Like a Skyscraper

Alice Cullen sat in her car and watched the down pour of rain slide down her windshield; this weather wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. But Alice knew that today would be the day that changed the lives of her family members forever.

The pixie like vampire looked down at the shirt in her hands and sighed. If she didn’t give them this shirt so he could get adjusted to the scent, he may very well kill the owner of it. With one last glance at the rain, Alice bolted out of her car and into the huge house she calls home.

Edward appeared by her side within a second; a concerned look covering his handsome features. He’d probably heard her thoughts when she was out in her car and saw the vision she has been thinking about all day.

“Is everything alright?” he asked as they walked into the living room.

“It will be once I give him this,” she whispered so low that only he would be able to hear her and she gestured to the shirt in her hands. Jasper perked up from the book he was reading when he felt his wife enter the room. Sensing her nervousness and unease, he sent calming waves toward her. Alice smiled at him in thanks before scanning the room for who she was looking for.

Emmett wasn’t a hard person to find in a crowd let alone a living room. He was concentrating on watching a ball game with an arm lazily draped over Rosalie’s shoulders. Said blonde was snuggled into his side contently. Alice was happy to see that the two weren’t fighting like usual. That was about to change…

“Emmett…” she spoke softly, but he heard her. Turning the volume down on the TV, he turned to face his step sister with that silly grin of his plastered on his lips.

“Yeah, Alice?” Alice hated to ruin the moment, but he deserved to know even if it would throw his life upside down.

“I brought you something,” she said holding the shirt out for him to see. Emmett sent Rosalie an apologetic smile before slipping off the couch to walk closer to Alice.

“Thanks, Alice, but you already buy me enough clothes,” he said.

“It’s not for you to wear. Come closer and take a deep breath,” she commanded. Emmett looked confused, but he did what his sister told him to do. His body immediately froze and turned rigid. Emmett’s coal black eyes zeroed in on the shirt in her hands.

“Alice, what the hell is that?” he growled trying to stop himself from attacking his sister to get the shirt. It had the most mouth watering scent on it.

“It’s your singer’s shirt.”

~*~

Kaelyn sat the last box down in her room and looked around. It was spacious and had a large window seat; the perfect place for her to read.

“Hey, Kae, have you seen my sheet music?” her mom called from the kitchen.

“I think the movers put that box in the living room!” she yelled back as she began to open up her boxes scattered everywhere. Kaelyn began to put her music CDs and records up first.

Her mom, Lila, played the piano for a living, but she retired and the two girls moved from sunny Florida to gloomy Washington. Kaelyn grew up around music so it was no wonder that it became her passion.

After she made a big dent in her unpacking, Kaelyn walked into the kitchen to check in on her mom to see if she needed any help. She sat down on a barstool at the kitchen island. Her mom bought the house with the biggest kitchen because she said she wanted to cook more.

“Did you find your sheet music?” she asked tapping her fingers idly on the counter top.

“Yeah, the movers put them with the decorative candles,” her mom answered as she unwrapped the newspaper placed around their glass dishes to keep them from breaking in the boxes.

“I talked to the school. They said everything was ready and set up for you to start tomorrow morning,” her mom added and looked at her daughter. Kaelyn slowly stood up and started putting the silverware away in its new designated drawer.

“Why the long face? This will be a good change for both of us, Kae,” her mom said softly with a smile. Kaelyn faked a smile to reassure her mom, but honestly, she missed Florida already. All her friends were there and she wanted to be in the warm sun again as it tanned her body.

“I’m sure it will be, Mom,” she replied.

“I’m gonna go back to my room and finish up in there,” she added and let her mom kiss her on the cheek before sending her off.

Kaelyn walked down the hall, but stopped and looked at the few pictures that her mom already had hanging up on the wall. One was of her first visit to the beach; her chubby toddler body was covered in sand and she was holing a bright green bucket.

Another one was of her and her mom dressed up for Kaelyn’s 16th birthday. That was over a year ago and now she was 17 almost 18. The last picture she came to made her stop walking all together and stare at it with sad eyes.

Her father was dressed up in all his army greens and smiling widely at the camera. Kaelyn slowly reached up and touched the dog tags that hung from her neck; she rarely took them off. He died 7 months and 16 days ago in a car bombing in Iraq.

When Kaelyn and Lila found out, they broke down and didn’t leave the house for almost a month. The funeral was small, but emotional and all their family was there. Kaelyn’s mom became depressed and stopped playing the piano.

That’s why they moved to Forks in the first place. Her mom couldn’t stay in Florida anymore because it held too many memories of her happy marriage with her father.

Kaelyn forced herself to look away from the picture of her happy father and she walked into her bedroom, closing the door softly behind her.