Ch. 19 Isabella Marie Swan

"Sweetie, this is a very generous offer that you're making, but Phil's season will be done in just a few months, and all will be back to normal. Of course, then his spring training will start back up..." Renée looked down with a furrowed brow. "I don't think I like the idea of you being so far away."

She wanted to go with him. I could see it in her eyes every time she talked about him. She'd get this look of far-off wistfulness whenever the topic of Phil came up. That's why I made the decision to go see Charlie, my dad. I felt bad that I never spent much time with him, only two weeks of every summer, but he lived so far away in the absolute worst climate in the country. I also didn't want to leave mom, but what else could I do? Mom loved Phil, and they were only just married a few months ago. They needed this time together, so it was off to Forks, Washington for me.

"Mom." My mother is very childlike in many ways, so you have to be stern, but loving when speaking to her. "I'm going to live in Forks with Dad. It's not like I'm moving to a commune. It's Forks. It's Dad." I rolled my eyes, brushing off any fears my mother might have of the dreary town up in the Olympic Peninsula. Great. Rain.

"Yeah I guess you're right. I'm just being silly. I worry about you sometimes. You're too good for your own good."

"That makes no sense." I giggled, and Renée laughed along.

"I'll miss you, my Bella Bell. Promise to call me all the time and email at least once a week?"

"Sure, mom." She lost her phone charger at least once per week, and rarely remembered her password to her email. I hoped Phil would be able to keep up with that stuff for her while I was gone. He had been doing well enough so far, though.

"Ok, good. So I guess this means we need to go shopping for winter wear! Eeeeek!" Ugh, shopping.

"Can't you just go without me. You know what I like...t-shirts, jeans...you know, easy stuff. Nothing flashy."

"What, and lose the opportunity to go shopping with my one and only daughter before she flies across the country, possibly never to be seen again?"

"Moooom!" I grumbled. She loved to guilt-trip me into things like this. It's a good thing I loved her. I glared playfully at my free-spirited, eccentric parent and realized how much I would miss her too, but it's ok. She needed this. I was doing the right thing. "Ok, fine. But. Nothing with sequins or tassels."

"Did you think I was dressing you for a Cabaret show or something?" She laughed.

"Never know when you get involved." I giggled.

•PTaT•

It had been a month, and today was the day. I was leaving beautiful, perfectly sunny Arizona for gloomy, freezing cold Washington.

"Did you get your passport?"

"I'm not flying out of the country." I stated.

"Hey, you never know!" Only my mother would think that I might randomly decide to take an unplanned trip outside the border and need my passport. It's something she would do, after all.

I took out the last of my small amount of luggage—I only brought one suitcase, and my carryon—in the trunk of Phil's Toyota, and walked along side my mother toward the check-in desk.

"Ok, I can get there on my own from here, Mom." I sighed as she fretted over my hair, and rolled down my sleeve she had rumpled when hugging me.

"Oh, baby, I know you can. You're so grown up. Much more grown up than I ever was at your age. Oh, Bella, I'm so proud of you. I love you, sweetie." There were tears in her eyes. Renée was always one for the dramatics.

"Love you too." I said back quietly, but sincerely. I never knew how to display emotions properly. I was always so awkward. I was like my dad in that way.

"Tell Charlie I say 'hi.'" She smiled, and finally released me to leave for my purgatory of the next two years.

As the plane ascended into the clouds, I looked out the window over the flat reddish-brown backdrop of Phoenix. I would miss the sun, the scent of creosote, the low lying mountains, and sparse vegetation. Now everything was going to be green and squishy. I sighed to myself and closed the window as I slumped into my seat. Four hours. Four hours until the plan would land and my new life in Forks would begin.

Like, Follow, and Review please and thank you! :)