COLLIDE 🌑 jasper hale x oc

five. CARVER

Swallowed by a vicious vengeful sea
Darker days are raining over me

Once the Swans concluded that they were too lazy to cook, Charlie drove the two teens to the small Carver Café where they had once spent every Thursday evening.

The familiar drive revived Carmen's admiration for this small town, so much so that she wondered why she had ever agreed to leave. The quiet peace allowed her to think, it allowed her to wander through her thoughts. A secluded silence she hadn't realised she'd longed for.

The grey sky and towering trees encompassed her in a secure embrace. The cool wind stole her mind away from the warmth of Arizona as it billowed her long hair into a dance. The cold had swallowed her whole, but she wasn't fearful. Her very soul itched to embrace this path.

The creak of the wooden door mingled with the wind's howls as the three Swans entered the diner. The wooden planked walls donned with antlers remained as they had all those years ago, the café welcomed her home, as though she had never left.

Charlie led his girls to a small table in the corner with windows that allowed a glimpse to the clouds who threatened a storm. Bella and Charlie took the seats in front of each window as Carmen sat next to him. It had almost been muscle memory for the Swans. They use to sit at this table every Thursday evening too, a table bursting at the seams with love and joy. Except now there was a little more room with the empty chair, a little quieter too.

Charlie looked up then, finally clicking that his girls were truly home, he had missed the two.

Cora came around and took their orders before Charlie delved into some small talk.

"So girls, how was the first day?"

"Fine"

"Boring"

Charlie chuckled at their typical responses,

"Sounds about right, make any new friends?"

"A few"

"Truckloads"

Cora made he way back over with the three plates balanced in her arms.

With a smile imbued with warmth, she passed Carmen her pizza, a garden burger to Bella and fish for Charlie.

"I just can't get over how grown-up you both are, and so gorgeous!" She gushed to the girls with her hand on Carmen's shoulder as a friend of Charlie's wondered over.

"Hey girls...remember me? I played Santa one year" the man said happily to the two Swan daughters who glanced at Charlie for a clue.

"Yeah, Waylon, they haven't had a Christmas year since they were four" Charlie responded, disguising his attempt to end the conversation with a chuckle so that he could dig into his fish.