Aurora - A New Dawn

CHAPTER 16 | REJOICE

A FEW DAYS LATER

A hand, wreathed in light, reaching for her, trying to grab her from the all-encompassing darkness. It was inherently strong, copper in color.

Jake.

Bella awoke with a start, sitting up in her bed.

"Whoa there, Bells. Didn't mean to scare ya." Charlie voiced, leaning in the door way to her childhood room.

"You didn't. Bad dream." She replied flippantly.

"I thought you'd be over those by now." His face scrunched up.

"Guess not." She shrugged.

"That's alright. They'll go away in time." He leaned forward on the balls of his feet. "Speaking of time."

Charlie stood straight, removing his right arm from behind his back. In his hand, he held something small with a purple ribbon tied to it. Bella grimaced. Of course.

"I thought we understood each other. I said no presents then and I mean it still." She shook her head.

"Yeah, well, still doesn't count because it's not wrapped. It's not anything crazy. Just a little somethin' that I thought you'd appreciate."

He stepped through the threshold of her doorway and handed her the box as she sat up. She held it out away from her like it weighed a thousand pounds; a familiar dread bubbled up inside her stomach. Another year older. Another year of nothing accomplished. Failure.

"Just open it. It's not the end of the world." Charlie huffed.

"I know." She pulled at the ribbon, carefully dissecting the shiny bow. Underneath it was a scuffed, dusty, black velvet box. A ring box. Bella popped it open, staring down at the simple gold band inside. A cascade of questions unfurled within her mind. "What is this?"

"It's grandma's wedding band. I thought I lost it, but I did some cleaning in the attic and found it packed away with a bunch of other stuff. I figured you would want it."

"Grandma Helen?" She asked.

Bella grasped the band with her thumb and pointer finger, letting it sit in the center of her other palm. She appraised the muted detail carved into the metal; tiny, nearly indistinguishable flowers and swirls danced along the band.

"Yep."

"Also—you? Clean? Are you coming down with something, dad?" Bella giggled. Thick rays of sunlight poured in from the closest window, warming her skin where it touched and revealing the hidden auburn in her long hair.

"Hardy har. No, I'm not sick." He rolled his eyes. "Sure I could clean more. I promise I'm getting better about things."

"Could it have anything to do with Michelle? Are you two dating finally?"

Charlie cleared his throat, coughed, and averted his gaze. "Sort of."

"Holy sh—Dad! You have to tell me these things." Bella sighed and sifted her fingers through her long chestnut brown hair. "How long? How long have you been together? Spill."

"We've been sort of seeing each other for a little under a year. It's getting kinda serious, but not that serious yet. I just figured I better clean out the clutter and make room for new memories. It's never too late to start over." He rubbed the back of his neck, a stark blush creeping over his cheeks.

Bella had never seen her father act this way before. It was different. It was... nice. She wasn't used to it, but it was something she could get used to. He was genuinely happy. He'd lamented over Reneé long enough. Bella was glad to see her dad finally find someone who could love and take care of him, too.