One last chapter before my Thanksgiving break is up. Only seventeen school days until Christmas break, though! (I just found out I'm spending Christmas with my extended family, so I'm thrilled. This holiday season is going to be fun!)

Chapter Five: "The Play" Bella's POV

Rosalie's frog costume was clearly superior to every other homemade costume. She had really put on the dog, with silk, sequins, and googly eyes. Even Emerson's stuffy teacher complimented me. I accepted it graciously, adding how long it had taken me to make it. It was a little white lie, but might as well blow her mind, right?

Work was unbelievably slow. It was the Friday before Thanksgiving and people were obviously more concerned with packing bags and catching planes than with getting their teeth cleaned. I mostly sat around with the other staff and discussed Thanksgiving plans.

"What are you and your handsome son doing for Turkey Day?" a hygienist named Angela asked me.

I grinned immediately. "He has the whole week off from school. That's why I was so excited when Dr. Gerandy announced that he was giving us the entire week off. I think on Monday and Tuesday we're going to make hot cocoa and gingerbread men and watch holiday movies. I can't afford to go ice skating or anything. We're spending Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with my dad in Forks. I'm ecstatic, to be honest."

"That sounds perfect," Angela agreed. "Ben and I are going to his parents' on Wednesday and Thursday. I'm spending Black Friday shopping with his mother." She rolled her eyes. "Maybe a blizzard will come and we won't be able to leave. He and I would much rather have a quiet Thanksgiving with Chinese takeout and a couple of beers, just snuggling."

"Sounds fun," I said. "Emerson makes wishes every night for a lot of snow, so maybe he'll prevent you from visiting your in-laws."

Angela laughed softly. "It's so cold outside that I wouldn't be surprised."

"I don't know," I said. "We haven't had a true blizzard since I've been in Seattle."

"The weather here can be surprising."

Though I wasn't a fan of snow, I had to admit that a week of being shut inside with Emerson and a blanket fort in the living room sounded nice.

Dr. Gerandy let us go home at three PM with a "Happy Thanksgiving, enjoy your week off." I didn't really want to go home. My money was so limited that trips to the playground and Wal-Mart were Emerson's only outings. He didn't seem to mind—it was all he knew—but I contracted cabin fever easily.

I wished I could go pick Emerson up and go drink hot cocoa with Rosalie but he had to spend the entire afternoon at school for the play. I detested window shopping and it was too cold to walk outside anyway, so I just drove home and decided to tidy up. The apartment looked a bit bland—really the only furniture was cheap and the decorations were all pictures of me and Emerson. Maybe we should put up the Christmas tree early this year. Emerson would love that.

And then it hit me that oh my gosh, Edward is picking me up at five thirty, so I jumped in the shower and washed my hair thoroughly. I even shaved my legs. It was way too icy outside, but I wanted to wear a dress. If Edward was going to pick me up and treat this silly little play like a date, I was going to dress for a date.

After I got out of the shower, I realized that I didn't even have a dress or a skirt. I lived in scrubs at work and jeans at home. So I called Rosalie.

"Hey," she greeted me. "Yes, Emmett and I are going to the play. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"That's not what I was going to ask," I replied, "but thanks. That'll be great. Look, I really need a cute outfit for tonight."

"Why…?" she asked, bewildered, until it hit her. "Oh my gosh, I get to meet Edward and Emmy tonight! So basically, I get to decide if you can date him!"

I snickered. "Actually, I've beat you to the punch. I'm going as Edward's date to the play."

"What? Why didn't you tell me this?"

"Because it's not a real date. Do you have a blue dress that is winter-appropriate?"

"Of course I do. Why blue?"

I smiled like a fool. "He said he likes the color blue on me."

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "So you did wear the sweater. I know, you don't have to tell me, I'm a genius."

"Rose," I said. "Focus. Blue dress. I don't want to look too dressy, but I want to look good."

"I have just the thing you need. I'll bring you a dress and heels right now. I can't wait to meet him!"

"See you in a few minutes."

Of course, Rosalie ended up doing my hair and makeup, but I had to admit I looked fabulous. The dress was perfectly casual yet pretty and the heels weren't even too high. She kept my hair in its natural waves, just pulling back the top and securing it with a silver barrette. She even brought me a long ivory coat.

At five fifteen, I kicked her out. I didn't want her hanging around when he picked me up, just in case he tried for a kiss or something. I didn't even know if he wanted me that way…but I could certainly dream.

The doorbell was perfectly punctual at five thirty. I answered it before I grabbed my coat.

His eyes were wide when the door opened. "Wow," he said. "You look…really pretty."

"Thanks," I beamed at him. "You look great as well."

He really did look good, in a navy suit with a white button-down shirt and a red tie. Obviously someone else dressed up for the "date." Or maybe he just dressed up for Emmy.

That thought disappeared as he held up a long-stemmed white rose. "I know that this is cheesy," he said a bit self-consciously, "but I give a yellow rose to Emmy after her 'big moments.' She seems to like it, so I thought maybe you would, too."

"It's gorgeous," I practically gushed. I had never received a flower from a man. "Come on in, let me put it in water."

I found a little glass and filled it with water. "I was just musing over the fact that my house needs a pick-me-up," I said happily. "This is a lovely little surprise." I left the rose in the water on the kitchen counter, so you could see it from the living room.

"I'm glad I could be of service," he joked. "You'll find that I'm a bit spontaneous."

"I wish I could make myself be spontaneous," I admitted, staring up at his face. I had always been attracted to tall guys. "Sometimes I think I live too carefully, just to avoid heartbreak and trouble for Emerson."

"Everyone needs a daily dose of spontaneity," he said, staring back at me and tucking a curl behind my ear. I nearly shivered at the sweet contact.

"What does a daily dose usually entail?" I asked softly.

He flashed me his crooked grin. "Oh, the usual—a trip to Europe, skydiving, a motorcycle, one night stands with complete strangers…"
"You'll have to share some of that spontaneity with me," I replied.

"If only," he agreed. "No, actually, spontaneity for me is staying in my pajamas all day with Emmy or letting her stay up past nine. Exciting, right?"

"Those are good doses," I insisted. "That's why she loves you."

He traced a finger on my cheekbone.

And once again, we were interrupted by my ringing phone.

"Fishsticks," I sighed as I pulled it out of my purse. Rosalie. "Hey, Rose," I said a bit acidly.

"Whoa, chill," my best friend said defensively. "I was just calling to ask if you still want us to sit with you at the play."

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

"Just wondering. I'll let you go enjoy your date. See you at the gym door. 'Bye!"

I rolled my eyes as I hung up. "My best friend," I explained. "She'll be at the play."

"We probably need to go," he said a bit sadly. "Friday night traffic."

"You're probably right."

I led him down the hall, which of course made my heart pound. I pulled the ivory coat out of the closet, and was pleasantly surprised when he gentlemanly helped me into it.

"Very nice car," I complimented him as he opened the passenger's seat of the silver Volvo for him.

He snorted. "I never thought I would drive a Volvo."

He hadn't even turned the engine off when he met me at the door, obviously keeping it warm for me. The car smelled of him—a musky fragrance, with a dash of something sweet. I noticed the single yellow rose lying on the dashboard.

There was a Beatles CD in the stereo. The song playing was "I Want to Hold Your Hand." And it was literally just too appropriate. I felt like a middle school girl who was just dying to even touch a boy.

Oh yeah, I´ll tell you something. I think you´ll understand when I say that something. I wanna hold your hand.

And then when Edward actually started to sing, I nearly fainted. He had the most beautiful voice I had ever heard in real life. It was smooth, velvety, and rich. He caught me staring at him.

"What?" he asked, blushing.

"You have a lovely voice," I said simply.

"Not really," he disagreed. "I'm good for lullabies for Emmy. That's it."

I snorted. "You're obviously tone-deaf when it comes to your own singing."

The school looked busy, with lots of parents and grandparents filing into the gymnasium. Rosalie and Emmett were at the door, obviously looking for me. "I'll go ahead and warn you," I said lowly to Edward as we approached them. "My best friend is extremely protective of me and Emerson. Don't be surprised if you get the Spanish Inquisition."

He laughed softly. "I'll prepare myself for it."

"Damn," Emmett said as I greeted them, giving Rosalie a hug even though I had just seen her a few minutes before. "Looking good, Bella."

"Thanks, but Rosalie looks so much better." I glanced around and realized that the four of us were the only ones who had dressed up. Oh well, that made it all the more fun. I gingerly took Edward's hand before introducing everybody. "This is my new friend Edward Cullen. Edward, this is my best friend Rosalie Hale and her boyfriend, Emmett McCarty. Rose teaches at Central Middle School, so you might meet her in six or seven years."

Rosalie's eyes were wide as she practically drank Edward's beauty in. "Oh, hi," she gushed, extending a hand. "I've heard so much about you and your daughter."

"Oh, really?" Edward said teasingly as he shook their hands, flashing me a meaningful look.

"Only because I now have enough dinosaur knowledge to change my career to an archaeologist," I joked, blushing. "I didn't tell you about that very recent decision?"

"It must have slipped your mind."

Rosalie chuckled before winking at me. "Let's go get our seats. Honestly, I'm anxious to find out why I had to make a frog costume for a Thanksgiving play."

Edward squeezed my hand, silently telling me that he didn't want me to let go. So I laced our fingers together as we followed Emmett and Rosalie to the closest seats we could find.

"I hope Emerson doesn't get stage fright," I said as Edward helped me take my coat off. We sat together, still holding hands.

"Emerson?" Rosalie asked incredulously. "Are you kidding me? He's the opposite of shy."

The lights dimmed then, so we sat back in our seats as the curtain opened.

It was a very cute but random play. It took place in a garden. The kids dressed as fruits and vegetables kept getting "picked" out of the garden, and they expressed their fears over the fact that their friends and family were disappearing. The kids dressed as frogs and flowers (including Emerson and Emmy) served as the choir of the play. The "flower fairies" did simple but cute dances as the frogs sang songs about giving thanks. Finally, at the end, it showed that every vegetable was helping the Pilgrims and Indians have a happy Thanksgiving.

It was kind of morbid, considering that the fruits and vegetables were supposed to be eaten, but cute nonetheless.

The big surprise for me, however, was when Emerson stepped in front of the rest of the frog choir and sang a solo. His voice didn't quiver or crack once. He found me in the audience and kept his eyes focused on me as his prepubescent voice hit the high notes. I literally started crying because he did so well. When he put the microphone down and returned to the choir, Edward put an arm around my shoulders and pressed a kiss to my cheek. "You okay?" he whispered in my ear.

I nodded wordlessly, the tears still flowing.

"He did great," he enthused

Rosalie was smirking as she watched us.

After the play, we went backstage to find our kids. Emerson ran to me in his frog costume, jumping into my arms. "Why didn't you tell me you had a solo?" I asked him, squeezing him tight and leaving kisses on his face.

"It's not a big deal," he tried to say casually, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face.

"You did so good, baby," I blubbered, the tears spilling over again.

"Thanks, Mom," he giggled, trying to dodge my kisses.

I held him close as Emmy ran to Edward. He made a big show of curtsying before her and offering her the yellow rose. She happily took it and attacked him with a big bear hug. He picked her up and spun her around.

It was too private and personal of a moment to watch. I turned away to face Rosalie and Emmett. They both praised Emerson lavishly, making him blush.

I was suddenly aware of eyes on me. I turned to see a woman—Mrs. Newton-watching us, her expression unreadable. She glanced over at Edward and Emmy, who were still having a daddy-daughter moment.

"I don't know why a single dad would waste money on a rose for a kindergartener," Mrs. Newton said to Mrs. Stanley.

Mrs. Stanley snorted. "Well, it's because we have babies having babies," she rolled her eyes. "I bet he's head over heels in debt because he's too young to know better."

"The expression paying for his mistakes comes to mind," Mrs. Newton said dryly.

Luckily, Edward didn't seem to notice them, but Rosalie sure did. My best friend gripped my wrist to keep me from walking over there. "Don't," Rose said simply. "Those witches aren't worth it."

"She called Emmy a mistake," I said through clenched teeth.

"Don't start a classroom feud, Bella."

"They aren't even congratulating their kids," I said in disbelief. "Poor Mike and Jessica. Their mothers are too busy gossiping to even notice them."

"What are you talking about?" Edward asked politely, holding Emmy in the crook of his arm.

"We're just gossiping," Rosalie said sweetly. "I promised Emerson ice cream sundaes at my house. Would you and Emmy like to join us?"

"Please?" Emerson said, gazing up at Edward. "Aunt Rosalie always has the best ice cream."

Edward gave me his crooked smile. "I'm going to end up going into sugar shock if I keep hanging out with Bella, but sure. We would love to join."

Rosalie's house was as fun as ever. She really went all out with the sundaes, with lots of candy, syrups, and other toppings. After ice cream, Emerson and Emmy played hide-and-seek in her apartment. Edward was nervous about this at first, but Rosalie assured him that the apartment was childproofed for Emerson and she loved to have "the pitter-patter of little feet" in her house. (Is Rosalie already getting baby fever with Emmett? I wondered.) While the kids played, the adults drank coffee in the kitchen and even played a few rounds of cards. Edward charmed Rosalie endlessly, telling her funny and sweet stories about Emmy, and impressed Emmett with his knowledge of cars and sports. I had a feeling that Edward was a smash hit with my friends.

Finally, the kids once again passed out in the living room, so we knew it was probably time to go. Before Edward and I left, Rosalie pulled me into her bedroom, locking the door.

"I love him," she said simply. "Marry him."

I giggled. "Isn't he great?"

"He's fabulous," she sighed happily. "If I didn't have the sexiest teddy bear alive, I would be after him. I bet you're going to get a kiss tonight."

I shrugged. "Who knows?"

Her pretty blue eyes slanted. "But don't let him get past first base. I know it's tempting with a fine piece of eye candy like that, but you don't need another kid."

I snorted. "Rosalie Hale, are you giving me the sex talk?"

"I mean it," she said firmly. "Kissing only until you're ready to commit—and until you're financially ready for another baby."

"Oh, and I bet that you and Emmett are only kissing," I said sarcastically.

She grinned guiltily. "I don't already have a kid."

"Okay, Mom, I'll go dig out my purity ring from ninth grade," I retorted, rolling my eyes. "Fat lot of good it did for me. But just in case you can't tell, Edward is a gentleman. I don't think he's going to try to get into my panties anytime soon. If he even wants to be with me."

Rosalie just smiled at me. "Oh, trust me: he wants to be with you. He's been touching you and gazing at you all night long. But that's no reason to move things too quickly. Think of Emerson."

"And think of that excellent figure of yours before Emmett stays the night," I shot back. "You wouldn't want a baby to ruin it."

"If it is a baby as great as Emerson or Emmy…"

"Oh, hush, Rose. You don't know how hard it is," I said as I walked back into the hallway.

"Ready to go?" Edward asked me, Emmy's sleeping head on his shoulder again.

"Ready," I said, lifting Emerson up and buttoning his coat on him.

In the car, Edward kept the music off so the kids could sleep, but we still spoke quietly.

"Rosalie is something else," he said.

I mustered up some bravery and put my hand over his on the gearshift. "That she is," I agreed. "She seems to be a big fan of you."

He turned his hand over so our fingers could intertwine. "You'll have to tell her I'm sorry, but I prefer brunettes."

That little comment was enough to send me to Cloud Nine. "Mmm?" I said, my throat dry with nerves. "Have you met a brunette you particularly like?"

"Oh, there's this one girl," he said playfully, "but she is already enamored with this guy named after a transcendental poet…"

I smiled wryly. "He sounds like some tough competition."

"I think he is. I have a plan, though."

"Every smart man has one."

He pulled up in front of my apartment and left the car running for Emmy. I pulled Emerson out of the backseat and carried him to the front door as I blindly searched in my purse for my keys. Edward walked me to the door like a gentleman.

"Thanks for tonight," I said. "I had a lot of fun."

Even in the dim porch light, I could see his eyes sparkle. "You know, I haven't been spontaneous today," he said suggestively.

"The rose wasn't spontaneous?" I asked lightly, already having a pretty good idea of where this was going.

"It wasn't a big enough dose," he clarified. "I need a bigger serving of impulse before I go to sleep tonight."

"Is there anything I can do to help you with that?"

He molded his hand to the side of my face. "May I kiss you goodnight?"

"You're asking permiss—"

He interrupted me by gently pressing his lips to mine. His red lips were unbelievably soft and smooth. My head began to whirl, and something I could only describe as magic soaked my spine. It was a very chaste kiss that actually turned into several innocent kisses. Finally, he pulled away and stared into my eyes, his breath ragged and his emerald eyes smoldering.

"A gentleman usually asks for the first few kisses," he breathed in explanation.

"I don't think you have to ask permission anymore," I responded, my cheeks burning with pleasure. "I think I like spontaneity."

He smoothed some loose hairs out of my face. "Emmy and I are spending the weekend with my sister and her boyfriend," he said. "But I'd like to see you—and Emerson-again sometime after that."

"You have my number," I told him. "Just call me and we'll arrange another…play date."

"I think I like these play dates," he smiled at me.

"Or you could just call me just to talk," I continued. "If you're into that sort of thing."

He chuckled. "I'm very into that sort of thing, especially if it involves you."

Emerson stirred in my arms. "I better go in," I said, unlocking the door. "He's probably getting cold. Call me."

"I will," he promised.

I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him again, and then I went inside. As I dressed Emerson in his pajamas, he woke up.

"Mommy?" he asked drowsily.

"I'm here," I said reassuringly, pulling his Superman shirt over his head. "Go back to sleep, sweetie."

"Did I do good tonight?"

"You were amazing," I told him, kissing his temple. "I'm so proud of you."

"Good," he smiled. "Emmy said I did good, too."

"Emmy is correct."

"Isn't Emmy good at dancing?"

"Yes, she is, baby." I laid his head on the pillow and tucked his blankets around him. "If you get too cold, come wake me up, okay?"

"I will," he said, eyes already closed. "Mommy?"

"Yeah?"

"I think Edward likes you."

I chuckled. "Is that a bad thing?"

He shook his head. "No…night-night, Mommy. I love you."

"I love you so much, little man." I gave him a big kiss. "See you tomorrow. You don't have school for an entire week, so we can sleep in," I hinted. As if that will ever happen.

He was already asleep.

I gave him another kiss before turning his light out. I went and kicked the heat up, praying it wouldn't stop working in the middle of the night. If it did, I was either going to have to take Emerson to Rosalie's apartment or drive to Forks.

After I hung Rosalie's clothes up, I put on my most comfortable sweats and crawled into my bed. For the first time in a long time, I felt truly lonely in my big empty bed. I ended up snuggling with one of my pillows.

Before I fell asleep, I received a text message from Edward:

Still thinking about that kiss…I swore that Emmy would be the only woman in my life until she was older. What are you doing to me, you beautiful, enchanting, spellbinding girl?

I don't know how frequent my updates will be now that I'm about to be in school again. Midterms are coming up...(shudders)

But I promised that Aftershocks will be updated by Wednesday, so I'll keep that promise. Play Dates might be postponed for a few days...

In the meantime, leave reviews and let me know if you have any ideas for more "play dates."