Lightness Within All (Paul Lahote)

Bayla's Return

Bayla Leanne Swan was the polar opposite of her sister, only blessed to share the same mother and father as her sister.
While her sister Bella was more secluded, closed off , and absent minded Bayla was like a light, bringing in everyone around her with her spirit and charismatic ways.
Her voice was soft and melodic, often overlooked or unheard my most.
Her laugh was infectious, reminding her sister of bubbles on a sunny day, soft, light, and beautiful.

She stood 5 foot exact, bearing a small frame that Bella had always looked at as fragile.
Although she was small, she carried a strength inside her, always wanting to prove to herself and others that she could do what other thought she could not, even if she had gotten hurt in the end.
Her light brown hair fell past her chest in small wavy curls, in a way that looked like her sisters, and Bella had always said that was the only thing they had in common .

That wasn't a lie, while Bella had deep chocolate brown eyes taking after her father Charlie, Bayla had dark green eyes swirled with crystal blue and specks of brown on the outside, mesmerizing and enchanting .
Her features were shark, chiseled almost with a sharp jawline, high cheekbones and a perfect button nose, she was the definition of beautiful.
Although she had been told her whole life she was indeed beautiful she had never let that get to her, it was often overlooked and she remained humble and kind, often to kind for Bella's liking .

Growing up they had been peas in a pod, always spending there days and nights together, best friends  as most would call them, Bella would always step up and defend her when needed, and Bayla would always be Bella's helping hand or listening ear when needed.
As they reached 16 the pair were still inseparable, until their mother Renée and her new boyfriend decided to up and leave there home in Arizona for the sunny state of Florida.

A new adventure Bayla had called it, her small mouth grinning widely as she packed up her stiff. bullshit Bella had said, so as Bayla stayed behind to travel with her mother Bella had decided to stay at their fathers house, Charlie Swan, Chief Of Police in the tiny dreary town of Forks, Washington .

Bayla had stayed in Florida for a while, soaking up the suns rays, swimming in the ocean on the weekends, and of course reading books in the afternoon as the sing set but the days and months passed by filling Bayla with a sadness and a longing to hear her sisters voice again,  the loneliness of not having her sister set in, so once she got the Okay from Charlie and a much Teary eyed Okay from Renée she decided to be reunited with her sister and give Forks a chance, unaware that while the two were separated her sister Bella had managed to Fall in love with a charming man named Edward Cullen, who was in fact not a man, but a vampire instead and their childhood friend Jacob Black would soon phase for the first time, scarring Bayla in the process.

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As Bayla sat in the back seat of her daughter police cruiser she looked out the window to her right and noticed automatically that she was far from Florida. While Florida left her skin warm and heated with the sun always perched highly in the sky, Forks seemed to be the opposite. The sun hid behind the dark clouds in the sky that threatened to pour rain at any moment, and the chill in the air left tiny goosebumps on Bayla's tiny arms that only bared a short sleeve maroon colored t-shirt.

"Bay I would say you've grown since I've seen you last but I don't think that's quite true" Charlie said while glancing at his daughter who was watching the trees pass by outside her window .
Bayla glanced up and met her fathers eyes in the mirror and let out a small chuckle, lighting up the awkward atmosphere that seemed to be consuming Bella from the front.
"Mom says big things come in spall packages" Bayla said, shrugging her shoulders with a small smile .

Charlie chuckled along and nodded his head in a Yes  manner, knowing she was more than just her size despite what anyone else might believe.
"That's true, your moms wise" Charlie said, his heart aching at the thought of his now Ex wife.
"Wise as she can be" Bella said, looking at her sister in the back seat .
"I'm glad your back Bay, I missed you" Bella said with a sincere smile .
Bella, who mostly kept her feelings hidden away in a dark abyss, was happy to have her sister back, and had no intentions of keeping those feelings away from her year younger, bright and cheerful sister .

Bayla perched up, her small figure now sitting close to the middle, and smiled at her sister, her emerald eyes full of love and light that radiates through the car touching everyone with in it .
"I missed you too Bells" Bayla said her smile now matching Bella's .
Charlie smiled at his daughters interaction as he pulled into the driveway. Bayla looked out the front of the cruiser and saw the same house she
remembered from when she was a small child .

The two story white house stood tall showcasing the many windows and 2 large oak trees in the front yard, and Bayla smiled as it brought back many memories of her childhood of her and Bella running around in the front yard playing with their Barbie dolls and many vases of chalk they went through.

"Home sweet home" Charlie said as he got out of the cruiser, closing the door behind him and opening up Baylas door.
"It's just like I remembered it" Bayla said, cleaning up at her dad with a bright smile that Charlie could only smile back too.

He lazily dropped his arm over Baylas shoulder and pulled her in for a side hug, smiling at the joy she brought along with her .
"It's good to have you back Bay" Charlie said glancing over to Bella who was already walking in the house as the way she always did .
Bayla smelled the scent of her fathers cologne as it filled her nostrils and only smiled harder, feeling as if she had never left in the first place .
"I'm glad to be back dad" Bayla said, her words holding truth behind them .

Soon enough Bayla found herself in her new room un-packing her things, she glanced around the room and smiled, it wasnt much larger than her room back in Florida but it held a familiarity to it and she couldn't help but bask in the coziness it provided.
Where Bella's room had been dark and uninviting with dark colors of Purples and brown Baylas room showed a cozier side with dainty fairy lights hung up above her bed that held a soft white comforter with one small yellow pillow just in the middle, cotton white walls with a huge canvas of painted Sunflowers, many pictures of her family, and her favorite quote hung up just beside the large window that showed a huge oak tree just outside of it .

When she looked around only one word came to mind, and that was Home.