Chapter 8
Bella
Mom and Dad both held onto my arms a little too tight. I had to practice walking up and down stairs before I was released. I wasn't quick with them yet, but I could do them independently. Charlie second-guessed himself. "I should have installed a ramp on the front too."
Mom scolded him. "I told you that, Charlie Swan! Bella, honey. We can go to the back door, but we need to get the wheelchair first. I don't want you to exert yourself. Where's that strong Quileute when we need him?"
"Mom, stop. His name is Jacob and he's working. I'm not his permanent responsibility. If you could let go of my waist and stay behind me then I'll use Dad's arm while I hold the railing with my right hand. These six steps shouldn't be too difficult. You saw me climb ten yesterday with Tim." None of us mentioned the ones on the porch were quite a bit steeper. Taking a deep breath, I mentally prepared myself for the challenge in front of me. One of Jacob's many peptalks replayed inside my head, and I did the self-talk necessary to put one leg in front of the other to walk back into my father's house for the first time in close to four years.
When we crossed the threshold, my lungs inhaled the familiar air. Home. I finally made it back, which caused me to believe in miracles for a change. I'd only been a resident of Forks a couple of months when the accident occurred, but being in this room with my parents was so comforting and relaxing. We were still a family, and that concept meant something different to me now. Sure, I couldn't go an hour without thoughts of Edward or what I'd left behind, but there was always a flipside to my memories now. Becoming a Cullen meant my close relationship with my parents had dwindled for safety reasons.
My parents took turns telling me everything about the changes made to the house. It took us a few minutes to walk into my new room and another moment to absorb the sheer perfection. This room was gorgeous and felt like a dream. My excitement quickly faded when I mentally calculated how much money all the improvements must have cost. I hated that Charlie worked a second job. He'd already built the extra room and was committed to helping Mom before I woke up. But I could start to ease some of his financial burdens now.
Mom asked, "Do you love it?"
"It's beautiful," I answered, "but it's too much. I don't need such a fancy room, Dad. Can you get your money back on any of these things?" Looking up, I pointed to the chandelier, "That light probably cost a fortune." Keeping the truth to myself because it was my absolute favorite part of the space.
Mom's face fell and I instantly recognized the light must have been her idea. I tried to spare her feelings. "I mean, it's amazing. I love it, of course, but I'm just worried about being more of a burden than I've already been."
Renee's absurd reply stunned me. "Your hunky therapist hung that light. I bet you won't tell him to take it down." A quick surge of warmth ran through me as I stared into the chandelier's crystal flowers.
Mom giving Jacob credit for the light reminded me how disappointed I was that he wasn't here. He'd promised to accompany us for this occasion, but one of his coworkers had a horrible flu and asked for coverage early this morning. He couldn't take an extended lunch break like he'd planned. I corrected Mom again that I wasn't Jake's full-time responsibility. My bravery lessoned when I realized he wouldn't be with me as much. The truth was now that I was officially discharged, Jacob didn't owe me any attention. Charlie acted like he'd be around plenty, but I preferred to be realistic. My rehabilitation was part of his job before, but now I'm on my own now with my parents and a new home health agency.
Charlie further bragged about my new room. "Bells, Jake came through in the best way. His buddies put this together in less than two weeks. You know me, I'm all about practicality so the room addition was simple and plain. After your mother and Leah got together, they manifested this healing oasis."
"Leah?" my confusion echoed. I could picture Jacob asking his friends to do the heavy lifting, but no way did I imagine Leah Clearwater would ever care about my bedroom aesthetics.
Mom answered. "Bella, you have no idea how talented that one is. I'm shocked she hasn't been to a topnotch design school. She has great ideas but isn't the least bit arrogant to accept other opinions. She's going to help me bring my room upstairs into this decade. We even joked about opening a design showroom someday, and I volunteered to be her assistant. I mean that's far into the future. She has family commitments to fulfill first. Of course, I have you to think about, Sweetie, while you continue to heal. Honestly, making this room perfect and working with Leah is the first time in years I felt excited about something for myself."
Charlie beat me to it but we both had the same thought. "I'm sorry, what? You mentioned the bedroom upstairs. Why? You have a comfortable place in between here and Port Angeles."
"Exactly, Charles Swan my place is twenty miles away from my daughter now that she's back in your house. Of course, I need to be here where Bella is. I'm supervising her health and wellness recovery. You work all the time."
Dad almost raised his voice but reigned it in, "Because you …" he glanced at me and then changed course, "I mean, Renee. I understand you want to be around for Bells, but we never discussed you moving in. I'm not set up for guests."
Mom cut him off. "We would have discussed it but like I reminded you, you're always working or sneaking in under the radar at the facility when I'm not there. I assumed you would know how I felt. We were married at one time. I'm hardly a guest."
"My memory is intact, but that was a lifetime ago. How the hell should I know everything you are thinking? I certainly didn't when we were together," he said.
"Obviously." Mom rolled her eyes.
It was time to shut them both down before my homecoming turned into a huge family drama. I wasn't faking it when I slightly wobbled.
Charlie noticed, "My gosh, Bells. What's wrong with us? You must be exhausted, I'm so sorry. Let's get you to the chair."
Dad took my hand and led me a short distance to the window that faced toward the forest. For a moment, I saw another scene in front of a window and the room began to spin. A sharp pain inside my head caused me to double over. Brief flashes of misery and confusion followed.
Mom's shouting brought me back to reality. "Oh my God! It's too soon. We shouldn't have brought her here. Let's call for an ambulance!"
My eyes opened to find Dad crouched near me. "Bells, talk to me. Are you okay? Should I call your doctor?"
Renee screamed, "Absolutely. Or maybe a better one since Bella wasn't ready to be discharged."
I corrected her as soon as I got my bearings. "Mom, please. It's fine. I'm all right. I just had a weird déjà vu occurrence and dizziness."
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Yes, I just need a few quiet minutes to reacclimate myself to the present."
"Present, what's that mean?"
"Never mind. Can I have a glass of water?"
"Absolutely, I'll be right back. Don't take your eyes off her, Charlie."
"I won't," he assured her.
Dad squeezed my hands inside his. "Are you sure you're okay?"
I nodded. "It's just a lot, you know?"
He glanced over his shoulder where Mom would reenter the room any second. "Yep, I sure do."
"Be honest with her. She'll drive you crazy if she moves in here."
He shrugged, "That's inevitable no matter where she resides. Your mother's right. I'm gone a lot for work. You're going to need help, and she wants to be with you. We'll make it work. Besides it's only temporary."
"What's temporary?" Mom asked when she came into my room carrying a large pink tumbler complete with a lid and matching straw.
"Oh, Bella's dizziness, I suppose. She's had an eventful morning."
"She sure has." Mom handed me the cup, and I took a sip of the purest water I'd ever tasted. It wasn't like I remembered. Weird how something as routine as drinking water suddenly felt like a whole new experience. Mom smiled. "Good, huh? You're welcome. I insisted your father install the best water filtration on the market. You need complete healing, so we can't have you fill your body with unfiltered, inferior quality tap water. Nothing but the best for my baby girl. You'll see. I booked a wellness session with Sue. She helped me fully stock the kitchen with the best organic ingredients."
"But you and Dad don't cook, do you?" I needed to ask because so many things were different in this reality.
"Not exactly, but I'm working on a plan," she admitted.
"I already said no, Renee. Bella prefers calm. We are not hiring Quil. He's too distracting."
"Quil? As in Jacob's friend from the reservation? Hire him for what?" I asked.
"A part-time personal chef." Mom replied.
I laughed aloud. "Quil doesn't cook! That's hilarious."
They both looked at me confused. "I don't think you've met him, Bells." Dad reminded me. He was right, I guess, but I knew the other Quil, which I could not bring up. Jacob told me lots of stories about this reality's version, and he seemed the same. Cooking was never mentioned, but there wasn't a reason to discuss it.
Mom insisted, "He cooks and it's amazing. Also, like his other friends, he's easy on the eyes. I think it would be good for you to be around some people your own age that aren't medical personnel."
My brain threatened another meltdown. I had no idea why Quil would be an excellent cook, but mostly I worried about Dad. A personal chef sounded expensive. My room addition and makeover must have cost him so much money. He paid Mom's bills and now I was stuck here forcing him to support me indefinitely. The Cullen's money never impressed me, but I genuinely wanted to help my father and relieve some of his burdens. In another life, I'm so rich, I don't even know how much is in my account. At least he wasn't saddled with all my medical bills. That was still a piece of the puzzle I hadn't understood. If it had something to do with Edward, then why couldn't he reach out to me?
Charlie changed the subject. "Would you prefer to lie down and take a nap, Bells? I can make you a sandwich or warm up soup if you're hungry. The bed is adjustable."
Before I could answer, a soft tapping at the door surprised us. "Who in the world? Doesn't everyone in this tiny town know my daughter needs peace and quiet?"
Dad offered to check who it was. I caught what he said under his breath. "That's rich coming from you."
"What was that?" Mom called after him.
I said, "Hold up, I'm coming for you."
Mom waved her hand. "Oh, that man. I swear. I don't understand his mumbling. What do you need, baby? A nap? Food? Want me to turn on the television? I insisted your father enter the modern age. He has decent Internet and cable now."
"Mom, please. Dad doesn't need to be spending all this money on extras because of me."
She waved off my concerns. "It's fine. He wants you to have everything you need."
"Okay, but needs and wants are different. If you stay in my old room, don't ask Dad for anything else. He's working too much. Can't you tell how tired he is?"
She turned away from me. "I won't. I mean, as soon as he hires Quil, I'm done asking for favors. Plus, I'm moving out of my duplex. That'll free up some money. Don't get me wrong. I make ends meet myself, but you know what I mean."
Sighing, I agreed. "Yeah, I know. Wonder who was at the door?"
"I should go check it out. Be right back."
With them out of the room, I had a few minutes to take in my surroundings again. I freaking loved this room. Mom meant well but she is liable to drive Dad and I both to live in the forest if she stays here more than a month. My next thoughts were how much I miss Jacob. I wish he were here today. He was so busy at work that he didn't even stop by for my send-off. Several more minutes passed, and I realized someone must have my parents occupied, which was odd. Most people they knew would have known I was coming home today. I hope nothing's wrong. Another thought entered my mind. What if Edward came back today? My heart began to race, and I decided I couldn't wait any longer to know the truth.
Taking a deep breath, I reset my mind and concentrated on pushing up from the comfy chair so I could find out what was happening in the front yard.
I had only made it halfway across the living room before the door opened and the visitor was revealed. For a brief second, I expected to be disappointed because of course it was not Edward. But I wasn't let down. Elation replaced curiosity.
"Jake!" I yelled as if he was a football field away instead of merely steps from me. "You came."
"Sure, sure, Bells. I texted I'd be here if I could escape work, and I did. How was your homecoming?"
"It's been great. You didn't miss much."
Charlie added, "Actually, Jake. We need to be honest. Bells got a bit lightheaded within the first few minutes and I think she might have blacked out for a few seconds. Do you think we should call the facility and report that episode?"
Jacob took three long steps to get to me. His hand pressed against my forehead, and I watched as he made a quick assessment of me. "Are you feeling better now?"
I nodded. "Yes," I motioned with my head toward my room. "Mom, Dad, would you mind going to get us something to eat? Are you hungry Jacob or have you eaten already?"
"I'm starving." He admitted. "I worked straight through my patient load today since seven so I could leave early."
"What do you kids want?" Charlie asked.
"Anything is fine. Is the diner still around?" Sometimes my memories fired so quickly, I didn't know where they came from.
"Oh yes, of course. It's better than it used to be. New and improved management. Still like veggie burgers, Bells?"
"No thanks, I'll take a regular burger, or whatever Jacob likes."
Jacob laughed when I said that. "You know my order Charlie, make it two. Whatever she can't eat, I'll take it home for leftovers."
"Will do. See you in a bit. Come on, Renee. I'll get that fancy salad you love."
"That's not good to-go," she complained.
"Then we'll eat there and bring takeout to Bells and Jake," he promised.
"I don't know. I hadn't planned to leave her so soon."
"I'm fine. Jacob's looking out for me." I looked up at him, "Right?"
"Always, Bells." He winked. "Always."
~Thanks for reading.
The muse always makes Renee so annoying, lol. Pack interactions are coming soon. Lots of Jacob and Bella. Someone will be tested. Mysteries continue, but one day, all will be revealed.
