FicWad

I place a bowl of oatmeal in front of my six year old and she smiles. "Thank you Daddy," she says.

"You're welcome Gracie." I respond with a smile and turn to Logan in his high chair. "And is my little buddy hungry?" He just laughs and bangs down on the tray. At all of eleven months, he's small for his age height wise, though he's slightly chubby. His hair is dark and curly, obviously adapting after me.

Gracie is just like Kate with her straight blonde hair and brown eyes. Sometimes it hurts to look at her. It's not just the resemblance that becomes too much, it's her attitude. She's strong willed, stubborn, occasionally a pain in the ass. And she knows it too.

"Daddy, how many days 'til school?" Gracie asks as I start to feed Logan.

"Why don't you go look at the fridge?" She hops up and walks over to the fridge where I keep the official countdown, using our usual system of paper rings. I had just pulled off the last one before they got up.

"One…two…only two more days!" A smile goes across her face. She's about begin first grade. A year ago, she wasn't excited to start. She clung to my leg while gripping Kate's hand. Now, she's got her own little posse, I call them a junior version of Sex and The City. A bunch of six year olds that do nothing but talk and talk and talk.

"Exciting, huh Sugar Plum?" I kiss her cheek as she sits back down to eat her oatmeal. We finish breakfast, with myself getting some food into me. When we're done, I grab the diaper bag and Logan, with Gracie excitedly following, talking a mile a minute about my mom. Once both are secured in the car, we take off.

I met Kate our sophomore year of college. We were both taking an English class and were assigned to interview each other and write a report about the other. It was cliché and we both complained about it over red bull and ramen. Not long after that though, we were dating. Both of us had pretty hectic schedules, she was pre-med, myself a business major, so most of our dates involved what we originally did during our first "date". Yet we spent so many of those nights talking about the future and what we wanted, I don't feel it was a surprise that during our junior year, I popped the question. We married in a small ceremony not long after that and soon returned to school, only to be hit by the reality of the adult world faster than we thought.

Kate was pregnant. We were both scared shitless. We both planned on kids but not at 21 years old and not before we were settled in our careers. Today, I regret to say we did talk about all three options we had, but in the end decided to parent. Kate then decided to change paths and went into studying nursing, rather than going for the pediatrician career she always dreamed of. And seven months later, our beautiful Gracelyn Mae was born. We finished up our senior years with little sleep, lots of fights and a colicky baby, but in the end it was worth it. Gracie was the light of our lives. Kate soon began work at a local hospital and I was busy opening up my own antique store.

The next few years were what some would call boring, I called it family life. We had originally agreed that one child was enough. We loved Gracie, she was everything to us. One and done, who could ask for more? Well we were evidentially asking for it by getting drunk and forgetting a little thing called a condom. Not that we weren't excited, Kate was. She said we could get our girl and our boy, she knew it from the start that we would be having a boy

She'd only get to enjoy our boy and girl for two weeks.

"Daddy!" Gracie's screaming pulls me out of my daydream. "How long are you working today?"

"No screaming Gracie," I remind her gently. "Just until four." I pull into my parents' driveway and help Gracie out before taking out Logan. I walk, Gracie skips, to the door and I let her ring the bell. Her blonde hair is glimmering in the morning sun. It's still warm, which is nice, considering soon it will be freezing.

The door swings open and Mom stands there, a smile on her face. "There's my sweet girl!" She cries out, wrapping Gracie into a big hug. She kisses my cheek and then Logan's. "And my boys." She steps aside, letting us all in. Gracie goes to make herself right at home. This place has been her second home these past ten and a half months.

"So I'm only working until four," I tell her, Logan still in my arms. "Jasper will take over after that."

"Don't sweat it hon," Mom says before taking Logan from me. I feel my heart sink a little. "How are you doing?"

I shake my head. "I'm fine." She gives me a knowing look. "I'm serious Mom, I'm fine. I just hate leaving the kids."

She smiles. "They're in good hands." She snuggles Logan. "Say "bye bye" to Daddy, Logey."

He just smiles at me and I can't help but smile back. "Bye Pumpkin. Bye Sugar Plum." Gracie jumps up and runs back to me, throwing her arms around my legs and saying goodbye. I kiss her head and remind her to help with Logan before heading out.

I unlock the door to the antique store and walk in, starting my preparations for our first few customers. I never have to worry about money when Jasper closes, he prepares the registers for me and the other employees. He's been closing a lot more the past year, prior we would just trade on and off, but I've needed to be home for the kids. I know my brother-in-law doesn't mind, my sister, however, has made a few "subtle" hints about me taking them on some more. I get it, the two have been trying to have a baby and it can't be easy with him working nights.

Before I know it, my other morning employees have arrived and I get to work. About halfway through the day, I see a short brunette heading over to a silver chandelier. I had found it at a yard sale, a hidden gem. The people running the sale had no clue of its potential, so I pretty much stole it from them. But the chandelier had been my third baby these past few months. I worked like hell to fix it up and it was one of the few items not up for negotiation.

I make my way over and clear my throat. "Hello ma'am," I say. She turns around and a small smile goes across her lips. "See anything you like?"

"Maybe," she replies coyly, her eyes going back to the chandelier. "This is very beautiful."

"Many people say that, I had someone in here just yesterday that almost bought it." I had spent many years watching my own father run a jewelry shop. Wording was key to make a sale. And by making an item look hot…

"Don't do that with me." She narrows her eyes. "I can smell a business major from a mile away." I cock an eyebrow.

"Oh really now?" She nods.

"Yeah." She points through the big bay window, across the street. "I bought that café a few weeks ago. We open next week and I'm looking for a perfect finishing piece. I believe this may be it."

"That's great. I can have Mike write you up a slip…" She shakes her head and cuts me off.

"I'm still thinking about it. I'll be back in later."

"Okay, well like I said, I've had many a buyer looking at it. I can't promise it'll be here very long."

She smirks. "Uh huh." She pulls a business card from her pocket and hands it to me. I read the funky type: Bella's Beans.

"I take it you're Bella?" She nods. "I'm Edward Cullen, co-owner. I'm normally here in the mornings, my business partner and brother-in-law comes in at night."

"Alright. Perhaps I'll come back at night." And with that, she walks out. I roll my eyes.