After my fairly heavy/interesting conversation with Edward we said our peace and headed off to bed. The next few days passed by quickly. I drove to Seattle and looked at the apartment. I wasn't too keen on it being in the University District just because I knew that meant that there would be a lot of college kids hanging around but at this point I would take what I could get. The apartment itself was fairly nice. Once you got through the door the kitchen was on the right along with a space for a small table and a few chairs. On the left was the family/living room. It was small but had enough room for my couch and small TV. Immediately in front of the door was the hallway that led to the bedroom, laundry room and guest bathroom. It was small, cozy, but it was me. Once the realtor and I finished the tour I put a bid down and surprisingly it was accepted almost immediately, something that almost NEVER happens. I signed the lease and was told that I could move in the following weekend, which would give me enough time to get settled in before I start work that Monday. It would be a hectic week to say the least but I was happy about it. I was finally doing something for me and it felt good.
The rest of the week was spent finishing up ties at Breaking Dawn and saying goodbye to my co-workers. On my last day I went into Mrs. Reverends office so say goodbye, well, I really wanted to say good riddance but I figure it wouldn't be appropriate.
"Mrs. Reverend? I'm leaving now. I just wanted to stop in and say goodbye. Thank you for the opportunity to work here. I really appreciate it." I said. It was the truth, just a very vague, impersonal truth.
"Well Bella I can honestly say that you were one of the hardest workers I've ever had. I'm sad to see you go. Good luck with your new job." It was the most personal, kind thing that woman had ever said to me. I was kind of in shock. As soon as she said her peace I walked out of her office, waved goodbye to Rose and Alice and told them that I would call them as soon as I got settled in Seattle. Rose was moving up there at the start of the New Year, something that made a lot of sense after it thought about it. She had time to really look for an apartment she liked in an area that was reasonably priced. That would have been the smart route. But I, Bella Swan, was not smart. I didn't think I would actually get the job therefore I randomly sent out my resume not thinking about what would happen if I actually got the job. But it was too late to change anything now. I was leaving for Seattle in the morning and I still had yet to pack up my bedroom. The moment I stepped in my apartment I went directly there and started packing up my shit. I started with the random knick-knacks and pictures, and then moved on to clothes and shoes, setting aside and outfit for tomorrow. Finally I decided to just pack up my bed and stripped the sheets and put those in a box. Charlie said he was bringing his truck so I could put my mattress and box spring in the back of that along with my TV and couch. After I finished everything was packed except for my daily bathroom stuff. I grabbed my sleeping bag, threw it on the couch and immediately climbed in a fell asleep.
The next day was filled with boxes, arguments over what would fit where and chaos but I finally was moved into my new apartment. As I navigated my way through the maze of boxes in my living room I got a giddy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was finally able to do what I intended to do after college. Not to mention I was in one of my favorite cities. Seattle has this atmosphere that is uniquely different from other big cities. Los Angeles is just your generic city with a few cool spots here and there, but for the most part it's just chaos and mobs of people, tourists and locals, mobbing the streets day in and day out. San Francisco is a pretty cool city but there's no place like Seattle. It had been my home for 4 years and I was glad to be back. After my little nostalgic moment in the living room I decided to forego dinner because I was so exhausted. Tomorrow I would have to unpack everything and get my stuff organized for Monday. I trotted off to bed and collapsed into a dreamless sleep the moment my head touched the pillow.
The next morning I ran around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to get everything put away. Once everything was in its new spot I was finally able to relax. I realized that I hadn't checked my phone since yesterday morning. When I picked it up I saw that I had texts from Rosalie and Alice, both wishing me luck with my new job and apartment, one from my dad telling me to call him if I needed anything, and one from Edward. I would be lying if I said that his text wasn't the first one I looked at.
Bella, I come home tomorrow and was wondering if you maybe wanted to get dinner together? Let me know.-E
I was arguing with myself about whether or not I wanted to go. Well, that's not entirely true. Of course I wanted to go but in my mind I was asking myself why he didn't want to have dinner with his kids, his family. I was flattered by the fact that he wanted to see me but the other part of me, the more dominant part, was telling me not to accept his offer, even thought I really really wanted to.
Edward, thank you for the invite but I'm going to have to take a rain check. This week is really busy for me. I'm sorry :( However I think Mya, Tony, Jaden and Gretchen would enjoy a night out with their dad. –B
Okay another time then :)-E
Well, that was easy. I wondered if he was going to take my advice and take his kids out. I quickly brushed away the thought and went to go pick up dinner. I went to this vegan pizzeria called Pizza Pi and picked up food for dinner. Once I was finished eating I decided to turn in early on account that I would be chasing down toddlers all day. The next day I woke up and had a quick breakfast of yogurt and granola. Hippie-esque I know but what are you going to do about it? Once I finished eating I hopped in the shower then ran to my bedroom to get changed. I threw on a pair of jeans and nice tennis shoes along with a black polo. I figured they would give me a shirt to wear once I got there but I wanted to look semi-professional nonetheless. I grabbed my phone, purse and keys and locked the door. Before I knew it I was in downtown Seattle parked in from of Midnight Haven getting ready to walk in. Once I found the office I was greeted by a very cheery woman named Leah Clearwater. Apparently she was in charge of the whole production and thanked my profusely for starting on such a short notice. I told her it was no problem and she began to give me a tour of the facility. Overall it was a fairly small place, but it got the feeling that everyone who worked here truly loved their job and the kids that came here. After the tour she led me into a room filled with 2-4 year olds. Midnight Haven had rooms for newborns, toddlers and kindergarteners. I thought it was cool how they had attendants for each room and how each child was well taken care of. Being in there reminded me of why I majored in child development to begin with. I wanted to help kids grow and learn new things. Leah left me with a sweet looking woman named Angela. I was supposed to "shadow" her so I could get a feel for the kids and how the facility is run.
"We've been pretty short staffed around here. Leah was lucky she found someone that could work on such short notice. You're literally a godsend" said Angela happily.
"Well I don't know about that haha I'm just as lucky to be working here. I was really unhappy with my other job so THIS on was a godsend" I replied. She smiled at me and began explain the ins and out of Midnight Haven. By the time the day was over I was exhausted but felt like I had a firm grasp of the procedures and workings of the facility. For the first time in years I actually was excited about coming back to work.
When I got home I decided to just heat up leftover pizza from last night and zone out on Facebook. When I logged on I saw that Mya had changed her profile picture. It was a picture of her, Tony, Jaden, Gretchen and Edward at some restaurant. The picture looked to be a candid and they all seemed to be laughing at something. I smiled at the thought of Edward laughing with his kids. Maybe he was finally taking the hint. I logged out and turned my computer off. It was still early but I decided I should shower then head to bed. The warm water relaxed my muscles and I moaned unintentionally. Had I not been so tired I might have spent a little longer in the shower doing things other than getting clean but I was constantly yawning and decided it was better if I just got out and went to bed.
I got a text from Edward the next morning asking me if I was free tonight. I told him I was and that I had moved to Seattle this past weekend. Somehow my new job and move was overlooked in all of our conversations. He seemed excited that I was in Seattle and wondered if I would be willing to have dinner at his place. I was hesitant at first. I thought it was a little early to be including his kids in our relationship or whatever you wanted to call it but told him that I would be at his place at 7. I was excited and nervous at the same time. I was really looking forward to seeing Edward as well as his kids. I wondered internally if the reason he wanted to have dinner at his house was because he wanted to be more involved his kids. If that was the case I wasn't going to argue against it.
Work was amazing. I was working one on one with kids and I loved every minute of it. There were no major problems or meltdowns for which I was thankful. I had survived my first real day of work and couldn't have been happier. However the euphoria was slowly replaced with nerves. The closer I got to my apartment the worse it got. By the time I actually got to my room I was a nervous wreck. I couldn't figure out why I was so nervous; I had been on a date with Edward before so why was I suddenly so nervous? I tried my best to push those thoughts aside and got ready for dinner. After a long debate with myself I threw on a pair of dark skinny jeans, black ankle boots, a cream blouse and my black pea coat. It wasn't raining outside just slightly overcast, and I would be inside most of the time anyway. By 6:30 I was on the road driving to Edward's house. When I pulled up I was hit with a sense of déjà vu. I remembered the first time I pulled into the circular driveway, and how my boss had been the rudest man on the planet and how his kids were suffering for it. I sighed and turned off my car and stepped out. This time, when I knocked on the door I wasn't greeted by a stuffy, bland butler named Laurent, I was greeted by a pair of sweet green eyes and a pair of arms that engulfed me in a warm embrace. So much had changed since my first visit to the Captain's mansion, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.
A/N: Okay so this chapter is going up a day earlier than it's supposed to be because I'm going out of town within the next couple days and I didn't think I would have time to out it up tomorrow. Hopefully you guys are still enjoying the story and the progression of Edward and Bella's relationship.
Reviews are better than stuffy butlers :)