I woke up a few hours later feeling much better. Not only was the last bit of nausea gone but it felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Despite everything that happened since they left, I was happy and nothing could ruin that.

I shifted on the bed. Tanya's arms were around me. She loosened her hold when I moved. I sighed and sat up.

"Did you sleep okay?" Tanya asked. She handed me a bottle of water.

I took the lid off and downed half the water before nodding. What time is it?

"It's only ten," Tanya assured me. "You slept for two hours."

Did anything happen?

"No, everything is fine," Tanya promised. "Kate and Irina are back. They ran by your house to check on Charlie. They didn't see anything wrong so they came back."

It was a relief to know there was nothing wrong with Charlie.

"Are you hungry?" Tanya asked. I didn't have time to answer as my stomach growled seconds later. Tanya laughed. "I guess so. Is there anything in particular you want? Carmen is happy to cook."

She's from Spain right? I had to spell Spain since I didn't know the word for it. It wasn't a big deal though. If I didn't know a word, Tanya would usually learn it and teach me.

"She is," Tanya confirmed.

Can she make something… I frowned, trying to think of a word.

"You want a traditional meal?" Tanya questioned. I nodded. "She would be more than happy to do that."

Can you thank her for me?

She nodded and muttered a thanks under her breath. "She said you're welcome. She also said it will take a while and wants to know if you would like a snack?"

Yes please, I signed.

We headed downstairs. Tanya stayed close to me in case I fell over. It wasn't necessary since I felt fine now but I appreciated it all the same. It was nice having someone worried about me like this.

"Bella," Carmen exclaimed. "I have some fruit for you. Is that okay?" I nodded and Carmen ran off to the kitchen.

Tanya led me to the dining room. By the time we got here, there was a bowl of fresh fruit on the table waiting for me, along with a glass of water.

"Is there anything else you need?" Carmen asked.

Coffee?

"I'll get it," Tanya said. She kissed my cheek and headed to the kitchen.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" Carmen asked.

I shook my head. I liked Carmen, even though I hadn't spent time with her. That was something that needed to change. I had avoided Carmen and Eleazar because I didn't want to get close to them. I no longer desired to avoid the Denali coven.

"I wanted to thank you Bella," Carmen said.

I took a bite of the strawberry and put my fork down. I wasn't sure what she was trying to thank me for. I don't understand, I signed.

"I know you wanted nothing to do with vampires," Carmen started. "But I'm so grateful you gave her a chance. She's been alone for so long."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. This was starting to get too close to the conversation I had with Esme.

Carmen watched me shift. "I'm sorry Bella. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

I wanted to deny it but I couldn't. Esme said something similar, I explained.

Carmen nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry," she said again. "May I ask, what made you change your mind?"

I…it took me time to realize Tanya is not like Edward, I admitted. I can't go through that kind of abandonment again. It would break me more than I was already broken.

"I don't think you're broken Bella," Carmen said gently. "You've been through a lot and you're still here. I think that makes you strong."

I didn't agree with her but I didn't say anything. There was no point, as I knew she wouldn't back down. Vampires were stubborn.

Carmen turned toward the kitchen and seconds later Tanya walked about with a steaming cup of coffee. "Is there enough creamer?" she asked concerned.

I peered into the coffee cup. It looked a little darker than normal but I wasn't going to complain after all the effort she put into making the coffee for me. It's perfect, I signed.

I sat down and sipped the coffee. It was much better, and probably much more expensive, than the coffee Charlie and I bought. Carmen stood up. "I'll get back to work on your paella," Carmen said. "Bella, let me know if you need anything."

I nodded and waved at her. I went back to my fruit while I waited for the coffee to cool down just a bit.

"It'll be a couple of hours before your food is ready," Tanya said, taking a seat next to me. "Is there anything you would like to do until then?"

The bookstore, I signed. It was the one thing since moving here that I wanted to do but I hadn't had a chance yet.

"There's no bookstore in town," Tanya said sadly. "We would have to go to Anchorage." I sighed. A trip to Anchorage would take hours, even with Tanya's driving. "I would more than happy to take you tomorrow though, if your father allows it."

I'm eighteen, I reminded her.

"You live with your father," Tanya countered. "He barely likes me as it is. I won't do anything to upset that fragile trust he has in me."

That made me all warm and fuzzy inside. She had more consideration for Charlie then the Cullens. I would never forget when James showed up in that clearing and they wanted me to run without telling Charlie anything.

Okay, I agreed. I'll talk to him when I get home.

"Is there anything else you would want to do?" Tanya questioned, still determined to have me do something.

I sighed. I need winter clothes, I confessed. It's starting to get cold and my stuff isn't good enough.

"There's a decent clothing store in town. They should have what you need," Tanya said. "Do you need a jacket or do you need other things as well?"

A warm coat would be nice and some long sleeve shirts, I signed. I did some research before we moved and I think thermal shirts and pants would be helpful.

Tanya nodded. "We can do that," she said. She hesitated. "I don't mean to be pushy, but do you have the money to buy what you need or would you like some assistance?"

I blushed in embarrassment. I appreciated her asking but I was embarrassed by the reminder that I didn't have much money. I thought about my meager bank account. With my truck being worked on I was saving quite a bit of money on gas. I wasn't sure if I could afford a full wardrobe but I imagine I could cover most of one.

I don't know, I signed. I might be able to cover it all.

"Okay," Tanya said. "I won't offer you money as I know you won't like that but I want you to be able to get everything you need. So, if it turns out you need some, please just ask."

I nodded in agreement. If it wasn't so important I would have said no. But winters in Alaska are no joke and I need to be prepared. I refused to ask Charlie for money. I would empty my account if needed but I would not ask for money from Charlie. As much as I don't want to, I would accept money from Tanya because I know she would never force it.

I reach for my now empty plate of fruit but it was gone before I could. Tanya disappeared into the kitchen and returned seconds later. "Carmen said she would let us know when her paella was ready. It should be an hour or two, depending on if she needs to run to the store. Will that be enough time?"

With you driving, probably. Tanya glared at me and I rolled my eyes. I'll focus on a coat and if we need to go back, we can. I'm going to go shower really quick.

Tanya nodded. "Take your time. I'll wait for you in the living room."

I headed upstairs to Tanya's room so I could shower. I grabbed some clothes, Tanya's again because they were comfortable. If it bothered Tanya that I wore her clothes, she didn't say anything. I doubt she would either. She seemed to enjoy having me wear her things. It probably had something to do with me wearing her scent.

I showered as quickly as possible, which was difficult because the shower was so nice. I was pretty sure they upgraded the shower at some point. It looked far too expensive for the average family to have in their home but completely normal for a rich vampire family.

It took only fifteen minutes for me to be completely ready. I knew we had a limited amount of time so I made sure to be quick. Once I was ready, I headed downstairs to the living room where Tanya was waiting.

"Are you ready?" Tanya asked when I walked into the living room. I nodded. "Let's go. I talked to Carmen. We have two hours before we're expected back. Do you think that will be enough time?"

I shrugged. I'm not big on shopping so I'm usually pretty quick.

I followed Tanya out of the house to her car. "If needed we can go out again after you eat. Or I can get what you need for you if you don't want to shop."

The drive only took a couple of minutes since we didn't have to leave town. I wondered why I hadn't seen this department store before, until I realized we were driving in the opposite direction of the coffee shop and town square. The department store was off the highway, just inside of town.

Tanya pulled into parking lot of the store. She turned the car off and reached into the backseat and pulled out a jacket. She handed it to me. "It's a little cold but it's better than nothing," she said.

The coldness of the jacket didn't bother me. It would warm up soon enough. The jacket smelled like Tanya and that was the most important thing.

Tanya led me through the store to the coat section. It was a large section, which made sense since this was Alaska.

Shopping with Tanya was interesting. I hadn't told her what I was looking for but based on the two options she showed me, she seemed to understand what I wanted.

I immediately dismissed her first choice. I didn't look at the price. I was trying not to base my decisions on money but instead focus on what I wanted.

"What about this one?" Tanya asked holding up a wool coat. It was black so it would go with anything. It was a bit long, going down to my thigh. It looked nice and warm.

I took off Tanya jacket and handed it to her, taking the wool coat in the process. I tried it on. It was just as warm as it looked. "Do you like it?" Tanya questioned.

I nodded. It was perfect. I took it off and checked the tag. I winced at the $200 price tag.

"Do you still want it?" Tanya asked after seeing my reaction to the price.

Yes, I signed. I do love it.

"It should last for several years," Tanya commented. "Is it too much?"

I don't know, I signed. I thought back to the last time I checked my bank account, which was right around the time we moved. I had a decent amount of money from working at Newton's before we moved. We'd been in Alaska for almost two months and I've had several paychecks since then. I'll be good. Not having my truck is actually helpful.

"I'll drive you around as long as you want," Tanya promised.

We headed to the winter accessories next. I picked out a matching set of gloves, a beanie and a scarf. I already had a couple pairs of gloves but it was Alaska. I needed more.

The last stop was to get thermals. Even in Forks I had never needed the thermals, although there were times I wish I had them.

I touched Tanya's arm. She was looking through the selection for my size. How much time do we have?

Tanya checked the time. "About twenty minutes," she replied. I nodded. That would be plenty of time to finish shopping.

I had picked out two thermal shirts and was scanning through the pants trying to decide if I actually needed them, when I heard someone call Tanya's name.

I turned around and saw a woman approaching us. It didn't dawn on me who she was until Tanya said her name. "April," Tanya greeted.

April. The woman that had a thing for Tanya. The same woman that invited Tanya to the party we met at.

I stepped closer to Tanya. April didn't look angry but I can't imagine her being happy that I'm here with her crush.

April's eyes went to me. "Bella right?" she questioned. I nodded. She turned her attention back to Tanya. "It's good to see you Tanya."

"It's nice to see you too," Tanya said politely.

April noticed my hand on Tanya's arm. "Oh, I see," she said. I watched as her face fell. She seemed to realize she had no chance with Tanya now. "Does your father know?"

I released Tanya's arm. I'm eighteen, I signed, knowing exactly what she was getting at.

"She's eighteen," Tanya translated. She sighed. "I should apologize to you April. I knew you were interested and while I never encouraged, I never made it clear I wasn't interested. So, I'm sorry."

April nodded. "Thank you. It's not all on you. I could tell you weren't interested, I shouldn't have continued to try. I hope you two are happy together." She checked the time. "I should go. I have to head to the station soon."

"Goodbye April," Tanya said.

April walked away, leaving Tanya and I alone again.

"Are you okay?" Tanya questioned.

Yes. I'm glad she'll leave you alone now.

Tanya kissed the back of my hand. "I'm glad too," she said. She checked the time. "We need to get going."

After paying for everything, we headed back to the Denali house where Carmen was waiting with lunch. My things were left in Tanya's car since she would be driving me home later.

The smell of the paella was incredible. I'd never had it before and smelling it now made me realize I was really missing out.

Tanya wrinkled her nose as we stepped inside. "Does this smell good to you?" she asked me.

I nodded as Carmen yelled at Tanya for being rude. I glanced at Tanya and had to stop myself from laughing. She looked like she would be blushing if she could.

I followed Tanya to the dining room. "Bella," Carmen exclaimed. "Lunch is ready. Are you hungry?"

Starving, I signed.

Carmen frowned. "I'm sorry. I should have fed you more than just fruit before you left."

I shook my head. It's okay. It means I can eat more of this. I can't wait to try it.

Carmen beams. "Sit, sit," she said gently pushing me toward the chair. "I'll bring your food. What would you like to drink? We have milk, water, soda, juice, lemonade."

Lemonade, I requested.

Carmen left the dining room to go get the food and drink. I frowned. I could have gotten my own drink.

Tanya laughed. "She likes to take care of people," Tanya said, taking a seat next to me.

Carmen returned with a plate full of food in one hand and a glass of lemonade in another. She sat the plate down in front of me and left. She didn't have to leave.

"She didn't want to stare at you while you ate," Tanya explained.

I nodded in understanding. I did appreciate it.

I took a bite of the paella and groaned. This was delicious.

"Good?" Tanya asked. I looked up and her eyes were slightly darker. I blushed when I realized that the noise I had made had affected her.

Some of the best food I've ever eaten, I signed.

"She approves Carmen," Tanya said. She didn't raise her voice but I knew Carmen heard her.

Carmen appeared seconds later. "You like it?" she asked excitedly. I wasn't sure if she didn't believe Tanya, or if she wanted to hear it directly from me. If I had to guess, I would say the latter.

I love it, I told her.

Carmen beamed. "I'm glad. I'll pack up the leftovers for you to take home. OD you think Charlie will like it?" she asked worried.

I'm not sure, I admitted. He was open to trying new foods though.

"Is there anything in particular he likes?" Carmen asked.

Steak and potatoes. He can eat it for every meal, I answered.

"Perhaps we'll have Charlie over for dinner one night," Carmen said thoughtfully.

"Carmen, you'll never guess who we saw at the store," Tanya said. She squeezed my thigh under the table. She was distracting Carmen so I could eat in peace.

"Who?" Carmen questioned. She sat down beside Tanya. Her attention was now fully on Tanya instead of me.

"April," Tanya replied. "She happened to be at the store while we were there. Seeing me with Bella, she finally realized I wasn't interested in her."

You forgot the part was she was tempted to have you arrested, I signed with some difficulty. I ended up having to spell arrested.

Carmen raised an eyebrow at Tanya. "Because Bella is still in high school, she assumed she was underage. A valid, yet unnecessary concern."

Does age matter to vampires? I asked them.

"When it comes to our mates, no," Tanya replied. "Vampires like us, and the Cullens, tend to respect human laws a bit more. For instance, if you were a few years younger, I never would have pursued you. Befriended you yes, protected you definitely, but I wouldn't have tried to form a romantic bond until you were of age."

"Most vampires don't find their mates when they're still human," Carmen added.

"And a vampire would never hurt their mate in any way," Tanya added.

"Do you want some more?" Carmen asked, eyeing my empty plate.

No thanks. It was a lot of food.

"I'll put the rest away for you," Carmen said. She grabbed my plate and left the room.

"What time do you want to go home?" Tanya questioned.

I didn't want to go home. Whatever bubble we were living in, I wanted to stay here forever. But that wasn't possible. I had to go home and I had to go back to school.

I should go soon. I still have homework to do and I work tomorrow.

Tanya nodded. "Is there anything you wish to do before we go?" she asked.

No. Any clothes I have here can stay, if that's alright. Tanya nodded. Are you going to stay at Charlie's?

"Do you want me to stay?" she asked.

I nodded. She should know by now that I always want her around.

"I'll stay then, unless Charlie objects," she said.

I didn't like that. Charlie was starting to come around to the idea of us together but it was likely he would want her to not hang around. Although he seemed to understand I needed her in order to sleep. So, she would be back.

Carmen returned to the dining room with a container full of food. She gently cupped my face. "We'll see you soon Bella," she said. "You're always welcome here."

Thank you Carmen.

Tanya took the food and we left the house.

Tanya held my hand as she drove me home. It was nice. Now that I was allowing myself to commit to being with her, she was more and more open with initiating physical contact. It still made me nervous, allowing myself to fall for another vampire, but I didn't think I would regret it. She gave me every reason to believe I wouldn't regret it.

She pulled up to a signal. I pulled my hand away from her so I could sign. Where were Irina and Kate? I didn't ask about Eleazar because I hadn't spent much time with him, so I wasn't surprised he wasn't around while I was there. But I remembered Tanya mentioning her sisters were home.

"Kate went to the shop to work on your truck," Tanya answered. "She's hoping to have it done in the next week. Irina went to the coffee shop to help out for a bit since you're off today."

I frowned. I should have offered to help out today. Tanya glanced at my face and glared at me. "Bella, don't you dare feel guilty for taking a day off. Irina's fine. She can work all day, every day, and not feel any of the burn out you do. You deserve time off."

I crossed my arms over my chest but didn't argue. Tanya had a point. Irina could work and never be worn out. If she really didn't want to work, she would hire more people, but she didn't. So, I had to assume she liked working.

Tanya grabbed my bags once we pulled into my driveway. I didn't try to protest because I knew she wouldn't listen. Instead, I led her to the front door. I pulled my key from my pocket, while Tanya took the leftover paella from me, and unlocked the door.

Charlie was home. His car was out front. It wasn't like Forks where his only vehicle was the police cruiser. He had his own car when he wasn't at the station.

"Charlie," Tanya called, since I couldn't do it.

Charlie walked out of the kitchen holding a half-eaten piece of pizza. "Bella," he exclaimed.

Were you not expecting me?

Tanya quickly translated. While he was learning sign language, he didn't have the amount of free time a vampire had to learn. So, he didn't know as much as she did.

"I thought you would be later," he said with a shrug. "I ordered pizza if you're hungry." He eyed the stuff Tanya was holding. "What's that?"

"Carmen made paella for Bella for lunch," Tanya replied. "She sent it home with Bella." She held up the bags. "I took Bella to get some winter clothes. I'll put this away while you two talk."

Is everything okay Dad?

"Oh, yeah, everything is fine," Charlie said. He took a bite of his pizza. It looked like he was trying to find the right words to explain what was going on with him. "Do you remember when you told me about the connection with you and Tanya?" I nodded. "You guys said it was like… a rope around your heart or something?" I nodded again, unsure what exactly he was getting at. "Well, I think I'm feeling it too."