Bella

Christmas movies with Edward and Ej are wonderful.

I really like snuggling on the couch, munching on snacks and watching heart-warming movies.

Ej passes out at nearly ten. Which, I have to admit, is mostly my fault. The extra cookies, brownies, and fudge from my orders probably had a lot to do with that.

But I couldn't help it.

We were going to be decorating a Christmas tree. Who doesn't need a fantastic snack when you're decorating a something so magical?

I remember back to when I was kid and my parents and I would spend an evening decorating the Christmas tree. It was always so special. And I just wanted to make sure that Ej had those memories too.

So some awesome snackage was needed.

Edward smiles at me.

"He finally passed out," I whisper looking at the adorable little boy between us. I can't help love his tiny face. He's the spitting image of Edward.

He nods, grinning. "Thank goodness. I was about to tell you were going to have to stay up with him."

I giggle lightly.

Edward takes a moment to carry Ej into his bedroom, before shutting his door behind him. I pick up around the living room while he's tucking the little guy into bed.

It's not long before Edward re-appears.

He smiles sweetly, before waltzing into the kitchen.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?"

I lick my lips and think about the question for a second before nodding. I wouldn't mind spending extra time with Edward.

"Great, have a seat and I'll make us some."

I snag two cookies and put them on napkins, while he busies himself with a fancy coffee machine.

After a few minutes he sets a steaming mug in front of me with a beautiful smile playing at his lips.

"Thank you for tonight."

My eyebrows dip together and I wave him off. "I had a blast, so I should really be thanking you."

"Bella, you've been so wonderful with him. And I know that's it's been becoming more and more. I just don't know how to thank you for making Ej so happy."

"You're welcome," I say quietly, staring into my cup of coffee trying not to let the emotions building inside of me come out.

He takes a seat next to me, huddling close. So close that I get a delicious whiff of his cologne. A scent that I've come to love.

"So how's work been?" he asks, taking a small bite of his cookie.

"Busy," I tell him honestly. "This time of the year is the busiest of all, but I love every minute of it."

"That's not as bad thing," he comments.

I shake my head. "No, not at all. How about you?"

"Great. I can't complain. Starting my life over wasn't the easiest thing I've ever done, but now that I've got a handle on things it's good."

I feel for him, I really do. When I applied for this job, Edward had just moved to Ohio with his son. He never really expanded on his life much and I could tell that it was a bit of a sore spot for him. But I knew that he was putting himself through school, to become a realtor.

And now that it's done, I'm sure it's a relief.

"My mom always wanted me to pursue being a pastry chef," I admit, I don't know why, but I feel compelled to tell him. "She wanted me to follow my dreams. "

"I think that's what most parents want for their kids."

"Yeah, I just hope I'm making her proud. I know that owning my own bakery at twenty-six is a big deal, but I guess I'll never know how she feels."

"Oh I'm sure she sees it. Hasn't she been to your shop?" he wonders.

I shake my head, swallowing the lump in my throat. "My mom's been gone for a few years," I whisper.

A warm hand wraps around my shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"Bella! You can bring it up whenever you want. I don't mind at all. I consider us friends. After all you, you're practically part of the family."

"Thanks," I murmur, taking a nice, long sip of my coffee and enjoying the comfort of his arm around me.

"Do you have your dad?"

I nod and swallow, feeling my emotions creep up on me, thank goodness for that. "He just goes where the work is, so he's not usually around too much. He's in Oregon for now."

"That's good, that you have him, I mean. Do you wanna talk about your mom?" he asks after a moment.

I swirl my spoon, staring at the counter. "It was car accident. You know, the roads looked fine, but they were icy as hell and she just lost control."

His hand rubs my shoulder. And I'm sure he's offering me some kind of sympathetic look, but I just can't bring my eyes to meet his.

"Well, maybe that's why you and Ej get along so well…" he mumbles. And it almost sounds like he's saying it to himself.

But my emotions catch it. That boy is forever in my heart and I want to know.

"Why's that?" I wonder.

His hand drops and he grabs his mug, turning to face me. "Ej's mother hasn't died. But she might as well of. She's never been in his life."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he admits, looking almost ashamed. "She never wanted children. And as soon as she found out about Ej, we were pretty much done."

"So you're telling me that the woman who helped make the wonderful, creative, intelligent child in that room, doesn't have anything to do with him?"

He shakes his head. "Nope."

"That's sickening. That's incredibly pathetic and terrible."

"You're right. And if my parents weren't so wonderful, he'd never be the kid he is today."

"Oh?" I wonder.

"Well, when I agreed to full parental rights, he didn't exactly come with an owner's manual. And I had no clue what I was doing. I may have been twenty-eight when he was born, but Bella, I didn't know one thing about raising a child much less how to change a diaper."

"So your parents helped you out?"

"Oh yeah. I moved up to Maine with them and they showed me the ropes. But about a year ago, I knew it was time to move on and stand on my own two feet. They never said anything, but they've begun to travel now."

"That's really nice of you."

"It was really nice of them to help me out when I needed them."

"But why Ohio?"

He shrugs, with this utterly adorable look on his face. "I saw what I wanted. A firm that was hiring, once I convinced them that I would finish school within the time that they wanted and had a job waiting for me. I moved here."

I nod. "Good for you for striking out on your own."

"Thanks. You know it feels really good."

"Oh, I know."

He smiles warmly, before finishing off his coffee and stares at his empty napkin. It's then that I realize we've been talking for a while and it's almost midnight.

"This…this has been wonderful," I murmur, looking at the clock.

"It really was. We should do it more often."

"That would be nice," I say softly, sliding my arms into my jacket and walking to the door.

"Goodnight Bella," he says with an adorable grin on his lips.

"Goodnight," I whisper as I step out the door.

And as I walk to my car, this feeling begins to overwhelm me. I stop dead in my tracks and stare back at the house. It's not the first time I feel like I'm leaving something behind as I leave.