Chapter 10:
Any Arms Will Do
All anyone wants is to know that someone cares, even a little bit~
The blinking lights of the Christmas tree, call the twins from their bedroom. They ignite the hallway like stars, and guide them like a beacon to the bounty hidden beneath it. With careful steps, and hissed whispers they make it to the tree before the morning sun breaks through the cloak of darkness. The winter animals have yet to awaken, and the stillness of the air outside suggests that nothing else has either. The whistle of a car on the highway, or the yell of merry song is still absent on this beautiful Christmas morning.
Carefully, Rachel pulls a large, oblong present from the clutches of the tree. The branches scrape along the package, tearing a slit right down the middle, however, she manages to wiggle it free and hold it tight in her grasp. Her finger smoothes over the nametag stickered to the top, " A…C..." she whispers under her breath, her middle finger tracing over each letter, "It says Rachel!"
After just a few seconds, the once vibrantly and crisply wrapped package lays in a disgruntled heap on the carpet. The wrapping paper in shreds and abandoned, the nametag and bow torn to smithereens. Rachel sits with her arms folded over her chest, looking displeased. "I didn't want a stupid Tonka truck," she pushes the yellow dump truck over with a sock clad toe. "Mommy an' daddy are so stupid sometime. I's not a boy!"
Rebecca nods in agreement, and mimics her sister. "So stupid."
The pitter-patter of little steps captures the girls' attention. Instinctually, Rachel hides the toy beneath her hands, while Rebecca quickly shoves the tattered wrapping paper back beneath the tree, and arranges it as if a present lies hidden under it. Rachel's eyes flicker over to Rebecca's, and they both hold their breath. If it's mommy and daddy they're sure to get in trouble.
Bella stands still in the dewy light, rubbing her eyes, "What be goin' on?" she mumbles sleepily. The girls visibly relax upon seeing her. They huff, puff, and ignore her while they grumble about the less than satisfactory Christmas present.
Jacob's bare calf presses into Bella's. H grabs her hand to support himself, and his dark black eyes stare up at her face. A sharp tug gets her attention. Automatically, Bella looks down, and her hand tightens around the little boy's, "What is' Jakey?"
His pudgy finger shoots out to point at the yellow truck that lies on its side at Rachel's feet. He glances back up at her with a wide grin, and bounces on the tips of his toes with excitement.
"Is tha yous Jakey?" she whispers softly to the small child perched at her feet.
He nods quickly, and pulls a tattered picture from his flannel pajama bottoms. He holds it up for her to take, which she does without a second thought. Carefully, she assess the picture; it's covered in red crayon, and wrinkled with drool, but behind the mess she can see a picture of a yellow dump truck from a department store's catalogue in Port Angeles.
Jacob whines, and Bella takes an involuntary step toward it. However, Sarah's heavy hand on her shoulder, holds her back.
The high-pitched wails of discontentment from the two little tots had awoken Sarah from her blissful dream. It had taken a massive amount of effort to drag herself from the comfort of her bed at such a young hour, and down the cold unrelenting hallway; only to see her preciously wrapped gifts ripped to pieces. She hangs behind Bella, fuming. Heavy shadows hide her from the view of the bratty girls that babble just a room away. "Just a minute Bella," she grumbles, her lips hardly parting to form her words, "I'll talk to them first. Head on back to bed will you? Take Jakey too."
"Bu!" Jacob protests, while his hand outstretches toward his toy that is still sitting at Rachel's feet. Sarah hisses in response, and he shuts up promptly. Bella whisks him away while his lower lip quivers. She knows Sarah is not pleased with having been woken up so early.
In the safety of their room, Bella works on consoling Jacob. The door just clicks closed behind them, when the screaming starts. The boisterous noise manages to arouse Billy, who pulls himself from bed as well to demand 'what the hell is going on'. The screaming gradually transforms into crying, as they receive their punishments. After all, mommy and daddy warned them not to open anything until 8 o'clock when they came to get them. It was their fault really.
Sarah opens the door to Bella and Jacob's room, while they sit quietly and listen. They look up at her innocently.
"Go back to bed you two." With a stern nod to prove her point, she shuts the door behind her. Four pairs of footsteps trickle down the hallway.
Bella whispers to Jacob once the house has settled into silence again, "Are yous sweepy till?"
He shakes his head defiantly.
Bella giggles as she watches him, "Yous going to swing yous head so fast, is gonna falled off."
Jacob's eyes widen impossibly large. His hands dart to either side of his head; determined to hold it in place.
Bella laughs into her palm. He is so silly sometimes. A fleeting thought catches in her mind, and she goes quiet as she thinks about it. Her brow furrows in concentration, and she whispers to the little boy in front of her, "You thinks me daddy call me dis year?"
Charlie hadn't spoken to, or called her, in three months. The last time was her birthday, and while on the phone with him, he had promised to wish her a merry Christmas that December. He hadn't the year before, and Bella wonders if things will be different this year.
She had cherished the moments spent talking to her daddy, and when he hung up only a few minutes into the call, it had nearly broken her fragile heart. She yearned to speak, see, and to wrap her arms around his neck and never let go. She missed him terribly, and it ate her up inside when she wondered what she could have possibly done that was so bad that made him abandon her. Bella longed to hear her father's voice again, but she didn't trust that he would call her this year.
A few silent tears slip down her cheeks. She whips them away with the back of her fist, then buries her little face into her hands. Quietly, she cries and mourns for her breathing father.
Miraculously, a pair of strong arms wraps around her little body. She melts into them, and buries her face into the crook of the other body's shoulder. Once she calms down, and most of the tears have dried, she looks up to see whom has comforted her.
Jacob's molten brown eyes stare back at her. He smiles a toothy smile, and then presses his chapped lips to her slightly wet cheek. It's an action he's learned from Sarah. He knows it'll make her happy.
After just a few seconds, Bella giggles, "Gross Jacob." She wipes the remaining moisture from her face and inhales a giant breath as a resolution to her episode.
The baby simply babbles at her, his arms tightening around her again. She settles back into them with a sigh. Even though they aren't the arms she's craving, it is exactly what she needs.
Well, this only took me a billion years to upload and it's kind of terrible. Sorry.