Posted: 2020-1-28

Charlie and Bella's drives were usually silent ones, and this one was too. It was a well-worn absence of words, and Bella watched the familiar landmarks slide by in the dark. They were going to dinner at Sue's along with Seth, Leah, and Billy. Normally, they got together on Sundays, but they'd pushed it to Monday evening after their trip.

Charlie looked a little uneasy, nervous, even. He kept squirming in the driver's seat. Bella didn't ask. He'd tell her why if he wanted to.

Billy's face lit up when Charlie carried Sarah in. No one seemed to believe that she was yet capable of carrying both baby and car seat together.

"Hey, Bella," Billy called, reaching out for her hand and taking the hug she offered.

"Hey yourself," she said softly, handing him Sarah.

"I'm so jealous," he said, looking at his granddaughter and then at Charlie. "Your papa gets you all the time. Doesn't share you nearly enough."

Bella frowned a little. It was true. She hadn't really seen him beyond their weekly suppers, but without a car, that was going to be difficult.

Charlie seemed to think as much and rolled his eyes at Billy, but there was a tiny frown lurking in his smile, and Bella wondered if something else was amiss.

Sue shooed her out of the kitchen when she offered to help with dinner and commandeered Charlie instead. Bella took the hint and sat with Billy and Leah. Seth hadn't arrived from work yet.

"Hey," Leah said, "I heard you had quite a week while they were away."

"Yeah, you could say that," she said, taking a sip of the wine Sue had handed her. Billy was still cooing with Sarah.

"Mom said the Cullens helped out?"

Billy looked up at this. "What?"

Bella explained.

"Why didn't you call Sam or Leah or . . . anyone?" he asked, his voice dark.

"I did," she said, "I tried everyone." She was feeling a bit uncomfortable under this interrogation.

"Don't give her a hard time, Billy," Charlie said. "She made sure Sarah was okay. Doesn't matter who had to help her." He didn't like it anymore than they did, but he liked it less because they were making her feel bad about it.

Leah and Billy exchanged a look.

"Sorry, Bella," Billy said, "he's right, but there should have been someone from our family—extended or otherwise—to help you."

If this wasn't code for "wolf," she wasn't sure what was.

Bella hoped that the rest of the evening would spare her further awkwardness.

She hoped in vain.

Over dinner, Leah asked if Bella had gone to the baby group yet. "Yeah, last week. Pretty sure that's where I got the flu."

"Are you going again?" Leah said, this time through a bite of garlic bread.

Bella nodded over her own food, rocking Sarah in the carseat with her foot.

"You're not walking, are you?" Sue asked. "The weather's 'sposed to be terrible tomorrow." She looked at Charlie as if this was his fault.

"Actually," Bella said, "I've got a ride."

"Oh yeah? Who with?" Leah said, still talking and chewing simultaneously.

They all stared, waiting for Bella to finish her mouthful. "Um . . . Edward," she mumbled quietly and then turned her attention rapidly back to her dinner.

The ensuing silence was filled by the clatter of cutlery, set down too quickly.

When she dared peek up again, everyone was still staring.

It was Charlie who cleared his throat and said quietly, "You hadn't mentioned that."

"No," she said, putting her fork down, "and considering the looks that are going around the table, I'm sure you can understand why."

This made everyone look even more uncomfortable.

There were so many things that couldn't be said in Charlie's presence, so many things that Charlie wanted to say but shouldn't and didn't, not in front of everyone else.

So, dinner continued on, and over the very small talk, Charlie contemplated how he might secure a car for Bella's use. It would eliminate the insidious way the Cullens were creeping back into her—and Sarah's—lives.

The tension had lessened ever so slightly by the time dessert was ready, and Sue and Charlie exchanged a meaningful look, nodding towards one another.

"We actually have some news," Sue said quietly when the conversation had faded a bit.

Charlie smiled at her, lifting his chin, encouraging her to continue. Bella knew that look. He was too full of feelings to be able to talk.

"We're getting married." Sue said, smiling at Charlie. He smiled back, and they kissed, and then it was their turn to look nervously around the table.

There were happy smiles and congratulations from everyone there, Bella included.

"When Dad?" she asked.

"We haven't decided yet," he said, "but we were talking about the summer."

"That's awesome," she said, smiling at him and leaning into his hug. "I'm really happy for you."

"Are you?" he asked nervously. "Really?"

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?"

"I was worried you'd feel like you'd need to move out. You don't. You'll always have a home with me. Always."

"Thank you, Dad. We will need to find our own way at some point," she said.

"There's no rush," he said and hugged her again. "I mean it. She's already growing so fast." He had scooped Sarah into his own arms. "I cannot tell you how much I missed her last week." He ruffled her hair, whispering, "Missed my little troll doll."

Bella snorted. Sarah's fine hair stuck straight up, a black tuft of softness. People couldn't resist running their hands through it.

Everyone else had disappeared to help clean up, and Charlie and Bella sat together.

"Maybe we should see about finding you a car," Charlie said.

"No, Dad," she said, shaking her head. They'd talked about this. "I can't afford it, and I don't need one." It was true; she didn't. If she really needed to go anywhere in town, she had the stroller, and she could walk most places within an hour. Charlie's car was available if she needed it in the evenings. "It would sit there, costing money being parked."

"And it would be worth every cent if it meant you didn't have to count on the likes of Edward Cullen."

She looked at him, hearing the bluntness in his voice. "He knows what he did was wrong. He's apologized."

"Great," Charlie said, snorting. "That makes it all better, then."

"Do you trust me?"

He looked sharply at her. "Of course I do."

She raised her eyebrows at him.

"I do," he insisted.

"Do you really think that I'd make the same mistake after what happened before?"

Charlie looked around the room, making sure they were still alone. "Bella," he said softly, "you might be able to hide it from other people who don't know you as well as I do, but your feelings for him haven't changed. As for the mistake, you've already made it. You've let him back in your life."

"You don't think I should have anything to do with him."

"God no," he said, trying not to show his exasperation. "Or the Cullens in general."

She considered his words. "Even Alice, Dad?" She kept her cool but raised an eyebrow at him.

"Alice is okay ," he said.

She snorted. "Alice is awesome."

"Yes," he conceded, "she is. Alice, I can handle."

They sat quietly for a moment after this.

"I do love him, Dad," Bella whispered. "I'm just not sure if it's the right thing to do, to be with him. Or for Sarah."

"He left you, Bella," Charlie said, his lips tight over his teeth. "Don't ever forget that."

"I haven't."

"Past behaviour tends to predict future behaviour."

"I know."

He was going to open his mouth again, but she held up her hand. "I get it, Dad. And I need you to let me make my own choices and respect them, too." She waited for him to nod. "And that includes being polite to him and not making any more threatening comments."

Charlie blew out a big breath.

Bella hadn't told him exactly how Edward had kept Sarah from having a lumbar puncture, and she used the moment to explain the details of what had transpired.

"All right," he said begrudgingly, "I'll be polite."

"Thank you, I appreciate it." She meant it.

DISCLAIMER: S. Meyer owns Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.