A/N Hello everyone. Here is another update for you guys. Hope you guys like it and hope everyone is staying safe while Covid is still a threat. Thank you guys for reading and enjoy!
Chapter 25
"How am I eligible?" Anabelle asked, looking over the folder Rosalie handed to her.
"Your heart condition is considered a critical illness that puts your life in jeopardy. I know that doesn't sound good, but don't let the big words scare you ok?" Kelly explained. "This paperwork is just the start of the process. It includes personal information and detailed medical history."
Anabelle smiled slightly. "Detailed medical history? Have you seen my file?" Jacob smiled, glad that Anabelle was taking this so well.
"This is just one good thing to happen to you. And I can guarantee that more good things will happen." Rosalie encouraged. Anabelle smiled, realizing that the worst was over and there was no other way to go but up. "So now you have something to look forward to. Something to remind you that you are strong and you deserve this."
Tears sprung in Anabelle's eyes at Rosalie's words. "Thank you." She whispered, gladly opening her arms to hug Rosalie. She ignored the cold chill that rushed through her body and hugged her tighter. When the girl separated, Julie entered the room with a soft smile and a tray of food.
"It's time for lunch, Belle." She said softly. Anabelle nodded and looked back at her therapists with a teary smile.
"Thank you, guys." She said, watching as all three filed out of the room. She lifted the tray and began eating while Jacob and Paul started to gather Anabelle's things.
"Before I forget Anabelle, here are some helpful tips on showering when you're at home. I'm sure Emily will be able to follow them easily." Julie handed her a laminated piece of paper with detailed instructions on showering along with pictures to help.
"Thank you, I'm sure Emily will appreciate it." She will eternally be grateful to Emily and Sam. There wasn't another girl at home to help Anabelle so she went to Emily for a lot of things. Instead of awkwardly asking her dad and Paul to go to the store for feminine products, she could now call Emily and ask to take her. Emily was also the only girl when Anabelle found out about the wolves.
Paul's sneaking out to go to patrol did not go unnoticed by Anabelle, and one night, she confronted him. Instead of giving her a clear answer, he brought her to Emily's and asked her to tell Anabelle what was going on. Having already grown up with knowing the legends, it wasn't hard to accept the fact that the legends were true. It fascinated Anabelle, and when Paul came back from patrol, he was surprised to see his sister waiting for him in the wee hours of the night.
She had asked to see him in wolf form, wanting to see for herself the park of her brother he had been hiding away. He hesitantly phased outside of Emily's house, showing Anabelle him in his dark silver form. He had been surprised when Anabelle immediately approached him and ran her hand in his fur. Her words echoing in his brain.
"No matter what form you take, you will always be my brother. You are my family. And I love you."
Smiling at the memory, Anabelle looked at Paul, who was reprimanding Jacob on which things went in what bag and softly smiled, glad that she had a family who loved her. No matter what.
Anabelle smiled lazily when she saw Emily peeking through her room curtain. She slowly stood herself up and stretched, glad that she took that nap after lunch. "Hey girlie! How's it going?" Emily asked, sitting in a nearby chair.
"It's going good, just excited and anxious to go home." The girls shared a smile, the happiness apparent on Anabelle's face.
"Well, it won't be too long now. Sam and your father are filling out the necessary paperwork. I was surprised Gene gave us permission to take you home."
Anabelle chuckled dryly. " That's my dad for you. Wanting to not have distractions in case work comes up." Emily frowned slightly at the words the young girl spoke. She knew the Lahote kids were not on the best of terms with their father and wanted to steer clear of any conflict.
"Well, all of your things are packed. Jacob and Paul took them to the car while you were sleeping. They should be on their way back." Anabelle nodded before grabbing her Gatorade and taking a sip. "I was thinking of having the pack over to welcome you home. Do you have any suggestions for dinner?" She asked, knowing Anabelle had a limited selection of food this past week.
"Spaghetti sounds delicious." Anabelle grinned making Emily laugh. Both girls then looked over at the door when they heard a knock.
Dr.Cullen was standing there, smiling slightly. "Hello there. I'm here to take out your draining tube and IV." Anabelle nodded while Emily stood back away from the vampire, walking to the other side of the bed. Anabelle let Carlisle lay her arm on a tray he brought in and take out her IV. She looked away, not wanting to see any of the blood. After having many IV's through the years, she still couldn't stomach the sight of blood.
She watched as he bandaged her arm with blue medical tape. "Now I am going to need you to open your shirt to take out your tube. You might want to hold onto something. It can feel rather uncomfortable." He suggested. Emily gladly handed the young girl her hand, wanting to help as much as she can. Dr.Cullen gently unbuttoned her shirt at the bottom and took a clip, cutting off the pressure. He gently undid the top and removed the canister holding the access fluid that secreted during surgery. After securing that it would not spill, Carlisle placed it on the tray and gave Anabelle a small smile.
"Your stomach may feel like it's churning but it will only last a minute." Having not ever had this done before, Anabelle squeezed Emily's hand tightly and took deep even breaths. Carlisle quickly pulled the tube from Anabelle's body, her stomach tightened, making her gasp. It was over before she could open her eyes. Carlisle was already dressing it with a giant square bandage.
"Are you feeling alright?" The doctor asked, taking off his gloves and moving the tray out of the way.
"I'm alright, thank you." She softly replied, fiddling with the medical tape on her scar, it slightly peeled from the wearing of this week.
"Would you like me to peel it off? It has done its purpose and isn't protecting anything. Your skin is healed enough." Anabelle nodded before Carlisle gently peeled off the tape giving Anabelle a clear view of her scar. The skin was pink and looked thin, making Anabelle wince at the sight.
"That is all for me right now. I will see you next week for your post-op appointment." After thanking the doctor, Anabelle sat back on the bed, fiddling with her hospital bracelet.
"Hello hello." Gene's voice boomed as he walked through the door. Sam, Jacob, and Paul behind him. "You ready to get out of here princess?" Anabelle nodded eagerly, smiling when Jacob pushed a wheelchair forward.
"Figured you'd rather be escorted to the car." They both shared a smile before Anabelle sat in the chair and started to be pushed by Jacob. When leaving her room, she smiled and waved at Julie, thanking her for everything she did this past week. She leaned back into her chair, content to be going home and starting anew.
Anabelle sat in the backseat of Sam's car, cuddled next to Jacob. Paul was with her father in his car and would be meeting at the Uley house. She was aimlessly drawing circles on his hand when Jacob twitched away. "What? You ticklish?" She asked, looking up at him with a smirk.
"No, your hands are just cold." He shrugged, a small smile peeking out from his hand he was using to cover his mouth. Anabelle rolled her eyes and cuddled into Jacobs's arm further, the rocking of the car lulling her to sleep.
Jacob carefully held a seeping Anabelle in his arms while walking into the Uley residence. He carefully placed her on the couch and covered her with a blanket. "She's been through a lot this past week. She needs her rest." Emily said caressing the young girl's hair. She then walked to the kitchen to prep for dinner, taking out a pot and a package of noodles. "So Jacob, I hear you have a date coming up. What are you thinking of doing?"
Jacob scratched his neck, a look in uncertainty on his face. "I'm not sure, I was thinking of making her dinner and watching a movie. Like what I did for her birthday. Except we'll be alone."
"That sounds wonderful. I'm sure I can get the boys out of the house whatever night you would like."
"Thanks, Emily. How's Thursday?"
"Thursday is perfect." She said, placing the noodles in the boiling water. The front door then opened, Sam and Paul holding bags of Anabelle's things walked slowly through the door, careful to not wake Anabelle.
"Would you take that to the spare room upstairs? And Paul, her dirty clothes can go in the laundry room." Both boys followed instructions, being careful to be quiet.
It didn't help much when Embry, Jared, and Seth came tumbling into the house in just cutoffs, making loud noises. Leah was right behind them, a scowl appeared on her face. The sounds alerted Anabelle, her eyes fluttering open and she slowly got up from the couch.
Jacob glared at his two packmates and quickly grabbed a glass of water for his imprint. He handed it to Anabelle who was rubbing her eyes and slowly making her way to the table. She greedily chugged down the water and smiled at Jacob, taking a seat at the kitchen table. "So, what's the plan for tonight? Who has patrol?" Sam was about to answer when a whimpering howl erupted from outside.
"Another wolf?" Seth questioned.
Jacob and Embry both looked at each other and said, "Quil." The boys quickly ran outside, Sam kissing Emily bye with Jacob and Paul kissing Anabelle on the cheek. She watched as they ran towards the tree line to phase and tend to Quil.
"Hope Quil is doing ok," Emily said, grinding the meat she was cooking. "It's hard phasing for the first time. You remember Embry." Anabelle nodded in agreement. Embry was so scared when he came back from phasing for the first time. He was scared to touch anything and it took 10 minutes to get him to sit down and eat something. She didn't know how Jacob's phasing went considering she was slammed with a stomach bug and flu for two weeks when he did.
It was thirty minutes later when the pack erupted from the door, making Anabelle jump in her place on the couch. She quickly put her book down and slowly stood up, careful with her speed. She found the pack sitting at the dining room table with a smiling Quil talking with Embry. Jacob pulled out a chair for her and grabbed a stool from the island.
"Everything ok?" She whispered to Jacob. He nodded gratefully.
"Yeah, he took it well, better than I did." He kissed her on the forehead and helped her make a plate of food. After the girls made their plates, the boys followed. Anabelle gave a warm smile towards Quil who was looking a little uneasy.
"Hi, Quil. I'm Anabelle, Paul's sister." He gave a warm smile back and a little wave before taking a dip of his water.
"Nice to meet you, Anabelle." They ate in mostly silence. It was only being broken by Quil with any questions he had about being a wolf. There was also some talk about the redheaded vampire but Anabelle mostly tuned it out. It wasn't until Paul nudged her to look in front of her. Her eyes widened at the cake that said, "Early Grad Program," in cursive letters. She widened her eyes and looked at her brother in awe.
"Really?" She asked. "You turned in my essay?" Paul nodded and softly brought himself closer in Anabelle's awaiting arms.
Congratulations erupted from the pack, everyone excited for the younger girl and happy things we're looking up for her. "You have a tour and open house at Forks High on Friday. It's to help when classes start in June. You only have a few weeks of school left so there's nothing to worry about this month. Jacob is going to take you. You are already exempt from school." Anabelle cheered in her seat making the pack laugh. Emily brought a cake knife so it can get cut. The cake was cut and everyone received a slice before moving to the living room.
Anabelle had her head on Jacob's shoulder when he whispered to her. "Are you tired?" She numbly nodded yes, her eyes drooping making her vision obscure. He gently helped her up, telling everyone she was going to take her to bed. She kissed Paul goodnight and carefully walked up the stairs with Jacob behind her. The pack all said goodnight and returned their attention to the movie on the TV.
Jacob helped Anabelle walk up the stairs and led her to the first room. Once there, Anabelle grabbed a pair of pajama pants and walked to the bathroom, closing it when she walked inside. She slowly changed her pants, careful not to overstretch, and left her T-shirt on. She then brushed her teeth and braided her hair in two pigtails. She was surprised to find Jacob still sitting on the bed. She slowly walked over to him and intertwined their fingers.
"I have our date planned." He grinned, his deep brown eyes lighting up in excitement. Anabelle blushed, still not used to the fact that Jacob liked her. She couldn't be happier with the fact he returned his feelings for her. Her stomach did little flips when he smiled at her.
"Oh yeah? What are we doing?" Anabelle asked, smiling back at him in wonder.
He shook his head, laughing lightly. "It's a surprise. But make sure you're free Thursday."
"I'll be here." She assured him with a grin. He kissed her cheek before standing and walking towards the door.
"Goodnight Belle."
"Goodnight J." Jacob closed the door softly before Anabelle climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep.
The next few days went by quickly. Anabelle poured herself into her school work once again. She was grateful that Paul went by her school to collect more worksheets. The last thing she wanted was to be behind when she went back.
Living at Emily's was like living with the pack. When she woke up, they were there eating breakfast. They were there at lunch and even dinner sometimes. She didn't mind though. They were her family, her brothers, and sisters. It has been a happy time for her, considering Jacob was with her most of the time. He had made it his personal mission to do anything in his power to make sure she was at her most comfortable. It was very hard to not be overbearing but he gave her enough space to breathe.
The pack did everything in their power to make sure Anabelle was having fun. Every night, one of the boys would suggest a board game to play whether it be Monopoly, the game of life, or trivia. They had the power to make her laugh even when she wasn't in the best of moods. They continued to make her smile however they could, and she was grateful for them.
Anabelle softly smiled when Emily peeked her head through the door giving her a bright grin. "Good morning." She said softly, entering the room and turning the light on. Anabelle gave her a lazy smile back before getting out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Emily followed her and turned on the shower to a warm setting.
"Are the boys downstairs?" Anabelle asked, slowly reading to take off her shirt. She got stuck when trying to remove it from her head leading Emily to help take it off. She has been doing very well in maintaining her stretches and has been praised by everyone for her accomplishment. She couldn't do everything, but Anabelle was happy with the way her recovery was turning out so far.
"Yes, they got here 10 minutes ago. They're watching TV right now. Sam's trying to tend to them while I'm helping you. Those boys can get very antsy when they don't have full stomachs." Anabelle giggled at Emily's expression.
Once undressed, Anabelle stepped into the shower and began to wash her body with soap, careful to not touch her scar, and not the water hit it directly. Once done she was helped by Emily to wash her hair with shampoo. "You're getting better every day." Emily praised her. Anabelle was now able to wash the ends and sides of her hair, Emily only needing to wash her scalp.
"Sooner or later, I'll be able to do it by myself." Emily smiled, seeing no sense of sarcasm on the young girl's face, but pure joy.
"Lean back for me," Emily said. Anabelle did as told while Emily rinsed put her hair. "So, have you thought about your wish yet?" She asked, grabbing the conditioner from the side of the tub.
"I think I want to go see Buddy Valastro. Or the 'Cake Boss' as everyone says. I've been watching his show since I was little. It's what I want to do when I'm older."
"That sounds like the perfect wish for someone like you." The girls shared a smile before Anabelle leaned back again to rinse her hair. Once done, with the help of Emily, Anabelle dried off and dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a blue T-shirt. Once done brushing her teeth, Anabelle followed Emily out of the bathroom to brush her hair.
"Emily? Can you put my hair in a braid please?"
"Of course." She replied brushing it out and parting it in three. "It's Thursday. Which means your date is today. Are you excited?"
"Excited and a little nervous. I've never been on a date before."
"I'm sure yall will have a lovely time, whatever it is yall are doing," Emily said, smirking slightly knowing exactly what Jacob had planned. Once done with her hair, Anabelle slipped on some sandals and followed Emily down the stairs and walked into the living room.
"Good morning." She addressed the pack. There was a series of good mornings that followed. She made her way towards the empty seat next to Jacob and gave him a smile.
"Hi." She whispered, blushing when he gave her a wide grin.
He softly kissed her cheek and whispered, "Hi." His day already getting better with her being in his presence.