A Foundation of Trust. It is the foundational belief of Cannabean relationships that love cannot occur apart from or before trust has been established. In the pre-betrothal period of courtship, the important of trust is instilled in imminent brides by encouraging and upholding confidentiality between herself and her suitor.

The sun peeked out from behind a bank of clouds as Bella peered out the vast window of the sun porch. She smiled to herself in thinking that the sitting area was ironically named for the small town of Forks, since it was rarely sunny.

Bella could hear her mother busily tending to household chores. Normally Bella would work right alongside her, but ever since Edward had given her the betrothal book, Bella had spent every spare moment reading them – and her parents had given her the latitude to do just that.

The voracious reading had begun immediately upon her return from the Cullen home the day before. Bella had been anxious to speak to her mother about some of the information that Edward had disclosed to her. However, the house was empty when Bella arrived. When she entered into the foyer, she found a note from her mother stating that she'd gone to the store to buy some items for dinner. While she waited, Bella decided to do a small amount of reading in her newly acquired book.

Ironically, the first page she turned to, a few paragraphs into the first chapter, was about the importance of trust in a relationship. Bella felt that the information was common sense, nothing new.

However, it was a portion of sentences in the middle of the page that leapt out at her and got her attention:

"Women learn to show respect and honor for their husbands in the way they regard them in both public and private situations…

Conversations shared between pre-betrothal and betrothed couples should always be held in the highest confidence. A man requires a certain degree of security in order to learn and share about himself within the element of the relationship. In order to facilitate this sharing, and thus the growth of the relationship, women must take great effort to avoid useless chatter and idle gossip. What often begins as an innocent discussion can easily escalate into a series of circumstances that work to undermine the respect and trust that a couple has worked so diligently to build."

Bella read the words swiftly a few more times and filtered her thoughts through their meaning. She had been hastily awaiting her mother's return so that she could confide in her what she was feeling about what Edward had told her. However, since coming upon that particular passage, she was now confused as to whether or not it was acceptable for her to do so.

Bella was still undecided about what, exactly, was considered useless chatter, when she heard her mother in the kitchen putting groceries away.

"Let me help you with that," Bella said as she relieved her mother of one of the two paper sacks she was carrying.

"I thought it was just going to be a quick run to the store," Renee sighed as she placed the other bag on the counter. "That store was packed – and for Forks, that's saying something. It took forever to get through the express line."

"I was wondering what took you so long." When Bella saw that her mother had taken notice of her words, she added, "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Oh?" Bella now had her mother's full attention. "Did something go wrong?"

"No, nothing like that," Bella assured her. "I was just…wondering about something I read in my betrothal book."

"Did you ask Edward about it?" Renee returned her attention to dutifully putting away food.

"Do I have to ask Edward," Bella asked, her eyes on the cupboards. "Can I not ask you about any of this?"

Renee immediately stopped what she was doing. "Of course you can, Bella. I just want to encourage you to go to Edward whenever you can; to help you take advantage of all of your bonding opportunities."

"But…what if it's about Edward?" Bella questioned. "What if there's something he said that I want to discuss with you. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

Renee smiled. "Bella," she said in an unassuming manner, "I can tell by the way that you're asking the question that you don't believe you should tell me about it."

"It's just so confusing and I don't know how to feel about it. I need an outside perspective," Bella hinted.

"What Edward spoke to you about, was it something he'd done that was illegal?" Renee asked.

"No, of course not," Bella insisted, shocked by the harshness of the words.

"Immoral?"

"Well…no."

"Abusive?"

"No," Bella answered, as she came to an understanding of the point her mother was trying to make.

"Then whatever the two of you discussed is something that needs to remain between you and Edward," Renee concluded. "If at all possible, you should always try to keep things that concern your relationship between those who can affect it. That would be you and Edward. Gain your perspective from him, Bella."

And so Bella swallowed her inquiries and kept them to herself until she felt confident enough to broach the issues with Edward.

Two days later, he invited her to meet him for lunch during his lunch hour. Since Charlie had ended his mail route early, he accompanied Bella instead of her mother. It was immediately obvious that Charlie's presence unnerved Edward, and he was more quiet than usual, as was Bella. The only real conversation that transpired was about Edward's business. He informed Bella that he was going away on business the next day and wouldn't return until early Monday morning.

"I'm setting up with a new supplier and sometimes it requires a lot of time in the beginning to ensure that everything runs smoothly." He glanced over at Bella, but Charlie interrupted before he could speak to her directly.

"Do you do that often? Go away, I mean," Charlie clarified.

"A few times a year," Edward answered.

Charlie nodded and then looked over at Bella before granting Edward his attention once again. "Are those long trips?"

"This is the longest one I've ever had," Edward answered. He seemed restless in his seat as he tried to capture Bella's attention. But she avoided looking directly at him, because his nervousness made her nervous.

Edward must have sensed Charlie's trepidation about extended business trips, because he rushed to add, "This one is only taking a little longer because I won't be going back at the end of the year, like I usually do. I'm trying to tie up all my loose ends so that I won't have to be away when…"

Bella looked up at that moment and broke Edward's train of thought and speech. Though she wondered what he'd been planning to say, she didn't ask him to restate. Instead, she listened quietly as he and her father spoke randomly about the economy.

Yet each time she happened a glance at him, he was watching her. Each time that his smile was unsure, she'd attempt to reassure him with hers.

Charlie watched them soundly and closely, making any and all interactions between them public.

"May I call you when I return?" The question was for Bella, but Edward directed himself to Charlie for permission.

Charlie obliged and Bella left Edward that afternoon with unspoken words on her mind and an already nagging loss at his absence in her heart.

And that feeling caused even more confusion for Bella. He had already become part of her routine, and she was going to miss him.

To ward off the void of his presence, Bella kept busy – happy to have the time to delve further into her betrothal book, as well as contemplate the story Edward had previously told her about Alice.

Alice!

In the time since Edward had told her of his past, Bella had spent a lot of time trying to reconcile the person she knew as Alice to the person whom Edward had described. They were extremely different.

Bella couldn't imagine her Alice stringing along one guy and then leaving him for his brother. And Cannabean societies are very clannish – why would someone make that kind of decision knowing they'd still be attached to the one they had slighted so?

And Edward had said that he didn't love Alice as Jasper had, but he hadn't said he didn't love Alice at all. He had to have, because his arrangement came from his own doing, and not that of his parents.

So what does he see when he sees me? Am I a last resort? A second best?

Bella felt silly for how she felt. For most of her life she'd seen Cannabean couples wed without the element of love, and yet they usually found it. In the case of Bella's family, they always found it.

And at first, Bella hadn't minded at all that Edward was not yet in love with her. It was just one more way that they were equated; that they'd grow together.

But now, knowing that he'd previously held such strong feelings for another made things seem uneven, somehow, and worked to make Bella feel even more intimidated in Edward's presence than ever before.

A telephone call late Friday evening interrupted Bella's silent reveries and gave her something to look forward to at the week's end.

"Bella, so sorry to spring this on your at the last minute, but I was wondering if you might be able to work in the nursery this Sunday? We've had so many people call out and I'm scrambling trying to get all the rooms covered." It was Melinda from church, and she sounded desperate.

"Uh…" Bella tried to think quickly. Edward was out of town, so she had no reason to expect to spend the day at the Cullen home. And it was a commitment her parents had allowed her to make, even if Edward had momentarily altered her routine. "Yes. Yes, I don't think there will be any problem with my working this Sunday."

"Oh, thank you so much, Bella!" Melinda squealed. "I knew I could count on you."

Later that evening, when Bella ran her plans past her parents at dinner, Renee thought nothing of it, but Charlie questioned whether or not Edward might have a problem with it.

"He's not here, Dad. Remember? He went out of town," Bella said.

"I know. I was just wondering if he still expected you to spend the afternoon with his family," Charlie said.

It wouldn't be considered odd if Edward had planned for Bella to spend the day with his parents, even if he wasn't there. It was something that she hadn't thought of before, but now that her father had mentioned it, she worried that she might have overstepped her bounds.

"Should I call Melinda and cancel?" she wondered aloud. "I only said I'd do it because Melinda sounded so desperate…and because Edward was out of town."

"No, you don't need to cancel. If the Cullens have made plans for you, I'm sure it won't be too much trouble for you to head over there after you finish up in the nursery," Charlie said. "But in the future, unless Edward gives you specific instructions otherwise, you shouldn't make any amendments to the norm."

Bella nodded into the beef stew. It was odd how something as innocent as volunteering to help out had seemingly turned into a mistake – something she should have taken more careful consideration of.

Life used to be much easier.

But she'd be remiss if she didn't admit that she'd much rather have Edward in her life than not.

On Saturday, that sentiment was reiterated when a postcard that arrived from Edward caused her heart to dance in her chest at the mere sight of his executive script:

I hope this postcard finds you happy and well.

Thinking of you,

Edward

She smiled at how business-like and formal his words came across, but she immediately understood why he'd written the words as he had. Though they did not engage in the sweet-talk often ascribed to new lovers, it was obvious that Edward took great care with his words knowing that Bella would most likely not be the only one reading them. It was also why he'd opted for a postcard instead of a letter sealed in an envelope; a symbol that his actions were upstanding and pure and that he had nothing to hide.

In addition to the postcard from Edward, Bella also saw that the inquiry she'd sent the local college, long before her courtship with Edward, was just now being answered. They'd stated that she would be able to take the credential courses online simultaneously, as long as she paid the fees for all units.

It was a bittersweet moment. She could have a Washington State credential in less than six months, but she was sure that Edward would not allow it. At that moment, he was out of town, laboring tirelessly because he took very seriously his Cannabean commitment to be the breadwinner and to take care of himself and his soon to be wife.

It was a very classic and customary Cannabean conviction for the woman not to work outside of the home and Bella didn't see Edward straying from that. And though she wasn't looking for a job, she was looking to complete her ability to obtain one. To Bella, they weren't one and the same, but she had yet to find out if Edward felt differently. Fear of discovering that he did had kept her from broaching the subject with him thus far.

The Sunday morning service brought a temporary reprieve from her thought's assault of the unknown. The familiarity of simply sitting beside her mother was welcomed. She found herself able to pay attention to the sermon instead of being distracted by the pattern of Edward's breathing or the nap of his sweater or the small scar on the back of his hand just above is wrist.

After the service, Bella was just as excited to attend to the babies in the nursery. It was also a task that she was comfortable doing and she'd missed it for the weeks she'd been away.

Knowing that Melinda had said she was shorthanded, Bella had prepared herself to be on her own. Before entering the nursery, she made sure to wash her hands and grab an extra package of diapers and wipes, just in case she ran out in the middle of the service and was unable to leave.

She was so wrapped up in her preparations that she almost didn't notice that Melinda had managed to secure additional help.

"Hi, Bella."

"Alice?" Bella almost dropped the items she was holding. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh…working. Same as you," Alice answered with a sassy smirk. "And I should ask you the same thing. I hear you've taken a bit of a leave of absence as well."

Bella simply nodded, but offered no additional commentary.

It seemed like years had passed since Bella had seen Alice, therefore Bella allowed her eyes to linger, as she looked Alice over. But then her subconscious caught up with her conscious mind and the memory of what Edward had told her flooded her thoughts. Suddenly Bella couldn't bear to look at Alice and she turned away hastily.

"I'm just going to put these over here," she called over her shoulder.

Confrontation did not suit Bella and she avoided it at all cost. Another "quality" that eluded Bella was insincerity. She found it impossible to sit with Alice and talk about the life happenings that had transpired in the time they were apart as if nothing had happened. As if she were none the wiser about what had went on between Alice and Edward.

So Bella simply avoided Alice the best she could.

But Alice simply ignored the fact that she was being ignored.

"Henry is the most beautiful baby I've ever seen," Alice called out to Bella as she bounced the chubby baby boy on her knee. "Just don't tell Rosalie. She'd die if she heard me call anyone other than her kids by that title."

Again, Bella nodded but remained silent.

"I used to think I was going to have a house full of them. I wanted a bunch of boys, all with their father's hair and their grandpa's eyes. Bella, don't you think Carlisle has the most beautiful eyes?"

"I, uh, guess," Bella said. She busied herself with a young girl who wanted her mother in the worst way and wouldn't stop crying.

"But I've finally given up on that dream. I've come to accept that it's not going to happen for Jasper and me. No babies," Alice sighed.

Bella's curiosity momentarily betrayed her wary feelings for Alice and she looked up and allowed her eyes to connect with Alice's.

"I suppose at this point you agree with everyone else that it's a worthy penance for someone as horrible as me," Alice quipped as she rested her head against the back of the rocking chair and rocked the still-jovial baby.

Bella wanted to tell Alice that she knew what she was trying to do and that she didn't feel sorry for her, but it wouldn't have been the truth. How could she not ache for any woman who craved and yet would never know the joy of childbirth? Regardless of any past discretion, it wasn't a fate Bella would wish upon anyone.

"Don't you?" Alice pressed.

"Don't I what?" Bella responded faintly.

"Agree with everyone else," Alice prompted.

"Alice, I don't know what you're talking about," Bella shrugged, but her body language revealed that she had no interest in clarification.

"Though, I would think that you'd at least want to hear my side of the story before deciding you want nothing more to do with me." When Bella continued to feign ignorance, Alice added, "I know Edward told you, Bella. It's obvious."

Bella's first inclination was to continue to act as if she had no idea what Alice was referencing, but that would have been a lie, and Bella was a horrible liar. Nor did she feel compelled to fabricate the truth for Alice's sake.

"Alice, I'm not going to discuss this with you here and now," Bella simply stated.

"Well then, when?" Alice protested. "Edward keeps you under lock and key when he's around. When am I going to get another opportunity like this?"

Bella spun around to face Alice suddenly. "Alice, are you even supposed to be here? Does Melinda know you're here?"

"I passed the volunteer clearance like everyone else, Bella," Alice answered vaguely.

"This is so…so-"

"Desperate?" Alice suggested. "Yes, it is desperate, but when your father- and brother-in-law forbid you to speak to someone, you might go to extremes to be heard."

"You're forbidden to speak to me?"

"I was, just until Edward told you about us. And I know he has, Bella. So technically I'm not breaking any rules."

Hearing Alice refer to herself and Edward as an 'us' was more than slightly disconcerting. Bella didn't like it. At all.

"You shouldn't be here, Alice."

"I have to talk to you, Bella. I need you to hear the truth."

"Edward told me the truth."

"Edward told you the same thing he told his parents: a factual fiction. But I bet you he didn't tell you how much he disliked me in the beginning. How hard I had to work for his affection – which I don't think I ever really got. I bet he didn't tell you how often he left me to work on one project or another. And I suppose he didn't tell you –"

"Enough, Alice," Bella held up her hand to stop the tirade. "None of that matters to me."

"Let me guess, his version of the story paints me as some harlot who throws herself at his older brother while he's pulling all-nighters at college."

"Alice…" Bella was unprepared for this conversation.

"I knew it!" Alice bellowed. "Bella, it's not true. I did not throw myself at Jasper."

Bella considered telling Alice that Edward hadn't actually said that, but she decided against it. After all, Alice had been there for the first hand account; she didn't need Bella to help her relive it through Edward's words. Besides, she wanted to hold firm to her conviction that what Edward had told her was for her ears only.

"I'm not going to tell you what Edward told me, because it was between the two of us. But I will tell you that it was the truth."

"That's funny…no one else seems to be privy enough for the Edward-Cullen-true version of the story," Alice huffed.

Alice's attempts at sympathy through self-deprecation hadn't exactly been successful, but the undermining seed she was planting that hinted at Edward's untruthfulness was chipping away at Bella's resolve.

As Bella stood across from Alice, she saw a glimpse of the woman she'd come to deeply care for in a very short period of time – a woman who filled a void in her that she'd never even known she had. And Bella suddenly realized how much she missed and wanted that back. And if Alice could somehow take away the impact of Edward's words…

"So you and Edward weren't…more than just friends?" Bella focused intently on peeling away a lifted layer from her thumbnail.

"Edward and I were just…kids," Alice concluded. "I was seventeen years old, Bella. I'd grown up with all the other girls around here talking about how great the Cullen boys were and I kind of got a crush by association, you know?"

No. I don't know. That's what Bella wanted to answer, but she remained silent so Alice could continue.

"Edward was the Cullen brother closest to my age and so he seemed like the obvious choice. Don't get me wrong, he was great. He was absolutely beautiful and really fun to hang out with – though he thought I was a pest at first. But we started to hang out more and more and we became really good friends. And around here, any guy and girl that are good friends are as good as dating," Alice paused to take a breath. "Everyone asked us all the time if we were together. We kind of jokingly answered them that we were. I always thought we were joking around…but somewhere down the line, Edward started to take it seriously."

"So…you were joking?" Bella was sure she'd heard incorrectly. A rift between two brothers, between a father and a son…it had started as a joke?

Bella noticed the electrocuted look Alice gave her when she realized how shallow her words sounded as they resonated with Bella.

"Well…I mean…I just wasn't as serious about it as he was," Alice corrected. "I guess at some point we talked about it and decided that we'd try dating. But…I don't know…I never thought much of it."

Cannabeans don't date, Alice.

"So…Edward didn't ask you to marry him, then?" Bella questioned.

Alice laughed. "He told you he proposed?"

Bella realized that Edward had never actually used the word proposed. He'd worded it differently, and Bella had remembered it had sounded awkward at the time. When Bella had asked about the betrothal, Edward had simply stated that the woman, now known as Alice, had "said she wanted to marry [him]".

"Edward didn't propose," Alice shook her head. "Edward…just planned. That's who Edward was and is. He has this picture in his mind of what he wants to do and when he wants to do it. School, career, house, wife, kids…I just felt like this…puzzle piece. There wasn't even any emotion in the choosing."

"But there was with Jasper?"

The expression on Alice's face was a distrusting one. The insertion of Jasper into the story definitely made an unassuming Edward appear affronted and wronged. Bella could tell that Alice chose her words carefully so as not to make that seem to be the case.

"Jasper was never even on my radar. I mean, I thought Edward was barely an option because he was two years older than me and Jasper is older than him…but when Edward was in college, he…was gone a lot. Even when he was here he was gone. His mind was always on bigger and better things. I felt left behind.

"I still visited the Cullen house all the time because I wanted some way to be near to Edward. Jasper was usually there when I got there and he used to have me help him on ad campaigns for the vineyard. It was so nice to be needed and invited in."

"Did you tell Edward that you felt left behind?" Bella asked.

"See, that's the thing. I didn't have to tell Jasper that. I didn't have to tell Jasper anything. He just sort of knew. It was like he could read me."

When Bella looked at Alice like she was speaking a foreign dialect from another time, Alice was quick to defend herself. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. You've been Cannabean your entire life, and Cannabeans don't really value the concept of love at first sight."

Bella recognized Alice's words for what they were meant to be: an insult; an insinuation that Bella's meager mind could not process something as dazzling and amazing as being crazy about someone for a reason you are not able to articulate.

"I apologize for my mere Cannabean mind, Alice," Bella said clearly. "And you are right. I have been Cannabean my entire life, but even if I wasn't, I still don't think I'd justify sacrificing the feelings of one man for his brother."

"It wasn't like that."

"Then what was it like, Alice? Because so far, the only thing you've successfully told me is that Edward was a friend of yours that became something more and then he went away to college to make sure he could provide for a future family, yet while he was off doing that, you were so focused on your own needs that you turned to his brother and fell in love. That is what you are saying, isn't it?"

Alice narrowed her eyes at Bella and stood up, abruptly placing the baby she'd been cooing over in the middle of a blanket on the floor. She made a grand procession of preparing to leave the room: grabbing her purse and putting on her jacket.

"I thought you were different," she murmured as she stopped just past Bella. "But you're just like all these other people here," Alice gestured toward the open door. "On a Sunday morning they sing songs about love and brotherhood – they read passages about not judging others and then, that's exactly what they do to me.

"An entire panel of Cannabean elders found no wrongdoing on my part or Jasper's. But was that good enough for this community? No, it wasn't. Do you know why I work alone in the nursery, Bella?"

Alice paused long enough for a response, and for a fleeting moment, Bella thought she was expecting Bella to give one, but then Alice went on to answer her own question.

"Because they've imposed their own shunning, Bella. They've all bought into Edward's lies…and I guess you have, too."

"Edward didn't lie, Alice."

"Oh how do you know? You don't even know him!"

"I know that an innocent man never pleads his case. My grandmother told me that," Bella added when Alice's eyes met hers.

Alice let out a pshaw and rolled her eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that Edward didn't tell me anything differently than what you said," Bella revealed. "He didn't tell me he proposed, he simply said you agreed to marry him. He told me about a wedding dress, that he still has in his possession, that he retrieved from your aunt in Texas."

Alice blanched at the mention of the wedding dress.

"And he didn't tell me that you threw yourself at Jasper," Bella stated in a low whisper. "In fact, he told me that Jasper loves you in a way that he never did."

Alice was granted a moment to let Bella's words sink in as parents came in hordes to retrieve their children from the nursery. The time, usurped by Alice's insistence at defending her honor, passed quickly and Bella hadn't even realized that the worship service had ended. By the time the last child was claimed, Alice stood in the far corner of the room watching Bella intently.

"So where does this leave us?" Alice asked.

That's a very good question, Bella thought as she struggled to answer truthfully.

"Alice…I don't know if you can understand how hard it is to answer that. I can't even figure out how I feel about everything I've heard. On the one hand, I can't understand how anyone, especially you, could be so…callous - and to Edward! He's the sweetest, most kind-hearted, thoughtful man that I've ever met in my life.

But on the other hand…you and Edward…it's…he's…with you…I don't even like thinking about the two of you as a couple." Bella emphasized her words with a trembling shudder. "If you hadn't done what you did, then I probably wouldn't even know Edward."

A dejected Alice nodded in melancholy agreement.

"What you did, Alice was…for lack of a better word, deplorable."

"Bella you don't know-"

"But," Bella spoke over Alice, "that's between you and Edward and Jasper. And while I understand why Edward feels as he does…I could never dislike you, Alice."

"Really?" Alice's voice was small and impish as her tearful eyes searched Bella's for sincerity.

Bella nodded. "I just…can I ask you one thing?"

"Anything," Alice stated quickly as she wiped the tears that had trailed down her cheeks.

"Were you and Edward ever…how would you categorize the intimacy level of your relationship?"

A small smile coated Alice's lips as she realized what Bella was asking her. "Are you questioning my virtue, Bella?"

"No, of course not!" Bella said with wide eyes. I didn't mean…you know…that. I meant…like…well did you kiss him…or anything?"

Alice opened her mouth to answer, but something over Bella's shoulder distracted her. She shut her mouth suddenly and her eyes clouded with anxiety.

"Bella."

Impossible. He's out of town.

Slowly, Bella turned to see Edward leaning against the Dutch door that lead into the nursery.

"Edward?" Her voice sounded startled and strangled.

"If you're ready, I can take you home now," he said.

Bella nodded, silently praying the whole while that Edward hadn't heard what she'd just asked Alice.

She watched him as he reached over the half-door let himself into the nursery. He briefly looked over at Alice, but his actions gave no indication that he was trying to signal her in anyway. He simply walked over and picked up Bella's jacket and held it while he waited for her to finish her necessary duties.

Meanwhile, Alice departed without another word. She smiled appreciatively at Bella, looked fleetingly at Edward, and then disappeared from the room.

"I-I thought you were out of town until tomorrow," Bella stammered as she slipped her arms into the jacket that Edward held up for her.

"I got back early," he stated with a tight-lipped smile. "Are you up for lunch at my parents'?"

"Yes, of course," Bella said. Her eyes searched his expression of a hint of what he was thinking, but found nothing. He was perfectly guarded. "I just have to let my parents know."

"Actually, your parents left a little while ago. Your dad is allowing me to drive you to my house unaccompanied under some very stern conditions, so I'd better get you to my place undisturbed," Edward said. Bella noticed the mocking tone of his voice and relaxed slightly.

"What are the conditions?"

"I believe I'll only need to give up my spleen if I harm so much as one hair on your head," Edward answered. "A person can survive without a spleen, right?"

"Why? You plan on harming me?" Bella smiled up at him.

The tone of Edward's voice and the look on his face turned serious. "Not in the least."

That same seriousness escorted them to the car and all the way to the Cullen home. Though the ride only lasted a few moments, it felt like an eternity to Bella. Everytime she glanced over at Edward, she could see the definition of his jawbone under newly shaven skin. His knuckles popped as he tightened his fingers around the steering wheel at intermittent intervals. And every so often, he'd inhale sharply through his nerves.

Bella was about to blurt out an apology for her perceived misgivings when Edward turned sharply into his parents' driveway. Esme immediately emerged from the house to greet them.

"Bella, I'm so glad you were able to come today," she greeted warmly.

"Mom, is dad home?"

He'd been silent for so long that the sound of his voice jolted Bella.

Esme immediately sensed something was awry. Her eyes vacillated between Edward and Bella. "He's in the house. Is everything okay?"

"Yes…I just needed to speak to Bella alone for a moment," Edward said.

As he spoke his request, Bella couldn't help wondering why he'd squandered their time alone in the car.

"Okay. Well, I'll let him know that you two are here on the porch. If he needs you, he'll come get you," Esme said.

Bella's stomach dropped to her knees as she watched Esme return indoors. The sound of her heartbeat rivaled that of a herd stampede.

Swallowing hard, she steeled herself for his words and looked into his eyes to face the inevitable.

"Bella…I didn't say anything in the car because I wanted to give you my full attention and I can't do that while I'm driving," Edward began.

"Oh…okay," Bella said. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and then back again.

"I heard what you said to Alice, Bella," Edward stated swiftly.

"I know," Bella said softly. "And I know that question was completely inappropriate. I shouldn't have asked her. I should have asked you…or not at all," Bella amended when she saw the way Edward was looking at her.

"Well, from what I heard, she initiated most of the conversation," Edward said.

"Edward," Bella tilted her head to the side as she looked at him. "What, exactly, did you hear?"

"Everything," he told her. "It wasn't my intention to eavesdrop. When I showed up at the church, your parents were in the foyer without you and they told me where you were. A few people stopped me along the way and by the time I got to the nursery, I heard Alice say that she needed to tell you her side of the story."

Bella looked away, not sure if she had done something wrong by allowing Alice to speak her side of the story, instead of shutting down the exchange.

"I admit that I was curious to see how she'd explain herself to someone who had no evidence of the contrary. So…I stood there and waited to hear what she'd tell you."

"And?"

"And I was much more interested in what you had to say, actually."

Bella watched for a cue, a hint as to which direction Edward was going. Was he upset about something she'd said? Or did he agree with something she'd said?

"How you managed to sum up the entire ordeal without experiencing a fraction of what everyone involved experienced, I'll never know," Edward finally let out.

The many faces Edward had worn that afternoon flashed through her memory, and suddenly she was able to identify the summation of what they were communicating. It wasn't distrust or irritation or disappointment.

It was gratitude.

"So you're not angry with me?" Bella clarified.
"Bella, what I feel is so far opposite of angry," Edward said in a low tone as he closed the distance between himself and Bella, "I don't even think there's a word for it."

When Bella chuckled and dipped her head to hide her reddening cheeks, Edward reached out and lifted her chin with the tips of his fingers.

"And as for your other question…"

Bella burned with humiliation as she recognized what he was referencing.

"I kissed Alice here," Edward whispered before softly grazing Bella's forehead with his lips. "And here…"

Bella gasped as his unyielding lips landed lightly on her cheekbone.

"But never here..."

Bella's eyes watched Edward's mouth relentlessly as her mind raced to process exactly what he was doing. Cerebrally, Bella knew, and she knew that Edward also knew that Cannabean law strictly prohibited kissing in the introductory phase of the courtship. But as Edward's lips connected with her own, Bella gave in to heartfelt desire and received him willingly and warmly.

Inside, Carlisle's empty stomach was tortured by the aroma of his wife's fine cooking. He looked at his watch before strolling into the den to peek out the window for a hint as to what was keeping Edward and Bella.

A moment later, after resituating the curtains from his furtive glance of the porch, Carlisle strolled into the kitchen with an amused smile on his face.

"What?" Esme asked, affected by her husband's contagious grin.

"I'm pretty sure Edward and Bella have just graduated to the second phase of their courtship."