Chapter Six

Charlie

I spent the first ten years of my daughters life seeing her only two weeks in the summer, wherever they were living, they moved a lot just as I'd feared. I tried to visit more often but it wasn't easy with them moving around so much. I became a virtual stranger to my little girl although she rang me, sent drawings, and Renee sent photographs and copies of her school report and teacher parent meetings. Only when my mother finally died did Renee relent and allow our daughter to visit me in Forks. Bella's first visit was magical after an awkward start, after all we were virtually strangers, and I was the proudest and happiest man on earth. My daughter was sleeping in her own bedroom at last and I took her to meet everyone I could think of, making sure she had friends her own age to play with, I wanted her to be eager to visit again.

She came to me every summer for two weeks after this, Renee putting her on the flight and me waiting for her in Seattle and once she even came for Christmas. I was so excited at the thought of spending my first Christmas with my daughter that I went a little over the top, decorations were so numerous you could hardly see the walls or ceiling and I admit I spent far too much on her but we had a great time. The only thing was it reminded me of all the Christmases I had missed as she grew up. I had asked Renee if she could spend the festive season with me before but she always had an excuse although she knew how much it hurt me. Renee had never forgiven me for not standing up for her to my mother and this was her way of punishing me. I knew deep down she hated me and I guess I didn't really blame her, I'd been weak when I should have stood up for my wife and now I paid the price.

Bella

Coming to visit my dad in Forks was always a bad idea. Not that he and I didn't get on, we did and I loved him very much but something always went wrong. Every time I stopped with him I ended up in trouble of one sort or another. I was on first name terms with all the staff at the clinic in Port Angeles, accident prone didn't even begin to cover it! If I wasn't spraining, fracturing, or breaking something I was sure to find another way to ruin my day. I'd got locked in the bathroom for hours after the knob came off in my hand while Charlie was at work, I'd set fire to the oven gloves forgetting they were on the stove when I turned it on and of course there was my crowning achievement, I'd tripped carrying a tray full of glasses, filled of course, at the station, just helping out, and covered assorted dignitaries in red wine! I don't think I will ever forget their faces or my embarrassment.

The other problem was going back home to my mum and enduring the cross-examination of my holiday and her bitter jabs at my dad. Whatever he did or suggested was wrong and I think she hated the fact that I loved my dad and wanted to visit him. She saw me as disloyal despite the fact she knew I loved her too. I had longed for two parents when I was small and lived for the visits Charlie made. I didn't care what we did I just wanted to be with him and I think if he'd asked me to go live with him I might have been tempted, life was much more relaxed with my dad. Renee was neurotic and bitter and sometimes it was like walking on egg shells living in the same house as her. I felt like roles had been reversed and I was the one giving the reassurance to a child. I wanted to be young and enjoy myself but so did Renee and one of us had to be the adult so I slipped into that role. Charlie wasn't an easy touch, he had rules and standards but he understood I was a child and allowed me to be one.

When he asked Renee if I could visit for Halloween she was initially suspicious, I'd only been in Forks in August and I really thought it was going to be a negative then suddenly she was invited out for a Spooky Ghost weekend and of course, that trumped making me miserable so she agreed and I had a secret smile, thankful to the latest boyfriend who was actually really nice.

It wasn't until I got to Seattle that dad dropped the bombshell on me,

"I had an ulterior motive for asking you to visit Bella"

I looked at him surprised, that wasn't like my dad, Renee yes but not Charlie.

"OK I'm officially worried now"

"Look there's a big Halloween dance tomorrow night and I have to go, at least make an appearance, and I thought you might like to go too. I'm not staying long so don't worry. but you said last time you were here that you missed Angela and the others and wished you could see more of them.

"A dance? Dad"

I sounded like a sulky and ungrateful child but I hated dances and he knew it.

As soon as I arrived at the house Angela was on the phone,

"Bella your dad said he was going to invite you up for the party."

"Party? I thought it was a dance?"

"Well there will be dancing but its a party. Look, Mike and Jessica broke up and they were making a foursome with Eric and me. Would you do me a favour and take her place only otherwise Mike wont go"

"Oh I don't know Angie"

"Its OK only as a friend, he knows that"

"You've already discussed it?"

"I knew you wouldn't let us down and it'll be fun. I'll be over later and we can discuss it then."

So, party not dance, that was a plus but making up a foursome with Mike...well he was fun so I guess it could be worse. And of course it rapidly did when my dad asked me,

"So, what are you going as?"

"As?"

"Bella its fancy dress, did you forget?"

I hadn't forgotten so much as not been told in the first place and I groaned, I hated dressing up especially if it involved fake blood and plastic fangs!

"You said it was a dance, there was nothing about fancy dress dad."

"You'll think of something Bella. You could go as a zombie, no blood there"

"No, just rotting flesh and rags, don't worry dad I'll think of something."

I just hoped Angela had something up her sleeve or this was going to be a nightmare quite literally.

Angela called in to see if I'd go with her to pick up her costume,

"What are you going as?"

She smiled brightly,

"A devil. My aunt has made me a red cat suit with a forked tail and I bought a pair of those red plastic horns on a band. Do you think Eric will be impressed?"

"What's he going as?"

"The same I think, maybe not the cat suit though"

Even I had to laugh at the thought of skinny Eric in a cat suit.

"What about Mike?"

"He thought he'd go traditional, a vampire. What about you Bella?"

"My dad just happened to forget it was fancy dress and I don't have anything. My brain is baulking at the idea of dressing up."

"Bella you should get into the spirit of the party. Come on we'll find you something."

I looked at her suspiciously, if she thought she was dragging me round the shops looking at tacky outfits because that's all that would be left, she could think again. I had enough trouble keeping upright as it was, give me a long dress or a forked tail and I could show you how to trip fantastically but she drove straight to her aunt's house. It wasn't until we were inside that she closed the trap,

"Aunt Beth, have you got anything that Bella could wear? She's not in to all the Halloween tack."

I turned to argue the point but saw Angela was smiling as she said it so I just glared. I hadn't realised her aunt made and stored costumes for an amateur dramatics group in Port Angeles until she dragged me into her workshop. There were racks of costumes all in plastic garment bags, everything from Victorian ball gowns, great to trip over, to alien creatures and I was not going as ET! It took some persuading but finally I agreed to go as a monk, I was well hidden in the voluminous habit especially with the hood up.

"Bella no one will be able to see you"

I grinned,

"Good Angela, that way when I fall over in this costume no one will know it was me."