4

Dinner with Charlie was good Charlie loves the kids and as long as I have known Rose he has considered her family. We talked about school and Alice was very excited about the fact that Emmett and Rose where going to start dating.

"Are you really going on a date with Uncle Emmett?" She asked about halfway through the meal

"Yes Alice I am, but how did you know?" she asked with no surprise. Alice knew everything she was a naturally curious girl and it wouldn't surprise me if she didn't secretly pick up the other line and listen in on other peoples conversations.

"I heard daddy talking on the phone about it with Grandma and Grandpa," She explained then added as if to clear away any guilt, "He was doing dishes and had the phone on the speaker."

"Oh I see, but yes it is true you're Uncle Emmett and I have a date this Saturday." So her and Rose launched into a conversation about that while I just looked at my dad and shook my head.

"So I see that you don't have your truck back yet." My dad stated questioningly

"Um, no I called on the way home from school and Jake said that they had got slammed with that pile up between here and Port Angeles all their guys went out to help tow away the wreckage." I said taking a bite of my salad.

"Oh yeah I was called to that you should have seen it Bells. There were like 10 cars and 3 semis' I was surprised nobody died. Most involved walked away without a scratch. It was like some kind of miracle!" he said the last part as if he were in shock, "They are going to run the story all night you might be able to catch it on the 11 o'clock news."

"Rose and I will have to watch that then; she's staying with me tonight at Edwards. We just got assigned a project in BioCem and we want to start on it tonight. Plus my truck won't be ready till tomorrow afternoon sometime she'll need to give me a ride into school."

"Ok, have fun."

We ate in silence for a minute I listened as Alice and Rose made Plans for Rose to come over Friday night when I babysit so Alice can help her pick an outfit for her date on Saturday. I smiled and rolled my eyes Edward is going to have his hands full with this one when she's mine and Roses age.

After a few minutes of hearing the two of them talk about clothes and makeup Charlie couldn't take it any longer and turned to me, "So I've been thinking it's time to paint the kitchen."

"Wow, what brought this on dad?" I asked a little shocked and relived at the same time I cannot tell you how many times I complained to both Rose and Edward about how horrible the color was.

"I was just thinking that it was time. It's been 16 years since she left the only reason I haven't painted is because I can't afford it." He said with a shrug

The truth is he could afford it if he did it himself but he didn't want to do it himself. He would have to spend a few hours at least prepping the kitchen, and as it was he barely went in there it's the main reason he didn't know how to cook he hated the kitchen more than I did. our table was actually just outside the kitchen in the living room so he wouldn't have to eat in the kitchen.

"Yeah, hiring someone to do it is way more expensive than doing it ourselves." I paused to take a drink of my tea, "I can pay for it dad you know I have the money for it."

I had offered several times before but he always refused, "No Bells, that's your money save it for collage and you need more stuff for your camera. I won't let you spend your hard earned money on something she left behind."

I was glad I had brought Rose she had caught onto our conversation and had effectively distracted the kids with their coloring mats.

"Well alright but it needs to get done soon now that you brought it up I won't be able to stop thinking about it. If you can't find a way to hire someone cheap then I'm spending my money to hire someone."

"Deal," He agreed with a soft smile.

We finished dinner and left the diner Charlie had to go back to the station and Rose and I made our way to Edward's house.

Rose parked her car outside Sam Uley's shop and I hopped out and thanked Rose before she took off.

I went into the shops office to Find Jake sitting at the desk doing homework, "Hey, Jake is Sam in he said my truck was ready to go?"

Jake looked up with a smile, "Hey Bells, no Sam just left he got in a call for a tow. He did say you were going to stop by to pick it up and left the keys here and Charlie stopped by earlier with your check so you're good to go."

He grabbed my keys off the hook and handed them to me.

"Thanks Jake, tell your dad I said hey and that I hope he's good.'

"Will do thanks Bells."

Billy was like a second father to me other than Jake he had twin girls Racheal and Rebecca, I don't like them very much. Jake's mom took off with the three of them when Jake was a baby around the same time my mom left. When Jake was 5 he came to visit his dad & he refused to go back to live with their mother so the courts had let him stay with Billy. The girls who are 2 years older than me used to visit but after a while they just stopped, it hurt Billy more then he'd care to admit so I took it upon myself to replace them the best I could.

Charlie goes fishing with him every weekend and I go down about 12 to 15 times a month to hang out make them some home cooked meals. Sam's wife Emily cooks for them on the days that I don't, we have a system and if one of us can't cook for them the other will and if neither of us can we call Sue Clearwater she is Sam and Seth's mother they also have a sister but like Billie's girls she took off long ago to pursue a career in modeling.

I sometimes want to take all the girls in La Push and push them off a cliff, well not all of them just most. I mean I get that the Rez is tiny and anybody can get a little stir crazy but to acting as if you never came from their once you leave is crazy. The Quileute tribe is like a second family to me, the women of the tribe helped raise me when Renee left if I had been as lucky as Leah to find a way out I would never forget where I came from I would always come back. I mean I would never leave I see myself being in Forks till I'm old a grey.

I pulled into the driveway and parked my truck and made my way into my house, I was so lost in thought that I hadn't noticed the paint smell that lingered through the house. I dropped my bag where the table was supposed to be, when it hit the floor instead of the table top I snapped my head up and looked around. This time I dropped something involuntarily my phone, the Table had been moved into the kitchen and the living room had been rearranged to how it had been before Charlie had moved the table into the room. But most noticeably was the kitchen walls were no longer a bright shade of yellow. Instead they were a light shade of blue like a sky blue, this particular shade of blue was my favorite color and only two people in this town knew this. Alice was one because a few months ago we had a very serious discussion about favorite colors (serious to her a good babysitter always makes it real for themselves as well), and the other was Rose I don't know if she was the one who did this or not. I mean don't get me wrong the girl loved me and would do anything for me but this isn't something she would have thought of.

As I was looking around the kitchen wondering who could have done this I noticed an envelope taped to the fridge. I went over to take a look and saw that my name was written on it, I immediately recognized Edward's handwriting. I snatched the envelope off of the fridge and pulled out the letter inside and began to read.

Dear Bella,

I hope you don't mind but Alice told me that you and Charlie wanted to paint the kitchen but that you couldn't afford to hire somebody. So I took it upon myself to do this for you, with the help of Rose (I used her copy of your house key to get in), and my Parents we painted the kitchen in your favorite color. Both Alice and Rose insisted that this was indeed your favorite color if it isn't I can always come back and repaint it for you. When Alice had told me this morning that you wanted to paint it I immediately called Rose who left her key in the pot by the front door when she took u by your house to get new clothes. My parents watched the kids while I set to work painting. I know how much you hated the old color and once I knew that both you and your dad were ready to paint I Jumped at the chance to do this for you. If you're worried about paying me back don't. Consider it a man doing something for the woman he loves! Bella I love you and I want you to be happy and I know this will make you happy. I know you weren't happy before because you can't be happy with something you hate. So now you can be happy because you can't hate this it's too you to be anything but perfect. I hope I am right and this does make you happy because if it doesn't I am the worst boyfriend in the world. But I love you so I tried!

Love Always,

Edward

I smiled and help the letter to my chest. This was perfect and I loved it, he was right something so perfect could not be hated. Upon further examination I noticed he had even repainted the white trim on the cabinets and the baseboards.

I quickly pulled out my phone to call Edward. Charlie wouldn't be home for hours so I was free to have this conversation with him over the phone.

"Hello," He answered after a few rings

"Edward it's so perfect, but you didn't have to do this."

"Oh so you read my letter, and yes I did. I love you and I can't stand the idea of anything making you uncomfortable and unhappy in your own home."

"Edward I love you too but this is way too much!" I was still in a bit if shock I think because I was still looking around as if it would turn back to yellow at any minute.

"No it isn't, it's just the right amount and as you said it's perfect. Bella this isn't just about you it's not even really about Charlie it's about the fact that you made me happy and in the entire year that you made me happy I have never done anything to repay you for that. Yes you were happy with how your life is you came to terms with the fact that you didn't need your mom. But Bella the constant reminder of her was keeping you from being fully happy so I took away the reminder and made it something new. So I did this for me because knowing you weren't fully happy made my heart break for you now it's whole again because you will be happy."

I smiled but then I realized he couldn't see it so I said, "I love you Edward Anthony Mason Cullen with everything that I am and everything that I will be. And I love that you did this for me, it is perfect and I love it."

We talked for a bit more before I hung up. I decided to leave the new kitchen a surprise for when Charlie came home. This would make him as happy as it made me, well not as much but pretty darn close.