Chapter Seven
Bella
I was nervous and didn't sleep well partly because I was excited at the thought of meeting my uncle and partly because I was scared he might decide he wanted nothing to do with me or my son. The fact he had rung back and agreed to the meeting was a positive sign but at the same time he had hesitated when telling me where to meet him and I wondered why? Perhaps he didn't want to be seen anywhere in town with me, it might start awkward questions for him. Carlisle had told us last night that my Uncle seemed very interested in me and I asked him what he thought I should say. I was nervous at the thought of telling him my past, especially the part where I was accused of murdering my parents, his sister.
"You must tell him the truth Bella, if you lie and he finds out then you will have lost any chance at a relationship with him, however fleeting."
I knew the last was a gentle reminder not to get too close to my Uncle because it was impossible for him to stay in my life.
Jasper was going to drop me at the restaurant and park up close by, ready to pick me up again as soon as the meeting was over.
"It'll be fine Bella. How could he fail to love you? Just remember the story we worked out last night and everything will be fine."
"I couldn't tell my Uncle about the vampire attack, he would think me as crazy as the authorities had when I was a child so instead I would tell him a version of it, one that dispensed with vampires. The cruiser was parked up close to the restaurant when Jasper dropped me off with a kiss and whispered good luck and I saw a man waiting in the entrance dressed in police uniform, this had to be my uncle, Chief Swan. He hesitated a second and then smiled opening the door for me as I reached him.
"Bella?"
I nodded, unsure what to call him so settled for Chief Swan.
The server showed us to a table in the window and handed us menus while she bustled off to fetch our drinks. I was amused to see that we both chose lattes although mine was a skinny and as I looked at the menu seeing nothing but a blur I was conscious he was watching me. When our drinks arrived we ordered, a mushroom tagliatelle for me and a hamburger and fries for him. Once we were alone again he cleared his throat nervously,
"Well, hello Bella. I don't quite know how to start this conversation but Chief Swan sounds a little formal and Uncle...well that one still has my head reeling so how about you call me Charlie?"
I nodded,
"That's fine by me. I'm afraid I don't have any proof if that's what you were expecting. All I can do is to tell you my story and leave the rest to you."
"OK, I'm listening."
I began by describing my mom realizing that she and Charlie shared the same twinkling eyes and dark hair, the way they listened with head cocked to one side, it was uncanny. Then I got to the most difficult part, the murders. I told it to him just as I had the authorities back then but added,
"I understood much later that the person I had described couldn't have been a monster who drank their blood but their assailant splattered with blood which made it appear to me as a young child that he was trying to drink their blood."
Our meals arrived and I stayed silent until the server had gone then continued.
"No one would believe me when I swore I hit him with the ax and of course I couldn't have, they found only my parents blood at the scene and mine where I cut myself when I fell over swinging the ax. I was really young so I guess I just missed but everything looks so different when you are small yourself."
"It must have been very distressing for you. I guess they didn't treat you very well Bella. Sending you to a special facility seems a little Draconian."
"I had no one to speak up for me or offer me a home so I had no choice. I was too young to be charged with their murder but I think they really believed I was responsible."
We stopped to eat for a few minutes and to give Charlie time to digest what I had said so far.
"How long were you in that place?"
"Too long, it was like hell."
I explained the treatment I had received and I could see he was visibly angry hearing it,
"But I escaped hidden in a laundry basket and then I ran and I kept on running for years scared that they would find me and drag me back there."
"So where did you go? You said you had no other family. I wish I'd kept in touch with my sister, I could have helped."
"I lived on the streets, it's not so bad if you have friends, and I was lucky enough to find one. Some of the homeless like me had no choice, nowhere else to go and they look after each other. They kept me safe from the worst who live that way and others who prey on the street people."
Charlie
Guilt and remorse were eating into me as I listened to Bella tell the story of her life as if she were talking about someone else. How had she survived out there among the perverts and alcoholics, druggies, and crazies? And more than that how had she met Jasper Hale if she were living rough? She seemed to read my mind and smiled.
"You're wondering how I met Jasper aren't you? It was sheer luck or good fortune. My son was sick and I took him to one of the free clinics where I ran into Carlisle. He looked after Caden and I saw Jasper, he saw me, and that was it."
"How old is your son?"
She made a face,
"I guess you'd better hear the rest of my story, I had a relationship with one of my fellow street people and I fell pregnant but he found out and ran, I have no idea where he is now or even his real name, only Kit, that's what everyone called him. I gave birth to a boy, my son, and when I met Jasper he took Caden on as his own, He's the only father Caden has ever known."
"He sounds like an exceptional man, so how old is Caden?"
"He's four but very bright, Carlisle says he's way ahead of his biological age."
I smiled, she sounded like a very proud mother but I was intrigued. I could have a Grand nephew as well as a niece if I chose to take that step. I saw Bella looking at me as she sipped her coffee refill.
"I understand this has come as a shock to you and I do understand you might not want to reopen old wounds. It might be that I remind you of your sister too much. I would understand if you decided you didn't want to pursue this. I just felt I wanted to meet you."
"I'm glad you did Bella. Yes, you do remind me of my family but not my sister, you are very much like my mother and I loved her very much. My father...well that was a whole different story."
I looked at my watch and cursed,
"I'd like to talk longer but I have to get back to work."
She stood up and held out her hand,
"It's been lovely to meet you Charlie, thank you for making time."
We walked out in silence after I refused her offer to pay the bill but on the steps I halted taking her arm gently,
"I'd like to see you again Bella, Caden and Jasper too, if that's OK. Maybe you could come to the house this weekend. It's the first one I've had off in ages and I'd like to spend it with family."
Her smile was bright as the sun and she threw her arms around me for a moment,
"Thank you. I'd love to, when?"
"Well I finish at midnight Friday so how about Saturday afternoon?"
"I look forward to it."
"Can I take you back to town? Or to the Cullens?"
"No thank you. Jasper will be back for me soon. See you Saturday."
As I drove away I could see her watching me and knew I had to make this work.