Cleaning; cleaning was the answer. After everyone had gone I decided that throwing myself into deep cleaning was the best way to pass the time. I continued working on the mounting pile of laundry in my closet and scrubbed my bathroom while I waited for the washer to finish. The familiar, calming smell of cleaning products slowly spread throughout the apartment as I started on another load and moved my attention to the windows.

I had folded the first load of laundry and started cleaning my stove when my phone beeped to tell me I had a new message.

Alice: You yelled at my mother? Oh. Em. Gee. That's the best thing I've ever heard.
Me: Kill me now! Who told you?
Alice: Duh! My MOTHER. bahahah! She may be in love with you now.
Me: I can't believe I said those things to her. It was supposed to be your pig headed brother on the other end of the line!
Alice: Exactly, that's why she loves you. She may be planning your wedding as we speak. (kidding… kinda)
Me: HA! Would love to see the look on your brother's face!
Alice: Would love to see the look on Rose's face more when Emmett spontaneously proposes!
Me: The rate at which information travels in your family is both disturbing and terrifying.
Alice: :D

I shook my head and laughed, putting my phone on the counter and pulling my gloves on to scrub the kitchen floor. There's something therapeutic about having a clean house and having achieved it with my own hands. It's exhausting work but I'm satisfied when I finally collapse on the couch with sore knees and aching fingers.

I must have dozed off because by the time I opened my eyes again the sun had set and a tall, dark figure was letting themselves in my front door. "Door open," the friendly electronic voice informed me. "Door shut." I groaned, stretching my stiff legs and debating whether or not to fear for my life. Too tired.

"You know Bella, the point of such an elaborate alarm system is so that people can't just let themselves into your apartment."

I smirked as his scolding tone. "Maybe I like the types of people who let themselves into my apartment."

Edward bent over me and tenderly pressed a kiss against my forehead and then one on my lips. "Good evening, sleeping beauty."

"Good evening, prince charming." Now it was his turn to smirk as I scooted into the fold of the couch and pulled him down onto the couch with me. "How was your day?"

"My day," I could hear the humor in his tone as he wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled my neck with his nose. "Well it was terribly boring and then my mother showed up, from there it got much more interesting." I groaned and threw my arm over my eyes to hide from him, he chucked. "Were you really angry with me?" I nodded and he kissed me softly, "are you still angry with me?"

"I'm not sure," I answered honestly. "It was a very sweet gesture but kind of overstepped your bounds. But then I yelled at your mother so I guess we're even."

Edward chuckled again and moved my arm from in front of my eyes. "My mother wants to meet you." His eyes were searching mine for some kind of reaction but I didn't really have one. His mother? I'd never met anyone's mother before… then again he didn't say I was going to, only that she wanted to. Did he want me to? "She seems to think you'll be good for me."

"Do you think I'll be good for you?"

"Oh Bella, if only you could see… you already are."

A few days had passed since since Edward had said those three words that made my heart skip a beat with excitement and scared the crap out of me all at the same time. you already are. I had somehow been recruited into helping Alice get things at the studio ready for a recital. Standing behind the front desk I was sifting through permission slips and trying to figure out the madness behind Alice's filing system when the front door opened and Rose walked in carrying pizza.

"You, woman, are a Goddess," I told her, giving a mocking bow and clearing off a spot on the desk for the pizza box.

"I like to think so," she smiled and placed the pizza box where I told her to. "Is Alice here?"

"She just ran out to pick up the costumes. The woman is about ready to pop, I don't know how she's got so much energy. Can you imagine?" Rose shrugged, her eyes a little sad and I bit my lip. "Sorry Rose, I wasn't thinking."

She gave me a sad smile and shook her head, "it's okay. Someday maybe."

Rose had wanted kids for as long as I had known her. Sure the husband thing hadn't happened for her yet, but neither had the pregnancy either. About a year and a half ago she'd sought out alternative options and it had worked, for a while. She was almost out of her first trimester when she lost the baby, it was devastating. For the most part Rose wasn't overly sensitive about it, not that she externalized anyways, but every once in a while a slip of the tongue would hit her wrong and it broke my heart.

"So how're things going with Edward," she asked, obviously changing the subject.

"Good, I think." I shrugged and she looked at me with that I'm-your-bff-I-know-something-happened look and it was my turn to shrug. "He paid my rent and I'm not sure how I feel about it," I told her, busying myself with the pizza so I wouldn't have to see her roll her eyes. "I know I agreed and I know it's annoying that I can't seem to make up my mind, but getting the receipt in the mail was really weird. It made me feel…"

"Bella, he's not James." I chewed on my bottom lip and picked at a piece of pepperoni. "If it makes you feel so bad then why don't you try getting a normal job. I bet you could get an entry level position somewhere no problem; public relations experience, remember?" I couldn't help but laugh. I hadn't told her that, with Alice's help, I'd sent out a couple of resumes with no avail.

Rose had a strong will and she liked to think that everything was will power, but it didn't really work that way in my world. If it did, I'd be working on finishing my English Lit degree at NYU and the dynamic between Edward and I would make a lot more sense. Then again, there probably would be no Edward and I. After all, it was because things had turned out the way they did that I'd met him at all.

"I applied for school next semester," I said suddenly and Rose practically dropped her pizza in surprise. I bit my lip and gave her a sheepish smile, "I had to go take a test at the University to show my competency levels or something, they said I'll get a letter in the mail in 4-6 weeks telling me whether I was approved or declined."

"Oh my God, Bella!" Rose squeaked… Rose did not squeak, Alice squeaks. She lunged from her chair and threw her arms around me, practically vibrating with excitement. "I'm so proud of you, why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't want to get my hopes up, it was just an entrance exam. I've been out of school for six years, people like me don't get into NYU."

"Who cares if you get in or not," she released me and waved her hand. "The point is that you applied, Bella. That took guts and I'm so proud of you. You're smart and it's about damn time you realize your potential."

"Shut up," I rolled my eyes, a little embarrassed. "Anyways, if I don't get in I can always take some community college courses or something. Anything is better than nothing." I took a bite of my pizza and Rose nodded in agreement.

A/N: Okay, I promise Bella will not be annoying forever. Right now she and Edward really just need to figure out their dynamic because it's an awkward situation and new territory for them both. But good job to Bella for taking a step in the right direction. She agreed to let Edward take care of her so that she could go to school and she knows she needs to keep up her end of the deal.

Still on hiatus, I don't want to take that off until I know I'll start posting more regularly but I really want to evolve this story past the awkward, whining back and forth stage ;) I'm interested to see where it goes... I just have to figure out where that is lol