Author's Note: I'm sorry for the delay. I was sick after the holidays and I just came back from a short trip visiting friends. Also, I recently got a new lap top and hate the Windows. I'm trying to figure out how to format, it isn't easy for me.
Thank you to everyone who responded to the story with reviews and added it to your favorite lists. I'm hoping to update once a week, but I can't make nay promises. I would love to know your thoughts on the chapter.
Again, thank you for your interest in the story and without me babbling any more, here is chapter two!
Chapter Two
It was mid May and Bella was completely moved and settled into Edward and Tanya's home. It was two weeks after her two day driving adventure with Edward they had arrived back in the small town of Forks Washington on a sunny day. Tanya waited at the front door with open arms and a big glass of wine. Another round of tears came through for Bella. Her friends held her hand and hugged her as she told details of her break up with her husband. Tanya put her feelings aside and acted professional as she promised Bella she would handle everything and would encourage Jacob to communicate through her and not to contact Bella directly.
After Bella was fully settled, Tanya planned a dinner party with Bella's closet friends and family to celebrate her. Tanya invited Jasper, Bella's brother and his girlfriend Maria as well as Edward's brother Emmett and his wife Rosalie. They all had grown up with each other in one way or another. Emmett and Jasper were best friends and just a few years older than Bella and Edward. Tanya and Edward knew each other in high school but weren't friends and didn't reconnect until after college.
"What are your plans now Bells?" Emmett's wife Rosalie had asked.
Bella shrugged her shoulders as she sipped her wine. "I don't know. Edward and Tanya have been amazing and I am so fortunate to have them in my lives, but I need a job and I need to find my own place. I don't want to inconvenience them much longer."
"Nonsense Bella," Tanya started as she sat a platter of food on the table. She had become custom to taking care of Bella in the few weeks that she had descended upon them. Tanya knew Bella would leave eventually but she had hoped it would be later rather than sooner.
"If you are serious about finding a job I know of someone at work who is looking for a home organizer and someone to take care of his kids during the summer and after school," Edward chimed in as he looked at the woman who was the closest thing he'd ever have to a sister.
"I don't want to do the whole kid thing Edward." Bella politely told him.
"He needs some help. His wife passed away almost three years ago. Carlisle is great Bells. He was my mentor in college and I am very privileged to be working with him at the practice and at the hospital. He is a good friend. His choice in fiancée, however, in a little nauseating."
"Edward!" Tanya smacked her husband on his shoulder.
"What, it's true. You've met Kate. She is an unbearable woman. She isn't nice. She is actually the opposite of his wife. Elizabeth was warm and kind, where as Kate is an ice bitch. I have no idea what Carlisle sees her. She is such a stuck up snob, which is so unlike him. Anyway, his kids are awesome. They call me Uncle Eddie."
Bella smiled. "And you allow them? You hate that name!"
"They're kids Bella, what was I supposed to say? As for taking care of them, they are older. Charlotte is twelve and Peter just turned nine. He just needs help to drive them to their practices and help them with their homework."
"I don't know Edward. I appreciate the thought but I don't want to be hired helped."
Edward shook his head. "Oh my god, Carlisle would never look at you that way. He would be embarrassed if he heard us. He just needs help Bells. You were great at your interior design thingy that you were doing, I figured this would be a good match for you. Kids like you, you like kids. They are great kids. Charlotte is a little quiet and shy. I think she is intimidated by Kate and might need a little help with her self esteem. Tanya tried to help her with that when she takes her out. If might be nice for her to be around a decent woman," Edward said speaking ill of Carlisle's fiancée. "Peter is just a great kid. He loves sports and just likes to have fun. You'd love him. Think about it, please? I'm not pushing you to do it but it is something to think about."
"We'll see Edward," was all Bella said.
Bella sat back in the booth. She sipped her chai latte and went through her phone. Jacob had tried to call her and had left a message. She wasn't ready to hear his voice and ignored it. She looked at the time and figured Carlisle should be arriving any minute. Bella thought since Edward was kind enough to fly out to get her and let her take over his guestroom; she'd at least meet his friend from the hospital.
"Bella?" A man with blond hair asked. Bella looked up and was surprised to see how attractive the man was. He had piercing blue eyes that looked soulful. She was trying to figure out his age. She knew he was older than her since he had served as Edward's mentor and he had a family. She couldn't pin point it. He didn't look that much older than her.
"Yes, that's me. You must be Dr. Cullen, right?" She asked all ready knowing the answer. He nodded and she motioned for him to sit down. "It's nice to meet you."
"Thank you for meeting me tonight. Oh, and by the way, please call me Carlisle. So tell me Bella, just a little bit about yourself."
"Well, I'm twenty seven and going through a divorce. My hus-ex-husband cheated on me, which is why I am here. I went to school for interior design and business. I had a few successful jobs in Arizona before I took a leave of absence. I haven't worked in two years so this will be a whole new ball game for me."
Carlisle nodded his head. "Do you have any experience with children?"
Bella laughed. "Well, I haven't babysat since I was in high school but," she paused and looked down at her almost empty cup. "Two years ago my baby died at birth. I've kind of stayed away from all things kids since then."
"I'm really sorry for your lose Bella. Edward did mention something to me and I'm sorry it was brought up." Carlisle didn't want to be insensitive but he wanted to continue the interview. "Let me tell you about my children," he began speaking softly. "They are both older and can pretty much take care of themselves. I would like someone home for them after school to help them with their homework and just so they aren't alone. I feel bad I can't be there myself. I'm usually home by six every night, except the nights that I have a shift at the hospital. I love my kids and miss them. We try to connect and eat dinner together, but it isn't the same as driving them all over the place. Anyway, Peter is nine. He really loves sports but mostly he focuses on soccer. He does well at school. He is just a really great well rounded child.
"Charlotte is twelve and is also a great kid. She does extremely well in school. She needs a little self confidence. She has very few friends and misses her mom. School is hard for her and having other girlfriends is hard because they all do things with their mothers. If you were to accept the job I would love it if you could be her friend. She needs a woman to look up to and talk to about girl stuff. She doesn't care for Kate, my fiancée and she certainly would rather die than come to me about anything girly. Does any of this sound like something interesting to you?"
"Um, yes. I like kids. I can certainly try to be there for them," Bella paused as she remembered something else. "Edward said you needed something more than just watching the kids."
"Oh right. My fiancée is going to be moving in soon. We have yet to discuss a wedding a date, but she-we feel this is the next step in our relationship. I need some help organizing the house. The kids rooms are a mess and the rest of the house, well, it isn't pretty. I have a cleaning woman who comes so the laundry and any hard core cleaning is done by her. My office, the kitchen and the kids rooms are the worse and could use some help organizing those."
"I can defiantly do that."
Looking at her, Carlisle had just one more question. "Can you cook? Edward mentioned you are one of the best cooks ever."
Bella couldn't help but laugh. "Yes I actually enjoy cooking. I've made very elegant meals and very simple meals too. Do the children have any food allergies or restrictions?"
"Thankfully they don't and I don't know how I got so lucky but they aren't picky eaters either."
"That is great," Bella added.
Carlisle nodded. "So, where are you living? We should figure out your commute and see if this would be worth it for you."
"Commute? You sound like you are seriously considering me for this position. You haven't asked to see my resume or my references' numbers."
"If Edward suggested you that's good enough for me. I trust him with my children's lives, so your recommendation from him is good enough."
"Good to know. I am actually living with him and Tanya as of now. He's probably told you that he came to get me when my ex husband kicked me out so his pregnant mistress could move in with him."
Shaking his head, Carlisle gave Bella a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry."
"Don't, please. It is what it is. I just feel bad for bothering Tanya and Edward right now."
"I'm sure you are no bother. Edward refers to you as his sister. He even has a picture of you two as children in his office. He defiantly said he loves you more than Emmet."
Bella laughed. "You're right. I'll start looking for apartments now that I have a job. I'll be out of their hair in a month or so."
"You know I own a duplex and my current tenet on one side moved out. Why don't you take a look at it and see if you are interested in it."
Hesitant, Bella shook her head. "Thank you Dr-Carlisle, but I don't know. You've all ready given me a job."
"And now I'm giving you a home too. It's empty so you can move in at any time."
Speechless, Bella shook her head. "I really don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything yet, just think about it and let me know when you've reached a decision." Carlisle told her. He looked back at her. "So, are you ready to meet the kids?"
"Sure. When is a good time for you?"
Carlisle looked through his phone at an available evening in the next week. He couldn't help but look at Bella from the corner of his eye too. She was beautiful and seemed just nice. She seemed shy and a little reserved. She had been through a rough patch of her life and he hoped that their arrangement would help her. He thought of his children quickly. He knew Peter would love her it was just Charlotte who needed a little convincing. "How about Wednesday at six thirty? That will give me some time to get Peter from practice and cleaned up. Do you like Italian? There is a good little take out place around the corner from me and I could pick up dinner."
"That sounds nice, thank you. Thank you for everything."
"You're welcome," Carlisle glanced down at his watch. "I hate to do this but I have to get back to work. It was great to meet you Mrs. Bla-" Carlisle interrupted himself after he realized he used Bella's soon to be former name.
"It's Swan again but please just call me Bella."
"All right then Bella. It was really wonderful meeting you and I am looking forward to Wednesday when you can meet the children."
"Thank you for coming Bella," Carlisle said as he opened the door for her to enter. "The kids are in the family room. Come this way please and I'll introduce you."
"Thank you for inviting me and for the opportunity," Bella sincerely told Carlisle.
"I'm just glad you agreed to meet the kids."
"Your home is beautiful," Bella commented as she followed him inside.
"Elizabeth, my late wife did all of this. She was an architect. She designed the house and decorated it. I think she did a good job with it." He paused. "You'll be here a lot so I'm hoping you'll come to think of this as your home too."
Bella followed Carlisle into a room in the back of the house. It was sunken in and housed a large television and gaming system. "Charlotte, Peter, I'd like you to meet Bella."
Peter was the first one to introduce himself. He got off of his beanbag chair and held his hand out. He had brown hair and big blue eyes, like his fathers. "Hi, my friends call me Pete. It's nice to meet you Bella," he explained holding out his hand.
"It's nice to meet you too Pete. Your dad says you like sports."
"I love sports. I play soccer and next year I'm going to be old enough to play football, but I have to convince my dad. He says it is dangerous."
Interjecting the conversation, Carlisle looked at his son. "We'll talk about it when it gets closer." Carlisle focused his attention to his daughter sitting on the couch. "Charlotte, will you say hello to Bella please?"
Charlotte was reading The Outsiders. She hid with her nose in the book. Her long light brown hair was pulled back into a pony tail. Her eyes fell into the book, which Bella wasn't fully sure she was reading. In some ways, her insecurities reminded Bella of her own when she was her age. Shyly, the girl spoke up. "Hi."
"Hi. What are you reading? I love to read," Bella asked trying to engage her in conversation.
Charlotte looked at the front of the book. "It's The Outsiders. I have to read it for class."
"I remember reading that too when I was your age. I read it when I was in seventh grade."
"I'm in eighth," she quietly replied.
Trying to keep the conversation going, Bella spoke up again. "Do you play any sports like Peter?"
"No, I'm too uncoordinated."
Bella chuckled. "I think that is something we have in common. What do you like to do?"
Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. "Not much. I have one really good friend, Jane and sometimes we go to the movies or the mall or have sleepovers."
"Do you like to go to school dances?" Bella asked remembering how much she hated those things.
"No, I don't dance and I'm not pretty enough to dance with a boy. Jane wants me to go, and my dad says I should, but I don't want to."
Bella nodded. She felt the same awkwardness when she was Charlotte's age. If she was able to become friends with this young girl, she would try to change her mind and share her own experiences with her.
Charlotte brought her out of her thoughts. "Dad mentioned you might be our nanny?"
"I never used the word nanny," Carlisle corrected her. "I think the phrase I used was 'household manager'. Bella will have other responsibilities when you two are in school. She's going to organize and cook and-"
"You cook?" Peter asked.
"Yes I do. I actually enjoy it."
Peter raised his eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes really. Why?"
"Do you think you could teach us how to cook?"
Smiling, Bella nodded. "I think I could do that."
Peter combed his hair with his hand. He had obviously spent time with Edward and stole the move from him. "How about baking? Do you bake?"
"I can both cook and bake."
Peter stood wide eyed and looked at Bella. "Would you bake for my school fundraiser? Dad usually buys the stuff at the bakery. Can you make real stuff, not the stuff from the box?"
"Wait a minute," Carlisle interjected. "I thought you liked the stuff from the bakery?"
Peter shook his head and looked at Bella. "Well?"
Laughing, Bella looked back at him. "I never, ever use the boxed stuff."
"Never?" Peter asked.
"Never."
Looking at his father, Peter spoke. "Can we keep her dad, can we?"
"Peter, Bella is a person not an animal."
Rolling his eyes, Peter looked at his father once more. "Fine can you hire her?"
"We'll talk about it. Why don't you go back to your video games before we sit down for dinner?" Carlisle watched his son go back into the room. "I'm sorry about that. He's enthusiastic."
"No problem, Bella grinned. "I can see us having fun in the kitchen. He could even be a taste tester."
"He'd love that!" Carlisle paused. "Come with me to the kitchen and we'll continue to discuss this." Bella followed Carlisle into the kitchen. She followed his move and sat down at the table next to him. "Peter will no doubt love doing all of the cooking and baking stuff. It's Charlotte you might have to convince. She is concerned about her weight."
"She looks to be normal to me."
"I know that. I don't know where she is getting this image of herself being overweight. It really worries me. I'm hoping it is a phase and won't lead to an eating disorder. I've been monitoring her closely but I'm still concerned. It would be helpful if you were eyes and ears for me too when it comes to her."
"Absolutely. The welfare of the children comes first always."
"Excuse me for a moment," Carlisle said as he stood up and walked back towards the living room. "Peter, Charlotte, it's time to set the table for dinner." Carlisle came back into the kitchen with the children following him. "I think they are pretty good kids and they mean well but I'm their father. I might be biased."
"You have done a wonderful job raising them. They are polite and sweet."
"Thank you. I'm happy that you want to work with them, with us." He paused. "While they are setting the table for dinner let me show you around. I'll show you the kids' rooms, my office and my room."
"You're room?" Bella asked a little shocked.
Bella followed Carlisle up the stairs as he began to speak. "Yes. I think it's time I get rid of my Elizabeth, my late wife's belongings. It's been three years and I think I'm ready. I have gone back and forth. Of course if there is anything the kids want they can take it. I have all ready preserved her wedding dress incase Charlotte wants that one day. That isn't too pressing."
"That must be extremely stressful, I'm sorry."
"Don't be. We were just together for so long. Since college. We married when we were both twenty eight but had been together since we were twenty. We went through various forms of post schooling together, she went to get her master's in design and I went to medical school. I'll always love and miss her, but I have to think that after three years she wouldn't want me to have a closet full of her clothes any more. She wouldn't want me to be lonely. I mean, I wouldn't want her to be lonely. The first year was rough but it has gotten better. I just think it's time now." He paused as he thought of his wife. "I'm sorry, I was just babbling there."
"No problem. She was a huge part of your life."
Smiling, Carlisle looked at Bella. "I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable."
"Of course you didn't. Please don't worry about that."
"Dad, that table is set," Peter shouted up to his father.
"We'll be done in a minute. Charlotte take the lasagna out of the oven please. I hope you aren't insulted over the takeout food. Edward again spoke very highly of your cooking."
"I'm sure it'll be fine. Maybe Peter can help me whip up a batch and we can have a taste test some time." She paused before she looked at Carlisle. "You should also know Edward well enough by now that sometimes he tends to exaggerate a bit."
"That is true. I hope that since you have decided to take the job you'll treat us to your cooking sooner than later because the kids I think are really tired of take out," he laughed again.
"I'll see what I can do. Carlisle, thank you again for this opportunity. I think this is what I need to jumpstart and get back into life again."
"Bella, I don't think you understand. Thank you for taking over the house. I think you are what we need, especially Charlotte. I have a good feeling about you.