~*~*~ Playing Mommy~*~*~

Isabella Swan

I munched on a piece of toast sheepishly, avoiding eye contact with Edward. He didn't talk to me much, and I was thankful for that. I mean, he didn't know what I did, but I was still too embarrassed to look at him like usual. Mainly because I knew I would just end up looking at his lips and thinking how soft they felt against mine. Thank goodness Renesmee was chattering me up about her school.

"Miss Pillsbury said my drawing was beautiful," Renesmee said animatedly beside me, waving her spoon like it was a magic wand or something. She then looked up at me and asked, "Do you wanna know what I drew, mommy?"

I stopped munching on my toast and looked down at her. "What was it, honey?" I asked.

"I drew you, me, and daddy!" she said proudly. I forced out a smile. Edward cleared his throat then stood up from his chair.

"I better get going," he mumbled then slipped on his coat. He quickly kissed his mom and Renesmee on the cheeks. Strangely enough, he suddenly stiffened when he got to me.

I slowly looked up at him—for the first time the whole morning—and he kissed me on the forehead. What was stranger was that his lips sort of lingered on my skin for a few moments.

My mouth dropped in shock when he pulled away. Renesmee giggled. Out of the corner of my eye, Esme grinned knowingly.

…

"He's warming up to you, dear," Esme said after Renesmee and her nanny went off to the kindergarten. I blushed then sipped my juice timidly.

"He's just playing the part," I denied. She put a gentle hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

"Trust me," she said. "He is not what you are thinking he is."

I shrugged then said nothing more. I didn't want to say she was positively wrong, because I would look bad. It was bad enough I had grown a liking toward Edward—I didn't need to feel myself wishfully thinking he would feel the same. It was unlikely—and I knew my place.

Edward Cullen

"Edward?" I jumped at the sound of Tanya's voice. I blinked and found her looking at me with a smirk on her face. "Were you thinking of me? Because you were really in a daze back then."

I shook my head and went ahead with some paperwork she put on my desk. "Not really," I said, grabbing my sign pen. I didn't want to admit I was thinking of Bella—and her lips.

"Oh," Tanya said disappointedly. She sat on one of the chairs in front of my desk and slowly ran her fingers on the armrest. "Anyway, do you want to hang at my apartment tonight? I got a new bottle of champagne from my uncle."

Ugh. "No thanks," I said in the politest way I could muster. I really couldn't believe I was sleeping with this woman for months—just to relieve stress. "I have a lot of work to do."

"Please," she said with a scoff. I looked up and saw her narrowing her eyes at me—the same way she did when Bella appeared in my office with Renesmee yesterday. "Just admit that you're warming up to your wife to get it over with."

Was I? "I have no idea what you're talking about," I said blankly, returning to the paperwork. "If you don't mind, why don't you return to your station outside and leave me alone?"

She scoffed then stood up. "Fine," she huffed then turned away. The door closed behind her and I immediately let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding. I entwined my fingers together and pressed them to my lips as I gazed at the cubicles outside my soundproofed office.

Suddenly, my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID. It was Mom.

"Mom, what is it?" I asked.

"Do you want to meet up with me for lunch, honey?" she asked from the other line. I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"Uh sure," I said.

"I just want to talk to you about something important," she explained.

"Well, where do you want to meet?"

"How about our favorite Italian restaurant?" she suggested.

"I'll be there by twelve," I said, looking down at my watch.

"Okay. See you then, honey," she said. "Love you."

"Love you, too, Mom," I said back before she hung up.

…

"Over here," Mom called me over when I got to the restaurant. I sat on the seat across from her and she smiled mysteriously. I arched a brow.

"What is this about?" I asked.

"Why don't we order first, Edward?" she cut me off, opening a menu. I wordlessly did what she told, like a good son would do.

When the waiter came to our table, Mom ordered herself a plate of salad and I ordered a plate of fillet mignon. And as another waiter poured some wine into our glasses, Mom finally started to talk. And what came out of her mouth shocked me.

"So, how are you with Bella?" she asked, as if she was only asking about New York.

"Mom, you know it's not like that," I said. She waved her hand at me, dismissing my answer.

"I just want to know what you thought of her," she smiled. I sipped my wine and sighed.

"Well, if you want to know," I said. "She's different from what I expected."

"Different how?" she asked.

"She's… more into this than me," I admitted. "I mean, being a parent to Renesmee."

"You're a good father," she said warmly. "Truthfully, I'm starting to think Bella came into our lives to let you realize that you have a daughter who truly loves you."

I popped a slice of the fillet into my mouth and fought the urge to smile. "You do?" I asked.

"You two would make a good couple," she said, making me choke on my second piece of fillet. "Real or not."

"Mom," I said. "Why all of a sudden..?"

"You needed to hear it," she laughed then casually ate a forkful of her salad. I pursed my lips.

I was about to deny her speculations when my phone rang. I stiffened when I realized it was my uncle—Aro Cullen, Dad's older brother—calling me. "Hello?" I said into my phone.

"Edward, where are you?" he said gruffly. "I am in the office."

"You didn't tell me you were coming, Uncle," I said. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Esme arch a brow. "What is it?"

"You didn't answer my question, Edward Anthony," I stiffened at him calling me by my two names. He usually did that when I was testing his patience—once again.

I sighed. "I'm with my mom," I explained finally. "I'm having lunch with her."

"Well, hurry eating," he said sternly. "I need to talk to you personally about a case."

"Okay," I said then he hung up. I sighed then pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Is everything alright?" Mom asked gently, although I was pretty sure she knew that things concerning my uncle were not 'alright.' Ever since Dad died, Uncle Aro had been whipping me into a successful lawyer—like my dad—nonstop.

"Sort of," I admitted then started eating my lunch. "I need to get back to the office as soon as possible."

Mom smiled then started eating, too.

Isabella Swan

I just picked up Renesmee from her school and I instantly wanted to go to a bookstore.

"What will we do in a bookstore, mommy?" she asked when we entered Barnes and Noble.

"I'm just going to look around, baby," I smiled as I squeezed her small hand in mine. Her eyes drifted to the children's books and tugged at my arm.

"Mommy, may I go there?" she asked.

I nodded. "Of course you may," I said, letting go of her hand. "Don't wander too much, okay? I'll just be here."

She looked at me over her shoulder and waved a hand. "Okay, mommy," she said then turned away. I involuntarily smiled then made my way toward the Bestsellers.

Minutes later, I was flipping the pages of a book when I heard a familiar voice behind me. "Would you mind explain why you're here, Bella?"