Hey everyone! Thank you all so much for your reviews and adds. If I didn't respond to you personally, I'm sorry, but thank you all the same. This chapter might be a bit of a downer, but necessary. I hope you like it, and please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Twilight.

Chapter 21

I woke up to the sound of Paul's heartbeat underneath my ear and I turned my face into his chest, not wanting to wake up and face the day ahead. His hand slid up my side from my waist to my shoulder and I knew he was awake. I lifted my head, resting my chin on his chest, and looked at him. "Morning," he said softly before he pushed my hair from my face with his other hand and I gave him a small smile.

"Morning," I said back and he leaned up and kissed my forehead. I sighed softly before I sat up, pulled away from Paul, and climbed from the bed. I ran my hand through my tangled hair.

"You okay?" he asked and I nodded as I turned around to look at him. He was sitting up and had moved to the edge of the bed with a concerned look on his face.

"I'm fine," I said softly as I smiled at him again and leaned in and kissed his lips chastely. "Thank you for asking," I said against his lips and he raised his hand to my face before he pulled my lips back down to his. He kissed me again and I sighed into the kiss as I found myself sitting on his lap with his arms around me. After several seconds, he pulled his lips away and rested his forehead against mine.

"While you get dressed, I'm going to run home and change," he said. "I shouldn't be gone long, and then I'll be right back here with you."

"Okay," I said softly and he kissed me again, but briefly before he put me back on my feet and stood from my bed. I looked up at him as he looked down at me and he smiled at me before he walked around the bed and to the window. He was gone in a flash and I sighed quietly as I walked over to the window and closed it. I did not want to face the day ahead of me, but I knew when Paul came back it would be a little easier to bear.

Almost an hour later, I was sitting downstairs at the kitchen table with Dad; my went hair pulled up into a ponytail and dressed in a pair of black sweats, a white tank top, and the red zip up hoodie Robin had gotten me for Christmas. It was a little bit on me, but I liked my clothes baggie and it was comfortable. Dad was quiet as he sipped at his coffee and picked at the oatmeal I had made for us that morning. I didn't know what to say, and apparently he didn't either. However, the silence was getting to me.

"Dad," I said and he looked up from the paper in front of him and at me with tired eyes. "I . . . I asked Paul to come by this morning," I said, "and I know you probably didn't want anyone around when we went through the box, but . . . but with him around it would make it a little easier for . . . for me." Dad nodded his head as he gave me a weak smile and reached out with his right hand, patting my left hand that was covered by the sleeve of my hoodie as it rested on the table.

"I expected you to ask him, and it's fine," he said as he pulled his hand back. "I'm not sure what to expect when we got through that box, so, I'm glad he'll be here. He'll be able to give you the comfort that I . . . that I might not be able to." I nodded and returned my eyes to my untouched bowl of now cold oatmeal with a soft sigh. Just as I was about to see if my knotted stomach could handle a bite, a knock sounded at the door, and I swore I had never moved that fast in my life as my spoon fell into the bowl and I rushed from the table. I opened the door to find Paul standing on the porch, completely dressed, and a small smile on his face.

"Hey," he said softly as he walked inside and kissed my lips softly, acting like he hadn't seen me in a while despite the fact that he had spent the night with me kept the nightmares away. Dad walked into the living room as I closed the door and Paul looked at him and nodded his head slightly. "Mr. Janks," he said.

"Morning Paul," Dad said. "I'm guessing Mari told you about today."

"Yeah," Paul said as he reached down and took my hand.

"Why don't you two get settled while I get the box," he said and I nodded before he turned and walked down the short hall to his room.

"Box?" Paul asked as I led him to the couch and I sighed as the two of us sank down together.

"When Mom got really sick, she knew her time was almost up," I said, my grip on his hand was tight, but I obviously wasn't causing him any discomfort since he soothingly ran his thumb along the back of my hand. "So, with the help of a couple of her friends, she put together this box. Dad and I . . . we were supposed to open it after her funeral when her friends gave it to us, but we couldn't. It was . . . it was just too hard. We've been avoiding it for the last year, and earlier this week Dad told me we were going to open it today, to see . . . to see what Mom wanted us to have."

"It's okay, Marisol," he whispered softly before he raised his free hand to my face and wiped at the tears I hadn't noticed until then. I smiled sadly as I sniffed, let go of his hand and wiped at my own face fiercely earning a chuckle from Paul. I looked at him as I lowered my hands and smiled as he took my right hand into his left once more.

"Here we are," Dad said as he came out of his room and I looked away from Paul and at him. He sat down next to me, with the box in his lap and sighed softly as he looked at me. "Ready?" he asked

"Not really, but it's best to get it over with," I said and he nodded before he glanced at Paul and then took the lid off the box. On top was a photo taken of the three of us weeks before she ended up in the hospital in the July before she passed away. Dad and I hadn't put out any framed photos of us as a family, they were all tucked in the photo album that rested on the bookshelf in the living room, and it was the first time Paul had seen a photo of Mom.

"You look like her," he told me softly in my ear as he looked at the photograph over my shoulder. Mom looked a little worse for ware in the photo, but she was still beautiful. Her tan skin was a little ashen, but her brown eyes were warm and her smile bright. I missed her smile. I missed her hugs. I just missed her. I swallowed hard and blinked back the tears as I smiled at the photograph.

"This was taken on our last vacation together," I said softly. "We'd gone to L.A. for a week because Mom wanted to see what it was like," I paused and laughed quietly as I looked at Dad. "Remember the guy that took this photo for us?" I asked and Dad smiled.

"Neon green and pink Mohawk with a piercing in his nose that had a chain to a piercing in his ear," Dad said and I laughed again, making Dad smile.

"You thought he would steal the camera, and Mom told you to have a little faith in people," I said. Dad chuckled quietly and nodded his head as I set the frame up and put it on the coffee table so the picture of us smiling in front of the ocean was facing me.

"Mari," Dad said quietly and I looked at what he was holding up and it was a DVD. There was another smaller box inside still, but other than that it was empty.

"Do you want to watch it?" I asked and he put the box down on the table next to the photo and nodded before he stood and went over to the entertainment center. Paul let go of my hand long enough to put his left hand on my back and his right hand took hold of my hand once more as Dad sat down next to me again and hit the play button on the remote. It took a minute before the screen came on and Mom, lying back on her bed and prompt up by a multitude of pillows came onto the screen. Her scarf was covering her thinned out hair and there were dark circles under her eyes, but the warmth was still in them as she looked off camera.

"Is it ready?" she asked whoever was working the camera, her voice soft because it had become hard for her to breathe. The oxygen she wore had helped, but it had been hard for her to talk the week leading up to her passing.

"It's on," came the familiar voice of Mom's friend, Kristen in the background. Mom turned her eyes the camera, smiling as she did so, and the tears were getting harder for me to fight as I looked at her.

"Hello Babies," she said and I found myself laughing quietly at that and I wasn't sure why. "I know there is only one reason for you two to be watching this video right now, and it isn't a very happy one. However, there are a few things I want you both to know that I don't have time to tell you in person.

"Ty, I know you're probably taking good care of our baby girl and I know it probably hasn't been very easy for you since she really isn't a baby anymore," she paused and took a deep breath as she fought against her own emotions. She had been strong until the end, but I knew it had been just as hard for her as it had been for us. "I want you to know that I never meant to leave you, Ty, but this stupid body of mine didn't want to listen to reason." I reached out with my free hand and took Dad's into mine, only to have him latch onto it like I was his lifeline.

"I love you, Ty, I always will; and I know you'll always love me. However, I want you to be happy too, baby. Grieve for me, but don't waste your life away loving a ghost. I'll always . . . I'll always be in your heart, but I don't have to take up the whole thing. When you're ready, open yourself up to someone new; just no twenty year olds, okay?" Dad was crying, I could hear it in the way he breathed, and he choked a laugh at Mom's words before he sniffed heavily and wiped at his face with his free hand. I looked at him and gave his hand a squeeze, making him look at me. His face was red and wet from his tears, and it made it only harder for me to hold back mine; but I did my best to give him a small smile, one that he weakly returned.

"Marisol," Mom's voice said, drawing my eyes away from Dad and to the TV once more. "I'm sorry I won't be there for all those little moments that I'm supposed to be. I'm sorry I'll miss your eighteenth birthday, your senior prom, your graduation . . . your wedding day," she said with a slight hitch in her voice. "But most of all, I'm sorry I'll never get to see in person the wonderful woman I know you're bound to become. You can do whatever you want in life, Marisol, and don't let anyone tell you different." My tears were falling then, and I wanted to look away from the screen, but I couldn't. My eyes were glued to my mother's on the screen and the tears that lined her eyes.

"In the box this disc was in, is a small jewelry box, and inside is something I want you to have on your eighteenth birthday. However, if I know you two like I think I do, you're probably watching this way past when you were supposed to and your eighteenth birthday has already come and gone," she smiled through her tears then and I smiled back at her, even though she couldn't see me. "Ty, please give Marisol the box," she said and with his free hand, Dad pulled the small jewelry box out and held it out to me. Paul and Dad both let go of my hand, allowing me to take the box. Thankfully, Paul didn't remove his hand from my back.

"My mother gave that to me when I went off to college," she said softly and I looked up from the box and at the TV. I smiled through my tears and I sniffed quietly as I realized what was in the box in my hands without even opening it. "Open it, Marisol."

I did as she said and looked down at the white gold ring and the small Spanish pearl that rested on a white gold chain. The ring was the Claddagh ring that my grandpa had given grandma when they got married, and the pearl Grandma was given upon her wedding day by her mother. Mom said Grandma had given it to her for her to remember where she came from, and as a reminder to live her life fully. We hadn't been able to find the necklace amongst her jewelry to bury her with it, and Dad assumed she must have lost it but now I knew why we couldn't find it.

"I hope you wear it and remember the happy times, Marisol, and that I love you so much. Don't ever forget that, my sweet girl. Oh, and Ty when Marisol comes out of her shell and meets a boy, don't give him too hard of a time . . . unless he's got long hair and rides a motorcycle. Give him hell then." All three of us laughed at that and I shook my head as I smiled at the screen through my tears. "You both mean the world to me and I'll be watching. Take care of each other." Mom raised her hand to her lips and kissed her fingers before she pulled her hand from her lips and smiled at us. "I love you," she said before the screen went dark.

Dad turned it off and sighed as he wiped at his face and I took the necklace out of the small box before I sat the box on the table and held the chain out to Dad. He looked at it and then at me before he smiled at me and nodded as he took the necklace from me. I turned slightly and looked at Paul while Dad fastened the necklace around my neck. Paul was looking at me concerned, but the small smile I gave him melted it away a bit. However, I knew he was still worried about me.

"There you go, Mari," Dad said softly and I raised my hands to the pearl and the ring, fingering them gently before I looked at Dad. He laughed quietly as he raised his right hand to my face and smiled. "It's perfect," Dad said and I smiled at him before I pulled away from Paul's side and threw my arms around Dad. He hugged me tight as I started crying into his neck. Dad ran his hand up and down my back in a soothing motion. After a minute, we pulled apart and he gave me a teary eyed smile. "You okay?" he asked and I nodded.

"That wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be," I said softly as I wiped at my eyes. Dad nodded before he kissed my forehead, stood, and wiped at his face once more.

"I'm going to go for a walk," he said as he looked down at me.

"Are you okay, Dad?" I asked him and he nodded.

"I'm fine, Mari," he said. "I just need a bit of air." I nodded and Paul and I watched as Dad pulled on his shoes and grabbed his light jacket before he left the house. I sighed softly and looked at Paul, whose dark eyes had returned to my face. He reached across with his right hand and wiped at my tear stained face.

"You sure you're okay?" Paul asked and I nodded as I moved closer to him and crawled onto his lap. He smiled softly as I sat on his lap and laid my head on his right shoulder while his arms wrapped around me.

"I'm okay," I assured him, "but could you just hold me for a little while?" I asked as I once again fingered the necklace around my neck.

"Sure," he said softly before he kissed my head and I closed my eyes at the contact. His arms tightened around me and my hand left my necklace before it slid across his chest and rested on his left shoulder.

"I love you," I whispered as I raised my head and looked into his eyes. He leaned down and kissed me gently, but he pulled away before I could kiss him back.

"I love you too," he whispered back and I laid my head back down on his shoulder. We sat there for a long time, Paul just holding onto me and I cuddled into him as I sat on his lap. Like always, in his arms I felt infinitely better and I knew that the day wasn't going to be as bad as I thought it was going to be.