Standard Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.

October 1990

I wake to muddled sounds coming from the television. Blinking several times, my old cataract-filled eyes focus on the large block screen that sits encased in a wooden entertainment center. My great, great grandsons were so excited when they purchased the monstrosity. There's also a VCR, something called a Nintendo and a Sega.

I honestly have no idea what they are, but all the younger children love that their old, great, great grandmother has entertainment for them.

I let out a chuckle as I focus on the classic film A Kiss for Cinderella. I first saw that picture sixty-five years ago. I was only seventeen, so innocent and happy in my life, knowing nothing of the world out there.

Tears fall as I watch Cinderella, and I remember a man, the most beautiful man I've ever seen, not even the scar on his right cheek took that away. Sometimes I remember his face as clear as day, other days my old mind can't recall him clearly at all. It's almost like a dream from a long time ago, another life that a different person lived.

Images from days past, a life that doesn't seem as if it was ever my own, filter through my mind. I remember warm hugs and a full belly. I remember the woman who took care of me as if I were her very own: Momma Bessie.

My heart aches as I remember a girl so beautiful that she turned every head when she entered a room. I remember running across a busy Chicago street trying to catch her.

My sister, Rosie.

I haven't thought her name in years. The pain is always so fresh in my heart, too painful for me to bear even for a second.

One particular night changed our lives forever.

The night I met Edward Masen.

September 1925

The cool night air dances against my skin as I follow Rosie through the busy streets of Chicago. My heart is pounding in my ears, and I know something is going to change tonight.

"I'm not sure about this!" I yell at my older sister, for what seems to be the hundredth time.

She sways her hips, crossing the street as men follow her with their eyes. She's asking for trouble in her red flapper dress with swinging fringe and matching ruby red lipstick. Her short blonde hair is slicked down in waves from the hair silk that she leisurely applied.

"Bella, it's fine. Trust me. This is my one chance to get out on my own. Mr. Masen is going to make me a star! I'm tired of Momma Bessie ruling my life. She's not even related to us!" she says with more attitude than Momma Bessie deserves.

The woman is a saint and the only momma we've ever known. She raised our real momma, Renee, and then moved in to help when Rosie was born and never left ... even when Renee ran off with some low life. My father drank himself into a stupor after that, and then he left, too. He moved down the street with a girl a few years older than Rosie. He brings money every month, but other than that he don't say nothing to us.

Momma Bessie is the only parent we've ever known. Sometimes her rules are a little strict, but I've never had a problem following them. Although Momma Bessie calls me an easy child, Rosie and her friend Jessica calls me a bluenose ... they say I'm a killjoy.

My sister, at eighteen, has cut her hair off and deemed herself a flapper. Her and Momma Bessie constantly argue about her behavior and disdain for the rules we've grown up with. Rosie ignores her and plays her jazz extra loud on our radio-phonograph. She goes out to petting parties where she kisses a different boy every night. She's becoming a vamp if ever I've seen one.

Rosie walks toward a closed candy shop. It's completely black inside with large lollipops and rolls of licorice sitting in the window. She turns down the dark alley, and I run to catch up with her, not sure that it's safe. I follow her to a shabby looking wooden door that seems as if it leads to nowhere. Her knock is strong as she makes one final adjustment to her bubs to ensure they're practically falling out of the tight red dress.

The small trap window slides back to reveal a pair of dark eyes. He stares at Rosie, ignoring me, as I stand insignificantly behind her. I reach up to nervously tug on my hair as I usually do, but remember Momma let me cut it into a bob for my birthday.

I'm dressed in my favorite red and white admiral shirt that makes me look like a sailor, with my black pleated skirt that comes past my knees. My red stockings are pulled up to my thighs, and my Mary Jane shoes are so shiny you can see your reflection in them.

I was doing my homework when Rosie came rushing from our room insisting we leave. Momma Bessie was at a revival and wouldn't return until the morning. Church revivals go on for the entire week, and they praise the Lord all night long. Momma says it's a party for Jesus.

"Password," the large dark eyes demand.

"Monkey rum," Rosie says, steady and sure like always.

The door opens to reveal a dark hallway, and I hold my breath when Rosie sashays in. I go to follow, but the big beefy arms of the man stop me.

"Go home, little girl. You don't want noth'in to do with what's in dere," he says, his voice deep and scary.

"She goes where I go." Rosie's voice is stern and doesn't contain a drop of fear.

His eyes roam down Rosie's body hungrily, and he nods his head in the direction of a set of dark stairs. Rosie starts walking, but I hesitate for a beat, my heart pounding like a drum at Sunday morning worship. Each step sends my nerves into a tailspin, and I feel like someone has walked over my grave, as Momma says.

Rosie disappears through a doorway covered in beads. I stand on the other side, hearing loud voices and music like I've never heard before. Something is going to change when I walk through that entrance ... I don't know how I know, but I know.

I don't like change.

I like my life.

I like that Momma has breakfast made every morning when I wake up. I like that Angie and I walk to school every day gossiping like old ladies. I like when Rosie does my hair and lets me wear her lipstick. I like seeing Charlie drive by every day at eight in his police boiler.

My life is just fine.

If I walk through those fancy beads something's gonna change.

The vibration from the music and dancers course through me from the other side of the doorway. This is the type of place Momma tells us 'good' girls don't go; the type of place where you forget yourself and lose your breaches.

"Come on, Bella." Rosie peeks her head in and calls after me.

With one, last deep breath; I walk across the threshold and into…

Chaos.

The small basement is busting at the seams with loud music and people enjoying themselves as if it's their last days on earth. Smoke fills my nostrils, and I start coughing, not used to the smell. Momma doesn't allow none of that nonsense in her house. It's really Charlie's house that he bought for Renee when they first married. He said he didn't want anything to do with it, so he paid the notes for Momma Bessie.

The basement appears small with so many people in it. Tables draped in fancy white tablecloths line the room; a stage with a full jazz band and a beautiful colored singer entertains. Her voice is mesmerizing. Its rich, baritone-like sound moves over me and touches me in my very bones.

The long bar is crowded with people and liquor seems to flow freely. My mouth drops, knowing it's illegal. It's been six years since the Volstead Act passed, banning alcohol. I was a little girl then, but Momma Bessie said that no good could come out of it because people always find a way to do illegal things.

The men are wearing three-piece suits, some with fedoras or else their hair has been slicked back. I've never seen anything like this in all my life. Women walk around half dressed as men grab at them.

The dance floor is crowded with people moving together in the most sinful ways. I want to look away but I can't.

My heart feels as if it's going to beat out of my chest at any second. Rosie grabs me by the arm, pulling me across the room. I bump into a few people trying to keep up with her.

Rosie comes to a stop, and I stumble into her back as she stands with her hands on her hips. Peeping around her shoulder, I see three men sitting in a booth.

"You got some balls ... I didn't think you would show. Take a load off," one of them says, and Rosie slides real close to him trying to make enough room for me.

I play with my fingers as the one in the middle eyes me up and down. The smoke from his fag is like a halo over his head. His piercing green eyes don't leave me, and I shuffle from foot to foot not used to a man looking at me like this, as if he's staring into my very soul; like he wants something from me, something I don't know if I can give.

"What's your name, Baby Cakes?" His voice is like honey, and my body aches in places I had no idea existed.

"This is my little sister. She's just with me because I can't leave her alone-"

He cuts Rosie off, his eyes roaming my body. "She don't look little to me. How old are you, Baby Cakes?" he asks.

My body stirs under his gaze, my heart thumping wildly as if it wants out of my chest.

A thousand times, I've heard Momma Bessie say I wasn't a little girl anymore. She made sure I dressed right because my bubs were just as large as Rosie's, my behind was round and firm. I dress modestly because I see how the other sex acts toward a girl who shows too much.

"Seventeen," I whisper.

He doesn't need to know that my birthday was just last week. Momma made me a chocolate cake. Angie came over, and we danced around the front parlor until our sides hurt and sweat was running down our backs. It was the single best day of my life.

Until now.

"Come ere." He motions with his head.

I look around the table, not knowing where I would sit as the three men and now Rosie take up the entire booth. He nudges the curly headed man with boyish good looks. The curly headed man moves without saying a word, leaving a place for me next to the most handsome boy—no—man—I've ever seen.

My body starts moving on its own.

I have no control over myself.

I reach him; up close he's even more magnificent. The boys at my school can't compare to him. Not even Michael Newton or Jacob Black, who Angie and me thought were the hotsy-totsies, but they're nothing compared to him.

His eyes meet mine, the green so profound that I think I'm in my own personal forest surrounded by trees. His hair is slicked back; the color looks dark, but it's hard to tell. I can see a hint of auburn peeking out from his nape. A deep old scar about the size of my pinky finger mars his cheek, but it does nothing to take away from his handsome face.

One of his hands wraps around my waist, pulling me into the empty seat next to him and I let out a yelp of surprise. My back is bone straight as he pulls me closer to him.

I can feel him everywhere, the entire room has disappeared, and I only see him. I only want him. I've never felt anything like this in all my life. This must be what Momma Bessie means when she says a girl can lose herself to a man. She said Renee did ... she lost herself to that no good Phil and left her own flesh and blood.

I know I would give him anything, I know it better than I know my own name. I'm not ashamed because there will never be another time where me, Isabella Marie Swan, will ever experience anything like this.

"You never told me your name, Baby Cakes," he whispers in my ear.

His lips are so close they graze the shell, and I shiver as I feel my nipples tighten and a wetness below in my undies. I'm breathless and dazed, and I feel out of control. My eyes desperately try to find Rosie, but I catch her walking away with the big man she sat next to.

"Bella," I whisper, my own voice sounding strange to my ears. It's quiet and timid, so very unlike me. Momma Bessie always says I don't have a shy bone in my body.

He pulls back looking at me, his pink tongue runs across his plump bottom lip, and I can't stop staring at his mouth, wishing I could taste him. I've never kissed anyone a day in my life, but I want to kiss him.

"I'm Ed," he says, his voice deep and smooth like the melted chocolate Momma Bessie makes me when I bring home straight As.

We sit alone in the booth, and I notice that the eyes of most of the women are on us. Their cold glares make me wonder who this man is and why he's interested in me.

I try to move away and allow some space between us, but he tightens his grip around my waist. It's not menacing, and I'm not afraid of him, but I feel if I don't get space from this man I'll lose myself. Like Renee and Rosie have.

"What are you doing here, Bella?" he asks, my name rolling off his tongue like he was meant to say it all the days of our lives.

I lick my dry lips, staring him in the eyes. "I had to come with my sister," I say nervously.

"You and that dame seem like night and day." His gaze is unmoving, and I feel like he can see my deepest desires. "You should go home, Bella. A pretty young thing like you shouldn't be in a place like this, with people like me."

He pulls away, and there's an internal battle going on. I don't know what that's about because it can't possibly be me.

"Why, are you a gangster?" I ask, wide eyed. He's definitely hard-boiled, but I'm not afraid of him. Something tells me that I never have to fear him.

He chuckles, shaking his head. "I'm not, but I'm no better than one." He raises his hand, waving over a flapper holding a tray.

She comes over with a scowl on her face. She's tiny; her dark, raven-black hair is cut short and waved to perfection. The dress she's wearing fits her small body like a glove, and her cold eyes seem to prickle my skin.

I look her square in the eye, not wanting to back down. Momma Bessie says you shouldn't be afraid of no man or woman, only God. I try to be strong like she's taught me but these people here are different, and the way this girl is staring at me ... it's as if she hates me, which makes no sense at all.

"Ali, have Seth make a French 75 for the lady, and a Sidecar for me," Ed says, not looking at her.

"Don't you think she's a little young? If I remember, you like your women mature." Her voice is seductive as she stares at Ed.

"I'll be sure to let Jazz know about your memory. Now get our drinks." His voice is cold, and there is no room for discussion.

I turn to him wide eyed, knowing he just ordered alcohol for me. "I can't drink, Momma Bessie will have heart failure if she finds out," I say so fast I don't even realize I sound like a scared little girl.

He chuckles, pulling me closer so that I'm flush against his side. "Who's Momma Bessie?"

"She takes care of us." I fidget with my fingers as I feel his gaze.

Taking a deep breath, I look up at him. His stare is intense, and it takes my breath away. There's a deep sadness to him that makes me want to wrap him in my arms the way Momma Bessie did to me after Renee left.

My eyes go to his scar, and I want to ask him who did that to him. It's old and raised, and it has no place on his handsome face.

"I won't tell Momma Bessie if you won't," he says as Ali brings our drinks over to the table.

She sits them down so hard they slush over the edges. I can feel her cat-like gaze on me; she's beginning to annoy me.

"Is Ed your fella?" I ask Ali, putting it out in the open.

She squints her eyes and puts her hands on her hips. "No. I'm just trying to save you some trouble. A little girl like you should be careful who you hang around with." Her voice is filled with venom.

"That's enough, Ali. Bella is my personal guest, and you will treat her with respect, or you can find another joint to work at. Jasper won't be able to save you," Ed says, staring daggers at her.

I wouldn't want to be on the other side of that stare.

I sit up straighter, moving myself closer to Ed. The move causes my heart to beat like rain on a stormy day. "Thanks for the advice Ali, but if Ed here isn't your fella, we don't have anything else to talk about. Besides, there's no harm in talking is there?" I ask, giving her my nicest smile.

She doesn't know I've dealt with Rosie all my life, and she can be a real bitch sometimes. Add her friend, Jessica to the mix, and I'm a pro at dealing with nasty heifers.

Before she can answer, the blond man who was sitting next to Ed earlier comes to our booth and stands next to Ali. His hand goes around her waist, and he looks down at her adoringly. I wonder if that look would change if he knew she was so worried about Ed?

I take a sip of my drink shocked at how good it is.

"Everything okay?" Jazz asks, looking from Ali to Ed.

Ali gets cozy moving into his side, putting on her best seductive smile. Rosie has done this same move on many a boy. The last one was that no good Royce King. That's what Momma calls him anyway.

"You need to keep her in fucking check, Jazz." Ed points at Ali, his voice void of emotion.

"I got it," Jazz says, pulling Ali away, whispering in her ear.

"You're a little bearcat, I see. You fooling me with this innocent dame act or what?" he asks with a grin on his plump pink lips. They look juicy like a ripe peach fresh off the tree, and all I want to do is sink my teeth into his bottom one.

I bite my lip nervously as I feel my cheeks redden from my lustful thoughts. I'm not sure what's coming over me, but it's not good, and I need to go home and never see Ed again.

He's so out of my league it's not even funny.

"I'm not fooling you. I'm just Bella." I look around, trying to find out where Rosie went.

"You're a breath of fresh air, just Bella," he whispers so close to my lips.

I close my eyes, waiting and wishing that he'd kiss me, although I don't know him from dirt. He's making me act like a dumb Dora.

His breath fans across my face as he lets out a low chuckle before the cold air hits me. I open my eyes to find him looking at Jazz.

"What is it?" Ed asks.

"We got company." I hear, and my eyes shoot to find Jazz smirking at us.

He tilts his head toward the door, where two menacing looking men stand.

Ed looks over at them, sitting up a little straighter.

"Go get Emmett, now," he says, his voice cold.

They spot us and start walking toward the booth. People move out of their way as a cloud of danger seems to surround them, and I know these men are bad people.

My body stiffens, and Ed leans over to whisper in my ear. "You're safe with me."

I nod my head, believing him as the men stop in front of the table.

"James, Aro, we weren't expecting you," Ed says to the two men.

The blond one looks at me appreciatively, and my heart starts beating out of fear.

"Ed, who's this? She's a Sheba even if she is a little young." His cold blue gaze seems to undress me, and I scoot closer to Ed. "And we all know I like them young."

I shiver at his last comment, his icy stare giving me the heebie-jeebies.

"She's with me, James." Ed's voice is fierce.

My fear melts away a little knowing that he's willing to protect me.

"Don't forget who you're talking to," James says, taking a step toward us.

"I would say the same to you." Ed stares at the man, not backing down.

Aro puts a hand on James' shoulder. "He meant nothing by it. You know my nephew's a hothead. Where's my future nephew-in-law?"

"He's in the back getting some coffin varnish," Ed says as the men take two chairs and sit in front of us.

"Good, I need something strong, not this weak shit you serve these eggs." Aro flexes his neck, looking around. "Business is doing good. That's what we're here to discuss."

"Oh? Marcus and I have a deal, there's nothing to discuss." Ed leans forward, his body barely able to control his anger.

I stare at his clenched fist and firm jaw. This Marcus must be someone big if he's willing to get Ed upset. He looks as if he'll explode any second.

"Marcus thinks there is. We've allowed you to stay out of the business for a price. The price is going up." Aro shrugs his shoulders. "Besides, we're all going to be family soon."

Something catches his eye, and his entire demeanor becomes deadly. I follow his gaze to find Rosie and the Em guy walking toward our table, looking unkempt. My eyes grow wide as I take in my sister's appearance. Her perfectly wavy hair is a little disheveled, her dress is now wrinkled, and the lipstick on her face is smeared. The man has a smug look on his face, which turns to fear when he finds the man, Aro, staring at him.

"Who the fuck is the Sheba?" he asks, causing my heart to freeze in my chest. "Marcus isn't going to like this."

The way he's looking at Rosie makes me afraid, and I don't know why I feel like this. I stand and walk over to my sister, taking her hand.

"Let's go, Rosie. We need to get back before Momma comes home." I pull on her arm, trying to let her know that I don't like what seems to be going on between these men.

"Stop being a baby. It's fine!" Rose whisper shouts at me.

"Relax, Aro. This is just business. Rose here is a song bird and was just giving me an audition." Em squeezes Rosie's shoulder.

"Is that what they call it?" James says, glaring from Em to Rosie. "You fuck over my sister, Masen, and you'll be taking the big sleep." James threatens.

"Ed, I don't want any problems with you, but this hot head here needs to learn respect," Aro says seriously. "The wedding is in six months, and he's throwing this dame in my face like my niece means nothing. If my brother was here, he'd be in a meat wagon. It's disrespect." He slams his hand down on the table, causing me to jump.

I pull Rosie's arm signaling to her it's time to get out of here, but she ignores me.

"He doesn't mean any disrespect. Why don't I take the girls home, and you enjoy yourselves on the house?" Ed stands.

"Let's talk business first," Aro insists, grabbing Ed's forearm.

Ed looks down at Aro's hand on his arm, and the other man releases him.

He turns to Jazz. "Take the girls to the boiler. I'll be there in a minute."

Jazz nods his head before walking away. I follow, dragging Rosie with me. We weave through the bodies, following Jazz through a hidden door and up another set of stairs.

"What were you doing with him?" I whisper shout to Rosie.

"What do you think I was doing? Stop being a baby! He's my ticket to the big time," Rosie says, her head held high.

Jazz leads us through a dark store and then out a back door. We exit two blocks from where we entered the joint. A black, Ford, hot rod roadster is parked in the alley, its shiny coat of paint glistens in the moonlight. It has an open back where people can sit.

"He's getting married, Rosie. What do you think you're doing? If Momma Bessie finds out, she'd just die!" I hiss at my sister, who apparently has lost her mind.

"I don't give a damn what she thinks! I'm tired of her rules in our house!" She folds her arms in defiance.

I point my finger at her. "Rosalie Vivian Swan! How dare you disrespect Momma Bessie like that!" I can't believe she would have the nerve to say such a thing. We stand seething at each other, as we often do, when Ed and Em come out of the door.

"How many times do I have to tell you to cool it! They're not going to rest until we're out of business, and the one thing we got going is Kate. You're going to fuck that up thinking with the wrong head!" Ed says, slapping the much larger man in the back of the head.

They stop by the door, and Em shrugs his shoulder looking defeated. "It's nothing! A man has needs!"

"You got to be smart! You're my brother, and I love you, but these cats are getting power, and they're not afraid to use it! You played Romeo and asked her, now you got to stick to your guns! If you're going to fool around with other dames, have sense enough not to do it in front of her family, or we'll both be sleeping with the fishes! Because if they kill you, they're gonna have to kill me."

I'm shocked by his declaration to the much larger man. The more I stare at them, the more I see their similarities. They don't look nothing alike, as different as fresh picked green beans, but their mannerisms are similar, and the way they seem to depend on each other makes me wish Rosie and me were that close.

We're close as can be expected, but what they have is on a deeper level. The fact that Ed is willing to die for him causes tears to form in my eyes.

Ed walks over to the automobile, his eyes on me. His hand takes mine, opening the door for me to get in. There's a feeling bubbling up in my chest as his warm fingers lace through mine. "Get in Baby Cakes," he says a smirk on his lips.

"This is some ride," I say, my eyes roaming from Ed to the roadster.

"It is. Where do you live?"

"Englewood," I call out our neighborhood.

"The Junction," Ed says, the old name causing me to giggle.

It hasn't been called The Junction since the eighteen hundreds, when Henry B. Lewis moved into the area. We learned that in history class. I thought it was useless information but knowing that Ed calls it that makes me think we have something in common.

He tilts his head, motioning for me to get into the automobile. I hesitate a moment, knowing if I get in, everything will change.

Sliding into the leather seats, I scoot to the middle. I turn, wondering where Rose is and find her kissing Em for all to see. My mouth drops open, not believing her nerve.

"Come back, and I'll see if Leah and the boys will let you do a set," Em calls out as he watches my sister walk to the other side and slide in next to me.

"You don't have to take us home, you know," Rosie says, sitting up to stare at Ed.

"I do. I want to make sure Baby Cakes here gets home safe," he says, placing a hand on my knee.

My eyes dart back and forth from his hand to his face, but he's focused on the road. The ride is quiet, and I never want his hand to move from its home on my knee. It should live there forever.

We pull up to the still dark house, and I let out a sigh of relief, happy that Momma isn't home before us. Rosie rushes from the automobile, saying thanks, and I sit there unmoving, not wanting to leave Ed. I know there's nothing between us, but a girl can dream.

"Thanks, Ed. You take care of yourself," I whisper, looking into his eyes.

He seems taken aback by my statement. Slipping an arm around my waist, he pulls me close, pressing his lips against mine. My breath leaves me, and my eyes pop open in shock before they close from the delicious pressure.

I've never been kissed before, and here I am being kissed by a man I just met tonight. He sucks my bottom lip into his mouth, his tongue caressing my lip. I open slightly, and he deepens the kiss causing me to let out a very un-lady like moan.

I can't help myself. He tastes so good. He feels so good, and I never want it to end. My arms wrap around his neck, and I pull myself closer to him as his tongue now plunders my mouth as if it were a treasure chest of riches. Ed lets out a groan before he pulls away from me, leaving my lips puckered. I open my eyes to find him running his hands through his hair.

"I'm no good for you, Baby Cakes. If I was a decent man, I'd leave tonight and never see you again. You'd marry some flat tire, and he'd treat you right." His voice is dead, void of emotion.

His scar glimmers in the dark automobile, and I lean in placing a soft kiss on its raised skin. Somehow knowing that whatever hurts him is tied to it. "I think you're decent, Ed. You just have to think it too."

We stare at each other before he gives me a sad smile. "Good bye, Bella."

Tears fill my eyes, and I have no control over what I'm feeling. It makes no sense to me at all. It's like when you feel you've done something before. It's like that with Ed and me. I feel as if I've known him in another time.

I give him a smile and kiss his lips one last time.

"Good bye, Ed."

October 1925

Angie and I are walking from school, our hands heavy with books. It's a bright fall day, but I haven't been able to enjoy it. It's been two weeks since that night with Ed. I suppose maybe he really is no good for a girl like me. I've tried not to remember him ... to remember his lips on mine.

That was the most exciting night of my boring life.

"I can't believe Mike Newton spoke to me in English class. You think we'll get married?" Angie asks dreamily, taking me out of my head.

Momma Bessie says living in my head is not a good place for me.

"Sure, and you'll live in Hyde Park," I say, trying to be excited for her.

"You and Jacob Black will live next door," she says, bouncing as we turn onto our street.

I haven't told Angie about Ed. I haven't told her that I don't want to marry Jacob Black anymore. Jacob Black is nothing compared to Ed.

"Who's that talking to Momma Bessie?" Angela asks.

I look up to find the man himself standing in my yard. Momma Bessie has her hands on her wide hips, a dishrag in her hands as she glares at him. Angela and I walk up to the gate. I feel like I'm in a dream and I can't believe he's here in the flesh.

"You know this man, Bella?" Momma Bessie asks, her voice loud.

Angela gasps from beside me, but my eyes won't move from the sight in front of me. He looks the same but different, my eyes drink him up like I've been dying for water and he's my oasis. He looks like a normal man in a plain white shirt and gray pants. His penny colored hair glimmers in the sun, and I can feel my cheeks heat as he stares at me.

"You hear me, girl?" Momma asks again.

"Yes, ma'am. I know him." I look her in the eye.

Beside me, Angie whispers, "Who is he?"

"What's your name again? I don't know you, and I don't know if I want you around my girl here," Momma Bessie says, squinting her eyes at Ed. She's looking at him with her good eye; nothing gets past her good eye.

"I'm Edward Masen, ma'am. I would very much like to spend some time with Bella." Ed stands firm, but I can't get over his full name.

How can I kiss a man and not even know his full name? What am I some flapper girl?

"Get in here, Bella. You got some explaining to do. Run along Angela," Momma says, shooing Angie away with her dishrag.

I walk through the gate, leaving Angie behind, her mouth is wide open, and she's going to be catching flies if she doesn't close it soon.

As I pass Ed, he gives me a smile. "I guess I'm not decent after all."

I'm grinning ear to ear when we enter the house behind Momma. I'm glad he's not decent enough to stay away from me.

"Where did you meet this here man, girl?" Momma asks, wiping the smile off my face.

I sit my books down on the small table by the door. "Rosie and I met him at a candy shop," I say so quick that the lie feels real on my tongue.

"Hmm mmm." Momma purses her lips at me, not believing me one bit. "Look, Mr. Masen, I don't know what you think you're getting out of this, but my Bella here is a good girl. She's going to go to teacher's college and make something of herself."

"I know she's good, haunts Miss Bessie. I swear to you my intentions are honorable." Ed places his hand on his chest.

I sure hope they aren't too honorable, because I've been dreaming of kissing him again.

"How old are you?" Momma crosses her arms, her large breasts sticking out further.

"I'm twenty-two," Ed says, and my eyes go wide.

I never thought of Ed's age. I knew he was older than me but not five whole years.

"What on earth do you want with a seventeen-year-old girl?" Momma asks seriously.

"Ma'am, to be honest, I can't stop thinking about her. I never had anything good in my miserable life. Never thought I deserved it, the way my daddy beat the life out of my momma, brother and me. But from the moment I met Bella, I started thinking that maybe I do deserve something good." He turns to me, and my mouth is practically on the floor. "And that's what she is to me, goodness."

"I like you, Mr. Masen. I tell you what." Momma walks closer, and although she's shorter, she seems to tower over him. "You stay for supper tonight, and you can spend time with Bella here on the porch, and maybe I'll think about allowing you alone time with my girl here.

"Thank you, Miss Bessie," Ed says, bowing his head respectably.

He takes my hand, and I feel like warm melted butter all over. My smile is wide as he leads me out of the house and onto the porch. Before we sit, he pulls me close, pressing his lips against mine.

I let out a moan, and I hope Momma Bessie doesn't come outside, as I need to kiss Ed just a little while longer. His tongue runs across the seam of my lips begging for permission, and I grant him entrance, wanting to taste him with every fiber of my being. Ed's grip around my waist tightens, and I feel every muscle of his against my body. The strange tingles I felt at the speakeasy return, and I want him like I've never wanted anything before.

He pulls away from me, letting out a groan. "I don't want to give Miss Bessie a reason to not let me see you again."

I giggle and sit on the top step. Ed sits next to me, pulling me close. He places a kiss on my temple, and it's the most romantic thing someone has ever done to me.

"It's been two weeks," I state, looking at him.

"I know. I wanted to stay away, but I can't stop thinking about you." He brushes my bottom lip with his thumb.

"I can't stop thinking about you either," I whisper before leaning closer to him.

His arm wraps around my neck, bringing me closer for a kiss on the lips. "I'm not an easy man, Baby Cakes, but if you'll have me, I'll spend the rest of my life thanking whatever god there is." His green eyes bore into my very heart.

"Don't ever disappear on me again," I tell him, pushing his shoulder trying to make light of the conversation.

"I'm sorry. I needed to clear my noggin," he says, tapping his head.

"Is it clear?" I tease him.

"Crystal." He gives me another kiss, this one soft and sweet.

A horn blows, and we pull apart. I look up to find Charlie driving by in his police boiler. He's glaring at Ed and me, driving so slow that I can see the white of his eyes.

"You know that copper?" Ed asks once the boiler is out of sight.

"Yeah. That's my daddy," I tell him, and his eyes go wide from the news.

We sit on the porch, talking until it's dark and Momma Bessie calls us in for supper. Rosie comes in and glares at Ed from across the table. He ignores her, telling Momma about his own mother and how she passed away a few years back from a bad heart, leaving him and Em alone. He speaks about his mother's brother in California, who constantly writes him, asking him to come out west, but he loves Chicago, and Em would never leave.

After dinner, I walk him to his automobile where we say goodbye with a long kiss. I press my head against his chest so happy; I feel like I had all the chocolate in the world and not even Rosie scowling out the window can change that.

Ed pulls my chin up, and he looks me in the eyes. "You're my girl, now and forever, you know that don't you." His voice is sweet as he grins at me.

"Good. Because you're my fella," I whisper, before I stand on my tiptoes and kiss his lips.

Ed comes to visit just about every night for two weeks straight, except the nights when he's at the Joint. He has dinner with us, always finishing his plate and asking for seconds. I wonder if he eats at all at home. Momma always smiles at him. The quickest way to her heart is loving her food, and Ed had her the third day he came over for dinner.

After two weeks, Momma started letting Ed take me out to different places. We mostly went to share a sundae at a soda shop downtown.

One Thursday after school, Momma Bessie allows Ed to take me out to the picture show. I'm so excited as I've only ever gone with Rosie or Angie.

I'm smiling ear to ear as we walk off the porch together. I'm so happy that we get to be alone for more than an hour, even if it is in a crowded theater.

"Have her home no later than nine, Mr. Masen, or I'm coming after you," Momma says her dark brown eyes firm. Her pretty brown skin is a smooth canvas of caramel, cheekbones so high they practically touch the heavens. I know that look, and she means business; I'll be home at eight forty-five. I don't want her killing Ed.

Ed takes me to the Paradise Theater. It opened last month, and it's the most beautiful theater I've ever seen. The dark burgundy curtains drape around the room, with matching bucket seats for each person. The velvet tickles the back of my legs, and I look around wide-eyed before the picture begins.

Ed and I sit side by side in the picture show. Our hands are linked like we've known each other a hundred years. I'm munching on popcorn and goobers, upset that Ed didn't try to steal a kiss in the automobile.

It's not stealing if it's offered freely.

He must've said something right to Momma because I didn't think she was going to budge, always keeping me close to her apron strings. I know she feels that Rosie has gone wild, especially lately; we never know where she is.

I want to ask Ed if he's seen her around his brother, which would be bad since he's getting married, and I didn't like how that Aro man was staring at Rosie. A cold dread runs through me at just the thought of the look in Aro's eye. I don't know what it meant, but he looked deadly to me.

"You okay?" Ed whispers as we watch Cinderella on the screen.

I didn't realize I was shaking until his arms wrap around my shoulders, pulling me closer. His lips find my temple, and I melt into him wondering where this sweeter side of Ed is coming from.

"I'm fine, just a little cold." I look up into his green eyes, wishing I could bask in their gaze forever.

"I'll warm you up," he says, right before he places an innocent kiss on my lips.

My entire body is set aflame, and I want to do nothing but kiss him. Cinderella can go to the devil for all I care. I'm left wanting as Ed turns back to the black and white screen. I'm no longer paying attention to the silent film, but my eyes are glued to Ed, particularly his lips. When Cinderella is finally with the Prince, my heart does a pitter-patter, imagining it was Ed and me.

The walk to the roadster is filled with tension and as soon as we're away from the crowd, Ed pulls me to him, pressing my back against the automobile. This kiss is everything all at once. Christmas, a bright winter's day, chocolate, and Momma's Bessie's macaroni and cheese. It's happiness, happiness I've never felt because all my life I've been Rosie's sister and Charlie and Renee's unwanted daughter.

My hands run through his hair, which is free of hair silk, and I love the feel of it against my fingertips. He grips my rump, pulling me into him. His body is hard, and I can feel him against my stomach. I gasp in shock, never before having felt a man's hardness against me.

"We still have a little time before Miss Bessie wants you home." He opens the door for me.

"Okay, what do you want to do?" I question, scooting closer to him.

"Hmm, my place?" he asks causing my cheeks to heat.

"Okay," I agree.

We drive in silence for a while. I look at him, his scar so prominent in the moonlight.

"Will you tell me what happened?" I ask, placing a finger on it.

"No, you don't need to hear about shit like that." His voice is harsh, and his eyes never leave the road.

"What if I want to hear it? I want to know you." My voice is firm, and I wait for him to open up, to give me a tiny morsel to quench my starvation.

He's quiet, and for a second I just know he's not going to tell me.

"My daddy was a mean drunk. He would beat us all, but Momma and Emmett would get the worst of it because there was always talk that Em was someone else's son." He sighs and goes quiet.

My heart is in my chest and the tears falling down my face feels like metal, the weight of his pain on each one. I've never been beat before. Momma hit my hand with a wooden spoon once when I tried to touch the hotplate. I screamed as if I was dying after the first strike, and she never hit me again.

"He was a low-rank gangster and took his frustrations out on us. Gambled every penny away until eventually he stole from his boss. They came for him and their money in the dark of night, but he wasn't there. They raped my momma, beat Emmett and me within an inch of our lives and gave me this scar." He swallows hard, stopping at a traffic lamp. "I will always remember the man's voice telling me I was too pretty for a boy."

The air is heavy in the automobile, and I struggle for breath as I continue to cry. Ed pulls over and pulls me close to him. I cry in his neck, for all the pain he's been through in this world.

"Don't cry for me, Baby Cakes. I was dead inside until you walked into my joint, and suddenly my cold dead heart started beating again." He runs his fingers through my short hair, and I boldly kiss his lips.

He pulls away before it turns into a necking session and starts driving again. My heart is beating out my chest when we park in front of a small, run-down wooden house. The white paint is chipping off, and it's pitch black.

"Does Em stay with you?" I ask.

"No. He hates this place. It's where we grew up." Ed gets out the automobile, walking over to open my door.

Walking up to the house, the old wood seems to tell its story of all the unhappy times a young Ed and Em had in this place. Once inside, I look around and am surprised that Ed is so neat. Turning on the lights, I notice the fairly modern furniture and the overall tidiness of the place. The small front parlor is scarce with a small sofa and chair. A black and white picture of a woman sits by itself on the mantle, and I walk over to stare at it. She's beautiful, with her regal looks, which are so much like her sons. Ed favors her more than Em does, but he has her features as well.

"My mother, Elizabeth. I love this picture of her because she never smiled like that around us. I remember thinking this was a picture of someone else when I was little because my mother didn't know what it meant to be happy," Ed says with a sadness in his eyes as he looks at the picture.

"She's beautiful, Edward," I whisper as he comes up behind me.

He chuckles, wrapping his arms around my waist. "You never call me Edward."

I turn around in his arms, slipping my hands around his neck. "That's because you introduced yourself as Ed, Edward," I say his name again, seeing the effect it has on him.

His lips find mine, and he kisses me dizzy, causing my body to tingle in all the places that only he has awakened in me. His lips move to my neck, and I arch my body toward his, never before feeling anything as good as this.

"Ed." I moan as he nips my skin, and his hold on my backside tightens.

"I better get you home, girl, before I never let you leave," he says, kissing a path back to my lips.

"What if I don't want to leave?" I ask him, trying to be seductive like a flapper. "Take me to your room," I whisper.

Ed pulls back, his eyes asking me if I'm sure. I lick my lips, nodding at him and then he surprises me by scooping me up in his arms

"Ahh!" I yell, laughing so hard I can feel it in my belly.

He takes me to the first door on the right. It's a large dark room with a brass bed against the wall.

Placing me on my feet, Ed stands in front of me, his arms around my waist. "Are you sure, Baby Cakes?

I lean in, pressing my lips against his, initiating the kiss. My tongue teases his bottom lip, and my fingers begin to unbutton his shirt, giving no doubt of the answer to his questions.

Ed deepens our kiss, laying me gently on the bed. We undress each other as if we're the only presents we'd ever unwrap again.

My fingers trace every muscle of his firm chest, and I savor his lips against my bubs and my most sensitive area. Running my hands through his wild hair, holding on to him as he enters me for the first time.

"Oh God!" I yell the slight discomfort surprising me.

My legs shake as he fills me completely and he stills momentarily.

"Baby, you feel so fucking good," he whispers against my lips, causing me to shiver.

He starts moving slowly as if I'll break, each stroke taking away the pain. His kisses are soft and sweet like I'm the world's most rare flower.

I wrap my legs around his waist, needing more of him. Pulling him to me, I kiss him hard, battling his tongue for dominance. He lets out a needy groan before increasing his speed. One of his hands goes to the brass bed frame, and he uses it as leverage as his speed intensifies.

"Ahh!" I cry out as the most delicious thing I ever felt runs through my body.

"Bella!" he yells my name, as he looks me in the eye.

We move as one, so lost in each other that I'm sure I will never want another man. It's then I realize I've lost my self to Edward Masen …

And I love it.

We turn down my street at a quarter to nine, right on time for my curfew. My smile is so wide it's as if I swallowed the sun. I know I'm not going to be able to hide it from Momma.

All thoughts leave me as we stop in front of the house. My mouth drops open when I see Momma Bessie outside fussing, as Rosie walks to a waiting Em with a suitcase. I jump out of the automobile and rush to her.

"What are you doing?" I ask frantically.

"I'm moving out! He's going to make me a star," she says, lifting her chin.

"Girl, you're a fool if I ever seen one," Momma says from the front porch.

She turns to go back in the house, and I can hear her mumbling. "Just like her momma."

"Rosie, don't do this. Just stay home!" I beg.

She pulls me into a hug. "Take care of yourself."

"Are you fucking mad? You need to know your onions! There's no way Marcus and Aro will allow you to disrespect Kate like this," Ed says, grabbing his brother by the neck.

"The wedding's off. I told Kate today." Em stares at Ed.

"I hope you're leaving town because there's no way Marcus isn't sending his goons after you," Ed says seriously.

"Relax, I got it covered!" He turns to Rosie who I'm holding onto for dear life. "Let's blouse!" He rushes into the boiler, and she soon follows him.

Tears fall down my face as I watch them speed away.

October 1990

The credits of the movie roll in front of me. Regret swarms in my head that I didn't stop my sister that day.

If I did …

If I knew then, what I know now, I would've begged Rosie not to leave that night ... that bad things were coming just three months later. With the one simple act of her leaving home, all our lives changed forever.

Tears fall from my old eyes, and I wish time travel were possible, just to have another chance to warn Rosie. But even in the year nineteen-hundred-ninety, it's still not possible.

I remember clearly how the months changed Ed and me. We became inseparable, never wanting to be without the other. We clung onto each other for dear life, finally finding the missing pieces to our souls.

A sigh leaves me as I think of those months ... of Ed and me, happy, spending our free time together either at my house or his. He was a regular at mine for dinner, and often enough, Ed, and I would be left alone while Momma Bessie was at church.

I remember the night that everything changed for all of us.

That night a part of Ed and me died.

January 1926

I giggle as Ed shoves the greens, cornbread, black-eyed peas and fried chicken in his mouth. He eats as if he's never had a decent meal a day in his life.

"Slow down before you choke!" I giggle as he shoves the food into his mouth with his hands.

"Momma Bessie sure can cook," he says, and that causes me to laugh again.

"Momma's been at revival all week. I made this." I take a bite of my cornbread.

"My God, Bella, this is darb!" he says, lifting his piece of fried chicken.

Standing, I walk to the icebox and pull out the noodle juice before he chokes. I pour a glass for Ed and myself.

He takes a big gulp of his drink as I hear the front door open and then the click of Rosie's heels. She comes into the kitchen, and her eyes go wide as she looks me over from head to toe. I look very grown up wearing my new flapper dress Ed bought me, my hair wavier, not in its usual curls.

Rosie looks upset with pale, dark circles under her eyes. Em comes in behind her, his eyes going to Ed's plate. "Good! I'm starving!" Emmett sits down at our small kitchen table, and he looks so out of place among the fading yellow paint.

"Where's Momma Bessie? Does she know you're going out to a speakeasy?" Rosie takes out two plates from the cupboard.

"She knows she's with me," Ed says, pushing his empty plate away.

Emmett starts shoving the food that Rosie plated into his mouth.

Rosie sits, glaring at Ed. "I'm shocked you're still sniffing around this wurp. Especially with flappers like Ali after you," Rosie says coldly, and I stare from her to Ed, wondering what on earth she's talking about.

Em holds his fork up at Rosie. "Watch it, that's my brother," he says angrily.

"She's my sister, and she doesn't need him filling her head with flowers." Rosie squints her eyes at him, and I'm wondering what in the world is going on.

"Oh, like I've filled your head?" Em asks.

"I know now you never intended to let me on stage. I'm the dumb Dora who believed your lies!" Rosie seethes, giving him a cold look.

I know that look well. Momma Bessie calls it her Charlie Swan look; said she never met a man that could kill you with just one look.

"I don't know what's going on with you two but leave Bella and me the fuck out of it," Ed says, his green eyes trained on Rosie.

"Shouldn't she know that a different flapper throws themselves at you every night, including your friend's girl, Ali?" Rosie challenges.

"Rosie, stop it. It doesn't matter who throws themselves at Ed as long as he's not catching them," I tell her, my voice firm.

"I'm not catching what they're throwing, Baby Cakes." Ed leans over, placing a kiss on my lips. "I don't' have a reason to," he says, officially ending the conversation.

The speakeasy is filled to capacity, dancers are moving wildly on the floor, and people sit around drinking and laughing. The band is playing a fast beat, and I start shaking my hips, enjoying the vibrations against my skin.

"Dance with me!" I pull Ed on the dance floor.

The crowd parts for us, like we're Moses, and they're the red sea. We dance like we don't have a care in the world, and we don't, because we're so lost in each other. I laugh as Ed does the Charleston and the Turkey Trot in front of me. His smile so wide and carefree, his scar non-existent on his beautiful face.

At the end of our third dance, I'm out of breath and hanging onto Ed. He kisses me long and hard in front of everyone. My hands wrap around his neck, pulling him closer.

Ed leads me to the table where Rosie and Em are sitting with Jazz. A flapper I don't recognize comes over to the table, her eyes on Ed.

He ignores her, his head pressed against my temple. "Two giggle waters," he says, without looking up at her.

"Ed, we need to talk," Jazz says, placing his elbows on the table. "Word on the streets is Aro and James are looking to bump off Em and Blondie. Seems like Marcus wants payback for him ending it with Kate."

"He'll get over it! I'm getting it from all sides! I can't make this one happy. That one wants to choke me with a manacle!" Em yells, waving his hands in the air.

"You wanted to put the manacle on her finger! I told you this would happen!" Ed slams his hand down on the table. "You and Rosie need to get away for a while. Go to Uncle Carlisle in California until this shit blows over."

The desperation in Ed's voice sends chills down to my very bones, and I want them to pack up and leave tonight.

"I'm not going anywhere with him! I'm moving back home tomorrow," Rosie says, sitting up straighter.

"I told you I'll get you on stage! Right now, Leah and the boys are hot. I can't just change that because of some dame I'm stuck on," Em pleads to Rosie.

"Go chase yourself!" Rose shouts and leaves the table.

"Rosie!" Em follows her across the joint.

My eyes are on them, my heart pounding furiously in my ears. A cold shiver runs down my spine, and I watch helplessly as two men take out their guns, aiming at my sister and Em.

"NO!" I yell as Rosie's eyes go wide.

Multiple shots are fired, and it sounds like a bomb is going off in the small space. Ed knocks me to the ground, covering my body with his, and I fight him, trying to get to Rosie. The entire place is in an uproar and people are running all over in total chaos.

"Rosie! Rosie!" I yell over and over, moving my body wildly but Ed is too strong, and he won't budge.

We're practically under the table as people try to flee through the small front exit and others try the secret doors. I can feel Ed shaking on top of me and wetness dripping onto my neck. He's chanting 'No, No' repeatedly as pandemonium unfolds around us.

The noise is unbearable as people scream, tables and chairs crashing to the floor. More gunshots are fired, each one putting a hole in my soul. Ed frantically moves off me when the shots stop; people are still screaming and running for their lives.

Pulling my knees to my chest, I try to hold myself together as I watch Ed fall beside Rosie and Em's lifeless body. Rosie's cold dead eyes look at nothing, and I feel as if I'm dead too. I've only ever had one sister. We fought, we bickered, she hated she had to take me everywhere, but she was mine.

My Rosie.

Ed cradles Em's head in his lap. "Fuck!" He lets out an anguished roar that I feel in my bones.

"This is a bust!"

Coppers rush in through the crowd, and I look wide-eyed as Charlie rushes in with the rest of the cops.

"Ed! We gotta get out of here!" Jazz calls, grabbing me by the arm.

Ed jumps up, running to me and taking me from Jazz. I'm numb as we run for our lives through back doors and up stairs. We come out at the alley, and we jump in Ed's boiler, leaving Jazz to go his own way. Ed pulls off, and I'm shaking for dear life, my tears unstoppable.

Rosie is dead.

Em is dead.

"They're going to fucking pay!" Ed says through clenched teeth.

"Ed, please," I beg, knowing what he's thinking.

"It's always been Em and me! He's all I had!" Ed's voice is hard.

"You've got me," I whisper weakly, hoping that it means something.

Time seems to stand still as we drive through the busy streets of Chicago. It's like I've experienced the entire thing as someone else. This can't be my reality. Rosie can't be dead. In my mind I can still see her, alive and well.

Ed stops in front of my house, and I notice the lights on through the windows. I'm sure Momma Bessie has just returned home from church. Without saying a word, Ed escorts me out of the automobile and up the path. A fresh round of tears begin to fall, and my body shakes with the weight of my grief.

I've never felt such loss before.

We walk into the house; Momma Bessie is sitting in her chair, the worn black bible in her hand. The closer I get to her, the more my body shakes, and the tears fall.

She glances up when we near, and one look from her causes my legs to buckle. Ed catches me in his strong arms, and I wail, lost in my grief.

"Rosie," Momma Bessie says. Her voice is cold, and I don't know how she knows.

I'm taken out of Ed's arms and led to the sofa. She starts humming 'Yes Jesus Loves Me,' which is one of the gospel songs they sing at church all the time. It's the same song that soothed me when Renee ran off.

I cry in her arms like I did all those years ago after Renee left. I hear Ed's muffled voice explain what happened to Rosie and Em.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Edward," Momma says to Ed.

I open my eyes as Ed sits down in a chair. His hands are in his hair, and he is shaking with grief and rage. "I have to go, Bella," Ed says, his voice void of any feelings.

I sit up, shaking my head from side to side. "Go where?"

"They killed my brother." He stands, and I rush after him, pulling on his arm.

"Please don't do this! I can't lose you, too!" I cry, and he pulls me close, his lips pressed against my forehead.

He looks into my eyes, his thumb caressing my tears as they fall. "You're the best thing that ever happened to a bum like me. I love you, Baby Cakes." HIs lips find mine, and he kisses me as if it's the last time his lips will ever touch mine.

I grab his suit jacket, pulling him even closer. "I love you, too," I whisper against his lips.

"Take care of her, Miss Bessie," Ed says as he turns to leave the house.

I crumble again, knowing that this may be the last time I'll ever see Edward Masen and that he's the only man I'll ever love.

October 1990

Images from the days that followed Rosie and Emmett's death attack my old mind, and memories that I thought were long lost fill me as if they happened yesterday and not sixty-five years ago.

I remember Charlie being furious, blaming Momma Bessie for her death, saying that she let us girls go wild. Momma stood her ground and reminded him that both he and his wife left their girls.

Under my closed eyelids, I can see my sister's body in the white pearl casket, her short, golden hair curled around her beautiful face. She looked different, like herself but not really. I remember the tears I cried and the empty feeling of dread and loneliness that took over me. I remember being so sick that I couldn't hold anything down.

But most of all I remember Ed wasn't there.

I was devastated by his absence, but Momma Bessie reminded me that sometimes a man has to do what a man has to do.

Two-weeks after I buried my sister, I sat in the living room with Charlie questioning me on Ed's whereabouts.

February 1926

"Have you seen Edward Masen, Isabella?" Charlie yells at me, and I jump wringing my hands together.

Him and another copper are standing in the middle of Momma's Bessie clean, front room barking question after question at me.

"We believe he's the one responsible for the murder of three men," the other officer, William Mallory, says, placing a Chicago Tribune down in front of me.

Looking at the paper, I recognize the faces of both James and Aro looking up at me, the other man is the Marcus they constantly mentioned. A strange feeling takes over, and I'm glad they're dead for what they did to Rosie and Em. I pray to God that Ed is long gone from Chicago, and though I know I'll never see him again, I don't regret us or how I feel about him.

I don't regret the baby in my belly from that night he took me to the picture show. There's a small bump protruding, and if anyone looks hard enough, they can see that I'm with child. I'm happy because I'll always have a part of Ed.

"I told you, I haven't seen him!" I yell, staring at Charlie Swan who cares more about being a copper than his own children.

"That man hasn't been around here! If he had, I'd kill 'em dead for leaving my girl in the family way like he did," Momma Bessie says, and her eyes cut to me. She hasn't really spoken to me since we figured out that I wasn't sick because of my grief from losing Rosie.

Charlie looks at us both one last time before he walks out the house with Detective Mallory behind him. I let out a sigh of relief, and Momma takes a seat in her chair.

"I'm sorry," I say for the hundredth time.

"Nothing to be sorry about. All you can do is take care of that baby. I didn't think Edward Masen was the type of man to leave you like this," she says, shaking her head.

"He's not. He must be-" I can't say what I'm thinking, what my heart won't admit.

Ed could be dead, or he could've just left to save himself.

Maybe I'll never know.

Later that night after we've finished supper, there's a knock at the door, and Momma closes the bible to answer it.

"Miss Bessie."

I stand at the sound of his voice, not daring to move.

"You said you wouldn't disappear on me again," I whisper.

"I know." His voice is low as his green eyes gaze into my soul.

"You got some nerves showing your face around here after you put my girl in the family way and run off!" Momma says, pointing her chubby finger in his chest.

I watch as he winces in pain, and she notices as well. "What have you done to yourself?"

"Is it true?" Ed asks, ignoring Momma Bessie's question, his eyes on me. "Are you having my child, Baby Cakes?"

"Yes."

We stand quiet, staring at each other. The air in the room thick as black smoke.

"I'm leaving," he says, staring into my eyes.

My heart breaks into tiny pieces with just those two words.

October 1990

I chuckle at how naive I was that day just as the front door opens. My fella walks in with the aid of a cane, his body bent with old age, and his hair white. Cataract eyes search for me, and when he finds me, they light up, and a smile takes over his still handsome face.

"Baby Cakes," he says in greeting. "Well, your sons told me not to come back to the office." He chuckles.

I stand, making my way slowly to him.

He's supposed to be retired from running the construction company he started back in thirty, but he can't seem to let it go.

"You'll never guess what was on TV, Ed."

"Hmm?" He pulls me close to him, his lips pressing against mine, causing butterflies to dance in my belly as if I was seventeen all over again.

"A Kiss for Cinderella." I giggle as he kisses my neck.

"The first picture show I took you to and the night we made Emmett. What a night!" He squeezes my behind, shocking me, and I slap his hand, giggling like a girl.

"Don't be fresh!" I laugh as I swat his shoulder.

"I thought you liked me fresh?" he asks before going in for another kiss.

I lose myself in my fella, kissing him has become second nature to me, and even at the ripe old age of eighty-two, it still feels like the first time.

Life hasn't been easy for us, and there have been ups and downs as expected. We moved to Sacramento and built a life for ourselves. We had four, beautiful, healthy children, all who were cared for by Momma Bessie just as she cared for Rosie and me. She came to live with us in twenty-six to help after Emmett was born.

"Come on, Baby Cakes, let me show you how fresh I can be." He leads me through our house ... a place full of memories of happy and sad times, but through it all, we had each other.

It's been a beautiful life with my fella, and it all started, one dark night in Chicago.