Chapter One: Moving In and Moving On;
Bella:
I loaded the last of the boxes in the back of the truck, tying it securely down with the bungee. I slammed the hatch before turning around to stare at the house Danny and I had called home for the past five months.
Ever since the divorce finalized two years ago, we had been traveling from state to state. We would find a farm or ranch and offer our services. The Parsons had kept us on the longest, Mrs. Parson being of the mind that it was unhealthy to keep uprooting my boy. Even though I agreed, it still rankled when she would get on the subject.
The Parson ranch had started to look like home by the time I was contacted by a lawyer three months ago. My father had died, and even though I had believed that he had washed his hands of me I found he had left me what money he had. Things were certainly starting to look up.
I had found a farm house in Washington State, located just outside of a reservation. It had just been in our price range, leaving us just enough to eat on for the next few months. Hopefully by then I would have been able to get a loan in order to buy our animals.
"Come on Danny, we should be heading out before the sun sets." My son, only twelve years old, dragged his bag behind him as he stepped down off the porch. He was a good boy, and it hurt me to know what all of this has done to him. He didn't ask for a good for nothing father and a mother that could barely keep him in clothes.
"Why couldn't we just stay here? Mrs. Parson is real nice and I have just started to make friends in school." The look on his face made my stomach hurt, but I knew that this was the best thing.
"Danny, look honey, I know none of this has been easy on you. Believe me when I tell you that I have never wished this for you, but things are going to change. We finally have our own farm, it will take hard work but it is going to be ok. I promise." Danny lifted his bag over his shoulder and trudged by me without a word. I wished things were different, he deserved better.
The ride was quiet and uneventful. Danny rarely spoke, even when we would stop off at night at a hotel. Once we entered Washington my eyes grew huge. I was mostly used to deserts, this place was green. Very green.
"Well, it sure doesn't look like the picture. When was it taken, do you think?" We were currently leaning against the front of the truck as we took in our new farmhouse. Danny was right, this looked nothing like what we had been expecting.
Most of the grass had been killed out, now only weeds remained. The windows in the house were so dirty you couldn't even tell they were made of glass. The front door had been torn off, and the porch looked like it was barely hanging on. I was not looking forward to seeing what the inside or the barn looked like.
"Ok, well I said it was going to take a lot of hard work. We will just have to work a bit harder than we planned." Not to mention a bit more money. Alright, a lot more. I was going to have to go into town to visit the bank sooner than I had planned.
"Come on, let's see what we can do to make this place look like home." Taking a look back at the bed of my truck I just sighed. What furniture I hadn't sold beforehand, I sold within months of the divorce. Besides the fact that we had no need of them while boarding at a ranch, we needed the cash. During the past two years Danny and I have been living as thriftily as we could. Buying just what we needed and putting the rest of the money away.
I stopped where I stood the moment we opened the door and went inside. No wonder the last owners were eager to sell, and were all too happy to do it over the phone and through the mail and the bank.
"Well Mom, it is a good thing you like hard work, because we sure are going to be doing a lot of it." Danny patted me on the back and went off to explore the house more. I just stood there with wide eyes and my mouth hanging open.
The entire place had more dirt on the inside than it did on the outside. Quite a few spiders had made their home in the corners, and what was left of the walls were caked with grime. To say it was going to take quite a bit of elbow grease and money to fix this place up was an understatement. It might be better to actually level the place and start from scratch.
Taking a deep breath and trying to ignore the smell of mildew in the air, I shut the door and headed off to inspect what else was going to need done.
By the time that we had assessed the damage on the house, barn and chicken house it was growing dark. There were two rooms on the second floor of the house that at least looked livable enough. The glass in the windows weren't cracked, there were no cracks in the ceiling and no holes in the walls. Other than that they were just as dirty as the rest of the house.
Danny griped a bit when I handed him a bucket of water and a sponge and told him to start cleaning. His mouth clamped shut as soon as I said he could sleep in the truck if he wanted.
I wiped my hand across my forehead, I'm sure smearing dirt and who knew what else across it in the process. It was getting rather late and with no food in the house we were going to have to find a restaurant. One with a budget menu.
"I don't think anyone has lived in here since the forties, even then I don't think they ever cleaned it." Danny was leaning against the door frame to my room. His face was covered in dirt, as were his hands and clothes. He looked like a pig that had been rooting around in a mud hole.
"If you've finished cleaning your room, why don't you go out to the truck and get the old army cots? Go ahead and set yours up, we'll get everything else situated tomorrow." He nodded his head and set off outside. I wasn't looking forward to sleeping on the cots, we hadn't had to use them since before the divorce was final.
We had to sell the house in order to be able to eat. I had found a small one room house for rent, and Danny and I crammed ourselves inside on a couple of old cots I had found at the Salvation Army. It was a tough time in our lives, but I was determined to make it for my son's sake. Just as I was now.
We both finished setting up our rooms and cleaned off the best we could. Seems as though I would have to add propane to my shopping list. I didn't fancy cold showers all that much.
We drove into La Push hoping to find some place still open at eight, even if all we found was a convenience store with cold sandwiches. Eventually we found a small diner with their open sign still showing in the simple glass door.
I parked the car and we headed inside. The place was quiet, with only a few people still lingering at the booths. We sat down at the counter and pulled the menu from between two napkin holders and looked it over. Thankfully the meals were reasonably priced.
"Well, I haven't seen you two around before. Tourists?" I lifted my head from the plastic coated menu to come face to face with an older native woman. She was most likely in her early to late fifties with long ink black hair, and a sweet face. She was the type of woman you could easily become comfortable with.
"No, actually we moved into the old farmhouse just a ways from here. Just got in this afternoon, been cleaning all day." The woman smiled and nodded her head. She set down her pencil and wiped off her hand on her apron before she extended it to me.
"So you are the family that bought the old Clark farm? Well it is nice to meet you. I'm Sue Clearwater, the owner of this place." I took her hand and gave it a quick shake. At least so far the people around here seemed nice enough.
"I'm Bella Swan-Hunter, and this is my son Danny." She shook my boy's hand and picked her pencil up to put to her notepad.
"What can I get you two? The grill is off for the night, but we've got some chili left and some hot roast beef. We've got Coke only, and the coffee flows until ten pm for a dollar fifty." I looked over at Danny and he just handed me his menu with a shrug of his shoulders. I closed mine and set the both of them back where I had taken them from.
"Two chilies, a coke for him and coffee for me, thanks." She winked at both of us and went into the kitchen. While waiting for her to return with our dinner I looked around. When I turned my head it was to find that the two of us seemed to be the center of attention. Everyone was either staring straight at us or watching us out of the corner of their eyes. A few were even whispering behind their hands as they threw glances our way.
"I wouldn't worry about them, Honey." The clink of porcelain bowls on the counter announced the arrival of our hostess. I turned back around to be greeted with her friendly smile as she poured my cup of coffee.
"It is not unusual for white folk to come around here, many of the younger ones are friends with the kids in Forks. Even a few of the older generation can be found coming round for fishing. It's just we don't see very many new faces around here.
"Most of the people living here or in Forks were born here, and most of them will die here. I think the last time we got new blood was when the Cullen family moved into Forks back in nineteen sixty-five. People will talk for awhile, but things should die down soon enough." She set a glass filled to the brim with ice and coke down in front of Danny and wiped her hands off once again before she slipped a bit of hair behind her ear.
"I'm not worried. Danny and I are used to being the new ones in town. This would be our…oh let's see, this would be our forth time. Hopefully final too." Sue leaned down on the other side of the counter, a soft smile on her face.
"Sorry if I'm being nosy, but isn't there a Mr. Swan-Hunter?" That was the only problem with small places like this, everyone had to know everyone else's business. Well it was better to get it out now, I found it only ended up worse if it appeared as though I had been hiding it.
"There is, well a Mr. Hunter. Not that I know where he is. We're divorced, it is just Danny and me now." Sue's eyes lit up like I had just told her the secret to life before she caught herself and stood up to straighten out her apron.
"I'm sorry to hear that. It isn't easy raising children period, I bet it is even harder when you are on your own. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have my Harry to help with mine.
"I have two children, a daughter who is full grown and a son that is not that far behind." I just nodded and ate my chili. Sometimes it was just best to allow them to talk.
Sue cleaned up the counter and tables, waited on the others all the while Danny and I ate. Once finished I pulled opened my purse in order to pay.
"How much do I owe you?" Sue looked at Danny and back at me while she tore the ticket from her pad and crumpled it up.
"Oh, let's say five dollars should do it. If you two have bought the Clark farm you are going to need all the money you have. No one has lived there since Old Farmer Clark died twenty years ago. His son hadn't wanted it and moved to California. No one has heard from him since." I set a five dollar bill down on the counter and closed my purse.
Sue gave a wave as we headed back out to the truck, as did a few of the others in the diner. Even though I was sure that the news of my divorced status would be all around La Push and Forks by tomorrow afternoon, they seemed nice at least. Though only time would tell for sure.
Billy:
One thing could be said about living on a small reservation like La Push, you always had enough free time. I owned the local pharmacy, a small but productive place with a soda shop built inside. My father started it as a project to keep himself busy in his old age.
I had taken over during the last couple of years of his life, and just never left. It was a good way to make a living. Customers came from not only the rez, but Forks as well. I knew them all by name, and they were loyal to shop only at Black's Pharmacy. I never had a customer before eleven on the weekdays and ten on Saturday, allowing me to have my breakfast down at Sue's diner.
The bell on the old glass door of the diner rang out as I opened it up and made my way to my usual booth. Sue's husband, Harry, and I grew up together. We had both met our wives around the same time, even courted them at the same time. We would double date, taking our girls down to the beach for bonfires.
We proposed within months of each other and married not long after. My Sarah was pregnant first, twin girls that I rarely saw now that they had both married and moved away. Sue came next with a daughter I used to tease Harry would be breaking hearts everywhere she turned.
When Sarah gave birth to our son, Jacob, her and Sue would talk for hours about how wonderful it would be if he grew up to eventually marry Leah. Something I wish she had been able to live to see.
Jake had just been two years old when my Sarah had left to visit Sue, only to be hit by a drunk driver. Thankfully she had died instantly, with no pain. Harry and Sue helped out a lot after that, never giving up on me even when I tried to push them away.
I finally woke up after three years, realizing that I still had a young son to care for. Over the years my heart has mended, and I allowed people back into my life. I've watched as both my girls married and even though it hurt to, watched them move away. I stood beside Jake as he vowed his life to Leah Clearwater, and helped him move into his house on the other side of the reservation.
I would always miss my Sarah, but life went on and I was content in mine. I had friends and grandchildren, and my pharmacy.
"The usual Billy?" I set down the menu that I picked up more out of habit than anything, and looked up at Sue. Being a normally happy person by nature it wasn't strange to see her smiling brightly at you, but the wide smile that now spread from ear to ear was rare. It could only be caused by one thing, she had gotten a hold of some new and juicy gossip.
"That would be wonderful, thank you Sue." She leaned over and turned the coffee cup in front of me over and filled it from the pot she had been holding. Every morning was the same here. I would look over the menu even though I already knew what I would be having, she would ask my order though she already knew. She would give me my coffee and leave only to return a few minutes later with a plate of eggs and bacon and a half of fried steak. I would thank her and she would proceed to ask me how I have been. Today though I was sure I was going to be treated to a report from the grapevine. In a place this small even the smallest piece of gossip was like gold.
Sue slid into the bench seat across from me as soon as she set my breakfast on the table. Apparently this was going to be quite juicy. She twiddled her thumbs for a moment and bounced in her seat. I went to take a bite of my eggs, but she was making the table jump along with her.
"Out with it Sue, before you cause my coffee to spill in my lap." Her eyes went wide and she stilled herself immediately. I never did understand why women would lean in and basically whisper something to you that they were just going to go and tell it to everyone she sees afterwards. Sue was no exception to this as she leaned in a bit and kept her voice low.
"So you heard that someone bought the old Clark farm? Well they came in last night. About gave Old Quil a heart attack when they sat down at the counter." I nodded my head and sliced into my steak, there was never a need for me to speak. I learned early on it was best to allow them to flap their mouths and just nod and 'umhm' every now and then.
"I was expecting a man, but wouldn't you know it was a woman. Mrs. Bella Swan-Hunter and her son Danny. They look like the good sort, quiet, clean and well dressed. Mrs. Swan-Hunter said they had been cleaning that place all day, and you know what shape that old farm is in." Sue absently refilled my cup of coffee as she rambled on. Poor Mrs. Swan-Hunter, she probably didn't know what she was getting herself into when she stepped into the door of Sue's diner.
"Well I was surprised when it was just her and her boy, and I didn't see any ring on her finger. Of course I didn't want to think the worst of a person, I mean she didn't look like the kind of girl that would have gotten herself in trouble. So I asked after a husband, and not to sound awful, but hoping to hear she was a widow." She paused here and remained quiet. It took me a moment to realize this was a place where I should have nodded, so I looked up at her and tilted my head just a fraction.
"She's divorced. Can you believe it? Divorced, and she couldn't be that old, I'd say with the age of her son she is around thirty or so. That poor woman is raising a young boy all on her own, and she told me she doesn't even know where that wayward ex-husband of hers is.
"I bet you he up and ran off on her, she is too nice of a lady for it to have been her fault. To think any man could just abandon his wife and son like that. The poor dears, and now they are trying to fix up that old farm. I was just telling Harry last night, I think we should get some of the young ones to go out there and help get it cleaned up. What do you think, Billy?" I set my fork down and wiped my mouth with my napkin. For our small community this sure was some big news, people rarely divorced here. If a couple had problems they just dealt with it quietly in their own homes, not that the entire reservation didn't know about it. Everyone just normally pretended when either of the couple entered a room.
"What do I think? Well Sue, I think everyone should just leave Mrs. Swan-Hunter alone until she asks to do otherwise. She is new here, and she doesn't need her home being descended upon by a group of people, well meaning or not.
"Let her get settled before you bring the welcome wagon out to the farm. Now, I thank you for the meal and the gossip, but I have to get to the shop. Ms. Call will be by soon to pick up her prescription." I set down a couple of dollars, the most that Sue would allow me to pay, and walked to the door. I plucked my hat off the stand, put it on and tipped it to Sue and the others at their tables.
"Good day."
Author's Note: I want to thank Mist, who has taken her time to Beta this for me.
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Twilight or Murphy's Romance.
lol...u have ben itching to do a bella billy!
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