All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.

Word Prompts: Balloon, cartoon, maroon

Because Edward was on the road for my birthday, he insists on taking me away for a weekend in early November to make up for it.

"Have you been to Vegas?" he asks, meeting my eyes in the mirror as he shaves.

"No."

"Do you want to go?"

"Anywhere with you sounds good."

He smiles. "We can bring Chuck."

My heart warms. "I.. I'd like that. I don't want to leave her any more than I absolutely have to."

"I know." He leans down to rinse his face. "Neither do I."

He tends to be careful with his feelings and behavior toward Charlie, but I think things have been unfurling quite naturally between them. If he's home when I'm putting her to sleep, he helps me tuck her in. Kisses, bedtime stories - we share these little rituals now.

And getting a carseat for the Aston Martin - that was a milestone. He wrestled that thing into the backseat and now he doesn't have to deal with it anymore. Charlie, of course, loves his car. She says he plays the good songs, which is funny because he refuses to play anything Disney related.

Go figure.

Meanwhile, I've been looking at houses. Edward says he has little preference in terms of style, but that he likes the area we're in, if not even a little closer to downtown. I've lived in this townhouse since coming back to Seattle, so the prospect of moving into a bigger, more private place with a giant backyard and all that good stuff is really exciting.

I make an appointment to go look at one the Tuesday after our trip. Edward will be in town for another couple of days, and I'd rather go see the houses with him if possible.

Charlie's never been on a plane.

She vacillates between extreme excitement and nervousness, gripping my hand with alarming strength when we start rolling down the runway.

The second we lift off, though, she's on cloud 9. Literally, almost.

We're flying first class, where the flight attendants gush over Charlie and make eyes at Edward. And, yeah, they're decent to me, too.

After a drawn out, stage-whispery story about a princess pig who lives in the clouds, Charlie turns her attention to a cartoon on the private TV in front of her. I adjust her headphones and take a sip of coffee, yawning.

"I always stay up late packing. Always. You'd think I'd be better at this by now," I say, leaning toward Edward.

He nods, putting his magazine down. "Yeah. It's different when you have to pack for other people, though." He glances at Charlie, and then back to me. "Way different."

"Everything's different when kids are involved. It was hard when I first had her and all of my old friends were still out partying." I think back, remembering. "That was a lonely time."

He nods. "I thought Em was crazy when he and Rose got married so young, you know? Thought for sure it was because she was pregnant..."

I smile, remembering that, too. "Well. That certainly sped things along, but...they'd been planning on getting married for awhile. When you know, you know."

Our eyes meet. "I know."

His words have more than one meaning, and I appreciate them all.

Las Vegas is just as fabulous and loud as everyone says. Colorful billboards and signs, crazy traffic, fantastical buildings...it's overwhelming. We're staying at the Bellagio, which is like a vacation in and of itself.

"Jeez, we don't even need to leave," I laugh, gaping at the opulence. From the landscaping to our oversized suite, everything is bigger, brighter and better than I imagined.

Neither of us are big gamblers, but Edward knows the city pretty well. After visiting our room, we take a walk down the Strip, where we duck into toy stores and an ice cream shop. A man creating balloon animals makes a little pink pig for Charlie, and another sketches her likeness, right down to the maroon and pink pony "tattoo" on her cheek.

She's in complete awe of it all, and so am I. Eventually, though, the sensory overload catches up to her, and she starts dragging, rubbing her eyes.

I touch her arm, bending down. "You doing okay? Tired?"

"No, Mom," she says, yawning.

I scoop her into my arms, hoisting her on to my hip the way I did when she was little. She's a little sticky from the ice cream, but I love her Charlie scent, the way she feels fitted against me. I suspect I always will.

"Want me to carry her?" Edward asks, resting his hand on my lower back.

"Sure." I smile up at him, my heart sappy with love and gratitude, and hand Charlie over.

Things were good when it was just Charlie and me. But there's no denying how much sweeter they are with Edward.

Back at the hotel, Charlie perks up when the famous fountains of the Bellagio start their show. Edward puts her on his shoulders so she can see, and I snap pictures on my phone - mainly of them.

We head back to our room afterward, where Charlie takes a bubble bath of epic proportions in the jacuzzi style tub.

"I've been here a dozen times, and it's never been the way it was today," Edward says, standing at the window overlooking the lights of the city. Night has just fallen, and the dark, still softened by dusk, flickers randomly from all of the neon. "With you."

I go to stand beside him, linking my arm through his. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

I nod, watching the scene below. It's as busy now as it's been all day, and I know that it'll just continue getting crazier. After a moment, I peek up at Edward.

"What're you thinking about?"

"Season's almost over."

I nod.

He blinks, glancing down at me. "I may be getting an offer to play for LA Galaxy."

"Wow." My stomach tightens, but just for a second. No matter what, I'm in. All in. "They're a good team."

"Understatement." His eyes crinkle, and he smiles. "But...I'm not taking it."

"Why not?" I ask, quietly.

"Among other things we'd have to move. And I can't move." He shakes his head. "Don't want to. Do you?"

"No."

"In some ways, I'm still getting used to being home. I can't just...uproot everything again."

"I can imagine."

"I like being based in Seattle..." He turns toward me, leaning against the window, eyes searching mine. When he speaks again, it's tentative. "I don't want to stop playing."

"I don't think you should," I admit, looking at my hands. I've wanted him to work through this on his own, knowing that if he gave up soccer because of me, I'd always be afraid of his resentment later on. I know what it's like to give up, even when it seemed necessary. It's never easy.

But neither is this. It's never been easy, this balancing act he's got going, and it'll continue to test us, try us.

And somehow, I have total peace with that.

"You knew I'd make this choice, didn't you?"

"I kind of hoped you would." I shrug, looking at him. "It's what you were made to do, and I love watching you do it. I think that's all your dad wants, you know? To watch you do what you love. The other stuff...we'll figure it out."

He nods slowly.

"We just have to take this day by day. Or season by season; whatever. Your dad's going to be fine. We'll be fine. And...if anything happens, we'll just...deal with it."

"Promise me you'll always talk to me, just like this."

I smile, thinking of a similar conversation, months ago, on his birthday. "I promise."

There's a big splash from the bathroom, followed by a giggly, "Mooooooom!"

Edward closes the drapes. "I'm starving."

"You're always starving," I say, heading to the bathroom. "I'm hungry too, though."

"Room service?"

We order a veritable smorgasbord of food and have a feast with Charlie on the bed. When she starts to get droopy eyes again, I haul her off to brush her teeth.

"No, Mom," she sighs, eyes closed, leaning limply against me while I work a toothbrush through her mouth.

She's asleep in her bed before I've even left the room. Edward and I take quick shower, kissing, touching, but saving sex. Everyone knows hotel beds are the best.

But afterward, I get side tracked by the wine Edward had sent up while he takes a phone call. I can tell, by his words, he's speaking to his mother, and then Carlisle. Things have been calmer since the dinner when they argued. Edward says they respect that he has to make his own decision, that he has to figure out what's best for him.

"They said hi," he says, hanging up a moment later.

I nod, setting my glass of Pinot Grigio down. "How's your Dad?"

"Good. Sick of kale."

I laugh, thinking of Esme's dietary crusade for better health. "Can't say I blame him."

"I like kale."

"Of course you do." I smirk.

He tosses his phone aside and dives on to me, pushing my bathrobe open and descending on to my neck.

Giggling uncontrollably, I try to bite and tickle him back. "I like kale too! I swear!"

"Mm." He gives me a nibble and backs up. "I got something you'll really like."

Tightening my legs around his hips, I hold him in an iron grip. "Yeah?"

"Definitely more of the meat variety..."

"What a horndog," I snort, shaking my head. "Your euphemisms are so-"

He kisses me, shutting me up. I scratch my nails gently over his back, up into his hair, relishing his shivers. Easing off, he sits me up so that he can slide my bathrobe fully off, and then he joins me, naked and warm.

"Lock the door," I whisper.

He jumps up, locks it, and crawls back up the bed, stopping with his face between my legs. I bite my pillow when I come, welcoming him inside seconds later.

"God, I love...you. Love...how you feel," he pants, dipping down to kiss me.

"Love you too," I gasp, trying to keep my eyes open. Sometimes he just feels too good.

thanks for reading.

xoxoxo