Midday Clouds - The Charlie Swan Story

Chapter 54 (Eclipse 13)

"Damnit, Ren, I'm just saying, keep an eye on them is all." It was the third phone call I'd had with her in as many hours, the first right after Bella and Edward had left in his sedan, this last once they were up in the air. It had been a stressful few days leading up to the departure, and as wary as I was about the entire ordeal, I was at least somewhat at ease knowing where, exactly, they were headed off to this time.

"They're going to be fine, Charlie. We've got a spare bedroom and everything. It's right beside ours – we'll know if they get up to anything."

"I just don't think it's appropriate for you to let them stay in the same room."

"We've been over this! There's a bed and a pullout couch in there, they'll have their own separate sleeping areas, and so what if they cuddle a bit? Would that really be the end of the world?"

"It's not the cuddling I'm worried about," I said, a bead of anxious sweat dripping down my brow. I was, admittedly illegally, handling this phone call on my cell while driving down La Push Road to Billy's. I was already running a bit late to puck drop, but had been delayed by the farewell of my daughter and subsequent conversations with my ex-wife. "I told you I'm worried about the b-"

"I swear to God, Charlie, if you start in on your conspiracy theories one more ti-"

"They're not conspiracies!" I was now shouting, my emotional turmoil translating to a slightly heavier foot on the gas pedal. "He's dangerous, Ren! They all are! I should never have let her go on this trip with him to begin with. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're going to get to see her," and maybe talk some sense into her I added in my head, "but them staying together overnight, well, I'm worried what might happen."

"Putting aside the obvious irony that is us having this conversation about our unplanned child, from what I saw of Edward in Phoenix he was a regular gentleman! I know it's not always the case, of course I know, but I don't think it's crazy to think that that chivalry would translate to the bedroom."

I buried the phone in my armpit and stifled a scream. I'd expected – then hoped, and now pleaded – that Renee would have a more motherly approach to the whole boyfriend situation, but it unfortunately turned out that her free spirited, hippy dippy ideologies evidently extended to the free will of a couple of horny teenagers.

"That's just his front, Ren," I said, as level-headed as possible. "He's more than willing to overstep his bounds if given the opportunity. He took the damn battery-"

"Out of her truck, yes, yes, you told me about a million times now. Maybe he was just looking out for her, you know? Driving down to La Push, in the dark, at that time of night? I'm surprised you were going to let her go by herself, Charlie. You know she's only been driving for a few years now, and with the car crash in the parking lot last year..."

"She wasn't even driving that time!" I argued, but it was useless. We'd been over these same stale feuds time and time again, never finding any sort of common ground, both of us just digging deeper and deeper into our established trenches. Such had been the case in our brief married life; battling out the oft-returned-to fights about whether or not to put my parents into hospice care; about if or when we should move from Forks; about the colour of the damn walls. The former might have been the only time I ever won out, but that may have also been the fight that led to her and Bella fleeing Forks without me.

"Look," I said, exasperated, exhausted. "Please just keep an eye on them. On him. I'm glad you're going to get to spend some time with Bella, I really am, but just, you know, look out for her."

"Don't you dare imply I wouldn't be looking out for my own daughter!" It was her turn now to yell. "You think just because you've had her for what, a year and a half, you get to make the call about what's best for her? I raised her on my own for 16 years, Charlie! I know her better than anyone!"