Swan Goin' Wolf

Almost Normal

 Bella's birthday was next week. Dad and were making a trip out to Port Angeles while Bella's was in school. I had an idea of what I wanted to get her, but dad didn't have a clue and asked me to help him. It was funny to see the guy that had always known what to do when something was wrong with me or I needed something, but when it came to Bella... you could see the gap that Bella living in another state and never coming to visit had created. It was sad how Bella and I were polar opposites in more than just personality, but also in how much our father understood us and us him. We were about five miles from the city when dad's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" Dad answered. I heard some mumbles on the other end of the line.

"Renee? No, I haven't. I'm actually on my way to get her something right now." He said seeming confused.

"Okay. Is that what she wants?" Dad asked and there was some more talking on the other end. Dad cringed away from the phone as the volume of Renee's voice got louder till I could clearly hear Renee yelling at dad through the phone about how she knows her own daughter. I grabbed the phone from dad and held it to my ear as she was still yelling.

"Renee." I said and she instantly quieted.

"Who's this?" Renee asked heatedly into the phone.

"Sunny, Charlie's other daughter. I would much appreciated if you would leave my father alone. He's getting Bella a gift and your suggestion was appreciated, but him asking a question is nothing against you. Take a chill pill and get over yourself." I said and hung up the phone, tossing it back over to dad as I drove and paid attention to the road.

"Why'd you do that?" Dad as incredulously as he put away the phone.

"You asked a simple question and she got bitchy. You deserve better than that. Now what did she suggest you get Bella for her birthday?" I asked.

"She got Bella a scrap book and wants me to get her a new camera to go with it." Dad said. Of course the bitch has dad get the expensive part of the gift.

"Okay then we'll need to stop at the electronics store first. I said and turned onto the street that headed down town to the shopping district. Dad and I walked into the store and headed to the section that would hold cameras.

"What about this one?" I asked pointing to a digital camera in black.

"It had five gigs of memory and an auto focus for picture clarity." I said and dad nodded. We got a salesperson and dad paid for the camera. Next we stopped at the jewelry store.

"Hi, I'm Laura. Is there anything I can help you with?" A short lady with blonde hair asked. I turned to look at her and her eyes immediately focused on the scars on my face. I smiled at her, I knew that other people didn't understand and I wasn't to cry over something that I couldn't change.

"Actually, yes. I'm getting a gift for my sister. I wanted to get her a locket with a sapphire on it." I said and puled out the picture I had printed off the internet last night. Laura finally pulled her eyes away from the scars and looked down at the picture.

"We don't have this exact locket, but we have one similar. Can I show you?" She asked and motioned toward the counter. I nodded and followed Laura to the counter with dad trailing behind. There was a small counter that held a couple different styles of lockets. Laura went behind the counter and pulled out a silver, heart shaped locket. In the center of the heart was two heart shaped, blue sapphires that stood out against the silver.

"I like it." I said and Laura smiled and got her manager to help us finish the purchase. I had a copy of the one picture I could find of Bella and I smiling when we were eleven and thirteen and had it shrunken down so it could be trimmed to go in a locket. I had also found a picture of dad, Bella and I, too. I knew that Bella would eventually leave us all behind. Whether it be for Edward or college was anyone's guess, but I didn't want her to forget that she had family, true family that loved her no matter what. Even if we were pissed and weren't talking, family is always there. I had found this living with dad. True family never leaves, never turns their backs, and loves you at your worst.