Thanks to Iris, who sent this back with lots of shouty all-caps comments. And to Sri for her early morning pep talk!

Thanks Nic and "everyfreakingbody" for the nod on The Lemonade Stand. You guys sure know how to make a girl swoony.

Mike spent his day finalizing details of his trip. This weekend, he was guiding five middle-aged weekend warriors up the Bogachiel River into Olympic National Park. It was his first canoe trip of the season, so he spent extra time ensuring his equipment was in good shape. As he finished loading the truck, Angela pulled up beside him, unrolling her window.

"Mike!" She called out in a shouted whisper so as not to wake Adam sleeping in the back.

He jogged over to the car, placed his hand on the roof, and bent down to talk to Angela through her open window. "Hey, Ang. What's up?"

"How are things going? I haven't heard from Bella since our argument. Have you had any luck with her?"

"I don't know." Mike shrugged. "She's still against it. I'm still working on her. I guess nothing's changed. I'm away for a few days. I'm really hoping she'll think about it while I'm gone."

"Do you want me to talk to her again? I don't want you to miss out, because she's being stubborn."

"You think that's all this is?"

"Bella hates being cornered. We went about this all wrong, and she reacted. At the end of the day, she loves you, and she'll want to make you happy. I'll take her out while you're gone and try a new approach with her. Before you're gone, make it clear how much it will make you happy, but don't ask her again. Then let me work my magic."

"Okay, Ang. But if she asks, this is all on you. I'm treading on thin ice already."

"Trust me, Mike. You'll be a dad this summer. We'll raise our daughters like sisters."

"It's a girl?" Mike couldn't keep the awe out of his voice.

"Oh. Jeez. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, but yeah. She's a girl." Angela smiled. She knew Mike well enough to know how touched he was to find this out.

Mike beamed down at Angela. His fantasy future just got a little clearer. "That's okay, Ang. Talk to you next week." Mike tapped the hood of her car as he walked away.

He was going to have a daughter.

When Bella entered the house, she called out even though she knew it would be pointless over the blasting music. She knew where she'd find her husband, so she slipped off her shoes and headed to their spare room.

Mike had left the door open, but his back was to it, so she took a moment to watch. He only used the heavy bag when he was working something out. He obviously had a lot of thinking to do, because his shirt was drenched with sweat. She leaned against the door frame and did some thinking of her own. She'd decided she needed to come clean as she drove home. Even though nothing had happened between her and Edward, she knew keeping it from Mike was a problem. She and Edward were working together, and they were friends now.

When she was with Edward, things just seemed to happen. At some point, she'd accepted him back into her life, and things had settled into this easy, familiar way. It wasn't something she was consciously aware of. There was no sentient thought process about how to be with him. She just was. As she gained distance from him, she'd already changed the story in her head. The meaning of the phrase he actually confessed had no place in this tidy narrative she was creating for herself. Edward himself told her he was over her. She didn't contemplate what it really meant when he said he was getting over her. Just a small change in tense, and things were fine. They were friends, nothing more. She'd tell Mike, he'd deal with it, and they'd move forward. There was no reason she couldn't be friends with Edward.

Eventually Mike worked his way around the bag enough to notice her standing there. His fist hit the target and then stilled. He reached behind him and pressed the power button on the speaker with his other gloved hand. Bella was smiling softly at him, and he welcomed the change from this morning.

"What?" He grinned back at her, unsure of what else to say. He didn't want her to return to her previous mood.

"You've never been in a fight your whole life, and yet you love to beat the shit out of that." She laughed as she pointed to his well-worn heavy bag.

Mike shrugged. "It doesn't hit back. I'm not gonna mess up this money maker." He put his gloved hands up to his face and winked at Bella. "What's got you so happy this afternoon?"

"I got a promotion! And a raise! I'm a salaried employee now-" She stopped talking about her job when Mike picked her up and swung her around. She began to shriek "Gross! Gross! Gross!" as Mike's sweaty body engulfed hers.

"Sorry!" Mike laughed as he put her down, not sorry at all. "I guess that means you're going to have to join me in the shower."

Bella rolled her eyes but followed him to the bathroom as he stripped off along the way. Once again, she was leaning against a door frame, watching him. He turned the water on and then looked at back at her.

"You've got too many clothes on. C'mere."

"I'm not done telling you about my new responsibilities, yet." She'd decided that she couldn't be intimate with Mike until she had told him everything. "Tell me in there." He moved his head to indicate the shower behind him as approached her.

"You know if I go in there, we won't be talking." Well, maybe not about everything. She'd changed her mind. He didn't need the details.

"I'm counting on it. How about you talk while I undress you?" He didn't wait for an answer, putting his hands out and pulling her blouse from her skirt.

"I'll be working with the Cullens. Mostly Edward."

Mike's hands momentarily stilled on her buttons as he looked at her, an unspoken question in his expression.

"You haven't been very receptive to them being back in our lives."

"Your life," he corrected as he went back to removing her blouse. "Is this something I should worry about?"

"No! Of course not," she answered as he pushed her shirt down her arms and kissed her shoulder. Mike didn't seem worried. She'd told them they were working together. A little of the uneasiness she'd been carrying around lifted. As his lips met hers, she decided she'd tell him what she'd be doing tomorrow if he asked. But he said nothing. Instead, they stumbled backwards, removing the last of their clothes before they made some memories to get Mike through the weekend.

Occasionally, Bella's mind wandered. We're just friends, she'd remind herself, ignoring the feeling that felt remarkably like lying. She tucked that away with all the other things she didn't want to deal with at the moment.

Mike had spent an hour punching and thinking, but he still didn't know how to bring up wanting to be a father without it turning into a fight. Instead, he ignored it for the night, putting off a conversation he needed to have until just before he left.

Bella made them both coffee ‒ his in a to-go cup ‒ and stood in the front hall watching him tie his laces. She was a little tired but hummed with an energy she didn't want to acknowledge. Mike stood up and reached for his backpack.

"I'm glad things are better between us. I knew we'd work this out." He leaned down and kissed her nose ‒ not because he intended to but because Bella had moved her head.

"We haven't worked anything out." She mumbled her response to her feet.

"I just thought... You were so happy yesterday... and the promotion... Now that you're permanent and things are more stable..."

"What did you think, Mike?" Bella's good mood quickly vanished.

"Just that things have really stabilized lately. We're in a good place." He shrugged his shoulders, hoping to come off casual, even though he felt anything but. "I just thought maybe you'd thought about what I said, about what being a dad means to me."

"Mike…" Bella sighed, and then before she could stop herself, the words were already out of her mouth. "I think we want different things."