MIND. ❪ twilight ❫¹

𝐢. THE SWAN REUNION

The weeks dragged along and soon Bailey and her sister were on a plane flying from Pheonix Arizona to Forks Washington where their father Charlie Swan lived. The flight went by fairly quickly given that Bailey spent most of her time transported to the land of Hogwarts. Her eyes were glued to the pages of her Harry Potter book (Goblet of Fire to be exact), entranced by each word on the page that she didn't notice the plane had landed and people were slowly beginning to exit. 

"Bailey, let's go." 

Bella had tapped her sister's shoulder dragging her mind back to reality. Bailey's blue eyes left the pages for the first time since Arizona. She looked at Bella, then at the carry-on bag she was holding, and the seat she had now left empty. Bailey slide her the holographic bookmark she had won in her first-grade spelling bee between the pages of her book, before shutting it and rising from her seat. 

Bella handed Bailey her bag and the sisters exited the plane—being the last two passengers to do so. 

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 The reunion of the Swans went as to be expected for three people who were quiet and introverted—it was awkward. Bailey and Bella hadn't seen their father for years and so meeting him again was nice but also a bit jarring. How were they supposed to call this strange man father after spending almost no time with him at all? 

Bailey could tell that Charlie, her father, might have been hoping for a better reaction—she just wasn't sure how to portray the proper emotion that would bring him some sort of satisfaction and still feel natural to her. She usually had difficulty with that, displaying proper human emotion while still seeming genuine. Most of the time Bailey had a blank look on her face because it felt the most comfortable—this had earned her the nickname "the robot" from some of her classmates (it didn't help they also thought she had the mind of a computer).  

The drive back to their father's house was silent and nostalgic. For a little while, Bailey had been looking outside the window, watching the seemingly familiar scenery pass by. She hadn't been in Forks since she was a child. The greys skies, dewy atmosphere, and smell of woodland areas were igniting her senses, she felt like a child again visiting her dad during summer break... 

When Charlie tried to engage in conversation with Bella, who was sitting next to him in the passenger seat, Bailey pulled out her Harry Potter book again and went back to reading. Bella's half-hearted, enthusiastic response to Charlie's attempt at conversation led him to turn his attention to his youngest daughter. 

"So, Bailey," he paused, glancing at the fifteen-year-old through his review mirror. "You got new glasses?" 

The pair she was wearing presently were different from the ones she had as a child. When she was younger Bailey wore these rectangular-shaped, thin, mauve-coloured glasses that looked hideous on her face. Bailey wasn't even one who cared too much about her looks, but whenever she saw old photos of herself wearing those ugly glasses she had to fight the urge to throw up. These days she wore a larger more rounded pair of clear glasses with a slightly thicker frame; that is whenever she didn't feel like wearing contacts. 

Bailey's eyes flickered up to meet Charlie's in the review mirror. 

 "Yes. That's right." was all she said before she looked back down at her book, and flipped the page. 

Charlie nodded once with his eyes settling back on the open road. Now that they were coming to live with him, he had ample time to get his daughters to speak to him, there was no use in trying to rush anything if they weren't comfortable with it. 

When the squad car came to a stop they had arrived at their destination. 

The house looked the exact same from what Bailey could remember. Her memories were still a bit hazy, she could only recall bits and pieces considering she was only around four or five years old at the time. Some things were different than what Bailey had experienced all those years ago. For instance, she now got to have her own room, unlike before when she had to share with Bella. Bailey felt an invisible weight lift from her shoulders when she heard Charlie say they would be getting their own rooms. Bailey didn't like to share, she liked to be on her own and have her own space. Even when she was younger she hated having to share with Bella.