The Cullen

Graduation passed fairly quickly; the graduating class was not that big. I gave my speech quickly. I did not want to bore the students and attendants. I said a little bid about embracing your future and do not fear what you might become. There will always be a light shining somewhere blah blah blah. I wanted to get out of the high school gym and on with my summer.

Charlie was waiting for me, along with my father. For some reason, my mother and “father” did not show up. I was still furious with her for shunning my real father. I grew very fond of William. He was an all right father, but he won’t be winning an award for father of the year. I walked to Charlie first and gave him a hug. Then, William. It was a bit awkward; we don’t show much affection towards each other.

“Ready to go eat?”

“Sure,” I said rubbing my stomach. I didn’t eat this morning, so I was starving.

“Um…I got to go Amberlynn. I’ll see you at the house,” my father excused himself and scurried off.

Alice was behind me. She was more excited about graduation than I was. She had me in a tight hug. “Congratulations!”

“Thanks.”

“You want to come eat Alice?” Charlie asked.

“Oh, no thank you. I’m not hungry. Hey,” Alice said, turning to me, “I have to go. I’ll see you at the house.” She left in the same fashion as my father: hurriedly. I hope they were not planning anything.

I ate a lot at the restaurant. Maybe I ate a little too much, for I could not move. Uncle Charlie was too busy conversing to realize I was ready to leave. I could go; I did bring my own car. I decided not to leave my uncle. Plus, I was not ready to face what was waiting for me at the house. I knew something had to be coming.

I drove slowly behind Charlie. As I pulled into the driveway, my phone went off. Also, I noticed a line of cars parked on the curb. Alice.

“Hello,” I answered, still in awe.

“Hey girl! What you doing?”

“Hello my dear!” I was excited to hear this voice. “Nothing, just pulling in the driveway. You?”

“Nothing. I have been so bored since graduation. Blah.” I knew Katie was sticking her tongue out at this thought.

“Oh yeah. How did that go?”

“Good. When do you graduate?”

“Oh, um… A few hours ago,” I laughed

“Oh, okay, that works.”

“Yeah. I just pulled up and there are a million cars in front of the house.”

“Oh, girl I’m sorry. Go ahead; I’ll talk to you later.”

“No, it’s okay. I’d rather not.”

“Okay, cool. Two more weeks! I can’t wait.”

“Oh, I know. Scotland is going to be so much fun. We meeting in New York right?”

“Yep. I can’t wait. Aaahh!”

I laughed. “I know; I know. I am so excited. I hope we these two weeks go by fast.”

Alice walked outside and gave me a curious look. She started towards my truck with a look of determination and some sort of hope. Why did she look like that? She was at my door in no time.

“Hey, I have to go. I’m being drug from my truck,” I chuckled while Alice was trying to. I was way stronger than Alice.

Katie laughed. “Okay girl. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”

“Bye.”

“That wasn’t him was it?” Alice said while her face fell.

“No, it wasn’t. Why would you think that?”

“You looked so happy.”

“It was my friend Katie. Sorry. We all miss him so much.”

“I know; I know. It‘s just from earlier, I guess.”

I followed her inside. I knew what she meant. I walked inside to find everyone crammed inside Charlie’s small house. I rolled my eyes. I knew something was coming.

Alice got happier. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I knew you would object.” Then she added in my ear, “I did not need a vision for that.” We both shared a quiet giggle.

“Well, you y’all are here…” I threw my hands up in defeat.

William approached me with a long, official envelope in his hands. He smiled weakly and thrust the envelope in my direction. He put his head down in embarrassment. “I know it’s small, but it’s something.”

“Aww, thank you, Dad,” I said, surprised; I threw my arms around him. This took him back a bit, but he returned the gesture. I actually had tears in my eyes.

“It’s nothing much,” he said even more embarrassed.

Before I could open his present, Alice bombarded me with hers. “Here, you forgot to open it this morning. You’re going to love it.” She looked so excited that I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Thanks,” I said as I hugged the entire Cullen family.

“It’s not form all of us. Carlisle and I got something else for you,” Esme explained as she dropped something jingly in my hands.

‘Oh, really?” I looked at the two keys laying in my hand.

“They are keys to a cottage we own in Scotland. We arranged for you and your friend Katie to stay there. We already called your hotel to cancel. It is all taken care of.”

“Aww, guys. Thank you so much. You don’t know how much that means to me.” I had tears of joy running down my face as I hugged Carlisle and Esme. My elation seemed to impress everyone. They all smiled.

“You welcome,” Carlisle said as I hugged him. I decided to give them another hug. They laughed.

“Great, now everyone’s gift is going to pale in comparison,” Alice teased.

“No, it won’t,” I laughed. I opened Alice’s present next. It was lovely. It was a 1910’s fashioned dress but with a little modern retouch. I loved it. She knew me too well. I loved old-fashioned things, especially dresses. It is the only kind of dress I would wear.

“It’s just incase you and your friend decide to go out anywhere special,” she added a wink at the end. I knew what she was hinting to.

I hugged her too. “Oh, Alice! Thank you.”

“You welcome. You handle gifts better than Bella.” Her hands flew up to her mouth as the words poured out her mouth.

Charlie cringed at Bella’s name. He sat down, looking a little weary. I rushed to his side and put my arm around him. I could see the pain in his eyes, even more distinct now. The pain had always been in his eyes but at least was bearable to look at. The pain etched there now was to great to bear. We all stared at him with remorse. He felt the same pain but not as great. I could never imagine losing a child. To be honest, I didn’t know if I could have children. We now stared at Alice.

“Sorry,” she mouthed.

I nodded, “It’s okay.”

She came to Charlie’s side and gave him a comforting hug. He placed a hand on her arm and said it was okay. She smile weakly at him.

“Okay, time for my present,” he clapped his hands together and got off the couch.

“Hold on, I have to open William’s,” I said smiling at my…father. He smiled back faintly.

I tore the envelope apart in my excitement to see what my father got me. He never acted as my father. He never set rules. He never told me to be careful. He never did anything fatherly except hug me time from time. I finally got to the gift. I just stared at it in astonishment. It was something I was not expecting, especially from him. I looked at him questioningly. I could not believe it. He said his gift was nothing, but this…this was everything. It was the deed to his house in England.

“William?” I asked him with exasperation. “What does this mean?”

“It means I am staying here in Forks with you. Also, incase you need to get away, you have somewhere to go to without anyone worrying where you are.”

Alice looked at the picture and gasped. The house was absolutely radiant. It was a three story structure. It was completely bricked in a soft grey. This mansion had windows every eight feet. It was wide and magnificent. It was in the middle of a two hundred acre land. In the back, one could see woods forming and trees popping out from behind the house. It was absolutely stunning.

I walked up to my father and kissed him on the cheek. I gave him the biggest hug. Tears the size of golf balls were running down my face. “Thank you so much. I do not deserve this.”

“Of course you do. It’s yours no matter what,” he whispered back to me.

“Everyone’s gifts pales in his. Thanks, William,” Alice said coldly but still jokingly.

“Oh, sorry.”

“Well should I even bother, then?” Charlie asked lightheartedly.

“Of course, Uncle Charlie!”

He left and came back with an envelope. Did he gave me his house too? I looked inside the envelope and found a card. Inside the card was a little joke and a deal of money.

“Uncle Charlie, I can’t accept this.”

“You can accept house; you can accept this. It’s not much. It’s just some spending money for your trip.”

I hugged him much longer and tighter than anyone else. His gift meant a lot to me. I knew he could not afford this, but he tried. That meant much more to me than the other gifts. Everyone else in the room had the money for their gifts. As I hugged Charlie, I saw something shift in the corner in my eye. I turned and looked at Alice. No one else noticed. They did not see what we saw.