~Thanks so much for the feedback last chapter. I'm pretty stoked about the next couple of ones I'm working on.
Chapter 29: Family vs. Family
The night in the garage scared her enough that she finally accepted Mackenzie's dinner invitation. Bella was so close to allowing Jacob to quickly repair the motorcycle so she could take that middle of night ride with him.
Then what?
What would have happened between them? It was almost as if she became cognitively impaired when they were alone. Her thought processes went all askew. She wanted the nearness, the quiet and most of all, the familiarity.
She sent the text after Atticus's four month checkup to ask what was a good day for Mack to which he promptly replied Sunday evening. Jacob took the baby to the house for a visit with Kaleigh in order to give her a break since the vaccinations had stressed her out like crazy. He cried so bad, so of course, she did too. Atticus took a nap on the way back home. He was totally over the trauma by the time Jacob took him out of the car, but she wasn't. It felt very normal to have the discussion with Jacob on the way. The co-parenting solution was working better than she would've predicted. She wanted his opinion on the immunizations, since she decided to do the spread out schedule and to delay some.
He told her he trusted her on this topic, that no doubt she'd done her research. "Besides, my boy's probably already immune to all those common childhood illness... wolf gene."
She reminded him he'd been sick once with an ear infection, so he wasn't as invincible as his father or his father pretended to be.
Bella kept that stupid visitation schedule in her pocket. Jacob had been so busy, it didn't seem right to tell him if he had a spare hour, it might not be his scheduled time. She held onto it. Each day that passed, she was more and more tempted to toss it in the garbage. Barry found a part-time weekend job not too far from their apartment. He came in a hurry because he thought he was starting the following morning, but the owner said they had a stylist go home sick if he was ready to make a few bucks.
He confessed the decision for him to maybe move close was made before she and Jacob ever left LA together. That's why he'd already taken care of his cosmetology license transfer, storage for all his extra stuff and the seemingly effortless transition. Jake was right, Barry sure could hold onto secrets if the situation called for one.
Bella loved him being there, but in their previous living arrangement, they each had a lot more personal space. She was looking forward to him working on the weekends and she wasn't being rude. He told her the same thing that morning when they were attempting to brush their teeth together in front of the sink in their tiny bathroom.
"I love you honey, but I definitely don't want to be your fake husband much longer."
She was slightly jealous how Barry could adapt to change so easily. He already had friends from the clinic. He went out with a bunch of them for hump day cocktails. She knew he was disappointed Collin didn't want to go and she wanted to stay in and relax with Atticus. The minute Barry met Collin, he was taken with him, but Collin was far too distracted. He hadn't paid too much attention to Barry so far. That was all her warning had been about, but her friend was taking it in stride. She suspected he might try and find ways to get to know Collin better when opportunities presented themselves.
Bella hoped Jake would visit that night she had to herself, but he was too busy. She was seeing him less and less. It seemed pretty stupid he was training to protect her, but was barely around. Although, she knew full well, someone was always close by. The Cullens were secondary protection now, a wolf was always around from the reservation.
She and Barry were used to having an extra mouth to feed for dinner each night. Bella enjoyed merging her friendships so that Barry was now getting to know people from her past. She felt like the relationships were brand new in a sense, because she was definitely not the same as when she knew them years ago. Jacob hadn't allowed Leah to take watch, but she volunteered for the weekend. Quil and Barry were the most entertaining combination to date. She had to send Quil outside to put Atticus to sleep because they were far too rowdy.
Of course, Bar had a hundred questions about what it was they all did and where they went when they left their place. She knew she could trust him, but she and Jacob hadn't gotten the chance to discuss bringing him in on the actual secret. He thought they were some private security force and that Bella was being targeted by organized crime. She never told him that, but his mind ran crazy with probable scenarios one night and that's the one he settled on. If that idea worked for her friend and was easier than full disclosure, then she would let it be for now.
Bella busied herself with tidying up the apartment Saturday. Barry had a full day planned at the salon. Jacob was home for a change. She noticed Kaleigh was as well and she didn't know what was worse: thinking about them inside alone together or seeing them drive off around noon. Maybe he was taking her to lunch or shopping or to visit her family. She had no idea, but Kaleigh was getting his time and she was jealous. Bella wanted to push him away and make it only about Atticus but she was lonely. Gosh, she was a train wreck. Why tell Barry she needed a break from him or insist Jacob couldn't come in the apartment around her? When she actually had time to herself, she was miserable?
An hour or so after Atticus's nap, Bella collapsed next to him on the quilt. "I should've napped with you instead of cleaning."
He giggled and played. He was getting better at this rolling thing. She found herself mimicking her father by demonstrating the all fours stance. It probably wasn't too far off in the distant future. Atticus was growing rapidly and he was strong for a four month old. He was definitely Daddy's boy. Bella heard a car door slam. At first, she thought Jacob and Kaleigh were back, but the garage never opened. A minute later, there was a knock at the door.
She looked out the peephole but didn't recognize the person. All she saw was cropped blonde hair and dark glasses. Bella knew Brady was around, so no way was this a vampire. The dark glasses made her slightly nervous, but a second, harder knock hit against the door. Maybe someone was looking for Kaleigh, perhaps a client that was confused. Although, it seemed obvious to her the main house was in plain sight.
Bella unlocked the door but barely cracked it open. "Hello, can I help you?"
"Yes, you certainly can, Bella. I think I can help you as well. Might I have a minute?"
She stepped back and the woman that already knew her name pushed inside. The minute the glasses came off, Bella knew who she was. Only one other person made her way inside like she owned the place. The apple didn't fall too far from the tree. She'd been warned, but she was finally face to face with Kaleigh's mother.
She swallowed down her nerves. Bella had no idea what Selene knew about her, but if she knew her name, then Kaleigh must have told her the truth. She needed to say something, so she asked if she wanted to have a seat or if she would like a drink. "I have a kettle of tea heated if you'd like a cup."
"Yes, please, a little honey and a lemon twist if you have some."
Thank goodness she did. Bella felt afraid to tell this woman no about anything. She always thought Renee looked young, but Kaleigh's mom was in excellent shape and she'd just celebrated her 50th. She was dressed super trendy as well. Bella quickly made her tea as requested and had a seat on the sofa. She picked up the baby since he'd wedged himself against the leg of the sofa. Selene was in the chair.
"That's a beautiful scarf." She hoped it didn't seem fake to give her a compliment but she was being honest. The only criticism Bella could find was that Selene's mouth looked like it was pulled a little too tight. She didn't have a wrinkle anywhere on her face, but the scarf fell just enough that she could see her age around her neck.
Selene started to speak. Bella couldn't stop looking at her strange mouth which was messed with a little too much by a doctor. She only assumed it was altered in hopes of making Selene retain her youth, but it actually lessened her beauty in Bella's opinion. It reminded her of something else, a clown instead of a youthful woman. "Thanks for the tea. Listen, I'm not here to beat around the bush. That's definitely not our way. My daughter told me how you came about. I can't say that I'm surprised. Jacob was never as committed as I knew he should be. He's always been far too standoffish and restrained."
Bella immediately thought those were two words that she'd never used to describe Jake, but that's how Selene viewed him.
Was an apology in order? She assumed so. "I'm very sorry for any hurt or embarrassment I've caused your family. It certainly was never my intention to hurt people, but we're all managing somehow for his sake." She kissed the back of Atticus's head. He bounced on her lap and smiled oblivious to the tension Bella felt from the woman sitting across from her.
"You can't be serious. Managing? My daughter is suffering each day you reside in such close proximity. We're keeping this in the family for now for obvious reasons, but gossip has a tendency to get out into the open. I will do anything to keep my child from embarrassment." Bella understood the need to protect one's child. She held her son a little tighter. Something told her this wasn't a friendly welcome even though they were sharing tea.
"I... I don't know what else you'd have me do. I stay out of their way. I'm working now and as soon as my friend and I have more saved up, we're moving into our own place. It's just that it's very important to Jacob that his son be near."
Selene glared at Atticus and Bella didn't like it one bit. People were supposed to smile at babies, make funny faces and talk in silly voices. That wasn't how Kaleigh's mom acted at all. Bella finally placed the person Selene resembled. She ignored the beauty and the expensive wardrobe, instead she looked like her idea of the witch in the woods that caught Hansel and Gretel eating on her house. Did Selene think she and Atticus were nibbling away at the house Jake and Kaleigh built for themselves? She thought so, but Bella would protect their son, she was not letting him get shoved in an oven. The more they sat face to face, the less attractive Selene appeared to Bella. She quickly morphed into every villain Bella could recall.
"I'm sure this isn't easy but this is only our business. Kaleigh didn't veto this arrangement, so I honestly have no idea why you're here. What's the point?"
Selene snapped that she doubted Bella knew one damn thing about what Kaleigh was feeling. "You must be the most selfish woman on earth, so this should be easy. You're out for Bella. I know your history now."
She reached in her bag and pulled out a slip of paper. It took Bella two seconds to realize it was a check.
Bella pushed her hand back.
"Don't be dense. Think of your son."
"I am and he's not for sale. I don't care what amount you made that check out for. I'm here for our son. I promised Jake, I won't take his son from him." Bella snatched the mug out of the uninvited guest's hands as she stood up. "Get out!"
Selene left the check on the arm on the chair, so that Bella finally could read the amount. Holy shit, she had no idea Kaleigh's family was that rich. The check was for $50,000.
Of course, no amount would make a difference. She reached for the bouncer and snapped Atticus inside. She snatched the check and ripped it in several pieces.
"Like I said, get out."
Bella was so mad she couldn't see straight, she didn't even notice the door opening up again and that she had another surprise visitor.
"Mom!" Bella rushed to the door. She hadn't seen Renee since her wedding to Edward. It seemed like a lifetime ago. She and her mother hugged and cried a few minutes before Bella realized they had a very unlikely witness to their reunion.
"Well, where is he? Let me get my hands on my grandson." Bella stepped back so Renee would see Atticus. "Oh. My. God! That's the most beautiful child I've ever seen. He's gorgeous, baby girl. You did good. I guess mixing it up with that Quiluete demi-god was definitely for the best. You made the perfect child."
Renee's choice of words did little to make Selene's presence any less awkward. Her mother fumbled with the buckle. "How does this work? I swear I never used any of these fancy baby contraptions with you. I could plop you in a playpen with some cloth books and you were happy for hours."
Selene cleared her throat while Bella freed Atticus so he could get better acquainted with his grandmother. Renee scooped him up and sat down in the chair just vacated by Selene. She was talking a million miles an hour. Honestly, her child looked a little apprehensive. His expression was halfway frightful mixed with amusement.
She insisted he call her Renny instead of any traditional grandmother names. "Because who would actually believe I'm a grandmother, right?" Bella glanced at Selene who was standing with her arms folded in front of her. Who knew what she was waiting for? It should be obvious she was intruding on a private family moment.
Eventually her mother acknowledged her presence. "I'm sorry, I was too filled with joy earlier, but I'm Bella's mother. And you are?"
Bella answered quickly. "Mom, this is Selene Langston, Jacob's mother in law." She faced the woman again hoping that this would be her final cue to leave. "And this is my mother, Renee Dwyer.
Renee interrupted after quickly saying it was nice to meet her. "No, hun I'm using Swan again. Phil didn't approve of me keeping his name and since my maiden name is a mouthful. You know your father, he doesn't care about such things either way."
Bella was slightly embarrassed which was nothing new. Her mother had a knack for that. She proceeded to make it worse. "Oh let me tell you now, I had this special friend back in Phoenix, barely thirty, mind you and he wanted to marry me, give me his name, but I can't see myself taking the plunge again. He was appealing for other reasons, definitely not marriage material."
Bella could not move quick enough to get this woman out of her apartment before her mother said another thing. This day went to shit in a hurry. As much as she was thrilled about her mother's surprise visit, a little warning would've been nice. Bella already suspected there was a back story to why she arrived almost a month before she said she would be visiting.
Selene started moving towards the door. She continued with her superior attitude. "No wonder you gave your body so freely without regards to Jacob's commitment. It seems you had quite the role model."
Renee was back to babbling with Atticus but her mother never missed an insult as long as Bella could remember. No matter how fast Bella tried to walk Kaleigh's mother out the door and out of their sight, her mother was much quicker. She was up, handing off the baby to Bella and shaking her finger in Selene's face seconds later.
"Just a damn minute, lady. Who do you think you are talking about my daughter that way? You don't know either of us. I'd venture to say if your daughter was so great, then Jacob wouldn't have strayed so easily. I'll have you know he's been in love with my Bella, since they were children. We should all be able to agree his marriage to your daughter is an enormous mistake. True love will win, you just wait and see."
Bella had no idea where she'd gotten her information from, Charlie perhaps, but she and her mother had never gone into all the details regarding Jacob. She got a glimpse of him at the wedding and did a double take, whispering, "That's the boy you almost left your fiance for? Hubba hubba. I might of known Billy Black would have a handsome son. He was a looker himself back in the day."
Selene continued spouting off, "If it was up to me, I'd say take him. You could all trudge back to that dreadful reservation where nothing ever changes and have all the brown babies you'll never be able to properly care for, but my daughter loves him for some reason and what Kaleigh wants, Kaleigh gets. She's a force of nature. Her father and I knew from the moment she was born. If it's hard ball you wish to play, then I'll double my previous offer. What do you say to $100,000?"
Bella was stunned for several reasons. Renee went off on her without hesitation about her daughter couldn't be bought and how dare she, etc. Even though, Selene deserved the worst. Bella grabbed her mother's arm. She didn't need the two of them to go toppling off the edge of the second story.
She handed Atticus back to her mother and assured her she could handle things. Bella shut the door, Selene stood at the top of the stairs. It was so tempting to give her a proper shove with her foot, just to see if she would bounce, but Bella wasn't violent. She honestly didn't have much more to say to her. People like Kaleigh's family were used to getting their way by throwing their vast amounts of money around, but Selene had no idea the amount of money that had once been at her fingertips. Bella never cared one flip about the Cullen's money.
The check was a mockery and she wondered if any other family member knew about it. Maybe she should reconsider dinner out with Mackenzie, but the thing that really infuriated her were the insults concerning Jacob. Selene didn't think he was good enough for her daughter and nothing could be further from the truth. Bella thought from the get-go, he was way too good for Kaleigh. She picked on La Push as well, but it wasn't an insult in Bella's opinion. The way the reservation remained constant, never seeming to change too much always gave her warm fuzzy feelings. It felt like a safe haven even before she knew of the protective force that surrounded the lands. The more seconds that ticked by, the madder she became.
"Don't you ever come back here again. You can drop off a million dollars in cash and it still wouldn't matter. My son and I are here to stay. I never planned to live in this apartment much longer, but I won't take my child away from his father. Yes, Jacob and I acted without consideration. We were wrong, but our son is not a mistake. We love him and from what I can tell, even Kaleigh is on Atticus's side. You are a horrible person to come in here with your superior attitude, putting me, my mother and my son down. Your money doesn't make you special."
"I never put down that innocent child."
"Yes, you did. You don't think he's good enough either because of his skin tone and heritage." She almost said she wished she could have more 'brown children' with Jake like that woman suggested in a derogatory manner. "I'm proud my child is a member of the Quileute nation. As a people, they have more honor, grace and dignity than you could ever possess."
Selene was fed up with Bella's insults. She could keep going all afternoon once she got started, but Kaleigh's mom started down the steps. She turned around before she got inside her Mercedes. "This isn't settled, girl... not by a long shot. You're underestimating my family."
She slammed her car door, so Bella didn't know if she heard her or not, but she screamed so loud, Brady came out of hiding. "No, you're the one that is underestimating MY FAMILY!" Of course, she was thinking about her parents, Atticus, Barry, Monica, Billy and the pack, and Bella couldn't deny it. Jacob was also her family now and one day they'd all have to come to terms with that fact.
Her mother grabbed her and pulled her close as soon as Bella got the baby settled in the swing.
"Oh, baby girl. Why are you putting yourself through this? You don't belong in this place, so close to people like that woman. I'm sure her daughter's not much better."
Bella was contemplating who was worse. Maybe Kaleigh and Selene were neck and neck in a tie.
"I'm okay. Really, I'm just happy to see you again. I'm so sorry what I did and for how long it's been."
Her mother said she knew there wasn't any room there and that she was going to head to Forks soon, that Charlie said she could hang there for a while. Bella wondered what was up with her job and living arrangements.
"Oh, I'm tired of Phoenix. I'm staying around here for the being. I need to get to know my grandson and reconnect with my only daughter."
Bella didn't understand what was going on. Surely, her father didn't say Renee could stay with him indefinitely. That was liable to drive him to drink excessively.
"Well, what do you say?"
"What do I say about what?"
"Come with me. That nonsense from before should make the decision easy for you."
"I can't, Mom."
"Why not?"
"Because I need to stay here for Atticus," Renee hardly looked convinced, Bella stumbled over her confession. "And for Jacob, he needs his son." Her mother frowned harder. "Okay, for me." She'd never admitted it even to herself, but Bella said the rest, "I stay because I want to."
~Thanks for reading.
Next chapter is going to stir up a little controversy. Remember, Bella accepted a date with Mack. Who can predict Jacob's behavior?
FYI: for anyone that read my Bella/Paul story, Won't Go Home Without you is nominated in the top ten twilight fics completed in December. Those are almost always vamp fics so it would be super cool to get votes. www . twifanfictionrecs . com
