Some more time has passed. Thanksgiving break ended and everyone went back to school. But Bella. Then December passed, Janie turned again with Dennis. Toby came to Forks to spend Christmas with the King family. Dennis was thrilled to see Toby again. Nico is five-months-old, and Norma is two-months old now.
It's the second week of January now, and it's been two days since Janie and Dennis' last shift. And this is the day Bella left the house. ⚜️⚜️⚜️
Alice is facing off with Carlisle and the others at the Denali home in Alaska, where they've been since they left. Esme is desolate. Emmett looks both depressed and blank, he hasn't smiled since he left Janie. Rosalie is irritated. She got a text from Janie in November that she's adopting her baby sister, and she can't be enters. Jasper is isolating himself in a corner.
"No," Carlisle says, "we promised Edward."
"But she won't do well without us," Alice claims, referring to Bella. "I get flashes of her, but they're unclear..."
"Forget her, let's drag Edward home," Rosalie demands.
"He'll come back when he's ready," Esme coos. "After Bella moves on."
"Yes," Carlisle replies. "Whe she's living her life, safe from danger..."
"You mean safe from us," Jasper says in self-contempt.
Alice walks over and she wraps an arm around Jasper soothingly.
"And when will that be?" Rosalie asks pointedly.
"Can you see him, Alice?" Emmett asks.
Alice closes her eyes when they all turn her, trying to get a lock on Edward. "The only decision he's made.... is to be alone." ⚜️⚜️⚜️
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Once dressed warmly, Janie and Norma meet Jessica downstairs. They're picking Bella up. She's finally leaving the house. Janie is still sore from her last turn but she's managing. She's going to make it through a movie and some shopping. She knows it.
The do shopping first, and then they go to the movies. Jess and Bella go to watch a cheesy zombie movie and Janie and Norma go to watch a new kids movie. Everyone meets outside the marquee when the movies are done.
"I don't get why there are so many zombie movies," Bella claims as Janie pushes Norma's stroller.
"It's, like, a metaphor?" Jessica guesses. "For crass consumerism or something."
Bella glances at her when she says that.
"Not that you'd know anything about consumerism," Jessica continues. "You didn't buy anything today."
"I bought something," Bella defends.
"Socks don't count," Jessica claims. "'Course, I was surprised you even called."
"I've been kind of... out of it," Bella claims.
"Kind of?" Jess scoffs as Janie gets Norma onto the car and starts it for heat. "I mean, at first I was worried. Then I'm like, okay, she's still bumming? It's like like I was going through things, too. I'm taking a pause from colleges, not going yet after graduation. And Mike deciding he wanted to just be friends. That was really hard and..."
"How 'bout a ride, girls?" Some men from the dive bar from across the street yell to Jessica and Bella.
"Come on," Jessica urges Bella, she wants to get out of here.
"I know them..." Bella mutters. "I think..."
"Can we just go..." Jessica grabs Bella's arm but Bella shakes her off.
"I wanna see something,"
"Where is she going?" Janie asks Jessica, poking her head out the window.
"To be an idiot," Jessica responds. "To be a freaking idiot. Is Norma awake?"
"She's sleeping," Janie says. "Bella better hurry and finish being an idiot. I'm turning this off to save gas."
Janie gets back into the car and she cuts the car off after she throes a cheetah print blanket over her. It's a blanket that Angela got for little Norma, she had seen the blanket at the Walmart in Seattle and couldn't leave without buying it. ⚜️⚜️⚜️
Janie brings a sleeping Norma up to her nursery when they make it home. Jessica is annoyed with Bella because she decided to act like an idiot today on her first day out. She spent months inside, in her room, only to come out and be reckless.
Janie kisses Norma's forehead. "Goodnight, love bug. I love you."
Janie gazes down at Norma before she grabs the baby monitor to keep an eye and ear on the baby, and she goes downstairs. Janie goes to the kitchen, stretching out her aching muscles along the way, and she makes a pot of chili for her and Jessica for dinner while Norma sleeps.
