A/N: Thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far! The support I've been getting overwhelming. I saw a question in the comments about Bella's age, and realized I hadn't mentioned this in my summary (bad author!). The exact number will come out in future chapters, but I wanted to clarify that this is an Olderward story, although Bella's old enough to have a fully formed prefrontal cortex. If you'd like to see teasers and extra bits, we'd love to have you join us on my Book of Faces group, hmerdan's Fiction Spot! As always, thanks to my beta kneon for everything, especially keeping my commas in check!
After Bella's advice on experimenting, Nessa and I tried our hand at a freshly made tomato sauce instead of the alfredo we had learned six weeks ago for our Friday night dinner. Nessa had mentioned it to Bella when we packed up after our Wednesday class, and she'd recommended trying an arrabbiata sauce, knowing we liked spice. She even sent me an email Thursday morning with a simple recipe she thought we'd enjoy. The smell wafting through our main floor proved she was most likely right once again.
"Hey, Ness! Can you grab the garlic bread out of the oven while I strain the penne?" I asked as I lugged the heavy pot over to the sink.
"Sure thing, Dad!" Nessa jumped off her stool and grabbed the silicone mitts before taking the hot tray out of the oven. She took a huge whiff of the aroma and let out a moan. "I swear I'd be the worst vampire in the world. Garlic smells too good."
"As long as you don't sparkle," I chuckled, earning a confused look from Nessa. "Sorry, it's a movie that came out when you were born."
"Sparkly vampires?" She looked contemplative for a moment, and then shrugged. "Sounds pretty. I need the bread knife."
We were working together seamlessly as I mixed the pasta with the sauce and she sliced the loaf of garlic bread when suddenly the doorbell rang. "Are you expecting anyone?" I asked, confused.
She shook her head, looking equally confused. "Mykayla's family left after school to visit her grandparents, and Jake's working the dinner shift."
"Why don't you stir this up while I get the door?" I muttered, stepping away from the pot. What I saw out of the peephole was the last thing I expected.
"Surprise!" Tanya announced as I opened the door. "Did you miss me?"
"Tanya, what are you doing here?" I sputtered out in shock.
"Mom!" Nessa exclaimed, running out of the kitchen.
"Oh, there's my little Vanessa!" Tanya cooed, as she and Ness embraced. "You didn't think I'd miss shopping for your first prom dress, did you?" While her voice was sweet, the look she shot me over Nessa's head was sour. "And when your father pointed out I had lots of miles, I just had to book the first flight I could this weekend." Great, me and my dumb fucking mouth.
"I'm so glad you're here." Nessa pulled away from her mom with a huge smile on her face. "We were just about to have dinner."
She took a delicate sniff of the air and raised an eyebrow. "I can tell. Where did you order from?"
"We made it," Nessa answered excitedly. "It's penne all'arrabbiata and garlic bread. You should join us."
"Sounds like a lot of carbs," Tanya chuckled.
"Carbs aren't the enemy, Tanya." I forced back my grimace, not wanting to upset my daughter.
"I don't want to impose." The bag on one arm, a wheeled suitcase in the other hand, and the lack of a rental car said otherwise. "Are you sure?"
"Of course," I replied with a tight smile. "There's more than enough."
"Wonderful! Let me just go wash up. Don't worry, I remember where the powder room is," she chuckled and dropped her bags in the entryway.
I let out a sigh I didn't know I was holding and turned to Nessa with a forced smile. "Want to add an extra setting while I plate?"
"Can do!" She smiled and skipped off towards the kitchen. I was going to endure this weekend for Ness. Like Homer Simpson's sign at the power plant said, 'Do it for her'. That would be my mantra.
Everything felt too easy as we all slipped into what had always been our spots at the table back when Tanya lived here. Once we were all settled, I took my first bite and reminded myself to send Bella a thank you for this recipe.
"Ooh! It's a little spicy!" Tanya exclaimed.
"That's what arrabbiata sauce is. Ness and I like it spicy." I took a bite in emphasis, staring at Tanya from across the table.
"Bella recommended it," Nessa added, once she swallowed another bite.
"Bella?" Tanya questioned.
"Chef Swan," I explained. "She's running the class we've been taking."
"And you call her Bella…" Tanya drawled. "Not Chef or Ms. Swan… Bella."
"Well, it's her name," I snorted.
"She asked us to call her Bella," Nessa explained. "She said the only person who calls her Chef Swan is her boss. Jake calls her Bells."
"Right, Jake. The boy who's taking you to his prom. I don't suppose I'll get to meet him," Tanya sighed.
"How long are you here?" I asked, hoping this would be over quickly.
"I'm flying out on Sunday." So not as quick as I'd like, but it's less than forty-eight hours. "I thought we could get brunch before I leave since I won't see you on Mother's Day."
"Actually, my parents already set up brunch for this week so Alice and Rosalie could enjoy Mother's Day next week," I explained. "If we had known you were coming in, we could have arranged something."
"Maybe Mom can come with us to Nana and Papa's house?" Nessa offered.
"They'll be excited to have you." I gave Tanya the first genuine smile I'd had since she darkened my doorway. I knew the last thing Tanya would want to do was spend time with my family. She and my mom would usually butt heads over being Type A, while Alice and Rosalie never warmed up to her. Which reminds me, I should warn them about tomorrow.
"Sounds peachy," Tanya replied, although her smile didn't meet her eyes. "But what about Jake?"
"He's working the lunch shift all weekend, but maybe we could get dinner at Moonlit Bites after his shift tomorrow?" Nessa looked to me for confirmation.
"I'll make a reservation after dinner," I promised. "Ness, why don't you tell your mom what kind of dress you want?"
After we finished dinner, I offered to clear the table while Nessa took Tanya to see the new fire pit we had installed. Once they were outside, I let out a deep sigh of relief. I could put up with Tanya until Sunday for Nessa; I had to keep telling myself that. Speaking of putting up with Tanya, I pulled out my phone and sent Rose and Alice a message to warn them Tanya was joining them. By the time the dishwasher was loaded, I had a response from each of them. Alice sent a gif of Justin Timberlake that said 'Really?', while Rose just sent two emojis - rolling eyes and a middle finger.
I watched some highlights on ESPN for the next hour until I checked on the ladies outside. "Hey, Ness!" I called out, with my head popped through the open door. "Rose and Ali are getting here around ten."
"Oh, they're still coming?" Tanya asked in a forced friendly tone.
"Well, they already planned their day around it. And I notice you don't have a rental car." I gave her a smug smile in return.
"Why can't you drive us?" She retorted.
I rolled my eyes at her. "Because I scheduled a golf game with Jas and Em after Mom and Dad offered to watch their kids tomorrow. We had this all planned out all week." I shot her a pointed look, reminding her who the interloper was.
"Fine," Tanya huffed and turned her smile on for Ness. "You should get some sleep, Vanessa. We have a long day."
"Sure thing, Mom," Nessa nodded and gave her mom a last good-night hug. "I'm going to call Jake before I jump in the shower."
"Sounds good, Ness." I gave her a good night squeeze before she went inside. "See you in the morning."
She waved bye to both of us before heading upstairs. "So, Jake?" Tanya asked once Nessa was upstairs. "Really, Edward? You're letting our daughter date a busboy?"
"She's fifteen! Who do you want her dating? A CEO at a Fortune 500?" I scoffed.
"At least the son of one," she retorted and folded her arms.
"Jacob's a good kid," I insisted. "He's working two part-time jobs to help take care of his Dad and is still finishing high school."
"Online school is barely school." Tanya rolled her eyes. "We send her to an elite private school for a reason."
"Because we can give her those advantages!" I hissed back at her, not wanting our argument to travel through the house. "But I'd take Jacob over any of the pretentious douchebags at her school."
"You went to the same school!" she challenged.
"So, I have firsthand knowledge about the douchebags that go there!" I replied.
She huffed and shook her head. "We're not getting anywhere. I'm tired after traveling all day and need some sleep."
"Fine," I conceded for now. "I could use some rest before tomorrow." I held the door for her, but my patience had worn too thin for my inner gentleman to offer with her bags. Instead, I made my way upstairs while she grabbed her luggage from the entryway. I popped my head into Nessa's room to say good night one last time before making my way to bed and closing the door. Of course, I had to have one last run-in with my ex-wife at the top of the stairs. "What do you think you're doing?" I asked as she turned right towards the primary bedroom.
"Going to bed," she answered, giving a look that the answer should be obvious. "That's where I always sleep."
"That's where you SLEPT when it was OUR room," I corrected. "I un-Tanya'd that room after you moved out. The guest room's over there." I pointed behind me in the opposite direction.
"How silly of me." Tanya gave me a sarcastic, indulgent smile. "Force of habit."
I shrugged and returned her expression with another smug grin. "Happens to the best of us. Night, Tanya." I passed her to enter my bedroom and locked the door behind me, not wanting any angry late-night intruders.
My hopes for a good night's sleep making things better in the morning were dashed at the kitchen island the next day. Nessa and I were both dressed and started on our breakfast - brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tarts and orange juice for her, buttered everything bagel and coffee for me - when Tanya finally joined us. "Now, this looks normal!" She laughed. "Pre-made breakfast foods! Just toast and eat!"
I shot her a glare over Nessa's head. "Well, it's early and we all have plans." I looked down at my watch. "Rose and Alice will be here in twenty minutes if you want something."
"I'm fine!" She waved me off and patted her flat stomach. "Intermittent fasting. Can't eat anything until noon. All I need is a quick espresso, and I'm good to go!"
"Pods and cups are in the cupboard above the Nespresso," I explained and went back to my reading in peace.
Twenty minutes later, a loud knock on the front door interrupted our awkward silence. Thankful for the distraction, I quickly jumped up to answer. "Hey, bro! Ready for a threesome?" Emmett laughed and slapped me on the shoulder.
"Can we get into your garage?" Jasper asked. "We need to load our clubs into your car."
"Sure thing." I pulled my keys out of my pocket. "Ness, your aunts are here!" I called out before following Emmett and Jasper to the garage.
Once the trunk was open and the pair of them were moving their bags from Emmett's Jeep to my Volvo, two angry women accosted me. "I can't believe you stuck us with your ex-wife for the day," Alice growled, both her and Rose in matched crossed-arm poses.
"I didn't know she was coming!" I said. "And you just have one afternoon. She's staying in my guest room."
"Well, you're the idiot who married her in the first place," Rose sneered.
I sighed, knowing there was no argument I could make with these two. "Alright, what's the cost?"
"Em and Jazz think a hundred and twenty dollars is ridiculous for slippers," Alice replied, staring me down.
I agreed with them but thought better than to open my mouth. "You make sure we each have a pair of Ugg Coquettes to go with whatever other gift they got us next week, and we'll call it even," Rose added.
"Deal," I agreed, and offered my hand to each of them. They'd take Tanya off my hands for a few hours for under three hundred dollars? I was getting off easy.
A morning of golf, followed by lunch with my brothers was exactly what I needed to relax during Tanya's surprise visit. I was still riding the high and I was still feeling good when the three of us made the trip to Kirkland. I didn't start feeling nervous until I pulled into the parking lot across the street. Mostly, I was nervous for Nessa, who was excited to introduce her boyfriend to her mother and was oblivious to her mom's prejudice. But there was a part of me that didn't want to bring Tanya to Bella's restaurant. Like this was our place, and I didn't want to taint it with her negativity. I knew that was stupid. Bella and I were strictly instructor and student. Tonight, I had to be here for Nessa.
"Did you let Jacob know we're here?" I asked, throwing the car in park.
"I told him when we were close," Nessa replied, undoing her seatbelt. "He'll meet us outside the restaurant."
"What kind of place is this, anyway?" Tanya asked, looking around the suburban area suspiciously.
"Italian-inspired small bites and shared plates," I answered. "We've only been here for the cooking lessons, though."
"I've tried their food," Nessa piped up with a shrug. "Jacob brought some for a one-month anniversary picnic."
"That was nice of him," I said genuinely. Stupid, charming boy.
"A picnic?" Tanya scrunched her nose in distaste. "He could have just taken you to the restaurant."
"I don't like them driving out of town." I had to remind myself not to roll my eyes at her attitude.
"And it was really sweet!" Nessa insisted. "We went to Discovery Park, and it was just the two of us."
"As long as you're happy, dear," Tanya cooed, while I shot her a dirty look. I might not be doing a great job at hiding my displeasure at Tanya being in town, but at least I didn't direct it at Nessa.
"There's Jake!" Nessa squealed and ran off from us into Jacob's arms. As much as I hated the idea of my little girl growing up and dating, I had to hand it to the boy - the smile on his face when he saw Ness was hard not to like.
"Someone's a big boy," Tanya muttered, her eyes wide at the ease Jacob swept Nessa up into a hug.
"Be nice, Tanya," I warned. "He's important to Nessa."
She looked like she was about to argue with me, but we quickly joined the happy young couple at the door. "Mr. Cullen, good to see you again," Jacob greeted me with a firm handshake.
"Jacob, you too."
"Jake, this is my mom, Tanya Denali. Mom, this is Jacob Black."
"Ms. Denali, Nessie's told me all about you." He gave her a welcoming smile but faltered slightly at her inquisitive expression.
"Nessie?" Tanya finally asked, shooting our daughter a questioning look. Tanya hated the idea of nicknames for Nessa and only put up with it from me because she had no choice. I just felt Vanessa was a big name when she was a little baby. "Vanessa told me about you as well. Pleasure, Jacob." She held her hand up daintily, which he took despite the nerves in his eyes.
"Should we go inside?" I offered, wanting to get through this awkward evening as quickly as possible and rescue the poor boy.
"Oh, Jake! Glad I caught you!" Bella came up to us at the host stand, relief clear on her face. When we were in the restaurant, I had grown accustomed to seeing her in a crisp white chef coat, so I was taken aback to see her dressed casually in leggings that perfectly sculpted her bottom half and a form-fitted zip-up jacket. "I wasn't sure if I'd see you when you got home, but Charlie's coming tomorrow instead of Monday, so I'll need you to strip the mattress before you leave."
"Sure, sure," he grinned. "Not a problem, Bells."
"I'm sorry, but why is my daughter's boyfriend stripping your mattress?" Tanya blurted out, shooting Jacob and Bella an accusatory look. While I know it's perfectly innocent, I can't help the twinge of jealousy that this boy has access to Bella's bedroom.
"Mom, it's not what you think," Nessa laughed. "Bella is Jacob's god-sister. He stays at her place when he works here on weekends."
Tanya nodded coolly in understanding as she appraised the situation. "Bella? As in Chef Bella? You're the one teaching Edward and Vanessa how to cook?"
"That she is," I confirmed and turned to Bella. "I'm sorry about this. We shouldn't keep you from your plans."
"Well, aren't you cute?" Tanya cooed, her voice dripping with condescension. "You must have been a baby when you became a chef."
"I was eighteen like any other college student," Bella chuckled awkwardly. "Anyway, I won't hold you up. I have to get to yoga. Enjoy your dinner."
"Don't fall!" Jacob snickered behind as Bella turned away, earning himself a quick glare as she left.
"Your table's ready," the hostess interjected nervously, before leading us to a square table near the back of the restaurant.
"So, Jacob," Tanya started, tenting her fingers, once we'd put in our order for several small plates and drinks. "Vanessa tells me you're doing online school. How do colleges feel about internet degrees?"
"They're the same as any other high school diploma," Jacob answered confidently. I wondered if Nessa gave him a heads-up on what to expect from Tanya. "In fact, the Insight School offers more AP opportunities than Forks High or the Tribal School."
Tanya cocked an eyebrow. "Impressive, although I wouldn't say it's like ANY other high school. I'm sure you're aware Vanessa's school is held in quite high regard," she chuckled. "And all these AP classes. Are you taking any?"
"Well, no," he admitted sheepishly. "But I am taking enough dual enrollment courses that I'll graduate high school with an associate's degree in accounting."
"So, Nessa," I interrupted loudly. "How was dress shopping?"
This was going to be a long night.