A little more tonight. Once again, this is 100% unbeta'd pure me. I hope it's tolerable. ;-)

Waiting…

~(~)~

The room around her buzzes with the typical hustle and bustle of a Seattle coffee shop on a bright Saturday morning. She finds the rhythm and flow of customers, along with the music playing in the background soothing.

Still… her fingers tap nervously against the side of her caffé misto while she waits.

He's late though, adding to her nervousness. He sent a text a half hour ago that he'd just missed the ferry and would be another twenty-five minutes or so.

Or so… Bella sighs, now biting her cuticles as she scan the street outside. Knowing he should be here any moment is making her crazier than her decision to ask him to come in the first place.

She still isn't 100% sure this won't be a mistake.

Following her talk with Tia, Bella followed up with her personal counselor and they discussed her fears about upsetting Edward's progress. Bella had long believed it was her absence from Edward's life that allowed him to get it back on track and she was absolutely terrified of being the cause of a setback if she became re-involved with him in any way. It was a very valid fear, but unfortunately, not one she could face in a vacuum.

Not with the pull she still felt towards her ex-husband, and not with his apparent desire to rekindle some kind of friendship with her.

Oh, he'd never said it outright. But she could take the hint from the fairly regular stream of casual, but careful emails he sent. The very same casual, but careful emails she always replied to.

Always.

Heaven help her, Bella felt her face turn up into a soft smile whenever she saw Edward's name in her inbox. Despite her fears, she'd begun looking forward to his messages and replying to them with increasing ease. It felt safe to talk to him that way; back and forth, on neutral ground where she could always edit her words before sending them and potentially doing irreparable damage.

She wouldn't have that reassurance in a face to face conversation. It would be riskier, and harder, which was why she'd avoided it for nearly two months.

And why she ended up having to be the one to suggest the meeting.

Edward never would have pressured her that way. Even though, as soon as she asked him, he'd admitted that his shrink thought it might be good for him. Maybe even for both of them.

She couldn't really disagree.

But she was still afraid.

She is afraid... right up until she sees him walk in the door.

~(~)~