Carlie Swan

before the battle

Momma and I pull up to our house to see the sight of Grandpa and Pixie walking out talking. We both give each other a weird look, then get out.

"Ok, Alice. Don't be a stranger." Grandpa says, and she responds with an okay. She walks up to us and picks me up. "Your alibi for the battle is all arranged,"

"Really?"

"I told your father that our whole family's going camping this weekend. So you and I are having a sleepover at my house, and Carlie is going to spend the night at Sue's. Charlie's going fishing anyway, " the pixie vampire explained. "Charlie?" My mom asked, shocked and confused, "you guys are on first name basis now?"

"Me, he likes," she said a little smug about it. "Actually, you and Edward will have the house to yourself tonight." She admits. "Like alone?" Momma asks, making me give her a deadpan stare "no you're gonna have the whole town with you guys, " I say sarcastically while rolling my eyes.

The pixie vampire chuckles. "we're all going hunting, powering up for the battle. You're welcome. "

"What about Carlie?" I look at pixie for that. "Jacob's gonna take her for a few hours and then drop her off at the house at night." I brightened up at the mention of Jake, then scowl as I remember Jake plans to fight in the battle, and it was his idea to fight in the battle too.

Pixie gives me to momma after kissing my head. And we head inside as she disappears. Grandpa was in the kitchen. "Hey. Do any of you want a sandwich?" Grandpa asks.
"No, I'm good," momma says while Grandpa looks at me, and I nod.

Grandpa starts to make me a sandwich as he talks to momma. "Well, the sister... I like"

"Alice. Yeah, she's great. " There was an awkward silence between them. "Hey, dad, I was wondering... why didn't you get remarried after mom?"

"Uh, I don't know... I guess I still haven't met the right gal. Why?" Grandpa asks and hands me my sandwich. "I don't know. I thought you just maybe gave up on the whole institution of it. Of marriage. But do you think there's any value in it?"

"Yeah. Yeah, marriage has value. When you're older. Much older. Like your mother, it seems to work out fine for her the second time around. Later in life." Grandpa says, and I can hear the double meaning in his words. He doesn't want her to marry fresh out of high school.

"Yeah, I guess," momma says, sounding a little disappointed? Grandpa speaks, "I mean... you definitely don't wanna have to get married because you weren't... careful. " I stop eating and stiffle my laugh. He thinks she's pregnant, and momma seemed to not understand what he was hinting at.

"What?"

"Look, you know what I'm talking about. There's... things that you need to think about it, if you... if you're gonna be... physically intimate." I giggle at both their faces.

"Ok. Dont... dont have 'the talk'. Don't just quit."

"It's just as embarrassing for me as it is for you."

"I highly doubt that, and don't bother, cause mom beat you to it like 10 years ago,"

"Well, you didn't have a boyfriend 10 years ago,"

"I'm sure things work the same way." There was a pause before Grandpa nodded, "alright. So, you guys are... taking precautions, and..."

"Ok, dad. Please just don't worry about that. Edward is... old school." I laugh at the conversation that's going on between them. "Old school, great. What's that? Like a code for something?"

"Oh my god. Dad... I'm a virgin." Grandpa puts his hands to his ears and makes a lalala noise, making me laugh harder. "Okay, go. Glad we covered that." Momma runs upstairs shouting a "me too. "