Daddy's Little Girl

“Chief, you better hurry and get out of here if you’re gonna make it to Newtons’ before they close,” Deputy Mark said as he kicked his feet up on his desk.

“Damn, I didn’t realize how late it was. You sure you’ll be fine without me here the next two weeks?”

“I’ll be fine. It’s not like we’re going through a major crime wave or anything. Get outta here and get some gear for your girl.”

I slapped Mark on his back on my way out the door. Bella, my baby girl, would be arriving for our summer visit tomorrow. I needed to head to Newtons’ Olympic Outfitters and get a new pole for her and a few new lures for myself. I planned on spending quite a bit of time in the middle of the lake with my favorite girl.

I had to work the last few summers Bella visited. She ended up spending most of the two weeks on the rez with my best friend Billy Black. He had two girls close to Bella’s age, and they had a blast playing all day. This summer I made it a point to be off the entire time Bella would be here. She was growing up so fast, and I felt like I was missing out on her life.

I walked into Newtons’ and headed straight for the fishing gear. I said a quick hello to Karen Newton as I passed the register. Everything seemed so big for a little girl to use. I was about to give up when I spotted the little pink pole at the end of the aisle. There was a small selection of children’s fishing poles that featured different cartoon characters. The only girly one they had was a pink Barbie one. Would she like it? What little girl doesn’t like Barbie? Pleased with my find I grabbed a new Barbie fishing pole, a Barbie tackle box, and a few pink floats for her line then made my way back to the register.

“Find what you were looking for, Chief?” Karen asked, eyeing the Barbie gear carefully.

“I think so. Do you think a thirteen-year-old girl would like this?” I asked, pointing to all the pink gear.

“I can’t think of one that wouldn’t. What little girl doesn’t like Barbie or pink?”

I let out a sigh of relief. “Good. My Bella is coming to visit for two weeks. I want to take her out on the lake and spend some quality time fishing. What better way to spend my vacation than doing what I love most with my favorite girl.”

“She’s a very lucky girl to have a dad who loves her that much.”

I gave Karen a warm smile as I paid for my purchases. I stopped by the Thriftway and picked up some Cokes, Vitamin R, sandwich fixings, and some snacks. I planned on packing a couple of coolers so we could stay on the lake from dawn until dusk every day. I wanted to make good use of the two weeks we had together.

I got home and quickly unloaded all of the bags from the cruiser. The message light was blinking on the machine, so I hit the play button as I walked past it into the kitchen.

“Charlie, it’s Renee. We were able to get Bella on an earlier flight that actually landed in Port Angeles instead of Seattle. She will be landing at nine tomorrow morning. Please don’t be late to pick her up. The airline will make sure a flight attendant waits with her. You must show your ID or they will not let her go with you. Please call me the minute the two of you make it back to the house tomorrow.”

That was the best news I’d received all day. Now I wouldn’t have to make the torturous three and a half hour drive to Seattle. I’d let Bella get settled in tomorrow and then we could start our fun-filled days of fishing the day after.

I had a hard time getting to sleep that night. I was so excited that I would get to see Bella in the morning. I worked so much last year when she was here that it didn’t feel like she visited. I refused to miss my two weeks this year. They were the only thing I looked forward to every year.

I was devastated when Renee walked out the front door taking my baby girl with her. They were everything to me. I completely shut down for a week after they left. I refused to leave Bella’s room. I sat in her rocking chair clinging to one of her blankets Renee had left behind. Deputy Mark was at a loss how to snap me out of my stupor. He finally broke down and called Billy. My best friend was the one to finally bring me back to reality. He reminded me that I still had to take care of my Bella, even though she wasn’t here. It took me a few hours to finally let what he said sink in.

That night I vowed that I would not shut down like that again. I actually made a plan. I decided to work any shift I could get and send all the extra money to Renee. I would make sure Bella was provided for even if she wasn’t here. Renee, of course, said it wasn’t necessary. I refused to listen to her. I sent the money every month even though Renee protested with every check. There was no way in hell I would be one of those dead-beat dads. My baby girl would have what she needed.

The only time we got to see each other was two weeks during the summer. It was the only time that worked with both of our schedules. I used to call her every Sunday to see what was happening in her life. Bella never wanted to talk once she got on the phone. It seemed pointless to call every week when all we talked about was how many fish I caught the previous week. The last few years I would only call on the holidays and her birthday.

I finally drifted to sleep and had pleasant dreams of fishing with my girl. It was the best night’s sleep I’d had in a while. The alarm went off at five, and I jumped out of bed. I quickly went through my daily routine of showering and dressing and was downstairs by 5:30 to start a pot of coffee. I needed to leave the house no later than seven to ensure I made it to the airport early. I didn’t want Bella waiting on me. I did some last minute tidying up and headed out the door at exactly seven.

I knew I was speeding just a little down the highway, but I couldn’t contain my excitement. Luckily I was in the cruiser so I wouldn’t get pulled over. I arrived at the Fairchild International Airport in Port Angeles just a little after eight. I quickly parked the cruiser and made my way to Bella’s terminal. The arrival board showed that her flight was ahead of schedule and would be landing at 8:30. I was so glad I arrived early.

Her flight arrived, and I watched anxiously as the passengers flowed out into the lobby. I got worried when it seemed like the plane was empty and Bella was nowhere to be found. I knew Bella flying alone was a bad idea. I let out a huge breath when a flight attendant finally walked into the lobby holding my Bella’s hand. I couldn’t stop the huge smile that spread across my face. I eagerly made my way to Bella and the flight attendant.

“Hey, Bells.”

“Hey, Char, uh, Dad,” she said shyly.

“Hello, sir. May I please see your identification?” the flight attendant asked.

“Of course,” I said, digging my wallet out of my back pocket. I handed her my driver’s license and winked at Bella. She blushed and lowered her head.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Swan. Bella, it was a pleasure getting to know you during the flight. I hope to see you sometime in the future.”

“Thanks so much, Rachel. You made the flight fun,” Bella said as she gave Rachel a quick hug. I grabbed her hand and headed toward the baggage claim area.

“It is so good to see you, Bells. I missed you.” I put my arm around her shoulder and gave her a quick squeeze.

We grabbed her bags and made our way to the cruiser. She cringed when she saw it. I knew she didn’t like riding around in it, but there was no other choice. It was my only means of transportation. Bella leaned her head against the window and fell asleep before we made it out of Port Angeles.

I spent the entire drive stealing glances at my beautiful daughter. I couldn’t believe how much she had grown up. She didn’t look like a little girl anymore. She looked like a young lady. She had her brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, and I could see that her face had thinned out. She no longer had the round childish cheeks anymore. She still wore jeans, tee shirts, and tennis shoes. It was nice to know some things would never change. When she was a baby, Renee would always put frilly dresses on her. It would only take her about thirty minutes to finally get the dress off and run around in only her diaper. It was only the frilly things she would strip off. It used to drive Renee crazy.

I gently shook Bella’s shoulder to wake her when we made it home. “Wake up, kiddo. We’re home.”

Bella stretched her arms over her head, then rubbed her eyes. I grabbed her bags out of the trunk and led her into the house. I quickly dropped her bags in her room and joined her in the kitchen.

“Dad, why do you have so many snacks and sandwich stuff? You know I can cook. We don’t have to live off bologna and peanut butter and jelly.”

“Bells, I’ve got something in the living room that will explain all the food in the kitchen.”

She gave me a curious look and slowly headed into the living room. She sat on the couch. “Where’s the clue to the fine cuisine you’ve stocked the kitchen with?”

I pulled the huge bag from Newtons’ from behind the couch and placed it on the couch next to her. She reluctantly opened the bag and peeked inside. Her face turned white, and she looked like her puppy had just died.

“What’s wrong, kiddo?”

“Um, Dad, what exactly is all of this?” She began pulling each item out of the bag one by one.

“It’s a fishing pole, tackle box, and gear just for you. I’ve got the next two weeks off from work, and I thought we could spend some quality time on the lake fishing.”

“Thanks,” she said in a monotone voice.

“I figure we can get an early start tomorrow. If we can be on the road by five, we can make it to the lake just before sunrise. That’s when the fish bite the best.” I couldn’t help but grin at the thought of fishing with my girl. I had such good times fishing with my dad when I was a boy. I hoped Bella and I could make some memories that she would remember fondly when she had kids.

Bella took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “That sounds fine, Dad.”

We spent the rest of the day in the living room watching the game. Well, I watched the game and Bella had her nose stuck in a book. I ordered pizza for dinner, and we both headed to bed early. We had a long day and an early start the next day. We would both need plenty of rest.

I eagerly jumped out of bed when the alarm went off at 3:30. I quickly took my shower and dressed in my lucky jeans and flannel shirt. I always caught the best fish when I wore that shirt. I woke Bella up at 4:00 and went to the kitchen to make up the sandwiches. By the time I was done and had the coolers packed, Bells came stumbling down the stairs. I couldn’t hold back the chuckle. Some things would never change. My Bells would always be clumsy. Bella blushed when she realized I saw her stumble.

Bella had on her jeans, a blue tee shirt, and a hooded zip up sweat shirt. She had her backpack slung over her shoulder.

“You ready to head out, kiddo?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I guess so.”

We loaded all the gear into the cruiser and hurried on our way. The thirty minute drive to the lake was very quiet. Bella fell asleep on the way. Deputy Mark kept a little fishing boat docked at the lake and let me use it any time I wanted. I woke Bella up after I had all the gear loaded into the boat. She reluctantly followed me to the dock and got on the boat.

I took us out into the middle of the lake and dropped anchor. I handed Bella her pole and tackle box. She gave me a look that said, “Now what?” I chuckled and tried to explain the gear to her. She looked like a deer caught in headlights. After ten minutes of frustration, I gave up and fixed her line. I placed the float on it and secured the hook. She looked utterly lost.

I thought Bella was going to have a nervous breakdown when I opened the container of worms. “What are those for?”

“This is the bait, kiddo. We’ll attach one to the hook and that is what attracts the fish to the hook,” I explained.

She gasped. “I’m supposed to torture and murder that poor creature just so I can catch another innocent creature and murder it as well?”

“Calm down, Bells. It’s a small sacrifice to catch food for the table. Look how easy it is.” I quickly attached a worm to her hook, and I thought she was going to pass out.

“There is no way I’m going to touch one of those.”

“Fine. I’ll bait all of your hooks for you. All you have to do is cast your line and wait for a fish to bite.” She shrugged her shoulders and took the fishing pole from my hands. I helped her cast the first time, and she seemed okay with the motions. “Now all you have to do is hold the pole and wait for a fish to bite. You’ll feel the line tug once you’ve got one. Let me know and I’ll help you reel in your first catch.” Bella just nodded her head and took her seat on the boat.

I finally baited my hook, cast my line, and sat next to Bells. She kept shifting in her seat and sighing.

“You okay, kiddo?”

“Yeah. Just a little bored.”

We sat in silence for another thirty minutes until the sun came up. “Dad, now that the sun’s up, can I read my book?”

“As long as you keep a tight grip on your pole you can read.” She smiled and quickly pulled out her book. I looked at the cover and saw that she was reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Wasn’t that book a bit old for her? I might have to talk with Renee about that.

We sat there for about thirty minutes before I noticed her line was tugging. She seemed oblivious to the movement. “I think you’ve got a bite, Bells.”

She looked at me confused. “Bells, your line is tugging. I think you’ve got a bite.” She looked at the line and jumped.

“What do I do?” she asked, panicked.

“Don’t worry. Just watch me and you can reel in the next one, okay?” She nodded her head and watched as I reeled her catch in. She looked sad when I held the line up with the fish dangling on the end.

“Nice job, Bells. That’s at least a five pounder,” I said, beaming with pride.

“Um, thanks,” she mumbled.

I took the fish off her line and handed her pole back to her. She picked up the container of worms and cringed when she dug her fingers in the dirt and pulled up a fat worm. I noticed that she winced when she placed the worm on the hook. Once she had her line ready, she brought the pole back and started to cast her line. Before it could get too far the hook caught on Bella’s side. She screamed out in pain.

I quickly grabbed the pole from her hands and placed it on the bottom of the boat. I gently sat Bella down and looked at where the hook was stuck. It was in pretty deep. We were going to have to go the hospital and get it removed. “Bella, honey, I think we’re gonna have to go to the ER. I don’t think I can get it out without hurting you. The good news is that when you brought the pole back you flung the worm off the hook.” She grimaced.

I gently cut the line from the hook and started heading back to shore. I quickly loaded the car and tied the boat back to the dock. I quickly made my way to the highway. I turned on the lights and sirens and sped to the Forks ER. I was never happier to be driving the cruiser. We made it to the hospital in fifteen minutes.

I rushed Bella through the doors and found Kelly Brown sitting at the check in desk.

“Hey, Chief. What’s got you rushing in here using the lights and sirens?”

“Hey, Kelly. I was fishing with my daughter, Bella, and she got a hook caught in her side.”

Kelly shook her head and chuckled. “She’ll be fine, Chief. Just fill out these papers and I’ll let Dr. Gerandy know what’s going on.”

Bella sat next to me sniffling. I quickly filled out the papers and gave them back to Kelly.

“I’m real sorry about this, kiddo. I didn’t want to end up in the ER on your first full day here.” She just shrugged her shoulders and turned to stare out the window.

We only waited a few more minutes before we were shown back to an examining room. Dr. Gerandy worked quickly to remove the hook. Bella needed a couple of stitches and a tetanus shot. We walked out of the ER about two hours later with a prescription for antibiotics and a couple of stitches to show for our first fishing trip.

I dropped Bella off at the house while I got her prescription filled. I dropped by the diner and picked up some burgers and fries for dinner on the way home. I walked in the door and found Bella curled up on the couch crying.

“Bells, what’s wrong, honey?”

“I can’t do this anymore, Dad.”

I had no idea what she was talking about. “What do you mean? What can’t you do?”

She waved her hand between the two of us. “This. You don’t even know who I am.” She was sobbing so hard I could barely make out what she was saying.

“What do you mean I don’t know who you are? You’re my baby girl. My Bella.”

She laughed. “That’s just it. I’m not a baby anymore. If you knew me at all, you would know that I’ve never owned a Barbie in my life. I despise the color pink.”

I was shocked. “I’m sorry, Bella. I didn’t realize that. I thought most girls liked pink and Barbies.”

“That’s just it. I’m not most girls. I don’t play with dolls. I would rather sit on the couch and read a good book. Most girls like dresses, and I would rather die than wear a dress. If you would take the time to get to know me you would know these things. This is all we ever have. Two weeks. You never cared enough to come and visit me or even call me. I don’t know why I would expect you to know anything about me.”

I was stunned. My little girl thought I didn’t love her. I didn’t know how to show her let alone tell her. That was always a problem between Renee and me. “Bells, I’m sorry. I work so hard every day to make sure you have all that you need. If you need me to come visit you, I will. I’ll call you every night when I get home from work if that’s what you want. Please don’t ever think I don’t love you.”

Bella sighed. “Dad, just drop it. I know you love me. I’m just stressed out from today. You don’t need to change your life. Just please don’t expect me to come here and be something I’m not. I hate fishing. I don’t ever want to do that again. I can’t believe you thought it was a good idea to put something like a hook in my hands. Disaster was the only way for that to end.”

I chuckled. “I guess you’re right. I didn’t think that through too well. I promise. No more fishing.”

We spent the rest of the two weeks at the house. Bella threw me out the door a few times because she got tired of my pouting. She told me if I didn’t go fishing then she was going to go crazy. She always did understand my need to be one with the fish. She complained every day about the “sucky” weather.

The time had dragged, but I was not happy to take Bella to the airport when my time with her was through. It was nice to have Bella around the house. I hadn’t realized how much I hated coming home to an empty house every night. Bells was an excellent cook. I would miss all of her good food.

I helped Bella get all of her bags checked in and walked her to the terminal. We checked in at the gate and found Rachel waiting for her again.

“Well, kiddo, I guess this is where I have to leave you. I promise not to make you go fishing next year.”

Bella laughed. “Thank god for that. I made you a few weeks worth of meals and left them in the freezer. There is a list of heating directions taped on the fridge.”

“Thanks, Bells. You’re the greatest. Call me and let me know you made it home okay.” She nodded and gave me a quick hug before she walked off with Rachel.

I stayed until her flight took off. It was so hard to let her go. This was the first time it was hard watching her leave. I guess this was the first year I actually spent time with her. I couldn’t believe I lost so many years with her. There was no way I would waste my time with her ever again.

I stopped by the station when I got back into town. Deputy Mark said nothing major happened while I was out, just a few reports of vandalism and some domestic disputes. Nothing he couldn’t handle. I checked out all of his reports then headed back home. I was surprised to see the message light blinking when I walked inside.

“Hi, Charlie. Bella and I had a long talk about her time with you.” I groaned. I forgot to tell Renee about our trip to the ER. “Call me as soon as you get this message.”

I made me a sandwich and grabbed a can of Vitamin R before I settled into my recliner. Once I ate I picked up the phone and called Renee.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Renee, it’s Charlie.”

“Thanks for calling me back. Look, Bell told me all about her time in Forks this year. She really liked the fact that you took time off work and spent the entire time with her. You need to do that from now on.”

“I planned on it. I had a great time with her.”

“Good. We need to make some adjustments to your time with her. Bella hates Forks. She wants to spend time with you, but she doesn’t want to go back to Forks.”

“What are we supposed to do then? I really don’t want to go to Phoenix.” I dreaded the thought of having to see Renee with whatever man she was occupying her time with.

“Bella doesn’t want to spend her two weeks with you here either. I think the two of you should meet in California. You could stay in a town with lots of things to keep the two of you occupied.”

I thought it over for a few minutes. “That sounds fine, Renee. Next year I’ll plan us a vacation.”

“That’s wonderful, Charlie. Oh, and the next time you have to take Bella to the ER, you better call me immediately.”

“Yes, Renee. I’ve gotta go. Give Bells a hug for me.”

“I will. Bye, Charlie.”

“Bye, Renee.”

I hung up the phone and let out a sigh. Bells just left, and I already missed her. How was I going to make through another year without seeing her. This was the best time we ever spent together. I couldn’t believe how much she had grown. Gone were the days of mud pies and Ring Around the Rosie. Now she only wanted to read a book or listen to her music. I was expecting my little girl and was met with a young lady. She grew up while I wasn’t looking. It pained me to realize she was growing up, but I took comfort in the thought that no matter how old she was or how mature she acted, Bella would always be daddy’s little girl.