A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story to their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.

Chapter 9-

Charlie's POV-

"Renee...I..." I took in a deep breath, running a hand through my messed up hair, shutting my eyes tight as a frown threatened to make itself known.

How was I supposed to break this out to her?

Was there any easy way out to do so?

I somehow doubted it!

I was about to convince her to let Bella stay back in Forks with me, and knowing my ex-wife as well as I did, she would fight me tooth and nail, refusing to let me have my way.

She loved Bella; her love borderline obsessive, and while I had always considered it to be a wonderful thing that she cared so much about our daughter, I regretted it in this very moment.

She would never agree to let Bella out of her sight.

She would throw in every possible obstacle my way, making sure that she came out a winner at the end of the day.

It was not a competition- never when it concerned my daughter, but who was to tell Renee that!

She treated everything like a competition, winning being her ultimate goal.

She would never...ever...agree to...

"Charlie, I..." Renee paused, bringing me out of the world of hopes and dreams, dumping me harshly into our rude reality, my fingers crossed as hopelessness threatened to drain me dry. "I was just about to call you."

Oh. Really?

"Bella is alright." I stated, knowing where Renee's mind was. "She is at Billy's right now, happily playing with his kids. She will be back in the evening. I can make you talk to her once she is back..."

"It is not about Bella."

Oh.

I frowned to myself.

If it wasn't about Bella, unfortunately there was not much Renee and I had to discuss over. Bella and Bella's happiness was our only common topic to ever get on call for.

"I mean," She hesitated, "it does concern Bella, but I wanted to talk to you once, first, before breaking it down to her."

Okay.

This seemed serious enough, and I almost forgot of why I had placed this call to her, waiting for her to continue, with part worry and part impatience in my eyes.

"I...I have met someone."

Oh.

Wow.

I had so not seen that one coming.

Of course I was aware that sooner or later one of us would find love again; we were not even thirty yet. But Bella- the biggest unintentional gossiper on the planet- she went around announcing people's secrets with pride in her voice- had not outed her mother yet.

And that was what was strange.

Or maybe, Renee had kept this a secret from Bella for all this while, knowing that nothing remained a secret once Bella got to know of it.

For one thing I was certain of, Renee wanted to take the next step.

Why else would she reveal this to me?

We were not friends, and certainly did not go around discussing details about our relationship status.

No. It had to be much more serious and life changing than that.

Wait.

Was he a decent man?

Would my daughter be safe around him?

Was he one of those who hated kids, or sneered at them with disgust visible in his eyes.

No.

I would have to run a thorough background check on him.

Until I wasn't confident of Bella being safe in his company, she was not being left alone with him, no matter what Renee said.

I did not trust her judgment, especially not after knowing that 'love was blind'.

It may be blind, but I wasn't.

And I needed to be sure of the man- and his intentions, more particularly.

"He is older..." She sighed, fumbling through her words. "He has recently retired from his job and..."

"Wait," I cut her off, my eyes wide in disbelief, "How old is 'old'?"

Retired?

He had already retired from work?

How was that even possible?

Heck, people our age were just starting to work, finding their place in this complicated world, and he was retired, God only knew having worked how many decades.

"Phil is sixty-five."

Say what now?

Did she just say that he was 'sixty-five', or had I heard that all wrong?

"I know that there is a considerable age difference." She continued when I hadn't spoken anything for a few long minutes, the news too surprising to easily comprehend. "But I love him...and..."

"I understand."

I didn't exactly 'understand'- unable to put myself in her shoes, but I could understand that love did not take in account minor details like age or gender.

It just happens.

And you accept it and deal with whatever consequences.

She let out an audible sigh. "He is everything I have ever wanted, and he has asked me to move in with him."

"But?"

I could hear the silent- yet exceptionallly loud- 'but'.

For there was definitely a 'but' on its way in that sentence.

She took in another loud sigh, the hesitance clear to my ears. "He is not exactly young enough to play the father in a child's life. His own only grandson, for that matter, is elder than Bella. And while he would never ask this of me..."

"Come to the point, Renee." I stated, expressionless, knowing that there was definitely more to come.

She sighed. "I think we need some time alone to strengthen our relationship, and discover ourselves as a couple, without needing to look after a small child who still needs the constant attention."

Okay.

"And I know that even suggesting this would push me firmly in the 'horrible mother' category...but..."

"I can keep Bella." I grinned to myself.

Fate certainly works in mysterious and unimaginable ways.

Who could have even imagined that Renee would suggest something of this sort, this being so unlike what I had expected coming my way?

Ah. The spirits. They know what they are doing.

And they have a solution to every problem possible.

"Would you really do that?"

I could hear the hope present in her voice.

"Of course I would," I smiled to myself, the opportunity having fallen directly into my wide open arms.

I had so not imagined my conversation with Renee going in this direction!

But, nonetheless, I could not have been any happier.

She let out a sigh, relief heavy in her tone. "Thank you so much, Charlie. You don't know what a favor you are doing on me."

I shrugged her off. Bella was my daughter, too.

It was no favor.

"It is not for always." She instantly continued, "Once I am settled enough in my new surroundings..."

"Renee," I firmly interrupted her. "Don't worry about Bella. She will be alright. Take your time."

Sure, I was dancing on the inside, but can't seem that very happy on the outside.

Who knows when Renee would change her mind?

She was one sadistic woman in those matters.

"Thank you," She whispered. "I will start packing Bella's things, and I will call you tonight, wanting to explain this to Bella myself."

"Sure, Renee," I smiled wide. "Don't you worry about a thing back here. I will look after everything."

She thanked me once again, telling me that she needed to go as she ended the call, leaving me a very happy and relieved man.

Bella-my baby- was going to stay with me from now on.

No going back 'home' at the end of two weeks or two months, leaving me dejected and lonely.

No. I would get to see her grow older. I would get to see her go to school each day. I would get to see her good days and bad days, loving the good days and tolerating the bad.

I would get to see it all!

I quickly whipped out my cell phone, wanting to tell Billy the good news.

But before that, I had one more call to place.

My Bella was not going to suffer in pain, not if I had anything to do with it. No. She needed to be closer to Jake- her chest aching whenever she went any far, and so moving to La Push would be needed.

Sure, it would be a change from routine.

But my Bella was worth it.

Always.