 Episode Thirty-Eight: To the MoonI woke up once again with Bella wide awake and leaning over me. She kissed my forehead several times. “Hey there, sweet man. Your alarm went off.” Naked in her tiny bed, the blankets were draped over my hip. She dragged her fingers over my thighs, moving them over my erection. “Mmmm…” I just hummed and reached for her, but she slipped from my grip. “Come back.” “I have to finish getting the stuff ready.” Quickly, I rushed through a shower in her minuscule bathroom. I had to duck to reach the water, and the bathroom was frigid. When it was getting closer to time to leave, Bella went to wake up Alice as well. I peeked in to watch her. Her alarm clock was going off, but she was still snoring loudly. My girlfriend crawled on top of her, straddling her ass. Alice was lying flat on her stomach, her face smashed into the pillow. She leaned down and whispered something in her ear, playing with her hair some as she did. “No,” she moaned. “It's time to go.” Alice waved her hand behind her. “Lay on me.” Adjusting, she did so. I smirked a little to myself. “Yes. Don't move.” Bouncing on her, Bella made her groan. “I need you to carry things.” “It's too early.” My girlfriend wasn’t amused by her bullshit. “You can go back to sleep at Demetri's. Just like every year. You know how this works, Al.” “I'm comfortable now.” She just got rougher, pushing her knee into her. I realized that she wrestled around with her friends, just like I did. Sitting up, she popped her best friend right on the ass cheek with a loud clap. “That's what I'm talking about,” she responded playfully. In answer, Bella began to whack her repeatedly. She just laughed before pushing her over, pinning her down with her cheek on her breast. “There. Stop moving. So fucking bony.” “You know, if I need to give you two a few moments, I can,” I declared with a tiny laugh. Bella turned her head to look at the door. When she did, her roommate roughly grabbed her chest. “Honk, honk.” Her eyes got wide in surprise, and she pinched back, making her friend yelp in shock. Then they started to slap at each other. “Ow! Bitch!” My cock twitched in my pants as I watched. I bit my lip, unable to take my eyes off of them. Pinching her leg, she hurried off the bed. “Then get up!” Alice swiftly reached for her and slapped her butt awkwardly. Bella wiggled her hips as she sauntered away. Annoyed, her friend grabbed the pillow behind her head and threw it at her. She whipped around, and they flipped off at each other off childishly. “You have drool on your face,” she snapped, chunking the cushion back at her head. She came stomping out, half-annoyed and half-amused. I had to bite the inside of my lip to keep the dirty comments in my head. “You two are fun. You have an interesting relationship.” “Good thing you came along. We had a marriage pact at forty-five,” she mused as she went back to her bedroom. I chuckled then hummed. “I'm not sure either of you would be too unhappy about that.” Turning, Bella looked at me with the fullest, most innocent eyes. “Oh, no. Al is the love of my life. We'd have beautiful, weird blond hair tanned babies with one blue eye and one brown. She's a natural blond, you know. Our children would be strange but cute.” “I don't think that's how that works,” I joked, my voice getting higher as I tried not to giggle. I hummed again loudly. “I'm fairly certain someone is missing something essential to the process. Something important.” Her expression unexpectedly turned hot, her eyes flitting over my face as her hand moved across my half-hard erection that was still into the idea of the two girls slapping and rolling around in bed. “Like what?” It went from half to fully erect into about two seconds. “If you would like, I can show you later.” She began to kiss my chin. “Oh, really?” “Mm, yes. I'm even willing to dedicate my entire day tomorrow to showing you if you're interested.” Batting her eyelashes, she made her eyes wider. “Ohhhh… I think I might know what we're doing wrong now.” Bella nodded her head. “See, I told her we needed that strap-on.” Dead. She would kill me. I laughed despite myself, my face flushing. All I wanted to do was make lesbian and threesome jokes. But I was better than that. “I'm not going to be a pervert. I'm not going to be goaded into it. I'm not.” She looked dejected for just a moment, pouting out her bottom lip. “Damn. Why not? I’m trying so hard.” My heart sped up. “You shouldn't encourage these thoughts and behaviors.” “You're already going to spend all day thinking about it now,” Bella purred as she smiled. Her mismatched eyes were mischievous. “Why shouldn't I encourage it?” I was not going to get myself in trouble. “And, what exactly do you think I'm going to be thinking about? Because I have no earthly idea what you're talking about. I am a good boy.” Lies. Lies. So many lies. Slowly, she moved her hands over my chest as she lifted up. “Please,” she breathed. “You're going to be thinking about me, and my cute little bestie all confused in bed with all the fun toys we could possibly play with.” My brain just stopped working. I had to kiss her, grabbing Bella’s cheeks and pulling her towards me. “Wicked, wicked woman. That is... just. I'm- I'm at a loss for words. Why do you do this to me? How?” She looked so sinful, seductively running her hand over my hard-on. “Because it's fun. And it's because all the blood is in your cock instead of your brain.” Bella had opened herself up by making the jokes. The curiosity was eating at me, but I didn’t know how to begin. “Wouldn't it upset you if I thought that?” Giggling, she rolled her eyes a little. “Obviously not.” “Do you... think about her... and you...” I could barely get the words out. She lifted on her toes again to lightly kiss my lips. “Sometimes. Is that okay?” “Oh, oh... Yeah, um... Yes, of course. I'm just surprised. I didn't- I mean, that you think about things like that. I mean, obviously, you do have those kinds of thoughts, but I never... um… Just Alice? Or other ladies as well?” I stuttered out stupidly. For some reason, I just couldn’t spit them out. She thought it was funny and was enjoying screwing with me. “I think about you, too,” she quipped vaguely. “Sometimes, even with her.” Slowly, she ran her tongue over her bottom lip. “So, are you asking me if I like to think about fucking other women?” Even my ears were on fire. “I... I'm not sure how to answer. I want to say yes, but I also don't want to get into trouble.” “You're so sweet and innocent,” she stated with a little laugh, tilting her head to the side. “Why would you get in trouble?” “Dude, she’s so gay,” her best friend yelled from another part of the apartment. Bella closed her eyes, cringing a little. “Thanks, sweetie. That's helpful,” she shouted in return. A sleepy and cranky Alice came shuffling into the doorway. Her cheeks were slightly pink from embarrassment. “Just trying to speed this along. I mean, if he's not cool with that, he's going to have a long few days ahead of him.” “Oh... it's not- No. Um, I actually... kind of- I thought, I've kind of already figured it out? From things that we've talked about. Things she's said before. The tattoos. All the rainbows. And, the charity thing Saturday. It's more than fine. I was going to ask, but I didn't know the right way to do so. I'm sorry, I'm so awkward. I figured you were bi, probably. I shouldn't assume anything, though,” I rambled stupidly. Both women watched me sharply. “Pan, but close enough,” she replied. My girl turned to give her a look. “What? You don't care who knows.” Huffing, she shook her head a little to herself. Bella pushed past her to go to the kitchen. “I'm never having sex with you again,” she mumbled dryly. “Damn, I just outed you on a holiday. There needs to be some family drama. So sensitive,” she teased weakly before giving me a mildly panicked look. She hurried to follow her to the kitchen. “I thought he fucking knew already, and y’all were being flirty. Damn. Not my fault. Talk to your man. It’s too early in the morning for this shit.” “Family drama makes it sound like we're literally incestuous. We’re not even legally sisters.” Her friend turned to look at me. “In college, we used to-” Bella turned and raised her fist in the air as if she was about to give it to her in the face. “Don't even think about it.” “You don't know what story I'm about to tell. It could be a good one.” “It doesn't matter which one.” They stared at each other for a long time before finally, she booped her roommate in the nose. Bella was about to pick up one of the big laundry baskets filled with food. It was huge, though. I quickly took it for her. “Now, I want to know,” I mumbled to myself. Since her friend was obviously not actually mad, she kept joking. “I've got some pictures to show you later.” She laughed wickedly, ignoring the death glare she was receiving. “One of these days, I'm going to knock you to the moon. To the fucking moon, Alice,” she threatened in a thickened New York-style accent that was pretty good. It made me smirk. “I'll tell Mama,” Alice replied in a thick country twang. It was a lot like Bella’s. “She'd understand. I've definitely seen her pop you one, too.” She picked up another box with one hand and pulled out her phone with the other. “I’m ordering the car now.” It took a few minutes, but one arrived. The driver helped us shove things into the trunk and the front seat before we started the long drive over into Brooklyn. Less than five minutes in, her best friend was already out like a light. Alice’s head was lolled against Bella’s arm with her mouth hanging open. My girlfriend was silent as she held my hand, her eyes forward. “Don't be afraid to ask anything you want to know about me. You've been nothing but open with me. I should have really talked about certain things sooner, and I'm sorry I'm so closed off. I just didn't even really think about it, because it's not that big of a deal for me. I was honestly starting to wonder if I was going to be attracted to anyone else at all before I met you,” she blurted out. “I was afraid to upset you or come off as insensitive. I didn't want to push something you weren't ready to talk about. I can understand these things can be hard to express. I would have a hard time telling anyone...” Thinking about my dreams with her and Jasper, I shook my head to get them out. I was embarrassed for just enjoying those. And they were just fantasies. She finally glanced in my direction. “I could never accuse you of being insensitive about anything. I want to be with you, so you have to know all of me. I have to trust you when you say I won't scare you away.” “There is nothing that could,” I promised. I wanted her and everything that came with it. Bella smiled some at my answer, her eyes playful. “You're taking a huge leap of faith that I'm not a former or future serial killer.” I had a good rebuttal for her mocking. “I've been reading that most serial killers are men, so statically, I should be fine.” “Oh, you have been reading, have you? No wonder you haven't been sleeping,” she teased gently as she squeezed my hand. That wasn’t why I couldn’t get any rest, it was just something I did when I couldn’t. “I wanted to see what interested you about it.” She got more comfortable again, putting her head on my shoulder as her friend had done to her. “Did you get anything out of it?” More than I would ever want to know, honestly. “Humans are bloody savages. I'm glad that I didn't live in the sixties or seventies. And why didn't anyone ever lock their damn front door?” I questioned, making her giggle. “It's interesting but scary. I don't think I could read all the books you do. I'm not sure I can have that in my brain.” “It's not for everyone. It's sweet that you did that, though. You didn't have to.” I shrugged my other shoulder. “I was doing it for research as well. Seth wants to do a series on crime. It's kind of the rage right now.” “Oh, he'd enjoy that,” she said with a tiny smile. “I think you would as well. I was going to ask if you'd like to do an episode with him. Just him, actually.” She turned her head to the side to look at me. “Just him?” “That's what we've been talking about. It would be a different kind of video. Mainly you two talking about it, and then we'd add the visuals in post-production. Expand the channel a little bit. Tyler will have his own shit, too.” I couldn’t understand her frown. “That's a lot of work for you. Are you going to have the time for all that?” That was another thought that had been swirling around my head a lot. Zafrina had been bugging me to get help for the channel since I wasn’t interested in a personal assistant. Seth and Tyler were doing more and more of the editing as I became busier. “I'm going to hire some more people next year to start after I visit Sydney in February. A graphics person, a couple more audio-visual people. If it works out, maybe we can really expand the channel. It's what I enjoy doing the most honestly. And I want to keep it going. Especially if you're there to help me.” She seemed surprised. “What about movies and television?” I sighed as I considered it. “I think with the help, I can do both. You were right about needing to hire people. I need to give up some of the reins and delegate. I can be more creative that way and focus on the final product more. I really am thinking about hiring a photographer for the channel, by the way.” Quickly, Bella nodded her head, so her curls bounced a little. “I think that's a good idea.” “Mm, you are my first choice, of course. But I understand if you don't want to. Your position in my growing media empire is there whenever you want it, though,” I flirted gently. I wanted to tread lightly after she got upset the evening before. Bella brought her thumb up to her mouth for a moment to chew on it anxiously. She glanced at me, then straight ahead again. “Esther asked me if I was going to move to LA. I want to help you when I'm there, but I'm not ready for that.” “I could move to New York,” I suggested right away, but she shook her head in answer. “Not right now, you couldn't. Your life works better in LA.” I could not have cared less about how my life worked. I could operate just fine in New York. If she could fly, so could I. “Where does that leave us? Stealing time on the holidays? You're right. Not right now. But maybe next year?” She bit her lip for a moment. “I can't tell you what to do, but I love your house.” I looked away, swallowing. I loved my home, and I was so proud of it. But it was just a house. It wasn’t my future, just a place to lay my head. “I do, too. I don't have to sell it, just get something here. But the LA house… It can be your home, too.” The car stopped in front of a large brick townhouse with a bright red door. Bella squeezed my hand, giving me an awkward smile. “Come on, Mary Alice,” she said sweetly, nudging her friend. “We’re here. It’s time to go inside so you can go to bed.” Hi! I'm taking a couple of weeks off from posting to spend the holidays with my friends and family. Perfect Snapshots will return on Wednesday, January 8th with Episode 39! Have a great new year! 💛⛄❄⭐🎁🎄💛 Episode Thirty-seven: PrepPatty cat screamed at me as soon as I came into the apartment, circling my legs excitedly as I tried to carry the heavy bags inside. “Please don’t trip me. I don’t want to die,” I mumbled, hurrying into Bella’s room. Once I put them down on her bed, I bent down to pick up the creature that followed. She purred loudly. “Look, you’re cute, but you have to leave, my friend.” I put her on the cat tree that was as tall as me. She mewed and flopped down, so I could rub her stomach. “Stay,” I commanded as I pointed at her nose. She looked at me like ‘fuck you, I’m not a dog,’ and hopped down to follow me. I rushed back into the room, and she rattled the door almost menacingly, yowling in compliant. “I’ll be back out in a minute. Crikey,” I laughed, going to set up the heater. The room was a good water leak away from forming icicles. About thirty minutes later, Bella came prancing in. Her nose and cheeks were red from the cold. I popped out to greet her. “Hello, gorgeous.” “Well, hey there, handsome. Oh, my god. It feels so good in here,” she moaned, her head falling back a little. I took her banjo case for her. “Oh, thank you.” We walked into her bedroom together. “So, I got three heaters. They’re different sizes. I’ve got one set up here and in the kitchen. And there is a little one still in the box,” I explained as I put the case on her bed. “Edward,” she breathed my name, rubbing her hands up my back as she laid her cheek on my shoulder. “Thank you so much!” I turned so that I could wrap my arms around her waist. “My pleasure.” I leaned down to kiss her several times. Her lips were slightly salty from sweating. “I can’t tell you how nice it is to come home to a nice strong, sexy man who wants to take care of me,” she flirted, lifting on her toes to kiss my lips as her gloved hands slid underneath my shirt. My heart fluttered in my chest. “I might know how you feel, though,” I whispered as I drew her in closer to me. We kissed for just a moment. “I need to take a shower, so I can get cooking. I’ll be right back,” she promised before leaving me alone in her room. I used that time to browse the jewelry website and save my favorites. They were surprisingly cheap for cute stuff. It was the perfect Christmas gift. I was sitting on the couch when she came back into her room, wrapped in a towel with wet hair. My phone slipped from my fingers into my lap. She didn’t notice. “I have to admit, it’s nice to be able to walk from the bathroom to the bedroom and not freeze my tits off.” I chuckled. “Ah, the wonders of a twenty dollars solution.” “It was on the list,” she whined with a little laugh, pulling her towel off to dry her hair some more. Her body was perfect. I wasn’t the only one that I had been working out more. Her thighs were visibly thicker, her stomach tighter. Then she turned around and bent over to pick something out of the clothes hamper. I swallowed heavily. She wiggled her underwear on before turning around to look at me. Bella caught my expression and smirked. “What?” I quickly shook my head in embarrassment. “Oh, no. Nothing. You’re just… wet and naked.” She giggled. “What do you expect? I’m a man.” Sauntering over, she came to straddle my lap while just in her panties. Her fingers went into my hair as she kissed me, her shower-fresh skin supple against my lips. My mouth traveled down her chest, wanting to taste all of her. My mouth went to her nipple, my fingers curling around her ass. “Oh, fuck. I’m going to get nothing done today if you do that.” she moaned. “Just a minute,” I promised, kissing over to the other. I licked the water droplets from her skin, making goosebumps raise up. She flushed, her mouth opening a little. Then she giggled as she pulled away. “Aw, come back.” “I have to cook, I’m sorry,” she pouted before finally getting dressed. It was warm enough though that she could wear shorts and a thin little shirt with no bra, her perky nipples visible through the fabric. “Tell me what to do,” I told her once we stepped into the kitchen. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before she went to go get a peeler. I sat down at the table and started to work a shit ton of yams. Watching Bella operate in this tiny cramped space, cooking a mountain of food for an army of people while somehow still keeping it clean and organized, made me realize that she really was a professional chef. She chopped three different kinds of vegetables before I even got through my pile. When I was done, she gave me green beans to snap. She was assigning me tasks a child could do, I realized. It was about my skill level, though. She didn’t have time to teach me anything right then. I danced around the kitchen with her, helping with dishes and talking to her as we listened to music on the phone. Whenever I kissed her, she tasted like something new and delicious. Somewhere in the evening, I received a text message from Jasper. “I hope that you’re having a good day. Sorry for being abrupt earlier.” “It’s okay,” I replied. “I understand. I hope you’re doing okay, and I miss you. Call me whenever you get a chance.” The phone began to ring, and I smiled. I brought it up to my ear. “Oh, hello. What are you doing?” “Just on a smoke break. What are you doing?” I put my arms around my girlfriend’s waist from behind, resting my chin on her shoulder as I watched her cook four things on the stove at once. There were three things in the oven, two slow cookers and a pressure cooker going as well. We had to turn down the heater because it was so warm. “I am currently in a tiny kitchen in Queens, watching a very talented woman cook the most delicious looking food that I’ve ever seen. It seriously smells so good. It’s like Christmas.” “That’s because that’s what it is,” she replied to me, smiling a little. “On steroids.” “Yes,” I agreed with a laugh. “She already cooked probably twenty dishes all from scratch, and she’s still going. And we’re going to carry them all to her friend’s place before the crack of dawn so that she can cook some more.” “She sounds like a busy girl,” he replied, clearing his throat. “She’s right there, huh?” “Yup,” I pulled her to me, kissing her temple. “My best mate, Jasper,” I explained to her when she glanced back. I was sure that she could hear him on the side. “Hi, Jasper!” She called softly as she stirred browning onions in a pan, making him chuckle. “Tell her hello,” he remarked. “You seem happy. I’m glad. I just wanted to check up on you and apologize for early. It’s been a long week, you know?” I shook my head. “No, I understand. I bought you some Christmas gifts today, so watch for that in the mail,” I informed him proudly. I had gone to a swanky art supply store and went nuts. Not three doors down was a post office. It was meant to be. “Aw!” He said cheerfully. “Thank you, darling. So early.” “Well, I was out.” “Did you get me jewelry, too?” He teased, making me chuckle. “You know what? Don’t spoil the surprise. I’m sure it’s just lovely whatever it is,” he continued. I just sighed, making him laugh some. “Alright, have fun. Back to work. Kiss the misses for me.” I beamed at his request, quickly pressing my lips to the top of her head. “Consider it done. Bye, lovey.” By sunset, Bella had made several desserts, including chocolate chip cookies. They were created from the dough that she told Alice not to eat all of. I understood then why she would want to. It was fucking amazing. She offered me one warm, and then I asked for three more before I just started sneaking them like a child. She didn’t seem to mind too much. “I love them so much,” I mumbled when she caught me with a mouthful. She smirked, walking over to me so that she could lean over and kiss my lips. “I’ll make you a bunch whenever I come next. You can keep them in the freezer and bake them whenever you want.” “Thank you,” I muttered, smiling. She giggled a little. That got me thinking about the next time she would come to Los Angeles. And Christmas. I had expected to be alone and accepted it. Now, I didn’t want to be. I wanted to spend it with her. It was so late when she got finished with all the food, we decided to just stay at her place. I brought a little backpack with me so that I could change and shower in the morning. We snuggled on her tiny bed, my face pressed against her neck as I breathed her in. The sounds of New York echoed around us. “What plans do you have for Christmas?” “I was probably going to be alone. Alice and Rose are going to Texas. Demetri is going to see his in-laws as well.” I took a deep breath. “I was going to be alone, as well. But I want to spend Christmas with you. And New Years.” “I hope you don't want to go to the ball drop in Times Square because I'm not doing that.” It was so unexpected an answer that I laughed in surprise. “No. I was actually hoping you could come to spend it in California with me. We could go on that snowy weekend we were talking about. Colorado or Utah. Maybe you could spend three weeks all together?” I hadn’t thought about it much since then, but there had been so much else going on. She didn’t say anything for a second. “That's so long. I want to, but I may have to work. I've been on a roll, and I don't want it to stop.” “That's fair, but remember while you're there, we can do those videos we were talking about. You can teach me how to cook. And we can do whatever videos you want. I love your ideas, and I think you're amazing in front of the camera. You really could be a star,” I began to grasp for straws as charmingly as possible. I felt her skin heat under my lips as they moved over her ear and jaw. “I don't want to use you for money.” “One, you're not. I am. I'm making way more money off this arrangement than you are. You must realize that. And I'm already planning on increasing what you get to match Seth and Tyler if you're going to be so involved. Even though I know you're about to freak out over it,” I began right away. “I haven't looked at my bank account in a while because I kind of had a little panic attack last time. The amount freaks me out,” she said in a voice so tiny that I barely heard it. Her words confused me. “Why? I know not all of it is from the videos you've been doing with me. A lot of it is your store. And the magazines.” “Which is only because you had me on your channel. And because I took your picture,” she answered very quickly. I took a deep breath, leaning my face against the top of her head. “That's how Hollywood works, though, baby. It's called a break.” “Everything good that has happened in the past two months is because of you!” She exclaimed in an anxious rush. As soon as the words stopped, she gasped a little as if they caused her pain. That wasn’t true in the least. “Everything good that has happened in the past two months is because of your incredible talent, generous soul, and immense patience and fortitude.” “What if you go away?” Oh, no. That was never going to happen. I could understand why she thought about that. I knew where that came from. But even if it was understandable, it was painful. I squeezed her closer, holding my hands on top of hers. Part of me wished that I had brought the ring with me, just to show her just how committed I was to her and our future together. “I'm not.” “You can't say that because it's not true.” “It is true.” She began to shake with tears. “No. It's not. Everyone leaves. No one is immortal. Everyone dies. Everything is always changing. I relied on Aiden for money because I was a stupid child, and because I was an idiot, I was almost homeless again. Because we were both terrible with money. I'm not going to make that same mistake again. I can't be relying on you.” Damn, I didn’t know how to relieve that fear. I wanted her to rely on me. Maybe not for money. Of course, I would give her cash if she needed it, but I knew that she would never straight ask for it. When we worked together, I considered it just that. A job. Even if we were having fun while doing it. I tried to think of another way of going about it. “You're obviously not. Do you really think you're not working when you did that stuff with me? Or that you don't deserve to be rewarded for your work? I'm not going to short change you because you lack the self-confidence to know your worth. And your pictures are separate from me and speak for themselves. I'm not going to not shout how awesome I think you are and that everyone needs to see your work. Clearly, I'm not the only one who thinks you're a skilled artist. I'm glad I can show people, but they're looking because your art is beautiful, Bella.” She turned over to look at me. Putting my fingers on my cheeks, she bit her lip for just a moment. “How can you be this good? You can have anyone. Anyone. You are a sexy twenty-four-year-old with literally all the money in the world at this point. Why are you bothering with me?” “I don't know how you can be asking that. I really don't.” Bella’s voice cracked. “I don't know what I have to give you.” The words didn’t even make sense to me. “You don't have to give me anything. That... that's not how any of this works. What you give me is intangible and undefinable and wonderful. You are full of love and kindness in a way that makes me want to be a better man just for you.” I love you, I wanted to cry. But I knew this wasn’t the right time. I wanted the moment to be romantic. Not during a panic attack. She pressed herself to me, pushing her forehead against my heart. “Stop it, you're going to make me cry.” My hands slid up her forearms. “Please don't be down on yourself anymore. I'm going to argue with you every time until you just accept that I'm right and you're great.” Pulling back, she gazed into my eyes. Her fingers dragged over my cheeks before moving across my lips. “I think you’re more than great.” Then Bella began to kiss me tenderly. “I want you,” she said against my mouth. “Please.”  Episode Thirty-six: RingsBella had undressed already when I came out of the bathroom, lying on the bed while smoking one of the oil pens that Tyler got me for my birthday. My brain went from romance to the rubbish bin in two seconds flat. I had wanted to soothe her anxiety and give her the comfort that she needed. But as she sprawled out like a fantasy in our bed, I wanted to give her something else. As the smoke curled from her lips, it twirled and reflected the neon lights from the windows in the darkened room. Her head lulled to the side as she gazed at me. “Sorry for stealing your weed.” “No. Everything that is mine is yours. I think you might need it.” “It’s so strong,” she whispered, looking back at the ceiling. “It’s helping already.” Bella reached out and offered it to me. After removing my shirt, I came to the bed to get it from her. I laid beside her, taking a long drag. Then I coughed like a maniac. Bella giggled, rubbing my chest. “I told you that it was strong. Little hits. This isn’t your joints.” She leaned over me to get the bottle of water from the bedside table. Her breasts swung in my face. The drugs took effect shockingly fast, my body relaxing as my mind fogged. I handed it back to her with a little grimace. “I’ll check the water,” I mumbled in a raspy voice. “That’s a huge tub, it’ll take a minute,” she said as she watched me get up. My girl rolled to her side, taking another little drag. She held her head up with her palm on her temple, her fingers twisted into her hair. “This place is so beautiful. I think it’s the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed in.” The water was only halfway up the sides, the room filling with steam. I adjusted the temperature, so it wouldn’t be too hot. Afterward, I finished getting undressed. I came to stand in the doorway. “Yeah, it might take a little while.” Her breath caught in her throat, her eyes moving from the tip of my toes all the way up my body. Bella blushed, biting my lip for a moment. “You are the most beautiful man that I have ever seen.” I wanted to hide away from her compliment. Maybe tell her it wasn’t true. I needed to be confident, though. But nothing I could hide my wild flush. “I think you might be biased,” I repeated her words from earlier in the night. She shook her head slowly, holding my gaze the entire time. “I’m not. I’m a photographer. I’ve been taught what true beauty is, so I can look for it to make my art. You are an artist and a masterpiece, all at the same time. You are perfect.” I laughed because I couldn’t help myself. Pushing my lips together, I looked away for a moment. “You are so very smooth, my darling. But you a bit of a try-hard.” Bella giggled, hopping out of bed towards me. I scooped her up into my arms, kissing her for a long pleasant moment. We made out in the bathtub until the water was cold and filthy from the soap. We crawled into bed right after, both of us tired from the day. She wore a lovely little nightgown and curled herself around me. I wouldn’t make a move on her, even if I wanted to do so desperately. She would have let me, but I felt guilty about it after spending the day with her dead husband’s family. I fell asleep quickly but woke up in the middle of the night. I felt restless, and apparently, so did Bella. Her head tossed gently back and forth to the side. Her fingers coiled into the sheets as her face scrunched. “No,” she whispered in her sleep. I kissed her temple lightly. She whimpered and turned into me. “No. No, Aiden,” she breathed. “No. Please. Don’t. Aiden. Stop. Aiden. Aiden. Aiden.” Bella began to cry, her tears dripping down her cheeks. I pulled her to me tighter. “It’s okay, love. I’m here. I’ve got you.” “I don’t want to.” “Then you don’t have to,” I answered, kissing her again and again very lightly. I just wanted the bad dreams to go away. “Edward,” she whimpered my name. She sniffed deeply, the tears still coming. “Please, Edward.” “I’m right here. Shhhh...” “Edward, I love you. Please.” She shivered all over. I began to tear up, pushing my face into her hair. “I love you, too. It’s okay, baby. I’m right here. It’s just a bad dream.” She stilled, and after a moment said, “hm?” She pulled back to look at me with her eyes open, obviously confused. “You okay?” I asked gently. “I think you were having a nightmare.” Bella nodded slowly, rubbing her eyes with one hand to get the tears out of them. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled before rolling over. I realized then that she wasn’t really awake then either. I turned over with her, spooning her back as I adjusted the blankets. She tugged my hand around her stomach and pressed it to her heart with her palm on top of mine. A second later, a tiny snore fell from her lips. That morning, I woke up with a little kiss. Bella was fully dressed and leaning over me. She brushed her fingers through my hair, gazing at me lovingly. “I’m going to practice. I’ll text you when it’s over, so I can meet you somewhere. I’ll need to get cleaned up and put my stuff away, though.” “I’ll meet you at the apartment if you like,” I offered, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. “That would be perfect. Actually, I stuck the spare keys in my purse to give you anyway,” she mumbled, looking into her massive bag. She quickly pulled them out, just a couple of keys on a single ‘I ‘heart’ NYC’ keychain. “One is for the lobby, and the other is for the apartment. Do you need anything before I go?” “No,” I smiled at her. She began to get up. “Wait! Yes, I do.” “What?” “Another kiss,” I grinned stupidly. She rolled her eyes but smirked as she crawled back onto the bed to give me one more. This kiss was far more intense. I rubbed the back of her neck, holding it for as long as she would allow me. “I’ll see you in a few hours, my darling.” “Get some more sleep,” she called to me as she went towards the door. That would not happen. I threw the blanket off of me once it closed and hurried to go get a shower. After I finally got dressed, I checked my phone. Jasper had replied to my last message. “Please, do not propose to this woman after a month, Tony. I’m serious. You can’t be this stupid.” I replied after shoving my wallet in my back pocket. “I’m not proposing tonight! I just found the right ring, and I know that I will spend the rest of my life with her.” The phone rang. I was a little surprised. It was really late there. I thought, anyway. I wasn’t sure about the time change. Jasper began talking right away. “Oi! Why- Just… what? What are you doing? It’s been a month. You are not this kind of person. You plan every moment and- and-” I laughed. “Yeah, I know. I am. This is me… planning. I’m not going to propose today or this month or even this year. But I just need to have it. I know this is the ring that I need to get my girl. I need to see it on her hand. It’s perfect.” “You don’t even know her size!” He fussed. He was a little annoyed with me and bristling for more of a fight. It was probably the first problem that popped into his head. “That’s true. But rings can be easily sized. Also, I can just ask.” “Okay, go ahead and ask her what her ring size is,” he said with extreme sarcasm. “That won’t scare her at all.” I laughed again. “Okay, maybe. Well… I could ask Alice, her best friend.” “And tell her what? Don’t you think her best friend will tell her that you’re buying her an engagement ring?” He pressed. “Or I could lie. It’s not that hard. I am an actor. I could say that it was for something else.” Pausing, I waited for him to argue some more. He grunted. “I could say it was for Christmas. ‘Hey, Al, this Eddie, um, I was going to do a bit of holiday shopping while Bella is at practice today. I don’t suppose you could help me out with sizes, huh? You know, like for clothes, shoes, jewelry or whatever’,” I quoted very casually. I heard him groan loudly. “You’re going to buy this girl an engagement ring.” “I’m going to marry this woman. So, yeah. I am. I need it.” Jasper sighed heavily. “Why now? Why do you need it? What happened?” I sat on the edge of the bed. “Yesterday, we spent all day with Aiden’s family. And they were wonderful. And I watched her with her niece, and I wanted it to be our daughter. I saw her hold our baby in my head, and it just- gah. Like, she’s just literally an angel. She so perfect that I know that she was made for me.” He began to laugh, and then he sighed again. “Crikey. You are the most dramatic cunt.” “Okay, so hear me out. We have so many things in common. Our hobbies. We enjoy everything from the same kinds of foods and music and books. And she loves food as much as I do and just knows everything that I don’t about it. She’s smart and funny, talented as hell. She’s an artist in every single way. Music, dancing, photography, singing. Bella came to New York to be on Broadway after she got her education. But it didn’t work out for her. I can give her that. I can make her a star and give her all of her dreams. And she’s amazing with kids. She is strong even though she’s gone through hell. Bella’s backbone is made of steel. This woman is everything that I’m not and in every way better than me, and if I don’t marry her, I don’t know what I’ll do with myself or what I’m doing with my life. Because she’s it, man,” I ended in a resounding huff. There was a long pause. “Well. Okay then. So, am I at least going to be invited to the wedding?” I chuckled in relief at his words. “You better be standing right beside me. You’re the only person who I care about being there besides the lovely bride herself.” “Don’t tell your sisters that.” “Okay, I’m not stupid.” He laughed genuinely at my words. “I’m going to let you go, so I can get some breakfast and go shopping. The jewelry store is right across from the hotel, so that’s easy, at least. I also need to get Bella a fucking heater. Her place is so goddamn cold.” “Well, good luck with that. Show me a picture of the ring after you get the silly thing.” I ate in the lobby, looking up where to buy supplies for the day. I also sent Alice a messaged worded almost exactly how I said it to my best friend. Just as I was finishing up, she replied by text. “Oh, sure! So, clothes: Shirts, small. Pants, 0s. Leggings and stuff, small. Pajamas, she likes huge, though. Large if they’re for comfiness. She’s a 32DD and small in panties. Shoes she’s a six. Her ears are pierced, she likes her necklaces on the longer side. Ring size five on her ring finger and six on her middle, pointer, and thumb.” I would have to buy Alice a very nice present for Christmas. She was so eager to be helpful. “Thanks!” “What are you thinking about getting her?” “Jewelry, probably.” I decided to be vague. “So, just an FYI, Bella loves this brand that’s from Texas. It’s mostly silver. She has a ton of pieces from them. Her favorite is this ring that her grandmother gave her. I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed. But it’s James Avery.” Honestly, I hadn’t noticed, other than she really enjoyed wearing it. She had said that she loved cheap costume pieces. “Oh, really?” “There aren’t any stores in NYC, though. So you’d have to order it. But it’s still a month until Christmas.” I looked up the jewelry maker she mentioned. Right away, I could see why she liked it so much. When I had a chance, I would order her something from there. “Thank you so much, that helps a lot. I think I might order her a ring. Some of these are very cute.” “Oo! Show me what you pick!” She replied. It was the second time in one day that I was told to show someone the ring I was going to buy for Bella. I smiled to myself. When I walked into the store, the salesman recognized me right away. He perked up from his spot, standing up a bit straighter. “Ah, come to buy her two more pairs?” He joked with a big smile. I chuckled nervously. “Um, actually, I was hoping that you still had the ring I looked at the other day.” He went right to it, pulling out the exact one. “She is a lovely piece. It’s sized very small, though.” Stunned, I glanced up at him. “Oh? What size?” “Five.” Laughing, I covered my mouth as I shook my head. “No, actually, it’s perfect. That’s the size she wears. She’s a tiny girl.” I cleared my throat, looking at the ring box. “May I?” “Yes, sir!” I picked up and felt the weight. It was extremely heavy in my hand. Carefully, I put it on the tip of my ring finger on my left hand. It barely made it past my nail. “How much?” He smiled as he realized that he made a sale. It was far less than I was actually willing to spend. I thought it would be more expensive. I went directly back to the room and sat at the table, just staring at it. After I sent a picture to Jasper, my phone rang again. I brought it to my ear. “Now that is a ring, Tony. Jesus. How much did you just spend?” “Around five thousand.” “I don’t know what that is in American.” “Cheap for a ring this big. Apparently, antique jewelry is the way to go. It’s a century old. You’d think it would make it more expensive,” I mumbled. “Diamonds, emeralds, platinum. It’s going to look huge on her tiny hand.” He let out a little breath. “It’s gorgeous. She’ll love it, darling. Just… promise me you won’t do it this year, at least. She seems lovely, and I know you’re in love, but be smart.” “I am,” I promised. “I won’t. I’m going to make it perfect for her and give her everything she needs. I know that she loves me now, too. It’s just a matter of time.” His breath caught, and he drew it in quickly. “She told you?” I closed the ring box with a little snap, laughing to myself some in embarrassment. “Um, well, not awake. But yes, she has. She has shouted it at my face two nights in a row in her sleep. Calling my name as she does. I think she had a nightmare about Aiden and me last night. She kept telling him no. Then she told me she loved me and needed me. She cried in her sleep. Bella is a chatty thing at night, it seems. I kind of love it.” “That’s got to make you feel good,” he concluded, but his voice was a little distressed. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?” “Oh, yeah, yeah. I’m fine, darling. Just exhausted. I should probably go. I’ll talk to you later. Have a good day.” “Oh, okay. Right. Yeah, you too, love,” I pouted. Then I remember something. “Hey, how’d your date go?” He chuckled. “Just fine. Got laid, had fun, will probably never call them again. Bye, Tony.” “Bye.” Jasper was obviously sad about something, but I didn’t understand what. He wouldn’t tell me either. I knew he was lonely in Sydney, just like I was in Los Angeles. I thought about making him the offer again, but I knew that would cause a fight. Instead, I decided that I would go out and buy him some Christmas gifts while doing my other shopping during the day.  Episode Thirty-five: PlayEsther never stopped talking. I thought that I was chatty. But it was apparent that she loved her daughter-in-law like she was her own. They joked and teased each other, laughing around the dinner table. Claire kept staring at her aunt and me, smiling brightly whenever we made any sort of contact with one another. It was actually really cute. After dinner, everyone crowded into the tiny living room to keep chatting. Mike, Bella’s brother-in-law, was a pleasant, if not a little boring, middle-aged man. He obviously had no idea who I was, or why his daughter was so excited to see me, but that didn’t seem to slow him down from making mindless chit-chat with me. I didn’t really mind, but my eyes kept flicking to the floor where my lovely girlfriend sat with her niece. They were playing with some of the makeup that I had gotten her when she was in Los Angeles. It was in a big bag in her even bigger purse. They had everything spread out in front of them, and she explained what each of them was and how best to use them. She would hold the young girl’s face delicately, praising her beauty the entire time. I wanted to watch her do these things with our daughter. It wasn’t hard to imagine her in my living room with a sweet little infant with a light tan and maybe brown eyes like hers and red hair just like me. Almost everyone in my family had red hair, the genes strong. They only achieved more unique looks with a bottle. Maybe if we were really lucky, she would have the same unique blue eye. Bella had said it was genetic. “So, do you play any sports?” Mike questioned, pulling me out of my fantasy world. I glanced at him, trying to connect all the words. It took a second. “You’d be great at basketball.” I laughed a little awkwardly. “Um, I’ve never played that much, actually. I did do some wrestling in school with my mate, Jasper. He won a bunch of championships. I was never as good as him, even though I always beat him,” I chuckled. “But I’ve got about a foot and probably fifty pounds on him, so it’s not exactly fair. And I played a bit of football as a kid. Or rather, what you Americans call soccer.” Dr. Zucker snored, coughing a little before he shifted in his spot. His wife shook her head and picked up the remote to turn the television off. “I played soccer in high school!” Ash, Aiden’s cousin, added into the conversation excitedly. “Do you watch any?” “Sometimes,” I replied, thinking back to my friends. “My mates and I used to go out to a pub and watch regularly. My brothers-in-law bloody love the sport as well, so we’d often have watch parties. But I have to admit, I usually end up on the floor with the kids,” I smiled down at my girlfriend, and she grinned in return. She had made the spotty thirteen-year-old look almost runway ready. Carefully, she smoothed a shimmering tan powder over her eyelids, holding her pinkie up in the air as she did so. “Your aunt has done my makeup too, you know,” I blurted out. The little girl looked at me in curiosity. She tilted her head to the side slightly. “Really?” Bella smirked, nodding her head. She pulled a wand from a purple tube. “I gave him fake eyelashes and everything,” she paused to paint mascara onto hers. “He looked very pretty.” Claire giggled softly, biting her lip as she glanced at me. “Why?” I shrugged a little, leaning in a bit. “I lost a bet, and I had to do it for a video. And I did look fetching. Purple is my shade. You'll see that one soon enough.” She laughed at my silliness, blushing a little. Her attention quickly went back to the makeup, though. Bella was watching me, her smile so warm and adoring. And it was all for me. I winked at her, making her flush a little as well. “Aunt Bella, can I do your makeup?” Looking over at her with a smile, she quickly nodded her head. “Of course, baby. I’m not wearing anything right now.” “So, what do we start with again?” She questioned, looking at the loot between her legs. She reached forward, pointing at a tiny tube. “Primer.” Her aunt rearranged everything so that it was in a neat row for her. “Primer first, foundation second, then concealer, blush, and powder.” My girl was a great teacher, patient and kind. She didn’t care if Claire painted her teeth three different shades and poked her in the eye more than once. Her eyelids were colored to her eyebrows. Claire didn’t stop until her mother told her that it was time for them to get ready to go. She pouted a bit, hugging Bella tightly. Whispering that she missed her, she promised to talk to her very soon. Ash, her wife, and mother all left when Helena and Mike did. “How do I look?” Bella teased as she pulled a plastic package out of her bag after all the goodbyes. She raised her overfilled eyebrows. “Am I sexy?” “You are the most beautiful woman in the world,” I swore right away without a bit of hesitation. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, thinking that I was teasing. I wasn’t. When she walked past me, she lightly brushed her fingers over my shoulder. She went into the bathroom to get cleaned up. I watched her leave with a smile. Esther looked at me knowingly. “I think that we’ll be seeing a lot more of you.” “I hope so.” She smiled a little. “Thank you for coming with Bella today. This day has been very hard on her in the past.” She paused for a moment, looking down at her long sharp nails. The words were hard for her. “The first birthday without him was just a couple of weeks after he died. She barely made it through the Shiva.” She shook her head. I had no idea what a Shiva was. Another thing to add to my list of googling when I got a chance. “She spent it in the hospital, alone.” “Hospital?” I said in surprise. The word just fell from my lips. Esther nodded, looking down grimly as she shook her head once more. “She needed some help that we couldn’t give her. She wasn’t eating or sleeping. Or talking. Bella didn’t speak a single word for two months after Aiden died. At all to anyone. Not even to poor Alice, who never left her side.” “What?” Jonah moaned as he sat up, finally waking up. He rubbed his face roughly. “What are we discussing?” “I’m telling him about Bella after Aiden died,” she whispered. She just kept shaking her head as if she was trying to dislodge the memory. “How hard it was on her. My sweet baby.” He instantly frowned. “Poor girl,” he agreed with a sigh. “She was catatonic for weeks. We were worried that she would never come back. It’s taken years.” The older woman stood from the couch. “She seems happy right now, though, and I think I know why, too.” She kissed my cheek lightly. “You’re a sweet young man. Here. Let me go get you some food to take with you.” She fluttered away before I could say anything else to her. “Well, I will be scrubbing that off forever,” Bella joked as she came back in. “Oh, good morning, Jonah. How was your nap?” She asked she picked up her purse from the floor. He yawned and stretched. “Fantastic. It was exactly what I needed before bed.” Bella giggled at his words. “You two about to head out?” “Yes, sir. I think that I should probably go feed Alice. You know she can’t survive without me,” she replied sardonically. “I’m getting you some food to take home!” Her mother-in-law shouted from the kitchen, making her smirk. “Oh, no. But will you have enough if someone shows up in the middle of the night?” She asked her dramatically. Dr. Zucker laughed under his breath as he stood from his recliner. He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “If not, there is probably six months worth of food in the freezer.” He rolled his eyes hard as he shook his head. “Come over soon and eat some of it.” “I will,” she promised. When we walked out of the front door, both of us were carrying the bags of leftovers that we were given. It was probably several meals worth for a couple of people. Bella turned to look at me. “We could wait for a car, but it’s only about a five-minute walk to the subway from here,” she explained. “I need to put this food away at the apartment. We don’t have anywhere to keep it at the hotel.” “That works,” I answered, taking her hand. The snow was piling on the grass as it drifted from the sky, but the concrete was still too warm for it to stick. We walked in silence, Bella leading the way. There were a million things going on behind her eyes. With every step closer, her tension picked up just a little. I bought one of the all-you-can-ride metro cards, catching a train within seconds of stepping onto the platform. There was almost no one around us, an elderly woman on the other side of the car. “Was that too much?” She suddenly blurted out. Her eyes were wide with anxiety. I looked at her in surprise. “What? It was an overall, very nice day. Very wholesome. I gained ten pounds, I think.” I patted my gut. “They seem lovely. They love you very much and only want you to be happy.” “Thank you.” She suddenly embraced me, her face shoving into my neck. “For today. I didn't even ask. It all just kind of happened.” I held her back, squeezing her tightly. “Did you get what you needed?” She didn’t say anything for a long minute, finally tilting her head back to look at me. “I think so. I feel better than I did this morning. This isn't how you wanted to spend your vacation, though, I'd imagine.” “It's exactly how I wanted to spend it. With you.” She pressed her face into my shoulder, closing her eyes. She didn’t say anything else, and I had too much on my mind. I thought about the day and everything that I had been told. It was an overwhelming amount of new information about her. All of it just endured me to her even more. I wasn't surprised that Bella had a breakdown after Aiden. It had obviously torn her apart in a way that I could not imagine. My heart broke for her, and I wanted to cry. For her pain and suffering, her loneliness and fear. Dr. Zucker had warned me against hurting her, but I don’t think there was any kind of torment that she hadn’t already gone through. “Food,” Bella shouted as soon as we walked in the front door of her apartment. Both her roommate and the cat answered. Patty shrieked as she came skittering down the hall. “What kind?” Bella took the other bag from me. “Esther cooked for Aiden's birthday.” “Is there matzo balls?” Alice appeared in t-rex pajamas that had a hood. I hadn’t been expecting it. She had seemed so professional before. But this made her look like a very cute twelve-year-old. “Yup. And she gave me a whole loaf of homemade challah. Brisket. There are a few kinds of cookies. Apple cake with honey frosting. You know how she does.” She did a little dance, taking one of the bags from her grip before trotting towards the kitchen. “Fuck yes. I was about to order soup. Are you going to practice tomorrow?” She nodded her head. “Yeah, I need to.” Then something popped into her head. “Would you mind bringing my gear with you so that I don't have to haul it to the hotel and back?” “Sure. I'm going to take a Lyft anyway. I have a half off code. Put it on your bed, so I know that I'm taking the right stuff.” Bella grinned, dusting off her hands as she finished putting the food away. “Okay. Thanks.” She took my hand and led me back to her bedroom. Once again, I sat as I watched her gather her supplies for the next day. She pulled a large case from underneath the bed, reaching over to pick up the banjo. “Will you play for me?” Without saying anything else, she started to strum a tune that I knew right away. It was ‘The Rainbow Connection.’ Her fingers expertly danced over the strings. And then she began to sing. My heart was going to explode out of my chest. It went a million miles an hour. She did it perfectly, every note exact. Her voice was airy and soft. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from her for even a second. When she finished, her roommate clapped from the other room as she continued to heat up her food. Bella rolled her eyes and shook her head hard as she began to put the banjo away into the case. “It is filthy just how wildly talented you are. You should be the one going on Broadway.” Alice leaned against the door as she looked into the room. “You know that's why she came here, right? She wanted to be in the theater.” She blew on her food several times, stirring it with the too big silver spoon before trying some. It was still too hot, though. Oh. I was stupid for not even thinking about that earlier. Bella would have been perfect on Broadway. She could sing, dance, play instruments, and command an audience with charm and grace. Certainly, I couldn’t be the only person who saw that. I couldn’t understand why she wasn’t a starlet. She didn’t look up as she finished her work. “That's why a lot of people move here, and like most, I wasn't good enough. It wasn't for me, anyway. I was just too young to know that at the time.” Quickly, I shook my head. “I don't know. I think you'd be great. I think you could be a star.” I was going to do that. Somehow, I was going to give my girl the fame she wanted when she was younger. She was beyond talented, and it was a shame that no one had noticed before then. But I could give Bella her every dream, starting with that one. We could make this journey together. My girlfriend shook her head, her face blank. “I mostly like being behind the camera. And you two are both intensely biased. One of you wants to sleep with me, and the other is dating me.” I tried not to laugh at her bad joke, and it came out as a snort. Her best friend looked so unimpressed, turning a little red in the face before flipping her off. It sounded like something Jasper would say. When we got back to the hotel, she turned to look at me. “Would you like to take a bath with me?” “Yes, I’d love to. Let me run to the loo, and I’ll start the water,” I offered, kissing her cheek as I went to the bathroom for a private minute. When I did, I checked my phone. Jasper had sent me a couple of messages, but I didn’t want to be rude and text in front of Bella’s inlaws. I wanted to make a proper impression. “How’s it going? I’m going to assume good since you’re not answering. You’re probably too busy fucking and eating pizza for me.” “Actually, we went to the cemetery and spent the day with her inlaws. It was Aiden’s birthday today. She didn’t tell me until yesterday, and she wasn’t going to. She was going to suffer alone, so I’m glad that I showed up when I did. I think that she needed me.” “Jesus, poor girl. Is she okay?” “Yeah, she seems to be. Quiet, but that’s understandable.” My phone beeped in my hand. “And how are you?” “I’m great, actually. I’ve decided something.” “What’s that?” “I’m going to buy an engagement ring tomorrow.”  Episode Thirty-four: Claire“So, what do you do, young man?” Dr. Zucker asked casually as we walked back inside. “I’m an actor and writer,” I explained quietly. He chuckled to himself. “That makes sense. That girl is a ball of creativity and energy. I hope that you can keep up.” “Me too,” I chuckled as well. “It’s already a bit of a struggle, even with the advantage of being a little younger.” Patting my shoulder firmly, he smirked a little. “Lucky boy.” 'Unbelievably so.” In the small hallway foyer that led to the living room, there were dozens of framed pictures. The older man kept going as I stopped to inspect them. Bella was in so many of them, alone and with her husband. Then I saw a wedding photo of the two. I hadn’t yet. Bella looked so incredibly young and even smaller somehow. Jealousy suddenly swirled through me. I hated that Aiden cheated on her. There was no way that I could ask about it either, not without hurting her. I would never do that to her. The idea of being with someone else behind her back actually made my heart hurt. In my head, I joked about threesomes, but I wanted to play with her. Not with someone else. Bella came around the corner, watching me. I smiled briefly, licking my lips as my eyes turned back to the pair surrounded by a crowd. The dress that she was wearing made her look like a princess from a 2000s teen-movie. “He looks really happy,” I remarked softly. She snorted very delicately, shaking her head. “I look terrified. It's a good picture of him, though.” Bella touched the photo for a moment before pointing to another. “I like this one better. We were on our honeymoon in Mexico on the beach. You can't tell it in this photo, but I have the worst rash on my back. I was miserable the entire time. Still, I have no idea why I had a rash.” My poor girl had the worst kind of luck. “Oh no,” I mumbled as I smoothed my hand up her spine slowly. She took my arm, and we went into the living room to another wall. Every single picture was of her late husband. I recognized Bella’s style in a lot of them. She pointed to one of them. “This is about a month before he died. He looks like a small straight Anderson Cooper,” she giggled impishly before her breath caught a little. Her eyes were visibly red from trying not to cry. “Are you doing okay?” She nodded, turning so that she could wrap her arms around my waist. “Yeah. Thank you for being here today and being so wonderful.” I leaned down to kiss the top of her head. I had done nothing but sit by her side. If this was wonderful, then she had a very low bar for greatness. Closing my eyes, I breathed her in. “Young man, do you like beer?” I looked up, glancing up towards the kitchen to answer her father-in-law. “Yes, sir.” “They like you,” Bella whispered as she looked up at me. Her smile was precious, obviously very pleased. “Good.” She led me back into the kitchen, sitting me down at the table beside him while she went to the fridge to fetch us both one. Opening each, she sat one down in front of me with a kiss on the temple. Dr. Zucker looked Bella over and smiled at her. “You’re looking very fit, young lady.” “That’s what I said!” His wife agreed loudly from in front of the stove. “She’s been lifting weights. Can you believe it? The tiny thing.” He chuckled. “Great! It’s good for you. Keep it up.” “It’s actually quite impressive,” I informed them, taking a sip of my own beer. If she could brag about me, I could do so about her. “My best mate is into weight lifting, and I was telling him how much she can bench, and he wants to see it. I may have to film it to prove it.” Bella flushed, looking away from me. “It’s not that impressive.” “I’m pretty sure that you could bench press Esther,” I teased. Her father-in-law let out of a big laugh. “I’d love to see what.” He winked at his wife over the table. “But she’s light as a feather, so it can’t be too hard.” Ah, he was a smooth old man. She clicked her tongue at him and rolled her eyes as she went back to work on cooking. Once Bella was done with her drink, she began to help again too. The conversation kept up steadily until an explosion of noise burst through the front door. Three people, a couple and their teenage daughter, came stomping in from the cold. They shook off the snow, hanging up their coats. The girl shrieked loudly when she saw my little girlfriend, pushing past her parents to come colliding in for a hug. She was already taller than her by a couple of inches. “Aunt Bella!” “Hey, girly! I missed you.” She squeezed her back, looking at her lovingly. “I missed you, too.” “Have you been using your birthday gifts I got you?” Bella played with her thick curly hair, the girl gazing at her like she was the most fantastic person on the planet. “She's been using them every day,” a woman that I recognized from the pictures on the wall said with a little annoyance. The middle-aged man went to go get a drink wordlessly, looking like he was already done with the day. Her niece frowned. “Mommy made me wipe it off before we came. She said it looked bad.” The girl’s mother rolled her eyes. “That because you don't know what you're doing yet.” Tilting her head to the side, Bella toyed with one of her curls for just a moment. “I have my makeup bag in my purse. I can teach you how to do some subtle looks your mom will like.” “Yas!” The girl jumped up, putting her hands above her head before she began to floss. I smirked to myself, trying not to giggle at her reaction. It was adorable. Bella’s sister-in-law kind of sighed to herself, shaking her head at her daughter. “After dinner. It looks like Grandma is almost done. Go wash your hands.” When the little girl rolled her eyes, she looked just like her mom. Her father went into the living room to have a beer and watch sports with his father-in-law. She marched past them. “Yes, ma'am.” Ash, Aiden’s cousin, returned with another woman her own age and an elderly woman that looked like a much older Dr. Zucker in a wig. Esther was still at the stove, busily cooking. She turned, shaking her wooden utensil as she did. “Helena, come meet Bella's new gentleman, Edward,” she shouted, barely missing giving her a smack in the mouth with it. She just ducked. Surprised, she turned to look at me. She shook my hand quickly. “Hi! I know you. Have we met before?” “Probably haven't met,” Bella answered for me as she embraced the ancient woman. She hugged back, patting her cheek before going to get an apron. My girl smirked at me. “I'm telling you, ‘gentleman’ is the way to go.” Her sister-in-law ignored her, cocking her head to the side as she stared at me really hard. She shook her head in confusion. “Really? Are you sure we haven't met? Maybe at one of those parties you used to have? Those were so much fun.” Laughter echoed in the living room, the television blaring with sports. Bella’s niece came out of the bathroom, greeting her other aunt. Flailing her spoon again, Esther turned to look at us at the table. “Maybe you saw him on the Facebook, dear.” My girlfriend was leaning against the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched the chaos that was unfolding around us. The girl came sneaking in behind her, leaning in to whisper something in her ear that I couldn’t hear. She replied, pointing to the table. The only thing that I caught was ‘don’t make a mess.’ “Okay!” Claire responded happily, skipping into the middle of the kitchen. I watched her with amusement. Then she caught my gaze. I knew instantly that she recognized me because all the color drained from her face before it went fantastically red. Her fingers curled up at her sides as she shrieked like an Elvis fan in the fifties. “What the hell?” Her father demanded from the living room, not that he got up to see what the sound was. “OH, MY GOD! You're Eddie! Mommy! No way! Oh, my god, oh my god, oh my god! Why are you in my grandma's kitchen!?” She screamed before her eyes got wide with horror, and she lowered her voice. “Wait, you are Eddie, right?” It was so hard not to giggle. Everyone was looking at us. Esther shook her head, totally baffled as to why she was reacting that way. “His name is Edward, dear. He's Aunt Bella's friend. And don't use the Lord's name in vain, please. It's not nice.” With every bit of strength in her tiny body, she flung herself at me so that she could hug me. Her arms went around my neck, her baby powder perfume smacking me in the face as she did. Embracing her in return, I lightly patted her shoulder blade. Her grip tightened. “Wow,” I kind of laughed, squeezing her back. It wasn’t the first time I had a fan fling herself at me, child or adult. It was just always shocking. I invariably felt a little awkward at the contact, but I was never going to make a fan, especially a kid, feel bad because I was a nervous person. I could feel my cheeks heating by the second as everyone still stared at me. Her niece was vibrating in place against me. “I watch all your videos! Every single day after school! Can I take a picture? I love you so much.” “Yeah, of course. I don't mind.” It took a half-second for her to pull her phone out of her pocket. With my arm still around her, I automatically smiled. She took about two dozen in three seconds flat before literally jumping in place. Obviously, I had made her very happy. All the while, Bella watched me with a smile. “See, I was expecting more of that,” she insisted as she waved her finger at the girl. She finally turned her attention away from her phone. “I told you, Mommy, that Aunt Bella was on YouTube!” She turned to look at Bella. “She said it was probably not you. How many people are named Bella Swan, though? Um, basically, no one.” I pushed my lips together to keep from laughing at her attitude. She reminded me of my nieces so much, and I already adored her feisty little attitude. I hoped that one day she would be able to meet my girls because I think that they would all get along very well. My girlfriend was grinning mischievously. “She must have not actually watched the videos. But that's okay. You know, anyone can be on YouTube. I'm pretty sure I'm in probably a few other videos somewhere for something. Probably for CFA. I have some of me playing and singing, I bet.” Well, I was absolutely going to have to look for that somehow. I hadn’t thought about looking for her on YouTube. I figured that she would have told me about it. But if she played music or danced on stage as she said, there were probably lots of videos around. I just had to figure out how to find them. Then I smiled to myself when I remember what video was going to be posting for the day. It was one of the best that I have ever made for the channel. Editing that particular one was probably the greatest thing that I did when I was away from my little sassy love. “I posted my favorite video that I've made with your aunt so far, just today. Do you know which?” I inquired playfully, smirking at her. I knew that she didn’t, but I wanted to see her guess. She scrunched up her nose, biting her bottom lip as she considered it for a moment. “The cake place? Or maybe the Hawaiian pancakes and chicken? I don't know. They were all fun. My favorite is the Halloween one, I think. Maybe. Of the ones I’ve made with you, I mean.” I loved her answer. She was right, they were all fun. I shouldn’t have been surprised that the haunted zoo was her favorite. The entire day was incredible, though. It was, perhaps, one of the happiest days of my life. All because of her. I decided to tease her a bit. Leaning into the girl, I made my expression pouty. “The spicy wing flight. Your aunt was so mean to me.” She playfully and loudly gasped, acting as if I had just said something horrible about her in a bad soap opera. Her eyelashes fluttered as her nose lifted in the air. “He's such a baby.” Looking between us, I saw her niece’s eyes narrow. “Are you dating him? In the videos, it looks like you're dating. The fandom isn't sure.” The word fandom associated with me in any way made me want to die a little inside for some reason. I knew that there were fans, and that was cool. I knew that there were people who followed all my stuff. But the idea that there was a ‘fandom’ was insanity. “You can tell the fandom we are. If that's okay with you, miss.” The girl looked between us before throwing her hands up into the air once more and flossed. “O.M.G., I have to tell everyone,” she mumbled to herself before she ran off in some unknown direction. Bella watched her with a little smirk. Our eyes met, and both sets got wider. She walked over to the table, fixing the chair that the little girl had knocked to the side when she hugged me. Sitting beside me, Bella took my hand. “Well, she’s adorable,” I whispered, leaning into her a little. Giggling, Bella nodded her head as she pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Thank you for being so sweet to her,” she breathed as she brought her fingers up to my jaw, drawing her nails over it. I couldn’t resist kissing her lips lightly. It was just a peck. “My pleasure, love.”  Episode Thirty-three: FamilySo, somehow, I ended up in the kitchen of my love’s first husband’s childhood home. When I decided that I would do anything for her to make her feel better, I hadn’t expected it would lead us here, but obviously, it was what she needed. “Esther, what did you do?” She giggled when she got inside the tiny kitchen. I felt too big for the house. Like Gandalf in a hobbit hole. “Everyone is coming over today, and then they're coming over on Thursday for Thanksgiving as well. I'm sure someone will show up on Wednesday. They always do. You have to be prepared for guests. Let me start some coffee. Do you want coffee? Have you ever eaten Jewish food, Edward?” Mrs. Zucker said so quickly that the words sort of blended together. She was aflutter with excitement. I was surprised that she was taking so kindly to me, but I was going to suck up as much as possible. “I'd love coffee. No, ma'am. I don't think I've ever had the chance.” Aiden’s mother went beside her daughter-in-law and grabbed an entire thick chunk of her side. “You are too thin. You're not eating enough. Have you lost weight?” Bella frowned. “I've gained ten pounds actually. I've been lifting weights. Muscle is leaner than fat.” “Auntie, leave her alone. She looks great,” his cousin called as she got a drink. “She does, but she's so tiny. Doesn't lifting weights make you bulky? Give me a muscle. Show me your arm.” I wondered if she was showing off for me, or if this was how she was usually. She squeezed Bella’s muscle. She was lean but strong. “Oh! You are very muscular. Have you two been going to the gym together? You both seem very healthy.” She expectantly looked at me. I sat down at the offered chair. “We have worked out together, but I actually live in Los Angeles. So, it's not every day.” Her eyes got big. “Los Angeles! How exciting. How on earth did you two meet?” Then she turned to Bella. “Sweetie, get your gentleman some food. You know where everything is. How long have you been dating?” She sat down across from me, folding her hands in front of her. My brain sort of went, ‘Oh shit.’ My girlfriend smirked prettily at me. She was definitely amused. “She doesn't have to get me anything,” I responded quickly. “I don't mind,” she replied, almost playfully light. “Let's see, it looks like we have some plain and everything bagels. So I'm sure there are cream cheese and lox.” “And, onions and capers, too. Or, jelly if you like it sweet,” she paused, shaking her head. “If I had known you hadn't had breakfast, I would have made you some blueberry blintz. Those are Bella's favorite.” Aw, I was kind of sad that we missed those too. I liked blueberries. Bella rolled her eyes. “I think you have enough already cooked. It looks like there is also sufganiyot. It's a Jewish doughnut will jelly. Strawberry? Or Raspberry?” She questioned. “I did them with some cranberry jelly. I used your recipe you gave me that Aiden loved so much.” As soon as the words came out of Esther's mouth, Aiden’s cousin rushed to get one, and so did Bella. “Yes, please. Oh, my God,” she moaned in delight. “Language,” her mother-in-law chided her gently. “Goodness. Oh, my goodness. It's superb, Esther,” Bella murmured with a little smile. “Bagel or doughnut?” She didn’t give Bella a chance to answer. “Just get him both dear, so he can try them,” Esther remarked before I could as she stood. “You didn't say how you met or how long you've been dating?” Well, she was a persistent little woman. “We've been together just a month now,” I sputtered out awkwardly. She brought me a mug of coffee to drink. Nodding her head, she patted the top of my hand lightly. “Oh, so it just started. I see. I wondered why I haven't heard about you yet, but that makes sense. I'm glad she didn't wait too long.” Bella stopped what she was doing, looking at her mother-in-law in confusion as she crossed her thin arms over her chest. “Shouldn't it bother you that I'm bringing a new man to your home on your son's birthday?” Esther looked at her like she was stupid, pulling her chin in towards her chest as she smirked. “No, baby. It's fantastic. Now, how did you meet?” My girlfriend sort of raised her eyebrows as she looked away, shaking her head to herself. Then she brought a smile to her face. “I was hired to take his picture for one of the magazines that I work for. Vaudevillian. I flew to LA and got to stay with him for a week, and we hit it off right away. Edward is an actor.” “Oh! How interesting! Well, that makes sense, too. She has so many friends who are performers and artists.” She made her daughter-in-law’s coffee in a big mug and handed it to her wordlessly. A moment later, Bella brought me an assorted breakfast for us to share. She sat beside me. Bringing my hand to her shoulder, I squeezed it gently as I thanked her. Her answering smile was so gorgeous. “What have you been in? I thought you looked familiar, but I thought you might just be one of her friends that I've seen before. I'm sorry if that's rude,” Ash piped up curiously. She was sitting across the table from us as she played with her coffee drink. “No, it's fine.” I actually preferred that people didn’t recognize me when I was out. It felt awkward. “I'm kind of just starting out, really. I've only been in a couple of bigger movies so far. Last year I was in Night Hunter, and this year, I was in a movie called Golden Spy. I'm more of a voice actor, though. I've done a few cartoons and video games,” I explained to her in a rush. “That's so fascinating!” The older woman answered. “I saw Night Hunter in the theater with my wife. She loves those killer thriller type movies. Who were you in it?” She asked, looking at my face as she tried to figure it out. I actually flushed a little under the attention. “I was the one who got his head shot off about halfway through.” “Oh... yeah…” She trailed off before nodding. “Yeah, I remember you. That's cool! That scene was so gross, though,” she replied through a bite of pastry. “He was just training for a movie the past couple of weeks. He's going to be a henchman with a name next month. He gets to kill Jodie Foster,” Bella declared proudly, repeating the words that I had told her in the bathtub. “Yes. Henchman with a name. Yeah.” I chuckled worriedly. “I'm pretty excited. It's the biggest part I've had where people actually see my face. I'm a little nervous,” I admitted to them. Bella adoringly looked up at me. “Everyone might not know your face, but everyone will know your voice soon enough.” It made my heart skip a beat. I pressed my forehead against her, wanting to kiss her but didn’t because we were in front of people. “You have far too much faith in my abilities, darling.” She looked over at her mother-in-law, still leaning into me. “He's being modest. He has a Grammy.” She glanced up at me again. “I've been reading that your work in Beyond the Hollow is in the running for an Emmy.” Bella turned back to Esther. “Beyond the Hollow is a cartoon series,” she explained. “I know that one! Claire watches it! She made me watch it with her on her tablet,” Esther replied cheerfully. My girlfriend took my hand on the table and gave it a tight squeeze as she looked into my eyes. “It's just a matter of time before you get an Emmy for your voice work. Your Disney Pixar movie will undoubtedly be nominated for some sort of Oscar. At the very least in the animated category. We just need to get you on Broadway next, and you're halfway to your EGOT.” God, she really did love me if she thought that I could do all of those things. It made me happier than I could put into words. “I need you to understand how terrible you are for my ego. Just awful. I am going to be a beast if you don't stop. Just...” I made the sound of a balloon filling up and popping, my fingers around my head. She just giggled. “Nah. You need the encouragement.” Esther was happy to talk and talk. We were there for hours as she even started preparing dinner. Bella often helped, as did Ash, until she left to fetch some more people who were going to join us later in the evening. My girl looked so much happier than she did in the morning. No matter how awkward I felt, it was worth every single second. We stopped chatting for a moment when we heard the front door open. Bella was standing in the entryway between the kitchen and living room. She turned and smiled at whoever came in. Then she went to them, though I couldn’t see. There was a quiet conversation that I couldn’t hear as well. After a few minutes, she returned and was followed by a short, skinny, older man. He stopped to look at me, making a face. “Who are you?” Mrs. Zucker was beaming at him. “This is Edward. He's Bella's new gentleman.” “I really like the term gentleman. I am too old for a boyfriend,” my girlfriend said mischievously. I rolled my eyes and shook my head as I stood from the table. “No, you're not.” I shook the man’s hand. I assumed it was her father-in-law, Dr. Zucker. “Hello, sir. Nice to meet you.” He analyzed me slowly, his eyes looking me up and down. “Aren't you a tall one? You don't buy your clothes at Penny's.” “No, not usually. I have a lot of stuff tailored to me. A lot of special ordered stuff,” I explained, too shocked to say anything else. I wasn’t even sure what Penny’s was, but I wasn’t going to admit that. “He's twice your size.” The man waved a finger between Bella and me. She didn’t like the teasing much, scrunching up her face. “No. He is one and a third of my size. I'm not a midget. Mrs. Esther is an inch shorter than me without the hair. Make fun of her.” He looked shocked that she would even suggest such a thing. “No. I can't make fun of my wife.” Bella actually snorted loudly. “That's a lie.” I smiled to myself when I realized that this was how she was with her family. She might have felt like an outsider, but clearly, they didn’t see herself that way. She would fit perfectly in with my own. I couldn’t wait for them to meet them one day. “Why don't you come to help me, young man? I need to bring some things in from the car,” Dr. Zucker suggested abruptly, looking me straight in the face. There was no turning him down. “Yes, sir,” I answered right away. He nodded his head, quickly turning on his heels, and I followed him outside. “So,” the man began as soon as the front door was closed behind us. “I hope you know that was bullshit and that there is nothing in the car that I need help with.” I laughed at his bluntness. “No, I kind of figured. Though, I thought you’d find something for me to carry. Make me work for it a little.” “No, I’m an honest man if I can be. And I’m going to be honest with you right now. I just want to get something straight with you.” He pointed towards the house. “That woman in there, she’s a good girl.” “She is. The best,” I agreed with him promptly. He looked me over. “So, you’re really dating her?” He questioned, licking his bottom lip. “Yes,” I nodded in response. “Yes, sir. I am.” The older gentleman pursed his mouth a little. “And how old are you?” “I’m twenty-five,” I replied. It was close enough. I suddenly felt very young in front of his tiny old man who looked like the pictures of Aiden that Bella had shown me. “Ah, a young one. I’m not shocked. Bella needs someone who can keep up with her.” He nodded his head, considering his words for a long moment. “I have to admit, I was surprised when she settled for Aiden. He could barely-” The man shook his head and sighed very heavily before looking at me very seriously for a moment. “I have to say that my son didn’t deserve her. Sadly.” I didn’t know what to say. He meant it when he said that he was going to be honest. “I’m not sure that I do either.” He shook his head, not looking up at me but the sky as the snow continued to fall. “My wife never saw the flaws in our boy. Typical Jewish mother. But he was a selfish man. Self-centered and often cold. Spoiled. He could be cruel if he didn’t get his way. And Bella often suffered because of it. And…” He licked his bottom lip again. “I caught him out with other women during his marriage. More than once. I don’t know if Bella knows, but I’ll never tell her. Or my wife. Nor will you.” Oh, he was going to give me the brutal, unfiltered truth. “She said that she had a good marriage,” I breathed out quietly. “That’s because when that girl loves someone, she does with her whole heart no matter what. Even if it breaks her. She’s suffered enough, though. So, I’m going to give you a warning. The warning my son deserved, but I couldn’t give him because it would upset his mother.” He narrowed his eyes on me. “If you hurt my sweet little daughter, I will fuckin’ kill you. I will drug your sorry ass, take your limp body down to the hospital, and cut it up into little manageable pieces while you’re still breathing before I throw them into the human waste incinerator. I was a soldier before I was a doctor, and I’ve killed men before. And I’m willing to do it again if I have to. Do I make myself clear?” “Holy fuck,” I mumbled to myself. “Uh, yes. Crystal clear, sir. I swear, I have no intention of hurting her, and if I do, I’ll come straight to you because I won’t be able to live with myself anyway.” “Good,” he nodded his head once more. “I realize that we’ve just met, and I’m a stranger, but she wouldn’t bring you home if it weren’t serious between you. I figured that it was best to get the unpleasantness out of the way to start.” I sort of chuckled. “I can respect that. I feel like it’s serious, but it’s only been a month.” “You’re in love with her already,” he said appraisingly, his eyes looking me over again. He pegged me right away. I nodded my head. “She’s a lovely girl. You’re lucky that she’s chosen you.” “I am,” I agreed. “I fell in love with her instantly. I haven’t told her yet, though. I don’t think that she’s ready for it. Especially right now. I just want her to be happy.” “Good. That’s what we want, too.” He patted my shoulder firmly. He leaned against the side of his car, looking off into the street as he wrapped his arms around himself. “My boy fell for her instantly, too. He told me after they got married. They used to visit the same coffee shop a lot. He told me that the first time he saw her, he knew that she was his wife. It took him a month to say hello, he was too nervous. Another two months before he somehow got her to agree to go out to the movies with him.” “She hasn’t told me how they’ve met yet. We’ve talked about him some, but I think that it hurts her. She’s like me, if it doesn’t feel good, it’s just best not to speak about it at all. I hope that one day, she can trust me enough to tell me all of her stories.” I couldn’t look at him as I said it. “That’s good. Be that kind of man for her. Aiden wasted that precious gift, that trust. He forgot his vows as a husband. If you make that kind of commitment to her, you better not. There isn’t any other man to look out for her, so it’s my job, but I’m happy to do it because she’s my daughter now. And she always will be.” “I won’t,” I swore. “I won’t hurt her.” “Great. Because you’re a big boy, and it would be a pain in the ass to drag you,” he mumbled jokingly as he went back towards the house. |