Bella's POV

"How was the recital?" I ask Derek when he comes up early the next morning. He ended up spending the night with Lacy and Stacy let Lena stay too. She asked Embry not to come to the recital and to give them all some space.

"Oh it was great and Lacy met the man I'm pretty sure she's going to marry." He tells me as if it's perfectly normal.

"Huh?"

"Oh he's Stacy's brother, I guess they aren't really close but since she is staying with her mom and he lives close to their mom they've been talking and he came with her. So he's like 10 years older than Lacy but they were all into each other and after the recital when we went to eat they talked the whole time. And then Lacy had that dumb dreamy looks girls get and Stacy kept looking at me all worried like she's afraid I'm going to be mad at her I guess since he's old but I don't care and I doubt you care. He seems nice." He tells me and I can tell he's watching for a reaction.

"Hmm, well OK then. Why didn't Lacy come in?"

"Lena had to be at practice and Lacy told Stacy she would take her and then bring her home. She's going to be by later, after the shop closes probably. So are you OK with him being old?" He asks.

"Um, I mean I guess so… not that 10 years older than Lacy is old. Old for her maybe but I'm sure if it's meant to be than it will be fine. What's his name?"

"Brad. Hey can I go to the carnival with Lena and Marissa on Tuesday? Lacy said she would take me and pick me up. She'll probably end up just staying though because Brad mentioned he might take the girls instead of Stacy…" I look at him and he shrugs and I tell him of course he can go.

Lacy was my experimental child when she was a baby. I never had to call Quil's mom in the middle of the night because Derek wouldn't stop crying and I never cried because Derek did something for Quil first like I did with Lacy. They were two totally different kids but because Lacy came first I was pretty much go with the flow with Derek. But this is all new. Derek has loved Lena since she was a little girl, when she was a baby she annoyed him until Stacy convinced him that Lena only followed him around because she adored him. I was in denial about their set in stone future as Quil and Lacy out it but I'm pretty sure they're meant to be. Derek is already looking into colleges near us so he doesn't have to leave her but at the same time making it very clear that needs to go wherever she wants to. Stacy and Embry are hoping she can get dance scholarship. I thought about telling him he needed to decide on what he wants alone but I decided to stay close to home because of Quil and no one could have convinced me otherwise.

Lacy on the other hand had her few bad dating experiences and kind of gave up. Every once in a while she will go out with someone but it's usually just a couple of times. But Derek knows her well and he says she really likes this guy I believe him. I just hope he's good and that he won't hurt her especially being so much older than her. I trust Stacy though so I decide to call her.

She tells me he is a good person they just don't really have a lot in common and because of the age difference they were never very close. He's a vet and he doesn't really date because he had a really bad break up with a girl he was engaged to in college so he mostly just works. I ask her if I should worry about him and Lacy. She tells me that he would never do anything to hurt her on purpose and last night with the two of them talking he looked happier than he has in a long time. Lacy too she said. She offers to talk to him about it though if I am uncomfortable but I tell her no, Lacy is an adult and a very responsible one at that, if there isn't anything seriously wrong with him I'm not going to get involved.

When Quil wakes up I tell him about it and he agrees though more reluctantly which I'm actually surprised about. He's always been the one to let her do what she wants without really thinking about it.

"Why the hesitation?" I ask him.

"I don't know… 10 years is a lot older and I'm afraid she might jump into something just because she's tired of not having anyone."

"I don't think Lacy would do that… but after she tells us about him we'll invite him to dinner or something." He agrees and then we go out to breakfast leaving Derek who is crashed on the couch. He and Lena probably stayed up all night watching scary movies like they tend to do when they are together.

That night Lacy does come over after she's done at the shop and she does tell us all about Brad and she does have that dreamy expression on her face. It apparently never even occurred to her we might have an issue with the age thing and she doesn't have any problems inviting him over for dinner except that Stacy already planned a dinner at their mom's house and wants us to come next weekend. Well that was fast… We agree and Lacy goes home looking like the world spins for her amusement. She hasn't looked so carefree in a long time.

"If this doesn't work out she'll be heartbroken." I tell Quil.

"I've heard that's part of life." He answers and I tell him I guess so but that doesn't mean I have to like it.