Chapter Seven: Pinky Promise

I centered my laptop on my desk, flipping the top up and powering it on. I tapped my nails on the worn wood of my desk, swiveling in my chair, my lip receiving brutal treatment from my teeth. I could feel the sweat gathering on my palms, making them slippery with anxiety. I rubbed them down my pant legs as I stood up with a huff.

I didn't know why I was so nervous. It was just a normal school day. I grabbed my phone off my desk and checked the time. Again. I still had twenty minutes before my students would start piling in.

I groaned, getting more frustrated.

If I was being honest with myself, I knew exactly why I was on edge. Edward would be dropping Lena off, and I may or may not have had a steamy dream about him last night. I didn't even know how I was going to look him in the eye without turning into a tomato. The things he was doing to me in that dream should be illegal. Even in imagination land.

I blushed even thinking about it.

There was a soft knock on the door and my eyes darted over to the sound. I let out a long relieved breath, smiling at Jane as she ushered Timmy into my classroom. He went and hung his backpack up on his hook before taking his assigned seat up front. He had to be upfront so I could keep a close eye on him.

Jane smiled back at me, "Hello, Mrs. Newton," she greeted me cheerily. She was always a morning person. "I hope my Timmy hasn't been causing you any trouble here lately," she said jokingly, but we both knew what he was capable of.

I just shook my head, "He has his moments," I replied lightly with a halfhearted shrug.

Jane nodded with a knowing smile and then waved to me as she left, glancing at Timmy one last time. Timmy was always my first kid to get dropped off. Both of his parents worked long hours, so I told them to just bring him in whenever it suited their schedules. Sometimes he was even here an hour ahead of class. As long as I was here, I didn't mind.

I grabbed a coloring book out of the cubby next to my desk, flipping through the pages until I came across a cute puppy in need of color. I ripped it out of the book and walked over to Timmy, placing it on his desk.

"Do you have your crayons?" I asked him.

He smiled up at me and nodded, "Can I get them out of my backpack?"

"Of course," I told him, patting his shoulder as I walked back over to my desk.

I plopped down into my seat, breathing out a frustrated breath when I checked the time again. Seventeen minutes left. Time always moved slower when you were waiting for something. I decided to busy myself with separating today's schoolwork into sections so it would be easier on me later.

I started with math, then writing, then social studies, and ended with science. All of the assignments were in neat piles next to my laptop and it only took me about five minutes to sort them out.

Okay, now what?

I pursed my lips, staring at my phone, willing my hand to stay clenched on my lap so that I wouldn't check the time. The clock above the door was calling to me with every click as the seconds ticked by.

"Mrs. Newton," Timmy called. I looked up to see he had his arm up over his head, waving it around. I wondered how long he was trying to get my attention.

I sat forward in my chair, "Yes, Timmy? What do you need?"

"Can I color something else? I finished this one."

I nodded and slid my chair back so I could rifle through the cubby again. I pulled out a superhero coloring book this time. I ripped out a Spiderman page and walked it over to Timmy. He took it from my hand happily and then immediately started coloring Spiderman purple.

I chuckled and went back to my seat. I blew a quiet raspberry, my fingers pulling at the loose material of my black pants. My eyes inevitably went back to my phone which was face down on my desk. It teased me endlessly as I tried to wait it out.

They would be here soon. I just needed to be patient.

There was a part of me that wanted so badly to see Edward again. We had such an amazing time together yesterday. And then there was a small part of me that was terrified I'd make a fool of myself thanks to the dream I had about him. I still couldn't believe I had a sex dream. I was a woman with needs, I had sex dreams before. But nothing quite like the one I had about him. It was rated triple X. I was doing things in that dream that I had never done in my long marriage.

Just thinking about it made the blood pool in my cheeks and my thighs clench painfully. I crossed my legs over each other to stop the ache building there. I would probably explode when I saw Edward.

Fuck.

"Mrs. Newton!" Sasha came bounding into the room, her fingers clasped tightly around the straps of her baby blue backpack. She had a bright smile on her face, the same as she always had. "Good morning!"

"Good morning, Sasha," I smiled at her as she hung her backpack up on her assigned hook and then went to her seat.

More kids started piling into my classroom, one by one, and two by two until everyone was accounted for except Lena. My brows furrowed when the bell rang, and they still hadn't shown up. I let the kids socialize while I went over to my phone. I picked it up, put in my password, and clicked over to Alice's messages.

I typed out a short text.

Is Lena running late?

I put my phone in my pants pocket and grabbed the lesson plan for today. I walked over to the whiteboard and started writing out the math problems for my students to solve. We were focusing on learning how to add and subtract even and odd numbers.

I put four math problems on the board and then took my phone out of my pocket. There was a text from Alice. I quickly opened it, dying to know what was going on with Edward and Lena's tardiness.

She'll be there shortly. It's been a bad morning.

I frowned. I wanted to pry and ask what happened, but I knew that wasn't my place, so I just placed my phone back in my pocket and turned to my class. I clapped my hands together, getting everyone's attention.

"I need four volunteers to come up and solve these problems." I pointed to the board.

More than half the class's hands went up and I smiled. I was happy when my kids were excited to participate. It meant that I was doing a good job as a teacher. If my students didn't enjoy learning, then they wouldn't excel. That was my opinion. We do better at things when they interest us.

"Sasha, Carl, Elliot, and Lilah," I called out, pointing at each student, "Come on up. The rest of you, solve them in your notebooks."

I stepped to the side, clasping my hands behind my back as the students I called on walked up to the board, each of them picking up a marker with looks of concentration on their faces. I looked at the rest of the class to make sure they were writing in their notebooks.

When they were done, I told them to go take their seats.

"Okay," I said coming to stand next to the board again, "Who got the same answer as Sasha?" I asked the class.

Everyone raised their hands, and I nodded smiling, "Good. Because she is absolutely correct."

I went over the other problems on the board, satisfied that everyone seemed to get the same answers, which were all correct. I erased the board and started writing four more problems on it. I wanted everyone to get a chance to come up and solve a problem today. I was just finishing the last one when there was a quick, hard knock on the door.

I looked over and almost dropped the lesson plan in my hand. Edward and Lena stood just inside the classroom, both of them looking nervous. I gave them a shaky smile as I walked over. My knees felt like Jello as I made my way over to them. Just looking at Edward did something strange to my insides.

I stopped a foot away from them when I took in their haggard appearances.

"Hey, is everything okay?" I couldn't help but ask. I wasn't prying. I was genuinely concerned because they both looked like they hadn't gotten much sleep and were teetering on the edge of a cliff.

Lena had her hands digging into Edward's leg as she clung on to him.

Edward's tired eyes slowly looked up from Lena and landed on my face. He nodded and gave me a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. It made me long for the happiness I saw in them yesterday. I wanted so badly to know what happened after I dropped them off until now.

It was such a stark contrast.

Edward's hand went to the back of Lena's head, "Baby, you have to let go," he told her in a comforting tone.

She shook her head quickly, "No, Daddy. Please," she begged pitifully. "Please don't leave me."

I took a step back, "I'll give you two a minute," I told Edward and then walked back over to the whiteboard to finish writing out the last problem, but my eyes kept darting back to them.

Edward pried Lena's fingers from his jeans, taking her hands in both of his. He crouched down in front of her, rubbing her hair out of her face. He was saying something to her, and she kept shaking her head forcefully. Her mouth was in a pout, her eyes almost terrified.

Edward looked away from her and caught my eye. He gestured with his head for me to come over there. I did without a second thought. I stopped next to them, sticking my hands in my pockets, unsure of what to do.

"Can you let her call me a few times throughout the day? Just whenever she starts to feel scared."

I nodded slowly and couldn't help but ask, "Scared of what, though?"

Edward's soulful eyes connected with mine, "She thinks something will happen to me while she's in school."

Oh, my...

I let out a shaky breath, my heart just tearing into pieces in my chest. No child should carry such a burden on their shoulders and mind. I reached my hand out and lightly touched the back of Lena's head, running my fingers through her silky hair.

I kneeled down next to her and tilted my head until our eyes met, "I promise you that I will let you call your daddy whenever you need to. I'll even text your aunty Alice all day to check in on him, okay? Will that make you feel better?"

Lena's wide eyes were damp with tears, her cheeks flushed and her lips quivering. The whole thing just made my heart break. After a few minutes of Lena looking at her dad, she turned to me.

"Promise?" she asked in a small voice.

I nodded, "Pinky promise," I said holding out my pinky to her, "I can't break a pinky promise. They're sacred."

She let out a wobbly breath but lifted her finger and twisted her pinky with mine, her trusting eyes searching my own. She must have seen what she was looking for because she let go of my finger and turned to Edward, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

"I'll miss you, Daddy," she mumbled into his neck. "Please drive careful."

Edward rubbed her back and then squeezed her closer to him, "I'll be here as soon as school ends," he promised her, his voice strained. "We'll get some ice cream and go to the park."

She pulled back, "You have to pinky promise, too," she told him, sniffling.

Edward smiled softly and held out his pinky. When she wrapped her finger around his, he brought their hands to his lips, kissing her little finger. "I pinky promise, princess."

She nodded a few times and then reluctantly let go of him. He stood up to his full height and sighed, his eyes finding mine, "Thank you," he whispered.

I nodded as I stood up as well, "She will be just fine," I assured him. "I'll take extra special care of her today."

With some reluctance, Edward turned on his heel and left the classroom, his feet carrying him quickly down the hall, almost as if he didn't trust himself not to turn back around and scoop her right back into his arms and take her home with him.

I looked down at Lena who was watching her dad leave with an unreadable expression on her face. I lightly touched her shoulder and she turned to look up at me with wide, wet eyes, the dark green of them even more pronounced than usual.

"We're doing math right now," I told her, deciding to distract her instead of wallowing in what just happened, "Do you know how to add and subtract?"

Lena nodded, "I'm good at math," she said quietly, crossing her arms.

I grinned at her and held my hand out. She looked at it for a moment before slowly taking it and allowing me to lead her to an empty seat. I sat her with Sasha, Donny, and Brayden. I knew they would make her feel welcome and included. They were my sweetest bunch.

She took her light pink backpack off her shoulders and sat down. I took the backpack from her hands and smiled down at her, "I'll go hang this up on your hook, and every day when you come in, you set it on that same hook, okay? It has your name on it."

I went to walk away but she quickly grabbed onto her backpack, halting my movement. I turned and looked at her curiously.

"I need to get my daddy's number out of it," she said urgently.

I handed it back to her. She rummaged through the front pocket and produced a little ripped piece of lined paper.

"You might want to take out a pencil and a notebook, as well," I told her.

She opened the big pocket and pulled out a colorful notebook and furry pink pen before handing the backpack to me.

"Do you want me to take the number so I can put it in my phone? Then all you have to do is click on your dad's name when you need to call him and check-in."

She nodded and handed it over to me. I took it and walked over to her hook on the wall, hanging her backpack up as I slipped the number into my pocket. I went back to the board and asked for more volunteers to solve the problems, my eyes drifting over to my new student every few minutes. I just wanted to make sure she was alight.

We were halfway through the day and Lena had called her dad five times, each time lessening her worries visibly. We were getting ready to head outside for recess when Lena left the middle of the line and walked over to me. I looked down at her with a patient smile.

"Yes, Lena?"

"Can I call Daddy?" she asked hopefully.

I nodded once, "As soon as we get outside, you can."

She ran back to the line where she stood next to Sasha who I could tell was going to be a great friend to her. I walked my kids out to the playground and watched as they all split up into their preferred friend groups. Lena walked over to me, wringing her hands in front of her.

I pulled my phone from my pocket, unlocked it, and clicked over to Edward's newly added contact, pressing the call button before handing it over to her.

Almost immediately, her eyes lit up, shining so brightly that it brought a smile to my lips, "Hi, Daddy," she smiled indulgently, letting out a relieved breath. "Yes, I'm okay. Yeah, I like it so far…"

I walked over to the bench, giving her privacy. I sat down and scanned the playground watching my kids play, scream, and run around like crazy. After a few minutes, Lena walked over to me handing me my phone.

"All good?" I asked her as I took the phone from her outstretched hand.

"All good," she replied with a nod, her pretty hair bouncing around her face. "Can I go play?" she asked me with wide eyes.

"Of course, you can. Go wild," I told her.

She turned to the side, her eyes searching the playground. Her lips pulled into a small smile, and she took off toward the big slide where Sasha was jumping up and down, waving her over. I was so glad that she had already made a friend. I hoped that would make the transition easier for her. I gave myself s mental pat on the back for sitting them together.

After recess, we had an hour left of class, and since Lena was new, I wanted her to get to know her classmates better and for them to get to know her. I went around the classroom and had each student state their name and three things they enjoyed doing. I thought the exercise would help her find more people she had common interests with.

I saved Lena for last. When I tapped on her head, she stood up just as everyone else had done. She twiddled her thumbs in front of her, looking down shyly. She took a deep breath and then looked back up.

"My name is Lena Elizabeth Cullen," she started quietly and then cleared her throat, her eyes bouncing around as she pursed her lips. "I like to play with my daddy and cook with my grandma, and I used to love singing and dancing with my m-mommy." Her voice broke on the last word, and it looked like she had to try very hard to force it out of her mouth.

I touched her shoulder lightly and she looked up at me with damp eyes.

"Thank you so much for sharing, Lena. You can sit now."

She dropped into her seat, her arms folding on the table. She set her head on them, and I could see her shoulders shaking just the tiniest bit. I thought I had made a good choice by having everyone introduce themselves, but maybe not. But then again, it wasn't healthy to pretend that her mom never existed and that it didn't hurt that she was gone.

Something had to be done about her grieving, though.

"Okay, everyone," I said looking over to the clock on the wall above the door, "We have five minutes left of class. Go ahead and talk but try not to be too loud."

I walked over to my desk, an idea swimming around in my mind. I sat down and powered on my laptop opening up the search engine. When I found what I was looking for, I wrote down the specifics on a piece of notebook paper, ripped it out, and then stuffed it into my pants pocket.

I looked at the time. We had two minutes left. I stood up and walked to the door. "Everyone," I called, clapping my hands together to get their attention, "Time to line up."

"Who gets to be upfront?" Brandy asked as she stood up.

"Well, how about we let Lena lead us out today? She was very good all day and she participated in every activity with enthusiasm." I looked over to Lena and raised my brows in question. "Would you like to do the honors of leading us outside today?"

Lena nodded quickly. She gathered her things and ran over to her backpack, pulling it down from the hook and stuffing her things inside of it. She slung her backpack over her shoulders and walked to the head of the line where everyone was already getting into their preferred positions.

Sasha stood behind Lena and leaned over her shoulder, "I'm glad we're best friends," she said sweetly.

The smile that lit up Lena's face made one form on my own lips.

"Me too," she replied happily before turning to face forward, bouncing lightly on her toes.

When the bell rang, I stepped outside the door and motioned for Lena to lead her classmates down the hall to the exit. I opened the door and went out before them, stepping to the side to see them off. I was on pickup duty today, which I was happy about because I needed to talk to Edward about the idea I had.

The line dispersed, a few students going to their assigned buses and the rest looking down the row of cars for their guardians. I didn't know which car was Edward's, so I walked over to Lena, touching her back lightly to get her attention.

"Do you see him?" I asked her.

She shook her head quickly, and I noticed the worried expression on her face.

"I'm sure he's just further down," I quickly reassured her. "Just give it a minute."

I craned my neck, looking at all of the cars, trying to see through the windshields and catch a glimpse of that unique bronze hair. It didn't take long for me to spot him a few cars down in a silver Volvo. I could see him leaning his head on one hand, the one on the steering wheel tapping impatiently.

"There he is, sweetie," I told her pointing him out to her.

The worried look quickly morphed into one of relief and joy, a smile spreading across her face as she bounced on her tippy toes. She made a move to run over there, but I halted her by putting my hand on her shoulder. I felt bad but I had to follow protocol.

"Hang on, Lena. Once he's at the front of the line, you can go to him. I have to make sure all of my students get in the correct cars, okay?"

She nodded impatiently, her hands balling into fists at her sides. I watched as two of my students got into their parent's cars and then smiled when Edward's car finally rolled to a stop at the front of the line. I walked Lena over to him. She opened the back door and jumped in.

"Hi, Daddy!" she exclaimed from the back seat.

Edward turned to look at her, "Hi, princess. How was your day?"

"I made a best friend and I got to be front of the line," she told him excitedly.

"That's awesome!"

I walked over to the passenger side door and leaned in through the open window. When Edward's curious eyes met mine, I had to blink back the images from my dream last night. Now that he was in better spirits, my mind was letting loose all those dirty deeds we performed in my imagination.

"Hey, Edward," I greeted him when I could finally find my voice. I pulled the folded-up paper from my pocket and held it out to him. "I don't want to overstep," I started in a quiet voice, not wanting Lena to hear me, "But on that piece of paper is the name, number, and address of a local child psychiatrist."

At Edward's raised brow, I quickly added, "It's just something to consider. Like I said, I don't want to overstep, but she seems to be struggling and I thought that it might help, is all."

Edward pursed his lips, regarding the paper in his hands with narrowed eyes. I took a step back and smiled kindly at him, "I just thought I would put the option out there if you haven't already considered it."

I went to walk away when Edward stayed silent, suddenly wondering if I had made the right call or if Edward would think I was butting in where I didn't belong. Edward's voice stopped me in my tracks, and I quickly turned to look at him.

"Thank you," he said with a slow nod. His expression was unreadable, those eyes of his suddenly blank and dull.

"Of course," my voice wavered, unsure about his reaction. I couldn't get a good read on it at all. He sure didn't seem happy about it, but he also didn't look mad at the suggestion.

Edward waved once and then drove off slowly, following the school zone speed limit. I stepped off to the side, watching the rest of my students get picked up before heading back inside, wondering if I had just completely overstepped and crossed a boundary that I shouldn't have.

Rosalie stirred the colorful pasta and vegetables together with two big spoons, the mountain of food nearly falling over the edge of the bowl. With my chin resting on my hand, I watched with tired eyes that kept drooping closed before I forced them back open, blinking away the tiredness.

I hadn't offered my help with dinner, not that she would have accepted it. But I usually insisted, so I wasn't surprised when her eyes kept glancing up from the food that she was preparing to stare quizzically at me.

"What's the deal, B?" she asked conversationally, dropping the spoons and turning back to the stove to check on the breadsticks in the oven. She slipped on an oven mitt, pulling them out and lightly tapping them with her finger, to test them.

"What do you mean?" I hedged, not wanting to get into a conversation about my colossal fuck up. It had been three days since I gave Edward the information for the children's psychiatrist and ever since then, Alice or Jasper had been dropping Lena off at school.

I couldn't help but take that personally.

Rose pulled out the breadsticks and dropped the pan on the stovetop with a clatter. She turned back to me as she took off the oven mitt. Her lips pursed together, her brows furrowing as she regarded me, "You seem even more worn out than usual."

"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically, rolling my heavy eyes.

"Don't pity party with me. Tell me what's going on," she demanded in her no-nonsense way.

I sighed. Dropping my hand, I picked up a discarded piece of broccoli, pulling it apart with my fingers as I thought about how to respond in a way that didn't sound so pity party. And also in a way that didn't give away how badly this was affecting me.

"I haven't been sleeping well lately," I admitted.

"Why not?" she probed, and I knew she wasn't going to back down until I spilled it all out on the table and let her analyze it, piece by piece. Something she was always very good at doing. I once told her she should have been a detective or psychiatrist.

I took in a deep breath and decided to just start from the beginning, "So you know how I went on that playdate with my old friend's brother and his daughter?" When Rosalie hummed in acknowledgment, I continued, "We had such a great time together. It was so natural between us. I felt like maybe we were connecting, you know? as like, friends, of course," I quickly added, "So, when I noticed how badly Edward's daughter was suffering, I wanted to help."

"What did you do?" Rosalie asked with narrowed eyes as she leaned over the island to get closer to me. Her probing gaze made me feel naked and vulnerable. Like she could see right through me and down to the real nitty gritty.

I dropped the broccoli from my hands and sighed, "I just gave him information on a child psychiatrist in town. That's all."

Rosalie pursed her lips, her eyes rolling up for a moment before she looked back at me, "And this was a problem?"

"Well, he didn't seem too pleased with it. And ever since, Lena's been getting dropped off at school by her aunt and uncle. I don't think Edward wants to see me and it's making me really… upset." I was more than upset, but a girl was entitled to her secrets.

Rosalie had a contemplative look on her face, her blue gaze softer than usual, and holding no judgment. She seemed to choose her next words carefully, "Okay, so first of all, if a child is suffering the sudden loss of a parent, that child should absolutely be getting all the help she can," she held up her finger when I opened my mouth. I quickly closed it gesturing for her to continue, "Second of all, as a teacher, you have an obligation to the safety and well-being of your students, so you were not out of line by offering a way to help that child."

I blinked a few times, mulling over her words. She wasn't wrong and had it been any other parent and child duo, I knew I wouldn't be losing sleep over them being upset with me because I was doing my job and my best to care for the students I swore to look after.

As if reading my mind, Rosalie said, "You and I both know that you're upset because this Edward guy is avoiding you. Which leads me to believe that maybe – just maybe, you caught some feels for the dude."

I dropped my face into my hands. I wasn't even going to try to deny it. I may have only spent one day with him, but the way it came so naturally and how great he was with all the kids definitely had my womanly hormones going into overdrive, causing my brain to see him as more than a friend. I didn't need Rose to tell me that. I already knew. It had been causing my many sleepless nights.

I felt a soft hand on my shoulder and looked up into Rosalie's eyes, "Have you even tried to reach out and find out what's going on with him?"

I shook my head, "No, because that would make sense," I snorted, rolling my eyes. I hadn't even asked Alice or Jasper why Edward was suddenly absent, and they didn't offer up any information either.

Rosalie pushed my shoulder, hard, "Seriously?" she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're sitting around wallowing when you don't even know for sure if he's upset with you? Girl," she said like I was the dumbest person on earth, "Grow a backbone and pick up your goddamn phone."

I was about to give a rebuttal but was quickly cut off. Which was fine with me because, I honestly had nothing to say in my defense, other than I am, in fact, a coward.

"Smells good in here."

Emmett walked into the kitchen with a child tucked under each of his bulky arms. They giggled and kicked their legs as he swung them around in a bunch of circles before setting them on their feet. They fought to catch their footing, dizzy from the movements. Maisy was the first to fall on her butt, followed by Connor, who rolled over onto his stomach once he hit the floor. He shook his head a few times, his eyes unfocused. Maisy continued to try to stand to no avail, laughing every time she fell back down. Emmett left them there, stepping over their heads with a grin on his face.

He walked over to his wife, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her sloppily on the neck. She laughed, pushing his head away from her, "Get off me, you ogre."

"But I'm so hungry and you look like a snack." He growled and bit her neck playfully. She squealed, trying to get loose from his firm grasp, pushing on his forehead. He only laughed and bit the other side.

Rosalie and Emmett had such a good relationship. They loved each other so much, that you could feel it like a forcefield around them, protecting them from the bitterness of the world that would seek to tear them apart. Even before my divorce, it caused a tear in my heart to witness it. I never had a love like that. I hated the envy I sometimes felt for the happiness of others around me.

There was something seriously wrong with that. Especially since it concerned two people I loved dearly.

I tore my eyes away from the cutesy scene playing out across the kitchen and went to gather up my dizzy children, setting them each on a chair at the table. They smiled up at me and I remembered then that I had a love that no one could touch. The love of my babies. I was reminded of it whenever I looked into their beautiful soulful eyes.

I spent too much time wanting what others had when I should just appreciate what I was gifted. Connor and Maisy. My most precious gifts from God.

I sat between them, needing to be close to Maisy while she ate. Rosalie and my brother didn't have any plastic utensils or cups, so keeping an eye on her was a must while she ate. She was getting better at not stabbing her gums or hitting her teeth, but until she was a pro, I was going to stay vigilant.

Rosalie piled heaps of pasta onto our plates and Emmett handed out the bread sticks. We all dug into the delicious food without hesitation. Rosalie was a surprisingly good cook for someone who claimed to hate anything to with the female stereotype.

"Guess who I saw today," Emmett said around a mouthful of food after a few minutes of silence.

Rose slapped him on the back of his head and glared.

"Swallow your food, then talk, nasty. Nobody wants to see that."

Emmett chewed quickly and then swallowed, opening his mouth and sticking out his tongue to show her. She reared back, her fist ready to strike. He leaned away, laughing, keeping his hand in front of his face as he looked over at me.

"Edward Cullen. I haven't seen him since he graduated. Almost didn't recognize the guy."

"How was he when you saw him?" I couldn't help but ask. I ignored the pointed looks Rosalie was giving me. Her face practically screamed, "Find out for yourself!"

"The man looks like he's seen better days," Emmett shook his head slowly, "Anyway, he was at the hardware store looking to build his daughter a clubhouse, so I offered my help. I'll be going over there this weekend to get started on it."

I hummed, nodding my head. I tuned out the rest of the conversation, going through the motions of helping Maisy direct the spoon carefully into her mouth as I thought about Edward. Maybe Rose was right. I had his number saved in my phone. I could just send a quick text if only to ask if he was still going on the field trip tomorrow. He had promised his daughter, so I hoped what I did wasn't going to make him break that promise.

I could feel my phone burning a hole in my pocket.

Stop being such a wuss, damn.

I blew out a long breath and pulled my phone out. I clicked over to Edward's contact and opened the texts, sending one quickly before I could talk myself out of it.

Hi, it's Bella. Just wanted to make sure you were still going to chaperone the field trip tomorrow. Please let me know.

I hit send and stuffed my phone back in my pocket when Maisy slapped her hand on the table, hitting the side of her plate, and sending some pasta flying over the edge of it. It landed on the table and she laughed evilly.

I grabbed a napkin from the middle of the table and cleaned up her mess. I gave her a stern look, to which she only giggled. She dropped her spoon and then stuck her hand in her pasta, bringing it to her mouth and I watched in horror as it fell down and stained her white shirt.

I huffed out an annoyed breath. This child was seriously going to be the death of me.

Emmett cleared the table after dinner while Rose and I sat in the living room, our tummies almost too full to move. The kids were in the same predicament, lazing on the floor, their toys forgotten as they rubbed their rounded bellies. There wasn't a bit of food left. Not even a crumb. Rose made some great food when she wanted to, and we showed our appreciation by devouring every bit of it.

"Sicky," Maisy groaned, crawling over to the couch and grabbing my legs, "Home now?"

I picked her up and set her on my lap, her back to my stomach. I rubbed her tummy softly and she sighed. I didn't often allow my children to eat so much, but Rose always insisted that we finish the food she made, and she made a lot every time.

I looked over at Connor who had his arm thrown over his eyes. He was sprawled out on the floor, looking miserable.

"I better get these two back home and into a bath, before they hurl all over your expensive carpet," I told Rose as I stood up with Maisy and walked over to Connor, nudging his leg with my foot. He grunted but didn't move.

"Come on, baby. We have to get home now."

He just groaned and stayed on the floor.

Emmett came into the room and swooped him up into his arms roughly. I cringed holding out my hand, "Careful, Em. He might puke on you."

Emmett shrugged, "Wouldn't be the first time. I'll help you out." He turned to Rose, "Dishes are clean, babe. Why don't you go relax in a bath."

She grinned at him and stood up, "Will do. Thank you, baby." She pressed up on her toes to kiss him on the lips. She hugged me and the kids goodbye and then excused herself to head upstairs.

I gathered our things and walked out to my car with Maisy in my arms, Emmett behind us with Connor pressed to his chest. I shivered violently when I walked outside. It was already dark and the chill in the air was nearly unbearable. Winter was coming back with a vengeance.

"Thanks for coming tonight, Belly," Emmett smiled at me after the kids were settled in the backseat. He opened my car door for me. Once I was settled in, he leaned down, "I feel like we haven't seen much of you lately."

I frowned looking up at him, "I know. I'm sorry about that. I promise to come back soon."

He nodded and pushed my door closed, "You better, little sister, or we'll start inviting ourselves over to your place to make dinner and stick you with the cleanup," he grinned mischievously.

"Yeah-yeah," I grinned. "I love you, big brother."

"Love you more." His dimples became more pronounced.

"No. I love you more," I argued playfully.

Emmett stepped back and tapped the hood of the car twice, "Get out of here, kid. You're overstaying your welcome." He winked at me with a wide smile.

I rolled my eyes and started the car. I put it in drive and blew my brother a kiss before driving off. It was only a five-minute drive back to my place. We lived so close, that it made me feel bad that I had been so caught up in other things, I hadn't been visiting as often as I used to.

I vowed to remedy that. My life needed a better balance.

I groaned and flipped over in bed with my eyes still closed. My hand searched around my nightstand for my phone which was buzzing incessantly. I had tried to ignore it the first two times it went off, but then I realized whoever was calling wasn't going to stop until I answered.

I cracked my eyes open when I found it. My eyes widened when my ex-husband's name flashed across the screen. The phone fell from my hand and onto the floor. The buzzing stopped and I leaned over the side of my bed to look at it.

The screen lit up again with his name. I growled, annoyed, picking the phone up and sliding my finger across the screen to answer it.

"What?" I hissed into the phone. I pulled it away from my ear for a moment to check the time. I got even more aggravated when I saw that it was two in the freaking morning. "What the hell are you doing calling me at this time?"

"Bella," he breathed, almost reverently. "Fuck, Bella," he groaned.

I grimaced, "What the fuck do you want, Mike?" I kept my voice at a low whisper. I didn't want my kids to wake up.

"I fucked up, Bella," he cried into the phone, his voice thick with tears. I could hear a slight slurring of his words that made me roll my eyes.

"Are you really drunk calling me right now?" I was getting more agitated the longer I was on the phone with him.

"Baby, I miss you," he said, ignoring my question.

I could feel my heart squeeze painfully in my chest at his words. Words that I wanted to hear for so long. But the words were too goddamn late.

"I'm hanging up now," I told him. I pulled the phone away from my ear, ready to end the call. But before I could, I heard him yell for me to wait. Against my better judgment, I brought the phone back to my ear cautiously. "What?"

"Can I come see you?"

I scoffed, "Fuck no."

Seriously, what the hell was he thinking? What the fuck did he expect from me?

I heard him take in a sharp breath before he started talking again, "I just want to touch your soft skin again. I miss you so much," his voice was broken and pleading.

I rolled my eyes, trying to not be affected by his words, but I couldn't stop the tears that formed and threatened to spill down. I took a shaky breath in, letting it out slowly.

"Goodnight, Mike," I told him before sliding my finger on the screen, officially ending the call. I set my phone back down on the nightstand and flipped over onto my back, throwing my arm over my eyes and letting out a few sobs that vibrated uncontrollably through my chest.

I hated so much that he still had that much power over me. What the hell was it going to take to be free from his hold? He did everything to make me hate his guts, and yet I crumbled at his admission of missing me. I could feel my will slipping, my fingers itching to grab my phone and call him back and tell him to come over. It was like a sickness coursing through me.

I looked at my phone, regarding it warily as I waited for him to call back. When he didn't after a couple of minutes, I snatched it up, unlocking it. I was about to open his contact when I noticed I had a new text message. Thinking it was from him, I quickly opened it. But my eyes widened when I read the name.

Hey, Bella. Yeah, I'll be there for the field trip. I wouldn't miss it. I pinky promise.

I could feel my heart hammer in my chest as I read over Edward's words. I would be seeing him in just hours. He was actually going to show up. My chest almost exploded with joy and relief, and for some reason, it made me put my phone back on the nightstand, forgetting all about Mike and his words. I turned over onto my side, yawning lightly as I drifted off into a peaceful sleep for the first time since I last saw Edward.

Hearing from Edward seemed to set my aching heart at ease. I'd consider the ramifications of that later.

Hello? Is ANYONE reading? Please let me know your thoughts. They are muse fuel.

Also, check out my other two stories:

10 Things I Hate About You

Summary: Edward and Bella were best friends growing up until Edward had to move away. When Bella sees him again, things aren't what they once were and things aren't what they seem.

Complicated Overcast

Summary: Bella is a good girl who gets mixed up in some risky business when she meets Edward at a party. The attraction is instantaneous, and the pull is magnetic. Can she survive in his fast-paced and brutal world? Or will the good girl become a statistic?

Show some love, guys. It's most appreciated.