May 23, 2013

We arrived in Florida late Thursday evening a little ahead of schedule. Renee screamed as she opened the door and grabbed Nessie out of the car. Renesmee loves her Grandma and loves spending time with her. Ness has Jasper and Emmett to play with, but really no female adult to play with. Renee really hasn't grown up, and that was fine with Ness.

"I've missed you two so much. I am so glad you decided to visit me." Mom hugged me. "Bella, you must have had the air conditioning high. Your skin is so cold." Thanks, Mom, but can't change that. "Now, I am so hyped to take you to see Phil. He was so excited he was going to see you guys." The last time we saw them was New Year's.

I pulled out one suitcase for tonight as Mom walked Nessie in the house. The beach house is perfect for Mom, but not for me, it's a good place for a vacation. Besides, I would worry about hurricanes tearing the house apart every other year. As I stepped in, Renee and Renesmee were leaning against a map. "I know this route like the back of my hand. There are some cool shops and places we can start gathering our own t-shirts. It's a thirteen hour drive, but with you guys here, it will go sooo fast."

I wanted Renesmee to get a good night sleep on a bed before we hit the road again. She got into her PJs, and Grandma took out one of the seventeen photo albums and talked as if the pictures made a story. I liked when she did that. You remember more if you can connect with it, but right now, I didn't want to see my bathtub pictures, so this was the perfect time to call Edward for an update.

The May wind makes it comfortable to be in a t-shirt and jeans. I know temperature doesn't really mean much anymore, but I do remember how I could sleep outside with this breeze. Edward answered on the first ring. "Hey."

"Hey. What's up?"

"The girl has been released to her family and has not filed a police report, because she has no memory of her attacker—if it was an attacker at all. She's a heavy drinker, and she believes she might have done this to herself and then, blackout. Her family is insisting that she talk to a counselor about her habits."

I leaned my head onto my palm. "Geez, I don't know how to take this news. It's just got bad to worse."

"The good news is our daughter is safe, and maybe this was the reason to get the girl some help before things got worse for her." It was strange; Edward referred to "the girl" and not her name, Kelly. It kinda dehumanizes the victim and sounds as if she doesn't matter. I'm glad Nessie is safe, but not to the cost of a young woman's sanity.

"We're helping her other than the hospital bills, right?"

"Now, that's it. I want to see—"

"Edward, our daughter hurt someone and created pain for an innocent person. I know she may not know all the details, but there's got to be more to be done-at least her semester bills, the counseling bills, and pain and suffering."

He didn't answer for a moment. "How do you suggest we do that without exposure?" He was aggravated, but he knew I had a point.

"I don't know—an anonymous donor? A scholarship? Kelly shouldn't take all the blame and guilt for this. It isn't fair and you know it. I know money won't solve everything, and Ness understands her role in the mess. It is a moral obligation."

He growled. I haven't heard him growl in awhile. "Dammit, Bella, Alice told me you'd be giving me hell about this. She even used moral obligation!"

"Sisters think the same—"

"I'll see what I can do. When do you leave?"

"Mom said early tomorrow. We're going to stop half way—probably Virginia and then meet up with Phil on Saturday. Hopefully, then, I can hunt enough for the rest of the trip."

"Don't you have the emergency kit?" In our cooler of juice and water was a false bottom. It carried two pouches of blood in case of emergency.

"Yes, don't worry. I don't want to use that unless I'm in dire straits."

"With the hunt, don't be economical."

"Economical? Really, Edward, you're beginning to sound like Charlie." Click.