Looking at the same old supermarket and mini malls as I passed in my rental, all the memories from five years ago flashed to the front of my mind. The overgrown park across from Linda's Coffee Shop, the old playground five blocks down and the only church in Fork's, all the same just how I left it. It comforted me. It was nerve wrecking returning to the same small town I ran away from five years ago. Everything was the same; everyone was the same. At least that's what I hoped.
I don't know what I expected to gain coming back here. I tell myself I just needed a vacation from the city, but instead of going to the beach house in Florida, I came here. The place I packed up and left without a trace, leaving everything and everyone. I left my best friends, my only family and my love. Again, I don't know what expect to gain from returning here. Maybe closure, I have no idea. As soon as I figure out why I decided to come back here, I would get over it and leave back to my home in New York. This town held nothing for me except memories. Distant memories of old friends and a time when I thought I knew everything.
Shaking my head, I returned my focus to driving through the ever pouring rain. Well, this was something I definitely didn't miss. I used to love the rain actually until I went to New York and saw how nice it was to walk outside without heavy raincoats and oversized umbrellas. But I can't argue that the change of scenery was nice. I missed the green trees and moss everywhere not much in the city.
I pulled up to my childhood home. This definitely changed. The house looked to be freshly painted and the lawn and hedges were well kept. The big tree in the front yard, was the center of what looked to be a small but beautiful garden. Walking up the driveway to the front porch I looked at the doormat underneath my feet The Swans. It was weird. The Charlie I left behind years ago would never have had a mat saying The Swans, or paint the house baby blue or have a garden.
Knocking on the door, I waited patiently for someone to answer. A minute later, a boy about the age of 14 opened the door. He had black hair and blue eyes that looked at me curiously.
"Hi, may I help you?" The boy said. I was confused. Who was this? Where was Charlie?
"Ryan, honey who's at the door?" a female voice shouted from somewhere inside the house. Why is there a woman and a child in my house?
"Um.. Hi, i'm Isabella Swan. Is Charlie here?" I said. I was beyond confused. I'm pretty sure Charlie still lived here.
"Mom, a lady is here to see Dad" The kid, Ryan said before retreating back inside as a woman came to the door. She was about two inches taller than me with brown hair and blue eyes. She looked to be in her late 30's and was wiping her hand on a dish rag while staring curiously at me.
"Hi, Im Karen. You're here to see Charlie?" she said. I nodded my head before responding.
"Um, yes he's my dad. My name is Isabella Swan I used to live here actually" I replied.
"Oh Isabella, I didn't even recognized you with blond hair. Come in, please." She said while stepping aside so I could enter the house. "Charlie's told me so much about you, but in pictures you were actually brunette."
"Yeah I changed my hair color when I moved. Where is Charlie?" I replied somewhat unnerved that this woman knew about me yet I had no idea who she was except that her name was Karen.
"Oh Charlie's at the station until 5 today."
"If you don't mind me asking, who are you?" I asked making sure the tone of my voice gave off no offence.
"Oh Gosh, where are my manners? I'm Charlie's wife and Ryan is my son from my late husband. Charlie and I have been married for three years now." She said with a smile on her face.
"Married?" I spluttered. How could Charlie get married without me? His only daughter? A wave of anger course through my veins, how could he do that to me? "Um, excuse me I have to go can you tell him I stopped by"
"Oh, of course sweetie. Have a safe drive back" She said before closing the door as I walked out the house. I turned back to look at what used to be my bedroom window and from what I could see it had totally transformed and was no longer mine. I don't know why I thought Charlie would still be the bachelor dad I left years ago with just a lousy letter. That was the last time I spoke to my dad. I expected to come back here to see the same old house, with the same old Charlie but I got a rude awakening. Married? I still can't wrap my head around the concept.
Driving away from what once was my home, I had no idea where I was suppose to go. I had hopes of staying with Charlie but I can see that won't be possible at all. The only thing I can think of was staying in a motel in town since Forks definitely didn't have a hotel. Navigating my way to town I could hardly focus.
Married? My dad, Charlie Swan married? And I wasn't there to support him or at least witness the wedding. While trying to wrap my head around it I didn't know I was so close to the car in front of me until I collided with it. I just crashed into a very expensive looking Volvo and I'm not even here for an hour yet. Just my luck.
The collision snapped me out of my stupor. The driver in the Volvo opened the door and was stepping out of the car. In an attempt to save my ass, I quickly got out of the car and stumbled my way over to the driver.
"I'm so sorry. Oh my God I can't believe this just happened. I'll pay for the damages I promise" After rambling, I finally got a look at the driver, standing in front of me, I was looking at the man that was once the center of my world.
"Edward" I whispered.
Just my luck.