Between the Perennial Blooms || Paul Lahote

Three | Hyacinth

"Dreams don't often come true, do they? Wouldn't it be nice if they did?"
-L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

• • •

Peering over at the two people who had quickly grown to matter most to her, Bailey watched as they lost themselves in a world made entirely of their own. With shy smiles and secret glances, it proved clear to see that while friendship remained the basis of their close relation, something deeper lied beneath. It became evident in the glint of admiration that sparked Jacob's chocolate eyes every time Bella stammered out an awkward attempt at wit and the soft beam of happiness that lit up the planes of Bella's face every time Jacob laughed his carefree laugh. The Quileute boy and pale-faced girl liked each other, that much was clear to see. However, Bailey found herself questioning the extent that like truly went to. Perhaps they had once been lovers, she thought to herself absentmindedly. Then she recalled a phone conversation she'd had with Charlie just a few odd-weeks ago.

"It'll be good for you," he told her as she sat with her cellphone tucked between her cheek and her shoulder as she packed her clothes into the suitcase resting atop her bed. "Good for Bella too. She's been having a real hard time as of late."

"What do you mean?" Bailey asked him worriedly, feeling her heart plummet to her feet at the thought of her beloved older sister experiencing anything less than true happiness. "Is Bella okay?"

"She's gettin' there," he lamented with a stressed sigh. "Don't know if she ever told you, but she got this boyfriend a little while after she moved in. Never really liked him to be honest with you, but I wasn't going to stop her. He made her happy at the time, you know? But they'd only been together a couple months before they got into it. Had this big fight Bella was so upset over that she came stomping in the house one night with every intention to hightail it out of here just as fast at your mother did. Remember when she had that stint in the hospital?"

Bailey nodded her head sadly, recalling the phone call she'd received from her mother the moment Bella had been admitted all those months ago. At the time, Bailey had been knee-deep in exams courtesy of her Gran's rigorous homeschool regime, and had thus been kept updated via telephone but repeatedly told to stay put in Acoma. Her parents and Gran had all claimed Bella was fine, would recover quickly, and that her injuries failed to prove severe enough for worry -because lord knew Bailey Swan loved to worry.

"Of course," she replied subdued.

"Well that was right after that big fight they had. Guess it helped them make up, so they got back together and everything was going fine. Then a couple months ago the punk's whole family decided to move back to Alaska right out of the blue, and broke Bella's heart in the process. He just up and left her cold turkey, and she's been having a real hard time of it ever since."

"Poor Bella," Bailey whispered, feeling her own heart break in the process. "I bet she feels absolutely destroyed."

Charlie sighed a sound of sorrow. "She just sits in her room all day staring out the window. School doesn't help and no matter how hard I try to get her to go out with her friends, she always just comes up with some excuse. I tried to threaten to send her back to live with her mother in Phoenix," he admitted quietly, the stress weighing on his shoulders evident even through his voice. "But she wasn't having any of that."

"Maybe I can help her, Daddy," Bailey tried to comfort him, finding herself at a loss at just what else she could do. "Maybe I can help her heal."

"I hope so," Charlie responded with a tenderness that failed to present itself before. "Maybe you can help each other heal," he amended.