Charlie's POV
When Bella called me sso early this moring to tell me she was coming home, of course I was concerned. I was her father, but not only that I was a worrier. When Renee called me 9 years ago and told that Bella had decided to come live with me I was frantic. Bella hadnt lived with me full time since she was a baby, and I had Renee with me then. For most of her life after that she only came in the summer time, and those visits stopped when she was 14. And then the next year she came to live with me. And I was freaking out. It was one thing to take care of a teenager for 2 ½ months each year, it was quite another to have her live with me full time. Not that I didn't want her to live with me. I was just afraid it wouldn't go so well. And then she met that boy, Edward Cullen. I wasn't a big fan of his. First of all he was a senior and Bella was only a freshman. And Forks is a very small town. The boy had a reputation with the ladies, and it wasn't a good one. I didn't really kn ow how to go about this whole relationship with an older guy thing with Bella. I wasn't about to have a "sex talk" with her. I am sure Renee had done that. I wasn't about to hand her condoms and tell her to go have fun. So I ddid what any freaked out father would do. I ignored it. Hoping it would go away. It didn't. She followed him to college after she graduated as he worked on becoming a doctor like his parents. She had always been an excellent cook, she she went to culinary school. She worked at a top resturant. They got married, they bought a house. And then she had Elizabeth. My beautiful granddaughter. She looked just like Bella did as a baby. The same beautiful chocolate brown eyes, brown hair, pale skin. She really looked nothing Like Edward. Maybe this was a good thing.
Bella didn't tell me much about what happened between her and Edward. Just that he cheated, and that he told her to take the kid and leave. I knew he hadnbt really wanted a child, and not that Bella ever said anything, but I got the feeling he wasn't really involved with much of Elizabeth's life. So here I was driving Bella and Elizabeth back to my house from La Push because Bella had a flat tire. I was actually really please to see that Jacob Black was there to get the car. I knew Jacob, I was best friends with his dad. I really liked Jacob, he was a good man, ran a good honest business and took great care of his father. So I knew the car was in good hands. Hell, Bella would be in good hands with him, not that that was something that was likely to happen anytime soon. I mean I knew she was going to divorce him, she even told me he was having the papers drawn up, but I'm sure she wouldn't be ready to date anytime soon.
I looked over at her as we drove. She was dosing in and out, she was probably very tired. Elizabeth was talking away in the back seat to her stuffed bear "Jazz" who no longer looked like a bear. He was missung an ear, his nose was ripped open and she had pulled most of the stuffing out of his head through that opening like an ancient Egyptian preparing a mummy. He also used to be white but now he was grey. I had given Jazz to her when she was born. Sh was never without him. She giggled and smiled up at me.
"Hungwy Papa! Juice box!" She waved her juice box at me, which caused juice to squirt out. I cringed. A nice sticky mess to clean up. Oh well. I had no idea how long these two were going to be with me and I didn't care. I would be there for them as long as they needed me. Bella could move into the guest room, Elizabeth could have bella's old room, and we would go from there. I knew of a few places that would kill for a chef like Bella, and my girlfriend Sue Clearwater ran a daycare center with her daughter Leah in Forks. I'm sure I could ger everythin g worked out. I could help them get settled. I looked over at Bella, she looked so broken. And I knew I needed to help fix her. I was her father. She needed me now. I would do my best for both of them.
Bella's POV
I must have fallen asleep in the car. Because the next thing I remember was my dad gently shaking me awake when we got to his house. Elizabeth was chattering in the back seat, happily squealing as my father got her and headed into the house. I gathered up some of our things that were needed immediately and headed inside. I noticed that my father had already gotten down the baby gates and some of Elizabeth's toys before we got here. He was already in the kitchen settling her into the booster seat at the kitchen table.
"Alright Lizzy" I cringed as he called her that. I really hated that nick name. But he still insisted on calling her that, and I had given up on trying to stop him. It really wasn't worth the fight. And today I had no fight really left in me.
"So what will it be Lizzy? I have….well…." My father seemed to be lost as he look in his fridge. It was well stocked, probably thanks to Sue, but my father wasn't a great cook.
"Alright Dad, let's see what you have, and I'll make some breakfast." He had things to make pancakes, there was bacon and apples. In no time at all I had bacon sizzling, pancakes cooking and apples peeled and sliced up. I gt out some plates, poured some milk in a sippy cup for Elizabeth and began to plate up the food.
The three of us sat down to eat. It was nice. To sit down as a family and eat together. Usually it was just Elizabeth and I. I hardly saw Edward anymore. The only time we really dined tgogether was when he took me to Banquets or benefits. I was really on his arm for show. But that had dropped off too in recent months. Edward never really wanted us to have children. He wasn't thrilled when I got pregnant. He wasn't very involved in the pregnancy, and hardly involved in Elizabeth's life. They never really bonded, and while she asked about him today, I don't think she really missed having a relationship with him.
I ate my food and began mulling over things in my head. Edward said he would have the papers drawn up soon. I prbably was going to get the short end of the stick in all of this. There wasn't a pre nup or aything, and Edward's sister Rosalie's husband Emmett was a big time divorce lawyer. But I really ddint care what I got, as long as I got Elizabeth. I could start over and raise her just fine on my own. Heck my mother raised me just fine. I mean my dad was involved and he paid child support, but I knew I would be just fine. Because I had my dad now too. And I'm sure he would help me. He had always been there for me.
"So…uh..dad…I dodnt really know how long we'll be staying here with you, I'll start looking for a job right away, and daycare……"
"Actually Bella I was thinking about that on the way over, Sue runs a daycare center in Forks, we'll give her a call today, I'm sure she'll be able to help us out. And I have a few ins with some of the local eateries. We'll find you a job hunny. And you and Lizzie here can stay with me for as long as you need. I was thinking of putting Lizzie in your old room because it has a twin bed, and you in the guest room because that has a full bed. Besides Lizzie will need more room for all her toys and what not. You didn't exactly travel light." He chuckled.
I blinked "Wow, that sounds great day, yeah, thanks. Really. It means a lot."
"Don't you worry Bella. Everything will work out just fine. You'll see"
And I knew he was right. It wasn't going to be easier and it was going to be a long road. But I knew my father was right.
