Chapter Nine

Bella

My dad was just as I remembered him when I was a little girl, quiet but warm and it sounded like he cared but I wasn't going to take anything for granted. I could get to Forks to find out I was expected to do everything I'd done at home for years although I was so used to it I guessed it didn't matter. As long as I could continue my education I could cope with whatever else life threw at me.

"Are you married?"

He looked at me startled by the question and thinking about it I realised how rude it sounded. Would he be angry with me? Renee would have lashed out if I'd asked a personal question like that and I flinched as he took one hand from the steering wheel but he just scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"No, I guess I never found the right woman. Its just you and me... Izzy"

He stumbled over the nickname my mother had given me and I took the opportunity to ask another question,

"I don't like that name much either. Do you think I could change it? As no one here knows me that is."

I waited holding my breath in case I was pushing my luck,

"Its not my favourite but what did you have in mind? Isabella is a bit of a mouthful but it was your mothers choice so..."

I thought quickly,

"How about Bella? That's close enough but nice and short."

He thought about this and nodded slowly,

"Bella? Yeah I think I can cope with that. OK then Bella. Tell me a bit about yourself. What do you like to do? What are your favourite books? Do you like music? What's your favourite cereal? It might help if we knew a bit about each other"

I hesitated again, was this a trap? Was he lulling me into a false sense of security? He glanced over and sighed and I wondered if I'd angered him by not answering straight away. My mother hated it when I hesitated, she always accused me of making something up when I did it.

"I guess its a bit awkward, tell you what. I'll tell you a bit about me first eh? Give you some idea what you're moving in with."

I listened as he told me he worked shifts so I would be on my own a lot which sounded like heaven, that he liked sport on TV with a beer, and his best friends were Billy Black and Harry Clearwater, two Quileutes from the reservation. He liked country music, fishing, hiking, and hunting, and he was a terrible cook. I waited for the blow to fall and he looked at me a little nervously,

"Can you cook?"

I nodded,

"I know its a lot to ask but would you be interested in taking over the housekeeping money and doing the shopping? I eat out a lot at the diner but a home cooked meal sometimes would be nice. I don't expect you to do it all obviously."

I could hardly believe what I was hearing, my dad was asking me if I would mind cooking sometimes not just assuming I'd do it all the time.

"I guess you'll eat in the school cafeteria and I eat at work when I'm on duty so it wouldn't be all the time but if..."

"No, I'd love to dad."

I interrupted him quickly feeling that just maybe my life really had taken a turn for the better but not getting my hopes up too high just yet.

I found myself telling my dad my favourite subjects at school and about the books I liked as we drove the rest of the way and he seemed genuinely interested which was a nice change as Renee had just looked bored if I mentioned books or science projects from school and when we pulled up outside a large if shabby house I realised we were here. My new home for the next couple of years at least and although it was still raining I felt lighter than I had in years. Dad fumbled in the glove box and handed me a set of keys,

"I had these cut for you. If you open up I'll bring your cases in, there's no point in both of us getting wet and I have a waterproof jacket."

I nodded and made a run for the house almost slipping on the greasy wet steps to the porch shivering in the cold but once inside with the lights on I noticed the warmth, the heating was on and the house seemed cosy. I waited in the hall for my dad, not sure I should go snooping around but when he came in dropping the cases on the wooden floor he grinned,

"Lets get a drink and something to eat then I'll give you a guided tour of the house, its not much but its home."

The casserole his friend had prepared for us was wonderful and once I finished washing it down with two mugs of coffee poured by an attentive Charlie I got up to do the dishes but he shook his head.

"Just leave them soak for a while. I'll show you the house. I'm sure you'll want to see your room Bella"

I followed him upstairs and he pointed out the bathroom and the linen cupboard before opening a door on the landing and motioning me to go inside. The room was huge and newly decorated, I could smell the fresh paint and had a colourful rag rug on the floor. It was a pale lilac which was soothing but warm and the bed linen and curtains matched, something I had always wanted but never had. On a new desk was a lap top and I walked over to it unable to believe my eyes, Charlie nodded,

"I didn't think you'd have room to bring your own so I got that one for you. Its not new, nor is the printer but it will get you through for a while hopefully."

I went to him and gave him a quick hug,

"Thanks Dad, I've never had one of my own before, it will really help with my homework."

He looked at me a little oddly when I moved back and I wondered what I'd done wrong but then he took my hand in his and looked into my face,

"You didn't have a computer?"

"No"

"What about a CD player or a car?"

I laughed,

"No but I never expected them, I was allowed to use mums car to get the shopping."

He nodded his brow furrowed.

"Did your mum give you money for boots and a coat?"

"No, she bought me the coat but she didn't have money for boots too but don't worry. I thought once I got settled in I could get a job maybe, if that's OK with you, then I could support myself."

He closed his eyes for a moment and I thought I saw a flicker of annoyance cross his face so I decided to stop talking.

"Bella, we'll talk about it later but for now I have this for you"

He picked up an envelope from the desk and gave it to me,

"It's not much but I saved some money for you every month so you'd have some if you ever needed it. I opened a bank account for you and put that money in it. Use it to buy whatever you need, its your money and there's a jar in the kitchen where I put the housekeeping so you can use that to get whatever you like to eat, fill the fridge up and the freezer if there's room. I put the fish I catch in there usually but there's sure to be room to squeeze in ice cream or whatever you like"

I didn't know what to say but tears were blinding me and I wiped them away with the back of my hand. Noticing Charlie nodded,

"You must be tired and its all a little overwhelming so I'm gonna leave you for a while. Have a rest and this afternoon I'll show you the town, it might even stop raining."

When he'd gone I sat on the end of my bed and stared around at my room, it was the kind of room I had always dreamed of having, just like other girls had and I now had a computer of my own and even more exciting a bank account. I opened the book to look at the print out folded inside, there was two thousand dollars in the account! More money than I had ever seen and it was in my name! I wondered if my dad would mind if I used it to buy an old car, I thought I might need it to get around, I could hardly borrow the cruiser to go shopping and I couldn't bring a big shop home on a bus. I would ask him later but for now I went through to the bathroom noting straight away how tidy it was without my mothers pots and sprays all over every surface. There were clean towels folded on a shelf and a small basket of toiletries tied with a bow with my name, well Isabella, written on a card. I took it down with shaking fingers to discover it had been put there by someone called Sue, the same woman who had cooked the casserole. I would have to find out who she was and say thank you. I had a quick shower not knowing how much hot water there was and changed into my old sweats before laying on the bed and closing my eyes unable to believe how much my life had changed almost overnight.