FOREVER • jacob black

1 | COMING HOME

With a heavy sigh, Tessa Clearwater picked up her bag from the luggage strip and made her way to the entrance of the airport. She graduated collage and her summer was over. She was supposed to be looking for a job. A real one, the summer waitressing her did wouldn't take care of the bills but instead, she is back home because her mother called. Her mother said she would come and pick her up. She walked around when she suddenly heard an familiar voice yell her name:

"Tessie!" She spun to the source, knowing there is only four people two has ever called her that - her parents and her two siblings - and locked eyes on her mother's figure. There was joy in Sue Clearwater's expression but most of all there was sadness. Furrowing her eyebrows, Tessa made her way to her mom. The older woman brought her second eldest daughter into a tight hug and Tessa didn't hesitate to return it. She could feel something was wrong but she didn't know what.

"Mom, what's wrong?" She asked when they finally pulled away. Sue's eyes immediately filled with tears but she shook her head.

"I'll tell you at home." Was the only explanation the older woman gave before they walked out of the airport. Tessa insisted that she drove because her mother didn't look in a state to drive. Agreeing with her daughter, the two began the drive back to La Push.

There was no words exchanged between the mother daughter duo but that didn't stop Tessa's stomach from churning as questions plagued her mind. Was it her twin? Her brother? Or worse: her dad?

Stopping at the Clearwater house, the girl smiled at the sight. Just because she didn't want to return, didn't mean that she didn't miss her family and her childhood home. She was barely out of the car before a warm muscular body crashed into hers. Tessa's body immediately stiffened, not knowing who was hugging her and not expecting it.

"Tessa!" The familiar voice of her little brother, Seth, said but there was also a sadness to it. Relief filled heart as she realised it wasn't her brother who was in trouble and that only left her twin and her dad - neither was appealing options. She pulled away and her eyes nearly fell out of her head when she looked him over. Seth saw the look on Tessa's face and inwardly groaned as he knew what was coming next.

"Are you on steroids young man?" Was the question she asked her brother and if it was under any different circumstance, Sue would have laughed at her daughter's question but it wasn't and she needed to tell Tessa the truth,  She just didn't know how.

"No, he's not." Came the sour yet sad voice of Leah Clearwater, the smallest of smiles tugging at her lips. There was also the slightest tinge of happiness in her tone from seeing her twin and she, along with the three members of the Clearwater family, knew it.

Tessa's heart plummeted as she her her voice. Don't get it wrong - she loved her twin but that means the family member who was in trouble was her dad. Then she began to think it over, the sadness in their voices, her mother's reluctance to tell her before she was here. Something inside of her clicked and she began to vigorously shake her head and Sue stepped forward and hugged her just as tightly as at the airport because she knew Tessa had figured it out.

"No." She choked out weakly and tears filled her eyes but she refused to let them fall.

"I'm sorry sweetie. Your dad passed away." Sue said and her heart broke but she knew she needed to say it. And as those words registered in Thea's brain, the tears began falling and her body began shaking from her sobbing. Leah and Seth joined the to females and it turned into a family hug. The four remaining Clearwater's comforted each other from the loss of Harry Clearwater.