.Sophie.
My childhood home was located in a small reservation in the middle of Washington, a few hours drive from my home in Seattle. Looking upon it now, with its white siding and the chipped blue paint on its shutters, I could sort of feel the small town appeal of raising a child here. It was small and only two stories, but it was more that what most people had on the rez. My grandparents on my fathers side had spent their whole lives fixing up. I remember spending one summer when I was 5 painting the now faded white picket fence after Poppy and Mimi had spent weeks digging and placing the posts into the wet ground.
I walked on the gravel, away from the car that had been my mothers, and up the porch steps and onto the porch of the house. Lacey stirred restlessly on my hip, her blue eyes wide in amazement. She took everything in as if she had been never seen anything like this strange place before in her life. Then again, she hadn't really. We'd lived in Seattle since her birth, and I never once left to visit this village. Not even once did I even briefly imagine it.
And I wouldn't be back here if I had any other options.
I knocked on the door softly, peeking at the windows but seeing nothing because of the thick, red curtains. There was no response, and I knocked again.
Suddenly, the door flew open.
A girl a little taller than me was standing there, a white, knee length dress on. Her hair was pin straight, and I sucked in a breath. This beauty was my sister, a paler, skinner, older version of my sister. Her eyes registered what she saw, and she flung her small arms around my neck.
I had always been smaller than Beatrice, but after all these years apart, it was still shocking to see just how vulnerable she was.
She was skin and bones, and it was frightening how much she really needed me.
"Oh my gosh, Soph! She's so beautiful!" She squealed, holding her tiny, frail arms out for my daughter. I hesitated, questioning the strength of those small arms, before handing her over. "Ooooh, Lacey. It is so nice to meet you, darling. I'm your Auntie, you can call me Be-Be." She cooed, turning around heading into the old house.
I sighed, adjusting the bag on my shoulder before following her in, my boots clomping heavily on the polished floor. I shut the door quietly behind me, staring in shock at the new furniture and the dark painted walls. It was so new that it smelt as if she had painted it yesterday. To my left, the living room furniture was all leather and black, matching the dark, metal dining room table set up in the next room, see-able through the large archway. To my left was a set of stairs and the doors to the kitchen and bathroom. The doors were wide open, and both rooms had been redesigned to more modern items. It was as if the outside was only a shell of its former life, and the inside was the brand new soul.
Beatrice was in the living room, sitting on the tan carpet with her legs crossed in front of her, staring at her niece intently. I walked over, dropping my bag on the floor and flopping myself onto the leather couch. It had been a long drive from Seattle to here, and I couldn't wait until I was able to curl up on the couch and sleep.
"I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow morning, Soph. You are so lucky I hadn't left yet." Beatrice suddenly said, looking up at me with that twinkle in her green eyes that I hadn't seen since I left 14 years ago with Mom. That had been a sad day for all of us, but Beatrice still refused to leave dads side, or even speak to our mother on the phone.
"Your leaving?" I asked, cocking my head.
She rolled her eyes, grabbing one of Logan's feet and tickling it quickly. She let out loud giggles in response, stringing together the few words she knew in attempt to get her to stop. "No, I'm just wearing 100 dollar boots to walk around my house. I'm going to a party. Wanna go?"
With a raised eyebrow, I looked from from her to Lacey, then back to me. "Do you think that's the best idea?"
She laughed. "Of course! Its not lot its a kegger! Just some people getting together from some hotdogs. You and my favorite Niece are definitely coming!" She laughed, and stood up, grabbing Lace and basically tossing her into my arms. She smiled happily at me. "Momma!" She cooed, snuggling her face into my neck. I smiled down at the beautiful little brat in my arms.
"Yes, gorgeous?"
"I like."
"Well you should, you little charmer. She's your only Be-Be!" And with that, I tickled her armpits. Laceys pretty blue eyes lit up, and it still stung, even after more than two years, about how much she looked like her father. "I love you so much, little brat."
She giggled. "I love you too, Mommy."
xXx
Walking in sand in boots is no easy task in the first place, but add a curious toddler resting on your hip, because a beach wasn't a place strollers could easily access, and you were in for trouble. And oh how I regretted even agreeing to coming with Beatrice.
"You never said anything about the beach!" I hissed at my sister. She smiled down at me.
"I just go where the party's at!" She giggled, and then, suddenly, we saw a large group of people running around in the wet said. They had lucked out when the rain had stopped earlier, but the sky still looked as if might spill its contents on us at any moment.
"What about your 100 dollar boots?!"
"I have two pairs!"
We approached the rowdy group slowly, almost being knocked over by a small herd of children, or midgets maybe, as they ran past us, sparklers in hand.
"Kim!" Beatrice suddenly screamed out, causing Lacey to jump in my arms.
A dark skinned girl looked over at us, raising her arm and waving at us happily. "Bea!" Bea grabbed my free hand, tugging me towards the girl.
And by girl I meant woman, I corrected myself when we reached her. She was beautiful, with luscious black hair and big beautiful almost black eyes. She was tall, and certainly not lacking in the chest department.
"Kim, this is my sister. Do you remember her? She was 2 years above you in school." Bea said, smiling happily as she clutched the girls shoulder. "Sophie?"
I smiled at her, shaking her hand with my free one. "I remember you, kinda. You crie-"
"Cried a lot during recess." She smiled slowly at me. " I remember you too. Me and my Fiancee are actually Bea's neighbors. I don't know what I would do without Miss Bea here to gossip with. And this must be the niece you're always bragging about, Bea." Kim held her hands out, and Lacey happily went into them.
"What A flirt!" Beatrice laughed. "And how can you resist. Look at those beautiful eyes. Obviously from her daddy!"
At the mention of Allen, I stiffened, a forced smile tugging at my lips.
"Oh, what am I thinking!" Kim scolded her self suddenly. "Jared!" She called out, and suddenly, a very large, handsome man came was at her side. And by large, I meant HUGE. I had to look straight up in order to even see his face this close. "This is Jared, my fiancee. Jared, do you remember-?"
"SO-PEE!" Jared said suddenly, grabbing me around the shoulder and tugging me to his chest. "Its been so long! Do you still-"
"No, I have not peed myself since I was 6, thanks." I rolled my eyes, pushing myself away. The sudden use of my most hated nickname had jarred the memory of Jared. We had played together a number of times as children. That was actually an understatement. We had been the best of friends until I moved away when I was 9. "When did you get so...not chubby." I asked, smirking at him.
His smiled widened. "About 7 years ago. Like?" He wiggled his eyebrows, and Kim rolled her own eyes, handing me back Lacey.
"Not my type, sorry. This is my type. Cute with blue eyes, and totally mine!" I said, taking Lace happily and planting kisses atop her curly blond head.
"Is this Lacey?" Jared asked.
"Yes, this is my little princess Lace."
He nodded, and then looked around. "Hey, So-pee, why don't I reintroduce you to the guys?"
"The guys?" I then actually looked around. Beside the few normal looking people. There were the giants. Tall and muscular and totally droll worthy, just like Jared. "Uh, sure."
He smiled, walking towards the fire, turning back to wave me after him.
I looked back at Beatrice, who shrugged, starting a conversation with Kim about what she was going to wear to the next company party. I quickly followed Jared, happy now that I had a way to escape that conversation.
Sitting on the logs around the fire were the giants, some shirtless and clad only in shorts, even though there was a slight chill in the air.
"Hey guys." Jared said, exchanging the typical handshake with a shirtless twin. "Guess who I dug up! So-pee!"
Some of the guys yelled out greetings but I recognized non of them. Jared seemed to get this.
"Seth, Collin, and Brady were way after your time here, but you should know, Sam, Jacob, Quil, Embry and Paul-"
When he got to the last guy, I was no longer paying attention. My breath had stopped, and I just gaped at him. He was tall, one of the taller of the group, with large shoulders, beautifully sculpted muscles, and swoon worthy brown eyes that were flecked with green. But above the physical attraction, my heart in my chest wouldn't stop pounding.
He just stared back, before shoving himself up, and running off.
"Uh...I've never actually saw that first hand be-" The tiniest one, Seth, started in shock, but was met by a smack in the back of the head from Quil.
"Uh..." Was all that I could say.