melanie had a good sense of right and wrong and punishments. All in all, Bella had done a good job with her.

Following a spur of the moment "I have everything under control" instinct, Bella sent out an e-mail inviting her family for Thanksgiving dinner. She figured it would give "Uncle" Emmett a chance to meet Melanie and a chance for the whole family to get together.

How hard could one family dinner be? she reasoned to herself. It's just a fancy meal, nothing too difficult.

Or so she assumed then, and by the time she knew better it was too late to back out, everyone had happily agreed. And so, it was another Friday afternoon, but Mel was visiting Mrs. Thompson across the street and Bella was up to her elbows in a Thanksgiving meal. She had pulled out every cook-book she owned and several How To's from the internet, but none seemed to be helping her. She tugged at her hair that was pulled back messily into a bun and wiped her hands furiously across her now flour covered jeans as if that would solve all of her problems.

Maybe I'll just pick up a pre-made turkey from the supermarket tonight, she thought rebelliously. No one will ever have to know the difference.

But the dratted little voice in the back of her mind told her she would be wrong to do something of the sort. A frantic knocking at her front door startled her from her thoughts. Not caring in the least about her disgruntled appearance, Bella walked towards the front door. Upon opening it, she was shocked to see Melanie, pale and panting standing there all by herself.

"What's wrong Mellie Bellie?" Bella asked her, looking around for Mrs. Thompson. "Where is Mrs. Thompson?"

"Sh-she-she," Mel stuttered out that one word before breaking down into tears and pointing to the house. She pantomimed grasping her chest and falling over, still unable to talk.

"Alright, it's going to be alright, baby," Bella told Mel, she wasn't sure who she was trying to convince. "You go inside and calm down, Mommy's going to get help."

Melanie nodded obediently, comforted by the mere thought of her mother "fixing things". She trotted down the hallway towards the kitchen in almost a trance. With Melanie gone Bella had lost her one and only reason to keep from breaking down. Mentally shaking herself, Bella broke out of the trance and picked up her cell phone.

Dialing 9-1-1, she quickly informed the dispatcher that she was relatively sure that her elderly neighbor had suffered a heart attack. She was however sure that the neighbor was in trouble, she explained as calmly as she knew how.

With an ambulance on the way, Bella was at a loss of what to do. Someone had to go with Mrs. Thompson, the poor woman should not be alone in the hospital, but at the same time, someone had to stay with Melanie. Frantically flicking through her contacts, Bella's eyes settled on the one person who she knew for a fact that she could speak to.

Edward.

Hurrying into the downstairs bathroom, Bella shut the door and dialed his number. She was literally shaking now, the affects of the adrenaline had faded leaving her exhausted and terrified.

Thankfully, he answered after only two rings.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Edward, this is Bella Swan, Melanie's mother," Bella said, feeling tears fill her eyes.

"Bella! What's wrong? Are you okay? Is Melanie ok?" Edward had heard the tears in her voice and now he was frantic.

"We're both okay. Oh, but Edward!" Bella felt herself come undone. "Today has been such a mess. I can't make a turkey…a turkey!" She gave a hysterical laugh into the phone and continued her tale. "And then, Melanie knocks on the front door. She was all alone and terrified, she told me that Mrs. Thomson, our neighbor who watches her collapsed. I sent her inside and called 9-1-1, but now I don't know what to do! Someone has to go with the poor woman, but I can't take Mel and obviously she can't stay alone." Bella began to sob hysterically. She was alone and scared. Never had she experienced anything like this on her own, when she was expected to fix everything and be strong.

"Bella, calm down," she heard Edward say in such a kind voice that she felt immediately calmer. "Look, we'll handle this. Give me your address and I'll be right there. Send the medics ahead with your neighbor and when I get there you'll head over. I'll stay with Melanie until you can come home. And then we'll talk about Thanksgiving."

"Thank you, Edward," Bella whispered into the phone, relieved to have someone else taking control again.

Bella Swan was a strong, capable girl, but she was so young to be in control of so much. Juggling the many aspects of motherhood and emergencies was something that she had yet to accomplish, not that she expected many more emergencies.

About five minutes later, Edward's car swung into her driveway. Its driver appeared frantic, his hair mussed, his eyes wild, and his shirt on backwards.

"I was at the gym when you called," he said, running a hand through his hair as if to tame it. "You should change and head over to the hospital."

Bella attempted to laugh, but it stuck in her throat. Instead, she opted for the grateful nod and motioned Edward into the house.

"Mel's in the kitchen," she whispered hoarsely.

Edward nodded and walked down the hall in search of the room. Bella realized when she was upstairs that she had never told him where it was. Quickly, she pulled on a pair of jeans, a pale blue top and threw a green sweatshirt over her arm. To cover up her disgusting hair, Bella took one of her father's ancient baseball caps. Taking the stairs two at a time, she ran into the kitchen and stopped in her tracks.

Edward and Melanie were at the kitchen island, Edward standing and Melanie kneeling on a stool. Talking softly to her, he was showing her how to make one of the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that she loved so dearly. Glancing up, Melanie motioned Bella into the room.

Bella saw the whole scene play out in her mind. She'd walk in and stand beside Melanie and run her fingers through the child's hair. Edward would move closer to her and wrap her in his arms and kiss her cheeks and hair lovingly. A family. Bella saw them all as a family. Mel would call Edward "Daddy", and he in turn would lift her up in his arms and swing her around in dizzy circles, Melanie giggling the entire time.

She shook her head, as if to dislodge the daydream from her memory and stepped momentarily into the room.

"I'm going to go now. Melanie, I need you to be good for Mr. Cullen, he's going to stay with you while Mommy goes to take care of Mrs. Thompson," Bella said seriously.

Looking up, Edward gave her the oddest look. It made her think that maybe he had had the same "vision" that she had. But of course that was ridiculous. Edward Cullen, Melanie's gorgeous teacher would never think of her that way. Wait, since when was he gorgeous?

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