Due to eight inches of snowfall and black ice, Forks Public Schools cancelled for the next few days. I'd start classes on Monday.

I was perfectly okay with that. It gave me the weekend to clean the house from top to bottom.

I stood studying my new home with a fresh pair of rubber gloves. Charlie was pretty good about cleaning the community areas—the living room and the bathroom—but the kitchen needed some serious work. A quick survey told me my dad used the microwave and stove top frequently, and the oven not so much. I cleaned everything and briefly considered sticking my head in the oven. But I was confident Forks would crumble under the weight of that scandal. Some things were just too morbid, even for me.

Two days after the hospital, Charlie came home on his lunch break. "Hungry?"

The smell of steak and cheese wafted toward me, and my stomach growled. "Yes, thank you."

We sat together at the table—freshly wiped down with wood polish—and ate our lunch together. He told me about his day—making rounds, approving overtime, and assisting the mayor with the cleanup. I raised my eyebrows at that.

"You're rubbing shoulders with the mayor? Important stuff."

He reddened. "Not really. We interact more than usual during bad snowstorms like this one. Not a lot of personnel up here."

Not a lot of anyone up here, I thought to myself. It was as close to Twin Peaks as you could get.

After he left, I returned to my list of household tasks. It was enough to keep me busy all weekend. I swept and mopped the floors, vacuumed the rugs, and spent hours with the washer and dryer. When I was satisfied that every inch of the house was clean, I took some bills from the jar labelled FOOD MONEY. I wrote a note for Charlie, revved my new truck to life, and set off to go grocery shopping.

I genuinely loved the truck. It was a faded red Chevy, noisy in appearance and in practice. It reminded me of one of Rosalie's trucks back in Portland. I could almost hear her begging me to fix it up.

I missed all of them so much it hurt. The hole that burst into existence during my last few trips gnawed at me at the thought. My last trip had been to 1995 . . . ten years ago. I had no idea where they were now. Had Victoria got to them? Or the Volturi? Or perhaps even the wolves. Hoquiam wasn't far from here. Hoquiam is where everything started changing.

But the wolves would only take action if they violated the treaty, I thought to myself. They had to be here to do that.

I wondered if they looked me up when such resources became available. Renee and I moved around so much, though, that it would be very difficult to track me down.

I found a carriage and bit my lip. It wouldn't do to cry in the supermarket. It was deserted, though, so I let my mind wander back to them. I spent hours in markets with them, giggling at their disgust toward human food. Even Esme, who enjoyed cultivating her cooking skills, couldn't disguise her distaste.

I was coy with details because I feared changing my future. I had already done that, however, by seeking them out when I landed. A normal person would have avoided them. But I was far from normal.

Now I wished I had told them. Told them, or at least gave them a hint of where I was going. But I hadn't felt a hint of a trip backwards in days, and I had feeling it was going to stay that way.

I stood staring through the glass in the frozen foods aisle, cursing my caution. They were careful when they didn't want to be found, and with so many threats closing in, they would be extra careful. A Google search or a glance at the phone book wouldn't tell me anything.

I suspected they would split up. Pairs were the easiest, couples, like when Emmett and Rosalie lived in New Hampshire. It was safer that way, and easier to keep a low profile.

Tears welled up in my eyes at the thought. That meant Edward was alone again. He could live with Carlisle and Esme, as a son or brother like he used to do, but it wouldn't be the same. Not after . . . not after me.

It was odd to think that we married forty-five years in the past.

"Hey, are you Isabella?"

A boy of fourteen or fifteen was striding toward me. I wiped my eyes hurriedly. There was something familiar about him. He had long, glossy black hair and clear, tan skin. He stood a few inches taller than me, and his smile was bright.

"Bella," I sighed, one hand on the carriage. I extended the other toward him. He shook it for a beat too long, then let go.

"I'm Jacob Black. You bought my dad's truck."

"Oh!" I said at once. Of course he looked familiar—I used to pal around with him as a kid. Well, "pal" was too easy a term. I played with him and his sisters when I was younger and flew up to see my dad. Before the accident happened and the symptoms started.

His dad knew about me, I remembered. But it seemed like Jacob did not.

"How's it running?"

"Fine," I nodded, reaching past him for a package of frozen peas. "Decent on these roads."

"Don't go over sixty," he warned, grinning at the thought. He seemed to be speaking from experience.

"I won't," I laughed. It felt good to laugh about something. "How'd you know I was here, anyway?"

"Charlie got your note and invited us over," Jacob explained. "I hope that's okay. We saw the truck on our way over."

"Of course, yeah. No problem."

Jacob cocked his head toward the exit. "My dad's waiting in the car. We'll see you at your house."

I waved goodbye and continued through the aisles. I bought a little more than I usually would for tonight, but I figured two grown men and one teenage boy would eat more than I ever planned to.

I drove by the high school on my way home, studying the darkened windows. Another school. More names to learn. More teachers to work with.

At this point, I didn't even care. I was determined for Forks High to be my last one before college. If I went to college.

The three of them were in the living room when I came back. Jacob and Charlie immediately went outside to help gather the groceries, shivering in the cold. I watched them through the window for a moment, then went to say hello to Billy.

"Hi Bella," he said warmly when our handshake was over. "You're looking well."

I was fairly certain I looked like shit, but he was nice to say otherwise. "It's good to see you."

Billy lowered his voice. "Still traveling?"

"Not in the past few days," I said quietly. "I never know."

"Well, you're a tough kid," he decided, then paused at the sound of the front door swinging open. I heard Jacob and my dad coming in with the bags. "Excited for school?"

"Nope."

"You could always come to school on the rez," Jacob called from the kitchen. "I'm sure the other kids wouldn't mind."

Truthfully, I'd probably like his school better than Forks High. It'd be nice to have a friend already. But I knew I didn't belong there.

Jacob eventually became my sous chef while I cooked dinner. He took care of the peas while I monitored the steak and potatoes. He set the table and I buttered some bread. Finally, we called our dads in for dinner.

"This looks great, kids."

"It was all Bella," Jacob said, his hands in the air. "I just followed orders."

My cheeks were pink. "Thanks."

I mostly stayed out of their conversation. Now that we took the truck off their hands, Jacob was looking to work on a new car. They chewed on that topic for some time. Then Charlie and Billy were swapping stories about years ago, when Jacob and I were kids. He kept looking at me during the recollections. I toyed with my uneaten food.

While they trudged back into the living room to watch a game, I took all the dishes to the sink. I scrubbed the plates with more force than necessary. There were tears in my eyes, but I ignored them. I was sick of crying.

I touched my necklace. The swan. My birthday gift from Edward. I had made a habit of putting my wedding rings on the chain to both hide and keep them safe. They bounced gently over my heartbeat.

Was this how my life was going to be? Cleaning up after another parent? Sitting lonely in my room? Growing up? Growing . . . old?

"Where are you?" I whispered. I looked through the windows to the backyard. Maybe I'd find them out in the woods the way they found me in Denali.

"Need any help in here?"

I jumped at the sound of Jacob's voice. My answering smile was bright. "Oh, no. I'm good."

But he didn't leave. I watched him hop onto the counter from the corner of my eye. Something about that irritated me. I ignored him and focused on my work.

"It must be hard to start over at a new school."

I shrugged. "I've done it so many times before."

More than I could ever explain.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you're an expert now."

"Pretty much."

"You really should come down to the reservation some time."

"Maybe," I smiled, leaving the clean plates to dry on the rack. "I still have to catch up on school."

"Sure, sure."

I sensed his eyes on me as I straightened chairs and wiped down the table. I really wasn't in the mood to talk, but I didn't want to be rude. When there was nothing left to do in the kitchen, we joined our dads in the living room. I sat watching the clock. Only a quarter left to go. When the game ended, Jacob rose to get their coats and push Billy's chair toward the door.

We watched the car pull down the street and out of sight. The plows had been by during the day, so it wasn't as slow going. The forecast even promised some sun tomorrow.

"That was nice, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Jake seemed to take a shine to you," Charlie said, raising his eyebrows.

I didn't know how to tell my father I was married already. Illegally married to a vampire in the last century. As nice as he was, Jacob wasn't even a blip on my radar.

"I guess," I shrugged.

"Do you think something could happen there?" He sounded both hopeful and reluctant at the same time. I thought he might have been hoping I was past the boy stage.

"Planning my wedding already?" I teased, careful to keep my tone light. "Do you want me go that bad?"

"No!" Charlie said at once. "Forget it. Stay here as long as you like."

If I wasn't in love with Edward, or if I wasn't a time traveler, Jacob might have been an option. He was nice, friendly, and our dads got along well. But nothing would come of it, of that I was certain.

Sleeping wasn't an option tonight. I sat in front of the computer, browsing through emails from Renee. There was five of them. The first wished me luck in Forks and sent her love. The next few grew increasingly anxious. The last one, dated from four hours ago, was brusque.

Bella, why haven't you emailed me back? What are you waiting for?

I glanced at the clock. It was a quarter past eleven, and a school night. Too late to call her. I sighed, then composed a quick response.

Mom, sorry about the delay. The snow's been bad up here; I've been helping Charlie around the house and haven't had time to check my mail. Relax, okay? Everything's fine.

"Fake it till you make it," I murmured. I typed a few more lines about Billy and Jacob coming by for dinner, then hit send. There. That should hold her for a couple days.

But as it drew on twelve o'clock, I surrendered to the inevitability of tomorrow. As much as I hated it, I was the newest student at Forks High. The three hundred and fifty-eighth student. It was hardly an honor.

Everyone would know everyone else since kindergarten. I was the new girl. The daughter of the police chief. A curiosity, a freak. A freak in ways I could never explain.

I thought back to the emails. As much as I grouched, I had to remember I was doing this for Renee. Renee, who put up with a lot of time travel, angst, and explaining in the past few months.

I threw my arm across the bed. I had this fantasy of seeing Edward waiting for me in Forks. Edward and everyone else. But I had been here for a couple days and so far . . . nothing. Just days ago I was practicing my gift with Kate and Edward.

I felt like my illustrious destiny had been ripped away. I hadn't experienced a trip through time since I returned to Charlie's house. The lingering side effects of too many travels were gone. My husband . . . the vampire . . . was a ghost in the wind. Only my necklace and his ring was proof he ever existed at all.

Forks, I realized, was my new normal.

A/N: Before you ask, there IS a reunion next week. I PROMISE.

Happy Chinese New Year, Happy Valentine's Day, and Happy Galentine's Day to everyone!