18.
"You met Bella Swan, didn't you?" says Tanya the next day at breakfast. She pours coffee into my mug and smiles at me slyly. Somehow this woman gets to know everything.
"I did."
"What were you doing at the Swan's anyway?" she continues. "Decided to see the girl after all."
I sigh. "No."
"Then?"
"Charlie gave me the file on Rosalie's case."
She nods in understanding. "What's going to happen to that son of a-?" She's referring to Royce.
I cut her off. "T, there's a kid in the room."
She shakes her head and we both turn to look at Masen who's sitting in his high chair, his concentration entirely on his bowl of Cocoa Puffs.
"Sorry", mouths T.
"Yeah okay, so the trial is coming up soon and I'm a hundred percent sure that he'll get to go to jail for the rest of his natural life."
"Good", T says in agreement. "He deserves worse though."
"Tanya I need more milky!" screams Masen.
"Whoa, what did I tell you about raising your voice in the house?" I scold the three year old.
"T, I need more milky", says Masen in a slightly quieter voice.
"Say please?" says T. "Don't forget your manners, sweetheart."
"Sorry", he mutters. "May I pwease have some more milky?"
T and I both smile at him. "Of course you may", answers T.
~X~
Just as I'm about to leave the house to go to work, Tanya comes up to me. "Edward, the Newtons are having their yearly summer barbeque tomorrow night. They've invited us. You'll go, right?" she asks.
"I'm not in the mood. Why don't you take Masen?"
"Jessica specifically said that I should bring you, even if I have to drag you there. She's worried that you're locking yourself up from people. Just like you did when Carlisle and Esme died."
"I don't want to."
"You know that she and Mike will drive up here themselves and take you back with them."
"Why do they still treat me like I'm a child?" I groan.
"Dr. and Mrs. Newton think of themselves as your second parents. Wasn't Mike your father's closest friend?" says T. "And Jessica absolutely adored your mother. You're ignoring both of them."
I feel guilty. Mike and Jessica are a married couple in their early forties, the same age my parents would have been if they were still here. Dad and Mike met while working at Forks Hospital and in turn, Mom and Jessica became friends through hospital functions.
They did whatever they could for Rose and I when our parents passed away. They were great.
They have two daughters, Lauren who is the same age as Rosalie. They were best friends. The other is Bree, who is sixteen.
For the last few weeks, I haven't answered any of Mike or Jessica's emails and phone calls. Whenever either of them came up to the house, I'd leave Tanya to deal with them.
"Fine. I'll go."
So do ya think Bella's gonna be at the Newtons'? How old do you think she is?