Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The original plot and storyline of Never Enough, however, belong to me. Please be nice and don't copy or translate without permission. Thank you.

I must shower Iadorepugs with insane amounts of love for all she does for me! July 23 will arrive soon, and so will I! Oh, and go read her new one-shot, Down & Dirty, where ditch digging has never been hotter, and tell her to continue it! Cullen_Crazy01, I thank you for betaing from your sick bed and for not killing me when I come to you with yet another crazy idea. And Anne, thanks so much for your continued support and encouragement! You all rock!

So, there might just be some information in this chapter that some of you have been patiently waiting for (hi JSRose!) …. Read on, and meet me at the bottom!

Chapter 20

A quick glance at the clock told us we had about twenty minutes before people started showing up for work, and I didn't particularly want to be caught in Edward's office this early, especially by Emmett or Jasper. I couldn't help but giggle as we retrieved our clothing, some of which had been tossed quite far in our eagerness for one another.

Edward donned his trousers and then helped me dress, insisting since it was his fault I was naked that it was now his obligation to re-dress me. Somehow, Edward dressing me was almost as arousing as Edward undressing me. As he helped me back into my clothing, he pressed warm kisses to my skin before he covered it, and despite the complete satisfaction of my recent orgasms I was practically panting by the time he finished zipping up my boots. He stood slowly, his fingertips ghosting over the outside of my thighs before his hands settled at my waist. His eyes roamed my face, and he smiled crookedly at me. "Your hair looks like a haystack. I like it."

I grabbed my purse and dug through it for a hairbrush, trying to tame the waves that Edward had so successfully mangled with his long fingers. I watched as he picked up his shirt, trying to shake out the wrinkles we had perma-pressed into the fabric as it was being crushed beneath us on the couch. He simply shrugged as he donned the shirt. "That's why guys wear jackets," he told me.

"Really? Guys wear jackets just in case their shirts get crushed under them during hot couch sex?" I asked, my eyes widening as a clapped a hand over my mouth. Too late!

Edward threw back his head and laughed. "Hot couch sex? I like that," he chuckled.

"Yeah, I noticed," I teased him with a wink, and he groaned, stepping forward and slipping his arms around my waist again. I heard his stomach rumble. "C'mon, let's get you some breakfast. You've been working hard this morning."

Edward unlocked his office door and stuck his head out in the hallway, looking first one way and then the other. "Coast is clear!" he whispered. He grabbed his jacket and handed me the coat I had brought with me and then grabbed my hand, leading me down the hall toward the exit and elevator. He dropped my hand to don his suit coat as we waited, and helped me into my coat. When the elevator arrived, he ushered me inside with his hand at the small of my back. A moment after pressing the button, he had me pressed against the side of the car, his fingers in my hair and his lips devouring mine as though he hadn't kissed me in days….or as though it would be days again before he could.

It was the desperation of Edward's kiss that cemented my resolve. I was no longer going to allow the whims of my children to dictate when and where I could spend time with Edward. Will had gotten used to Renesmee in Jacob's life, and he could just as easily get used to Edward in mine. My heart felt lighter at my decision, which I vowed to share with Edward over breakfast, and I wound my arms around his neck, losing myself in his embrace.

I didn't notice the elevator moving, and I didn't notice it stopping. I don't think Edward realized it either, until we heard the sound of someone clearing their throat behind us. I felt my cheeks heat with a blush as Edward slowly pulled away and turned around, slipping his hand into mine and lacing our fingers together.

"Good morning, Bella," Emmett said as we passed outside the elevator. I glanced up at Edward's brother, who had a huge grin on his face as his eyes shifted from me to Edward and back again. "Where are you kids off to so early this morning?"

"Breakfast," Edward answered. "And no, you can't join us," he added when Emmett opened his mouth to speak again.

"Good morning to you too, Grumpward. Who peed in your cheerios?" Emmett grumbled. "I would have thought you finally getting laid again would have a positive effect on your pissy attitude."

Edward reached out to smack Emmett on the back of the head, but Emmett ducked and easily missed the blow, laughing as he stepped out of reach. "You kids have a good time, and don't do anything I wouldn't do...although it looks like you've already started the morning with Emmett-approved activities." I felt my blush intensify when he wiggled his eyebrows at me and winked as the elevator doors closed.

"Well, that was interesting," I muttered as we stepped outside into the cold.

"That was mild, for Emmett. I'll pay for that later," Edward laughed, throwing his arm over my shoulders. "C'mon, my favorite diner is just down the street. Let's get some breakfast."

We walked quickly, the chill in the air rushing our steps. Despite the short distance, my teeth were chattering by the time he ushered me inside. He waived to the waitress and led me to a booth in the corner. The waitress brought over two menus and two steaming cups of coffee, and I gratefully wrapped my hands around mine, trying to absorb the warmth.

Edward held out his hand to me, and I slipped my fingers into his, the feel of his thumb caressing the back of my hand soothing the nerves that had suddenly cropped up. Edward felt the trembling in my fingers and looked up at me in surprise. "Are you okay, Bella?" he asked with concern, giving my fingers a little squeeze.

Now or never, I thought. "Yeah, I just wanted to ask you something."

"You can ask me anything, Bella," Edward encouraged.

I took a deep breath, then started speaking. "So I was thinking last night, about how we agreed to only see each other on my weekends without the kids. I know we agreed that we were doing it for Will's sake. But I realized, how is Will ever going to grow to accept us dating if he never sees us together?" I asked. "I mean, he was less than thrilled when Jacob and Renesmee started seeing one another, but he came around when he spent more time around them."

I studied Edward, who was looking at our intertwined fingers with a thoughtful expression, and I felt encouraged. "We don't have to be in his face about it, but if he sees us together and realizes that I'm not going anywhere despite the fact that you and I are dating, then maybe it will be easier for him to accept."

"What exactly did you have in mind?" Edward asked.

"Nothing too bad," I promised. "Since the store's closed on Sunday and it's my weekend, I was just thinking about making a nice dinner. Maybe you could come over and eat with us, spend some time with me and the kids? "

Edward raised his free hand to run his fingers through his hair, tugging on the roots, and I knew instantly that he was nervous about something. Could he possibly be worried about spending time with the kids? Was I pushing him too far, too fast, with my request for us to all spend time together?

"Well, I knew this was your weekend with the kids. I figured we wouldn't be seeing one another, so I kind of agreed to some other plans," he admitted.

My heart stuttered at the thought of Edward making plans that didn't involve me. Plans that would make him nervous. Plans he seemed to be worried to relate to me. A feeling of nausea settled in the pit of my stomach, and I tried to force myself not to overreact. "Oh, okay. No big deal."

We were interrupted by the waitress, who came over to take our orders. I ordered the first thing I saw on the menu, cinnamon French toast, and waited while Edward placed his omelet order. The waitress refilled our coffee cups, and I stared down at mine, afraid of what I would see in Edward's eyes when I looked up.

As usual, he wouldn't let me hide. He placed his hand over mine, and tapped the back of my hand to get my attention. He smiled at me when I looked up. "Bella, it is a big deal, us spending time together with your kids. And if I hadn't already committed myself, I would be there Sunday." His fingers squeezed mine, and there was no doubting the sincerity in his voice or his eyes. "You remember that I'm scheduled to be in Portland on Monday and Tuesday next week to finalize the plans for the project I'm working on?" Edward asked.

I nodded, recalling this project was his very last tie with his old architectural firm, and that the meetings next week were crucial to completing the work.

"Well, Heidi called and asked me if I could come into town earlier, so I'm actually going to be leaving tomorrow." Edward watched me carefully for my reaction.

Why? Screamed my brain. "Oh, okay" I repeated in a small voice, stunned.

Edward's fingers combed through his hair again. "Bella, I don't exactly want to see her, but she's having a birthday party for her daughter, Chelsea. She really wants me there."

"Heidi wants you at the birthday party?" I asked, confused. Why did Heidi want Edward there? Why did he need to go to a birthday party for his ex-wife's baby with another man? Oh God, did Edward know for sure that Heidi's baby wasn't his?

"No, not Heidi, Chelsea wants me there. I haven't seen her since just after Heidi and I separated, and Heidi said she's been asking to see me."

Asking? Since when could an infant ask for anything? "I thought the baby was born after you guys were divorced," I said slowly, trying to make sense of the conversation.

"Baby?" He seemed surprised, then understanding dawned in his eyes. "Oh it's not a party for the baby, and if it was I wouldn't even consider going. It's a party for Chelsea, Heidi's daughter from her first marriage to Felix. She was six when Heidi and I got married. It's her twelfth birthday on Sunday. Chelsea asked me to be there, and I really don't want to disappoint her if I can help it."

I realized then how little I actually knew about his past relationship with Heidi. How they met, why they had married, and certainly what the marriage had been like before Edward found out she had been cheating on him. I had no idea what Heidi did for a living, what had her traveling during her marriage to Edward that had allowed her to carry on her affair with Felix. I didn't even know if Edward had thought the baby was his before he found out it was Felix's, or how he had even found out. And I was certain that I had never heard anything about a step-daughter named Chelsea.

"Was this what you weren't ready to talk about at New Year's?" I asked, wondering what the big deal was about him having a stepdaughter, terrified that there was more to it than that.

His drummed his fingers nervously against the table top. "Yes. Please know that I never meant to keep it from you, Bella. I mean, there's not even anything to really keep from you. She's not my daughter, and I don't really have a role in her life any more. I've avoided talking about it with anyone except Rosalie, and I had to talk to her because she was working with my lawyer." I doubt he even realized it, but his expression was pained, and I recognized the anguish in his eyes. It was the same anguish I used to feel every other weekend when I had to turn the kids over to Jacob and Renesmee. Chelsea may not have been Edward's biological daughter, but she held a piece of his heart nonetheless. My own heart ached in sympathy.

He took a swallow of his coffee. "I've been trying since the divorce to get Heidi to let me see Chelsea. But because I'm not biologically related to her, I don't have any legal right to spend time with her. And then every time Heidi would say it was okay, Felix would forbid it, and Heidi didn't have a choice but to go with his wishes."

"Was trying to see Chelsea what kept you in Portland so long over the holidays? Is that what Rosalie was talking about when she said there was no court order?" Oh crap! I realized my mistake immediately.

Edward's eyes widened in surprise. "Rose told you about that?"

I dropped my gaze guiltily. "No, I overheard her on the telephone with you while we were at lunch. I'm sorry, Edward."

"You've got nothing to apologize for, Bella. I'm sorry that you overheard that conversation, not because I wanted to keep the information from you, but because it must have been confusing and upsetting. Why didn't you just ask me about it?" Edward asked.

"I almost did, that night on the phone. But I just never felt right about eavesdropping on the conversation, and I figured you would talk to me if you wanted me to know about it." I debated for a moment, wondering if I should give voice to what I was thinking. I finally decided this was too important a conversation to hold any punches. "And I guess I had hoped you would confide in me. Edward, why didn't you just tell me what was going on?"

Edward's fingers were tugging at his hair again, and I wanted nothing more than to soothe the pain I saw in his eyes. "I started to, several times. But at that point, I didn't know where we stood, if a relationship was something that we were going to try. I knew I wanted to, but I was a little worried that you wouldn't want to be with me if you knew the kind of baggage I came with."

At his last words, I couldn't help but start to giggle. Edward looked startled, and I was relieved to see he did not appear offended by my inappropriate laughter. "Edward, I have two teenaged children. You were witness to the aftermath of one of them reducing me to a blubbering mess, and now I'm allowing the other one to define our entire dating relationship. And you're concerned that your baggage will drive me away? Do you not see the irony in this situation? I live in fear every day that you're going to open your eyes and realize that I'm not worth the effort." I looked away, feeling my throat clog with emotion and tears well up in my eyes.

I was startled when someone cleared their throat. "Excuse me, I'm really sorry to interrupt what looks like a very serious conversation, but your breakfasts are ready, and I didn't want them getting cold." Our waitress was standing there, a tray balanced on one hand and a sympathetic smile on her face. I realized that Edward and I were leaning toward one another over the table, our hands clasped tightly, and I felt my cheeks warm with a blush. I snatched my hands away and took a deep breath, trying to control my wayward emotions.

"Oh, sorry," Edward said, and we both sat back to allow her to set down our food. Another server filled our coffee cups, and then the two of us were alone again. Edward pushed his plate aside and reached over to take my hand again.

"Aren't you going to eat?" I asked him nervously.

"In a minute. You're crazy if you think I'm going to let your last statement stand without rebuttal," he told me. He motioned for my other hand, and I placed it in his, knowing he could feel the trembling in my fingers. His fingers stroked mine reassuringly, although I could feel a slight tremor in his as well. When I met his gaze, he smiled my favorite crooked smile, and I felt my nervousness ebb somewhat.

"Bella, I...I care about you, very much. You are worth all effort, and any effort. And I'm going to keep reminding you of those things, until you believe them as wholly as I do." His voice was soft and earnest, and I felt tears sting my eyes again. He reached up to brush away one that escaped onto my cheek, then abruptly stood up and came around to my side of the booth, sliding in next to me and wrapping his arms around my waist. "I'm sorry, I just don't have the strength to stay away from you any longer," he said.

I reached up to cup his cheek with my hand. "Then don't," I told him, raising my lips to his for a slow, sweet kiss. Mindful of the fact that we were in a public restaurant, I pulled back after a few moments, and smiled when Edward nuzzled his nose against my cheek. "Edward?" I asked softly.

"Yes love?" he answered.

His use of that particular nickname made my heart melt. Well, if he could put himself out there, so could I. "I care about you, too. You are so worth the effort."

He took a ragged breath and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek. "Thank you," he whispered. He slid out of the booth and took his seat across from me again.

"So you're leaving tomorrow, and coming back when?" I asked.

"I've got meetings all day Monday and Tuesday, so I'll leave Wednesday morning, and be home to you by Wednesday afternoon."

Home to you. I don't think I'd ever heard him say anything more beautiful to me. "I'll be at the bookstore. Come see me when you get back in town?" I asked shamelessly.

"Nothing could keep me away," he promised, lifting my hand and kissing my fingers.

With a look at the clock and a sigh of resignation, we finished our breakfasts, both of us reluctant to return to the real world, but knowing it was not only inevitable, but necessary. We walked back to his office, the temperature only marginally warmer than it had been earlier, and he climbed into my car to huddle with me while it warmed up. I warmed up much faster than the car did, with Edward's persuasive lips on mine and his arms embracing me.

It was harder than I would have thought to say goodbye to Edward. I assumed that was not only because it would be several days before I saw him again, but also because of where he was going and who he would be seeing. My unease was exacerbated by Edward's nervousness about going, and I couldn't help but feel that this trip to Portland, and to Chelsea's birthday party in particular, was a bad idea.

Edward called before he left town on Saturday, but we only have a few minutes to talk before I had to take Sarah to Alice and Jasper's to babysit for the day. He was going out to dinner with his former partners, and he promised to call when he got back to his hotel room. Neither one of us mentioned the birthday party, scheduled for Sunday at eleven.

When I got back home, Will was sitting at the table half-awake, shoveling cereal mechanically into his mouth as he stared out the window. I ruffled his hair as I passed him on my way to the coffee pot. "Hey sweetie, finally awake?"

"Mebbe," he mumbled through a mouthful of mini-wheats.

"What do you have going today?" I asked, an idea forming.

"Dunno," he said, swallowing the huge mouthful and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Boys.

"Well Sarah is babysitting for Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock all day, and spending the night at Rebecca's tonight. Do you want to go do something together? We can go to the arcade, maybe catch a movie, have lunch. What do you say?" I asked him.

I felt ten feet tall when his eyes lit up and a big smile broke across his face. "Mom, that would be awesome!" Will said, cramming his cereal into his mouth with increased enthusiasm. "We could go to that place downtown, with the foosball and air hockey tables, and the go carts."

That actually sounded like a lot of fun. "Absolutely, let's do it."

The arcade was crazy, not surprising for noon on a Saturday. We had been there for about fifteen minutes when two of Will's friends from the basketball team found us and asked Will to go play laser tag. I was shocked when Will threw his arm around my shoulder and said, "No thanks, guys. I'm gonna hang out with my mom."

We played foosball, and Will won. I could barely keep up with him as he spun the little players around and around. I don't think the ball made it to his side of the table more than once.

We played air hockey, and I kicked his butt soundly, much to his stunned amusement. I confessed that I used to beat his Dad at it all the time, too, and was the reigning air hockey champ in La Push from high school.

We tried to best one another at skee ball, but I had to stop when I accidentally sent a ball careening across the lanes and almost hit a man standing there. The laughter that followed made my sides ache.

We rented go-carts and raced. Will won the first race, I won the second, and then Will won the third. Based on those races, it was going to be a long time before I let him behind the wheel of my car for driver's training.

We played the hoops game, and for every one basket I made, Will made six. I teased him that was why he was on the basketball team and I wasn't.

I creamed him at pinball, which he had only played one other time. He slayed me the shoot 'em up video games. I argued that I hated those games and always had my eyes half-closed in fear of the bad guys. He teased me about being a better shot with my eyes open instead.

After the arcade, we walked to the movie theater that was just a few doors down. Our choices in Port Angeles were limited, so when Will vetoed the current Disney release with a look of horror that made me giggle, we ended up watching a cheesy action film called 'Bad Ass Cops.' At least I could enjoy the male leads in the film, especially the tall, lanky one, even if they did have the bushiest mustaches I had ever seen in my life. Will ate an entire tub of popcorn by himself, along with a box of chocolate covered peanuts and half of my licorice. When we left the theater he complained he was starving, so we headed to his favorite pizza joint.

We settled down to an extra large pizza with the works and a pitcher of soda between us. Originally considered ordering a salad. But then decided it was a day of indulgence. I definitely wasn't regretting my choice as I lifted a thick slice of pizza from the tray and put it on my plate, my mouth already watering.

There were several minutes of companionable silence between us as we ate. By the time I had finished my one slice, Will had already worked his way through three and was putting a fourth on his plate. The boy really was a bottomless pit. "Can we talk about something Will?" I asked him, keeping my voice carefully calm even as the butterflies started fluttering.

"Sure Mom, what's up?" Will asked, taking a huge bite of pizza.

"Well, I kind of wanted to talk with you about Edward," I admitted, watching him carefully.

Will swallowed hard. "What about him? I didn't think you were seeing him any more, he's never around."

That's what I was afraid of. Out of sight, out of mind as far as the teenager was concerned. I felt even more justified in my decision to bring everything out into the open. "Well, I am still seeing him, and he's simply never around when you are. I promised you that my relationship with Edward wouldn't interfere with my time with you. I think that I've more than kept that promise if you didn't even realize I was still seeing him, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes," Will answered warily, taking another bite of pizza and looking at me with suspicion. "I think it's a great arrangement, and I think it's working out perfectly."

"I don't," I said, cringing when I realized how blunt I sounded.

"Why not?" Will asked.

"Because I would like to be able to see him on a week night, or go out on a Saturday night like your Dad and Ness do, without having to worry about upsetting you. Do you realize how unfair it is that your dad gets to be with Ness all the time, even when you guys are there, but I only get to spend time with Edward when you and your sister are at your Dad's? It's hard to build a relationship when you're confined to seeing each other just every other weekend" Except for occasional clandestine meetings for hot couch sex.

"Do you love him?" Will asked suddenly, and the question caught me off guard. Did I love Edward? It was too soon to be thinking about that kind of thing, wasn't it? I mean, it was only the first part of February, and we'd only been dating for five weeks. But you've been getting to know him for so much longer, my inner voice reminded me, as months of conversations, phone calls, text messages and emails flashed through my mind.

Before I could form a response, Will asked. "More importantly, does Mr. Cullen love you?"

Now there was a question I couldn't answer with any degree of knowledge. "I care about Edward a lot, and he says he cares about me." That didn't sound right, that he says he cares about me, and I watched Will's eyes narrow. "No, I know he cares for me." And I did. It was obvious not just because he had said those words yesterday, but in the way he talked to me, touched me, even in the way he looked at me.

"He's not going to move into the house, like Renesmee did with Dad, is he?" Will asked apprehensively..

This one I could answer without having to think about it. As much as I wasn't going to judge Jacob for his choices, I knew I wouldn't be comfortable having someone live with me and my kids without making things official. I was old-fashioned enough to know that I didn't want to reinforce that example for my kids. "Nope. But would you mind if he were to stop by for dinner, or a movie night, maybe hang out at the house a little bit?"

"Do I have to hang out with him?" Will asked, with the slightest edge of teenage whine in his voice.

"A little bit, yes. Otherwise, what's the point of having him there, if not for you to spend time with him and get to know him?" I asked, and Will harrumphed at my logic. I tried not to let my nervousness show as I waited for Will's response. So much hinged on whether or not he was willing to try.

"If he's important to you, Mom, I'll give it a go," Will said simply, shrugging his shoulders. I blinked back the moisture building in my eyes, and said a quick prayer of thanks that I had such great kids. Will looked up at me then, and rolled his eyes. "Jeez Mom, do you really need to cry about everything?" he teased with a smile, and I laughed, just like he had intended. Six short months ago, I would never have believed I would feel as lucky as I did right now.

Sunday dawned bright and clear, and I was somewhat thankful that I had saved my chores for this day, knowing I would need to keep myself distracted. Even though I kept myself busy with household tasks, I started checking my phone around one o'clock, anxious to hear from Edward. During our conversation Saturday night, he had finally admitted how nervous he was about seeing everyone on Sunday, and his admission only fueled my worry.

At two o'clock, I sent Rosalie a text, asking a question to which I already new the answer. Maybe my phone wasn't working, and that was why I hadn't heard from Edward. When Rose texted me back five minutes later, I knew it wasn't an issue with my phone.

By three o'clock, I had pulled out Grandma Marie's old silver service and started polishing, even though I had just done it before I put it away after Christmas dinner. I was trying to find anything to distract me from the heavy feeling brewing in the pit of my stomach.

Just after four o'clock, I began working on an elaborate dinner. I plugged my phone into the charger, just in case, and stared at it, willing it to ring.

At five o'clock, I couldn't take it any longer and sent Edward a quick text. Just wondering how everything went. Please call. My phone remained silent and still.

Just before I put dinner on the table at six o'clock, I scrolled through my contacts and found Edward's number and pressed 'send.' My call went straight his voice mail. The kids loved dinner, but I was barely able to eat. My stomach was churning and my head was pounding as I tried to fight back tears.

"Mom, do you have a headache? Why don't you go lay down for a while? Will and I can clean up," Sarah offered, laying her hand on my shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

I smiled gratefully. "Yeah, I think I just need to lay down for a little bit," I agreed, lifting my hand up to pat hers. "Thanks, sweetheart."

Once I got up to my bedroom, I closed the door behind me and climbed into bed, taking my hippo in my arms and snuggling him against my cheek as I fought the tears. I opened my phone and typed Where are you? I pressed send and then curled up on my side, my arms still around the hippo, hugging him fiercely. I pinched my eyes shut, trying to make my imagination stop working overtime, as it conjured up a picture of Edward entwined in an embrace with a faceless blonde woman and whispering 'Bella who?' into the woman's ear before he kissed her passionately.

I awoke with a start to find my room dark, and I had no idea how much time had passed since I laid down. I wasn't sure what woke me until I heard his voice. "I'm sorry if I woke you, Bella," Edward said softly from somewhere next to and above me. I felt his fingers graze my arm and the curve of my shoulder. I squinted but could only make out his silhouette in the darkness, and I sat up quickly and threw my arms around him, hugging him fiercely.

"Edward, I've been so worried. Why didn't you call? Why didn't you text?" I gasped, sighing with relief when his arms slid around me, pulling me even closer. His hands smoothed my hair and rubbed my back, and I felt myself relax for the first time in days at his comforting touch.

"I'm sorry, my phone got turned off, and in all the confusion, I forgot to check it until I was almost back to Port Angeles." His voice was gruff, slightly nasal, and the fact that it didn't sound right made me realize that other things weren't right. Edward was here in my bedroom when he was supposed to be in Portland.

"Edward, what are you doing home? What about your meetings?" I asked, pulling back as I reached for the light on my bedside table. I blinked rapidly in the sudden brightness and then turned to look at him, gasping in shock. "Oh my God Edward! What happened to your face?"

Yes, it's a cliffie. Those of you familiar with my posting schedule know that the update will post next week on time, so it's not too long to wait, right?

I'm anxiously awaiting thoughts on Edward's disclosures in this chapter, so please consider sharing your reactions with me. As always if there's anything that made you smile, laugh, sigh or even growl with frustration, I would love to hear about it. Special thanks to all of you who take the time to read and comment each week to let me know your thoughts and make me giggle and think and work harder. If you haven't reviewed yet, and you're still reading this ridiculously long author's note, what's stopping you? I'd love to hear from all of you!

Thanks so much for reading!