I'm sorry it took a while for me to update this story. I struggled writing the next chapter, but then after I was finally finished writing it, I realized the last one was so short, I might as well make it longer. So I deleted Chapter Four, added what would've been Chapter Five, and re-uploaded it. If that makes any sense.

You'll finally find out what happened to Bella's dad and stepmom. And if you haven't figured it out yet, Charlotte and Susannah are named after their late grandparents.

Any mistakes that you see are my own.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Twilight Saga. Stephenie Meyer owns The Twilight Saga.


We had a lot of fun celebrating Seth's nineteenth birthday. We went out to dinner, met up at Emily's house, had cake—that Emily and the twins made themselves—and Emily, Leah, the twins, and I watched the birthday boy open his presents. Each of us got him something small while we all pitched in for his big present. There's this game called Fortnite that's become very popular around the world and I remembered Seth mentioned it once, during a Facetime call last week. At first, we were all reluctant to get him the game because Seth was in his first year of college and therefore, needed to focus on his studies, but we knew it's what he wanted. He was really happy he got the game and promised he'll focus on school and only play Fortnite on weekends.

And Seth has never broken a promise.

Charlotte and Susannah each made a really cute birthday card for their uncle. Each had drawn a picture of herself and him, holding hands, the words "Happy," written on the top, and "Birthday," written on the bottom. Inside the cards were little handwritten notes and although both the twins' writing was messy, Seth was still able to make out what they said.

Jacob had called me after I put the twins to bed, but I didn't answer because my phone was on silent so I could spend time with my family. I knew he called me because I saw I had a missed call when I turned on my phone to check the time and recognized his number, having not yet saved it in my contacts. When I mentioned this to Emily, Leah, and Seth, you could guess what Emily's reaction was.

"Call him back," she practically demanded. "I'm pretty sure the reason why Officer Hottie called was so he can finally ask you out."

"I don't want to call him back," I told her. "I want to spend time with my family and catch up."

"And what we want is for you to find a man because you need one," Emily said. "Especially when you are raising two kids by yourself. They need a father and you need someone who is faithful and will cater to your every need." Leah nodded in agreement while Seth just looked confused.

"Who's Officer Hottie?" he asked.

I was about to say something, but Leah beat me to it. "His real name is Jacob Black and he's a cop, just like Dad was. He stopped by the diner the other day for a cup of coffee and had a nice little chat with Bella." She winked at me. "But then he left because he had to work the night shift."

"Leah!" I stared at her, appalled. Leah just shrugged, smiling sheepishly at me.

"Did he work with Dad?" Seth asked.

"No," I answered, shaking my head. "But Dad was his mentor. Jake wanted to become a cop after high school and Dad helped him go through with it. Jake was going to tell Dad he got into the Police Academy, but it was too late."

Neither of us didn't say anything after that. I was staring down at the ground, Seth and Leah were doing the same, and I felt Emily's gaze on me.

"You know, it's not your fault," she said after a while.

"I know," I murmured, playing with my hands. Leah, who was sitting beside me on the couch, placed her hand on my shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"We don't blame you for what happened to our mom," Emily continued. "If it was just her, Seth, Leah, and I, she would've told either one of us to get the others out of there if the same thing happened to us."

I lifted my head, meeting her gaze, and smiled. "Sue was a kind, strong, beautiful woman. She didn't deserve to die."

"It was a sacrifice she was willing to make," Leah said and I turned to smile at her. "She would've done anything to protect her children, even if one of them is not biologically hers."

"I'm just glad those two A-holes are dead," Seth muttered. "Serves them right for thinking they can shoot their way out of a dangerous situation." We all nodded in agreement at that.

"So, about Officer Hottie," Emily said, changing the subject. "Call him back or at the very least, send him a text. You have his number. Use it."

I sighed and grabbed my phone from the table. I unlocked it and sent Jacob a text, but not before adding him to my contacts.


And that is how I ended up at a fancy Italian restaurant the next night, sitting at a table across from Jacob, wearing a fit-and-flare black dress—that I borrowed from Emily—with matching black pumps—also borrowed from Emily. She came over an hour before to help me get ready and to take the twins back to her house, where they'll be spending the night. When Jake came to pick me up, Emily went into "parent mode," pestering him with questions and threatening to personally give him a vasectomy if he ever hurt me in the future.

Jake didn't say anything on our way to the restaurant, but he had an uncomfortable look on his face.

"I'm sorry about Emily," I apologized, reaching over the console to take his hand in mine, squeezing it gently. "Being the oldest, she's kind of the parent of the family."

Jake's only reply was turning to glance at me briefly with a reassuring smile on his face.

"And whoever wins gets a brand-new, flat-screen TV," Jake says, cutting a small piece of the chocolate cake with his fork and bringing it to his lips, taking a bite. He savors the piece for a moment before swallowing it. "So far, I'm in the lead. I have to win because the TV I have now is an old, standard one my family has had for years. I'm surprised it still works."

"I think that's really cool that you're doing that," I praise him. "I should start driving over the speed limit just so I could help you out."

Jake laughs. "You should, but then you'd have to pay for all of them. Not to mention, you'd eventually get into an accident."

"That's true," I nod.

We had just finished dinner and are now sharing a slice of chocolate cake for dessert. Jake was just telling me about a contest going on at the police station to see who can give out the most speeding tickets by the end of the month. The majority of our dinner was spent getting to know each other. I learned so much about Jake and will probably continue to learn something new about him every day. For instance, when he's not out catching criminals or writing citations, he's volunteering at a children's hospital. I could just picture him reading a book to a sick child and the look of awe on Emily's face when I tell her about Jake and his charity work.

"Yep, he is definitely father material," she'd tell me.

"What about you?" Jake asks, bringing me back to the present. "I've been talking nonstop about myself, you must be bored out of your mind."

Now it's my turn to laugh. "Don't worry, I'm not." I cut a small piece of the cake with my fork and bring it to my lips, taking a bite, savoring it before swallowing. "You already know I'm a waitress and that I have two children who are twins. And that I'm the daughter of the late Chief of Police."

Jake nods. "Yes, I met your daughters and the diner was where we first met. I came in for a cup of coffee and saw you in your waitress uniform."

"I remember," I say. "And then after I introduced myself, you told me you knew my dad."

He smiles sadly before reaching across the table to take my hand in his. "He really was a good man." He pauses for a moment before continuing, "I read the report. I'm really sorry about what happened. He didn't deserve to die and neither did your mom. I'm just glad those two men who murdered them are dead. Shooting at a bunch of cops was the stupidest thing to do."

As always, when I talk about my dad and Sue or hear other people talk about them, I feel tears well up in my eyes. I wipe them away with my other hand and give Jake a small smile. "Sue was actually my stepmom, but still a mom. And a woman who was just collateral damage."

"All because your dad had helped put away a man who raped and murdered a seventeen-year-old girl," he recollects. "And then that man died in prison."

"And his brother sent those two men to murder my dad out of revenge," I add. "They busted down the front door and got to my stepmom first because she was downstairs in the kitchen, while the rest of us were upstairs. My dad was putting my stepbrother to bed while my stepsisters and I were already in bed, asleep, when we heard screaming and gunshots."

"The report said you and your siblings managed to escape and call for help," Jake says. "How?"

"My dad told me to get them out of there before they came for him," I explain. "It was an order and when the Chief of Police gives you an order, you must follow it, no questions asked."

Silence falls between us as Jake just stares at me, adoringly, rubbing small circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. "Tell me more about yourself," he says after a while.

I know he's trying to change the subject and I feel better about that. I take a deep breath and let it out. "Well, after what happened, Emily became our legal guardian since she was eighteen at the time. She did her best at raising me, my stepbrother, Seth, and my other stepsister, Leah, until we were old enough to take care of ourselves. Even though I wasn't actually related to them, they thought of me as their real sister." I smile at the thought before it suddenly fades. "I always thought they blamed me for what happened to their mom, but they really don't."

"What about your kids? What can you tell me about them?" Jake asks.

The thought of talking about my girls has me smiling again. "I was just sixteen years old when I found out I was pregnant. The twins' father was this rich, spoiled seventeen-year-old boy I had gone on one date with before losing my virginity to him that same night. It was a mistake but getting pregnant wasn't. Even though I was still young and had big dreams, I was looking forward to being a mom. I was willing to sacrifice my future for my children.

"Emily, Leah, and Seth were surprisingly happy when I told them I was pregnant. They even helped set up the nursery, purchasing the necessities like a crib, changing table, baby clothes, anything that my babies would need. When I told their father I was pregnant, he was disappointed at first, but then warmed up to the idea of being a father. We weren't in a relationship or anything, but he was there throughout my whole pregnancy and the twins' birth. I named them Charlotte and Susannah after my parents." I go on to tell Jake about the twins' father coming over to see them every day after they were born, only to just stop because he felt like partying and sleeping around was more important than raising two children. That's my assumption, anyway.

"He was an idiot for doing that," Jake tells me. "It was like he gave up when he could've tried harder."

I nod, agreeing with him. "That's what I think, too."

He just chuckles before moving on. "I would love to meet Leah and Seth one day. I already met Emily and she seems nice." He shudders at the last part. "And your daughters are adorable. I've never met their father, but they look more like you than they do him."

I smile sheepishly. "Thanks. They do, actually. It's like I'm looking at two younger versions of myself."

Jake returns my smile with one of his own. "I like your smile. It's so cute."

I can't help but laugh at his compliment, but soon regret it. When I laugh, it's more like a snort. Jake doesn't seem to notice because he's too busy being mesmerized by my beauty.

We go back to finishing the rest of the chocolate cake in silence before Jake signals for the check. When I reach for my bag underneath the table, he stops me.

"I got this," he says, taking out his wallet from the pocket of his dress pants. I try to protest, but he puts a hand up. "It's okay. Apparently, it's customary for the gentleman to pay for dinner, which I don't mind doing."

"Thanks," I tell him. The waiter comes by with the check and a credit/debit card machine. Jake doesn't need the machine because he grabs a few bills from his wallet and hands it to the waiter.

"Thanks for coming," the waiter smiles, taking the bills from Jake. "Have a good night."

With that, we leave the restaurant and once we're outside, Jake hands his ticket to the valet, who takes it before going to the parking lot beside the restaurant to get Jake's car.

The ride back to my apartment is silent but comfortable. While Jake is keeping his eyes on the road, I gaze out the window at the night sky, suddenly feeling tired. Yawning, I turn to glance at the clock on the stereo. It's only ten fifteen, but it feels like it's later than that.

"Tired?" Jake asks, reaching over the console to take my hand in his.

I nod. "Yeah. I've never actually been out this late. I'm usually in bed by ten."

"Well, I'm glad you went on this date with me," he says.

My only reply is turning to smile at him, even though he can't really see it.

When Jake pulls up beside my building, he turns off the engine and gets out of the car, going around to open the passenger door for me. Grabbing my bag off the ground, I get out and he closes the door behind me.

"I had a really nice time tonight," I say as we cross the courtyard to get to my apartment.

"Me too," Jake tells me. "I don't like where you're living by the way. This place doesn't seem safe and secure."

"It's the only place I can afford," I tell him.

"But you could live someplace better and nicer," Jake says. "I happen to know where."

I turn around to face him once we've reached my door. "It's still too soon for me to move in with you."

He laughs nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "That's not what I mean. There's this single-family home that was just put up for sale. It's in a safe neighborhood, open-concept, and there's a lot of amenities for you and your daughters. The price is really high, but I'm sure if I talk to the owner, who happens to be a good friend of mine, he's willing to negotiate."

I purse my lips. "I don't know. I like where I'm currently living. Sure, it's not safe, but I like it."

"Will you at least think about it?" Jake practically begs. "How about this? I take you to go check out the place and then you can think about it."

"Okay," I concur. Changing the subject, I gesture to my front door. "Well, I guess I'll be going inside now." I don't move, though, because I know what's about to happen next.

Jake takes a step closer to me, pretending to be sad. "But I don't want you to. Not yet, anyway."

I stutter as I gaze at his delectable full lips. "But I, uh, I have to get to bed. The twins have school the next day."

"No, they don't," Jake says, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. "If I recall, it's the weekend and your daughters are spending the night at Emily's house." Damn, I do remember telling him that last part. "Try again."

"I have gas." It comes out like a question instead of a statement. I mentally kick myself. Smooth Swan. Real smooth.

Jake reaches up to place a hand on my left cheek. "Bella, is there a reason why you don't want me to kiss you? Because I've been looking forward to it since the beginning of our date. Actually, I've been looking forward to it since we met."

I gaze into his beautiful brown eyes. "I just don't want to move too fast."

"Because of what happened last time you went on a date?"

I nod.

Jake chuckles. "Then why didn't you say so? I would've been fine with taking things slow. But a kiss here and there wouldn't hurt."

"I guess you're right," I tell him.

"So, can I kiss you now?" he asks, leaning in close until his lips are inches from mine, his hand still on my cheek.

I nod and with that, Jake kisses me. It only lasts a few seconds, but it's enough to make my knees go weak. He pulls away with a smile on his face.

"How was that?"

It takes me a moment to answer because I feel a little flushed from the kiss. "Amazing," I smile back at him.

"Good," he practically whispers, placing his hand back on my cheek, grazing a thumb over my swollen lips. "That's good."

We stand there, gazing at each other, neither of us saying anything. "So, I guess I'll let you go then," Jake finally says, taking a step back. "Good night, Bella."

"Night," I tell him, giving him a small wave as I watch him turn on his heel and walk away. Once he's out of sight, I grab my keys from my bag and turn to unlock the door. Entering my apartment, I close the door behind me, locking it, and head straight down the hall toward my bedroom but not before turning on the hall light and taking off my heels. Turning off the hall light and turning on my bedroom light, I start getting ready for bed.

Changed into a pair of comfortable pajamas with my teeth brushed and face washed, I climb into my bed and drift off to sleep, dreaming of Jacob and the life we could have together.