A/N: You're getting this a bit early because I'm fairly busy tomorrow, so please enjoy. Big thanks to all of you reading and reviewing. It totally makes my day! Also a huge thanks to my beta, Heather, for making sure those evil commas get put in the correct places.
.....................................................
A little after six-thirty, Dr. Cullen arrived home with dinner which had Esme a bit put out. Apparently, she'd been in the middle of preparing dinner for all of us, and it was comical to listen to them argue. Not that it could really be called an argument, more like a small tiff, that ended when Carlisle, who also insisted I call him that, smooched the hell out of Esme. I loved the fact that they were still so much in love after twenty years of marriage.
"Ugh," Emmett muttered, and Alice swatted him on the back of the head and told him to grow up.
"Oh, like you don't smooch on your girl?" I asked him.
"Hell, yes! All the freaking time, but I'm not old," he commented which led to Esme telling him that she wasn't old.
"I think it's sweet that you're parents are still in love," I said quietly. I couldn't ever recall my parents acting like that. They hadn't been overly affectionate to each other when they were married.
A little after ten, I said goodnight and goodbye to the Cullens, and I told them that I'd see them in a few days. We'd all decided to get together the day after Christmas to exchange gifts, and then I was leaving on the 27th. I was surprised at how badly I didn't want to go back home, but I shook it off. I always felt that way after hanging out with my dad, but this time, it was way worse, and I could only attribute that to the fact that Edward and his family were now in the picture.
"I had a great day," I told Edward as he drove me back to my dad's house.
"Me, too, despite the waitress and Emmett's whining," he said with a grin.
"Yeah, I could have done without those, but like I said, I had a great day."
We were quite as we drove into Forks, and I didn't want the day to end as he pulled into my Dad's driveway.
"I'll see you in a few days," he told me as he walked me up the front porch and to the door.
"Sounds good," I said, and before I could stop myself, I stood on my tip toes and placed a kiss on his cheek.
I had no idea what had possessed me to do that, and I was embarrassed as could be, but the smile blooming on Edward's face had me thinking that perhaps he didn't mind.
"Sweet dreams, Bella," he said softly, running the tip of a finger across my cheek which was bright red.
I let out a sigh as I watched him walk away and was completely startled when the door behind me opened.
"You gonna stand there all night, or are you coming in?" Dad asked, startling me and causing me to jump.
"I'm coming in," I mumbled, my face still a bright red.
"I take it that you had a good time," Dad commented before I could make a run for it and hide in my room.
"Yep," I told him as I tried to sneak my way past him and toward the stairs.
"And the kiss?" he asked, and my head dropped to my chest as I let out a groan.
"Seriously, Dad? You were spying on me?" I asked, trying to change the subject.
"I heard a car pull into the drive, and I opened the curtain to see who it was. I wasn't spying on you, so don't change the subject," he said, his voice taking on a slightly stern tone.
"It was just a friendly peck on the cheek. Nothing more," I told him.
"But, you want there to be more?" Dad asked, and I let out a sigh as I shrugged.
"It doesn't matter. It can't be more while he's here and I'm in Florida."
Dad took my arm and led me over to the couch. He sat down beside me and pretty much told me the same thing Mom had. That if Edward and I wanted it to work, we'd find a way.
"Yeah, well, I don't even know if he likes me like that, so it doesn't even matter," I said quietly as I stared at my hands.
"Bells, that boy is crazy about you. How many times has he texted you just to say hey? How many postcards has he sent you ever since he found out that you collect them? And, I see the way he looks at you. I may have to have a talk with him."
"You really think he likes me?" I asked but then told him not to answer that. "Ugh. I'm acting like such a girl."
Dad raised an eyebrow, and I rolled my eyes at him before telling him I was going to bed.
........................................................
Christmas day was spent exchanging gifts with Dad while eating chocolate chip pancakes and scrambled eggs. It was the one meal Dad was fairly good at cooking, and he'd make it for me whenever I stayed with him.
I'd saved up a bit of money and gotten Dad a fancy fishing pole, and he'd given me a new MP3 player and a gift card to Barnes and Nobles.
A little after ten, Mom called me, and I made my way up to my room to talk to her in private. Not that I really cared if Dad overheard me, but he was watching something on the TV, and I didn't want to bother him.
"Merry Christmas, Mom! Are you having a good one?"
"Merry Christmas to you, too! And my Christmas is going amazingly," she said before going on to tell me that Phil had proposed to her.
"Congratulations!" I told her.
I wasn't quite sure how I felt about her engagement. She and Phil hadn't been dating that long, and while he was a nice guy, I wasn't sure if I was ready for him to be my stepfather.
"Thanks, baby," she said. "We want to have a small wedding soon, and we need to figure out where we're all going to live."
"Wait. What?" I asked. "Why would we be moving?"
I was confused as to why Phil couldn't just move in with us. He lived in a small apartment across town, so it wasn't like he had a mortgage or anything.
"Phil has been offered a coaching position at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. He starts next week in order to be there for the start of the season in February, so he's out there now looking for a house."
"So what you're saying is that we're moving to West Virginia?" I asked, anger rising in my voice. This was not the sort of news I wanted to hear on Christmas. Hell, I didn't want to hear it at all.
"No, that's not what I'm saying, Isabella," she said in a sharp voice. "What I'm saying is that Phil is moving to West Virginia. Would I like to be with him? Yes, of course I would, but I also wanted to talk to you about it."
I took a deep breath and gave myself a minute to calm down. I loved my mom to death, and I certainly couldn't deny her her happiness, plus it would be unfair of me to make her live in Jacksonville while her fiancé was in West Virginia.
"Then I guess we're moving," I said quietly.
Later that night, I called Edward and told him everything. He let me vent about what I was feeling and how upset I was.
"Starting over is rough, but you can handle it," he told me, and I agreed but that wasn't the point.
The point was that I didn't want to start over in a new state, a new city, and a new school where I knew no one. That was when an idea came to mind. If I was going to have to move no matter what, I might as well move where I knew people. I should just move in with Dad. I figured he'd be cool with it. At least I hoped he would be.
Unable to sleep, I got up and found Dad downstairs in the living room, watching some old western with John Wayne.
"What's up, kiddo?" he asked, and I curled up on the couch next to his recliner.
"Mom got engaged," I told him.
"That Phil guy? The baseball coach?"
I nodded my head before going on to tell him that Phil had gotten a job in West Virginia and how Mom wanted to be with him.
"I want her to be happy, but I don't want to move to West Virginia. Plus, I don't know Phil all that well, and I don't want to have to make new friends and all that crap," I said with a sigh before taking a deep breath. "So, I was wondering if I could just stay here with you. I know I'd still have to make some new friends, but I also have friends here already."
Dad set down the mug that he'd been drinking out of and muted the T.V.
"You know I'd love to have you live with me, but you need to talk this over with your mother," he said, and I nodded, knowing that he was right.
Early the next morning, I called Mom and discussed the idea of me living with Dad. Mom was a little upset, but she also understood. Especially once I reminded her she'd be able to enjoy that honeymoon period without me around.
"Bella!" she said with a laugh. "You wouldn't be in the way. I love you."
"I love you, too. I just think this would be a good change for both of us."
In the end, Mom agreed to let me live with Charlie, but I still had to go home for New Year's Eve.
Before I hung up the phone, Mom asked to speak with Charlie, and they began to hash out the details of everything.
........................................................
At ten in the morning on December 27, I was getting ready to leave Dad's to go to the airport. I wasn't ready to leave, but I had promised Mom I'd spend New Year's Eve with her, otherwise I would have stayed.
I'd spent the day before with the Cullens, exchanging gifts, and Edward had given me a necklace with a round charm on it that had a small piece of a page from Harry Potter tucked in it. I loved it, and I'd thanked him profusely. In return, I'd given him a new leather bound journal with his initials inscribed on the front, and he'd smiled in delight. I had let out a small, relieved sigh because I hadn't been so sure he'd like it although Alice had assured me he would.
I'd ended up getting Alice and Emmett gift cards to Amazon only because I didn't know what else to get them, and I felt bad because it seemed liked such an impersonal gift However, they both had assured me the gift cards were great.
I'd also shared the news that I was moving to Forks which had resulted in squeals from Alice, a loud whoop from Emmett, and an ear-to-ear grin from Edward. They'd been just as thrilled as I was, and I couldn't wait for the move to be official.
"I'm not ready for you to go," Alice said as she hugged me goodbye in my dad's living room.
I let out a small laugh at her pouting.
"I'll be back before you know it," I said with a grin.
"Yeah, I know. But still."
Alice and her siblings had shown up to say goodbye to me despite the fact that I'd be seeing them shortly.
Emmett wrapped me up in a huge hug before handing me over to Edward.
As soon as his arms wrapped around me, I had to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall.
"Call me as soon as you land, okay?" he said, and I promised I would, my voice muffled against his shirt.
"I'll talk to you soon, sweet girl," he whispered in my ear before placing a gentle kiss on my cheek.
I nodded as I pulled away, wiping away a stray tear that fell. It was so stupid to be crying. I was acting like I'd never see him again, but I would be back in less than a week. Not to mention the fact that we'd text and call one another the whole time I was gone.
I waved goodbye to them as I climbed into Dad's Jeep, and we began the three and a half our journey to Seattle. It was a quiet ride, and we spent the drive talking about the changes to come. Dad laid down some ground rules - which I was fine with - and he told me that he'd enroll me at Forks High as soon as the school opened back up.
"I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous," I told him.
"Well, this is a big change, Bells. It's normal that you'd be nervous. I'm a bit nervous myself, but we'll make it work."
All too soon we arrived at the airport, and I hugged my dad goodbye before boarding the plane.
Many hours later, I was landing in Jacksonville, and I had to admit the warm weather was a nice change from the cold of Washington. A cold that I'd better get used to.
"Bella!" Mom cried out as soon as I stepped off the plane, and I waved as I made my way toward her.
She wrapped me up in a hug, asking how my trip was. I told her all about it as we drove home and showed her the necklace Edward had gotten me.
"Oh, that's so sweet."
I checked out the rock that Phil had given her, and I had to give the guy credit, he knew how to pick out a beautiful ring and a large one at that.
After we arrived home, I stopped Mom from grabbing my suitcase and asked her if she was really okay with me moving in with Dad.
"I wasn't at first," she confessed, running a hand over my hair. "You've always lived with me, and not having you around is going to take some getting used to, but I want you to be happy. So, yes, I'm okay with it."
Once I was settled in, Mom showed me pictures of the house that Phil had bought, and she made me promise to visit often. It was going to be strange for me as well, and I found myself giving her a fierce hug. I was going to miss her terribly, but I had a feeling this move was going to be good for both of us.
"I picked up some moving boxes for you," she told me a while later. "Once you're packed, we'll ship them that way you don't have to wait too long to get your stuff."
Mom and I spent the rest of the evening, vegging on the couch, watching rom-coms, and eating junk food. I was really going to miss doing this with her on the weekends, but I was sure that Alice would be willing to join me for some rom-com marathons.
"So when do you leave to join Phil?" I asked her once the movie was over.
"I put in my two week notice at the school, and I'll be putting the house on the market probably next week. Of course, I have a ton of packing to do as well."
"What about a job?" I asked her.
"I have to get certified to teach in the state of West Virginia, and then I can get a teaching job there. Besides, not working for a while will allow me to go to Phil's away games."
She seemed absolutely thrilled at the idea of being able to travel with Phil and to just be with him, and it warmed my heart to see her so in love.
.............................................................................
a/n: Things are moving right along. As always, let me know what you thought! See you next Saturday.