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Wiping the back of my hand across my brow, I watched Edward and the band load the last of our things into the condo. Even Embry was there, lugging a nightstand or something through the front door. Our eyes met briefly and I gave him a small, grateful smile.

He smiled back, winking before disappearing again.

Edward and I were hot and sweaty and gross.

He thought it was dirty and sexy. I just thought it was dirty. I let him chase me around our new place, laughing as we tripped over boxes and bags and crap. And then I let him catch me, pulling on my pants as we tumbled in to the hallway. I fell to my knees with him right behind me, grasping and pulling and wanting.

Classes were starting back up again in a couple of weeks. I was craving that return to education, having had enough mind numbing secretarial work to last me a lifetime. I'd still go to the office a few days a week after class but it would only be for a few hours.

I wanted to have everything squared away with the condo by the time I returned to school.

It only took me three days to fully unpack. As soon as I got off work I drove straight home, where I'd then spend the next few hours cleaning and putting things away. By the time Edward came home on Thursday night our house had become a home.

"Looks great," he grinned, tossing his bag down. "I can't believe you got it done already."

We met in the middle of the living room. He bent to kiss me as I folded into his arms. "Messiness stresses me out," I said, kissing him all over his mouth. "I needed it to be tidy."

He nodded, kneading his hands into my back.

"Wanna grab a pizza for dinner?" he asked, watching me yawn.

I must have looked as tired as I felt.

"Definitely. You call; I'll be in the shower."

"So what're they called again?" Edward was hovering in the kitchen watching Alice and Rose assemble food for the housewarming.

"Tapas," Alice said, expertly removing several calamari and empanadas from the little deep fryer she'd brought over.

Initially I thought they'd brought too much food. Between their "tapas" and my cookies and things, I was sure we'd have leftovers. But as more and more of our friends showed up -mine, Edward's, ours – I realized Alice's estimations had been right on.

"You can start bringing these out," she said to Rose, who dutifully grabbed a couple of platters out to the living room. I followed behind her with small plates and an assortment of dips.

Edward was dragging his pinkie through the brownie batter when I returned to the kitchen.

"Stop," I cried, swatting his behind with a dish towel.

"Just a spoonful," he said, reaching for a spoon. "And that's it."

I made a face. "That's gross. You could get sick."

"I did it all the time when I was a kid," he argued, trying to get another taste.

"So did I but times have changed. You don't want salmonella do you?"

"No." He sounded pouty. I glanced over my shoulder; yep – he was pouting.

"Edward, stop," I laughed. "These'll be ready soon enough."

A loud voice by the front door drew his attention and he wandered off.

"Finally," I sighed, pouring the brownie batter into mini cupcake shaped molds.

I popped both them and the cookies in to the oven and helped the girls bring the rest of the food out.

The whole condo had a remarkable view. We were a few floors up, looking out over the softly swaying beach grass and the thick blue stripe of ocean just beyond.

As more of our friends and family showed, I gave them the grand tour. Each time I showed someone the breakfast nook and how it looked down onto the beach or the incredibly cozy bedroom I shared with Edward I was hit with how lucky I was.

Even my mother had softened up. She'd spent a couple of nights hanging out with me, helping me decorate before Edward got home. I could tell she was warming to the idea of me being gone. It helped that she had Phil now.

It also helped that Edward was so charming. He'd gone out of his way to make her feel comfortable; reassuring her that he loved me... which of course melted me even more as well.

At the moment Mom was chatting it up with Esme, lingering over wine and tapas. Apparently they knew each other from around town but had never really been acquainted.

"I don't believe it," Rose muttered, sidling up beside me as I stood on the balcony with Seth.

"What?"

"The groupies are here."

"No way," I breathed, turning to look back inside.

Sure enough, Jess, Carmen and two other girls I didn't recognize were mingling near the front door.

Because we'd actually become friends I'd invited Kate and Charlotte, but these other chicks had some gall coming up into my home after giving the stink eye whenever the band was out practicing. Once it had become common knowledge that Edward was fully off the market I'd been subjected to all sorts of bitchiness. Not that I cared much. Between Kate, Charlotte, Alice and Rose I had my own table to kick it with.

The foursome studiously avoided me until finally Jess wandered over. I tensed, wondering what she was going to say.

"Hey Bella," she said, glancing around the living room. "You guys lucked out with this, it's really gorgeous."

"Thanks Jess," I said, trying my best to be sincere.

And gracious.

It wasn't too hard, actually; Jess wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer but she was far from the meanest of the bunch. No, that title might go to Carmen, who was now standing on the balcony with a beer and a band mate.

"Congratulations," she added, eyeing Edward as he walked over.

He looked at me, and then at her, then at me again, smiling like there was a joke he wasn't privy too. Jess turned pink and backed away, returning to her friends.

"What was that all about?"

"Nothing… she was just congratulating us on… everything."

He smiled down at me, running his hand through my hair. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Said we lucked out with this place."

He shrugged. "We make our own luck. We make things happen for ourselves, remember? Choices."

He tapped his index finger against my forehead. I took his finger and kissed it.

Time sped up now that Edward and I were back in school. Some days we were so exhausted from classes and commuting that we barely had the energy to kiss each other good night. The stack of take out menus in our kitchen grew.

Because Edward was working on his Masters now, he'd enrolled in the two year program at UW's College of Built Environments. It was located in Seattle, which meant at least two and a half hours on the road both ways, but it's what he'd wanted – even from before we'd met. It's a good thing, too. Had I thought he was doing all that driving because he wanted to live near me I'd have been eaten up with guilt. It helped that he'd also set up an internship of sorts at his father's firm and had several online classes so he didn't have to do the commute five days a week.

As for me, I'd completed my two years at Grays Harbor Community College and was now a junior at UW Tacoma. I had to do a lot of driving too, but my trips weren't quite as long as Edwards. Once or twice a week our schedules coincide closely enough that we could ride together and I loved that. I told him we needed to plan a road trip sooner or later; I loved just being in the car with him.

Despite the hectic nature of things, those days were so memorable, so wonderful. Sure, we were running around like crazy but like my mother so often reminded me, it was just a season. Life was comprised of them, she said. Times of building and times of breaking down, seed time and harvest. Edward and I had our moments and when we did, they were incredible.

I felt good knowing that I was working toward a goal. Each day I went to campus, I knew that it would all culminate one day in me being a teacher. Before, I'd been floating sort of aimlessly, making the best out of each day. I'd been happy for sure, but definitely lost. Having purpose changed things.

And it wasn't just the mental peace that choosing my career had brought. It was Edward, knowing he was the probably the One. The knowledge sat deep inside, making me flutter when I thought about it. We didn't talk about marriage or anything, but our plans always included one another, regardless of how far ahead in the future they were.

For Thanksgiving my mom and I joined Edward at his family's house. It was awesome having everyone we loved under one roof like that. I missed my dad though; Edward still hadn't met him yet. We decided to head up to see him the following weekend, just for a day or two.

"You sure you got everything?" I asked, for probably the seventh time.

Edward looked at me, raising his eyebrow in amusement. "Babe…"

"I know, I know – I just don't want to forget anything."

"We'll be gone for three days. Even if we did forget something I think we'd survive."

I nodded, knowing he was right but stalling. I was having a rough time subduing the nervousness.

My father, though I didn't see him much these days, had always been an important part of my life. We chatted via email on a regular basis, so he knew I was seeing someone, but until recently he hadn't realized how serious Edward and I actually were. Knowing Charlie would likely panic, my mother had suggested I wait to tell him that Edward and I had our own place. She wanted him to meet my boyfriend, deem him worthy first.

I wasn't so sure that was the best idea but she, technically, know him better than I did. So I went along with it. I sort of wished he was coming down to Ocean Park, where I'd at least have my mother and Phil as buffers. Oh well.

"We're not going to get there when we said we would, Bella," Edward warned, jingling his keys impatiently.

"All right." I grabbed my purse, made sure my phone, keys and wallet were inside, and followed him out. We'd already put our overnight bags and snacks in the car; all that was left to do was gas up and hit the road.

Despite being late November, the day was bright and beautiful. It was cold, but at least the sky was blue. Every now and then I begged Edward to pull over so I could catch a quick shot of something pretty.

After long last we entered Clallam County. My father had lived in Forks for most of his life and I'd visited him a lot, spending entire summers with him when I was younger. This town felt even smaller than mine did.

While it was tempted to stay at one of the little inns in town, we opted to stay with Charlie and his wife Sue. She was home when we arrived, and welcomed us with open arms. Apparently Charlie had run to the store to pick up a few items and would be back shortly. I was relieved; at least we'd have a chance to settle in a bit.

I'd always liked Sue. She had a real direct personality, like my father, but unlike him was soft around the edges. They complimented each other quite nicely and I'd have been lying if I said I didn't have similar hopes for my mom. She was a contented person, regardless, but I'd seen how much happier she was with Phil.

"We'll be eating soon, Bella," Sue said once we'd come back downstairs. "You guys thirsty?"

"I am actually… "

She gave me a knowing grin. "Coke?"

"Sure." I smiled. Some things never changed, apparently.

"Edward?"

"I'll have a Coke, too. Thanks."

"No problem, honey." She squeezed his arm affectionately.

Edward grinned at me as Sue walked away. She definitely liked him.

I pushed away from the table, almost uncomfortable with the amount of chili I'd just consumed.

"That was…"

"So good," Edward finished for me, his too-full expression mirroring mine.

"Aw, finishing each other's sentences!" Sue cooed, genuinely thrilled.

I blushed. Edward fidgeted. My father rolled his eyes.

Thankfully, things had gone smoothly. I could tell he wasn't thrilled about our living arrangement, but he definitely seemed to approve of Edward. It helped that Edward was ambitious and forward thinking, and that he obviously cared for me, loved me. He liked that Edward had his career lined up with his father's firm, and that it was something he was not only adept at, but passionate about.

My father wasn't quite as stoic as he appeared; still waters ran deep.

Soon the conversation turned to the classes Edward and I were taking at our respective schools.

"So you just gonna keep on doing that drive?" Charlie asked, frowning.

"Well, not forever…" Edward glanced at me quickly before refocusing on Charlie. This was a conversation we'd broached a couple of times but it had never gotten too far for one reason or another. "Eventually I'll… we'll probably have to move in to the city."

My heart jumped. That seemed like a logical next step, but something about it seemed so definitive, so final somehow.

We sat around talking, enjoying each other's company and Sue's coffee cake until it got late. Now that he knew we were actually living together, Charlie didn't try to suggest Edward and I sleep separately. Besides, I was twenty now. In my father's eyes I'd always be his little girl, but he could see that I'd made my choices. He wasn't in denial over my growing up and I respected that.

My childhood bedroom had been made in a study, with a pull out couch. Sue helped us set it up and then she and my father turned in, promising we'd do something nice the next day.

Edward and I took turns in the tiny bathroom and then snuggled into bed, craving one another's warmth. He ran his hand under my shirt and over the skin of my back, then down into my pajama pants, his fingers playing with the lace trimming my panties.

"Were you a naughty girl in high school?" he whispered. "Do you sneak out boys in or sneak out?"

"No," I breathed.

"Can you be very quiet?"

"Yes…"

so dinner at the on-laws last night went fine actually. good food. :)