short chapter for you all but i hope you enjoy!
*
The Florida sun was shining and bright and warm on Sophie's skin as she laid beside her mother at the pool. Her arms laid crossed on her stomach, her face held towards the warmth, enjoying the difference in weather for once. Soft music floated through the air, a soft breeze tickling Sophie's skin.
There was a distinct pull in her chest that was just bordering on unbearable and she knew it was from the distance of her mates.
Her mother and Bella laid beside her, all quiet for the moment, enjoying being in each other's company once again. The three had talked all night and morning, catching up with the more intimate parts of their lives and, while Sophie wasn't able to share everything with her mother, she felt better after their long talks.
Beside her, Sophie could hear Renee shift and turned her head, peaking open an eye to see her mom sit up and look towards Bella. "Aren't you going to miss this? The sun, vitamin D soaking into your pores?"
Sophie's lips twitched upwards. The night before Bella had told Renee of her plans of going to the University of Alaska after she graduated in a few short months. Bella had mentioned it a few times to Charlie, but Sophie wasn't sure if she had been accepted yet.
"Yeah." Bella sighed. "I'm going to miss this."
"You know, colleges in Florida are a lot sunnier." Renee said casually, leaning back in her chair. "If you go to the University of Alaska, I'm never going to see you."
Her sister only shrugged, her expression turning down. "They have a great science program."
"You mean a great Edward program." Renee teased and Bella's face turned red. "I get it. I just want to make sure you're making the right decisions. You're the one who will have to live with them."
Bella sat up now, her brown eyes moving behind Renee to lock with Sophie's. Her sister looked conflicted, like she had just been asked to make a hard decision when they were only talking about college. Sophie frowned, wondering why the conversation made Bella look so down.
"Alright, enough with the heavy." Renee must have caught Bella's mood change and leaned to reach under her chair, bringing a large box out beside her. Sophie smiled, getting up from her own chair to sit by her mother. "Congratulations."
She set the box on Bella's lap, motioning for her to open it. Bella shot Renee a look. "Mom, I didn't want you spending money."
"I didn't." She told her. "Come on, open it."
Bella rolled her eyes in fond exasperation but pulled the lid to the box off anyway. Sophie leaned forward, her eyes catching on a quilt made with worn-out t-shirts. Her sister immediately smiled. "All our old trip t-shirts?"
"I kept them." Renee said with her own smile. "I just figured, you know, when you get older and have kids, you can add to it."
Sophie looked between the two of them, her own lips turning up. While she had spent some summers with her mother while Bella spent hers with Charlie, the two of them would never have the memories that Renee and Bella did. Sophie loved her mom and loved the time they had spent together when she was younger, but sometimes she wished that she could have experienced more with Renee.
Her mom looked over at her then and wrapped her arm around Sophie's shoulder, pulling her into her side. "I have something for you also, in the house. Nothing special, but I just figured the two of you could use a little piece of me back at home and in Alaska."
Sophie wrapped an arm around Renee and hugged her back, smiling wider when Bella joined the two of them. "Thanks mom."
Renee laid kisses on both of their heads, holding them closer to her. Sophie felt the weight of the last few weeks slide away from her and closed her eyes, enjoying the peace and content she felt while she had it.
*
"Knock knock."
Sophie looked up from her sketchbook towards the doorway to find her mom leaning against it. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah." Sophie nodded, closing her book and pushing it away from her to make room for her mom on the bed. "What's up?"
Renee shrugged as she made her way into the bedroom and sat beside her daughter on the bed. "We haven't had much one-on-one time since you've gotten here. I wanted to catch up."
Sophie couldn't help but smile down towards her lap. While back home, Renee and Sophie talked on the phone, there was only so much that could be said. The eldest Swan kept her mother up to date on most things in her life, but it was different when she wasn't there in person to experience everything with her.
"Yeah, that sounds nice." She nodded. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Anything, tell me about life back in Forks. You talk about Jacob and the rest of your friends from La Push a lot." When Renee wiggled her eyebrows, Sophie knew what was coming next. "Are you, you know, more than friends with any of them?"
Sophie had to laugh at that. "Mom, they're all at least three years younger than me."
"Well, you never know. You and Jacob have always been close, so I naturally have wondered." Renee defended with a smile, nudging her daughter's bony shoulder.
"He's the little brother I never had." Sophie laughed again, shuddering at the mere thought of her and Jacob being more than friends. Even if they were closer in age, she would never have imagined it. "Besides, he's got his eye on someone."
Renee hummed, leaning back against Sophie's pillows. Sophie took a moment to admire her mom - she was always in awe of how carefree and beautiful Renee was, how she was up for anything all the time. Sometimes, it was like Renee was the younger of the two of them, more wild and uncaring about the more strict things in life.
"Well, if none of your boys, is there anyone you have your eye on?" She continued to press. Sophie tightened her lips, but she could feel her cheeks heating, and her mom's eyes lit up. "There is! Come on, Soph, we never talk about these things!"
"Mom, really, it's nothing." She quickly tried to reign her mother in, knowing there was no real way she could talk about the vampire kings. Just the thought of them had the same pain flaring up in her chest once again. "I don't even really know them - him. It's just something new."
"Something new is exciting, Sophie! Tell me about him."
The brunette sighed, knowing there was no way out of boy talk with her mom now. She thought back to the kings, her mind focusing on the one who confused her most. "I met him a little over a month ago now. We've only talked a little bit and he's nice most of the time, but..."
Sophie hesitated, trying her best to find the words to describe Caius. "One minute he's blunt and almost rude and the next he's nice and helpful and confusing. I don't know how to talk to him."
Renee was smiling at Sophie, a playful gleam twinkling in her eye. "It sounds like you like him."
"I don't know how I feel about him." She mumbled, her fingers toying with the frayed edges of her sketchbook. "I don't want to like him."
"Why not?"
When Sophie didn't respond, Renee hummed softly and reached forward to grab her daughter's hand. "Sophie, is this about your illness? Because no matter what you're going through, the right guy is going to stick around and support you through it."
"Yeah, that's what everyone keeps saying." Sophie shook her head, tone rising in frustration as tears welled in her eyes. It was always the same conversation when she talked about her feelings for the king. "I'll be taken care of, but what about him? I know how much of a toll my eating disorder has on dad and Bella and Jacob and you, I don't want to drag another person into the same rollercoaster of my shitty problem just because I'm scared of food."
"Oh, baby." Renee dropped Sophie's hand to pull her into herself, arms wrapping around her small frame tightly. "We love you, it doesn't matter how many bad days you have. All of us will support you, no matter what, because we want you to get better. I know for a fact, recovery is the light at the end of the tunnel for you and I believe you're going to make it there one day."
She kissed the side of Sophie's red, tear-soaked face. "No matter how long it takes."
***
currently working on the next chapter and am hoping to get a few out this summer before the next semester of college!
i'm ready for the plot to start moving along!
pleuvoirx