Darling Nikki ↠ Charlie Swan

chapter one

chapter one ~ new neighbor

📍FORKS, WASHINGTON
DECEMBER 2011

Charlie sighed as he shut the door of his car behind him and trudged up the short walk to his front door. It had been a long day, and he was looking forward to just kicking back, maybe cracking open a cold beer, and forgetting about work. But the moment his hand reached for the doorknob, he heard a squeal.

He froze, his head turning instinctively toward the sound. Across the street, a woman was bending over, trying to gather what looked like a bunch of bags of groceries that had spilled out of her arms and onto the pavement. Without thinking, Charlie jogged across the street, his boots making quick, rhythmic thuds against the asphalt.

"Need some help?" he called out, bending down to grab a few of the bags.

The woman looked up, startled, and then her face broke into a wide smile. "Thank you!" she said, her voice warm and sincere. As she straightened, Charlie noticed her baby bump, barely visible beneath a loose-fitting shirt.

"Of course," Charlie said, standing up with a few bags in hand, still processing the sight of her pregnant belly. She had a glow about her, a kind of confidence that was rare, especially for someone in her position. He followed her through the open door of what seemed like a newly renovated house, trying to be polite but also curious.

"I'm Nikki, by the way," she said, turning to face him as she set the bags down on the kitchen counter. She extended her hand, and Charlie took it, shaking it gently.

"Charlie," he replied, noticing how soft her hand felt against his. "You and your husband just move in?" he asked, trying to make small talk. He glanced around at the house—clean, modern, and meticulously decorated.

She laughed softly, rubbing her baby bump absentmindedly. "Umm... I don't have a husband," she said, her voice soft but matter-of-fact. "Single and yes, I just moved in, but luckily I hired an interior designer to fix up the place for me so I wouldn't have to deal with it. I'm not exactly the DIY type." She flashed him a quick grin.

Charlie smiled back. "Yeah, I can see that." He was a little taken aback, but there was something about her that intrigued him. She wasn't like the other women he had known in Forks—she seemed independent, confident, maybe even a little mysterious. "So, what brings you to Forks of all places?"

Her face grew serious, her eyes momentarily clouded with something that looked like frustration or maybe sadness. She set a bag of groceries on the counter with more force than necessary before meeting his gaze. "I'm looking for the father of my baby," she said, her tone blunt.

Charlie felt a strange twist in his stomach. This wasn't exactly the conversation he was expecting. "Do you need help? Do you know who you're looking for?" he asked, suddenly feeling like he was in deeper than he had planned to be.

Nikki's eyes narrowed slightly as if weighing how much to say. "Joshua Uley," she said simply.

Charlie felt his pulse quicken. He had heard the name before, of course. The Uley family was well-known in Forks, and Joshua had been something of a legend around here. But the idea that Nikki was standing in front of him, pregnant with his child, left him momentarily speechless.

"Joshua Uley?" he repeated, his voice a little more hoarse than he meant it to be. "I—I didn't realize..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Nikki cut him off. "It's a bit of a mess," she said, her eyes softening but not quite breaking. "I had no idea who he was at first, but now... well, now it's just me and this baby." She placed her hand gently over her bump again, like she was trying to reassure herself as much as him.

Charlie didn't know what to say. He had heard stories about Joshua—stories about how he was a bit of a ghost, someone who loved to plant seeds and then disappear without a trace. Maybe that was just what Joshua did. But Nikki was standing here, in front of him, dealing with the fallout. He couldn't help but feel sympathy for her.

After a long pause, he spoke again, "Do you want to talk about it more?"

She nodded and motioned toward the couch. "I'm 28 weeks pregnant," she said as she sank into the cushions, patting the space next to her as an invitation. Charlie hesitated for a second but then took a seat beside her, trying to process everything she was saying.

"I... I don't really know what I'm doing," she said, her voice quiet now, tinged with vulnerability. "I came here hoping to find Joshua, hoping that he might want to be a part of this child's life, but..." Her voice trailed off.

Charlie stayed silent, unsure how to respond, until the door creaked open and several figures entered the room. Three men—Jacob, Sam, and Billy—stood in the doorway, all of them eyeing Nikki with varying degrees of surprise and curiosity.

"Jacob, Sam, and Billy, this is Nikki, she's pregnant. She knows Joshua," Charlie told them.

Nikki looked up at them with a resigned sigh. "You guys aren't going to like this," she said, her tone almost apologetic. "But yes, Joshua Uley is the father of my baby. And I'm guessing that means you're all family?"

Jacob looked at her like she was a puzzle he was still trying to figure out. "What?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing in disbelief. "How is that possible?"

Nikki sighed and rubbed her temple. "That's how far along I am," she said, her voice low but steady. "I'm about 28 weeks pregnant."

Sam crossed his arms, his face a mixture of confusion and disbelief. "And my dad is the father of your baby?"

Nikki nodded. "Yes. You look just like him," she added, her eyes meeting Sam's. "I'm due in January, around the 28th."

Billy, who had been silent up until this point, cleared his throat and leaned forward. "Why come to Forks?"

Nikki paused before answering, her gaze flicking between the men in the room. "Joshua told me he was from here, and when I couldn't find him in California, I thought I'd come to his hometown to see if anyone knew where he was. But now that I've learned that Joshua loves planting his seeds and then disappearing... well, I guess I'll be raising this child on my own." She gave a humorless laugh, but there was a bitter edge to it.

"Yeah, you can say that," Sam muttered under his breath, his expression hardening.

Nikki took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure. "I don't have any living relatives," she said softly. "So, I was hoping... I was hoping maybe you and your brother might be willing to be a part of my daughter's life."

Charlie blinked, trying to make sense of what she was asking. "Brother?" he asked, glancing at the other men in the room.

Billy's confusion mirrored his own. "What brother?"

"Embry," Jacob said, glancing at his father, who looked less than thrilled by the mention of the name.

"How do you know I have a brother?" Sam asked, his voice tinged with suspicion.

Nikki smiled softly, like she was remembering a conversation long past. "Like I said, Joshua told me about his life here and his two sons. He didn't want to tell me too much about his past, but I'm nosy."

Jacob looked at her, his lips quirking upward slightly. "I'll bring Embry over to meet you," he said, his voice firm but with a hint of excitement.

Billy's eyes narrowed. "Jacob..."

But Jacob didn't seem to care. "This will make Embry really happy."

Nikki looked confused. "Why?"

Sam leaned in, his gaze softer now. "You just solved a mystery for us," he said quietly.

Nikki blinked, processing his words. "A mystery?" she echoed.