"My grandfather used to say that almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Then my Grammy would answer, "Yes, Poppa, everybody knows, almost doesn't count." It's true. Think about it. When is almost good enough?" ~Bella, Almost Doesn't Count

**Per the usual, I don't ask anyone to waste their time & beta this..So Beware you Grammar Nazis!**

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I continued to tease Bella about my car. I liked the way her eyes would crinkle and her cheeks would stain whenever I did. It was playful and... just fun. I didn't have to pretend anything with her, I could just be myself and that was so refreshing. I think I'd always tried to conform before; with my colleges, with my friends, maybe even some with my parents. But with Bella, from the very day she set foot in my apartment, I was always just Edward, and I don't think she minded a bit.

Emmett was keeping Ethan until later tonight and I wasn't ready to go home yet. Truth be told, I just wanted to keep her in my presence for as long as I possibly could.

"You want to go for a drive or do you have to get back to the office? Emmett won't be home with Ethan 'til later this evening and it's such a beautiful day."

Before I turned my eyes back to the road, I saw the way she nibbled on her lip as she contemplated her decision. Then she kicked off her shoes and wiggled her painted toes against the floor mat, "I'm game. Where we going?"

Shoot, I didn't have a plan. "Shoreline maybe? I dunno, let's just get out of the city for a bit."

I rolled down the windows and Bella's hair began to twirl around in the wind. The scent of her shampoo filled the small space between us before drifting away to mingle with the outside air. I deeply inhaled and fought the urge to close my eyes as her essence danced around and seduced me.

"You're driving," she implied before resting her head on her arm and staring out the window. I cranked up some tunes and just drove toward the both sang along under our breath with the random songs that played. I was still racking my brain trying to figure out what we could do to pass the day. I thought I saw a small sign by the side of the road advertising a carnival ahead, but I was going too fast to read the details.

A few more miles up the road was a large billboard and without even thinking I slammed on my brakes. She cursed at me and I tried not to laugh at her frustration.

I explained to her that there was a carnival down the road and I wanted to go. Then she looked at me as if I were speaking a foreign language.

I couldn't believe that I was having to explain the difference of a fair, a carnival, and a circus to a grown-ass woman. She really hadn't experienced a few of those simple pleasures in life, but I was just the man to rectify that.

She complained about having to wear heels and I understood – I really did, but we were going to that carnival regardless. I let it spill that I thought it was cute she was always barefoot, and then I promised her we'd work something out about her shoe problem for the day. "I'll figure something out, even if I have to carry you around like a monkey on my back, we're going to that carnival!"

I couldn't hide my excitement about going to the carnival. Growing up, we went every year. Emmett and I could spend the whole day at the midway, getting off one ride and running to the next. I told Bella about some of the crazy times we had. I realized I hadn't been since before I went away to college, it was another one of those staples of my youth I had forgotten about.

~x0x0x0x0x~

After stopping off at Walgreen's and picking up the only type of shoes they had in Bella's size, and of course buying a little extra to make it feel more 'special,' we were on our way.

I told her about listening to her sing the Duckie song to Ethan, hence why I bought her the duckie buttons and socks. I remembered that very second when I saw her interacting with Ethan. She didn't know I was there, so I kept quiet and leaned against the bedroom door. I watched how she sang to him, tickled his sides, and made him laugh, and it caused my heart swell inside my chest. She made me not want to set forth on this journey of parenthood alone.

It was too soon to say it aloud, possibly even to early to think about it, but maybe she was the one to share it with. Just maybe...

~x0x0x0x0x~

The carnival was just down the road and she played around with her shoes as I parked.

We laughed about her mismatched outfit as we entered the midway. I paid for everything and didn't even give her time to disagree to riding all the carnival had to offer.

The lines were short since most of the small town was either working or in school, it was perfect. I led her from ride to ride. She would clutch my hand as we stood waiting our turn and I could practically feel her trepidation through our linked palms.

She never protested though, she was such a trooper. She would squeal and giggle as we flipped and tumbled. She would hold her breath and squeeze her eyes shut, and all I could do was laugh. It was priceless. I felt as though I was a kid again, I wanted to freeze in time this feeling in my chest, and visit it every night as I fall to sleep. Maybe then I'd be able to dream as if I had no troubles in the world and everyday would be nothing but merry-go-rounds and tilt-a-whirls.

When we stood in line for the giant Ferris wheel, I saw Bella biting on her lip. She smiled when I looked back at her, but this one for some reason seemed to scare her somewhat. My mother used to hate the Ferris wheel too. She said it was a death trap set on an axis and all it was good for was making your stomach lodge in the back of your throat.

We stepped forward onto the metal platform and climbed into our bucket. The carny locked our lap bar and moved away as the other guy pushed the button and we moved backward.

I stretched my arm behind Bella and I felt her stiffen as we began to move. As the ride filled up, bucket by bucket, we slowly made a circle lifting to the top. Bella wasn't smiling and I didn't know what to do to ease her fears. I barely leaned over the side of the bucket to see how far up we were. I looked at the crowd below and thought I saw someone I knew waving from the ground. But as soon as I leaned over the bucket rocked forward and Bella screamed. She quietly pleaded with me to be still and not move. I tried my best as I looked over again to not move the bucket, but it rocked forward again anyway.

Bella screamed louder and turned to bury her face against my chest. I chuckled at how silly she was, but my laugh soon faded as I began to feel Bella... everywhere. She had one of her legs pinned under mine, her hands were balled onto my shirt, clutching it tightly. Her nose was flattened against me and the heat of her breath seeped through the thin fabric to my bare skin. Her hair tickled my face as the wind gently swirled around us as we were in motion. Her soft body pressed against me, more so than it ever had before.

I liked it.

I wrapped my arms around her back and pulled her closer. "I'm sorry. You're okay. I won't do it again," I whispered. Then I lightly kissed her crown, so softly I was sure she didn't even feel it.

I didn't want to let her go...not for a long time.

So I held her. I held her as tight as I could without hurting her. I wanted her to feel safe, but more so – I wanted her to feel safe because of me. I wished to do that – be her protector, calm her fears. And I couldn't help but wonder, if she would let me and maybe she wanted that too.

If not today, then someday?

So we sat like that, in each others arms, for the few minutes we were allotted and I focused on the push of her head on my chest and her hands binding us together. The familiarity of her essence invaded my senses and caused me smile. I wanted more...more of this.

As our turn to exit drew closer, I regretfully released my hold on her, "It's over silly girl. Time to get out."

Her face flushed red as she pulled away and straightened my shirt and tie with her fingertips. She looked up at me and our eyes locked. "I'm sorry," she whispered as I helped her out of the bucket.

I shook my head, I didn't have the words to answer her. I was too overwhelmed with emotions. She may not realize it yet, but Bella Swan was capturing my heart. Touch by touch, glance by glance, second by second spent together – I was irrevocably, unconditionally, head-over-heels falling for her.

We walked the midway and agreed to play a few games since we'd already rode all the rides. Of course those stupid crooks rig the games so you couldn't win and dollar after dollar was blown trying to win a stuffed animal that wasn't even worth a dime.

Bella tried her hardest trying to knock down the milk bottles, but she left one standing. Without even knowing it I mumbled a single word that rubbed Bella the wrong way, "Almost."

"Everybody knows...almost doesn't count." Bella answered in a huff and quickened her pace toward the exit. I knew she was pissed because she felted cheated, but still – her anger was... cute.

She proceeded to tell me about her grandmother and grandfather and when she asked me when is almost ever good enough, I told her I had never thought about it. I hadn't, but obviously... she had.

When she said, "I learned the hard way. You can't almost be in love or almost have a baby," my heart clenched a little and I wanted to hug her and make it better somehow. In her own way, she was letting me in – peeling back her walls in small, paper-like layers.

I thought it was a bad idea to interrogate her any further about her confession, not yet anyway. She continued on with her rant, and I agreed with her. I didn't want to almost do... anything, especially if it involved Ethan or Bella, I wanted it all.

She corrected me and told me that almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades and I repeated aloud her hypothesis. She smiled at me and the desire to take her back into my arms intensified.

I saw the picture booth up ahead and grabbed her hand to lead the way. We needed a photo of this wonderful day spent between two friends. I selected double prints and we crawled into the booth.

It was wonderful, it was tempting, and it was torture.

I wanted to hide us away in there for a few more hours. Just Bella and I, our smiles, and our memories. I wanted to alter the past so that us sitting here right now, we'd be more than just acquaintances or just friends.

I wanted to pull her close to me and tug on her lips with my teeth. I longed to feel the soft skin on her neck under my tongue, and once again, her hands claiming me as they did before on the Ferris wheel.

But I didn't.

I let her lead our poses as we counted down with the timer and the click of the flash froze our expressions for all eternity.

As we walked out of the fair and I looked at the pictures, I thought about all the things I had experienced today with Bella and the emotions tied to them. The temporary order, the Ferris wheel, the touching, the desire for more, and what it all meant. It was intense. It was scary, but the only concrete conclusion I could come to was I wanted to get to know her better. I wanted to try for more with her. I knew it would take time, Ethan and my mother had to come first.

But eventually, I wanted to see what could develop with Bella. I wasn't ready to give up on the idea of us just yet.

So as I drove toward Seattle, my thoughts looped in my head and brought me to one more idea, I wanted her to meet my mother – well, meet my mother officially. Time wasn't on our side, so I didn't want to wait no longer than we had to.

If these immature feelings in my soul where any indication of what could blossom in the future, I wanted to share it with my mother before it was too late.

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"There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness."

~Friedrich Nietzsche