CHAPTER FOUR
Bella stepped into her bedroom, rubbing a towel through her damp hair. As she stepped into her closet to change her clothes, she glanced to her children. They were both asleep on her bed, Lana's arms curled over Sam's protruding belly. Their chests rose and fell evenly and their eyes fluttered gently behind their closed eyelids. She smiled as she discarded her towel and slipped into her underwear and a pair of sleep shorts and an oversized t-shirt from Mike's drawer.
After she'd returned home from the park, she'd put the kids in a bath in hopes that she'd wash the sand from their bodies and clean them up before she laid them down for a nap. The bath had been successful. After she'd put both Sam and Lana into their pajamas and had laid down with them to watch a Blue's Clues video, they'd fallen straight asleep. Once she was sure that they were fast asleep and safe, she took a shower and washed her hair, something that she hadn't been able to do alone in months.
After she'd secured her wet hair in a French braid, Bella climbed into bed beside her children and pulled the blanket up and over their bodies. She pulled in close to Lana and kissed the top of her head softly. Bella closed her eyes and took another breath, pulling in the scent of her daughter. Baby powder and soap. It was her favorite scent now, the most familiar and comforting. Growing up she'd used to love the smell of peonies, a flower that had grown on the bushes behind her parent's house in Seattle. In college, she'd grown accustomed to the smell of Mike's cologne, musty yet comforting. When she'd wake up and smell him on her pillows and her clothes, she'd go through the day with Mike on her mind, a constant reminder that she'd finally found someone who loved her. But after they'd gotten married and Bella moved away from her parents and the peonies, Mike began changing his scent, experimenting with new cologne and none of them had been as good as the one that Bella had grown so accustomed to. She needed a new scent to fall in love with and when Lana was born, she found it.
"You smell like the kids," Mike would say to her as they fell asleep at night. She was never sure if he was complimenting her or not. She'd spent so much time away from perfume and scented body sprays that she'd learned how to live without them. She found herself using baby lotion to moisturize and No Tears instead of regular shampoo. She was a mother and until her children were old enough to be independent of her, she would continue giving her life away to them, even if it meant giving up her favorite things.
But despite how much of her life she'd given up to have her children, they did bring good things to her as well. She had constant companionship. She was never alone because she always had her children with her. She always had love because there were no two souls who loved her more than Lana and Sam. She had laughter because her babies were always making her laugh. And now… she had Edward.
She'd been thinking about him all day. Since they'd left his side at the park, she couldn't get him off of her mind. He hadn't even done anything or said anything that was especially memorable. He had just been there right where she needed him to be. She hadn't even known that she'd needed him until she'd gotten home. She wasn't sure if it was his smile or his easy going personality… or even the fact that he was gorgeous but something about him had created in Bella a brand new warmth. He had beautiful children and even from their fifteen minutes in the sandbox, she could tell that he was a good father and that he loved his kids. She wished that Mike would take the kids to the park and let Bella have a day off, a day to herself. She hadn't noticed if Edward had a wedding ring on his finger or not but if he did have a wife, she was probably happy with him and their marriage was perfect.
Bella sighed softly and draped her arm over her children. She leaned over Lana and kissed Sam's cheek softly. She kissed Lana's temple softly and then settled gently against the pillow. With her children held close to her heart, Bella drifted slowly into sleep wishing behind closed eyelids for a change in her life.
"Bella… wake up," Mike said. Roused from sleep by his voice, Bella pulled away from the warmth of her children. She rubbed at her eyes and then opened them slowly. Her husband was standing at the foot of the bed, loosening his tie. He smiled when she looked at him.
"What's going on?" she asked, looking down to her children. Lana was still sleeping but Sam looked up at her with wide, quiet eyes. She smiled to him and sat up slowly.
"Get up, take a shower, and dress nice. We're going out tonight," he said, a wide smile crossing his lips. His cheeks were red and his hair flustered. He seemed so eager. Bella smiled and shook her head in confusion.
"What? The kids, Mike," she said, still only halfway coherent. She was still lost in her dreams where Edward Cullen was her hero and there were no children there.
"I called a babysitter for the night," he said. "She'll be here in half an hour."
"Mike…" Bella protested. He hadn't warned her ahead of time. She was still recovering from her nap and she was not in the mood to spend a night out. It would be nice but on any other night it would have been more appropriate.
"Bella," Mike said, laughing. He leaned over the foot of the bed, took hold of her hands and pulled her the length of the bed. He pulled her to her feet and kissed her quickly. "Just do it. I'll keep Sam entertained for a bit." He slapped her butt gently and she hopped toward the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later, Bella was ready. She'd brought her prep time down after having had her kids. After a ten minute shower she could successfully dress, apply a little bit of make-up, and tease her hair into submission all within a fifteen minute period. She stepped into the living room wearing a black dress that gently hugged her curves and fell just above her knees. The straps were small and traveled over her shoulders and connected to either side of the dress, crossing against her back. She'd released her hair from the braid and had let the waves fall against her back and had pinned it up at the side with identical barrettes.
Smiling, she entered the room and found Mike sitting on the couch with Lana in his lap. The babysitter, a pretty bronze-haired girl with a dazzling smile, was sitting in the arm chair with Sam on her knee.
"Hello," Bella said, stepping up to the back of the couch. Mike tipped his head and looked up to her with a smile.
"Hey baby," he said, slipping Lana off of his lap and onto the couch. She sat there quietly, still recovering from her long nap. Mike stood up quickly and walked up to his wife. Bella noticed that his actions seemed jerky and he appeared nervous.
"This is our babysitter, Bree Cullen," he said, slipping his arm along Bella's lower back. The name caught in Bella's ear and she smiled at the girl.
"Hello," she said. "I'm Bella."
"Hi," Bree said with a gentle wave. Mike kissed Bella's temple quickly.
"I'm going to change," he said. "I'll be right back. Show her the ropes." Bella nodded and watched him go. Once the bedroom door closed she looked back to Bree and smiled as she crossed around the front of the couch and sat beside Lana, draping one leg over the other.
"Thank you," Bella smiled, leaning over. She kissed the top of Lana's head and let the little girl lean into her. "They're pretty well behaved. They've been asleep all day so I wouldn't expect too much from them at bed time. Just give Sam a bottle of formula at about eight thirty and keep Lana entertained with Toon Disney and a bag or two of fruit snacks."
Bree nodded.
"Our phone numbers are on the refrigerator. My cell phone and Mike's. The kids doctor is on there as well as the hospital and the police," she said. "But you probably knew all of that."
"Yeah, but it makes the parents feel better," Bree said. Bella liked her. She had a bright, confident smile and thick, long bronze hair that was pushed behind her ears and cascaded down her back. She was modest and sweet and Bella believed that she could trust the girl with her children.
"All right, babe," Mike said, emerging from the bedroom in slacks and a white collared shirt. He pulled a suit jacket over it and stepped into the living with a smile. Bella took note of his scent… a cologne she didn't recognize. She wondered when he'd bought a new one.
"All ready?" he asked, as if she were a child. He looked down at her hopefully. She wondered why everything felt so awkward. She gave him a smile and nodded. She moved away from Lana and stood up.
"Lana, mommy and daddy are going to go out for a little while, okay? You're going to stay here with our new friend, Bree. She'll let you watch Blues' Clues and you can have some Fruities, okay?" Bella said as she kneeled down to her daughter's level. Lana looked up at her with sleepy eyes.
"Okay," Lana said. Was it supposed to be that easy? Bella had never left her children alone before. Wasn't Lana supposed to beg her to stay? Cry and kick and scream? Did she really not care that her mother was leaving her?
"You'll be good for Bree, won't you?" she asked her daughter. Lana turned her eyes to her mother and nodded gently. "And help her take care of Sam, okay?"
"Okay, Bella, baby. They'll be fine," Mike laughed and took hold of Bella's elbow. He pulled her away from Lana and she stumbled backwards, surprised by her husbands fast movements. She smiled awkwardly, confused by Mike's strange behavior.
"Bye babies," Bella said, giving them one last wave. "Bye Bree. Take care of them." She smiled to their new babysitter and Bree smiled back.
"I will. I promise," she said.
Thirty minutes later, Bella found herself sitting across from her husband at Giancarlo's, an Italian restaurant in downtown Chicago. He seemed fidgety and took long drinks from his wine glass. They'd barely spoken any words and Bella felt awkward. She'd rather be at home watching videos with Lana while Sam fell asleep in her lap with a bottle.
"So, what's this about?" Bella asked, resting her forearms on the table in front of her. She offered Mike a smile and he returned it quickly.
"I just wanted to take you out," he said. "We haven't been out since Sam was born and I thought that it was long overdue. Can I not take you out? The kids are fine."
"Yes… you can," Bella said. "And I know they're fine but I never… I haven't left them alone before."
"Well, Bree will call if there's a problem," Mike said, taking another sip of his wine. Bella nodded and sighed softly as she picked up her water glass. She'd refrained from drinking any wine. She'd never liked it much. In college she'd only been drunk once or twice and she hadn't liked it either time. Once she was pregnant, she'd had to give up alcohol and once Lana was born, Bella never found time to drink again.
"So… how was work today?" she finally asked. They were waiting for their waiter to return with their orders. Mike set his glass down and looked up at her with a smile.
"Good. It was good. We're working on a new internet advertising campaign for a company in New York," he said. "So, we've all been pretty busy with that. Long hours and a lot of work. How was your day?"
Bella smiled, remembering her afternoon at the park. Edward was etched in her mind, his smile and his eyes. She'd been dreaming of his lips all night. She'd never kissed anyone other than Mike. She couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be with Edward.
"We went to the park," she said.
"Again?" Mike asked, interrupting her.
"Yes," Bella said, impatiently. "Lana and Sam love going there. It's better than sitting in the house watching TV all day. We made some new friends there."
"Really?" Mike asked.
"Really," Bella said, defending herself. It was as if Mike didn't believe Bella could have any other friends besides her children. Had he moved her out here because of that? Keep her away from everything she's ever known? So she'd remain loyal to him and the children because she has no one else? Was that how it worked? She refrained from telling Mike the rest of her story. She didn't feel that he deserved to know. If he wasn't going to make her happy, she wasn't going to let him in on the things that did. She didn't want him to take them away from her.
The rest of dinner was quiet and interrupted with awkward conversation. Bella remembered when she and Mike could go to dinner and talk about everything. He listened to her as she talked about her classes and her room mate, her family, her friends, her latest dream, her future dreams. He was interested then and now it was if they strived to find things to talk about. The dinner ended with a $90 check and a quiet drive back to their house. As far as Bella was concerned, it had been a waste of two hours.
Inside of the house, Mike and Bella found Bree sitting in the living room with Lana's head rested in her lap. The little girl was fast asleep, her chest rising and falling evenly. Bree looked up from the TV which was quietly playing an old episode of Saturday Night Live on the E! channel.
"Hey," Bree said, quietly.
"Hi," Bella smiled as she stepped into the living room. She wanted to stay and talk to Bree and find who she was and about her family, if she was related to a certain Cullen. She was desperate for a friend even if it was a seventeen year old girl. Mike waved and hurried back into the bedroom where Bella was sure he'd turn on the news and find out the scores to the games that he'd missed during dinner.
"How long has she been asleep?" Bella asked, sitting down in the arm chair across from Bree. She glanced down to Lana as Bree ran her fingers through the little girls hair gently. Lana's eyes fluttered softly. She looked so peaceful and beautiful, perfect.
"About an hour," Bree said. "I think she's getting a cold or something. She started sneezing right after you left and her nose has been running. I found some Kleenex and some cold medicine and she fell asleep almost instantly."
"Well… I don't want her to be sick but it will be good for her to get some rest," Bella said, resting her elbows on her knees. She leaned forward and smiled wearily. "The little girl wears me out."
"I can't believe that," Bree said, laughing. "She just sat on the couch in one place all evening. After Sam fell asleep and I laid him down, Lana was in the same place when I came back. She hadn't moved a muscle."
"She probably saves her energy for me," Bella said, smiling. "So Sam was good then too?"
"For the most part. He pretty much just cried himself to sleep," Bree said. "Once he realized that you were gone, he got pretty upset." Bella sighed.
"I've never left them alone before," she said. "Not even for two hours. I expected it to be harder on Lana though. Good thing I know how they react now."
"Well, they're good kids. I'd love to baby sit again. Whenever you need me," she said. Bella smiled and slowly stood up. She moved to the couch and helped Bree lift Lana's head. Bella replaced a pillow under her daughter's head and stepped aside as Bree stood up.
"I'd love to have you again," Bella said, moving toward the foyer. "Let me get you some money." Bree followed her and Bella picked up her purse off of the table beside the door. She opened her wallet and fished out a twenty and a ten. She handed the money to Bree and smiled.
"I hope $15 dollars an hour is all right," she said. "I used to baby sit a lot and that rate always worked the best for me." Bree nodded and smiled as she pocketed the money.
"It's perfect," she said. "I'm so used to baby sitting my niece and nephew for free that any amount of money would be fine."
Bella smiled. "I assume that my husband has your phone number?" she asked. Bree nodded.
"Yes," she said.
"Good. Then I'll call you again whenever I need you," she said, stepping up to the door. She opened it and ushered Bree outside.
"Thank you, Mrs. Newton," she said.
"Call me Bella," she said. "I'm not much older than you are. It's all right if we go by our first names." Bree smiled.
"All right. Thank you Bella," she said, and hopped off of the porch. Bella smiled and waved goodbye, making sure that she made it to her car safely. She watched her pull away and disappear down the street. Taking a deep breath, she returned to the house and scooped Lana into her arms.
After tucking her daughter into bed and turning on Lana's night light, she checked on Sam and made sure that he was safe. She kissed his forehead gently and adjusted his blankets before she journeyed back to the bedroom where the TV was quietly playing footage from the latest car crash on the Interstate. Mike was in the bathroom, the water running quietly. Bella yawned as she stepped up to the closet and discarded her dress. She replaced it on its hanger and quickly changed into a pajama set of light blue shorts and a matching tank top. She pulled the barrettes from her hair and ran her fingers through the tangles as she made her way back to the bed.
"Honey…" Bella called out as she pulled back the blankets.
"Hmph?" Mike grunted from the bathroom, his mouth full of toothpaste.
"How did you find Bree?" she asked, as she sat down on the bed and reached for her birth control pills. She took out the appropriate pill and popped it into her mouth. She washed it down with a drink of water from the bottle that she kept at her bedside.
"The internet," Mike said, after he rinsed his mouth. The water shut off and he stepped out of the bathroom dressed in only his boxers. Bella looked up to him as she lifted her legs into the bed and pushed them under the blankets.
"Baby sitters have internet ads now?" she asked. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"It's a private thing, I guess," he said, as he came to bed. He got under the blankets beside her and settled down against his pillows, reaching for the remote. He turned the TV off and set the remote on the night stand beside him.
"Oh," Bella said, not sure that she understood the process completely. Had he gone searching through a forum of available babysitters in the Chicago area? And how had he found the sister of Bella's new friend and guilty pleasure?
"It's just… I met Bree's older brother today at the park," Bella said. "He is that friend that I was telling you about. Well, his son befriended Lana so naturally I talked to him. But Bree is his younger sister."
"That's crazy," Mike said, with a small laugh. "How things work out. I heard about her from a friend and was told that I could find her resume online. And so I did."
"I like her," Bella said, smiling down at her husband. He was looking up at her with bedroom eyes. She knew what he wanted. Maybe that is why dinner had been so awkward. He was just eager to get home and finish their date.
He didn't respond to her. He waited until she laid down before he moved in close and kissed her softly. She brought her hand to his chest and the other to his waist. She kissed him back, his lips tasting like cool mint. It wasn't long before he'd taken off his boxers and her panties and was spreading her legs. She wasn't in the mood for sex but she'd already let him get this far. His lips trailed away from hers and he kissed her collarbone as he pushed into her, hard and deep. She winced slightly, not quite ready for the penetration and she tried to loosen her muscles. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of anything else that would lessen the discomfort that she was feeling.
And then she saw his face again, Edward Cullen smiling at her as Mike thrust into her. It was easy to put Edward's face on her husband's body. She kept her eyes closed and smiled as she realized how much easier it was for Mike to slide in and out as her thoughts of Edward increased her desire. She ran her hands over Mike's shoulders and gripped his skin tightly as he pushed deeper. Air escaped her lips and then sound. She moaned, Edward's eyes and smile etched into the back of her eyelids. She lifted her hips to Mike's as she felt her climax approaching. Mike's moans didn't deter Bella from her vision. She kept Edward steadfast in her mind and met each one of Mike's thrusts until an orgasm ripped through her muscles and caused her to buck her hips towards her husband's body. Mike released inside of her, filling her with warmth. They rode it out slowly, their breathing labored, until Mike collapsed on top of her and quickly pulled out. He rolled onto his back at her side but she didn't dare open her eyes. She just stayed in bed beside him, a happy smile still crossing her lips. For the first time since Sam was born, Bella had actually enjoyed sex with her husband.
I could get used to this, she thought as Mike adjusted the blankets over them again and curled up to her. She couldn't wait to see Edward again tomorrow. Maybe he would give her another smile that she could store away in her mind.
A/N: Yeah I know that you didn't really want a lemon that featured Bella and Mike. But be patient! I really don't want to push them into it just yet! More to come!