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Word Prompt: Fool

Plot Generator—Idea Completion: Everyone's a critic.

"Mix, Mom. Please?"

"Not now, Charlie."

"Mommmm," she sighs, borderlining on whining.

"I said no. This isn't for us. I'll let you help me the next I make some for us."

Charlie scowls, then disappears, coming back seconds late with her step stool. I watch warily as she sets it up on the floor near the counter where I'm working. "Can I have some chocolate? Please."

"Nope."

She frowns, pushing her hair back from her face. "Just a little. A little bit."

"You had chocolate in your pancakes for breakfast."

"Yeah, but that was a loooooong time ago," she reasons, eyeing a pre-measured cup of chopped, high quality chocolate.

"It was barely two hours ago," I say dryly, dipping one truffle after another in extra chocolate. "If I have any left over, you can have it. Promise."

"Mom." She sighs, very dramatically. "Aunt Rose said..."

"Go watch Trotro for awhile."

"No, Mom. I don't want Trotro."

I remember when hearing her voice say my name was the sweetest thing I could imagine. Now, I hear it so much it drives me up the wall. I love this kid, but she's a handful.

She's three now, but she's damn precocious; her mood swings and commentaries put her on par with some of the teenagers I know. She's kind of brilliant, but sometimes that results in snark, and there's a fine line between witty and bratty at this age.

"Fine. You can watch me, but don't ask for anything else, okay? I'm on a tight schedule, here." I look at her, cocking my head. "That means I have a lot of stuff to do and not very much time to do it."

Nodding somberly, she eyes the chocolate one more time before stepping down. "I'm gonna watch Trotro."

"All right; give me a sec." Finished with the truffles, I drain the last of my coffee and wipe my hands. I grab a little mug with bubbly water - Charlie's favorite - and a small bowl of cut up strawberries.

"What do you say?" I set the snack down in front of Charlie, who's already sitting pretzeled in front of the boob tube.

"I was gonna say it," she says, cocking her eyebrow...the way I do. I laugh in spite of myself. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome." I kiss her head and hustle back to the kitchen.

"How's it going?" Emmett asks.

"It's all right. I'll be up most the night," I admit, yawning, "but I'll get it done."

"You're so damn stubborn, Bella. I knew I should've had Maggie pick up some of the slack."

"I like doing this, Em. It's okay."

"There's nothing noble about being a martyr," he sings.

"I'm not being a martyr," I say. "I really am fine. But... I'll enlist Maggie's help next time, if you want me to."

"Fair enough."

"How's it going on your end?"

"Fine. I just got off the phone with Mike; everything's ready for tomorrow."

"That's great," I say, impressed.

"That's the nice thing about working with a team, Lone Ranger."

After a few more minutes Rose calls him to dinner, so we disconnect. I round Charlie up, who is now reluctant to part from the very show she didn't want to watch earlier, and we pig out on leftover lasagna, compliments of Grandma Sue and Papa Charlie.

Charlie's thing these days is preschool. She wants to go. I've been looking around half heartedly, trying to find something part time, but it's hard. On one hand, having the guaranteed free time each day would rock. Charlie's a smart cookie, and I suspect she'd have a blast learning and playing with other kids her age. The selfish, sentimental part of me is terrified of this next step, though. It's admitting that my baby is no longer a baby.

I am every parental cliche. Ever.

"See?" Charlie says, fashioning her fingers into a shape. "Triangle. Diamond."

"Awesome sauce!"

"I know." She winks at me.

"Where'd you learn how to do that?" I laugh. "The winking, I mean?"

"Uncle Mike." She takes a big bite. "He said winking geffs the shicks."

"What? Swallow your food, dude. Don't talk with your mouth full."

"He said," she swallows, gulping down her milk for good measure, "that winking gets the chicks."

"I think the blondies should be on this side," Kate says.

The maid of honor, also Knower of All Things.

"And the cookies and brownie things -"

"They're truffles."

"Truffles...here..."

"I've already reviewed the setup with Irina. But thank you." I smile politely, hoping my irritation doesn't show.

She looks dubious, but wanders off, catching up with several other bridesmaids.

"Everyone's a critic, huh?" Alice says, rolling her eyes. "Man, I'll be glad when this shindig is over."

"That bad?" I move the cake over a quarter of an inch before standing back.

"I mean...it's typical. The bride's all right - barring this last minute venue bullshit - but Kate's a real piece of work. She's already talking about hiring me for her wedding next year and I just..." Alice shudders. "No. No way."

"Good to know. I'll make sure I tell Em."

"Oh, I've already filled him in." Her cell phone chirps, and she straightens up. "Gotta go. See you in a bit, Bella."

"Okay," I say, but she's already rushing off.

Once the sweets table is to my liking, I snap a quick picture of it with my phone and start to pack up. The reception is in about an hour and half, and I'd like to get going before guests start arriving. I wave to Em and Mike, who're overseeing the rest of the team, and head out out to the parking lot.

Adjusting my headset, I call Rose as I hit the interstate. The call goes to voicemail, which isn't surprising. It's a Saturday, so she's got her own kids as well as mine and their house can get a little rowdy. I head there anyway, figuring I'll just grab my girl and go home. There are leftover truffles - I did promise Charlie - and spiked hot chocolate with my name on it, and I can't wait to put on a movie and veg out.

There's an unfamiliar car in Em and Rose's driveway. Curious, I pull up alongside it. It looks like a rental. I try calling Rose again as I get out, stepping carefully over a puddle of melted snow.

"Bella?" she answers. It sounds like she's got an army of kids behind her.

"Hey. I'm at your place. Where are you?"

"I'll be there in ten minutes. I took the wild beasts to Wendy's..."

"Oh, okay. Um, whose car is here?"

"Em's friend is back in town. He's staying with us for a couple of weeks...Makenna, stop it! I told you to share!" I hold the phone away from my ear, shivering in the cold.

"Rose - "

"Hold on...Now! Give it back to him! Thank you! Sorry, Bella. Just go on in. I told Edward you might get there before I did. Sorry, I meant to call you..."

She's still rambling when the door opens.

Oh.

Oh.

I don't know what I'm expecting, but it's not this. He's...he's... definitely not unfortunate looking. He's tall and kind of lean but...and there are tattoos...everywhere... I mean, he has a sweater on and I can still see them creeping up his neck. I don't know how I feel about that.

"I, uh, Rose, I'll see you soon." I hang up, clutching my phone to my chest. "Hi?"

"Hi...Bella?" He pushes his sleeve up and extends a hand. Yup; more tattoos. "Edward."

Don't fool yourself, Bella. He's ridiculous.

Ridiculously hot.

dedicated to girls like moni and the heathers (…that sounds like a band name), who have this major ~thing for Stephen James.

thanks for reading, guys. i love hearing from you.

xo