Eternal dawn

THERE BACK ?!

The morning sun poured through my window, painting soft gold across my walls. I was curled up on my bed, completely lost in a book, the world quiet and peaceful—
until it wasn't.

A sharp knock interrupted my bliss.

"Hey, Maya, come on! We have to go somewhere," my brother Jacob called through the door.

I groaned, not moving an inch. "Right now?"

He rolled his eyes from the doorway. "Yes, now. Hurry up."

He walked off before I could argue. With a sigh, I rolled out of bed, quickly fixed my hair, grabbed my book and bag, and headed downstairs. Dad and Jacob were already waiting.

"Finally. Let's go," Jacob said, rushing ahead to the car.

"Why's he so eager?" I muttered.

Dad, sitting comfortably in his wheelchair, just chuckled and gestured for me to follow.

⸻

The drive was quiet except for the hum of the engine and the soft patter of rain starting to fall. Forks was its usual cloudy, misty self—the sky a dull gray blanket over the endless stretch of pine trees.

But when the car turned down a familiar street, my heart lifted.

Uncle Charlie's house.

And not just that—there were two girls standing by the porch. My eyes widened.

No way. Bella and Cadence were back?

I barely waited for the car to stop before jumping out. "Uncle Charlie!"

He grinned and opened his arms. "Hi, Blossom."

I hugged him tightly. "Hi, Uncle Charlie."

When I pulled away, I caught sight of Bella hugging herself, offering me a small wave and a neutral look. I smiled politely and waved back, though I couldn't help rolling my eyes a little. Jacob never stopped talking about her—it was exhausting.

Then my eyes landed on Cadence, and I lit up.

"Cady!" I ran to hug her, and she laughed, hugging me back. We were close—she always came down during the summers, and it was like no time ever passed between us.

"Hey, Maya!"

Before we could talk more, we both turned at the sound of Jacob's voice. He was walking up to Bella, grinning like an idiot.

"Where you been, loca?"

I visibly cringed, and Cadence did too.

"I wish I could unsee that," I muttered under my breath.

"Me too," she agreed, trying not to laugh.

"So, how come you're back?" I asked her, turning my attention back to her.

"Mom's moving in with her husband, so Bella and I are staying here with Dad."

My jaw dropped. "Seriously? That's awesome!"

She chuckled and nodded.

"So you're going to my school, right?"

"Yep. Me and Bella."

I groaned dramatically, and she nudged me. "Be nice," she warned.

"I know," I said, laughing.

"Cadence, Amyah!" Uncle Charlie called out, holding up a set of keys. "What do you think?"

We turned to see him standing by a big red truck.

"It's great, Dad!" Cadence said, her face lighting up.

"Yeah, Dad, it's cool," Bella added with a small smile.

"Good," he said, tossing the keys to Cadence. "It's yours."

Both girls froze.

"Wait—seriously?" Cadence gasped.

I couldn't help but giggle. Jacob had been working on that truck for months.

"Yep. All yours," Uncle Charlie said proudly.

They practically tackled him with hugs. "Thanks, Dad!" they said in unison, beaming.

Later, back at our house, everyone was there—the boys, Leah, and Emily. The smell of lemon cake filled the kitchen, and my heart practically soared when I saw it.

"Hi, Angel," Emily greeted warmly, pulling me close and kissing my forehead. "Want a slice?"

"Yes, please!" I said quickly, grinning.

She handed me a big, perfect slice—my favorite—and I took it to the backyard, already savoring the first bite.

Of course, the peace didn't last long.

Paul and Seth's eyes immediately locked on my plate.

"No, it's mine!" I said, holding it protectively. "Emily made it for me!"

Embry grinned mischievously and reached over, grabbing a handful. Seth followed, snatching the rest of the cake right off my plate.

"Hey!" I yelled, watching in disbelief as they stuffed it into their mouths.

The smiles on their faces faded as I blinked back tears. I hated that I cried so easily, especially over something small—but sometimes it just happened. Embarrassed, I turned and hurried inside.

"Angel, what's wrong?" Emily called, already moving toward me.

"They took my cake," I muttered, heading straight for my room.

I shut the door behind me and threw myself onto my bed, trying to calm down. My chest still felt tight from holding back tears.

After a few minutes, there was a knock at my door.

"Hey—open up," came Paul's voice.

I hesitated, then got up and opened the door. He stood there holding another plate of lemon cake.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

I nodded silently and stepped aside.

He sat down on the edge of my bed, holding the plate out to me. "You know they didn't mean anything by it, right? They're just idiots."

A small laugh escaped me. "Yeah, I know... still annoying though."

"Trust me, I get it." He leaned back, stretching his arms. "I'll make sure they leave you alone next time."

"Thanks," I said quietly, taking a bite of the cake.

Paul reached over, lightly ruffling my hair. "You're too nice, that's your problem. You gotta learn to swing back."

I smiled. "You mean like you do?"

He smirked. "Exactly. Except maybe with less yelling."

That made me laugh, and the tension in my chest finally eased.

"Don't let them get to you, Maya," he said, his tone softer now. "You're the little sister we all have to look out for. Even when you get mad at us."

I rolled my eyes, but a smile tugged at my lips. "I'm not that little."

He grinned. "You'll always be the kid of the group."

I laughed again, finishing my cake as the room fell into a comfortable silence.

Paul stayed just long enough to make sure I was okay before standing up. "Alright, kid. Get some sleep."

"Night, Paul."

"Night, squirt," he said, flicking the light off as he left.