Chapter 2
I've already posted Chapter 1 to my Twilight fanfiction, but I didn't get much of a response. Depending on the comments left for Chapter 2 I may or may not post again. So let me know what you think!
Chapter Two: Love
When I walked into the house Charlie was right where I left him, lounging on the couch and intent upon the game. I hurried to the kitchen as fast as I could, figuring Charlie wouldn’t notice my appearance or my hurried manor. He didn’t notice either, and I was briefly thankful I wasn’t living with my mother. My state would not have gone unnoticed in the presence of Renee.
Grabbing the beef from the fridge where I had put it to thaw, I turned the stove on and grabbed a pan. Once the pan was heated I threw the beef in and sprinkled on some of the taco seasoning. I didn’t read the directions for the recommended amount, I just continued to add more as I saw fit. We had some tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers in the fridge and I took those out and chopped them while the beef cooked. I put the vegetables on a separate plate so that Charlie was free to put on whatever he liked. I filled three taco shells with beef (two for Charlie), and announced that dinner was ready. I was prepared to bring the food into the living room so that he could eat and watch the game but was startled when he appeared in the kitchen. Now that I realized it, the sound of the TV no longer filled the background.
“Don’t you want to eat and watch the game?” I asked him, confused as to the special occasion.
“No, I figure tonight should be just you and me.” He smiled a sad, yet happy smile. I didn’t know such an emotion was possible, to feel the two things at once.
“Okay.” I put the dishes that were in my arms on the table and got us some drinks. He sat down and began to eat. We ate in silence for a couple of minutes, like we always did, but it didn’t take him long to break it.
“Bella,” he said, and for a long time that was all. I had almost decided that I had imagined his voice when he continued. “I don’t, well I don’t really know how to say this…” He struggled, and I waited patiently. I knew this wasn’t easy for him to do, so I tried to be as open as possible. “What I mean is, now that you’re a woman,” his face screwed up at the mention of the word, “I just wanted to tell you how…” he paused. “Proud I am.”
I was shocked. This was not what I expected. He laughed at the expression on my face, and I wondered what it must look like. I knew that Charlie loved me, but giving the decision I had made I really wasn’t expecting him to say that he was proud of me. This was a whole new side of Charlie I had never seen before. I couldn’t think of anything to say so I just waited. He looked thoughtful again.
“Before you decided to come live in Forks, I thought I was happy. But since you have moved in with me I have gotten to experience what its like to have a family again and what its like to be happy again-- truly happy. Thank you, Bella.”
If I thought I was shocked before, it was nothing to what I felt now. Thinking over everything I had put him through, my mood swings and Edward, I always thought I’d caused him a lot of stress. I knew he enjoyed having me around, but this was more than I deserved.
“Dad…” but he cut me off.
“No, Bella, listen to me. You’re a great girl, er... woman.” He stumbled over the word again. “And any man that you decide to spend your life with is extremely lucky. I only hope that you won’t forget your dear old dad in the process.” He smiled in what I decided was true happiness.
This was way more than I deserved. I should be thanking him for putting up with me, for being so easy to live with (for the most part). I suppose I was a woman now, I really hadn’t thought about it until Charlie mentioned it. I was mature in so many ways, matured because of the love I felt for Edward, but also so young. The two didn’t seem to mesh and I decided to worry about the second half of what Charlie said instead. During the change my absence was easy enough to explain as my honeymoon. But when people started to notice that I never aged… I didn’t know what I was going to do then. Edward had graciously given me time to think about it, assuring me we’d reach a decision together at a later date.
“I could never forget you dad. Ever.” At least it wasn’t a lie. How could I forget Charlie? I couldn’t imagine it.
“Thanks, Bells. And there’s, er… one more thing.” From his pocket he pulled out a small cube, covered in velvet. It looked expensive, something you couldn’t buy in Forks. I tried to remember the last time Charlie came home late or was gone a long time, but couldn’t. What was Charlie thinking? A gift was so out of his element, so foreign, and it looked like jewelry nonetheless. I normally would not accept such an expensive gift, Charlie wasn’t exactly rich and I wondered where he got the money, but how could I not? He looked nervous, but truly excited to present this gift to me. I was filled with emotion, and was surprised that my eyes started to sting. I tried to say something but couldn’t. Now that I thought about it, I was proud of him. Charlie had come a long way, this gift proved that. Taking the box as he handed it to me, I knew I would be eternally grateful for this moment. I knew that I would hold onto this as long as it lasted, maybe even forever. A tear fell to my lap as I stared down at the box.
“Oh, have I upset you? I’m sorry, Bells, I didn’t-“
“No, no, dad. These are tears of happiness. Look.” And I smiled up at him. His face relaxed and he looked relieved. My hands trembling, I opened the box. Inside was a necklace. There was a simple blue pendant on the silver strand. The pendant was teardrop-shaped with a silver star at the top. I took it out of the box and marveled at its beauty. It was perfect. I guessed he picked the blue color because ever since Edward had mentioned that he liked the color with my skin, I took to wearing blue shirts more often. I also suddenly had an abundance of blue shirts, something I attributed to Alice.
“Wow,” I whispered. It was all I could manage. It didn’t seem like I would be able to find words to express my emotion.
“Turn it over,” he prompted.
I did as he said, and there on the back was thin, neat writing engraved by the jewelers. It read:
LOVE YOU,
CHARLIE
That was all it said, but it was more than enough.
“Oh, dad!” Overwhelmed with emotion I jumped up from my seat and threw my arms around him. I couldn’t really remember the last time I hugged Charlie. I was sure I did when I was younger, but those things just kind of fade away without you noticing. He sat there, slightly awkward, but soon rested his hands gently on my back. I knew he wasn’t exactly sure how this sort of thing went, so I attempted to lead, though I was hardly sure myself. After a couple seconds of hugging I broke apart, tears streaming down my face.
“I love you, too,” I said. When I thought about the short time I spent in Forks, it was incredibly surprising how much I had learned about love. Who knew you could learn so much in such a small town?
I sat back down at my seat and dabbed at my eyes with a napkin. Charlie recovered and returned to his usual self.
“So does that mean you like it?” He laughed, and I laughed along with him. It was such an understatement I couldn’t help it.
“Yes, dad, that means I like it,” I said it slow and mocking, so as to keep the joking manner going, but I meant it. I clumsily put it on. It rested squarely on my chest, not too high and not too low. It was more than perfect. When I looked up from the necklace I found Charlie watching me. Was it the light or were his eyes tearing up? He looked down suddenly and became engrossed in his taco. I did the same, not wanting to embarrass him. He took a mouthful that was much too big, and swallowed with difficulty. Now his eyes were watering for a different reason.
“How much seasoning did you put in here, Bella?” He made a couple choking noises and gulped down his drink. I took a small bite of my taco and did the same.
“Woah, sorry, dad. I must not have been paying attention.” I pushed my taco away and decided to settle for a salad using the vegetables on the table. After a couple more bites of his taco, Charlie followed suit.
Once I was finished I picked up my plate, and began to rinse it off.
“I’ll do that.” Charlie came up behind me and took the plate from my hands. “You really do baby me too much, and you need your rest.” I guessed that he was intentionally not using the words ‘tomorrow’ or ‘wedding’.
“Oh, okay. Thanks.” I wasn’t complaining, that meant I got to see Edward earlier. Excitement filled me up. I turned toward the stairs and began a brisk walk to my room. But before I could reach the first step, I heard Charlie say my name again.
“Yes, dad?” What could he want now? I tried not to appear too annoyed.
“Well, I’m just wondering…”
“Yes?”
“Well, do you remember that talk we had? About, being, you know, about being careful? With boys, I mean.” He looked awkward, and we both flushed scarlet at the same time. I noted that he was redder than I was.
“Yes, dad. I remember.” I didn’t answer. I already told him this, and I didn’t appreciate him bringing it up again. I wasn’t going to make this any easier on him.
“Well?” He looked annoyed, and I was worried about upsetting him so close to the wedding.
“We haven’t, I mean,” I sighed. “Nothing’s changed.”
“Okay,” he said more cheerily than I expected.
“Am I free to go now?” I asked, not attempting to hide my annoyance now.
“Of course,” he said, still as cheerily as before. I headed towards my room with great relief. I knew what would be waiting for me inside.
Chapter Two: Love
When I walked into the house Charlie was right where I left him, lounging on the couch and intent upon the game. I hurried to the kitchen as fast as I could, figuring Charlie wouldn’t notice my appearance or my hurried manor. He didn’t notice either, and I was briefly thankful I wasn’t living with my mother. My state would not have gone unnoticed in the presence of Renee.
Grabbing the beef from the fridge where I had put it to thaw, I turned the stove on and grabbed a pan. Once the pan was heated I threw the beef in and sprinkled on some of the taco seasoning. I didn’t read the directions for the recommended amount, I just continued to add more as I saw fit. We had some tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers in the fridge and I took those out and chopped them while the beef cooked. I put the vegetables on a separate plate so that Charlie was free to put on whatever he liked. I filled three taco shells with beef (two for Charlie), and announced that dinner was ready. I was prepared to bring the food into the living room so that he could eat and watch the game but was startled when he appeared in the kitchen. Now that I realized it, the sound of the TV no longer filled the background.
“Don’t you want to eat and watch the game?” I asked him, confused as to the special occasion.
“No, I figure tonight should be just you and me.” He smiled a sad, yet happy smile. I didn’t know such an emotion was possible, to feel the two things at once.
“Okay.” I put the dishes that were in my arms on the table and got us some drinks. He sat down and began to eat. We ate in silence for a couple of minutes, like we always did, but it didn’t take him long to break it.
“Bella,” he said, and for a long time that was all. I had almost decided that I had imagined his voice when he continued. “I don’t, well I don’t really know how to say this…” He struggled, and I waited patiently. I knew this wasn’t easy for him to do, so I tried to be as open as possible. “What I mean is, now that you’re a woman,” his face screwed up at the mention of the word, “I just wanted to tell you how…” he paused. “Proud I am.”
I was shocked. This was not what I expected. He laughed at the expression on my face, and I wondered what it must look like. I knew that Charlie loved me, but giving the decision I had made I really wasn’t expecting him to say that he was proud of me. This was a whole new side of Charlie I had never seen before. I couldn’t think of anything to say so I just waited. He looked thoughtful again.
“Before you decided to come live in Forks, I thought I was happy. But since you have moved in with me I have gotten to experience what its like to have a family again and what its like to be happy again-- truly happy. Thank you, Bella.”
If I thought I was shocked before, it was nothing to what I felt now. Thinking over everything I had put him through, my mood swings and Edward, I always thought I’d caused him a lot of stress. I knew he enjoyed having me around, but this was more than I deserved.
“Dad…” but he cut me off.
“No, Bella, listen to me. You’re a great girl, er... woman.” He stumbled over the word again. “And any man that you decide to spend your life with is extremely lucky. I only hope that you won’t forget your dear old dad in the process.” He smiled in what I decided was true happiness.
This was way more than I deserved. I should be thanking him for putting up with me, for being so easy to live with (for the most part). I suppose I was a woman now, I really hadn’t thought about it until Charlie mentioned it. I was mature in so many ways, matured because of the love I felt for Edward, but also so young. The two didn’t seem to mesh and I decided to worry about the second half of what Charlie said instead. During the change my absence was easy enough to explain as my honeymoon. But when people started to notice that I never aged… I didn’t know what I was going to do then. Edward had graciously given me time to think about it, assuring me we’d reach a decision together at a later date.
“I could never forget you dad. Ever.” At least it wasn’t a lie. How could I forget Charlie? I couldn’t imagine it.
“Thanks, Bells. And there’s, er… one more thing.” From his pocket he pulled out a small cube, covered in velvet. It looked expensive, something you couldn’t buy in Forks. I tried to remember the last time Charlie came home late or was gone a long time, but couldn’t. What was Charlie thinking? A gift was so out of his element, so foreign, and it looked like jewelry nonetheless. I normally would not accept such an expensive gift, Charlie wasn’t exactly rich and I wondered where he got the money, but how could I not? He looked nervous, but truly excited to present this gift to me. I was filled with emotion, and was surprised that my eyes started to sting. I tried to say something but couldn’t. Now that I thought about it, I was proud of him. Charlie had come a long way, this gift proved that. Taking the box as he handed it to me, I knew I would be eternally grateful for this moment. I knew that I would hold onto this as long as it lasted, maybe even forever. A tear fell to my lap as I stared down at the box.
“Oh, have I upset you? I’m sorry, Bells, I didn’t-“
“No, no, dad. These are tears of happiness. Look.” And I smiled up at him. His face relaxed and he looked relieved. My hands trembling, I opened the box. Inside was a necklace. There was a simple blue pendant on the silver strand. The pendant was teardrop-shaped with a silver star at the top. I took it out of the box and marveled at its beauty. It was perfect. I guessed he picked the blue color because ever since Edward had mentioned that he liked the color with my skin, I took to wearing blue shirts more often. I also suddenly had an abundance of blue shirts, something I attributed to Alice.
“Wow,” I whispered. It was all I could manage. It didn’t seem like I would be able to find words to express my emotion.
“Turn it over,” he prompted.
I did as he said, and there on the back was thin, neat writing engraved by the jewelers. It read:
LOVE YOU,
CHARLIE
That was all it said, but it was more than enough.
“Oh, dad!” Overwhelmed with emotion I jumped up from my seat and threw my arms around him. I couldn’t really remember the last time I hugged Charlie. I was sure I did when I was younger, but those things just kind of fade away without you noticing. He sat there, slightly awkward, but soon rested his hands gently on my back. I knew he wasn’t exactly sure how this sort of thing went, so I attempted to lead, though I was hardly sure myself. After a couple seconds of hugging I broke apart, tears streaming down my face.
“I love you, too,” I said. When I thought about the short time I spent in Forks, it was incredibly surprising how much I had learned about love. Who knew you could learn so much in such a small town?
I sat back down at my seat and dabbed at my eyes with a napkin. Charlie recovered and returned to his usual self.
“So does that mean you like it?” He laughed, and I laughed along with him. It was such an understatement I couldn’t help it.
“Yes, dad, that means I like it,” I said it slow and mocking, so as to keep the joking manner going, but I meant it. I clumsily put it on. It rested squarely on my chest, not too high and not too low. It was more than perfect. When I looked up from the necklace I found Charlie watching me. Was it the light or were his eyes tearing up? He looked down suddenly and became engrossed in his taco. I did the same, not wanting to embarrass him. He took a mouthful that was much too big, and swallowed with difficulty. Now his eyes were watering for a different reason.
“How much seasoning did you put in here, Bella?” He made a couple choking noises and gulped down his drink. I took a small bite of my taco and did the same.
“Woah, sorry, dad. I must not have been paying attention.” I pushed my taco away and decided to settle for a salad using the vegetables on the table. After a couple more bites of his taco, Charlie followed suit.
Once I was finished I picked up my plate, and began to rinse it off.
“I’ll do that.” Charlie came up behind me and took the plate from my hands. “You really do baby me too much, and you need your rest.” I guessed that he was intentionally not using the words ‘tomorrow’ or ‘wedding’.
“Oh, okay. Thanks.” I wasn’t complaining, that meant I got to see Edward earlier. Excitement filled me up. I turned toward the stairs and began a brisk walk to my room. But before I could reach the first step, I heard Charlie say my name again.
“Yes, dad?” What could he want now? I tried not to appear too annoyed.
“Well, I’m just wondering…”
“Yes?”
“Well, do you remember that talk we had? About, being, you know, about being careful? With boys, I mean.” He looked awkward, and we both flushed scarlet at the same time. I noted that he was redder than I was.
“Yes, dad. I remember.” I didn’t answer. I already told him this, and I didn’t appreciate him bringing it up again. I wasn’t going to make this any easier on him.
“Well?” He looked annoyed, and I was worried about upsetting him so close to the wedding.
“We haven’t, I mean,” I sighed. “Nothing’s changed.”
“Okay,” he said more cheerily than I expected.
“Am I free to go now?” I asked, not attempting to hide my annoyance now.
“Of course,” he said, still as cheerily as before. I headed towards my room with great relief. I knew what would be waiting for me inside.