Chapter Five

Charlie

When I got home that evening it was to walk straight into another argument between Renee and my mother. This time my mother had taken Bella out for a walk in her buggy before lunch and not got back until mid afternoon. She told Renee that Bella needed some new clothes, pretty little girl clothes and she'd been shopping. I understood how worried Renee had been but in truth I didn't have a problem with my mother buying Bella some clothes, it would save me and I thought she looked pretty in the lacy pink dress but I made the fatal mistake of admiring it out loud. My mother merely smiled complacently but Renee exploded.

"Trust you to side with her. Isabella is my daughter and I do not want her looking like a pink iced cake with frill."

I groaned as my mother rose to her full height,

"You have no idea of what is appropriate for a little girl and that dress cost more than your complete wardrobe"

Renee looked at me to say something but I didn't know what I could say that wouldn't upset one or the other. My hesitation was enough, Renee took Bella in her arms and rushed upstairs with her leaving me to sort out my mother.

"That was rude and uncalled for mum."

"The truth hurts Charles. I said that girl was a tramp and now I know it. Did you see the cheap tat my grand-daughter was wearing?"

"It's all we could afford and I thought Bella looked fine. I think you should go and take those clothes with you. I'm sure you can get a refund"

She knocked the bags from my arms as I tried to hand them back and stormed out leaving me with a fuming Renee and a monster headache.

I tried to talk to Renee but it was no good, she was too angry to reason with and still ignoring me by the time I had to leave for work the following day. I thought about the things my mother had said and decided when my shift was over I was going home to apologise then drive to my mothers and tell her it had to stop. Bella was our daughter and we, Renee and I, would bring her up the way we thought fit. She could either accept that or stop visiting. I hated giving my mother an ultimatum but I didn't see what else I could do.

Of course I got called out to an accident on the highway just outside town and by the time the bodies had been cut free and taken away it was way past dawn and I was shattered. I still had to sort out my mother but it might have to wait a few more hours. I needed to grab some breakfast and then sleep. I'd rung Renee to tell her I'd be late but she hadn't answered, so either she was still mad with me or she was in the tub. I hoped it was the latter but I was afraid it might be the former so after grabbing a breakfast roll from the diner I drove home ready to explain my decision.

Renee's car wasn't there and I didn't remember Bella having any appointments today, her shots were up to date and baby club or whatever the hell they called it didn't start until after lunch so where was she? Shopping probably although I had the money in my pocket to give her for the grocery shop. I went inside and put the kettle on then I noticed the note on the table, gone fairy hunting was my guess as I unfolded it and that's when my world fell apart.

"Charlie,

I'm sorry but I can't do this any longer. You should have been there to stand up for me, not afraid to upset your mother. She does not tell me how to live my life or how to bring up our daughter despite thinking she can. So, I'm leaving and I'm taking Bella with me. Once I get settled I'll contact you and of course you can see Bella but until she is older I will not allow her to visit Forks. Not unless the wicked witch is dead.

Sorry Renee"

All thoughts of my fathers letter were discarded as I tried without success to persuade Renee to come back to me.

"Charlie I can't do this any longer. You have no idea what a monster your mother is, especially when you aren't around. Are you willing to move away from Forks?"

"What? MY job is here Renee, I don't want to start over, I know Forks."

"Then I hope you are very happy with your mother because I'm not coming back to Forks...ever."

"How's Bella?"

"She's fine."

"I miss her."

"Not my problem Charlie."

She cut me off and I sat there trying to work out how my perfect life had fallen apart so quickly and dramatically. I should have stood up to my mother, been on Renee's side and now it was too late. Could I move and start over? Yes I guess so but I didn't want to...but for Bella? I rang Renee back to tell her I'd changed my mind but so had she,

"Charlie we are over. I'm not coming back to Forks or you but as I said, once I have a place to live I'll write and you can visit Bella. Goodbye"

So that was it, I could fight her for custody but I knew if she got even an inkling of that she would disappear and I might never see my daughter again.

My mother wasn't at all sympathetic when I explained what had happened,

"I warned you about that girl didn't I? She's got not sense of what's right and no idea how to bring up a child. Charlie you should go to court, get custody of Isabella before that woman ruins her"

It was too late to get angry with my mother and although I blamed her to a certain extent it was my own weakness that was really to blame for losing my wife and daughter.

"She won't write Charlie, you've lost them both face it"

But Renee did exactly what she said, as soon as she had a place to live and a job to support herself she sent me the address. I went to visit, to plead with her to come home to me once more but she was adamant, she wouldn't under any circumstances and when she suggested I move closer to them I refused as she'd known I would. My home, my job was in Forks, it's where I'd been brought up and I was frightened that if I gave it all up to start again she might vanish once more, leaving me with nothing. Her track record wasn't good, she'd run away from home numerous times and now she'd run again.

I was forced to accept the truth, I was alone again and with a daughter whose life I would not be a part of. To take my mind off the pain of my loss I threw myself into research on the history of Forks and its high number of "animal attacks" recorded over the years. If all this was true then why would the vampires come here? Were they lured by something? After all they knew their enemies the shape shifters or werewolves or whatever they were lived here so it was dangerous for them in Forks. Or was it because they knew the Quileutes wouldn't protect anyone outside the tribe? Forks was close to the Olympic mountain range meaning lots of wilderness to escape into and lots of hikers and climbers as a result. The town was a perfect hunting ground for them. However, we'd had no problems with animal attacks meaning vampires in a long time, so maybe they'd found new feeding grounds. I was just thankful our time as a vampire blood bank was over, selfish though that might be.