Bella walked into her new home, her father directly behind her carrying the infant seat that contained her half-brother in the crook of his arm. It had been over three weeks ago now that her mother Renee and step-father Phil had passed away.
Bella looked at her father thankfully when he set the infant's car seat down in the small living room. It was no surprise at all to Bella that her father insisted on her moving in with him, however she had gotten slightly nervous when she had taken Ryan into consideration. Thankfully, out of the kindness of his heart, Charlie had been willing to sign temporary custody papers for Ryan and welcome the baby boy into his home as well.
"Well Bells, I guess I'll get your old crib down from the attic and put it together. You can use it for Ryan." Charlie ruffled the back of his hair with his hand, watching his daughter carefully before he made his way up the stairs.
Although Charlie had signed temporary custody papers, in place until Bella was a legal adult, Bella knew she would be the one taking care of the infant. A large part of Bella was thankful for Ryan, if it had not been for her new responsibility to take care of him she did not know what the pain of losing her mother would have done to her. Even with the baby to take care of she had completely lost herself that first week, hiding in her bed unable to stop the tears, only able to force herself up to care for the infants needs.
Bella was not only thankful for Ryan, but also for Charlie. She had never needed her father more than she did right now, and Bella would be forever grateful that her father helped her through the funeral arrangements and the move every step of the way.
She set the duffle bag that was over her shoulder down onto the couch. Bella could unpack later, she had a week to sort out the fine details before she'd be expected at Forks high. Sighing, Bella checked on the infant in his seat, deciding to leave him as he was fast asleep. She made her way to the kitchen, figuring one small way she could repay her father would be to handle the cooking.
Bella looked through the fridge and cabinets, not finding much to work with. She'd have to make a point to make it to the grocery store soon. She'd walk to the grocery store if she had to; Forks is small enough, she thought to herself. Managing to find a box of pasta and a jar of red sauce in the cabinet, Bella set a pot of water onto the stove to boil.
Ryan started to fuss just as the water was starting to boil. Bella dumped the box of pasta into the pot before making her way back to the living room to care for the baby. She made him a bottle and began to feed him while she paced back to the kitchen to keep an eye on on the boiling water. When the water happened to begin to boil over Bella was too wary to have the baby near the stove to deal with it herself, instead she called up the stairs to her father.
Charlie rushed down the stairs with more speed than Bella would have thought possible. "Where's the fire?" he questioned her as he entered the kitchen.
"No fire, just boiling water dad." Bella gave Charlie a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Charlie lowered the temperature of the burner before turning to leave the room. Bella grabbed his arm lightly, "wait dad, could you stir it please? The noodles will stick together". Charlie returned to the stove, grabbing a wooden spoon to stir the noodles. "Thanks dad," Bella added quietly, "they should be done soon."
The noodles were strained by Charlie when they were finished cooking. After he returned the noodles from the strainer to the pot he added the sauce and stirred it around. Charlie filled two plates and set them on the table. The pair ate in silence, Bella using only one hand as the other was supporting Ryan.
Bella looked up at her father briefly, "thanks dad. For everything." She looked down at her plate, a singular tear running down her cheek. Bella quickly wiped the tear away with. "I really don't know what I would do without you." At this point the tears really came, prompting Charlie to get up from his chair and make his way around the table to comfort his daughter.
Charlie kissed the top of Bella's head, "I'll always be here for you Bells." Silent tears fell from his eyes as well as he held his daughter tightly.
Once Bella had calmed down and was able to control her tears, she realized that she had completely lost her appetite. When he was sure Bella was okay he sat back in his chair and finished his own plate of food. Bella placed the infant on the floor and began to clean the dishes.
"Bella I can do that, don't worry about it," Charlie attempted to persuade her.
She shook her head, not looking away from the sink. "I've got it dad, it's the least I can do." Once Charlie was finished with his pasta he placed his empty plate into the soapy water for Bella.
"I'm going to head back upstairs and finish up with the crib." Charlie pointed over his shoulder with his thumb as he spoke. Receiving a small nod of understanding from Bella, Charlie turned around and did as he said he would, the stairs creaking as he did so. Ryan made to go after Charlie however the infant could not yet crawl confidently. When Bella was finished with the dishes she noticed that Ryan had managed to wiggle his way to the doorway, although the infant could not crawl he was certainly not imobile either.
Bella picked the baby up and made her way up the stairs to check on her father. As she entered her childhood bedroom her father was laying the mattress into the crib.
Bella's room was almost exactly how she had remembered it. Her queen sized bed lay against the southern wall of the room, a nightstand beside it which held a small lamp. There was not much on the western wall of Bella's room save for a window, while the rocking chair from her childhood sat in the corner. Bella was grateful for the rocking chair now, as it may come in handy for Ryan. The northern wall of her room had an outcropping; the section of wall that was set in to the room housed a desk, topped with an ancient computer. While the section of wall that created a small alcove contained another window, underneath the window sat Ryan's crib.
Charlie turned from his work while Bella was analyzing her space. He nodded at her, "cribs all set." Charlie shook the crib for good measure, it did not move. "Nice and sturdy, good wood." Bella nodded to her father before sitting on the edge of her bed, Ryan in her lap. Charlie sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"I think I have some sheets for your bed in the closet, and you can use a spare quilt for now. We'll have to go to Port Angeles tomorrow and get you both some bedding. The baby might have to sleep in your bed tonight, I don't think I saved any of the crib sheets." Charlie looked at his daughter apologetically.
Bella bit her lip and nodded to her father, "that's fine, thanks dad." Bella looked at the room and sighed. "I think we're going to get settled for bed, I'm honestly exhausted." Bella got up from the bed and stood looking between her father and her open door.
"Sure, I'll bring your stuff up from the living room." Charlie got up as well and made his way around his daughter and out her door.
Bella brought Ryan into the bathroom and started to run a bath for him. Bella was knelt on the floor, washing the infant when Charlie stept into the room.
"Got your stuff," Charlie told her, pausing before continuing; "It feels like just yesterday when it was you in the bath and you mo-." Charlie cut himself off before he could finish that statement, hoping he had not upset his daughter again by almost mentioning his ex-wife. "Oh Bells," Charlie moaned quietly when he notice his daughter wiping her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
"It's okay dad, I get it." Bella gave her father her best attempt at a smile. At that point, seeing as Ryan was completely clean Bella drained the bath water and wrapped the infant in a towel. "I'm going to put him down," Bella told her father as she made her way back into her bedroom.
"Okay Bells, I'll be downstairs if you need me." With that Charlie headed back down the stairs, still feeling bad about their most recent interaction.
After Bella had dressed the infant for bed she turned off her overhead light, leaving only the small lamp next to her bed on. Bella sat in her rocking chair with Ryan, reading him stories as they rocked. When Bella was sure the infant would stay asleep she laid him in the center of her bed, which Charlie had been nice enough to put sheets on for her. Bella surrounded the open edges of her bed with pillows, should Ryan happen to roll, before grabbing her bag of toiletries and heading to the bathroom to get herself ready for bed.
Bella stood under the hot water of the shower for as long as she dared with the sleeping baby unsupervised on her bed, letting the temperature and pressure of the water relax her muscles. After her shower Bella went back to her bedroom, checking on the Ryan briefly before heading back downstairs.
Standing awkwardly in the entrance to the living room, Bella thought about what she wanted to say to her father. Bella shuffled over to her father, where he was lounging on the sofa watching a game, sitting down on the floor next to it.
Bella knelt and hugged her father. "Thank you dad," she told him again.
Charlie was caught off guard by the hug at first but quickly reciprocated it. "It's nothing Bells, I'd be a horrible father if I wasn't taking care of my girl."
Bella got off the floor, saying good night to her father before she climbed the stairs and entered her room. She stared at the sleeping infant for a few minutes before fixing the pillows and climbing into the bed next to him, he just looked so peaceful. Whispering; "You'll never lose me Ryan," Bella pulled the infant to her chest and held him protectively while he slept.
As tired as Bella was she wasn't sure she would be able to sleep. She was not looking forward to tomorrow. Bella hated shopping, and she had no doubt that shopping with Charlie was going to be even worse. They were both too similar. It was necessary though, seeing as it hadn't been possible to take most of their possessions from her mother's and Phil's house in Phoenix they had only taken what was most important.
