Belonging
by Momma2fan
Chapter 4
Josh and Alison stood in the kitchen watching as their children, along with Emily, talked and got to know one another.
“I’ll have to tell her about the year after she was taken.” Josh looked down at his wife.
Alison nodded, “I think so. She needs to know that even though we lost our way for a short time, we came back together as a family. She also needs to understand it’s not her fault.” She looked up at him and smiled. “I love you, Josh, with all my heart.”
“Love you, Ali.” He kissed her nose and walked into the living room to join their children.
“I’m gonna get dinner started,” Alison announced.
Bella looked up, “Can I help?” Alison smiled and nodded at her daughter, who got up and walked into the kitchen.
“I was thinking of throwing together a salad, lasagna and garlic bread. What would you like to do?”
Bella smiled at her mother, “I can do the salad.”
Alison nodded and pointed at the fridge while she went to the pantry to get everything for the lasagna. She watched as Bella tore up the lettuce and began chopping tomatoes, cucumbers, black olives and colorful peppers for the salad. She was just sliding the pan in the oven when she heard a hiss. Turning, she saw Bella drop the knife in her hand and grab a paper towel.
“Don’t breathe, don’t breathe,” Bella whispered under her breath.
“Bella?”
“Sorry, I don’t deal with blood very well.” Bella could feel herself getting lightheaded. She didn’t have a chance to think about it before she was in a chair, Embry standing in front of her.
“Look at me, Sis.”
Bella stared into her brother’s eyes as she felt someone bandaging her finger. When she could no longer smell the blood, she took a deep breath and sagged into her chair.
“Better?” Embry asked.
Bella nodded, “Much. Thank you.”
Josh handed Bella a glass of water, “My mother used to react the exact same way to blood, but only her own. If it was the blood of one of her children or my dad, she was fine.”
“I’ve always been like this. My mo...I mean Renee used to make fun of me and tell me there was no way I could actually smell the blood. She would even joke and tell me I’d be a horrible vampire since I couldn’t stand the smell of their main food source. I guess it’s a good thing they only exist in books.”
The five of them made choking noises and tried covering them up with chuckles. They all knew too well how real vampires really were.
“Well, at least the salad was done before I cut myself.” She giggled to break the suddenly tension filled room.
“Well,” Alison smiled as she pulled the lasagna from the beeping oven. “Dinner is ready, so let’s have a seat.”
Dinner was almost too quiet for Bella who was used to the constant inane chatter of Renee during mealtime. Finally, she couldn’t take it any longer. “Okay, someone has to talk, ask questions, anything but this silence.” When no one made any effort to break the silence, Bella kept going. “Emily, have you and Sam set a date?”
Emily smiled, “Not yet. I was thinking of a spring wedding. I’m still not sure though. It depends on Sam’s...duties.”
“Surely the tribe would give you time off, Sammy.”
Sam smiled at her, “We don’t know yet, sis.”
Bella could sense that there was something they were all hiding from her, but being that she hadn’t been around them for more than a few hours, she knew she would have to earn their trust.
“Bella,” Josh looked at his daughter once everyone had finished eating. “I need to tell you something. About how things were for us for a while after you were taken.”
“I’m sensing something bad happened. Do I need to know?”
Josh nodded, “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
She watched as her father took a deep breath, almost as if he needed to prepare himself for the words to come. Pushing back her seat, she rose and walked to his place at the head of the table. Leaning down, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her cheek against his. She knew she was taking a chance, but this was her family.
“Whatever it is, just remember I’m home now, Daddy.”
Josh felt his heart skip when he heard his baby girl call him that, having lost all hope of ever hearing her say it.
Sam watched his baby sister comfort their father in surprise, while Emily had to wipe a tear from her eye. Embry was trying to brace himself for the hate which he was sure would come from his sister and Alison was preparing to relive the moments which almost destroyed their marriage.
After Bella took her seat, Josh began. “After you were taken, your mother and I slipped into a very depressed state. Your mom threw herself into taking care of Sam, while also checking and rechecking every lead the police had about your whereabouts. Although I did what I could to help the authorities, I turned to alcohol to relieve my pain.”
Bella sighed, “Oh no. What happened?”
Josh looked at her in the eyes, so much like his mother’s, and prayed she wouldn’t hate him. “You had been missing for about five months, when the police called off the search and declared you a cold case. Your mother broke down, sending Sam to stay with her parents as she didn’t want him to see her fall apart. I ended up at a bar, blind drunk. I barely remember what happened that night, all I know is I woke up in bed with a woman who wasn’t my wife.”
Bella could feel the tears well up in her eyes at the pain her parents suffered through. She reached out and gripped her mother’s hand, somehow knowing what was coming. She blindly reached out on her other side and gripped Embry’s hand as well.
“I came home and confessed everything to Alison, feeling more guilt than I had ever felt. At least until three months later when that woman showed up on our doorstep.” Josh looked over at Alison, apology still in his eyes, even after sixteen years. “I need you to understand, baby girl, I don’t regret your brother. I love him just as I do you and Sam. I just regret the circumstances which led to his creation.”
“So, what happened?”
Alison took over at this point. “Tiffany was a wonderful girl, who was only nineteen when she met your dad. She was set to start college and get out of this area. She wasn’t going to be able to do that with your brother in tow. After she gave birth to Embry, she gave him to us to raise and left for school. She writes to him and he knows who she is, but I have raised him his whole life.”
“Tiffany is my birth mom, but mom is mom. She’s never made me feel like anything less than her son, even though I know it wasn’t easy. I am a walking, talking reminder that dad strayed.”
Bella nodded and smiled softly at her parents and siblings. “The one thing this life has taught me is that everything happens for a reason. I believe Embry was created to put this family back together, to bring back some love that was desperately missing when I was taken. I believe if he hadn’t been born, Sammy would have grown up without both of you and I would never have found my way back.”
Josh and Alison stood in the kitchen watching as their children, along with Emily, talked and got to know one another.
“I’ll have to tell her about the year after she was taken.” Josh looked down at his wife.
Alison nodded, “I think so. She needs to know that even though we lost our way for a short time, we came back together as a family. She also needs to understand it’s not her fault.” She looked up at him and smiled. “I love you, Josh, with all my heart.”
“Love you, Ali.” He kissed her nose and walked into the living room to join their children.
“I’m gonna get dinner started,” Alison announced.
Bella looked up, “Can I help?” Alison smiled and nodded at her daughter, who got up and walked into the kitchen.
“I was thinking of throwing together a salad, lasagna and garlic bread. What would you like to do?”
Bella smiled at her mother, “I can do the salad.”
Alison nodded and pointed at the fridge while she went to the pantry to get everything for the lasagna. She watched as Bella tore up the lettuce and began chopping tomatoes, cucumbers, black olives and colorful peppers for the salad. She was just sliding the pan in the oven when she heard a hiss. Turning, she saw Bella drop the knife in her hand and grab a paper towel.
“Don’t breathe, don’t breathe,” Bella whispered under her breath.
“Bella?”
“Sorry, I don’t deal with blood very well.” Bella could feel herself getting lightheaded. She didn’t have a chance to think about it before she was in a chair, Embry standing in front of her.
“Look at me, Sis.”
Bella stared into her brother’s eyes as she felt someone bandaging her finger. When she could no longer smell the blood, she took a deep breath and sagged into her chair.
“Better?” Embry asked.
Bella nodded, “Much. Thank you.”
Josh handed Bella a glass of water, “My mother used to react the exact same way to blood, but only her own. If it was the blood of one of her children or my dad, she was fine.”
“I’ve always been like this. My mo...I mean Renee used to make fun of me and tell me there was no way I could actually smell the blood. She would even joke and tell me I’d be a horrible vampire since I couldn’t stand the smell of their main food source. I guess it’s a good thing they only exist in books.”
The five of them made choking noises and tried covering them up with chuckles. They all knew too well how real vampires really were.
“Well, at least the salad was done before I cut myself.” She giggled to break the suddenly tension filled room.
“Well,” Alison smiled as she pulled the lasagna from the beeping oven. “Dinner is ready, so let’s have a seat.”
Dinner was almost too quiet for Bella who was used to the constant inane chatter of Renee during mealtime. Finally, she couldn’t take it any longer. “Okay, someone has to talk, ask questions, anything but this silence.” When no one made any effort to break the silence, Bella kept going. “Emily, have you and Sam set a date?”
Emily smiled, “Not yet. I was thinking of a spring wedding. I’m still not sure though. It depends on Sam’s...duties.”
“Surely the tribe would give you time off, Sammy.”
Sam smiled at her, “We don’t know yet, sis.”
Bella could sense that there was something they were all hiding from her, but being that she hadn’t been around them for more than a few hours, she knew she would have to earn their trust.
“Bella,” Josh looked at his daughter once everyone had finished eating. “I need to tell you something. About how things were for us for a while after you were taken.”
“I’m sensing something bad happened. Do I need to know?”
Josh nodded, “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
She watched as her father took a deep breath, almost as if he needed to prepare himself for the words to come. Pushing back her seat, she rose and walked to his place at the head of the table. Leaning down, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her cheek against his. She knew she was taking a chance, but this was her family.
“Whatever it is, just remember I’m home now, Daddy.”
Josh felt his heart skip when he heard his baby girl call him that, having lost all hope of ever hearing her say it.
Sam watched his baby sister comfort their father in surprise, while Emily had to wipe a tear from her eye. Embry was trying to brace himself for the hate which he was sure would come from his sister and Alison was preparing to relive the moments which almost destroyed their marriage.
After Bella took her seat, Josh began. “After you were taken, your mother and I slipped into a very depressed state. Your mom threw herself into taking care of Sam, while also checking and rechecking every lead the police had about your whereabouts. Although I did what I could to help the authorities, I turned to alcohol to relieve my pain.”
Bella sighed, “Oh no. What happened?”
Josh looked at her in the eyes, so much like his mother’s, and prayed she wouldn’t hate him. “You had been missing for about five months, when the police called off the search and declared you a cold case. Your mother broke down, sending Sam to stay with her parents as she didn’t want him to see her fall apart. I ended up at a bar, blind drunk. I barely remember what happened that night, all I know is I woke up in bed with a woman who wasn’t my wife.”
Bella could feel the tears well up in her eyes at the pain her parents suffered through. She reached out and gripped her mother’s hand, somehow knowing what was coming. She blindly reached out on her other side and gripped Embry’s hand as well.
“I came home and confessed everything to Alison, feeling more guilt than I had ever felt. At least until three months later when that woman showed up on our doorstep.” Josh looked over at Alison, apology still in his eyes, even after sixteen years. “I need you to understand, baby girl, I don’t regret your brother. I love him just as I do you and Sam. I just regret the circumstances which led to his creation.”
“So, what happened?”
Alison took over at this point. “Tiffany was a wonderful girl, who was only nineteen when she met your dad. She was set to start college and get out of this area. She wasn’t going to be able to do that with your brother in tow. After she gave birth to Embry, she gave him to us to raise and left for school. She writes to him and he knows who she is, but I have raised him his whole life.”
“Tiffany is my birth mom, but mom is mom. She’s never made me feel like anything less than her son, even though I know it wasn’t easy. I am a walking, talking reminder that dad strayed.”
Bella nodded and smiled softly at her parents and siblings. “The one thing this life has taught me is that everything happens for a reason. I believe Embry was created to put this family back together, to bring back some love that was desperately missing when I was taken. I believe if he hadn’t been born, Sammy would have grown up without both of you and I would never have found my way back.”