Chapter Six: Playdates and Progress

Esme gently slapped Edward's hands away from the cake pan and paper plates that littered the table. She gave him a soft smile, "You go get ready to head to Port Angeles, I'll clean all this up," she ordered.

"I can help," Alice chirped as she jumped up from the picnic bench. Her heels clicked and clacked on the marble walkway as she skipped inside with all the garbage piled in her hands. "Have an awesome time you guys, love ya!" she called over her shoulder.

Esme followed behind her with the cake, "I hope you guys have a great time!" Esme said as she disappeared inside.

I had already sent Lauren a text, asking her what the place was called and thankfully she answered very quickly. I set my phone in my jacket pocket and looked across the table into Edward's fathomless dark eyes after a few beats of comfortable silence. His lips pulled into a half smile when our eyes met, "I suppose I'll get Lena ready and meet you out front?"

I nodded emphatically, my smile growing in excitement. I was truly looking forward to the upcoming outing with Edward and Lena. I hadn't had a play date in who knew how long. It was usually just me and my kids, which I was happy with – but spending time with another adult was always welcome, and I knew the kids loved it when they got to play with other kids outside of school. I was unsure how Lena would react or behave to the play date, but I held out hope that I could make some headway with her. I wanted her to not only like me but feel comfortable with me. The same as I wanted for all of my students.

When Edward disappeared into the house, I turned to my kids who were running around the swings, giggling and taunting each other playfully. I clasped my hands over my mouth, "Connor, Maisy, come over here!"

At the sound of my voice, they stopped the circles they were making and headed over to me quickly. They stopped in front of me, their faces curious.

"How would you guys like to go to this great place full of trampolines?"

Their eyes lit up.

"Trampolines?" Connor asked with barely contained excitement, his eyes full of wonderment. "More than one, Momma?" he asked as if the idea was impossible.

I nodded with a smile.

"I go!" Maisy yelled, her hands shaking at her sides, her little legs bouncing up and down. "I go, I go, I go!"

I laughed and held my arms out to her. She quickly jumped into them. I grunted at the sudden weight as I lifted her body up, settling her onto my hip. I held out my free hand for Connor to take. He grasped it and skipped next to me as we made our way inside. Both of my kids were balls of energy. I hoped that they would get some of that out today.

I didn't see anyone as I made my way to the front door. I guessed they were all busy doing their own thing. I was happy that Maisy was too excited about the trampolines to throw a tantrum about leaving "her Japper." I took the opportunity to get them outside as quickly as possible.

Connor let go of my hand and ran over to his side of the car, pulling the door open so quickly that it made the car shake from the sudden force. He climbed inside and went about buckling himself into his seat. I closed his door and then walked over to the other side to set Maisy in her seat just as the front door to the house opened. I clicked her in and smiled over at Edward, who was carrying a very wary-looking Lena.

He walked over to where I was standing and stopped a foot away, his thick lips quirking up into a small smile which I happily returned.

"You guys about ready?" I asked.

Edward looked at Lena and when she nodded after a few moments his eyes went to my face, "Yes, we are."

I stepped to the side and motioned for Edward to put Lena down in the middle of the seat. He walked over and set her down between Maisy and Connor. Maisy kicked her legs out excitedly, her foot accidentally colliding with Edwards's outstretched arm.

"Maisy Renee, be careful," I admonished her sternly.

Edward laughed quietly, clicking the seatbelt around his daughter. He looked at Maisy as he pulled back, "From what I've seen of you so far, you're going to be quite the soccer player, huh?"

My daughter's cheeks blushed pink, and she looked down bashfully, "Sorry," she said in her cute little voice that she always used to get out of trouble.

Edward breathed a laugh out of his nose and stepped back. "That's okay," he assured her, patting her leg as stepped to the side.

I closed the door and looked at him," Ready, Eddie?" I asked, laughing slightly, remembering how he despised being called that when he was a teenager.

He rolled his eyes and stuck his hands in his pockets, digging them deep and teetering back on his heels. "I hate that nickname," he said with a quirked brow. His tone was slightly teasing but with a hint of seriousness.

"Just like I hate the nickname, Bitty Bella," I reminded him, matching his raised brow with one of my own. I crossed my arms over my chest in mock defiance.

His eyes narrowed and his lips pulled into a rueful smile.

"Yeah-yeah," he joked with an exaggerated roll of his forest green eyes and a shake of his head as he walked around the front of my car to the passenger side. He slipped inside while I hopped into the driver's side and started up the car, plugging in my phone to get the GPS going. Once I had found the place on Google Maps, I turned to look at every one.

"Who's in charge of the tunes?" I asked as I backed out of the yard and onto the long driveway.

Of, course, Connor immediately shouted, "Me!"

I peeked at Edward out of the corner of my eye, "Are you ready for a completely tone-deaf concert in the backseat?" I whispered teasingly.

Edward took in a deep breath and blew it out, his cheeks puffing adorably, "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."

"Backstreet Boys?" I called behind me, looking at my son who was bouncing in his seat. My eyes wandered to Lena next to him. She had her arms crossed and her eyes staring down into her lap. I really hoped that she would loosen up and allow herself to have a good time.

Connor shouted, "Duh! Larger Than Life, please."

We sat through Connor's tuneless wails in the backseat for the next few minutes. I kept peeking at Edward out of the corner of my eye and every time I did, he had a soft amused smile on his face. It was strange but seeing that made my heart almost explode. I knew that Edward needed some kind of peace in his life and if he found that in my son's screeching then I was more than happy to let Connor scream-sing for the next hour.

Once we were ten minutes into the drive, we were passing by a gas station. I flipped on my turn signal and looked at my passengers as I waited to turn in. "Who wants snacks?"

Connor and Maisy yipped and yelled in the affirmative. When Lena stayed silent, Edward turned to face her, "Do you want to go inside and get something, doll?"

The love and tenderness in his voice toward his daughter was so refreshing. Mike was always too busy yelling at his children to give them any kind of affection. It made me wonder why my kids missed him in the first place. It made me wonder why I even missed him.

Guess you couldn't control love – no matter how much I wished I could.

Lena must have agreed because Edward was climbing out of the car and heading over to Connor's door. I went to Maisy's side, pulling her from her seat. She grunted, her sleepy eyes glaring up at me. Apparently, she was able to sleep through her brother's singing.

Edward took Lena's hand and Connor ran over to take mine. I set Maisy down on her feet and had my kid's hands in both of mine, while Edward and Lena trailed behind us, Lena practically shielding herself behind her daddy's leg. As soon as we walked inside, Connor dragged me over to the chips, and Lena and Edward made their way over to the drinks.

"Okay, you can each get two snacks and one drink, so choose wisely," I told them. I let go of their hands and they quickly started searching for their preferred snacks.

I grabbed a small bag of salt and vinegar chips and waited for my kids to pick what they wanted. They were taking so long that Edward eventually walked up to us with a small, amused smile.

"We've got our snacks," he said holding up a clear bag of drinks and what looked to be Snickers and sour candy.

"I'm still waiting for the terrible two over here," I jabbed my thumb in my kid's direction, "to pick something." I took my keys out of my jacket pocket and handed them over to Edward. "You guys go ahead and wait in the car."

Edward grinned, "You trust me with your keys? I'm honored."

"I know where you live," I joked back with a totally unladylike snort. I covered my mouth and nose, my cheeks blazing.

Edward's gin only grew. He held up my keys and took Lena's hand, escorting her outside. I shook my head at myself. Why was I such a bumbling idiot around him? Sure, he was gorgeous, but I was an adult now. Sadly, he still had the same effect on me that he had when I was a kid.

"I want these," Connor said, his hands pushing a small bag of pizza combos into my stomach. I grabbed them out of his hands. "And I want chocolate."

"Okay," I nodded. "Wait for your sister to pick something out and then we'll go check out the candy."

After another five minutes, we were finally walking out of the gas station. I held our bag of drinks in one hand and my chips in the other while Connor and Maisy carried their own snacks in theirs as they stayed close to my front on the way back to the car.

Connor ran to his side as soon as it was safe to do and I picked Maisy up and set her back in her seat, her chocolate milk, twinkie, and bag of combos held tightly to her chest.

I finally settled into my seat with a huff, starting the car. I looked over at Edward, "You ready?"

"Sure am," he said. He put his seatbelt on and leaned back in the seat slightly, getting comfortable. The more time we were together, the less wound up he seemed and the more at ease his face became.

It was weird how easy it was to hang out with Edward. It was almost natural. As if we had been doing it for years. When in reality, I may have grown up with his sister, I had never really talked to Edward. I just admired him from afar. So, his sudden reappearance and us hanging out so seamlessly was… not a bad thing – just strange. But I couldn't say that I didn't like it.

I hoped he felt the same.

The rest of the ride to our destination, The Jumping Zone, was spent in relative silence. We all ate our snacks quietly, the radio on low volume. I think the rest of us were happy to get a break from Connor's little concerts.

I know I sure was. It was adorable, for sure… for, like, a minute. After that, it was a headache.

"We're here," I sing-songed when the colorful building came into view.

The building was large and brightly colored with a big sign that read The Jumping Zone, which was impossible to miss. Edward and I grabbed our respective kids and headed to the front door. Connor and Maisy were practically dancing the whole way there. Lena, on the other hand, was pretty somber. She didn't look like she took joy in much of anything.

It made my heart break for her.

I pushed the bright orange door open, and we were immediately hit with screams coming at us from all directions. I cringed back from the sound but forced my legs to carry us further inside anyway. There was a booth off to the left when we entered the building, a chipper-looking woman smiling at us and waving us over. As I walked over to her, I took in the place with wide eyes. I had never been to a place quite like it before. There were trampolines built into the floor everywhere, as well as Velcro walls that some kids, and even adults, were jumping into, getting stuck on them thanks to the Velcro suits they we wearing.

"Wow," I said quietly.

"You got that right," Edward agreed with a raised brow.

Just as we were about to make it to the booth, two kids came barreling in front of us, screaming at the tops of their mighty lungs.

I cringed away from the sound and looked at Edward, "I have Advil, don't worry."

He just laughed and motioned for me to step aside so he could walk up to the booth. My brow crinkled at that, confused by the action until he waltzed by me and asked the lady in the booth how much it was for five people.

"Edward," I said, tapping him on the shoulder, "I can pay for us. It was my idea to come here."

That perfect brow of his shot up, "My father would beat me bloody if I allowed a woman to pay for anything." He said it as if it was the most normal thing in the world for him.

I opened my mouth to argue but he held up a finger, "Let me pay for this, and you can buy all of us lunch? Just don't tell my dad."

I pursed my lips, mulling it over for a moment. He didn't look like he was anywhere near budging on the matter. Finally, I sighed and nodded, "Fine."

The lady in the booth's eyes kept wandering all over Edward's face, taking in his model-like features with a very obviously awestruck expression. She was an older lady with her dark hair graying at the roots, but she giggled like a schoolgirl while she talked to Edward. I covered my mouth, laughing quietly to myself. I didn't blame her for her reaction. Edward was drop-dead gorgeous.

You'd have to be both blind and deaf not to notice.

After Edward paid for us to go in, my kids squealed and ran ahead of me, their hands slipping out of mine so quickly that I didn't have time to grab them back to me. They took off toward the first trampoline in their line of sight.

"Guys, you have to take your shoes off!" I yelled, running after them, my arms flailing.

Edward laughed as he kneeled in front of his daughter, taking her dark pink sneakers off her feet. I grabbed up Maisy first since she was the slowest, picked her up, and then got to Connor just before he got one foot on the trampoline. I grabbed him around the abdomen. He grunted from the sudden force. I was already breathing hard when I made it over to the small booth Edward and Lena were occupying. I blew a lock of hair out of my face and set my kids down.

Edward smirked, clearly amused, "Need some help?"

I grinned, my nose scrunching up, "I've got this. I have had a lot of practice," I told him as I forced Maisy to sit on the floor. I got her shoes off as Connor removed his own. I was, for once, grateful that my son was so independent.

"Jump!" Maisy screamed. "I jump!"

I rolled my eyes and picked her up, setting her on her sock-clad feet. I held my hands around her waist to keep her in place as I looked into her wild and excited eyes.

"You jump," I huffed, out of breath. "But you be very careful and you stay with your brother, got it?"

She smiled wide, going over to her brother. She grabbed his hand and then she walked over to Lena, holding her tiny hand out to her. "Jump?" she asked sweetly.

Lena looked up at Edward, a small pout on her lips. Edward nudged her softly, his expression encouraging, "Go on, Lena. Have some fun."

Lena looked down at her feet for a few seconds, and then to my surprise, she grabbed my daughter's hand lightly and walked with them over to a trampoline. There were already some bigger kids on it, but they didn't seem to mind the little kids joining them. One of the older girls even took my daughter's hand and helped her jump.

I plopped down in the booth, grateful for the small reprieve. I stretched my legs out in front of me, covering my face with my hands. I groaned quietly to myself. I almost forgot Edward was there until I heard a quiet laugh next to me. I uncovered my face and peered over at him narrowing my eyes.

"You know," he started with a small smile, "I always wondered what it would be like to have more than one child," he pursed his lips and nodded minutely, "glad I only had one."

The smile fighting to overtake his mouth let me know he was only joking. I sat up straight, turning my body forward in the booth to face Edward fully. I grinned back at him, "I can tell you it's no walk in the park. Even when you're walking in the park, you're chasing at least one of them because they got distracted by a squirrel."

Edward's dark green eyes lit up, his smile growing, those pearly white teeth of his showing in a full-blown smile, "That reminds me of the time I took Lena to the park when she was around four. She saw a butterfly while she was on the jungle gym and went to grab it, only to fall right off," he shook his head, snickering to himself. "My wife yelled at me for an hour for not watching her more carefully."

I hissed, knowing all too well how easily it was for kids to get hurt. I looked over at our kids on the trampoline, my eyes widening at actually seeing little Miss Lena with a smile on her face as she jumped with one of the older girls. Connor and Maisy were holding hands, jumping in circles. I turned my head back to Edward and noticed the content smile on his face as he watched the same scene as me.

The pure joy on Edward's face was contagious and I found myself smiling right along with him, my eyes not leaving his breathtaking face. Edward must have sensed my staring because he pulled his eyes away from his daughter and looked at me. I quickly looked down, my face, once again, blazing. He seemed to have that effect on me and it was so annoying. I bit my lip, willing the blood to leave my cheeks. When I looked back up Edward's attention was back on the kids. For that, I was thankful. I was glad he didn't tease me or make a big deal about me staring. Not that I thought he would do that.

I was also glad about how the day was going. I was shocked and thrilled that the two saddest people were allowing themselves to have a good time, if only for a moment. It warmed my heart to be a part of it.

"It's so good to see her smiling," Edward sighed after a while.

I grinned and met his eyes, "It is, isn't it? I didn't think I was ever going to see that pretty smile of hers." And it was pretty. Radiant, even. It still held a hint of sadness, but the beauty of it was still there.

Edward looked down, his mood shifting slightly. His fingers played with the neck of his shirt for a moment as he cleared his throat a few times. His face was slightly red, his lips pulling down. After a minute, he lifted his eye to look at me through his lashes.

"I can't wait for this to get easier," he said, his voice thick with unshed tears.

I nodded. I was about to reach across the table to comfort him but remembered that Edward wasn't exactly okay with people touching him. I retracted my hand quickly, instead looping my hair around my fingers.

"You just have to take it one day at a time, Edward, and always remember that you two are still here and your wife would want you guys happy."

Edward nodded, swallowing back a lump in his throat, "Yeah, I know. I know." He said it as if he was trying to convince himself of the notion. He looked about ready to break down, but he quickly pulled himself together and plastered on a smile when the kids ran over to us.

Connor and Maisy tugged on my hands, "Momma, come jump with us, please!" Connor begged, tugging on me with all his strength.

Lena walked into Edward's arms, whispering close to his face. I wasn't sure what she said but Edward nodded and stood up.

"I guess I'm jumping," he said with a theatrical roll of his damp eyes.

I sighed and stood myself, "I guess I am too."

Edward and I both stepped out of our shoes and allowed ourselves to be dragged over to an empty trampoline. Edward scooped Lena up into his arms and she screamed out a surprised giggle as he jumped onto the trampoline with her.

I laughed at the rare joyful sound and then joined my babies who were standing next to Edward and Lena.

"Ring rose!" Maisy called out, taking mine and her brother's hands. She started jumping, her body taking us in a crooked and offbeat circle.

My kids were giggling so wildly, I couldn't help but join in, throwing my head back and letting out a full belly laugh. It had been so long since I jumped on a trampoline, usually preferring to be a bystander, watching my kids as they had fun. I forgot how much fun it could be for me. Letting loose wasn't something I did very often.

When I dropped my head back into place, I noticed Edward's eyes on me, a dazzling smile on his face. It made my cheeks heat up, and it wasn't from embarrassment this time. Edward pursed his lips, containing his smile when our eyes connected and then he dropped them down to Lena who was jumping her little heart out in front of him.

Maisy and Connor let go of each other's hands and held them out to Edward and Lena, "Get in!" Connor told them excitedly.

Maisy yelled, "Ring rose!"

I could have keeled over in shock when the duo latched their hands onto my kids' hands and started jumping with us. Edward was in front of me, a wide smile on his face that could've brought me to my knees. Luckily, I was able to stay upright as I jumped up and down.

We jumped together for a while and it didn't take long for me to start getting worn out from the exertion I was putting forth. I wasn't used to so much physical activity, and my mouth was getting dry from all the laughing and hard breathing. I stopped jumping and looked at Edward.

"Break?" I asked desperately, my voice just under a yell so I could be heard over all the children screaming around us.

He nodded, "I was thinking about buying the kids those Velcro suits and letting them stick to the walls. Is that alright?"

"I can buy them," I offered quickly.

Edward stopped jumping and quirked a brow at me, "You're buying lunch, remember?"

I rolled my eyes and hopped from the trampoline, giving Edward a mock glare, "Fine," I huffed dramatically.

He only smiled as he let go of the kids' hands, hopping off the trampoline himself. He turned to the kids, "Who wants to stick to the walls like Spiderman?" he asked.

I didn't even need to look to know Connor's eyes were wide as saucers. But I sure heard him squeal in delight and felt him ram into my legs. I looked down, holding the back of his head to catch my balance.

"Can I, Momma?" he asked hopefully.

I pursed my lips, putting a finger to my chin and pretending to think about it. He started bouncing in place, wrapping his arms around my leg and staring up into my eyes.

As if I would say no.

I laughed and nodded, "Of course, silly." I pushed him back softly on his forehead and he jumped away from me, giggling and bouncing all over the place.

"See what you started?" I jokingly whined at Edward.

He put his hand to his heart, "What? Bringing joy to the little ones? Sue me."

I laughed as he rolled his eyes and headed back over to the booth with the lady who absolutely wanted a piece of him to take home with her. I watched over the kids as they continued to jump and wait for their Velcro suits. I watched how my kids interacted with Lena, including her in their fun. I was still in shock that she was even having fun and acting like a kid for the first time since I met her.

I just knew there must've been a little girl wanting to play and have fun somewhere inside of her. She just needed a little push. Same for her father. They both just needed a nudge in the right direction. I wasn't as close to them as their family, obviously, and far be it from me to tell them how to handle their grieving family members, but letting Edward and Lena wallow in their sadness instead of trying to get them out and about might not be the right choice.

When Mike left, I was a wreck, but thanks to Rosalie, Emmett, and my parents, we were made to get out of the house and remember that we were still a family. And we could still live a happy and full life. Maybe that's what Edward and Lena needed as well. And judging by the way the day had been going, I was probably right.

"Got'em," Edward said as he came to stand next to me, pulling me from my thoughts. "All we have to do is put them on the kids, take them over there," he said pointing to the Velcro wall, "and get them in line."

"You hear that?" I asked my kids in a serious tone, crossing my arms and popping out my hip. "You have to wait in line. That means no rushing to the wall, no pushing, no grabbing, no nothing. You stand there and you wait your turn like everyone else. Got it?"

Maisy and Connor nodded their heads quickly, noticing my no-nonsense tone and demeanor. I was good at that every once in a while. Mostly when I needed to be. I never liked to make life too strict or boring for my kids. That was always Mike's thing.

I nodded curtly, holding my hands out to them. They took them with smiles and skipped alongside me over to where there was a short line of kids and adults wearing Velcro suits buzzing with excitement. Edward came up next to me with his hand in Lena's.

"Do you have any orders for us?" he teased.

"Yeah," I mock glared at him. "Don't get on my bad side," I joked.

Edward chuckled and shook his head, "Yes, ma'am." He gave me a two-finger salute.

We got to the back of the line and patiently waited. Well, Edward and I were patient. The kids were practically vibrating off the earth with their excitement. And yes, that included little Lena. She was more reserved than my rambunctious two, but there was no denying that she was excited.

Once we made it to the front of the line, the man in charge walked over to us and smiled down at our kids. He explained to us the safety rules and warnings, telling us that Maisy would need an adult hand going on the wall, because she was very little, and then moved to the side, gesturing for one of them to try first.

Before I could even ask who wanted to go first, Maisy took off at full speed toward the wall, definitely about to face plant, hard. I noticed too late and cringed away, covering my face with my hands. The man in charge made a move to grab her but Edward was quicker, almost like a strike of lightning, he ran over to my daughter and scooped her up into his arms bridal style.

I dropped my hands and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Whoa, there, little one," Edward laughed, tickling her belly. "Want me to help you out?"

She grinned up at him, her dark eyes wild and excited, "Yes, please," she giggled.

Edward threw her up in the air, catching her so that he was holding her under her arms. She laughed like crazy, kicking her feet all about. He made airplane noises as he swung her around and then flipped her and stuck her to the wall upside down.

He took a small step back and that's when I had to take my phone out of my pocket and get a few pictures of my daughter's back stuck to the wall, her body in starfish mode and Edward just off to her side, laughing down at her.

He pried her off the wall and set her on her feet. She ran over to me just as Connor took off toward the wall. He used all the strength of his little legs to get as high as he possibly could on the wall and then stuck himself from the front. His happy giggles floated to my ears. I snapped more pictures. And then when it was Lena's turn, she wanted her daddy to help her like he did for Maisy, which he was more than happy to do.

He grabbed her around the waist, flipping her so she was facing outward and upside down. He put her as high as his tall height allowed and made funny faces at her as she giggled on the wall. I made sure to snap some pictures of that as well.

When the kids had their fill of the Velcro wall and bouncing on the trampolines, we left the building, all of us with smiles on our faces.

"Can we come here again?" Connor begged, tugging on my jacket as we walked back to my car.

I grinned down at him, "I think that would be fun," I told him and then looked over to Edward who was strolling alongside us, looking more carefree than I had seen him since he got back. "What do you think, Edward? Would you want to come back?"

Edward looked down at Lena. She nodded her head with a small smile playing on her lips. Edward looked back over at me, "I think we're in."

The grin that overtook my face was almost painful.

When everyone was settled back into their seats, I started the car and pulled out of the lot of the building. I turned to Edward, "What are we eating?"

He turned his body to look at the kids, "What are we eating?" he reiterated.

I rolled my eyes and chuckled.

"I want Pizza!" Connor answered quickly.

"Pizza," Maisy lisped back in solidarity.

"And what about you, Lena," I asked, my fingers tightening around the wheel. It wasn't lost on me that even though Lena had a good time with us today, she still only really talked to her dad. She spoke to my kids here and there, but she never spoke directly to me. I still wasn't sure what I had done to make her not like me.

So, I was surprised when her quiet response came, "Pizza is good."

Edward turned forward in his seat and grinned, "Pizza it is," he said with a nod. His hair fell in his eyes from the movement, and he brushed it to the side. For some reason, whenever he did that, it made butterflies flood my stomach.

"Sounds good to me," I answered tightly. I knew the best place for pizza in Port Angeles, so it worked out well.

The drive to Cecily's Pizzeria only took around fifteen minutes and soon we were all entering the small building. A young waitress with shiny black hair and bright blue eyes escorted us to a table in the back. she offered a booster seat for Maisy to which my daughter turned her nose up to the idea.

I laughed, shaking my head at her antics as I sat her on the chair next to mine. Connor was on my other side with Lena next to him and Edward next to her, across from me.

The waitress set two menus on our table and took our drink orders.

"What kind of pizza do we like?" I asked the table when the waitress was out of sight.

"Pepperoni," Connor and Maisy said in unison. I already knew that.

"We like sausage and mushroom pizza," Edward spoke up pointing between himself and Lena.

I nodded, "We'll get two separate pizzas then."

The waitress came back with our drinks, and we ordered our pizzas. She took the untouched menus and walked off, but not before giving Edward the once over. And I realized there was nowhere the man could go without being ogled. It made me snicker under my breath. I felt bad for him, but also, like, he was a beautiful person. Seemingly, inside and out. Why shouldn't that be recognized?

The waitress came back with our drinks. I took a long sip, feeling tired from the day and needing the caffeine. I heard Lena whispering something to Edward, so I looked up. Edward had his arm over the back of her chair and he was leaning down close so she could whisper in his ear. He patted her bangs out of her eyes and smiled at her.

"Go ahead and ask her," he whispered back encouragingly.

Lena's forest-green eyes darted over to me, and she opened her mouth. My ears perked up and I sat up straighter in my seat, curious as to what made her want to speak to me of her own free will. She snapped her mouth closed for a second before opening it again and then in the smallest voice she asked, "What do I call you at school?"

I smiled at her, "At school, you call me Mrs. Newton, that's what all the kids call me. But outside of school, you are more than welcome to call me Bella. Sound good?"

Lena nodded quickly. She looked back over to her dad, and he grinned down at her. He peered over at me, our eyes connecting across the table for a second, and in that small little moment, it was like nothing else existed. The pure joy and contentment on his face, a face that had otherwise been so sad, just glowed – if only for a moment.

It was breathtaking.

It didn't take long for our pizzas to be brought to us at the perfect temperature. They were already cut into manageable slices, so we all dug in, grabbing a piece for ourselves. Maisy giggled next to me; her face already covered in red pizza sauce before she was even done with her first slice. I grabbed a napkin out of the dispenser on the table and wiped it down her face, from her nose to her chin. She grunted in displeasure, her dark eyes glaring at me as her hand went to slap mine away.

I raised a brow at her, "Maisy Renee, you do not hit," I admonished her.

She pouted but went right back to eating her pizza. I looked over to Edward who was typing on his phone with one hand, a piece of pizza in his other. He took a slow bite and frowned.

"Everything okay over there?" I asked him, taking a bite of my own slice.

Edward looked up quickly and shook his head, "Just Alice being Alice," he sighed unhappily.

"Is that a good or bad thing? Because it can go either way," I laughed, trying to lighten his mood back up.

A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth, "Right now, she's just… I'd say she's overstepping and being ridiculous." He rolled his eyes and sat his phone face down on the table.

I nodded, "Isn't she always overstepping and being ridiculous?" I was only slightly joking. Alice did have a way of getting into people's business. She basically did it professionally in high school seeing as she had her very own blog where she spread mass amounts of gossip.

Edward huffed out a quick laugh, "Trust me, right now she's being pretty extra."

I laughed lightly, "Well, whatever it is, take it with a grain of salt and brush it off. Today has been fun, don't let yourself be pulled down." I said it as almost a plea. I really wanted Edward to continue to have a good day. I actually felt like I would be very upset if his mood dropped back down to what it was before.

Edward grinned, but it didn't reach his eyes fully. He still looked slightly perturbed. He stuffed some more pizza in his mouth, his eyes going over to Lena who was quietly eating her pizza like a little posh person, taking delicate bites and wiping her mouth with a napkin after each bite.

She was absolutely adorable.

I looked at my own kids, and the difference in the way they were raised was almost comical. My kids' faces were covered in pizza, their hands basically shoving the pizza in their mouths faster than they could chew it, and I didn't think they even realized there were napkins in front of them. Or they just didn't care. I was leaning more toward the latter.

I took one last bite of my food and sat back in my chair. I was so full I could bust. I peeked up at Edward and noticed he was in the same boat as me, leaning back in his chair, and rubbing his stomach. Somehow, the kids and their tiny digestive systems could handle much more than us as they continued to ravage their food.

Edward met my eye and opened his mouth, "I think we should head back home after this."

I nodded reluctantly, "Yeah, I've had a great time, but it's a school night." I didn't want the day to end but I knew that it had to. Responsibilities were waiting for us back home.

Edward pursed his lip and took a deep breath. He looked at Lena and leaned down closer to her face, "You ready to call it a day, doll?"

She set down the slice she was chewing on and nodded as she wiped her hands on a napkin. "Yes, daddy," she answered sweetly.

I looked over to my kids on either side of me and noticed that they were finally done stuffing their faces. Connor was wiping his face and somehow missing all the sauce on his cheeks. I snickered quietly and took a clean napkin. I put my fingers under his chin and gently turned him to face me. I wiped down his cheeks and I was glad he was allowing me to do so in front of people. He must've been pretty tired.

After I was done with him, I turned to Maisy and did the same only having to fight her a little bit. And soon we were leaving the pizzeria and piling into my car. It was a quiet drive back to Forks, everyone seeming to be worn out from the fun day we had. It was starting to get dark by the time I pulled into the Cullen's yard.

I parked the car and turned to Edward with a small smile, "We had a great time with you two," I admitted to him. It was the truth. It had been so long since I had that much fun and I was so happy that I was able to get Edward and Lena out of their shells, if only for a little while.

His returning soft smile was heart melting, "Thank you so much for a great day. It has been a while since Lena let herself have a good time," he said and peered into the backseat where all three kids were passed out. "She told me before that she didn't think she was allowed to have fun because her mom was gone."

My heart cracked a little at that statement. I held my hand to my chest, my fingers gripping at the neck of my shirt. "I'm so glad she had a good time. I hope she continues to allow herself that freedom. I'm sure her mom wouldn't want her to be sad all the time."

Edward nodded, his eyes dampening slightly. He looked away and cleared his throat, taking a deep breath in through his nose before meeting my eyes again, "Tanya loved Lena more than anything in this entire world. I know she wouldn't like how depressed she's been. I just wish there was more I could do for her, but I know it's going to take some time before she's completely back to her old self."

I could only nod in agreement, not trusting my voice to utter a sound without breaking. Their whole ordeal was just too sad for words. Edward sighed after a few seconds of silence and looked back at his daughter.

"We should head inside and get ready for bed. She's got a pretty awesome teacher to meet tomorrow," he half smiled.

"She's already met me," I laughed lightly.

"She's met Bella, not Mrs. Newton," he reminded me with a roll of his eyes. His brow furrowed and his eyes looked into mine imploringly, "Why is it you are still called Mrs. Newton, if you don't mind my asking?"

I sighed and shook my head, "Because that's what my students know me as. Mrs. But I'll start with a clean slate next year and just be Miss."

"Oh, that makes sense," Edward nodded. His hands grabbed at the knees of his pants, and he looked down. "We should really be going now," he chuckled. He seemed almost reluctant to exit the car. It made my stomach do somersaults.

I grinned, "You guys have a good night, okay?"

He looked back up at me through his lashes and that look made me want to melt right into my seat. He nodded once more and then opened the door, stepping out. Before he walked over to the backdoor, he leaned in through the passenger side and said, "We should do this again, yeah?"

The smile that took over my face could have split my lips open, "Absolutely."

He had no idea how badly I wanted to hang out with him again. I hoped I wasn't being too obvious.

Edward tapped on the hood of my car with a breathtaking smile and then closed the door. After he gathered Lena into his arms and said one final goodbye, I backed out of the yard and onto the driveway, watching as Edward became smaller and smaller in my rearview mirror. He didn't go inside until I was practically out of sight.

When we made it home, I was dead tired and just wanted to get the kids inside and into their bath and then off to bed so that I could do the same. It wasn't very late, but we were definitely going to have an early night.

Thankfully Connor woke up on the way back home, so I only had one child to carry inside. Connor stumbled tiredly next to me, yawning the whole way. I took them straight upstairs and started their bath, deciding to just let them share a bath tonight. It would save time.

Connor stepped in while I wrestled a cranky little girl out of her clothes and then set her in the tub next to him. I was washing Connor's hair while Maisy played with her barbiedoll. He looked up at me as I dipped him back to get the shampoo out of his hair.

"Momma," he said quietly.

"Hmm?" I hummed back.

"I really like Edward and Lena," he admitted. "Can we play with them again?"

I smiled down at him, lifting him back into a sitting position, "We absolutely can, my love. I really like them too," I admitted right back to him.

And I wanted so badly to be a part of their progress.

Longest chapter yet. Do you guys want longer chapters or shorter ones? Also, let me know that you're reading since I'm not able to see views!