Yellow Is A Happy Color [J.B]

one

Coming back to Forks was different. It was different than all the other times before.

Maggie Swan and her sister, Bella, moved back with their father after their mother decided to travel with her new MLB player boyfriend. Maggie didn't resent her mother for this decision, just envied that she was able to travel the world and enjoy the sun rather than drown in the miserable rain of Washington.

Her father, Charlie, was waiting with a smile at the airport gate. Maggie smiled to herself before running into her father's open arms.

"Oh, man! You've grown, like, twelve feet since the last time I've seen you!" Charlie exclaimed, holding his eldest tight.

"Its more like one foot, but yeah." Maggie chuckled, pulling back and adjusting her backpack straps. Next was Bella to hug Charlie and that was more of an awkward exchange. She didn't really say anything to him and neither did Charlie, so Maggie took the cue to say something. "How long was the drive?"

"Not too bad. There isn't traffic here like there is in Pheonix so I'm sure you won't mind it." Charlie smiled beneath his thick stache. Maggie smiled back and followed her father back to the car.

"How have you been, Dad?" Maggie asked. Charlie smiled at her calling him dad and said, "Same old, same old. Doin' my civic duty."

"Catch any bad guys?" Bella said with smirk. He nudged her shoulder and chuckled. "Always."

When they pulled up to the familiar house that resided on the edge of a dense forest, blurred memories flooded Maggie's brain. She was just two years younger than Bella, but Bella remembered much more about the house than she did. Maggie's heart warmed at the memories of Christmas' crammed in the tiny dinning room with family and neighbors and trick-or-treating in the local village with school friends. They were all distant memories, seeing as this was almost half her age ago.

Maggie and Bella followed their father up to the tony house. Inside, everything looked the same as the last time they had left with the exception of new game on the walls. The same scent, same furniture, same pictures. It was homey to Maggie, but Bella felt cramped.

"Just like the good ol' days, Dad. Nothing has changed." Maggie said as she walked around the livining room. She recounted her dollhouses that used to sit in the corner. When she left, she brought them with her and played them until she became too old.

"Havent had much of a need to change things up. Maybe you girls can help me with that." Charlie said from the doorway. Maggie gave him a smile but Bella just stood their deadpanned. An awkward silence fell over the house.

"Well," Charlie broke with a clap of his hands, "I'll show you to your rooms. Haven't changed much about those either," he stopped halfway up the stairs and turned to Maggie, "Although, I do see some painting in your future. Unless you're still into Winnie the Pooh."

"And Tigger too." Maggie responded, giving Charlie a heartwarming smile. He nodded and ascended the stairs once more.

On the left was Bella's room. The same purple walls, matching comforter and miscellaneous decorations that hung from the ceiling. Her window seat was still there, a light layer of dust collected on top. "It's perfect, Dad. Just like I left it." Charlie nodded. "Good."

When Maggie opened her door, she let out an audible laugh and looked over the room. Her dad was right, many wall stickers of Pooh and friends were still on the walls as well as a child's bed that she most definitely would not fit on. Her Piglet nightlight was still plugged into the wall but the bulb had busted, and even though she couldn't see into the dresser, Maggie knew that there were some of her clothes that she had outgrown years ago still laying in there. "I didn't realize that we have been gone this long." Maggie said as she strolled through her room.