The cruiser idled at the curb outside the terminal.
Rain misted the windshield lightly, the engine humming in that steady, familiar way that made silence feel heavier than it should have been. Mame sat in the passenger seat, hands resting on his knees, posture relaxed but alert.
He glanced at Charlie. "You sure it's okay that I came along?"
Charlie kept his eyes on the entrance. "You already asked that."
"I know," Mame said. "Just checking again. I don't want to get in the way of father daughter time. Especially not the most awkward ride home imaginable. In a police cruiser."
Charlie sighed. "You're fine. She'll survive."
"Strong endorsement," Mame replied.
Charlie shot him a look. "Don't make it weird."
Mame smiled. "No promises."
The doors slid open.
A girl stepped out into the gray afternoon, dark hair pulled back loosely, jacket hanging off one shoulder as she adjusted the strap of a heavy bag. She looked tired. A little guarded. Like someone bracing herself for something she already expected not to enjoy.
Charlie straightened immediately. "Bella."
She looked up and smiled faintly. "Charlie."
Mame blinked.
She said it so easily. No hesitation. No title. Just his name.
He filed it away quietly. Strange, but then again, this was the United States. First names between parents and children were apparently normal here.
Still weird.
Charlie stepped forward, awkward hug and all, and then stepped back like he was not sure what to do with his hands.
Mame took that as his cue.
He stepped forward and extended his hand. "Hi. I'm Mame Swan."
Bella's eyes flicked from him to Charlie.
Then back to Mame.
Then back to Charlie again.
There was a brief pause.
Mame kept his expression neutral, friendly.
He added, lightly, "Nice to meet you, sis."
Bella blinked once.
"Nice to meet you," she said politely.
Charlie glared at Mame.
Hard.
The kind of glare that said what the hell is wrong with you without using any words.
Mame leaned closer and whispered, "Too soon?"
Charlie did not answer.
Bella picked up one of her bags and immediately looked unimpressed by its weight. Mame noticed and stepped in smoothly.
"Let me get those," he said, already lifting one. "Come on. I'll help. I can show you around town later if you want."
Bella hesitated, then shrugged. "Sure."
Charlie watched them for a moment, clearly trying to recalibrate his expectations of the day.
"Let's just get home," he muttered.
The ride back was, in fact, awkward.
Bella sat in the back seat, quiet, watching rain trail down the windows. Charlie drove with both hands firmly on the wheel. Mame stared straight ahead, doing his best not to comment on the police radio crackling softly in the background.
Eventually, Bella spoke. "So… how long have you been here?"
Mame answered easily. "Long enough to know where not to walk in the rain."
Charlie grunted.
Bella smiled faintly.
It was small.
But it was real.
And as the cruiser rolled back toward Forks, Mame had the strange feeling that this was the moment something truly began.
Not a fight.
Not a transformation.
Just three people, packed into a small space, heading toward a house that was about to feel very different.
September had arrived.
The cruiser rolled into the driveway just as the rain eased again, leaving the air damp and cool. Charlie cut the engine and sat there for half a second longer than necessary, like he was bracing himself.
"We're here," he said.
Bella nodded and opened the door, stepping out and stretching slightly. Mame was already out of the car by the time she reached the trunk.
"I've got it," he said, lifting one of the heavier bags before she could argue.
Bella glanced at him. "You don't have to."
"I know," Mame replied easily. "Still doing it."
Charlie unlocked the front door and stepped aside as they came in. The house was clean, quiet, and warm, the way Mame had left it. Bella paused just inside, taking it in.
"It's… nice," she said.
Charlie cleared his throat. "Yeah. Uh. You can put your stuff down in your room whenever you want."
Mame set the bags down near the stairs. "Take your time. No rush."
Bella nodded, then looked between the two of them, clearly unsure where to stand in the sudden stillness.
Mame clapped his hands lightly once. "Alright. You two should relax in the living room for a bit."
Charlie blinked. "What?"
"You just got back together," Mame said. "You should catch up. Father daughter talk. Awkward silences. All the important stuff."
Bella's mouth twitched, like she was fighting a smile.
"I'll make dinner," Mame continued, already heading toward the kitchen. "Something simple. You can talk. Or not talk. Whatever works."
Charlie frowned. "You don't have to do that."
"I know," Mame said over his shoulder. "But it helps."
He paused and glanced back at Bella. "If you want to explore later, I can show you around town. Or not. No pressure."
"Okay," Bella said quietly.
Mame disappeared into the kitchen, pulling ingredients out with practiced ease. He moved quietly, deliberately, giving them space without making a show of it.
In the living room, Charlie sat stiffly on the couch. Bella took the armchair across from him, jacket still on, hands folded in her lap.
"So," Charlie said after a long moment. "How was the flight?"
"Long," Bella replied.
"Yeah," he said. "Makes sense."
Another pause.
From the kitchen, the soft sounds of cooking filled the silence. Chopping. A pan heating. Something sizzling faintly.
Bella glanced toward the doorway. "He's… helpful."
Charlie snorted. "That's one word for it."
She looked back at him. "So… Mame. He's staying here?"
"Yeah," Charlie said. "It's official. Ward of the state. Renting the room."
Bella raised an eyebrow. "That's a lot."
Charlie nodded. "He showed up out of nowhere. Long story."
Bella leaned back slightly. "Figures."
The tension eased just a little.
In the kitchen, Mame stirred the pan and smiled to himself.
Dinner could wait.
Some things were more important than timing.
Dinner was ready twenty minutes later.
Nothing fancy. Just warm, filling food arranged neatly on the table. Mame set the last plate down and stepped back, wiping his hands on a towel.
"Alright," he said. "Food."
Charlie and Bella took their seats, the table suddenly feeling much smaller than it had earlier that day.
They ate in silence for the first few minutes.
Not uncomfortable. Just… cautious.
Mame was the first to break it.
"So," he said lightly, glancing at Bella, "is it okay if I call you sis? You know. Swan and all."
Charlie sighed immediately.
"Don't mind him," he muttered, rubbing his forehead. "He means well."
Bella looked from Charlie to Mame.
"It's okay," she said after a moment.
Mame's face brightened. "Really?"
Bella nodded. "Yeah."
"I always wanted a little sister," Mame said casually, as if that explained everything.
Bella paused mid-bite.
"…Little?" she repeated.
Mame blinked, then realized what he had said. "Oh. Uh. I meant little as in… family. Not height. Or age. Or anything like that."
Bella raised an eyebrow.
Charlie choked slightly on his drink.
Mame held up his hands. "I am making this worse. I'm going to stop talking now."
Bella stared at him for a second.
Then, unexpectedly, she smiled. Just a small one. Barely there. But real.
"That's probably a good idea," she said.
Charlie exhaled in relief. "Thank you."
They went back to eating.
The conversation stayed light after that. Safe topics. The flight. The weather. Forks compared to Phoenix. Mame mostly listened, stepping in only when the silence stretched too long.
When dinner finished, Bella leaned back slightly. "This is actually good."
Mame smiled. "High praise."
Charlie nodded. "Told you he was helpful."
Bella glanced at Mame again, studying him with new curiosity.
The awkwardness did not disappear.
But it softened.
And for a house that had not known how to hold more than one person for a long time, that felt like progress.
After dinner, Charlie gathered the plates and carried them to the sink, moving with the quiet efficiency of habit. Bella lingered at the table, pushing her chair back slightly, while Mame stacked the dishes neatly beside him.
Charlie cleared his throat. "Oh. One more thing."
Bella looked up. "Yeah?"
"Mame's going to Forks High too," Charlie said. "So you'll at least have one familiar face there."
Bella blinked and turned toward Mame. "Really?"
Mame nodded. "September. Same start."
She studied him for a moment, then shrugged. "That's… good, I guess."
Charlie nodded, clearly relieved. "Figured it might help. New town. New school."
Mame smiled lightly. "I promise not to embarrass you. Much."
Bella snorted before she could stop herself, then covered it quickly. "We'll see."
They finished cleaning up together in an oddly synchronized way, like people who were still figuring out where to stand around each other but did not want to get in the way. When everything was done, Bella picked up her bag.
"I'm going to put my stuff away," she said.
"Your room's the same," Charlie said. "I didn't… change anything."
She nodded. "I know."
Upstairs, Bella paused in the doorway of her childhood bedroom.
Nothing had changed.
The bedspread was the same. The desk still sat beneath the window. The posters were exactly where she had left them years ago. Even the faint smell of old books and dust felt familiar.
She stepped inside slowly.
It was comforting. And unsettling.
Charlie had not moved on.
Not really.
She set her bag down on the bed and sat for a moment, taking it in. The realization settled quietly in her chest, heavy but not painful. Just sad in a gentle way.
After unpacking a few things, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number she knew by heart.
"Mom?" she said when the call connected.
Renée's voice came through bright and immediate. "Bella! You made it?"
"Yeah," Bella said, glancing around the room. "I just got here."
"How's Forks?" her mother asked.
Bella hesitated, then answered honestly. "Wet. Quiet. But… okay."
"And Charlie?"
"He's the same," Bella said softly.
She leaned back on the bed, staring at the ceiling she remembered so well.
Downstairs, Mame passed by the staircase, heard her voice through the door, and kept walking.
Some moments needed space.
And for the first time since arriving in Forks, the house felt like it was holding all of them.
Bella unpacked slowly.
She folded clothes she had folded a hundred times before, placing them into drawers that felt too small and too familiar all at once. Books went onto the same shelf where they had once lived, their spines lining up like nothing had changed.
Too much had changed.
She sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the room.
It was still hers.And somehow, it wasn't.
The thought tightened something in her chest.
She had never fit easily anywhere. Not in Phoenix, with the heat and noise and effortless smiles. Not with people who seemed to know instinctively how to belong. Forks felt like the opposite of Phoenix, but the feeling followed her anyway.
Like she carried it with her.
Bella pressed the heel of her hand against her eyes, breathing carefully, trying to keep the sound down. She did not want to explain this feeling to anyone. She barely understood it herself.
A tear slipped out anyway.
Then another.
She turned her face toward the pillow, shoulders shaking just slightly, quiet enough that she hoped the house would not notice.
Outside the door, footsteps paused.
Mame had been walking past when he heard it. Not loud. Just a hitch in breath. A sound you only noticed if you were listening for it.
He stopped.
For a second, he almost kept walking.
This was not his place. She had just arrived. She deserved privacy. Space. He took a step away, then hesitated.
And turned back.
He lifted his hand and knocked gently.
Not loud.Not demanding.
Just enough.
Bella froze.
She wiped at her face quickly. "Yeah?" she said, trying to sound normal.
"It's Mame," he said from the other side of the door. His voice was calm. Not worried. "You don't have to open the door. I just wanted to say something."
There was a pause.
"Okay," Bella said quietly.
"I wasn't going to knock," Mame admitted. "But I figured it might be better if you knew… you're not alone here."
Bella swallowed.
"If you ever need to talk," he continued, "I'm around. No pressure. No explanations required."
Another pause.
"And," he added, a little lighter now, "I'm technically a Swan too. So I can be your brother. Or, if that's weird, a strange cousin who meddles in your life occasionally."
Bella let out a small, involuntary laugh.
Just a breath of one, but it broke something open.
She stood and opened the door a crack, keeping most of herself hidden behind it. Her eyes were red, but she did not look embarrassed.
"Strange cousin sounds accurate," she said.
Mame smiled softly. "I try to be honest."
She hesitated, then asked, "You really don't mind?"
"Mind what?"
"Being here," Bella said. "With us."
Mame shook his head. "No. I'm glad you're here."
That surprised her.
She nodded once. "Thanks."
"I'll let you unpack," he said. "Just… knock if you need me. Or don't. I'll probably notice anyway."
"That's not creepy at all," Bella said dryly.
Mame grinned. "I'll work on that."
He stepped back, giving her space again.
Bella closed the door gently and leaned against it for a moment. Her chest still ached, but it felt lighter now. Not fixed.
Just shared.
Downstairs, Mame returned to the living room and sat quietly, staring out at the rain.
The house settled around them.
And for the first time that night, Bella felt like she might be able to sleep.