Chapter Nine

Nessie's POV

I watch through the living room windows as Aunt Emma walks back along the beach. Dad stands alone by Mom's grave. Aunt Emma might have been able to save her, to save Mom, but she would have ended up killing her. Aunt Emma has always drunk human blood, and Mom always let her as long as she did it far away. That was one of the reasons she left all the time. Emma walks in the back door and shuts it quietly behind her.

"He seems nice," she says, walking over to me to watch from the windows as well.

"Yeah," I say. "He just doesn't want me there anymore, I guess. He really wouldn't say why he wanted me gone." She squeezes my shoulders. Aunt Emma was there in the hospital room with me the day mom died.

I rush into the room; Aunt Emma is already there. Mom's eyes are closed, and she looks at peace. I walk over to the side of the bed and take her hand. It's nearly as cold as Aunt Emma's. I had driven over to the hospital as soon as Aunt Emma had called me and told me that Mom didn't have much time left.

"Hey, mom," I say, tears pouring down my face. "It's me, Nessie." Nothing. "You're going to be okay, Mom, it's going to be okay," I say, and I don't know if I'm saying it to reassure her or myself anymore. I hear the monitor go flat, and I squeeze her hand even tighter. "No, mom, no, I need you, please, no!" I'm shouting, and Aunt Emma gets up, ready to go out. I look up at her, pleading.

"Aunt Emma, please, do something. You can save her, can't you?" I plead, tears blurring my vision. She grips my shoulders, pulling me back.

"Nessie, let's go, it's over," she says, and her voice is choked with tears. I wrench myself out of her grip.

"No! There has to be something you can do!" I plead.

She girips my shoulders and faces me, her red eyes boring into my brown ones.

"Nessie, I can't, I wish I could but I can't, I would just hurt her," she says. I just slump into her arms, sobbing.

"I just-thought that she couldn't die, she couldn't die," I whisper. "Not her." Aunt Emma hugs me tighter.

"I know," she says. "I know."

Dad starts to walk back, his head bowed into the wind. I realize then that nobody but him and I can really know what kind of gap she left in this world. We need each other, he just doesn't want to admit it. He walks in the back door, still looking down. "I'll just-get going," he says, and heads across the house to the garage door. I follow him with my eyes. He opens the door and walks out, out of the house and out of my life. No. I run to the door and stick my head out.

"Dad, wait!" I say, and he turns back to stare at me.

"What?" he says, as if he doesn't think that there is anything else that could be said.

"I'll miss you," I say. "I-like you, you're a good person. Bye. Tell Alice I'll call her as soon as possible," I say.

He smiles. "Bye, Nessie," he says. "I won't forget you."

"I won't forget you either," I say, and wave. He waves back, and climbs into his car.

I walk back inside, shutting the door behind me. "I think he would've been a great dad," I say, and Aunt Emma nods.

"Yeah, she should have given him a chance at least," she says. "Well, if you want to go to Spain with me, I still have plane tickets that got refunded."

"Yeah, sure," I say, and head upstairs. I walk into my room and sit down on the bed. I stare at a picture that I've had on top of my dresser for a while now. I look about three, and mom and I are at an ice cream place. My face is covered with chocolate, but I look happier than ever, and so does she.

"What should I do, Mom?" I mutter, taking the picture and laying back on the bed, looking at her smiling face. I think about what she would have said. Probably something along the lines of, 'I'm dead, and I never get to see him again, and I don't have a choice, but you have one, so go be with your family. They want you there whether they'll admit it or not.' I smile, and hug the picture. "You're right, mom," I say.

I jump up and grab my bag, running downstairs. "Ness, where are you going?" says Aunt Emma.

"I'm going home," I say. "Can I borrow your car? I'll just leave it at the airport for you. Also, can I have a plane ticket?"

She smiles. "Sure, kid," she says. She walks over and grips my shoulders. "They're your family, you should be with them." She gives me a sad look. "I'll miss you, though," she says, hugging me.

"I'll miss you, too, Aunt Emma. Thanks for everything," I say, hugging her back. She drives me to the airport, and I end up having to wait an hour for the next flight to Seattle.

"Bye Aunt Emma!" I say, getting up. She smiles.

"Bye, Ness," she says, as I board the plane.

Four hours later, I step off the flight and walk into the airport, trying to figure out exactly how to get from here to Forks. I realize I should stop being so impulsive, and almost call Aunt Emma again when I hear the voice of someone I didn't expect to hear here. "Nessie!"

I spin around and see Dad standing there. "Dad?" I say, turning around to see him. We just stand there for a moment, staring at each other as if we didn't just see each other not that long ago. "Dad!" I say, running over to him and throwing my arms around him.

He seems surprised, but hugs me back. "What are you doing here?" he says as I step back.

"I-had to come back. I-we're-family, I can't just know that you're a person and that you're out there and keep avoiding you and pretending that you don't exist," I say. "What are you doing here?" I ask after a pause.

"Kind of the same reason," he says, and I laugh.

"So can I stay with you?" I ask. "Please?"

"Nessie, you're my daughter, of course," he says, and I grin.

"Thank you, dad, thank you," I say, hugging him again. We drive back to the house, and he pauses outside the door.

"I leave with you at eight in the morning and show up with you again at midnight a day later," he says.

"You don't think they'll want me back?" I say.

"No, it just makes me look bad," he says, opening the door.

"Nessie!" squeals Alice, running over and attacking me with a hug. "I knew he couldn't just leave you in Florida!" she says. Everybody else hears her and has to hug me as well, even though I've only been gone for a day and half. Dad has to explain to all of them why he left with me saying that I wasn't coming back and then brings me here again a day later.

Suddenly, there is a knock at the door. I run over and pull it open. "Jacob!" I say when I see him standing there, and I throw my arms around him, too.

"Hey, Ness," he says, hugging me back.