~*Bella*~
It was the morning after the night before. I was floating in a hazy limbo between sleep and consciousness. By now I was becoming used to waking up alone every day, but this morning was apparently an exception, as it seemed I had double company. I could feel a small, warm body curled into my back, two bony little knees pressed up against me, and a little hand fisting my shirt. Upon further investigation, I discovered another secret snuggler, smaller this time, his back cuddled against my chest.
So there we were, me and my two surprise guests, tucked up in bed like three cozy spoons. Four year-old Aaron and two year-old Daniel had made themselves a Bellawich, and I was apparently the filling. I lay there for a few minutes, contemplating how to get out and make it to the bathroom without waking either of them up. I wiggled free and slowly sat up, checking for signs of movement. No...nothing. Excellent. I gently scooted to the edge of the bed and slipped out unnoticed, making a quick dash for the bathroom to relieve myself.
With a happy bladder, I went back to the bedroom and was greeted by the sight of the still-sleeping boys, who hadn't moved an inch or even noticed I'd slipped away. I leaned against the wall and took them in, watching them in their innocent, drooling slumber. They were rarely this still or this quiet, so it was sweet to see them looking so angelic, though I knew it would be a different story when they finally woke up and started bouncing around with the energy of a space shuttle launch. I smiled to myself as I padded over to the bed and gently pulled the covers up around them to keep them extra warm and snug until they decided to rouse and let all hell break loose. Placing soft kisses on their foreheads, I crept out and left the door slightly ajar before heading downstairs.
The idea that maybe Jake and I would have had children too suddenly bubbled over in to my thought process as my mind backtracked to that warm day, the day I'd seen the truth. All rational thought was quickly squashed by the memory of that little girl's face in the parking lot. Before the anger and shame even had time to surface, her face vanished, swiftly replaced by a shock of bronze hair and vivid green eyes. Edward. I smiled to myself, my lips stretching from ear to ear in a shameless grin as I remembered last night...as I remembered him. The way his t-shirt hugged his tall, lean body, the way my name sounded coming from his lips, the way he touched me at any given opportunity, the way we almost...
"Mornin' Sunshine!"
I jumped, my hand flying up to my chest. "Jesus Christ Jas, you nearly gave me a fucking heart attack!"
I'd been so distracted that I hadn't noticed Jasper sitting at the kitchen table, tucked away behind his newspaper, no doubt engrossed in the sports section. My stomach was rumbling, and it wanted something sweet and warm for breakfast. I'd wandered in to the kitchen on autopilot.
He chuckled, throwing the paper down. "Someone's obviously not awake yet!"
I scoffed as I opened the fridge to grab the eggs. "I'm awake, just..." I shook my head "Anyway never mind that. How come you're up so early?"
"The sun is shining, Sugar! Shame to waste it!"
I peered out the window. He was right, today would be fairly warm and hopefully dry. "Have you eaten? I can make you some breakfast."
He patted his stomach. "Thanks but I'm good. Well...until lunch time anyway!"
I giggled as I cracked two eggs into a bowl and whisked them with a fork. "Who are you trying to kid? You're a man, and men eat like pigs. It's a well known fact."
"Well, I can't argue with the facts now can I?" He waggled his eyebrows. "Speaking of men, there were two very little ones around here somewhere the last time I checked..."
I added sugar and cinnamon to my eggs and dipped my bread into the mix before dropping it into the pan. "I believe the little people you're referring to have taken up residence in my bed! At least that's where I left them."
He smirked. "They crept in on you huh? Sorry about that."
"Don't be! They're good kids, and I have been known to enjoy the occasional snuggle." He laughed into his coffee cup. "Actually, it was kinda nice not waking up alone for a change." I flipped my toast in the pan.
"They love having you here Bells; we all do. Everyone's glad you've decided to stay."
I popped the toast onto a plate and took a seat at the table across from Jasper. "I've been thinking about that."
He glanced up from the paper he'd gone back to reading. "Changed your mind?"
"No, but, now that it's decided, I think I need to make things more permanent, more fixed y'know? You guys have been amazing, but I cant stay here forever. I need to find a job, sell the car..."
"You know you can stay here for as long as you like, as long as you need, right?"
"Yes, and I'm beyond grateful. Thank you."
He nodded. "So, you're selling the car?"
"Yeah...its just...I left everything. I just want to replace it."
"I can help with that."
"Thanks." I shovelled my breakfast down at an alarming rate, obviously hungrier than I thought.
"And you say men are pigs."
I flipped him the finger and carried on eating, content with my sugary, warm goodness.
I waved my fork at the folded paper. "You done with that?"
"Yep, I'm off to rouse the monsters, so it's all yours, Piglet" He smirked and pushed it towards me.
I huffed indignantly, and resumed chewing as I flicked to the jobs. I scanned the meagre selection. Wal-mart janitor leaflet distributor. God, no wonder they were vacant! They were a stark contrast to my job back in Washington, where I'd spent the last three years busting my ass as a Copy Editor for a large publishing company. The very same job I'd quit yesterday morning. On paper, it was the dream job for me, fresh out of college with my brand new shiny English degree from Washington U. But what your Professors don't tell you is that nothing is apparently what it seems. Sure, the lectures provided me with the knowledge I needed to do my job, but they didn't prepare me with the skills needed to survive the Urban Jungle. There was no "How To" dealing with messy office politics, the dangers of ass licking, vicious water cooler gossip, or how to shake off the office pervert. I, unfortunately, had learnt these the hard way. I found that making myself invisible and cutting myself off from the social circles was a successful strategy. I didn't give, and I didn't take. I worked hard, and for a while, that was enough. Jake started doing overtime, so I started working late. He was gone before I woke up in the mornings and never home before I'd fallen asleep. I'd been married to my job for six months, taking on enough extra clients to create a distraction. When I eventually got home, calling my parents or texting Alice or Rose was the last thing on my mind. I'd eat, shower, and sleep. The same lifeless routine week after week after week.
I was distracted from my less than happy reflections by a sound resembling a herd of elephants stomping down the stairs. Jasper appeared in the doorway with Aaron hanging off his leg and Daniel swinging from his neck like a monkey. "Hey! You guys are finally up! What are you gonna do today?"
Aaron grinned and let go of Jasper's leg, his arms flying about in excitement. "Dad's taking us swimming, then we're gonna have pizza and then we're going to a hockey game!!" He was grinning so hard I thought his little ears were going to pop right off.
"Wow! That sounds like fun!"
"Are you gonna come with us, Bella?"
I ruffled his soft black hair. "I'd love to, munchkin, but I promised your Mom I'd help her in the store today."
He beamed at the mention of his mother. "Okay, but next time you'll come?"
"I promise! Now have you and your brother had breakfast?"
He nodded, practically bouncing with excitement.
"Well alright, you better get going then! I'll see you guys later!"
I laughed as I watched them all bolt for the front door and begin the hurried commotion of grabbing bags and putting on jackets and shoes.
"Be good!"
"Bye Bella!"
And then there was one. The three amigos had left the house, and I was left sitting alone at the kitchen table in my pajamas. I yawned and glanced at the clock. It was 10:45, and Alice told me to stop by whenever so I was in no rush. I stretched out in the chair like a cat before tidying up the kitchen and throwing my plate into the dishwasher.
I was halfway up the stairs, a hot shower next on my list, when the doorbell rang out. I jumped at the unexpected noise, the silence of the house making it sound twice as loud. The boys were always in such a whirlwind rush to leave that Jasper had probably forgotten something. Expecting to see a frantic-looking Jasper muttering something about water wings. I swung the door open.
"Jas you only just left! What did you…" I was face to face with a rather puzzled-looking Edward in all his bronze haired, greened eyed glory. I stood there, gaping like a fish before finding my manners. "Edward, Hi! I'm sorry. Jasper left literally minutes ago, so I thought it would be him coming back for something he'd forgotten."
He pulled his lips up into that lopsided smile that made my stomach flip. "Ah, now it all makes sense. I thought for a minute there that perhaps you were just disappointed to see me."
"God no! I'm sorry, It's just...you were...unexpected! Would you like to come in?"
"Sure, thanks."
He stepped inside, and I noticed with a slight twinge of disappointment that the Nikes had not made an appearance today and that he had instead opted for a pair of vintage looking Adidas. He was looking effortlessly casual in ripped jeans and a white v neck t-shirt, all of which I suddenly imagined being peeled off by my own eager little hands.
"Um, you left these behind last night." He gestured to the six-pack of beer he was clutching in his left hand.
My heart swelled at his simple but kind gesture. He'd remembered.
"Between trying to get Rose into the cab and dragging Alice into the house, they had totally slipped my mind."
He smirked in amusement. "Well, they're certainly a handful, I'll give them that"
"They both have the mother of all hangovers today, which serves them right." I huffed.
"You don't look like you're suffering. Does Sponge Bob have healing powers?"
For a second I wondered what he was talking about, and then it dawned on me. I was still wearing the cheekies & tank that were covered in hundreds of little Sponge Bobs. I could feel myself blushing from ear to ear. Before I had a chance to tell him that it was a childish indulgence of mine, his fingers were ghosting over my exposed collarbone before reaching up to brush a few loose strands of hair away from my face.
He was grinning as he quietly spoke. "I like Sponge Bob, too."
I swallowed nervously. "Y-you do?"
He nodded, still wearing that damn grin which was increasing my urge to drop my pajamas by the second. His nose had found its way into my hair just long enough for him to inhale deeply before pulling away and lifting the beers. "You want these in the fridge?"
"Yes please." I flashed a grateful smile and followed him as he made his way to the kitchen.
"Can I get you a drink? It's the least I can do since you were kind enough to go to the trouble of a home delivery."
"No trouble at all. I was passing anyway, but I'd love a coffee!"
I grinned and reached up into the cupboard for two mugs. "How do you like your poison?"
"Black with two sugars, please. I think I need sweetening up."
I turned to face him with a smile and a mug balanced in each hand. "Are you kidding? You're definitely sweet enough, Edward." Before he could speak, I'd put the mugs down and shoved a packet of cookies under his nose. "Oreo?"
"No thanks, but I'll take an apple off your hands if you have one. I didn't bother with breakfast this morning, and I think my stomach is trying to consume itself."
As if on cue, there was quiet but unmistakable rumble emanating from Edward's stomach, followed by a very sheepish grin from him.
"I think you might be right! Point well proved." I giggled and reached in to the fruit bowl, the coffee momentarily forgotton.
I held my hand out to him, a red apple clutched in my fingers. I gasped with surprise and pleasure as he slid his fingers over mine to retrieve the shiny fruit, hesitating for a moment before quickly plucking the apple from my grasp and taking a bite. There was a satisfying crunch as he devoured the first mouthful while I stood watching like some kind of pervert. His lips were wet with the juice of the apple, and I could see his teethmarks in the ruby red skin. I could feel the heat creeping into my cheeks as I gaped shamelessly at him as he ate, and suddenly I felt like Eve admiring Adam. No wonder they caved under this kind of temptation. I mean seriously, who fucking wouldn't? He swallowed, drawing my attention to his throat, and I silently revelled in how glorious he looked even doing something so simple. He was a true Adam, made by God and heaven sent.
"Looking for a job?" He gestured to the newspaper I left open on the table.
"Yeah. Now that I've decided to stay, I need to start making things a little more permanent I guess."
He flashed me a small smile and nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. Any luck with the hunt yet?"
"Well, I only started this morning, but it's pretty slim pickings."
He sat back in the chair, the semi-eaten apple still in his hand. "Were you looking for something in particular?"
I was leaning against the table, my hip supporting my weight. "Well, not really. I mean I've done the whole 9-5 thing so I figured something different might be good this time, as long as it's decent pay, reasonable hours, and doesn't involve direct contact with bodily fluids of any kind!"
A hearty loud chuckle erupted from his chest as he laughed at my admission. "Well, I think I may be able to help you little mouse."
"Really? How?"
"Well, don't get me wrong. I love running the club, but if I could burn all the damn paperwork to avoid doing it then I would. How's your math?"
"Uh...it's ok I guess...pretty basic but..."
"Great, that's all you need for the book keeping. How about filing and computer skills?"
"I'm pretty competent with both...I think."
"Then congratulations Miss Swan, you're hired."
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