Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended.

Closure

Thunder rumbling

Castles crumbling

I am trying to hold on

God knows that I tried

Seeing the bright side

But, I'm not blind anymore

~ Katy Perry, Wide Awake

BPOV

Large, muscular arms encircled me the minute I walked through the doors to the gym. The sudden chokehold would have been disconcerting had I not seen Emmett run around the desk to the door as I was walking up.

"Um, hi, Emmett," I choked out, wrapping my arms around him and patting his back. "Everything okay?"

"No one interesting comes to the gym at six in the morning."

I frowned against him. "I go to the gym at six in the morning."

"Exactly. You're the only interesting person. You have to stop leaving me alone with these people."

I snorted, finally able to take a breath once Emmett released his hold on me. I hadn't been to the gym all that much, definitely not daily like I had been used to for so long. After Thanksgiving and then my trip to New York and then my disastrous trip to Forks, I had been gone for a while.

"I'm not paying a membership fee. You should be glad whenever I don't come in."

Emmett scoffed, tossing an arm over my shoulder and leading me toward the same treadmill I always used. "Do you know how many guys have signed up because of you? More than covers it."

It didn't take me too long to piece together what he was implying. "Ew."

It was stupid of me to not realize Emmett was my friend before a few months ago. Ever since Rosalie started working here years ago, he had always turned a blind eye when she snuck me in. Then, when he said I didn't have to sneak in anymore, he always kept me company in the mornings.

Emmett was easy to be around. He was fun and could talk your ear off, but he was also quiet and laid back when the moment called for it. I wasn't sure if Rosalie had told him about my childhood, but I had always noticed he kept an eye on me. Because, while no one interesting might be at the gym at six in the morning, plenty of creeps showed up.

Maybe creep was too harsh. Most were probably perfectly kind. Emmett just knew I wasn't interested in any of them, and helped them get the picture.

Emmett got pulled away as soon as I started jogging, which was fine because I needed the time to think anyway. I had a meeting with Renata in two hours and I had absolutely no idea what to do about it. She had refused me every time I had tried to quit last week, and Edward had told me that she gave him the money back because she wanted me back at her firm, but I still found it hard to believe after all of the trouble I caused.

Our meeting could very well be her telling me she was no longer interested. The way my stomach dropped at that realization told me all I needed to know.

I loved my job. Enjoyed it despite the stress and odd hours and I didn't want to give it up. I just wasn't sure if I was cut out for it anymore. I'd had more opportunities than most and quickly tossed them all away. There was also part of me that wondered if maybe, in the long run, not working together would make Edward and I's relationship better. Easier.

He was very careful about what he told me about my job the last couple days. I could tell he still felt guilty about the check and didn't want to seem like he was trying to sway my decision one way or the other. He was usually my voice of reason when I was this conflicted, but I also appreciated that he was letting me make the decision this time.

"You're a reasonable man," I mused, slowing to a walk as Emmett wandered back over to me.

"Try to be," he shrugged.

"I got fired from my first job in publicity after having an affair with my only client and called my boss an insufferable prick on my way out. Quit my second one after finding out said client paid my new boss to give me a job. I didn't call her any names as I left, but it wasn't necessarily a civil conversation. Now, I have a meeting with her in an hour and a half where she's supposedly going to offer me my job back. So, do I accept her offer or do I take the hint the universe is very obviously giving me and get out?"

Emmett crossed his arms, muscles bulging, as he stared at me. "Is there anything else you want to do?"

I shrugged. There wasn't a single, logical, thing I could think of that I wanted to do. Figuring out I wanted to go into public relations was kind of a fluke on its own. The idea of having to find something else to do with my life kind of filled me with dread. "No. But, what if I'm just not cut out for it? Or working together eventually drives a wedge between Edward and I. Or – "

"Or," Emmett interrupted. "You can finally put the drama of your affair behind you and focus on your work and come to a happy middle ground. Besides, you can't honestly say you'd trust anyone else with Edward's career at this point."

He made an excellent point, about me not trusting anyone else with Edward. Not that I thought anything scandalous would happen between them personally, but that we had worked hard together to get his career back on track. He had a view on his image and publicity that most publicists would hate. I couldn't see him working well with anyone else.

Still, I knew very well that I deserved to never work in publicity again. After getting fired from Newton & Cheney it was a three-million-dollar miracle that Renata had given me a second chance. Yes, I knew I deserved to be upset that her and Edward had made that deal behind my back, but storming into her office and accosting her about it wasn't a very smart decision.

I'd had two jobs since graduating college eight months ago and had done nothing but prove I was, essentially, a volatile whore. Maybe whore was going too far, but I was sure I could find plenty of people to agree with me on it.

If I had an ounce of dignity, I'd cancel the meeting and tell her to let me quit. But… I wanted my job back. I hadn't put myself through school, through all of the internships and interviews, to let myself fuck things up now. Maybe Emmett was right and I just needed to find a happy middle ground.

"You know," I told Emmett, turning the machine off and grabbing my water bottle. "If I have a job at the end of the day today I can pay a membership fee."

I had tried to pay a few times before, but he always told me no. It was a nice gym, and the membership fee reflected that. It definitely wasn't something I could have afforded in college, which was why I had no problem accepting his offer to come in for free with Rose. But, if I had a job in two hours, it came with a salary I still wasn't quite sure what to do with.

"If," Emmett scoffed, ignoring the rest of my offer before getting called from the other side of the gym.

I didn't have it in me to do anything else, so I waved goodbye to Emmett and headed home to get ready for my meeting. Renata had texted me her address, asking me to meet her there early this morning before she went to work. I wasn't sure if it was a good sign she didn't want to meet at the office, but I made sure to be standing outside her pristine, white door at exactly eight o'clock.

I straightened my black, high-waisted skater skirt and made sure my cream sweater was tucked in just right before ringing the doorbell. I was taken aback when another woman, blonde and beautiful and wearing only a black silk robe, opened the door.

"You must be Bella," she said with a kind smile, stepping aside and welcoming me in. "I'm Carmen."

"Hello," I breathed out, racking my brain to remember anything about the woman in front of me even though I had no damn idea who she was.

"It's okay," she said quickly. "Renata has never mentioned me."

"Oh, good," I gasped. "I mean, not good that she never mentioned you," I clarified, hoping I wasn't about to cause any kind of fight between them. "Just… good that I didn't somehow forget your name."

"Don't worry about it," she added with a wave of her hand. "Come sit, Renata should be down soon."

I followed her into the living room. I wouldn't say I knew Renata very well on a personal level, but her house was nothing what I would have thought of her. She was my boss, so I guess it was natural for me to see her as more of an authoritarian, to only see the more strict side of her. I expected something stark and modern, not the cozy cottage feel I got as I walked in.

It was still pristine. There was art on the wall that, had I known anything about art, would probably be unbelievably impressive. Everything seemed spotless and I was going to make a conscious effort not to touch anything so I didn't get it out of place, but it was a much softer home than I would have imagined. I sat down on a plush tan couch, Carmen sitting in a matching chair across from me.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Carmen smiled. "Ren has told me a lot about you."

"All unfortunately true, I'm sure," I frowned, knowing I had caused Renata more than a few problems.

Carmen craned her neck behind her, looking toward a staircase I could see around the corner before turning back to me. "I'm going to let you in on a secret," she whispered dramatically, leaning forward. "Ren likes to put on a good show, act tough when she needs to, but she likes you."

She piqued my interest, my head cocking to the side. I knew Renata tolerated me, appreciated my work ethic, but I never would have assumed she liked me.

"You remind her of herself, I think. You should have heard her the night you pulled Edward from The Late Late Show."

"I thought she would have been more pissed than anything about that," I mumbled honestly.

"Oh, she was. But, she also respects people who are willing to follow their gut. Even if she comes in here and gives you a hard time, I thought you should know you don't have to worry too much," Carmen finished with a smile.

Before I could respond Renata rounded the corner, looking as put together as ever. She also looked happier than I had ever seen her, too. I shook my head, almost feeling like I was in a dream.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Renata said quickly, subtly grabbing Carmen's shoulder and giving it a squeeze as she walked past.

"You can take my seat," Carmen said, hopping up and giving Renata a kiss on the cheek before turning to leave. "I'll leave you two to talk. It was good to meet you, Bella," she finished, turning back to give me a comforting wink before heading upstairs.

I pressed my lips together, any sense of comfort leaving the room with Carmen. All of my doubts and insecurities coming back and convincing me I was going to be jobless in a few minutes.

"Why did you get into public relations?" Renata asked quietly.

I hesitated, not expecting the question. I had an answer, Edward had asked me the same question not that long ago, but it still took me a minute to collect my thoughts. "To protect people from how brutal the media can be."

Renata smiled. A full-face smile that I was sure I had never seen before. "That is why I can't let you quit."

I frowned.

"Most people get into it because they think it's all glitz and glamour, because they want to work with the biggest names and make a lot of money doing so. You do it for the client."

I shook my head. "There are plenty of people out there doing it for the client."

"Lauren is in it for the fame. She has a habit of dropping a client after a year if they haven't progressed enough to her liking. Eric is in it for the money. He can write a damn good press release, but he doesn't care enough one way or another. Alistar does it because his father was in the business, but he has no real passion for it."

My frown deepened. "I had an affair with my only client. I called William Newton an insufferable, misogynic prick when he fired me because of it. Then my boyfriend gave you three million dollars to give me a job. I just… I don't know how I can recover from all of that."

"The affair is inconsequential now. He's divorced, you two are dating, end of story." I had quite a lot to argue with that, but Renata continued. "You were completely justified to call Will an insufferable, misogynic prick. I've known the man for a long time, I know how much of a sleaze he can be. As for the money…"

For the first time since I had known her, I watched Renata struggle for the right words. She was an excellent publicist, and part of that was always having an answer prepared for any situation.

"I know there's not much I can say to make you feel better about it, but I have never once regretted hiring you."

I sat there, twiddling my thumbs, and made a promise to myself.

This was it. My last chance to get my act together. I wasn't going to let my degree go to waste, because I worked hard for it and I wasn't going to let anyone else distract me from what I wanted. There would be no more Newton to get in my way, no more Irina to throw secrets in my face, and no more fathers to pull me away.

I loved my job, wanted to make a lifelong career out of it. So, that's what I was going to do.

"I want to leak a story about the money," I blurted out. If I was going back to work, I was going to do it with full transparency. I didn't want to be constantly looking over my shoulder, wondering when someone would find out about the money. There was very little doubt in my mind that Irina wouldn't hesitate to spread the rumor to anyone who would listen to her.

Renata frowned. "You want to add another thing to your list of things to recover from?"

"Irina knows. It'll get out eventually. I'd rather have control over the leak than be surprised by it."

Renata was quiet, before a small smile tugged at her lips. "Okay. I'll take care of it."

I nodded. "Okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow morning, then."

I smiled. "Tomorrow morning."

…Closure…

"Are you a new intern, too?" The voice came from the man who had just walked past me. I had been lost in my own head, trying to continually tell myself I wouldn't screw up my career for a third time, when he circled back and started to walk beside me.

"Excuse me?"

"They said another intern was starting today. Man, am I glad you're here. Last week was insane. You know Cullen's girlfriend, the publicist? Apparently, she dumped him, at least that's what the rumor is. I saw him a few times, he didn't seem too pissed but I guess he kept changing his mind on segments and made the writing staff work overtime and – "

"I'm going to stop you right there… Adam," I said, looking down at the badge hanging around his neck. He was probably about twenty, excited about his new internship, and had no idea the hole he was digging himself in. "I'm not an intern."

I tried to walk away and avoid having the conversation about who I actually was for both of our sakes, but he decided to walk with me.

"Oh, damn. Sorry. I just assumed, you look younger than most everyone here. I'm still getting used to everything I guess."

"Intern's badges are orange," I told him. "Staff is blue," I added with a point to the one clipped to my bag.

"Good to know," he chuckled, still keeping pace with me as I walked. "So, what do you do here?"

I sighed and came to a stop. I knew most of the people that worked here these days, would exchange pleasant smiles or greetings when I passed them in the hallways. But, small talk or casual conversation as we walked down the hall… it wasn't my thing no matter who it was with, save for a handful of people. Especially when the topic at hand was my own personal life.

"What department are you interning with?" I asked, ignoring his question.

"Oh, the writing department. How cool is that?"

I gave him a placating smile. Most people in the writing department actually hated me, save for Angela. They all wanted to do whatever they wanted, but a lot of times whatever they wanted wasn't going to make Edward look good.

"So, maybe you should be in the morning writing meeting that's ending in ten minutes, then?" I asked. I had worked hard to get the flow of this place back on track, and wandering interns wasn't helping anyone.

"Oh, yeah. They actually sent me out to get a couple coffees, but then I got a little turned around. This place is like a maze, you know?"

"Take a right out of the writing room, there's a kitchen area down the hall to the left."

"Ah, went the wrong way I guess. Thanks. Hey, you never told me what you do here?"

I gave him what I hoped was more of a smile and less of a grimace. "Have a good day, Adam."

As soon as I got around Adam, I saw Edward walking down the hall toward me. My mood lifted immediately, and I no longer cared how many more questions I'd have to endure from the nosy intern. Instead, my eyes floated up and down all six feet of the beautiful man sauntering towards me and I wondered how I ever survived any kind of platonic relationship with him.

"Hi," I sighed happily, as soon as Edward was within earshot.

He gave me my coveted, lopsided smirk as he walked over. A warm arm wrapped around my waist and he pressed a quick kiss to my cheek. "Hi."

"I brought you a coffee," I added, holding up the warm cup and hearing Adam's retreating steps.

Edward took the cup with a smile. "Thank you. What are you doing in the middle of the hallway?"

I linked my fingers through his as we walked the last few feet to his office door. "I ran into a very nosey intern who booked it as soon as he saw you and realized he was trying to gossip to me about my own life."

For some reason, my mood wasn't soured too much by Adam and his gossip. What left a knot in my gut was the knowledge that things were going to get much worse before they got better, and that Adam's blunder was only the beginning.

In a few days' time Renata would leak a story about Edward's three-million-dollar investment into her firm. Which would lead to another phase of stories about our relationship and everyone's rightful assumptions that he had bought my job.

It would be worth it, though, to not have to constantly wonder when Irina or anyone else would find out and leak the story. I didn't want anything holding me back, not anymore.

The stories and assumptions and gossip were secondary to everything else I had going for me. I had a job that I loved and I had Edward. I had my Sunday's with Masen and Lucy to look forward to every week, and I had the cutest, tiny little dog at home spending the day with Rosalie. There was also a beautiful house waiting to be bought after Edward and I looked at it tonight.

"I'm sorry about the intern," Edward said as he closed the door to his office behind us.

"It's okay," I shrugged, deciding to wait until tomorrow to tell him about my decision to leak the story. It was, technically, work related. I wouldn't do it if he was adamantly against it, but only if he was against it because of himself, and not because of me.

I sat down in the chair opposite of his desk, expecting Edward to sit across from me. Instead, he put his coffee down and leaned against the front edge of his desk, staring down at me.

I looked up at him with a smile, wondering how long he would last before asking me about my meeting. He was rarely a nervous man, but I watched as his fingers tapped against the desk, as his nose scrunched up every few seconds.

As cute as I thought his nervous habits were, I didn't want there to be any lingering problems from last week.

"I start back at work tomorrow," I said quietly, watching him press his lips together as I did.

His voice was gruff and uncertain when he spoke. "Is that what you want?"

"Yes," I nodded immediately, continuing when I saw the uncertainty stay on his face. "You were right. I love my job. Not more than you, but I do love it. So, if I have the opportunity to do it, I'm going to."

I saw the guilt all over his face, and I didn't like it. "I'm sorry I – "

I cut him off, standing immediately and covering his mouth with my hand. "No more apologizing, please."

Once I had calmed down, it was easy to forgive the whole thing. Yeah, it hurt that he lied and went behind my back to do something I had explicitly said I didn't want done, but I also saw the regret on his face every time it was brought up. I knew all of his dozens of apologies were sincere, and I knew he had only done it with the intention of trying to help me. There were very few people in my life that cared enough about my happiness to do something like that, so I wasn't going to let it get in our way anymore.

After a minute I let my hand fall, Edward quickly grasping it in his.

"I'm glad you're doing what you love," he said quietly, giving my hand a squeeze.

I smiled. "Me too."

We stood there for a few minutes, my arms eventually finding their way to the soft hair at the base of his neck and his landing dangerously low on my waist.

"Are we still going to look at the house later?" I asked, trying my best to hide my excitement. I had been hesitant about the whole house search, knowing it was a big step, but I was also tired of being scared of everything. I wanted to enjoy my life, and buying a house I would presumably spend the rest of my life in with the man I loved was pretty damn exciting.

Edward's anxiousness disappeared, a smile taking its place. "If you're free."

I shrugged. "I'm free for the rest of the day."

I gasped, my feet lifted out from underneath me as Edward set me on the edge of his desk. "Then you can spend the rest of the day here, with me."

All I could do was nod, his proximity making most of my senses get confused and disoriented. I dug my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer as I craned myself up for a kiss.

I wasn't really sure if it was normal, how a simple, innocent kiss could immediately make me want so much more. Sometimes all it took was a look, a particular glint in his eye, and my mind filled with memories of dark rooms and wandering hands and then my cheeks would burn every time I looked at him. Which made the glint return and the process start all over again.

I jumped at a trio of knocks on his office door, a soft voice coming through and telling Edward his rehearsal started in a few minutes.

My head fell against his shoulder as I tried to catch my breath.

"No one has had to come get me for rehearsal since my first year here," Edward panted with a small laugh.

"Sorry to break your record," I chuckled, pulling away to clear my head.

"I'm not," he smirked, pressing a kiss to my burning cheek before taking a step back and helping me off of his desk.

I sat in an audience chair as he did his rehearsal, my mind finally dropping all of the worries about my job. It had been my main focus for so long, from the minute I moved to Los Angeles all I did was work toward a job to create a life for myself. It was a hard habit to break, constantly worrying about work and ignoring my own needs. It helped that I had much more to look forward to these days, most things revolving around the man sitting behind the dark desk in front of me.

My brain was still a jumbled mess, but focusing on him made things more clear. Because it wasn't just Edward that I saw when I looked at him. He was the catalyst to a life I never knew I could have. One where I wanted to spend more time with him than apart, one where I got to know his kids and family better and forgot all about my own family for once.

I jumped when his hand ended up on my shoulder, breaking me out of my thoughts. He smiled down at me, grabbing my hand. "I have something to show you."

I followed him without a second thought, only coming to my senses when he sat me down at a round table covered in those metal domes that you usually only ever saw on room service.

"What is this?" I asked, frowning as he sat across from me.

"A new game," Edward said causally, nonchalantly turning the table and removing the covering of each thing. He had no reaction to each one, like he wasn't uncovering something as horrifying as a cup of dried caterpillars. "The one Masen and I came up with a while back."

I remembered the conversation quickly, my stomach churning at the thought of the game actually coming to life. "So, this is like a, uh, real segment now?" I asked, a sickeningly out of place fishy scent hitting me as a glass full of something thick and pale pink spun past me. Salmon smoothie.

Edward smiled, sitting back in his chair. "You said it was a good idea."

"No, no," I clarified. "I'm pretty sure I said it was horrifyingly disgusting."

"But, would make good television."

I frowned down at the table, swallowing back the urge to gag as my eyes floated over the table.

"Ready?"

My frown deepened, this time directed toward Edward. "For what?"

"Your first question."

An odd mixture between a laugh and a snort came out of me without a warning. "Oh, I'm not doing this."

"It's just a practice," Edward smiled, looking like he was having far too much fun. "I do want your opinion on it, too. If you think it's a shitty concept, I want to know."

I sat back, pressing my lips together and spotted the stack of questions beside each of us. "I didn't get to approve any questions."

Edward shrugged, grabbing his stack. "These are just samples. Random, unimportant questions to rehearse with."

As horrified as I was with the situation, Edward looked genuinely excited. The kind of excited I knew he hadn't been about his job in a long time, which made him impossible to say no to.

I sat up in my chair, already regretting the words before they were out of my mouth. "You can go first."

Edward smiled, taking a serious look at the table in front of us before turning it until the fragrant salmon smoothie landed in front of me. He shrugged when I eyed him, a wicked glint in his eyes. "I know you have no problem swallowing."

My eyes widened, darting around the thankfully empty set before landing back on him. He looked far too pleased with himself and his dirty joke.

"Just ask the question," I groaned, pushing the glass toward the center of the table to get away from the smell.

Edward grabbed his card, a smirk tugging at his lips as he read it to himself before looking up at me. "How old were you when you lost your virginity?"

I rolled my eyes. "If those are the kinds of questions you're going to be asking, I don't think this is a good segment."

"They're just samples. The questions will be tailored to each guest."

I sighed, hoping that was my out. I supposed the simple question made my time at this revolting table easier, though, considering I lost my virginity to the man sitting across from me. "Twenty-two."

Edward smiled, discarding the card and motioning for me to go next. I circled the table four times before I stopped a fish eye in front of him, deciding that it was the smallest, maybe the most normal, item on the table. An uncomfortable shiver went up my spine as I grabbed the card.

I snorted before asking, "How old were you when you lost your virginity?"

Edward chuckled, surprising me by not simply answering right away. I watched, horrified, as he gently picked up the fish eye and studied it.

"Oh, my God don't eat it!" I gasped, petrified as he started to lift it to his mouth.

"The game is no fun if no one eats," he countered.

"It's a… great game," I forced out. "It's disgusting but it'll get people's attention. It does make for great television. Please, don't eat the eye."

Edward sat back, dropping the eye and wiping his fingers on a napkin sitting beside him. "You really think it's good?"

I took a deep breath to calm myself down. "Yes. If it were anyone else eating these things, I wouldn't hesitate putting it on the show. I'm just not looking forward to you coming home with fish eye breath."

Edward stood up, coming over and grabbing my hand. "I'll be sure to brush my teeth before I see you."

I nodded, standing up and walking hand-in hand with him through the theater. "A couple times, maybe. Just to be safe."

"A couple times."

"Why didn't you want to answer the question?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Because you once told me you hated that I had history with other women."

I pressed my lips together. I had told him that, and it was true, as irrational as it was. "I do," I shrugged. "But, I like knowing things about you."

After a moment of hesitation, he answered, "I was sixteen."

I hummed to myself. "So… when I was four."

"Okay," Edward grunted, shaking his head like he wanted to clear it of everything.

"That," I chuckled, knowing the drastic difference in our age back then would cause some kind of reaction out of him. "Is for almost making me drink a salmon smoothie."

Edward let out a loud chuckle, draping his arm over my shoulder and pressing a kiss to the top of my head as we headed toward his office.

…Closure…

The photos I had looked at, more times than I cared to admit, did absolutely no justice to the home. Nothing captured the warmth and comfort that immediately encircled you as you walked through the front door. My heels clicked on the hardwood as Edward and I walked through the house. I had to actively stop myself from gasping as we went room to room.

There was an office immediately to the right of the solid wooden front door, one Edward said was for me. There was a formal dining area opposite of it, big enough for his entire family to come over for dinner, but not so big that it seemed pretentious. The kitchen was stunning and made me wish I knew what to do in it, the marble of the two islands smooth and cool under my fingertips as I walked by.

There was nothing dark or imposing of the first floor, everything flowing from the family room to the living room to the kitchen with ease. The pale wood flooring matching the accents in the ceiling and the folding doors that encircled the back of the house.

A tree, beautiful and full, sat smack in the middle of the patio, the decking perfectly cut to surround it. There was a grill and plenty of outdoor seating, a large grassy area in the middle of everything for Lady to run around in, and a beautiful pool and hot tub on the other side of it.

The basement, which Masen had called dibs on in the car on the ride over, had no sense of being a basement at all. There was still plenty of light around, except in the movie room. There was a gym, one Edward said he would fill with whatever equipment I wanted, and a wine cellar that made me feel like I needed to know more than the difference between red and white to be near it.

The top floor was mostly bedrooms, including the one Lucy had already deemed hers because of the small patio outside of it. The master bedroom was stunning, a double-sided fireplace separating a seating area from the bed itself. The bathroom was bigger than my bedroom at home, the shower big enough to fit half a dozen people.

That was where I ended up. Sitting on the bench in the shower, Edward beside me, while his kids wandered through the house and the agent left us alone for a few minutes.

His voice was soft, but echoed throughout the shower. "Do you like it?"

I let out a snort that would had been embarrassing if I wasn't so distracted. "Of course."

"Enough to live here with me? With Masen and Lucy who have done an excellent job at showing you it's not always easy living with them today?"

I chuckled softly. They had bickered most of the drive to the house, especially after Masen called dibs on the basement and Lucy was quick to inform him he couldn't have an entire floor to himself. They had wandered the house on their own while Edward and I got a more detailed tour from the agent, and could be heard squabbling throughout most of the tour.

I didn't mind, though. Because, it was a home. And the sound of kids arguing in the background only solidified that. I turned toward Edward, taking in the pretty green eyes that never failed to calm me down and the hair that never seemed to know which direction to go.

A year ago, I didn't know him. Seven months ago, he asked who the hell I was as I sat in his dressing room, waiting to break the news to him that I was his new publicist. Six months ago, we went to New York and nothing was the same after that first night. I didn't want things to ever be the same again. I wanted the home with the bickering kids, with family dinners and holidays and friends and maybe even a crying baby in the background eventually.

There was still that tiny voice in the back of my head, the one telling me I would never get any of those things, but that was what my appointment with Doctor Stanley on Wednesday was for.

My head moved in a jerky nod as I turned my face away to wipe at the tear that was threatening to fall down my cheek.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

I was pulled off of the bench before I finished the word, Edward's arms around my waist so tight I could hardly breathe.

A/N: Here we go again! Hope you all enjoyed this one, we've got a long way to go still :) See you next time and, as always, stay safe!