BPOV

I lay thinking about how last night went, Edward was interested in me or at least he seemed to be. There was a huge age gap and he seemed so established with himself, where I had three people watching my every move, coddling me.

I heard a crash from the hallway and quickly put on my glasses, running to the noise to make sure it was what I thought it was.

And it was what I thought it was… Rylan. Jasper's guilty face was sheepishly smiling at me as I shook my head.

"Let me guess he begged you to get him out of his crib?"

"Ma-ma-ma," he squealed as I picked him up.

I took in his sleepy appearance. His black hair had a cowlick and I tried like crazy to get it to lie down. My eighteen-month-old son was already taking after his father and it hurt my heart everyday.

"Actually he was a stinky man, so I changed his diaper," he said smugly, pushing the blonde hair that fell in his eyes back.

"I could have got him," I said quietly.

"I don't mind doing it. I'm getting practice," he grinned.

"Congratulations by the way."

"Thanks Bells."

"Ma-ma-ma-ma," Ry yelled.

"I hear you, little man." I smiled making a face at him.

"Sippy," he said expectantly.

We walked to the kitchen where I sat him in his highchair and grabbed his sippy cup. He laughed in appreciation as I turned and ran into my brother almost knocking my glasses off.

"I think it's time for some new glasses," he sighed.

"No," I huffed.

"Bells, you've had these since eighth grade."

"They're vintage I like them," I argued.

"Alice is rubbing off on you," he nodded.

"No, I like what I like."

"Speaking of what you like, Alice said you met a guy."

"He's come into the shop a couple of times, it's not like we would date or anything."

"I believe Alice has a different feeling about that."

"Jasper he's just really nice," I said exasperated, these two never quit.

"Dad was asking about you yesterday, Bil…" I stopped him right there. Charlie and Billy Black, Jacob's dad were the most concerned about me.

"Why can't you all leave well enough alone?" I frowned.

"We love you and worry about you and Rylan."

"We're fine," I insisted.

"Who do you talk to during the day?"

"Ali…"

"Don't you dare say Ali and Ang."

"They're my people," I pouted.

"Be that as it may, you can't live your life in isolation."

"I'll try to make more of an effort," I grumbled, feeling a tug on my hair.

I turned and smiled at my baby boy. He was pretty great. I felt the familiar hurt in my chest looking into his dark eyes. He was Jacob's clone and I knew when he was older it would be harder for me to handle.

"You ready for yummies in your tummy, Ryman!" I said enthusiastically, Jasper cocked an eyebrow, but kept his mouth shut and got ready for work.

After breakfast, I got Rylan ready for our day and we left to go visit Alice for a bit. I hated my days off because I felt like I needed something to do. If I didn't I would be lost in my thoughts.

"Bella, it's your day off," Alice scolded.

"We wanted to visit," I replied quietly, sitting Ry on the counter.

He looked around shyly and noticed Angela. His eyes widened as he tried taking off towards her.

"Who is that handsome boy," she cooed, taking him into her arms, spinning with him.

"He's such a ladies man," Alice said dryly.

"He's a flirt, his shyness is an act."

"Bella, he is getting so big."

"He is," I sighed pushing up my glasses.

Angela handed Rylan back to me. She and Alice asked me to watch the shop while they grabbed lunch. So much for a day off. I thought as I looked at Ry, he was watching me curiously.

"Mama, is a push over," I whispered leaning my head against his.

The bell rung indicating we had customers. I noticed a blonde man and woman enter looking around curiously. The man looked to be around Charlie's age and the woman, I wasn't sure about, but she looked around my age, maybe a bit older. They both looked elegant, he in his suit and she in her summer dress.

"Hello," the man smiled kindly.

"Hi," I said quietly, Rylan turned his head towards the couple shooting them curious glances.

"Ma?" he asked.

"This is a beautiful shop," the woman said politely.

"Thank you."

"Would the person thanking us be the owner?" she asked raising a speculative eyebrow.

"Um… I'm the owner."

"Do you have a name?" she asked bluntly and the man nudged her giving what looked like a warning look. 'What' she mouthed to him.

"I'm sorry my sister comes off a bit abrasive," he said apologetically.

"I'm Bella and this is Rylan."

"Is he yours?" she asked softly, she was a mother.

"Yes." Her eyes widened slightly and then she put her indifferent mask on.

"He is beautiful," the man smiled warmly.

"Thank you can I help you find something?"

"You already did," the woman mumbled only to be elbowed by the man.

"We're looking for early collections of Byron," he explained.

They clearly had great taste in reading material. I shifted Rylan and walked over to the encased poetry section. Most of my first editions were in glass cases due to preservation purposes.

"They are exquisite," the man mused.

"I…you never gave me your names."

"I am Carlisle, and this is my sister Rosalie."

"Ca-Carlisle and Rosalie you both have excellent taste." I murmured with a tiny smile.

"I'm a stickler for the classics," Carlisle chuckled softly, his green eyes dancing. His and Rosalie's eyes were familiar, but I couldn't quite place where I knew them.

"Would you mind if I held him? I have a five-year-old at home and I miss when he was that age," she asked softly trying to overcome my wariness of them.

"He might fuss," I explained letting her see him.

But Rylan decided to make me out to be a liar as he started to play with Rosalie's hair. He was quite taken with her. Like I told Angela earlier, he was going to be a flirt. That's how Jacob was all his life.

"Are you interested in music too?" Carlisle asked making friendly conversation.

I glanced to the Pixies shirt I was wearing and smiled sheepishly. My vintage music t-shirt collection was kind of my thing. I took shirts from Charlie and Jasper as I grew up and made them my own. Dad said it was good that I followed decent music and not that MTV pop produced crap. My mother on the hand is a dead head and was a major hippie. How the punk rebel and the flower child ever got married was beyond me, but I guess that explains their divorce.

"You like the Pixies?"

"I went to a few concerts back in my day," he smirked, which was also familiar.

"My dad did too," I smiled, but realized he might think I was calling him old.

"Your music taste must be genetic," he chuckled.

"I think you've opened Pandora's box," Rosalie said rolling her eyes. "Now he'll never shut up."

"Like if we start talking about Christian Louboutin's you wouldn't say a word?"

"Those are important," she pouted.

"Emmett seems to think differently," he grinned, as she pinched his arm. Rylan giggled at there antics, but I didn't need him thinking pinching was okay.

"Here I bet you want him back, I swear he's the bad influence," she insisted with a gorgeous smile.

"No your fine," I lied taking my son from her.

"Is it just you and him Bella?" she asked carefully and Carlise bit his lip.

"It is," I stated slowly. These strangers were making me feel like I was talking to my family, because since Jacob, I had shut myself off, not wanting to get hurt again.

"Here's my card if you ever want to set up a play date, Emery's five but he loves playing with other kids no matter the age. I'm sure he would take this little one under his wing."

"Are you…"

"I insist we all can maybe have lunch, while the boys play. If my husband's home it will be like there's three of them running around."

I looked at her and Carlisle's eager faces and felt like I couldn't say no. There was just something that told me they could be great friends. Maybe it wouldn't hurt being friends with another mom.

"Okay," I nodded.

"Great," she said clapping her hands together.

"Are you guys going to get the Byron piece?"

"How does this work?" he asked nodding to the glass.

"It's a bit of a process for the glass encased books," I explained. "We have to get the paper work organized and we send it to you via a guard."

"This is the most interesting concept, how did you ever think about this?"

"My sister-in-law used to be a museum curator at the Met and before that she was a preservatory at Stanford. She new my love for books and I always gushed about first editions and rarities we just sort of went from there. My brother and dad invested, trusting our judgment, the rest is kind of history."

"That is interesting," Carlisle said in what sounded like awe. "I definitely would like the collection."

"The whole collection?" my eyes widened and I heard Rylan giggling.

"It won't be a problem will it?"

"No, no problem," I mumbled. It's just your filthy stinking rich.

"Great then."

"Everything should be ready in a couple of days."

"I'll be back to see you then, this is really a convenient place for exceptional book lovers," he winked. What did that mean? Was he flirting with me?

"Come on Liberanova," Rosalie sighed giving me an apologetic look. I didn't know what that was for. "Call me."

"I will," I smiled slightly. I just made new friends on my own.

After Carlisle and Rosalie left, Alice and Angela returned, basically pushing me out of the shop saying my day off started and wasn't successful so I had to restart it. They were both weird.

I spent the day in the park with Rylan and he absolutely loved it. I swear boys had an obsession with getting dirty. He needed a bath as soon as we walked in the house. He was half-asleep by the time I got him fed and in bed. As I started to shut his door Alice was standing in the hallway with a huge grin on her face.

"Someone forgot to tell Edward they were off tonight," she sung.

"Shit," I mumbled.

"So what is your strategy with him?"

"Strategy?"

"Yeah, are you just feeling him out, making sure he's not a psycho or are you going to be upfront and tell him you have the most precious little boy in the world?"

"Shouldn't we just be friends first? I'm not hiding Rylan, I'll see if he likes him too and wants to be our friend," I explained quietly.

"How very Bella of you," she said dryly.

"Was he upset?"

"He looked a little rough today actually, there was a desperation to see you. I don't know what was wrong with him, but he wasn't as collected or debonair as he usually is."

"He probably had a bad day," I shrugged.

"Or he wanted to see you to make it better," she added.

"Alice," I warned.

"Why does this seem like a continuous thing with you?" she asked, as I said nothing. "Let go already!"

"I don't want to hurt anymore," I confessed.

"Well then do something about it. Make friends, go out…"

"I have responsibilities."

"That's why you have me and Jasper here to help with that responsibility. I expect you to do the same with my responsibility," she said softly with a smile.

"So it's you scratch my back, I scratch yours?"

"Exactly!" she sung as I giggled.

She was good at breaking up my pity parties. I was definitely going to be friends with Edward.

A/N: Bet you weren't expecting any of that? I have to be vague in these early chapters with Bella, she's not ready to tell you it all yet. So please read and review! Thanks to Dolphin62598!!