A/N: Sorry for how long it took me to update, but I'm working on three stories right now and I'm really busy with school and work and only have one day off a week pretty much. Anyway, here is Chapter 3…it is called: The Park.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its characters. I also don't own the rights to any celebrities referenced in this story or any pop culture references made.

Rating: M for language, themes, and later sexual content.

Bella Swan

I stood in front of my open closet door and scanned my wardrobe for a decent outfit to wear. Today was after all, the day of the play date with Edward and his son. Lucy was already dressed in a cute pink jumper and sitting in the living room watching cartoons. Oh, how she loved the television.

"Bella it's almost twelve," Rose said as she entered my bedroom. She was dressed in running shorts and a tank top. She must have just gotten back from the gym.

I sighed. "I know, but I'm not sure what to wear. I want to look nice, but I don't want my outfit to get disgusting from playing with Lucy and Jackson."

Rose chuckled and threw her arm around my shoulders. "Oh, my little Bella. Going out of her way to try to impress a guy," she muttered, smirking at me.

I couldn't believe I didn't try to lie to her and hide it earlier. "Uh, yeah I guess. I mean, I think he's nice, and I don't want him to think I'm a total slob."

"Plus, he's totally hot."

"That too," I said before I could even catch myself. Man, I was letting words slip through my mouth like water today. Hopefully that wouldn't happen around Edward.

"Oh, you are totally into him," she said with a wink.

I ignored her, stared into my closet for a moment longer and then pulled out jeans and a sweater. Rose rolled her eyes at my outfit choice, but again, I ignored her and wandered into my bathroom to change.

Fifteen minutes later, I had Lucy in her car seat and we were headed to the playground just outside of downtown Seattle. I had taken Lucy to this park before, it was nice and had tons of play areas for older kids and younger ones. It also had walking paths, which were nice when the playgrounds were too crowded.

I pulled into one of the vacant spots, parking before grabbing my cell phone and calling Edward.

I was nervous as it began to ring, and even more nervous when he answered in his lovely velvet tone. "Hey, Bella."

I blushed against my small, silver cell phone. Yes, the man could make me blush just hearing him talk. Actually just saying my name with 'hey' in front of it.

"Hi, Edward, um, I just got to the park," I mumbled, hoping he could understand what I was saying.

"Oh, well Jackson and I are almost there. We got held up with my son here decided to hide behind the TV stand in my bedroom instead of letting me dress him," Edward said with a chuckle.

I smiled into the phone. "Alright, well, we will be waiting by the parking lot," I said, hoping out of my car and heading toward the back door to get Lucy out of her car seat.

"See you in a few," Edward said, hanging up.

I closed my phone and unbuckled my daughter from her car seat. She squealed when she noticed where we were and insisted that I put her down. That was not going to happen. She would run off and try to play on the big kids' playground and get herself hurt.

I held her as I walked over to the bench near the parking lot and waiting.

"Mommy, I wanna play!" Lucy squealed, pointing over my shoulder at the playground behind us.

"You can play in a minute, we just have to wait for Edward and Jackson to get here."

"Why?"

"Because you have a play date with Jackson, sweetie. I told you this yesterday," I said.

She pouted and settled down in my lap. "I remember. What's a play date, Mommy?" she asked.

I smirked. "It's when two children's' parents arrange a day to play together," I answered.

She was about to ask another question, but Edward's voice broke through the air, causing Lucy to turn and look at the owner of the voice that had just called my name.

I waved at Edward as he pulled a little boy from the backseat of the car. He closed the Volvo door and headed our way, holding the little boy's hand.

When Edward and Jackson reached us, Lucy decided to be bold. "Who are you?" she demanded, looking from Edward to Jackson then back to Edward.

I apologized for her rudeness, but Edward held his hand up to show that he wasn't offended.

"I am Edward, and this is my son Jackson. What's your name?" he asked. He had bent low so that he was eye level with Lucy. I loved it when guys did that. They actually acted like children were real people – because they were.

Lucy looked up at me as if to ask if it was okay to answer his question. I smiled down at her and nodded.

"I'm Lucy," she said in her high voice, grinning at Edward and Jackson.

I grinned at my daughter then diverted my attention to Edward's son. "Hello, I'm Bella, and you must be Jackson," I said with a grin.

Jackson nodded shyly and clutched his father's hand tighter. He was a shy boy. A shy boy that looked just like a younger Edward with blue eyes instead of green. He was going to be a hottie when he was older; I could tell.

Edward chuckled at his son's shyness. "Say hello to Bella and Lucy, Jackson."

"Hi," Jackson said simply.

A few minutes later, Jackson and Lucy were dragging us toward the playground. We made sure they went to the little kids' playground before sitting down on a vacant bench across from it. Jackson grabbed Lucy's hand and tugged her toward the sandbox.

I smiled as they sat down in the sand and began digging.

"Jackson loves the sandbox," Edward said a few moments later.

I looked away from the kids and smiled. "Did you get one for him?" I asked.

"A sandbox? Yeah. It's one of those plastic turtle ones. Unfortunately, he hates it. He says it's nothing like the ones at the park."

I chuckled. "So Jackson is pretty picky?"

He nodded. "Yeah, you could say that." He paused. "What about Lucy?"

"Oh, she pretty much just goes with the flow. Well, unless a bath is involved. She hates them," I said glancing over at my blonde little girl digging ferociously in the sand. She looked like she was digging to China or something.

"I see that. She just let Jackson take her to the sandbox earlier," he muttered.

We sat in comfortable silence for a while, just watching the kids and admiring the fact that it wasn't raining – a pretty big deal in Seattle.

"So, have you brought anyone home to Lucy before?" he asked with a curious voice.

I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Like guys?"

He nodded, smiling slightly.

I shook my head. "I haven't really dated since I got pregnant. The last guy I dated was her father," I answered. I probably sounded lame, but I wasn't going to lie about dating or lack thereof. "What about you?" I asked.

"I've brought maybe one or two girls home, but I pretty much quit the whole dating scene."

I nodded. "Why date when you have a perfect replica of yourself right in front of you?" I said gesturing to the kids who had moved on to the small slide next to the sandbox.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said.

Again we fell into a comfortable silence until Lucy rushed over to me asking for some juice. I smiled and began rummaging through my bag, producing an anti-leak sippy cup filled with apple juice.

She chugged about half the cup before waving at Edward and me, then running back to Jackson. They seemed to be getting along rather well, and I told Edward this.

"Yeah, they are really taken with each other. I'm surprised because Jackson's usually so shy around new people," he said with a grin.

After another hour of play, we decided it was time for lunch. I grabbed Lucy's hand and Edward grabbed Jackson's hand as we headed to the diner right across from the park for some food.

"Mommy, do they have alfredo?" Lucy asked once we were seated in a booth.

I glance at the menu, even though I knew this diner didn't sell fettuccine alfredo. It was more of a sandwich place. "Nope, sweetie they don't," I answered. Lucy pouted and asked me to just order her something.

When the waitress came over to our table she grinned down at Lucy and Jackson. "Oh, what cute kids! You guys make a beautiful family," the waitress whose nametag said Harriett on it said.

I blushed, not knowing if I should tell her we weren't a family. Edward decided to take the lead on this one. "Thanks," he said smiling at Harriett.

We ordered beverages and Harriett left our table. I looked at Edward with a raised eyebrow.

"What? Did you want me to ruin her picture perfect family image?" he asked.

I chuckled, but didn't say anything.

Harriett returned with juice for the kids and water for both Edward and me. We thanked her before taking our orders. Edward ordered a BLT for himself, and chicken tenders for Jackson. I ordered a salad for myself and a grilled cheese for Lucy.

Jackson wiggled in his booster seat and studied me for a moment. "Are you my new mommy?" he asked. I was shocked by both his question and the fact that he was talking to me. He hadn't talked to me hardly at all today.

I looked at Edward with wide eyes, then back to his son. "No sweetie, I'm just a friend of your daddy's."

Jackson pouted. "But I like you," he mumbled.

His face almost broke my heart. "I like you too. Can we be friends?" I asked with a smile.

He nodded and a grin broke across his face. "Yes!" he said excitedly.

I looked to Edward and he was grinning the same grin as Jackson; a damn heartbreaking crooked one.

Edward Cullen

It kind of shocked me when Jackson asked if Bella was his new mommy. It was a bit frightening to me, but somehow, it seemed like a nice idea. I shook off that thought and just smiled over at Bella.

To say today had been wonderful was an understatement. The kids were getting along fantastically and I really enjoyed Bella's company. I hoped that there would be many more days like this.

A little while later Harriett, our waitress, returned with our food. Lucy and Jackson dug into their meals while Bella and I put napkins on our laps and exchanged glances.

I looked across the table at Lucy who was practically shoving the grilled cheese in her mouth. "So, Lucy, what is your favorite thing to do?" I asked. I knew it was an open-ended question, but I hadn't talked to her much today and I really wanted to. She seemed like such a sweet little girl. Just like Bella.

Lucy studied me for a moment. "I like lots of things. I like it when Mommy and I dance to Beatles," she said, earning a chuckle from Bella.

"The Beatles, honey," she said softly.

"You like the Beatles?" I asked. For such a small girl, I pegged her for liking Kidz Bop or something.

Lucy nodded. "Mommy likes them a lot and so do I. I was named after there song."

I looked up at Bella with a raised eyebrow then back down to the little girl. "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds?"

"Yup, that one. Mommy sings it to me at bed time," Lucy explained, grinning up at her mother.

I looked to Bella with a curious stare. She blushed before sipping her drink and meeting my eyes again. "I love the Beatles. Always have, always will," she admitted.

I grinned at her. "They happen to be one of my favorite bands," I said. How could anyone hate the Beatles, anyway? They were amazing!

I turned my attention back to Lucy. "What else do you like to do?" I asked.

She smiled. "I like to play with Uncle Emmy and watch Dora. I also like to play with Jackson," she said, looking over at my son and smiling. He smiled back.

Shortly after we got the check, Bella and Lucy decided to call it a day.

"Can we do this again?" I asked once we reached their car.

Bella grinned and blushed slightly; frankly, it was a beautiful quality about Bella.

She nodded. "Sure."

"I'll call you when I figure out a good time," I said, my grin widening as she helped Lucy into her car seat.

"Bye, Edward!" Lucy called from her car seat, waving even though it looked more like flailing. "Bye Jackson!"

Jackson and I waved to Lucy before Bella closed the door and began making her way to the driver side.

"I hope to hear from you soon," Bella said softly before bidding Jackson and me goodbye.

*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~

Alice was waiting at my apartment when I got back. She practically pounced and me when I walked through the door. At first I thought there was an intruder in the house, but it was just my pesky cousin.

"So, how did it go?" she asked, helping Jackson out of his coat and shoes. Jackson stared at his Aunt with confusion, but didn't say anything.

I sighed, shrugging out of my own coat and kicking off my shoes. "It went well. Jackson and Lucy got along great."

Alice nodded. "Yes, but how was it with Bella?"

I almost groaned. I knew she would be curious about Bella. "She was a bit shy, but it was fun. We plan on setting up another play date," I told her.

Alice squealed and nearly busted my eardrums. Curse that woman. "Jeez Alice, keep your enthusiasm down. I don't want to lose my hearing in my 20's."

"Oh be quiet," she said lightly swatting my arm. "So, you still interested in her?"

I made sure Jackson was out of hearing distance because he didn't need to know about my love life until I knew it was serious. He had already high-tailed it into his bedroom and was playing with what sounded like Legos.

"Definitely," I answered with a smirk.

Luckily I was able to cover my ears just in time for Alice to shriek again.

"I have a good feeling about this, Edward," my cousin said with a wink.

Alice had always been able to pick up on things before they happened. It was almost like she could predict the future. Sometimes she would have dreams that would in fact come true. Sometimes she would feel sick while driving down the road so she would pull over and wait until it passed. When she felt better, she would continue on with her drive only to find a horrible car accident. She could just sense things.

"You don't see me betting against you, Alice. Just try to keep your excitement to yourself for now," I said softly.

She sighed but nodded. "Alright. I will try not to freak out when I see her."

I chuckled. "What makes you think you will see her again?" I asked.

Alice rolled her eyes. "I sense things, remember? I will definitely be seeing her soon and I have a feeling that she and I will be best friends."

I blinked. My cousin and a love interest as best friends? Oh great. "Best friends?"

Alice again rolled her eyes at me. "Yeah, stupid. I just have a great vibe from her. Like we are kindred friendship spirits. It's similar to the feeling I have between you and Bella, just not romantic."

"That sounds…interesting," I said rolling up the sleeves of my shirt and leading the way to the kitchen.

"Oh shut up, Edward. You love my psychic abilities."

I chuckled. "Yeah, they do come in handy every once in a while." I asked her if she wanted a beverage, tossed the water bottle she asked for and went into smooth conversation about work.

"So, what is your next article going to be about in Cash?" Alice asked, perching herself atop the counter and looking at me with her big, curious eyes.

Since I wrote about fitting kids into a busy lifestyle, I was always scrounging for ideas that I hadn't written about already. It was hard being a single dad and not being able to have any idea's from a significant other. Luckily, this month the idea had been pretty easy to come up with.

"I'm going to write an article on play dates. It's a way for busy parents to have their kids meet each other and play while the parent sits on the sidelines and supervises. Great for when parents are extremely tired," I replied with a slight blush. Nothing compared to Bella's blush.

Alice giggled. "Oh, I wonder where you got that idea from?" she teased, hopping down off the counter.

"Shut up, it's a good idea."

Again, she giggled. "I didn't say it was a bad idea."

Five hours later, Alice had left and I was tucking Jackson into his bed.

"Daddy, will I see Lucy and Bella again?" he asked, yawning.

I smiled. "Yeah, we plan on hanging out again soon."

"Really soon?" Jackson asked, his voice sounding pleading.

"Hopefully," I said, pausing. "Goodnight, Jackson. I love you."

"Goodnight Dad. Love you too."

I smiled as I turned off the light, left the room and headed to my computer to start my article on play dates.

A/N: I hope you liked the chapter. Sorry it's not longer. Anyway, how about you go check out all the stuff that is up for this story. I promise it will be worth your while. Reviews?