Assumptions Chapter 7

Goodbye

BPOV:

I stood at the window watching Edward and trying to work up the courage to knock. Mom was right, he looked so sad. Before I could convince myself to knock, Edward looked toward the window and right at me. He stood up and walked toward the window without taking his eyes off me. He stopped after a few steps and we just stared at each other for a few moments before he shook his head and turned and walked away. I watched as he walked through a doorway that led to a lighted stairway. I stayed where I was until long after he turned off the light.

I continued to walk around town by myself. I never would have done this in Phoenix. It would have been too dangerous, but here I wasn't worried about being mugged. There was a peace that surrounded me as I walked through the darkness that I hadn't felt in many years. This was the best I'd felt in a long, long time.

The house was dark by the time that I made it back to Charlie's house. I had assumed that mom would be asleep, given the three hour time change she had just been through. I walked into the living room and found her asleep on the couch. I turned and went up the stairs and walked into the bedroom that was mine as I was growing up. I had not felt comfortable sleeping in here and I really felt that I didn't belong here. I had merely used this room to store my clothes and change. I should have realized that Mom wouldn't want to sleep in Charlie's room, either. It would be weird to sleep in your ex-husband's bed while in town attending his funeral. I couldn't even bring myself to open the door yet.

I didn't even bother getting undressed before collapsing onto the bed and falling asleep. But sleep wasn't destined to stay with me for long. It was only about an hour later that I was wide awake in bed. I never did get back to sleep. After a couple of hours I climbed out of the bed and went outside and sat on Charlie's front porch and waited to watch the sun rise.

I was just about to get up and go back into the house when I saw Emmett coming home from work. I smiled and waved to him as he waved to me as he got out of his car and made his way into his house.

Nine o'clock found me sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee, waiting for Mom to be ready to go, when there was a knock at the door. I got up and quietly walked to the door to find Esme and Carlisle standing there.

"We thought that you might like a ride today. You shouldn't drive yourself. It's not right or safe," Esme said, grabbing me into a hug.

"Thanks. I think we'll take you up on that. My Mom arrived last night. If that's alright?"

"Absolutely." They followed me back to the kitchen when I offered them a cup of coffee while we waited. None of us said anything while we sat there sipping on our coffee. I don't think there was anything that really needed to be said.

Before I knew it I was sitting on a chair in the office at the church. Carlisle and Esme had escorted Mom and I back to Reverend Webber's office as soon as we arrived. It was the first time that I could remember meeting him. He asked me if there was anything that I wanted him to make sure that he mentioned during the service. I told him that I just wanted to make sure that he reminded the town of how much Charlie loved living in Forks and how much his job and everyone in this town meant to him.

We stayed in the office until minutes before the funeral was set to start. The funeral home had already brought Charlie in and draped a flag over the coffin. That is the moment that it all hit me. No matter how bad our relationship was or who was at fault, he was my dad and now he was gone. Forever.

I don't remember anything else that happened during the service or what was said; I was lost in my head with thoughts of regrets. I just kept staring at the coffin that held my father. I kept thinking of him in there and it hit me that he really was gone. I started fumbling through my purse, searching for the Kleenex that I was positive that I threw in there this morning. I couldn't find it. I was just frustrated that I couldn't find anyand the tears had started falling and I couldn't stop them. I felt Esme's hand on mine. She was holding out a box of tissues to me. As soon as I took the box out of her hands I started outright sobbing. I immediately felt Mom and Esme wrap their arms around me and they held me tight for the remainder of the service.

As soon as the service was over Mom helped me to my feet and I turned to leave the church. It was the first time that I had taken the opportunity to look out into the church. It was packed to the point that there were people standing in the back of the room. I started forward and followed Reverend Webber who was walking directly behind Charlie as we left the sanctuary. As I took in all the faces, it was easy to realize that not only did the entire town of Forks show up, but also everyone from the reservation appeared to be here as well as some other neighboring towns.

The service at the cemetery was just as much of a blur as the church service was. The only thing that I clearly remember was that at the end I walked forward to put a rose on top of the hat from his dress blues when I tripped over my feet and started to falter. It was Edward that got to me and held me up so that I wouldn't fall and helped place that flower before walking me back to my chair. I waited until everyone was gone before I stood up and made my way back to the Cullen's car.

I was sitting on the Cullen's back patio, in the same chair that I sat in the other night when I had dinner with them, sipping on a cup of hot tea that Esme made me. This time, however, instead of Edward sitting in the chair next to me, it was my mother. All around me people were walking around; they were eating, drinking coffee, and talking. Sometimes they tried to talk to me, I tried to listen and talk with them but mostly I just couldn't keep a focus on anything.

At one point I was approached by Angela Newton and her husband, Mike. He tried to apologize for the accident but I wouldn't let him. I had a feeling that there was more to his story that I was told so far. Beside, I wasn't about to yell at the guy when his pregnant wife was standing there next to him, looking like she was ready to pop that kid out.

When I just couldn't sit there any longer, I got up and walked off through the Cullen's property. I slipped into the woods at the edge of the yard and followed a trail that was carved out from years of use. After a few minutes of walking I came up to a creek and sat down on the bank, slipped my shoes off, and dunked my feet in the water. I sat there for a while alone with my thoughts and tears until I could feel that someone was standing behind me.

EPOV:

I stood there staring at Bella sitting there crying. She had been standing outside my shop last night and I was so tempted to go to her and invite her in, but thought better of it. I was in no mood to be around anyone last night. I know that I would have been horrible and said things that I would have ended up regretting, so I turned and walked away.

I had watched her all morning but I don't think that she even realized that I was there. I saw her wandering off into the wooded area at the edge of my parent's property and didn't want her to end up getting lost in the woods. I don't think that she realized that while there was a clear path to the creek, if she had wandered off the trail she could have literally ended up getting lost in the mountains.

She finally realized that I was there and turned around to look at me. We stayed there staring at each other, just as we had last night, until she got up and walked past me without a word and headed back down the trail, back to my parent's yard. I sighed and sat down exactly where she had been sitting. I was sitting there for God knows how long before I looked over and saw that she had left her shoes lying there. How did she not notice that she wasn't wearing her shoes?

I grabbed the shoes, stood up, and started to make my way back. I found Bella standing with Rose, they were taking turns pushing Bree on her swing. I walked straight up to them and held out the shoes, "Missing something?"

She smiled slightly. "I realized halfway back but didn't want to bother you."

"I was the one that interrupted you. I didn't mean to chase you off like that." Rose just kept looking between us utterly confused, but she was no gossip and would never nose into anyone's business without an invitation. It was then that we were approached by Billy Black. I was shocked to see that he had dared to show his face at Charlie's funeral.

I moved closer to Bella and Bree, while Rose ran off to get Emmett. I didn't trust Billy, none of us did, and it was for good reason. He looked between me and Bella before speaking to her, "Bella, I just wanted to say that I am terribly sorry about Charlie." He went to take a step closer and I moved closer to Bella and my niece. Thankfully, Emmett and one of his deputies came out of the house and ran right for us.

"Black, you shouldn't be here."

"Why not? She said."I remember Charlie and Billy being best friends for years."

"Things change, Bella. Billy, you need to leave now before I have my deputy escort you all the way back to the reservation." Emmett said, using every ounce of authority that he had.

"I'm just an old man and I mean no harm, but I'm leaving. I said what I came to say." Then he turned and walked away without another word.

"Bella," Emmett turned to her, "I need you to promise me that if he approaches you again you will call me or my deputies immediately."

"Why are you guys being so cold and mean to him? What did he do?"

"It's a long story that I don't want to get into with my daughter in hearing range."

"You look exhausted and so does your mom," I nodded toward the patio where her mother was starting to doze off. "How about I give the two of you a ride home since you rode with my parents?"

"Are you sure? I don't want to inconvenience you."

"It's no problem Bella, besides I think that your Mom is falling asleep."

After saying goodbye to everyone and my Mom hugging Bella and promising her that they'd get together for lunch the next day I drove them back to Charlie's. As soon as we got there Renee announced that she was going to go soak in a hot tub with a glass of wine. She ended up taking the whole bottle of wine with her. Bella told Renee to go ahead sleep in the bedroom upstairs since she was planning to sit up and work tonight. She nodded and wandered off, mumbling something about time changes being the work of the devil. It was already seven here which would have made it ten in Florida. No wonder she was tired.

"I don't think that I've ever seen a funeral reception go on that long."

"Yeah, well, everyone loved Charlie."

"Yes, they did. Do you want a glass of wine before you go? Maybe some coffee?"

"Coffee sounds good."

She started a pot brewing while I turned on the TV and began flipping through the channels.

"So, you're going to work on your book, huh?"

"Yes, I really need to get it done."

"Is there anything I can do to help? Like proofread?"

"Are you trying to trick me into letting you read it before the rest of the world gets to?"

"You caught me."

"Well, you're too late. Rose already volunteered."

"I don't doubt that for a second. Hey, I'm really sorry for the way that I've behaved the last couple of days. I have a lot a shit happening right now but that was no excuse to take it out on you."

"You want to talk about it? You looked so sad last night. I almost called Emmett to go check on you."

"I got into it with my ex-wife…again. It definitely wasn't a call that I needed yesterday."

"Ahh…Tanya, right?"

"How did you know that?"

"Your Mom and Rose mentioned something about pictures of flowers from your wedding to her. I was curious why I hadn't heard anymore about it or seen her at all. But I didn't think it was my place to pry into your business."

"It's ok. The whole town knows. We got married just out of high school and took off to New York for college. We came back after we graduated. I took over the shop and she started working for Charlie. She had gotten a degree in criminal justice and Charlie had planned on making her something similar to a detective. But she couldn't get over how much she loved New York and decided that she was going back. I never really cared for New York; I only went there in the first place to make her happy. She knew that and when I told her that I'd go back if it meant that much to her, she told me that she didn't want me to, and that she wanted a divorce. It was during a meeting with our attorneys that she announced that she was pregnant. Our daughter was born six months ago and lives with Tanya and her new boyfriend, Demitri. That is why Charlie and I were so close. He was the only person that I could go to that knew exactly what I was going through."

"Because my mom did the same thing."

"Exactly."

"And you see my dysfunctional relationship with Charlie and think it could happen with you and your daughter."

"It absolutely terrifies me, Bella."

A/N:

I think I've found balance with my hectic life. I hope so anyway. Thanks to Sweetpea123 for betaing this for me. She is so awesome. Chapter 8 is off to her today so next week looks to be a go. I apologize for the delay in review replies I hope to get them out earlier this week. Reviews will get a teaser unless you tell me not to. See you next Saturday!