Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

Edward~

I was awakened with water to the face. Alice's sprinklers came on. I remembered suddenly I was sleeping on her porch. It came back to me in a rush of mental images. Alice crying. Alice running in her house to get away from me. I stood up and stretched. Several of Alice's neighbors were watching me and I am sure they took there morning coffee on the porch to sit and watch what was going on. I knocked on her door again. No answer.

"Come Ali. Open the door. The neighbors are staring and I don't need them getting the wrong idea..." I said to the locked door standing between my sister and I.

"I would open the door Edward but I'm not in there." she said behind me. I turned and there was Alice on the sidewalk. She was dressed almost conservatively in a a black v neck shirt and khakis.

"We have to talk." I told her.

"I know we do. Let's go inside." she said sadly. I moved out of her way and we went inside.

Alice made us some tea. We sat in silence, neither one of us knowing really where to start.

"Ali, I...." My words escaped me. Alice put her hand up to stop me,

"Was he a good Dad?" her voice was barely a whisper.

"He was." I whispered.

"I keep trying to put it all together. I keep trying to move things around in my mind to make him fit into a space but there isn't a space for him. Isn't that weird? He helped give me life but I can't fit him into my life." she said.

"I can't imagine how you feel right. I really can't. I know you must be shocked and hurt and...." It felt odd as a writer to be short on words but they really were escaping me.

"I'm sad and hurt and yet...." her lips drew a tight line over her teeth.

"And yet?" I repeated. She looked up at me for the first time since we came in the house,

"I'm relieved." she smiled. It was a watery smile. Tears rolled down her cheeks. I walked over to her,

"Why relieved?" I asked.

"I'm not alone. I've walked around for so long thinking my mother was all I had. Thinking I was alone. It's one thing to have friends who love you but it's not blood. Oh god Edward, I'm not alone!" she threw her arms around my neck sobbing into my shoulder. I wrapped mine around her body.

"No Ali. You're not alone. Never ever alone again. I'll always be here. I'll always be your family." I held on tighter to her.

"Have you read your letter yet?" I wondered a loud. She shook her head no.

"I can leave if you'd like to do it alone." I told her. She walked out and retrieved it, "I don't want to be alone when I read it. Will you stay with me?" she asked softly. I nodded. She took a seat in the chair across from me and removed the folded piece of paper from the confines of the envelope. She handled it as if it were made of glass.

"My dearest Mary Alice," her voice wavered from the start. She began to cry. She passed the letter to me. I read it to her, "My dearest Mary Alice, If you have received this, I am gone. By now you'll know the truth, I'm your father. I know you're angry and hurt but you have to know something. On the day you were born I snuck into the hospital to look at you through the nursery window. It was the middle of the night and no one knew I was there. A nurse brought me into the nursery and for a moment allowed me to hold you. As I held you in my arms I knew you were going to be something truly special. I loved you so much I was willing to do anything to protect you. That included keeping this secret. I didn't want you to be the daughter born of an affair between a secretary and her married boss. I wanted you to be happy. I knew in a town like ours you would always be treated differently and I couldn't let them do that to you. When Elizabeth presented me with the option to stay in Forks but I could never see you or your mother again I knew it was the only option. At least if I was in town I could watch over you from a far. I didn't know you would end up Edward's best friend. Sometimes life will surprise you pleasantly that way. I just want you to know I loved your mother. I loved her in a way I never loved anyone else. She was my soul mate, my true partner on this earth and from that bond we created you. For that I will never be sorry. I will never apologize for giving the world the light that truly is uniquely yours. Always remember you are loved. Beyond reason, with no agenda you are loved. Don't worry about me because I'll always be with you if want me to be. Just keep me in your heart as I've always kept you in mine.

I love you. Now, forever and always,

Dad." I looked up at her. She smiled while tears ran down her cheeks.

"He loved me." she whispered. Her smile beamed from every inch of her face.

"He did. He loved your mother too." I said handing her back her letter.

"I want to tell Rose, Emmett and Jasper but I think you should tell Bella alone. She has a special right to know I'm related to her kid." Alice told me. From there we hatched the plan. It was our first act as brother and sister.

Bella~

I ran out of flour into my fourth dozen of blue berry muffins. I was about to yell for Rose to make a run to the market but I had an unexpected visitor. Edward. I was covered in ingredients from head to toe. Why is it you always look like a model and I always manage to look like shit? I thought harshly to myself.

"I need to speak to you." he said his voice low and seductive.

"I don't have anything to say to you." I replied sharply.

"I have a lot of things to say to you." he said. He walked further into the kitchen. I noticed the bundle of papers he was carrying along with two envelopes. He stood behind me so close I could smell his scent. I could breath him in. it made my knees weak.

"I loved kissing you the other night." he murmured. I spun on him. He was so close to me if he took a step I would be pinned against the metal prep table.

"Edward if you want to see Lilly just ask me. This is all really unnecessary." I said.

"Excuse me?" he said as if he were confused.

"You don't have to sweet talk me every time you want to see her. Just let me know when you're free and we can work out a schedule but I cant keep doing this. It's to painful." my voice was harsh. I fought to keep from wrapping my arms around myself. Edward tossed the papers on to the flour covered table and laughed darkly,

"Why is it you will believe the darkest lie to cross my lips but never the brightest truth?" he said. His eyes bore into mine. It felt as if he could see straight through me. I stuttered for a reply as he continued,

"I love you. I am helplessly, hopelessly, utterly and totally desperately in love with you. I always have been. You're the one, the only one and if I don't end up with you I will die alone because for me there is no one else, there never has been. Please don't misunderstand me though, I love Lilly too and I refuse to apologize for it. I want us, the three of us to be a family. I want to marry you, I want to have more absolutely beautiful babies with you. You're it for me and when are ready to forget the past and look into our future you know where I'll be." swiftly and softly he kissed my forehead and then walked away out the back door. I was still lost for words. I remembered suddenly the papers he had left. I looked over them quickly and found an envelope addressed to me. I pulled the piece of paper out and read it silently.

"Dear Bella, I owe you an apology for so many things. First and foremost I must apologize and take the blame for my part in what happened between you and Edward. He wanted to come home the first night was gone. We kept him away for our own selfish reasons that I am sure will be explained to you sooner rather then later if you are reading this. He loves you. He always has. We told him you moved on and you were well without him. It was to much for him to come home and see you with another man so he simply never returned. I hope someday the two of you will find a way to be together. If not for your own sakes then for Lilly's because I can truly say from experience, every child should have a father. I want to thank you for allowing me to be apart of Lilly's life. She is a joy and she was the sunshine of my life the last few years I was on this earth and I am sure she is more than I deserved. I hope the education i've left Lilly will help lighten your burden and ease you mind.

Love,

Edward Masen Sr.

"Honey what's wrong?" Rose walked in the kitchen eying me carefully.

"It wasn't his fault. He does love me." I whispered in total shock. I handed Rose the letter with a shaky hand. She read it over. I knew when she hit certain parts because her eyes became as big as saucers.

"I'm the one." I mumbled.

"He said that?" Rose asked me.

"Yes." I responded.

she took my shoulders and shook hard, "Then what the fuck are you doing standing here?" I stared at her blankly. The swirl of information running through my brain was too much. It was like getting hit in the face with a frying pan.

"Bella if I gorgeous, rich, successful man, who also happens to be the father of your child pronounces you're the one. The one. You don't stand here and weigh your options, you run. You go as fast as your legs will carry you and you go to him. Tell him you love him too." Rose said with conviction.

"You're right." I said. She was already untieing my apron. "Oh my god Rose, you're right. I have to go!" I shrieked and took off running from the coffee house.

"Thats my girl!" was the last thing I heard Rose scream.

Edward~

I walked down main street, my hands stuffed in my pockets. I could smell the rain coming. I didn't look up to see the gray skies above me but I knew they were there. I tucked my chin down and sulked again. I had poured my heart out to Bella and she said nothing. Maybe we are to far gone. Maybe we cant go back again. I thought to myself. I felt the rain begin to hit my stiff sore shoulders.

"Edward! Stop Edward!" I heard a familiar voice call. I looked over my shoulder as the rain came down. Bella was running right to me. I stopped in my tracks in the middle of the street. Bella made it to me finally. I kept my face down. She cradled my face in her hands looking deep into my eyes. I had no choice but to look into hers. Those doe brown eyes had stared into mine so many times but something about now was different.

"Did you mean it?" she asked between pants for air. Her smile was beaming. It looked like the muscles in her face would ache from smiling so hard. The corner of my mouth turned up in a grin.

"Every word." I whispered. Bella's thumbs stroked the apples of my cheeks. She stood up on the tips of her toes, laying her forehead on mine,

"I love you too. I love you and I want to marry you and I want to live in that ridiculous house until it falls down around our ears. I want a future and I want it to be with you." her words were everything I dreamed they would be. She wrapped her arms around my neck. We were both soaking wet and everyone passing us thought we were lunatics.

"Promise me one thing?" she said. I kissed her forehead, her eyes lids, her cheeks. She was so real and so warm and mine.

"I'll give you anything." I told her. She kept smiling as I leaned down to kiss her full gorgeous lips.

"Don't leave again. Never ever again." she said.

" I'll be here forever and ever my love." I told her before I gave her a kiss so passionate we nearly cracked the pavement on main street.

A/n- Thanks for all the reviews first of all. Second of all sorry this took so long and third I really really want to hear all your thoughts on this so please review!