p class="MsoNormal"strongspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Chapter 22 – Saturday 30supth/sup of December, 2006/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""So how many people will be there tomorrow?" I pleaded with my mother. She had just dropped some very vital information on me that I did emnot /emhear before. I knew we were having a New Year's Eve party for the neighborhood, but not that she had invited my old Phoenix 'school friends'. Mary, Ellen, and Katherine would be there, with their families I presume, but still. I wasn't really planning on seeing them, like at all, this /How much she had changed, Renee Dwyer was still oblivious to most things when it came to me and other /"Not many," She mused, clearly /"emMoom,/em" I climbed onto one of the last, slightly empty counters. The rest were all covered with food, yet to be prepared and drinks waiting to be chilled in the /"Why didn't anyone tell me?"br /"Because I knew you'd freak out and try to change my mind,"br /"Yes. Definitely. Absolutely. Because I don't want everyone that's ever known me in this house. Especially all at the same time!"br /Renee sighed and smiled at me. "You'll enjoy it. Come on, instead of thinking about everything that can go wrong, why not think of everything that will be fun!" She cheered. "I'm sure you'll like every second of today,"br /Pouting to myself I noticed she slowly made her way upstairs. "Where are you going?"br /"Just going to finish the decorations," I couldn't see her face, but I heard something off in her voice. "I'll see you in a few hours, baby!"br /"Alright.." I mumbled. Sighing I jumped down the counter and made my way to the living room where I had been reading before. I was nearly done with it; only the last three chapters were left. I really liked the story and it made me realize how important your family is and that you should appreciate them. And I do, but sometimes she just drives me absolutely /Phil later joined me after he was done with his chores his wife left him after breakfast this morning. "Whatcha reading?"br /"Oh, just the book Edward got me,"br /"Oh right," He mused, grabbing the remote to put some sort of sports channel on. "Any good?"br /I hummed, trying to tune him out. No. Phil is trying to have a conversation with me. I should try and have a conversation with him ."Yeah. This guy has a bad life you know? His wife and kid hate him, he's an alcoholic and suicidal and wants to take his life,"br /Phil hummed. "Oh.. that sounds.. fun. Just the present I'd give emmy /emgirlfriend for Christmas," I laughed. He still was a bit skeptical about Edward. He'd understand once he has met him. "And then what happens? Someone stops him?"br /"No," I chuckled, quite liking this discussion he was starting with me about my book. "When he tries to kill himself, he takes the wrong exit on the way to his hometown and gets into a car crash. He walks to his hometown, the place he had grown up in as a child, and hides in his old house. There he sees his mother," Phil looked like he didn't follow. "His dead mother," His eyebrows shot up in surprise and he hummed again, now from curiosity, not disapproval. "It's all about what someone would do if they had one more day with a dead relative,"br /"That's very deep.. for a 17-year-old,"br /I scoffed. "What else should I be reading? 'American Girl'? No thanks," I scoffed, remembering the subscription my mother had gotten me for my fourteenth birthday. I had only grimaced at her that day and never read any of them when they were delivered to the /Phil chuckled and muted the TV and turned towards me, crossing his legs and stretching one of his arms around the back of the couch. "Well, what emAmerican Girl /emwouldn't want to know how to throw a emSpooky /emparty? I'll tell you what," He got up and smiled at me. "I'll make us a drink and we'll talk some more. I swear this is the most we've ever talked to each other and I want to make this last before you retreat back to 'Bella-Valley'," He teased. It was true. This was the longest I had ever talked to Phil since he married my mother and for once I actually didn't mind /He came back with two cups of tea in his hand. Huh.. maybe I got my preference for tea over coffee from Phil after all? I can't remember Charlie or Renee ever enjoying a cup of /"So.. everything at school going well? What am I saying? Of course, it's going well. You're Bella Swan," I rolled my eyes at the joke that was simultaneously a compliment. "No all jokes aside. I'm very impressed with you, Bella,"br /"What?"br /"yeah," Phil rearranged the couch pillows behind his back and nodded. "Every time you'd come home with another A+ on your test I felt as much pride as your mother did. You work so hard and have amazing perseverance. I really admire that about you, Bella,"br /I didn't know that. "Wow. Thanks, Phil. That's really nice to hear. I never knew you felt that way about me,"br /"Of course! You're my daughter, Bella!" That word hit a bit too close to home for my liking but I let him continue. "I mean.. as close as anyone will ever get to being one for me. You made me a father, Bella. A step-father, but a father none the less,"br /I didn't know what to say after that. He was some sort of father to me, but to call him my actual father, or introduce him as such to others was completely different/t And even though I didn't like Charlie right this moment and we'd maybe even never kiss and make up after what he did, he'd always be my dad. I suppose Phil was a father emfigure /emto me for sure. Almost like an uncle. A fun, loving uncle that just really loved my mom.. oh! Ew! No, let's not voice it like /"To be honest Bella, I've never really been sure what our relationship is. What we are.. what you see me as, you know?"br /"Yeah, I can understand that," Man I felt like such a hypocrite. Telling Edward to embrace Carlisle desperately trying to be his father while I was just sitting here, doing the same thing for over four years to my own step-father. Phil wanted to have a relationship with me, his step-daughter, which was very understandable. I was his wife's daughter after all and I had denied him of that all this time. I'm sorry, Phil,"br /"Why?" He looked very confused. "You've got nothing to be sorry for,"br /"yes I do," I stated, sitting up straight. I was going to fix this and give Phil the daughter he deserved. "I'm sorry that I've been denying this father-daughter relationship that you clearly wanted all these years. I'm sorry that I never made the effort to make that happen. I know better now and I would like to start over. If you'd like that,"br /Phil's face was a mix of emotions. Mostly happy and sentimental. "Bella, I'd love that,"br /We drank our tea in silence, next to each other on the /"I still don't know how to drive," I mused, making Phil laugh, probably remembering the conversation we had before I left too. "I'd like you to start teaching me if that offer is still up? I'm getting kind of sick having Edward driving me around I think it's time I start driving him around,"br /"I'll drink to that," Phil lifted his almost empty tea mug and held it up for me to cheers it with mine. "Cheers!"br /"Cheers!"/span/p
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p class="MsoNormal"strongspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"A little bit of step-dad Phil, cause I've read too many stories where he's just nothing in the background and I wanted him to be a little more in her life. Especially now that Charlie has completely wrecked their relationship. Next one is the last chapter and I really hope you enjoyed this story. I sure enjoyed writing it!/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""So how many people will be there tomorrow?" I pleaded with my mother. She had just dropped some very vital information on me that I did emnot /emhear before. I knew we were having a New Year's Eve party for the neighborhood, but not that she had invited my old Phoenix 'school friends'. Mary, Ellen, and Katherine would be there, with their families I presume, but still. I wasn't really planning on seeing them, like at all, this /How much she had changed, Renee Dwyer was still oblivious to most things when it came to me and other /"Not many," She mused, clearly /"emMoom,/em" I climbed onto one of the last, slightly empty counters. The rest were all covered with food, yet to be prepared and drinks waiting to be chilled in the /"Why didn't anyone tell me?"br /"Because I knew you'd freak out and try to change my mind,"br /"Yes. Definitely. Absolutely. Because I don't want everyone that's ever known me in this house. Especially all at the same time!"br /Renee sighed and smiled at me. "You'll enjoy it. Come on, instead of thinking about everything that can go wrong, why not think of everything that will be fun!" She cheered. "I'm sure you'll like every second of today,"br /Pouting to myself I noticed she slowly made her way upstairs. "Where are you going?"br /"Just going to finish the decorations," I couldn't see her face, but I heard something off in her voice. "I'll see you in a few hours, baby!"br /"Alright.." I mumbled. Sighing I jumped down the counter and made my way to the living room where I had been reading before. I was nearly done with it; only the last three chapters were left. I really liked the story and it made me realize how important your family is and that you should appreciate them. And I do, but sometimes she just drives me absolutely /Phil later joined me after he was done with his chores his wife left him after breakfast this morning. "Whatcha reading?"br /"Oh, just the book Edward got me,"br /"Oh right," He mused, grabbing the remote to put some sort of sports channel on. "Any good?"br /I hummed, trying to tune him out. No. Phil is trying to have a conversation with me. I should try and have a conversation with him ."Yeah. This guy has a bad life you know? His wife and kid hate him, he's an alcoholic and suicidal and wants to take his life,"br /Phil hummed. "Oh.. that sounds.. fun. Just the present I'd give emmy /emgirlfriend for Christmas," I laughed. He still was a bit skeptical about Edward. He'd understand once he has met him. "And then what happens? Someone stops him?"br /"No," I chuckled, quite liking this discussion he was starting with me about my book. "When he tries to kill himself, he takes the wrong exit on the way to his hometown and gets into a car crash. He walks to his hometown, the place he had grown up in as a child, and hides in his old house. There he sees his mother," Phil looked like he didn't follow. "His dead mother," His eyebrows shot up in surprise and he hummed again, now from curiosity, not disapproval. "It's all about what someone would do if they had one more day with a dead relative,"br /"That's very deep.. for a 17-year-old,"br /I scoffed. "What else should I be reading? 'American Girl'? No thanks," I scoffed, remembering the subscription my mother had gotten me for my fourteenth birthday. I had only grimaced at her that day and never read any of them when they were delivered to the /Phil chuckled and muted the TV and turned towards me, crossing his legs and stretching one of his arms around the back of the couch. "Well, what emAmerican Girl /emwouldn't want to know how to throw a emSpooky /emparty? I'll tell you what," He got up and smiled at me. "I'll make us a drink and we'll talk some more. I swear this is the most we've ever talked to each other and I want to make this last before you retreat back to 'Bella-Valley'," He teased. It was true. This was the longest I had ever talked to Phil since he married my mother and for once I actually didn't mind /He came back with two cups of tea in his hand. Huh.. maybe I got my preference for tea over coffee from Phil after all? I can't remember Charlie or Renee ever enjoying a cup of /"So.. everything at school going well? What am I saying? Of course, it's going well. You're Bella Swan," I rolled my eyes at the joke that was simultaneously a compliment. "No all jokes aside. I'm very impressed with you, Bella,"br /"What?"br /"yeah," Phil rearranged the couch pillows behind his back and nodded. "Every time you'd come home with another A+ on your test I felt as much pride as your mother did. You work so hard and have amazing perseverance. I really admire that about you, Bella,"br /I didn't know that. "Wow. Thanks, Phil. That's really nice to hear. I never knew you felt that way about me,"br /"Of course! You're my daughter, Bella!" That word hit a bit too close to home for my liking but I let him continue. "I mean.. as close as anyone will ever get to being one for me. You made me a father, Bella. A step-father, but a father none the less,"br /I didn't know what to say after that. He was some sort of father to me, but to call him my actual father, or introduce him as such to others was completely different/t And even though I didn't like Charlie right this moment and we'd maybe even never kiss and make up after what he did, he'd always be my dad. I suppose Phil was a father emfigure /emto me for sure. Almost like an uncle. A fun, loving uncle that just really loved my mom.. oh! Ew! No, let's not voice it like /"To be honest Bella, I've never really been sure what our relationship is. What we are.. what you see me as, you know?"br /"Yeah, I can understand that," Man I felt like such a hypocrite. Telling Edward to embrace Carlisle desperately trying to be his father while I was just sitting here, doing the same thing for over four years to my own step-father. Phil wanted to have a relationship with me, his step-daughter, which was very understandable. I was his wife's daughter after all and I had denied him of that all this time. I'm sorry, Phil,"br /"Why?" He looked very confused. "You've got nothing to be sorry for,"br /"yes I do," I stated, sitting up straight. I was going to fix this and give Phil the daughter he deserved. "I'm sorry that I've been denying this father-daughter relationship that you clearly wanted all these years. I'm sorry that I never made the effort to make that happen. I know better now and I would like to start over. If you'd like that,"br /Phil's face was a mix of emotions. Mostly happy and sentimental. "Bella, I'd love that,"br /We drank our tea in silence, next to each other on the /"I still don't know how to drive," I mused, making Phil laugh, probably remembering the conversation we had before I left too. "I'd like you to start teaching me if that offer is still up? I'm getting kind of sick having Edward driving me around I think it's time I start driving him around,"br /"I'll drink to that," Phil lifted his almost empty tea mug and held it up for me to cheers it with mine. "Cheers!"br /"Cheers!"/span/p
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p class="MsoNormal"strongspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"A little bit of step-dad Phil, cause I've read too many stories where he's just nothing in the background and I wanted him to be a little more in her life. Especially now that Charlie has completely wrecked their relationship. Next one is the last chapter and I really hope you enjoyed this story. I sure enjoyed writing it!/span/strong/p