"Honey, you know that Paul wants us to live in La Push so we can be close to him and Rachel," my father said to me.
"Dad, we already have a family here, us. Why can't Paul and Rachel come down to California and live here?" I whined.
My dad was diagnosed with cancer a week ago and despite the fact that we had not seen or heard from Paul in years he flew down to California to see us. He and my dad spent six hours in a room together, behind locked doors earlier and in those hours they decided that we would move to La Push. Within hours, before him and I even had a chance to discuss moving, they already had started making calls to the doctors, hospitals, real estate agents, moving companies, and to some people in La Push named the "Elders". It was a whirlwind of things happening, while I was still digesting the news that we would be moving from my familiar home to somewhere I lived when I was five.
Paul was fourteen and I was five when we moved from La Push to California. As soon as he turned sixteen he left to go back to La Push, living with my grandfather and going to high school on the reservation. My dad offered him everything he could possibly want; he's a highly respected music producer. Paul is stubborn, so refused to take any money from my father to go to private school. When he refused to go to college, the tension that was being held together by a thread, snapped and they had no contact for over nine years. That is until two days ago when my dad broke the silence to tell him about the cancer. Paul hopped on the next flight to LA to come see us and talk about the situation, and he brought his girlfriend, Rachel. They decided to go on a date so that dad and I could talk aka they didn't want to be here when I started to have a melt down about moving. In hindsight that was probably a good idea.
"Because there are many factors that support this move like if something happens to me. I know this is the earliest stages and there is a high possibility that I will get through this, but if something does happen, I want you to have support. Because that support will be Paul and Rachel, their lives are linked to La Push. Rachel is helping to care for Billy now that Rebecca and Jacob have both moved. Plus I want to continue to build a relationship with that is not based around cancer or the past feuds that we have had." He hesitated before speaking again, "I also believe that after the past two years that you have had, I think a new start might be just what you and Valentina need, you cannot keep migrating east and west to see her, bring her home without fear of looking over your shoulder constantly."
Before I could even think of the words to say, Paul and Rachel's car pulled up in the driveway. I closed my mouth giving my dad a look to say "stop talking they are coming", which he did. He walked over to the front door to let the couple in.
"How was the restaurant?" Dad asked them, trying to veer from our previous conversation.
"It was lovely, I can't believe how huge this place is, much bigger than La Push," then Rachel laughed, "well anything is bigger than La Push."
I smiled politely before excusing myself to go to the front porch to make a call to Maggie. Maggie was my group home director in New York, and I found her to be the source of good energy. I knew what she would say, but I needed to hear the positive advice from someone else.
"Sleigh, how's everything?" Maggie said when she picked up the phone. I took a breath before telling her all about the last week and about the last two days in particular.
"So your estranged brother and your dad have decided to move to La Push. I understand that this seems like the end of the world, but remember what we spoke about when you were here, we have to look at the positive. You have gotten through things so life changing and tragic, and you are alive because you choose to stay alive. Don't let this move be the demise, you have the chance now to move out of LA, a place that has brought so much pain to you. You can finally have a happy ending with your daughter."
I sighed knowing that she was right and that this could be what I needed to pick up the remaining pieces of my fragmented life. "You're right, I just needed to hear it from someone else."
"Always here if you need me."
"Can you get Val here within the next few weeks? You think she's able to travel now?
"I think she should be fine, I'll get the papers all together and have her there in two days. Talk to you soon."
I hung up the phone tears starting to form in my eyes, through this whole mess of the last week, and it was starting to sink in that I had been accustomed to running, that maybe I was scared to have some stability.
Two Weeks Later
"Dad, everything is packed," I yelled, as I walked toward the front door, "we are good to go."
I found my dad sitting on the stoop with Val in his arms, waiting for me to come back from doing the final house check.
I sat next to him, he looked determined but hesitant at the same time, "Dad what's going on?"
He didn't answer right away but freed one hand to place on my arm, he said, "Sleigh you should talk to your brother about everything once we get settled in, I think he needs to know why you left for New York last year, how are you going to explain Valentina's sudden appearance?"
"The Immaculate Conception?" I sadi giving my dad a guilty smile, but in truth it was my worst nightmare coming true, "Dad, like you said moving would give me a new start. I don't want to ruin that by bringing my past into this, Val's presence doesn't need an explanation right now."
"He's your brother, he loves you, and he needs to know, I'm not giving you any ultimatums, but just my opinion."
My whole world felt like it was crashing down on me, and it was quiet for a long time, "Daddy, I'm scared. I'm scared he'll look at me differently, like I'm his broken little sister."
He reached out and gave me a hug, "He will never think of you as broken, you're his little sister. If anything you are the strongest person I know."
I smiled through tears that had started to form, "Ditto."