CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

(BPOV)

We rushed to the airport and made it just in time to hear our flight being called over the intercom. Charlie and Billy frantically waved us over as the check in line grew with anxious passengers who were all waiting to board their flight.

"What the hell took you so long? You had us worried." Charlie nervously stated, as his hands reached out to gather our bags when we rushed toward them.

"Sorry, I took longer to pack than I thought. It was my fault." I replied, giving Jacobs hand a light squeeze when I felt his body tense there next to mine in response to the crowd of people that surrounded us.

"How you hanging in there, son?" Billy asked, his tone laced with concern when he looked our way.

"I'm alright." Jacob tensely replied as the line began to move forward.

The plane ride had been long and after we'd been in the air for over two hours, Clarissa started to settle back down and to Jacobs relief, was fast asleep again in only a few short minutes later.

Charlie and Billy were also out like a light within the first twenty-minutes after take off and this left Jacob and I on our own for any form of entertainment to pass the time by. I brought a good book with me to read and after the third chapter, I glanced over to see Jacob intently watching Clarissa while she slept, his husky voice low when he spoke in a strained whisper to me.

"Have you flown much since you moved to Maine?" He inquired.

"A few times, yes. Mostly for training and clinical education time. We're required to have so much each year. I flew to Alaska last year with Dr. Niles and a few other nurses from Pen Bay. It was fun but exhausting." I admitted, tentatively reaching out to move a lock of Clarissa's dark curly hair out of her sweet face.

"That sounds intense. I've only flown with Lillian one other time. It was last Summer when she tried to see her folks in Cape Cod. They stood us up and we turned it into a mini-vacation of sorts." He replied, the distain evident in his deep baritone when he spoke of Peter and Judy.

"Have they always been that way?" I asked, seeing the line in his strong jaw flex at the question.

"Yeah, for the most part. They tried with me at first. Gave it a real shot when Lillian and I started dating, but it didn't last long. Her mother was far more tolerable of me than her father ever was. Something about him never settled right with me. He treated Lilly like an option in his life instead of a priority and it angered me to see the way he treated her. He definitely wasn't like Charlie is with you. He never called or checked in with her. Who the hell does that? How do you not take time out of your day and reach out to your kid? Grown or not?" Jacob sighed, with a shake of his head. "I could never do that. You're supposed to care enough to check in with your family."

"I'm sorry it was like that for her. That sounds awful."

"It was. I watched her cry herself to sleep over the rejection she felt from Peter more times than I could count and it only made me more pissed at the guy. Lilly never deserved that."

"They still haven't tried to contact you back?"

"No, and I'm not surprised. The last conversation we had didn't go so well." Jacob regretfully stated, his gaze filling with bitter remorse when it met mine.

"What happened?" I timidly countered.

"Peter was flying in from Pittsburgh. Headed back from some business convention he and a bunch of his colleagues attended and like he always did, he called Lilly and told her he'd stop in for dinner. That he wanted to spend some time with her. Lilly was only six months pregnant with Clarissa at the time and she spent an entire Saturday preparing for his visit to our house on the Reservation. She worked tirelessly, cleaning and cooking this four course meal. She even bought wine for him, which she couldn't stand the sight of herself, but she wanted everything to be perfect for when he showed up. I knew in my gut what was gonna happen but I didn't have it in me to tell her. I couldn't break her heart like that, so I went along with the plan and when dinner time rolled around, she set the table and waited for him, only the ass never showed. He called Lilly three hours later with some bullshit excuse about where he'd been and what had occupied his time. Lilly was devastated and it tore her apart. The stress of the whole damn things, made her almost lose Clarissa. It put her in pre-term labor at twenty- three weeks and I'd had enough. We were scared out of our minds that we'd lose Clarissa. The doctors stopped it but I called him from her cell phone once we were back home and lost my damn cool with the guy. Said some things I probably shouldn't have. I was so angry with him. Needless to say, he didn't speak to me for months after and I was fine with it, till now of course."

"He sounds like a real jerk." I testily replied, stealing a glance over to my snoring father and silently counting my blessings. Charlie may not be perfect, but he was always there for me when I really needed him.

"He was. Lilly was used to it, but she still tried to have a connection with him. After all, he was her father, but I put my foot down after his last no show."

"I don't blame you." I replied, as he drew in a solid breath and looked my way again.

"He's only seen Clarissa once since she was born. Never even came to the hospital for her delivery. Judy was there though. She at least showed up this time. Sorry, enough about that."

"No, it's alright. I like us talking like this. Been too long." I replied, as he placed his hand over mine.

"Yeah, it has. Tell me what you love about Maine." He thoughtfully asked.

"Well, the weather is actually really nice there in the Summer months, but they are fleeting, and of course, there's my job."

"Bells, I'm proud of you. I really am. What you do for work makes a difference in peoples lives. That's no small thing."

I turned my head and saw the sincerity in his gaze then as I nodded to him.

"Thank you, Jacob. That means a lot to me coming from you. I had my doubts that I could cut it at first."

"I never did." He hedged, leaning in closer as his shoulder nudged mine. "I always knew you were gonna take this world by storm. You just needed to be reminded that you could and you did."

"Thanks for the reminder." I softly replied. "... and for believing in me even when I didn't believe in myself."

"I don't deserve the credit." He began to argue, pausing when I shook my head to him in protest.

"You do, Jacob. There were times I could hear your voice in my head when I was really struggling or when the sight of blood made me want to pass out at first."

"Guess those days are long gone, right? You don't even flinch now. You're incredible at what you do, Bells."

"Thanks, Jake."

"Is there anything you miss about Washington?"

His tone was even when he asked this, but I caught the slight fall in his face while he waited for me to answer.

"Of course there are things I miss. Things I miss everyday."

"...but not the rain, right?"

"No, definitely not the constant cloud cover and rain. That I don't miss. I've missed other parts of Washington though and despite all the many beautiful beaches I've been to in Maine, none of them compare to First Beach."

"Same…" He admitted. "There's no place like it."

"Did Lillian love the beauty of it?" I asked, assuming I already knew his answer but when his piercing eyes held mine with his reply, I learned just how wrong I was.

"I never took her there, Bells."

He went silent for a few minutes then, his gaze wandering toward the window and peering out through it at the many clouds that seemed like they were close enough for us to reach out and touch if we wanted to. I turned my attention back to my book and read another chapter before Jacob leaned his head back and closed his eyes, his sleep restless over the next hour. I soon set the book down and peered out the window beside him as the captain announced when we would be landing and how much time we had remaining on the flight. We were down to the final thirty-minutes and I felt my anxiety begin to peak at the thought of what would be waiting for us when we landed.

Jacobs head came to rest on my shoulder and I looked over to see Billy peering back at us with a knowing nod, his troubled gaze glued to his son as he slept.

It wasn't long before I felt the plane begin it's descend, the slight turbulence from it startling him awake as he raised his head and held my gaze.

"Almost home?" He asked.

"Yeah, almost home."

"Are you staying with Charlie?"

"That's the plan." I replied, noting the hesitation on his face when he leaned back and sat up straighter in his seat.

He pulled out his cell phone and swiftly answered a text from Sam, his eyes narrowing at the screen as he noted the several new voicemails waiting to be heard.

"I have to take her possessions over to the funeral home once we get to Forks." He breathed, his hand coming up to rub his eyes as he swallowed hard and looked my way. "What's the right thing to bury her in?"

The lost expression he wore was truly heartbreaking and I gingerly laced my fingers through his.

"Jacob, you can choose whatever you want to lay her to rest in. I'm sure whatever you pick will be perfect for her."

"Will you come back to the Reservation with me?" He asked, his hand tightening in my own as the plane landed on the tarmac.

A/N: Thanks for reading and for all your great reviews. Please let me know your thoughts and look for another update tomorrow. :-)