Hello, people!
Happy Saturday and Happy Mothers' Day to all the moms of all stripes out there.
Also, a hug goes out to those who can no longer celebrate with their moms on this day.

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Usual housekeeping:
- I still don't own any of it.
- Team Momo wouldn't exist without Midnight Cougar and Alice's White Rabbit with their red pens, or without AGoodWitch, Driving Edward, Mel, Maplestyle, and Eternally Addicted who pre-read and tell me if I'm off my rocker or not.

What were the guys doing while the girls were at the spa? Funny you should ask.
Here's LawyerWard telling us all about it.

Chapter 25 - EPOV

"When is Bella's commencement, again?" Emmett asked.

While the girls spent the afternoon at the spa, Em and I were taking advantage of the fitness facilities in my building. Jasper would join us later to cook dinner, which we also agreed we'd do together to treat our ladies.

"May thirteen. It's a Monday. And I might have to be at Cornell that Sunday because they want me to speak at theircommencement," I answered. "Ugh!"

My groan arose not only from frustration—I'd been pushing myself on the treadmill for the last hour. Meanwhile, my brother pumped iron and talked at the same time.

"A speech at Cornell's commencement? Wow, bro. Is this their way of telling you they want more from you? Like, permanently?"

I shrugged and adjusted my pace to a steeper incline. "I've enjoyed my short stint in academia, I won't deny it. But you were right months ago—I was being a fucking coward when I took that job. I was running away from Bella, and I won't make the same mistake twice. Long-distance relationships are not for me—I want to be here, and I want to spend as much time as I can with her. The traveling alone sucks."

"So what if she takes a job in a different city after graduation?"

Every syllable of that question landed on my chest like a boulder. I stood there transfixed, and messed up my pace on the treadmill, which landed me square on my ass.

"You okay, Eddie?"

"Don't call me Eddie," I growled.

Nothing hurt, except my pride. Emmett witnessing my fall from grace all but guaranteed that it would become public knowledge before long. I gathered my wits and my sore behind, and stood, leaning on the treadmill.

"I always assumed she'd stay at CCM," I hedged.

Em hooked the weights he was lifting to the bench supports and sat up to face me. "Now, I have zero clue about her future plans, so don't get your boxers in a wad because of me and my big mouth, but maybe y'all should be talking about this shit?"

"Yeah, well. If only we'd had the time lately." I climbed back on the treadmill; I still had a few miles to go.

"Rosalie and I are moving in together," Em said after a while. He still sat on the bench, staring at me, not a glib note in his tone of voice.

As soon as he confessed that, another pang of jealousy hit me. How ardently I wished that could be us—Bella and me, living together. How I longed to wake up every day beside her, and not have to say goodbye to her or drop her off at her minuscule apartment. But we needed time, and clearly, we needed to talk more things through.

"How did that come about?"

Em sighed. "It was time. I wanted a more permanent commitment, but she's not there yet. You know, her building isn't far from the office. It's a nice place."

"I'm not looking to move out, Em."

"Oh, I figured you wouldn't. But Bella might. It'd get her a tad closer to you, too."

We kept up our routine in silence for a good ten minutes, when Em gave up weight lifting with a grunt, and jumped on the empty treadmill beside me.

"Bella's parents are going to be in town for her graduation," he announced.

"I'd be more shocked if they weren't attending."

"So, you're ready to meet the parents?" he added, with a mischievous grin.

I tapped the screen on the treadmill to end my routine. I'd had enough of running, and of my brother's annoying attitude.

"Are you trying to frighten me? Because it's not working. I'm not a pimple-faced, good-for-nothing, twenty-something idiot who thinks he has a shot with a woman who's way, way out of his league. Bella's not a naïve, vapid girl who doesn't have plans or ambitions for the future. Her parents will be there? Good, I'll walk up to them, introduce myself, and get to know them."

He'd started snickering, but sobered up halfway through my tirade. "Have you noticed how rarely she mentions them?"

"I did, but I figured she'd tell me why in her own time. Aren't you the one who told me she's independent to a fault? How long has she lived here in Atlanta on her own?"

He looked up, counting on his fingers. "Since undergrad. Seven years? Six? No, she's worked for us for six years, and started in her sophomore year. Seven."

"So, she's relied on herself alone through school and a full-time job for the better part of a decade. She's an adult, Em. She doesn't need hand-holding, from me, you, or her parents." After that, I walked away and grabbed a yoga mat to do my stretches.

He answered with a grunt and resumed running. But that wasn't meant to be, because not a half hour later, Jasper came in.

"I finally found this place! This building rocks, by the way."

"Hey, Jazz. Ready to cook for our ladies?" I threw him a wave, and Em jumped off the treadmill to join us.

He fist-bumped Emmett. "What are we cooking for them anyway? Also, are we really cooking or ordering out?"

"I have Mom's lasagna recipe. We can all follow instructions, right?" Their faces blanched at my suggestion.

"Can we order something just in case?" my brother asked.

"In case of what, Em?"

"I dunno, if the kitchen explodes?"

I rolled my eyes, suddenly regretting my decision to involve him in the food prep efforts.

"What the fuck did I do to deserve this?" Em threw his hands in the air.

Jasper sauntered to my side and bumped his shoulder into mine. "Em likes to act the drama queen, but he's just a lazy ass. He doesn't want to put in the work."

"What about you, Jazz?"

Professional environment aside, I didn't know a lot about my former assistant's boyfriend. Bella, though, loved working alongside him. His calm demeanor and sarcastic streak made him someone with whom I could see myself getting along.

"I love cooking." Jasper grinned. "It's relaxing. And no, Emmett, you can't watch while Edward and I do all the work."

"Well played, my friend. Well played, indeed."

Reminder: this takes place in 2019, and in that year May 13 (today) was a Monday.
Also, Happy Rob's birthday ;-) Come join us in LaMomo's Lair for Rob pics, story teasers and other shenanigans (like our running list of Rebecca not-so-cute nicknames). Just type that in the search bar on FB.

See you next Saturday!