EPOV

"So, where's my favorite kid today?" Garrett asks with his arms stretched out when I slide into the booth.

"Her and Bella have a standing lunch date every Sunday," I tell him trying to fight off a smile.

For the last few weeks, Bella had been trying to make up for the sleepover after the hockey game.

When she and Emmett showed up after the game, I initially thought he was there to drop her off, but seeing that he was just as drunk as her, I didn't feel right letting him walk home that late.

He was a big guy but the city didn't care.

"So, Had only sees her on Sundays?" he asks curiously.

I level him a look knowing where his line of questioning is headed.

The truth was we had Bella staying with us four days out of the week and when she wasn't at our house I made it a habit to stop by on my lunch or on my way home.

I still was being a coward with my feelings for her.

I couldn't count how many times 'I love you' was on the tip of my tongue.

"Bella is becoming a fixture at my place," I answer.

Garrett stretches his arms out along his side of his booth looking somewhat smug.

"What are you and Had up to for Thanksgiving?" he asks.

"Esme is cooking at my place—"

"Will the fair Bella be in attendance?"

I nod.

"She's not going back to Portland?"

"Seattle," I correct. "Well, technically Forks is a town a few hours outside Seattle."

"Right," he says slowly.

"But to answer your question, she's going to spend Christmas with her dad. Her and her roommate will be joining us for Thanksgiving," I explain.

"No Carlisle?"

I shake my head.

Rose reached out to him a few weeks ago asking for help again. She didn't want to spend the holiday alone. She had assumed that we'd be at Carlisle and Esme's for Thanksgiving, the funny thing is I still have the restraining order against her, which even if we were going there for the holiday she wouldn't be allowed there.

"He's celebrating with his niece," I inform him.

"Awww, good ole' quality time with Miss Rosalie," he says dryly before taking a pull of his beer. "How's all that going by the way?"

"Haven't seen or heard from her since the bus stop incident," I tell him while taking a sip of my beer. "Though my lawyer has had her fair share of calls from the Hale's attorney."

"She's not fit to parent Hadley at the moment, her daddy's lawyer has to understand that," he snorts.

I myself snort too with how ridiculous it all was.

"How's the kid been taking all of this?"

"She's surprisingly been good—"

"Sorry to interrupt you, but has she asked any more questions since then?"

The fact that I have to think about it answers that question for me.

Hadley really hasn't asked about Rose or when she'll see her again. I guess we've both been distracted by Bella's presence in our life.

"Uh-oh," is all Gare says.

I run my hand over the back of my neck.

"Bell's been around and we all just kind of hang out," I say sheepishly.

"You know I despise Rosalie, Ed, but we both know that possibly at some point she might come to her senses and rehab might stick or she might overdose—"

"Gare," I glare.

"I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. It could happen, you know the statistics when it comes to addicts. But to my point, Rose isn't going anywhere where Hadley is concerned," he says frankly.

"She can't be around Hadley while she's using in any capacity," I argue.

"Again, what happens if she gets clean?" he asks.

He was right.

"I'm not trying to rain on whatever you have going on with Bella, man. I think she has loosened you up. You're light now, so more power to Bella and what she's brought to your lives. All I'm saying is Rosalie isn't gone for good, there is a possibility that she'll be back in Hadley's life sooner rather than later," he says honestly.

I've known Garrett since undergrad. He is definitely a straight shooter. I shouldn't have expected anything less from him. He was only proving what I've been trying to push to the back of my mind.

"No, I appreciate it," I sigh.

"I know how it is to get so swept up by someone. Katie just about knocked me on my ass," he says with a laugh.

He met Kate through me. She's worked at the restaurant almost as long as I have, we've both worked there since high school. My only problem with her was she was a little too friendly with Rose.

They hung outside of work but Garrett drew a line where Rose was concerned. He'd stay home when they'd go out. I knew lately Kate had distanced herself from Rose since it came out she's been using.

"Bella knocking me on my ass is an understatement," I tell him.

"Oh yeah?" he asks with a smirk.

"She's so—"

I stop myself seeing how amused he looks.

"Go on," he urges.

"Bella is just so uncomplicated, granted we've had miscommunications, but when things are good— I love her," I confess.

Garrett's arms drop down from the top of the booth, as he sits there looking a little stunned.

I've never been in love with a girl like this.

"Have you told her?" he asks after a minute.

"Not yet, it's always right there but I don't know what's going on in her head," I say, heaving out a sigh.

I'm not going to tell him that I feel it most when I watch her sleep or when she's watching those fucking horrible Housewives shows with Hadley or when she has crumbs of Pop-Tarts falling out of her mouth.

She is the most beautiful woman I've laid eyes on with the demeanor of a Frat boy.

Just the perfect chaotic mess that makes my life so much better.

"You're afraid she's going to bolt," he says in understanding.

I shrug.

"I don't think she'll pull that because of Hadley, but you never know," I say honestly.

He nods.

"So you're just going to hold off?"

"For now, things have been really good lately," I explain.

He gives me a look, but I know Bella better than he does. I have to take my time.

We order food and he tells me about his Thanksgiving plans with Kate. If I were to bet, this is the year he'll pop the question.

It felt good to get out and talk with Garrett, but with the few hours I'd been away from Bella I was itching to get back to her and Hadley.

When I walk into my foyer I can hear Hadley's giggles from the living room followed by Bella's tinkling laugh.

Someone was up to something.

I peek to see Hadley's feet in Bella's lap while Bella carefully paints her toes. Bella's feet are hanging over the back of the couch.

"So, Em got his whole arm stuck in the vending machine," Bella says, losing out to her laughter.

I smile at their antics.

Bella finally notices me when she looks back at me upside down.

"Hey, how was lunch?" she asks.

"Good," I respond leaning against the doorframe.

"How was your lunch?"

She answers me with a chef's kiss.

"Bella ate five tacos, Dad," Hadley tells me with a laugh.

"She did?"

"I inhaled those suckers," she says proudly raising her hands over her head.

"I'm not surprised by that," I say amused. "I'm going to grab some water. Do either of you want one?"

They both shake their heads.

In the kitchen, I grab my water from the fridge and take inventory of how bare it's starting to look. I need to put in a grocery order.

While I contemplate if we need eggs or not, two arms wrap around me.

"I missed you," Bella says against my back.

I know how she feels, we had a really great morning before we had to get ready for work.

I turn in her arms and wrap mine around her.

"So, did you enjoy some guy time with Garrett?" she asks, peering up at me.

"I did, he did bring up a few things that got me thinking," I tell her.

"Like what?"

"Rose," I say simply.

"What about she who shall not be named?"

"Hadley doesn't ask about her—"

"She does though," Bella says, looking a little guilty.

"She does?"

She nods.

"We talk about our moms, she asks me questions about being raised by only my dad. Mainly she asks if Rose misses her," Bella divulges quietly. "I didn't know she wasn't talking to you about Rose."

Now I feel a little guilty, there had to be a reason why she couldn't confide in me.

"It's okay," I tell her.

"Maybe you should ask her about it," she suggests as if it were that easy, maybe it was.

So that's what I do, I wait until it's time for her to go to bed. Bella is staying over tonight but gives us our space while I put Hadley to bed.

"Had?" I ask, sitting on the edge of her bed.

She's placing her glasses on her nightstand and turns to me with a smile. "Yeah?"

"I feel like you haven't really talked about your mom lately," I tell her gently.

"Oh," she frowns. "I wasn't sure you'd want to talk about her."

"Why's that?"

She levels me a look that rivals one of my usual no bullshit stares.

"You can always talk about your mom or ask questions about her, Had," I tell her.

"I just wonder sometimes if she's okay or if she misses me," she confesses quietly. "Royce wasn't very nice to her."

I instantly pull her to me realizing that I need to be handling this whole situation more carefully.

Garrett was right, if Rose were to get sober and stay that way then she still had rights to our daughter. Yes, all of this would take time but someday the possibility is there. It was never my intention to keep them apart forever.

"Hadley, your mother loves you, so, of course, she misses you. She is… a little lost right now. We explained how she is sick," I offer.

She nods.

"She's trying to get better for you," I lie.

I had no clue where Rose's head was right now, but I knew I might need to get through to Carlisle so he'd help out more.

"Had, I want you to feel comfortable talking to me about anything. I know me and your mom aren't friends but we'd both do anything for you," I explain.

Hadley gives me a tight squeeze and I hope going forward she'll know she can come to me on what weighs her mind.