Belonging
by Momma2fan
Chapter 6
The meeting with the tribal attorney took no time at all. With the proof from the police department in Phoenix, a DNA test was not required, unless the Uley’s wanted one. Both Alison and Josh decided against it, Bella being the spitting image of her mother and the fingerprints was enough for them. Once her birth certificate was updated and sent to be filed with the records department of the State of Washington, the three of them left to meet with the tribal council.
Billy, Old Quil, Harry Clearwater, John Cameron and Merill Fuller were seated at a long table when Josh led his wife and daughter in. “Welcome, welcome,” Billy smiled at the Uley’s as Josh took his seat at the table.
“Are we waiting on anyone else?” Harry questioned as he stared at Bella, but looked away when the young woman squirmed under his scrutiny.
“Sam was supposed to be here.” Josh replied as he glared at his friend.
The doors in the back banged open causing heads to turn and eyes to move up. “Sorry, I’m late.” Sam said as the doors slammed closed behind him. He walked forward and sat beside his mother and sister.
“Well,” Billy began, but was interrupted by more people entering the council hall.
“I hope we’re not interrupting,” Sue Clearwater called as she and over half the tribe walked into the room.
“That’s a lot of people,” Bella muttered as she gripped Alison’s hand with her own. Sam reached over and put his hand on her shoulder.
The meeting hall filled up quickly. Once everyone was seated, Billy called the meeting to order.
“We are here because a lost daughter has returned to us. All of us remember the devastating events which occurred at Forks Hospital in which the newborn baby daughter of Joshua and Alison Uley was taken from them.” Billy continued his spiel, explaining the events of the last week. “Today, we welcome Isabella Kalina Uley home.”
Applause thundered around the room and Bella ducked her head into her mother’s shoulder, hiding her blush.
An hour later, Bella was still trying to get over the shock from the welcome she’d received. Never in a million years did she think she would experience anything like what she just had. She could tell this was a close community and she was glad to be a part of it.
“You okay, baby girl?” Josh had been watching his daughter pick at her lunch for the last twenty minutes.
Bella jolted and looked up at him. “I’m fine. I still can’t get over all those people welcoming me.”
“Bella, your dad and I had no idea the council was inviting the tribe.” Alison worried her napkin until it ripped in half.
Bella reached over and grabbed her hand, “Mom, relax. I know you didn’t.” She sat back and picked up a fry. “I just hate being the center of attention. I mean, all eyes were on me. I’m sure I’ll get greeted in the streets now.”
Josh chuckled beside her. “You’re probably right.”
Before they could say anything else, Bella’s cellphone began ringing. She pulled it from her pocket and brought it up to her ear. “Hello?”
“Is this Isabella?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. This is Magda Cleary, the realtor selling your mother’s house. Is this a bad time?”
Bella looked up at her parents, “No. I’m having lunch with my parents. Let me put you on speaker.” She set her phone down and told them who was on the line. “Okay, go ahead Ms. Cleary.”
“Thank you. We’ve had an offer on your mother’s house. It’s above the asking price and the buyers are asking for a quick closing.”
“Ms. Cleary, this is Joshua Uley, Isabella’s father. What are they offering for the property?”
The three of them heard the shuffling of papers before she answered. “Hmm, here it is. You have the home listed for two hundred twenty-five thousand and they are offering three hundred.”
“Wow, really?” Bella commented, not really believing it.
“Yes, dear. If this is an agreeable offer, I can fax all of the pertinent information for your signature and you can fax it back.”
Bella looked up at Josh, “What do you think, Dad?”
Smiling at her, “I think it’s a lot of money and I think it would finally close out that chapter of your life. It’s up to you though, baby girl.”
Bella chewed on her lower lip for a second before making a decision. “Go ahead and accept the offer, Ms. Cleary. You can fax the paper work to Chief Swan at the Forks Police department and he’ll get it to me.”
After a few more words they disconnected the call and she looked at her parents. “What am I gonna do with that kind of money?”
“Whatever you want, sweetheart.” Alison reached over and grabbed Bella’s hand.
They finished their lunches and then spent the rest of the afternoon in Port Angeles getting Bella some more Forks appropriate attire. She bought several pairs of jeans, t-shirts both long and short sleeve, a couple of hoodies and a zip up sweatshirt. Alison insisted she get some new underthings and Josh made sure she got a pair of hiking boots in addition to her beloved chucks. The last store garnered her a heavy jacket which would keep her warm, but still allow her to move without hindrance. The one thing the Uley’s learned about their daughter during their trip was that she was very low maintenance and didn’t care to be overly made up. Bella didn’t reveal to them that Renee had used make-up and hair dye to hide her true heritage and she was looking forward to embracing it.
On their way back home, they stopped by the police station and Charlie smiled when he handed them the paperwork, promising to let them know if he received anything else.
Bella was exhausted by the time she had gotten all of her new things put away, and fell onto her bed with a sigh. She was sound asleep when Alison went to get her for dinner. Smiling, she pulled off her shoes and grabbed the blanket from the end of the bed, covering her daughter up. She left just as quietly as she entered and went back down the stairs.
“She’s asleep.”
Josh nodded, “Let’s eat and then look through the photo albums.”
Several hours later, Josh and Alison both turned for the night, with tear tracks on their faces. While they wanted to hate the woman who kidnapped their daughter and stole precious years from them, they were grateful that she had documented her life so thoroughly.
The meeting with the tribal attorney took no time at all. With the proof from the police department in Phoenix, a DNA test was not required, unless the Uley’s wanted one. Both Alison and Josh decided against it, Bella being the spitting image of her mother and the fingerprints was enough for them. Once her birth certificate was updated and sent to be filed with the records department of the State of Washington, the three of them left to meet with the tribal council.
Billy, Old Quil, Harry Clearwater, John Cameron and Merill Fuller were seated at a long table when Josh led his wife and daughter in. “Welcome, welcome,” Billy smiled at the Uley’s as Josh took his seat at the table.
“Are we waiting on anyone else?” Harry questioned as he stared at Bella, but looked away when the young woman squirmed under his scrutiny.
“Sam was supposed to be here.” Josh replied as he glared at his friend.
The doors in the back banged open causing heads to turn and eyes to move up. “Sorry, I’m late.” Sam said as the doors slammed closed behind him. He walked forward and sat beside his mother and sister.
“Well,” Billy began, but was interrupted by more people entering the council hall.
“I hope we’re not interrupting,” Sue Clearwater called as she and over half the tribe walked into the room.
“That’s a lot of people,” Bella muttered as she gripped Alison’s hand with her own. Sam reached over and put his hand on her shoulder.
The meeting hall filled up quickly. Once everyone was seated, Billy called the meeting to order.
“We are here because a lost daughter has returned to us. All of us remember the devastating events which occurred at Forks Hospital in which the newborn baby daughter of Joshua and Alison Uley was taken from them.” Billy continued his spiel, explaining the events of the last week. “Today, we welcome Isabella Kalina Uley home.”
Applause thundered around the room and Bella ducked her head into her mother’s shoulder, hiding her blush.
An hour later, Bella was still trying to get over the shock from the welcome she’d received. Never in a million years did she think she would experience anything like what she just had. She could tell this was a close community and she was glad to be a part of it.
“You okay, baby girl?” Josh had been watching his daughter pick at her lunch for the last twenty minutes.
Bella jolted and looked up at him. “I’m fine. I still can’t get over all those people welcoming me.”
“Bella, your dad and I had no idea the council was inviting the tribe.” Alison worried her napkin until it ripped in half.
Bella reached over and grabbed her hand, “Mom, relax. I know you didn’t.” She sat back and picked up a fry. “I just hate being the center of attention. I mean, all eyes were on me. I’m sure I’ll get greeted in the streets now.”
Josh chuckled beside her. “You’re probably right.”
Before they could say anything else, Bella’s cellphone began ringing. She pulled it from her pocket and brought it up to her ear. “Hello?”
“Is this Isabella?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. This is Magda Cleary, the realtor selling your mother’s house. Is this a bad time?”
Bella looked up at her parents, “No. I’m having lunch with my parents. Let me put you on speaker.” She set her phone down and told them who was on the line. “Okay, go ahead Ms. Cleary.”
“Thank you. We’ve had an offer on your mother’s house. It’s above the asking price and the buyers are asking for a quick closing.”
“Ms. Cleary, this is Joshua Uley, Isabella’s father. What are they offering for the property?”
The three of them heard the shuffling of papers before she answered. “Hmm, here it is. You have the home listed for two hundred twenty-five thousand and they are offering three hundred.”
“Wow, really?” Bella commented, not really believing it.
“Yes, dear. If this is an agreeable offer, I can fax all of the pertinent information for your signature and you can fax it back.”
Bella looked up at Josh, “What do you think, Dad?”
Smiling at her, “I think it’s a lot of money and I think it would finally close out that chapter of your life. It’s up to you though, baby girl.”
Bella chewed on her lower lip for a second before making a decision. “Go ahead and accept the offer, Ms. Cleary. You can fax the paper work to Chief Swan at the Forks Police department and he’ll get it to me.”
After a few more words they disconnected the call and she looked at her parents. “What am I gonna do with that kind of money?”
“Whatever you want, sweetheart.” Alison reached over and grabbed Bella’s hand.
They finished their lunches and then spent the rest of the afternoon in Port Angeles getting Bella some more Forks appropriate attire. She bought several pairs of jeans, t-shirts both long and short sleeve, a couple of hoodies and a zip up sweatshirt. Alison insisted she get some new underthings and Josh made sure she got a pair of hiking boots in addition to her beloved chucks. The last store garnered her a heavy jacket which would keep her warm, but still allow her to move without hindrance. The one thing the Uley’s learned about their daughter during their trip was that she was very low maintenance and didn’t care to be overly made up. Bella didn’t reveal to them that Renee had used make-up and hair dye to hide her true heritage and she was looking forward to embracing it.
On their way back home, they stopped by the police station and Charlie smiled when he handed them the paperwork, promising to let them know if he received anything else.
Bella was exhausted by the time she had gotten all of her new things put away, and fell onto her bed with a sigh. She was sound asleep when Alison went to get her for dinner. Smiling, she pulled off her shoes and grabbed the blanket from the end of the bed, covering her daughter up. She left just as quietly as she entered and went back down the stairs.
“She’s asleep.”
Josh nodded, “Let’s eat and then look through the photo albums.”
Several hours later, Josh and Alison both turned for the night, with tear tracks on their faces. While they wanted to hate the woman who kidnapped their daughter and stole precious years from them, they were grateful that she had documented her life so thoroughly.