Sue dressed carefully for her date with Charlie. She tried on and discarded five outfits before she began mumbling to herself. "For heaven's sake, Sue, you've known him for 20 years. Besides, he doesn't care what you're wearing!"
She finally settled on a navy skirt, white blouse, and a colorful scarf. She brushed her dark hair until it shone, applied a little makeup and some lipstick, and decided she was ready. Charlie had insisted on ordering dinner for them instead of letting her cook. She arrived at his house at 7:00, and the table was set beautifully, including candles. Sue suspected that Bella had set it up, then astutely disappeared.
Dinner was delicious, and they washed and dried the dishes together as they had so many times before. Afterwards, they went into the living room, where they sat side by side on the couch and chatted while they sipped their coffee. When there was a lull in the conversation, Charlie turned to her and, holding her chin in his hand, kissed her softly. It was nice, and sort of comfortable. They sat there for a while longer, talking and laughing, until Sue decided it was time to go home. Charlie walked her to her car and kissed her good night, and Sue realized that their relationship had turned a corner.
Sue was really hoping her children wouldn't be waiting up for her, but of course they were in the living room as she let herself in the front door. "Kinda late, isn't it, Mom?" Leah smirked. Sue blushed, and Seth looked a little ill.
"Don't you two have anything better to do than keep tabs on your mother?" Sue asked them. They looked at each other, grinning and murmuring "No, nothing special…no, not at all." She kissed them good night and went upstairs, where she could still hear them snickering.
The next morning, Sue caught herself whistling while she made breakfast. Seth and Leah shared a look but, for once, made no comment. "What do you two have planned for the day?" she asked them.
"We were thinking of going cliff diving," Leah announced. Would you like to join us?" Sue surprised them (and herself) by nodding. "Sounds like fun!" The kids polished off a huge breakfast, then cleaned up the kitchen. Sue suggested that they pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the rare sunny day on the beach, so everyone pitched in and packed enough food for a small army. On such a nice day, there was no telling how many people they might meet on the beach. They packed turkey sandwiches, potato salad, chips, fruit, and dozens of cookies.
"How's your arm, Seth?" Sue asked when everything was packed in the truck. "It's fine, Mom, good as new," he assured her predictably. Sue examined it to the best of her ability and, to Seth's relief, declared it healed.
They set up their picnic area at the base of the cliff, then began the climb to the top. On the way up, Sue warned them both about safety rules, knowing that they would likely be followed only because she was with them.
The view from the top was magnificent. They took turns diving, cutting cleanly into the water, and everyone came up laughing. As Sue glanced up at the cliff once again, she saw that there was another group preparing to dive. She recognized Sam, Jacob, and Quil and watched, spellbound, as they executed their perfect dives. After a couple more turns, everyone was hungry, and Sue invited the newcomers to join them for lunch.
Leah was obviously uncomfortable, and Seth stayed by her side as she avoided talking to both Sam and Jacob. She was not yet willing to forgive Jake, though he had the decency to look ashamed and was avoiding eye contact with her. Quil tried to include Leah in their chatter, but the conversation remained awkward.
When the food was gone, Leah volunteered to take the empty picnic baskets back to the truck. Jake excused himself and followed her. When she realized she was being followed, Leah turned around and glared at Jake. He looked embarrassed and murmured, "I'm sorry, Leah. That was a cheap shot, and I wish I hadn't done it." When Leah didn't respond, he asked "What can I do to make it up to you? You wanna take a shot?"
Leah's smile was not a friendly one. "Yeah, that might make me feel better," she muttered as she drew off and punched him in the stomach as hard as she could. Unfortunately, his stomach was like a rock, and it probably hurt Leah's hand more than it hurt Jake. It made her feel better, though, and he considerately groaned. He saw the hint of a smile, so he offered, "You can see me naked too, if you want."
"Been there, done that, not impressed," she grinned, and just like that, the feud was over. Sue smiled as she saw them coming back toward the campfire, Jacob's arm slung carelessly over Leah's shoulders.