Midday Clouds - The Charlie Swan Story

Chapter 63 (Eclipse 22)

I was just getting myself ready for an uneventful Friday evening when the landline decided to ring. I considered ignoring it; Bells was away at the Webers', and I'd just cracked a cold Rainier. I had some big plans to catch up on the NHL playoffs that I'd recorded on VHS, but I sure as hell wouldn't be able to enjoy it with the phone ringing off the hook.

I heaved myself off the well-worn couch indentation and shuffled over the hall in my slippers.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Hey Charlie," Billy's gruff voice was unmistakable. There was a tinge of... worry? Anxiety? To it, that I hadn't heard in a while.

"Hey Billy, what can I do ya for?"

"Oh, I was just calling to see if you happened to know where Bella was," he said. A bolt of worry surged through me. Had something happened? Was Bella missing again?

"Last I heard she was working at Newtons, and then planned to go to the Webers' to help her friend Angela with some graduation... stuff." I couldn't exactly remember what Bella had told me she was planning on doing over there, just that Angela needed help organizing something to do with their grad celebration.

"Well, I don't want to alarm you or anything, but I figured I should let you know – from one parent to another – that Bella actually just left here a few minutes ago. I don't know if she was heading back home to you, or over to the Webers, or wherever else, but I thought you might like to know."

I was glad of Billy for giving me the heads up, but I was a little miffed at having been found not knowing where my own damn kid was. I don't know why Bella would have had any reason not to tell me she planned to visit La Push – I'd been encouraging her to do so for weeks now – but to wonder why a teenager is keeping secrets from her parents is like wondering why the sky is blue; it just is.

"Thanks, Billy. I didn't know she'd be over there. I don't know why she wouldn't have told me; it's not like she isn't allowed to hang out with Jake or anything."

"The teenage brain is a truly unknowable thing," Billy offered, doing his best impression of a wise elder. I cracked a smile at that.

"Speaking of which, how's Jake doing, anyway?"

"Oh, he's getting by. I barely see him anymore, he's always running around in the woods with his pack of friends. Kind of inconsiderate of him to do right in front of me, if I'm being honest, but I'd probably be doing the same in his position."

"Yeah we had our fair share of adventures in those woods, didn't we?" I asked, trying, hesitantly, to bring up some old memories of him, me, and Harry. It had been about two months since the funeral, and I still hadn't been able to share a single word, let alone a fond memory, of Harry with the guy. He would always just immediately change the subject.

"We did, Charlie. We did. Anyway. I'll let you get back to whatever it was you were doing. Oh – did I hear something about you coming by the rez tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I, uh. Well, me and Sue have got some plans to check out the beach..."

"You know, even before my accident, I never was that big a fan of long walks on the beach," he said with a laugh. "But if you've got some extra time to spare after schmoozing Sue, swing by, will ya?"

"Sure thing, Billy. You know I will."

"That's my favourite hokwat! Just come by whenever. I'll be here. And Charlie?"

"Yeah?"

"If you hurt her, you know this wheelchair's not gonna stop me from killing you."

I involuntarily let out a half choke, half laugh. I couldn't tell whether or not he was kidding. I wouldn't get the chance to find out, as he had hung up on his end.