Bella glances at Dad, who keeps his eyes on his steak. A bearded, hippy logger, appears behind Cora, leaning over her shoulder to look at Bella.
"Member me, honey? I was Santa one year," he asked, I was freaked out.
"Waylon, she hasn't had a Christmas here since she was four," Charlie told him. "Bet I made an impression, though," Waylon replied. "You always do," Charlie agreed.
"Let the girls eat their cod. And let the family eat, Waylon,"
Cora told him as she turns to us. "When you're done, I'll bring your favorite - berry cobbler. Remember? Your dad still has it. Every Thursday."
"That'd be great, thank you," I thanked her as Bella couldn't remember if her life depends on it.
Cora shoos Waylon away, left alone now, Charlie and Bella both reach for the salt and knock hands. Charlie goes for the ketchup instead.
We ate in silence as we heard a burst of laughter from a nearby happy family only serves to emphasize our discomfort.
I try to bridge the gap. "So how was work? Dad?" I asked, eating my food. "It was great Sweetie. I met the client," Dad told us, Anne giggled as Mom fed her. "So... you eat here every night?" Bella asked.
"Easier than washing dishes," Charlie replied.
"I can cook," she replied. He looks up as if confused by the concept. "I do the cooking at home, in Phoenix," Bella explained. "Mom's not great in the kitchen."
"I remember...," Dad added as they all laughed, recalling an especially bad dinner.
"How was school? Meet anyone? Any cute boys?" Mom asked, I chuckled. "A few people...," Bella replied. "Do you know the Cullen family?" "Are people talking about them again?"
Charlie looked at us. "No... well, a little," I replied.
"Just 'cause they're newcomers. We're lucky to have a surgeon like Dr. Cullen at our podunk hospital and Luckily his wife wanted to live in a small town. Lucky his kids aren't like a lot of the hell-raisers around here," Charlie told us.
".....Okay," Bella nodded her head. "I just don't like narrow-mindedness," Charlie continued as he returned to his food.
Silence.
-Dream-
I was holding Jasper's hand as we stood in the sunlight. When the sunlight hit our skin, we sparkled. I was looking up at him as Jasper places his fingers on my cheek, leaning in for a kiss.
-Dream ends-
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I gasped as I sat up in bed. I swore Jasper in my room as I turned to switch the light on. When I looked back, I saw no one there.
I was confused, not only by my dream, by thinking Jasper was here in my room. I turned as I heard a knock on my door. "Come in" Finn came in, slightly shaken.
