[Disclaimer] All things Twilight belong to Mrs. Stephenie Meyer

[A/N] Virtual hugs for all of you who keep reading and reviewing. Your kind words encourage me to continue writing. I'm sorry that this one is so short, hope you'll like it anyway.

This chapter is dedicated to tochstn. I loved all your thoughts about the Lilly/ Tanya situation. And to aquarius127, because she liked that I turned Jake into Fido in this story.

**Chapter 18**

The only bad thing about being happy was that it's so damn hard not to be able to tell anyone about it. Right now I was happier than I had ever been in my entire life, and I wished that I could tell the whole world about it.

"Penny for your thoughts." she whispered and twisted a wisp of my chestnut hair around her fingers to pull me closer. Her gorgeous lips found mine, and I moaned into her mouth as she slipped her tongue between my slightly parted lips.

"It's nothing." I mumbled breathlessly when she finally pulled back.

"Bella, I'm not stupid. Whatever it is you can tell me."

"Yeah, I know, Ali."

I wrapped my arms around her dainty waist and rested my head against her shoulder. My nose nudged against her soft skin and I inhaled deeply to absorb as much of her vanilla apple scent as possible.

"Have I ever told you that you smell good enough to eat?"

She chuckled slightly and planted a kiss on my hair.

"Hmm, yes you did, several times to tell the truth."

My face reddened under the curtain of my long hair and she pulled it behind my ear to kiss my cheek and the tip of my nose.

"I think it's cute when you blush, Bella."

"Hmm, I don't think so. Blushing is kind of cute when you're twelve years old, but when you're twenty-nine…," My eyes caught the calendar that was hanging on the fridge and I cringed.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked me when she noticed it. Quickly I nodded my head and poured myself another cup of coffee.

The phone rang and I hesitated to pick it up when I recognized the number.

"Hi mom," I greeted her halfheartedly.

"Isabella, oh good you're already awake. Happy birthday, sweetheart!"

"Thanks mom," I mumbled and nipped on my coffee. It still wasn't sweet enough so I added another spoon of sugar.

"Have you started training with one of the Yoga DVD's I've sent you, sweetheart?"

Lie, I thought. Just lie. Of course, I couldn't do it. Not even on the phone, damn it…

"No mom. Jeez, you know that I'm not really into sports."

"Oh Isabella come on. You'll never lose the weight that you put on during your pregnancy if you don't work out. I only gained ten pounds when I had you and…,"

My brain went on stand-by modus while she continued her usual rambling about my overweight. God, how much I hated it when she did that.

"How's Phil?" I asked her after a while, hoping that she would drop the weight subject now. Her new husband was one of her favorite topics.

"Oh, sweetheart, he got that new trainer job in Jacksonville. Can you believe it that we're really moving to Florida in a few weeks? We found a beautiful house with a pool and everything."

"That's good mom."

"Is my son-in-law around, I'd love to talk to him."

"Edward is in Alaska."

"That's too bad, sweetheart. I bet he's sad that he can't be home for your birthday."

Yeah, he's probably crying his eyes out right now. Most likely at the shoulder of his strawberry-haired bitch…

"Isabella?"

"Hmm,"

"Is something wrong?"

Damn it, why did she have to be so curious. I sighed deeply and started biting my lower lip nervously before I spoke up again.

"We're getting a divorce."

"What? He left you? Oh honey, I'm so sorry about that."

"He didn't leave me…I left him."

"Isabella, you're kidding me, aren't you?"

"No, mom…,"

"Oh Isabella, how could you consider doing something so completely stupid?"

"Stupid? Mom, I hate to remind you…but you left Charlie too."

"That's something completely different, Isabella."

Yes, you're right I thought. I left my husband because I hated to be treated like crap and you left a man who worshipped the ground you walked on just because you hated small-town life so much. Completely different indeed…

"Look, mom. I don't have to justify my decisions."

"Oh Isabella, don't be like that. I just want to help you. I don't think you've thought enough about the possible consequences of this particular decision."

A low growl left my throat and my hands started trembling a little bit.

"Mom, I don't need or want you opinion about this."

"I think you do. Maybe I should come to Seattle to talk some sense into your pig head."

"For the last time now, mom. I know what I'm doing. This is my life not yours. I'm sorry that I'm not the perfect, size 10-daughter that you've always wished for…,"

"Stop being so sullen, you sound too much like Charlie when you talk like that."

"Exactly mom, maybe that's the reason why you and I don't really get along,"

My voice cracked at the end and I tasted something salty on my lips when I disconnected the call.

Ali put one hand on my shoulder and started rubbing my back comfortingly.

"You're okay?"

"Yes," I croaked out and sniffed. Ali pulled a tissue out of her pocket and wiped away a few of the tears that kept running down my cheeks.

"I don't like it when you cry." she stated and planted a soft kiss on my forehead.

"You're so much prettier when you smile, Bella."

Automatically my lips twitched upwards into a grimace. She smiled back at me, exposing a row of perfect pearl-white teeth that formed a strong contrast to her ruby tinted lips.

"You too, you know…well, you're always pretty of course."

Her lips nudged against mine for a moment but then we heard Lilly running down the stairs and I quickly pulled back. I twisted my fingers with hers and squeezed her hand. Holding her hand in front of my daughter would be okay, wouldn't it? I wondered how long we could keep our little secret to ourselves.

How much, I hated it to even think about it as a secret. Ali was the best thing that had ever happened to me and I didn't want to hide my feelings for her.

"Mommy!" she called out cheerfully and wrapped her arm around my neck as I kneeled down to lift her up.

"Morning, honey, you slept long today. Were you tired?" I asked her and sat her down on one of the kitchen chairs.

"No, I didn't sleep long; I finished your present." She stated and showed me the piece of paper that she had been hiding behind her back.

"Happy birthday!"

Ali's eyes met mine for a split second and the edges of her lips twitched. Somehow she looked hurt now, as if I had kept something extremely important from her. Damn it, it was just my stupid birthday and I almost forgot about it myself.

"Mommy? Don't you like it?"

"Oh honey, that's so pretty. Thank you." I looked at the children's drawing that probably only a mother could love.

"Is that a horse, sweetie?" Ali asked as she poured her a glass of orange juice.

Lilly crossed her arms in front of her chest and frowned.

"But Auntie Ali, can't you see that it's Fido?"

"Yeah, of course, Lilly,"

It could probably be a dinosaur too; I thought secretly and fought the urge to laugh out loud.

"Honey, your aunt doesn't know your drawings. You have to explain it to her."

"Hmm," she mumbled and stood up from the kitchen chair.

"That's Fido and me in the park," she started cheerfully and pointed towards the little red-haired girl next to the gigantic horse…ahm…dog.

"And that's you and my Mommy."

"Your Mommy looks happy." Ali mumbled so low that I wasn't sure if Lilly would be able to understand her at all.

"Mommy is always happier when you're with her." She stated and I felt every drop of blood in my veins streaming straight into my face. How was it possible that a little child could figure my emotional state out so easily?

"Are you hungry, Lilly?" I asked her in a weak attempt to distract her from observing the relationship between her mother and her pixie-like aunt.

She nodded her head and I put some peanut butter on a piece of toast. Then I cut it into four small pieces and placed them in front of her.

"Mommy…?" she started hesitantly and nibbled on her breakfast.

"Yes, honey?"

"Are you and daddy still angry at each other?"

"Yes, honey…but that has nothing to do with you."

"Is it because of the evil witch?"

"No, honey, it's not. And please stop calling her a witch. Her name is Tanya."

She started biting her fingernails, and I took her hand in mine to stop it.

"Honey, don't do that please. It'll make your nails look ugly."

"Mommy, I know that she's a witch. She's so evil and you won't allow me to let Fido stay with me at night to protect me from her."

Ali kneeled down in front of her and put a wisp of her copper hair behind her ear.

"Why are you still so afraid of her? We've already told you that she won't come here."

Lilly stared down on the ground, desperately trying to avoid eye contact.

"Sweetie, are you okay? You know that you can tell Mommy everything."

She nodded her head but the tensed expression on her face didn't disappear.

"Lilly?"

"She will come back at night and hurt me." She mumbled towards the floor, her voice trembling with fear.

"Lilly, honey, she can't come here."

"Yes she can. Mommy, please ask Auntie Rosie to bring Fido over to stay with me."

Tears started glittering in the corners of her brown eyes, the only physical similarity that she had inherited from me and not her father. I pulled her on my lap and stroked up and down her back in small circles to calm her down again. I cursed my soon-to-be ex-husband for hiring this strawberry-haired whore as his secretary.

Ali stood up again and pulled her cell out of her handbag.

"It's enough…I'm going to call Jazz now." She mumbled and flipped the cell open.

I raised one eyebrow in confusion.

"Why, do you want to call Jasmine? There is nothing wrong with Lilly. I think she's just confused because of the things she saw in her father's office."

"I don't think so, Bella. It's not normal that she's so afraid of Tanya."

"Ali, I don't trust shrinks. They make me nervous…," And this particular one especially.

A noise that was probably meant to be a chuckle left her throat as she leaned down and pulled my hair over my shoulder to plant a kiss on my neck. Her mouth was soft on my skin and I closed my eyes to enjoy her gentle caress for a moment. Then I realized that I shouldn't allow myself to let her touch me like this when Lilly was around and I stiffened instantly.

"Try to relax." she mumbled into my ear and her breathe tickled my skin pleasantly.

"We're not doing anything wrong here. You're officially separated from your husband now. It is worse enough that we still have to keep things from the rest of my family."

I cupped her face between my hands to cover her lips with mine. Somehow it felt as if I had finally come home at last.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

[A/N] Any suggestions about what Ali could get Bella for her birthday? Feel free to let me know.