Author's Note

So - turns out that before I disappeared off the face of the earth 2 years ago, I had in fact already written a couple more of the paragraphs, and just hadn't uploaded them. So you all get a treat and don't have to wait a month for me to get back into them!

BELLA'S POV

I sighed as I pushed the luggage trolley through LAX, glad to finally be back home again. Visiting Charlie had been great, but exhausting. It had been my first visit to Forks since I left all those years ago, and the first time Emma had ever been to Forks.

Emma had been over the moon about the trip. It was a big exciting adventure for a four year old girl, and she loved her Grandpa Charlie. She had been so excited to see where Grandpa Charlie lived, and had spent the entire weekend bouncing around joyously.

I took a deep breath as I my brain reminded me once again that she was sick, and in her little body was a ticking time bomb.

We had only stayed for the weekend, and had spent the entire time at Charlie's house. I hadn't wanted to venture out, for fear of seeing someone I knew. It wasn't as though I was hiding Emma anymore, but I knew I needed to sort things out with Edward first.

I smiled as I spotted Steph waving madly, pulling faces at Emma, who was giggling madly, perched on top of our luggage.

"How are my two favourite girls?" asked Steph as I pulled the trolley up next to her.

"Aunty Steph!" shrieked Emma happily. "We had so much fun Aunty Steph. I got to play at Grandpa Charlie's house!"

"That's great Em," replied Steph cheerfully.

"Hey Steph," I greeted, giving my best friend a hug.

"How was it?" asked Steph softly.

I sighed, thinking about Steph's question. There were a million ways to interpret that question, and a million answers that could be given.

"Good," I replied with a slight smile. "Good, but hard. It's been so long."

Steph nodded knowingly. I smiled again, knowing that Steph wouldn't ask me anything else about the weekend, but would be there to talk when I was ready.

"Hey Em," said Steph, "hows about you jump down from there and walk with me?"

I smiled gratefully as Steph took helped Emma down from on top of our bags and took her hand, listening intently as Emma launched into a story about her weekend with Grandpa Charlie.

For the millionth time since this whole nightmare began, I thanked whatever Gods were out there that I had Steph as a best friend.

I wheeled the luggage trolley back over to return it, and unloaded mine and Emma's bags before following Steph outside to her car. I sighed again, knowing that I couldn't put off calling Edward for any longer. It was time my daughter met her father.

I sat down on the couch with Emma after getting her up from a nap, my heart beating a million miles per hour.

I had called Edward straight away after Steph had dropped Emma and I home from the airport. I knew I had to call him before I lost my nerve.

We had decided that I was going to tell Emma on my own, so that she would feel like she could ask me any questions that she had. Edward was going to meet us at the park after I told her.

"What's wrong Mommy?" asked Emma, picking up on my nervousness.

"I have something I have to tell you, possum," I started, unsure of how I was going to tell Emma that I had kept her father from her for her entire life. I knew she was young enough that she wouldn't hold it against me, but it was still hard.

I took a deep breath, and decided the best approach was a direct one.

"Possum, do you remember meeting Dr Cullen when we were at the hospital?" I asked her slowly.

Emma furrowed her eyebrows together as she concentrated, trying to remember.

"Edward," I offered, remembering that she had called him Edward when introducing me to her new friend.

Emma smiled in recognition.

"I liked Edward," she stated seriously. "He gave me a balloon, and drew a smiley face on it."

"Yes, that's right," I replied, taking another deep breath.

Emma looked at me enquiringly as I paused, trying to gather my thoughts.

"Well, I have actually known Edward for a long time," I started, building up my courage to tell Emma the truth.

"Before the hospital?" asked Emma innocently.

"Yes possum, before the hospital. Em, Edward is you daddy," I took a deep breath, and watched Emma to see her reaction.

Emma sat still, eyebrows furrowed again. I could tell she was thinking hard, trying to figure something out.

"Like Grandpa Charlie is your daddy?" she asked after a while.

"Yes," I replied, my fingers crossed. "Just like that."

Emma considered this for a moment longer.

"Will he take me to get ice-cream? And to the swings at the park?"

I held back a laugh. Emma looked so serious as she asked me these questions. Of course these were the most important questions for a four year old.

"I'm sure he would love to do that," I replied, pulling Emma into a hug. "Would you like to see him again Ems?"

Emma pulled back from my hug and nodded her head. I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn't sure what I was going to do if she had said no. I mean, I knew it wasn't likely that she would, but stranger things had happened.

"I think he would be able to meet us at the park now," I suggested, knowing that my daughter would never say no to a trip to the park. "We could see if he is a good swing pusher."

I watched as Emma's face lit up at my suggestions.

"Right now?" she asked eagerly.

"Right now," I confirmed, nodding my head.

Emma shrieked in delight and bounded off of the couch, running to grab her shoes from her room.

"No running in the house," I called after her in a light hearted manner, chuckling to myself.

I pulled myself off of the couch and walked over to the phone, dialling Edward's cell to let him know we were headed to the park.

We arrived at the park exactly 12 minutes after I called Edward. Emma had been so excited that she had pulled on my arm the entire way.

I was slightly worried that all of the excitement today would wear her out, and make her more vulnerable to the leukaemia. I shook my head, trying to dispel the worry that was running through my head. I made a mental note to ask Edward about that.

I glanced around the park, spotting Edward sitting on a bench 50 metres away. I waved hesitantly, still not completely sure how things were between us. Leaning over so that I was at Emma's height, I pointed towards Edward, drawing her attention to him.

Now that we were at the park and she had seen Edward, her excitement turned into shyness, and she hid slightly behind me.

"What's wrong possum?" I asked, turning to face her.

"What if he doesn't like me?" she asked, her head down and her voice wrought with doubt.

I put my fingers beneath her chin and lifted her head up so that she was looking at me.

"That won't happen Em. I can promise you that. He already loves you, and really wants to see you again," I paused to collect my thoughts, then continued. "You know it was his idea to come to the park today."

"Really?" asked Emma, her voice getting stronger. She reached her head over my shoulder to look at where Edward was sitting. I was glad Edward had stayed where he was so that Emma could approach him in her own time.

"Really," I replied, nodding my head.

"Let's go then," she replied seriously. She paused again, then looked up at me. "Can you hold my hand again Mommy?"

"Of course I can possum," I said, as I reached down to take her hand.

I started to lead my daughter over to where her father was sitting waiting for her.

"Hi," ventured Edward as we reached the bench he was sitting on.

"Hi," replied Emma shyly, half hiding behind my legs. After a moment, she moved to the side, so that she was fully visible to Edward, and took a step towards him.

"Are you going to be my Daddy?" she asked quietly, unsure of what response she would get.

"If you want me to be," replied Edward. I swallowed as my throat swelled with emotion.

"I'd like that," said Emma, slightly more confident now. "Do you know how to push people on swings?"

"I've never done it before," admitted Edward, "but I'd be happy to learn if you were willing to teach me."

Emma smiled, and seemed to forget her shyness. She reached forwards and grabbed Edwards hand and proceeded to drag him towards the swing set, all the while explaining to him the best way to push someone on the swings.

I watched from the park bench, trying not to be to happy about the scene I was seeing unfold before me. I was glad that Edward and Emma were meeting, Emma deserved a father, and Edward deserved a chance to be one. But I couldn't help but start to envision the three of us as a family.

I shook my head and scolded myself silently. He's engaged, I repeated to myself over and over again in my head. I made a mental note to call Steph as soon as I got home, I was definitely going to need a girly chat tonight.