Moonlight Glow

8. Family

At night, Shannon slept in the spare room. This wasn't permanent. Carlisle wanted us to move back to Forks. Just for a short while. Then we would move again, not to L.A but to another state like Virginia, Texas, Chicago, Philadelphia.

"I want to go to Houston, Texas." I said, hugging Shannon close to me.

"Closure, right?" Carlisle asked. I nodded.

"What about the wars? Are they still raging?" Esme anxiously asked Tomy.

"They never stop." He replied.

"Maybe... We can break off. Just for a few weeks..." Carlisle said thoughtfully.

"Yes. You and Jasper can go to Houston with Shannon and Tomy. Then we can all meet up."

"Where shall we meet?" I asked.

"Virginia." Carlisle replied.

"I don't know..." Esme murmured, her eyes full of sadness.

"We will meet. But they need closure and this is the best way." Carlisle told her, hugging her tightly.

"But not yet right?" Edward asked. His expression looked just as depressed as Esme's.

"No. Forks first." Carlisle replied.

*****

It was our last day in Seattle. I was sitting on the couch with Shannon while our family packed up around us. Tomy was helping Alice pack up our room. I would have helped too but Shannon was exhausted and had begged for me to stay with her. So while Carlisle and Edward packed up the living room, I was reading a book to Shannon. Shannon knew basic math and literature because she had taught herself while Maria had been training up Tomy, Shannon had been left with nothing to do. So she had read and she remembered it.

Today we were reading the first book of the Harry Potter series. Shannon's expressions changed between shock to amusement to neutral as Harry experienced life as a wizard. As Harry crossed the river to Hogwarts, I felt Shannon's head fall onto my shoulder. A second later, I heard her gentle snores.

The book dropped out of my hands as I wrapped my arms around my niece. We cuddled into each other, my arms protective to my niece. My family.