"Okay, deep breath." I muttered to myself. I was strangely nervous standing outside the Black's door.
I knocked three times as I usually did when visiting the Blacks.
And then we waited.
There was no sound, and this worried me. It was usual to hear Jacob's little sister running amok at the very least, especially at this time in the morning. The working class rose early, even on weekends.
"Bella," Alice put her hand around my waist, "I don't think they're home…"
Before I could respond to Alice, I thought I could hear footsteps…
The door was pulled open and a harassed-looking Satah Black stood on the other side. Even with her russet-colored skin, she looked paler than usual. And thinner, too.
"Mrs. Black," I said in alarm, looking back to the hole in the barn, and then back at her poor state. "Are you alright? What has happened?"
Her eyes were wide with surprise. She wasn't expecting me to be here. "Oh," She met eyes with me and then looked down. "Oh, Bella, it's… nothing."
A trickle of fear and anger washed through me. Sarah had always been a second mother to me, they were pretty much family. It was so unusual for her to lie.
"What's happened?" I repeated, this time, in a stronger voice. "Where's Jake?"
"H-hes with Sam, still. I thought I told you this." Her tone was not unfriendly, but it felt like she was pushing me away. And it was not just my imagination, Sarah had already begun to close the door.
"Mrs. Black, what happened to the barn?" I inserted desperately before she could shut me out. "Please."
A flash of sympathy flashed through Sarah's eyes. "It was a bear," She told me, "Jacob was careless and kept food in the shop, and the bear broke through a hole in the wall."
Both Alice and I looked back at the barn and then back to Sarah in disbelief. The hole was larger than a bear could ever be. And its construction was very solid. Billy had built this himself, and he was very skilled. There was no way a bear did that damage.
"The neighbors have been talking about the bear sightings lately, but I don't believe they get that big." Alice chimed in.
Sarah jumped. She hadn't taken notice of Alice until now. However radiant and eye-catching Alice was, she was rather small, and Bella's larger frame had hidden her well.
"Oh! And you are…?" Sarah asked.
"Alice," She held a hand out to her, "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Black."
Sarah reluctantly inched herself from the doorway to return the handshake. "Nice to meet you, Alice." She seemed confused by her presence. "Have you been in the area long? I don't remember…"
"No, my family just moved here from Alaska." Alice said sweetly.
It was as if Alice had zapped her. Sarah Black withdrew her hand quickly and retreated one step back. Her face was suddenly guarded and unfriendly. "Alice… Cullen? The folks who just moved up the hill?" Her voice was sharp.
Alice was taken aback by Sarah's sudden withdrawal. Her blue eyes were wide with surprise and confusion. I couldn't help but reach out to Alice, wanting to protect her. But I would've never thought I would ever have to protect her from Sarah Black's poor manners. She was usually a kind and loving woman, much like Alice's own mother.
"Y–Yes." Alice stammered, suddenly insecure.
I had enough of this strange behavior. Alice was perfect and sweet, she didn't deserve to be treated like a bandit. I stepped in front of Alice, and the toe of my boot was in the door frame, preventing Sarah from closing the door. "Enough, Mrs. Black." I said, trying not to let anger break my composure. "What is going on?" I met her deep black eyes. I wasn't going anywhere without an explanation. She seemed to understand this.
After a moment of hesitation and tension, Sarah Black let out a deep sigh and leaned against the door frame. "It's been a rough few weeks," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Jacob got the flu for a week and we're struggling to make ends meet. Jacob is better now, but had to take on more shifts at the reservation, and I had to cut back on my hours at the diner to take care of Rebecca."
Alice and I exchanged a look of concern and sympathy. We knew how hard it was to take care of a sick family member, and the financial burden only added to the stress. "I'm so sorry to hear that," I said, my heart breaking for the Black family. "Why didn't you call me to help? You know I am just right down the road."
Sarah shook her head. "No, thank you, Bella. We'll manage somehow. You had Charlie to take care of, it just wouldn't be right. But I appreciate your offer."
I nodded, still feeling helpless. "Please let us know if there's anything I can do. I'm here for you."
Sarah smiled weakly. "Thank you, Bella. That means a lot."
Sarah closed the door as soon as Bella's foot was out of the way. We stood there for another moment, unsure of what just happened. So much of the interaction did not make sense. The gaping hole in the barn wall, Sarah's undeserved hostility towards Alice, and Jacob's continued absence... None of it made sense.
Firerain looked around, confused when we prepared to leave. He stomped his hooves in protest. When he was here, he was usually treated to a snack and affection from Jacob's little sister.
"Sorry, Firerain, they're too busy for us." I whispered to him.
Alice hopped up into the wagon. "Are we going to the market, now?" Alice asked tentatively.
"No," I said in a determined voice. "We are going to Sam Uley's house."