✔ | 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍, jasper hale

twenty-two

Time seemed to move slowly as Madelline sat at her usual table with Bella. She was well aware that Edward had visited Bella already yet decided against mentioning something about it. She knew that the girl needed time for herself.

Mike, Angela, Eric, and Jessica weren't oblivious to the sudden change in their friends' behaviors yet weren't one to pry over it and instead tried their utmost best to distract them from the absence of the Cullens. Unfortunately for them, it somehow worked on one of them, or so they think.

Their friends played around and had their usual banters that would often lead to Eric and Mike chasing each other while Jessica and Angela would either roll their eyes at them or snicker. Madelline couldn't help but softly smile at their efforts, thankful to still have friends like them.

Despite that, Madelline Smith remained active and top of her classes. Not once did she leave an unfinished task nor allowed herself to feel any type of emotion as she believe it would just distract her from her studies. This type of coping was starting to worry Elijah because every time he would see his daughter, it was either she was doing something or staring off into nothing. It's always either of the two.

It was hard, keeping up a facade in front of everyone but day by day it gets better. It slowly becomes natural for her.

Just like any other day, she went straight home right after school. She removed her outerwear and changed into pajamas, leaving her bag on her work table before sitting by her window sill. She wrapped herself in her duvet, her eyes staring outside.

Elijah loosened his tie the moment he entered their house, a relieved sigh escaping his lips when the scent of home entered his nostrils. His eyebrows quirk at the silence, deciding to head straight to Madelline's room.

He had learned what happened already when Carlisle called him, right before entering the airport. He had explained and apologized on their behalf to which Elijah understood yet he wouldn't deny that seeing Madelline in her current state saddens him the most.

Madelline was officially void of emotion. Her coping mechanism terrifies him. She would continuously fill up her schedule no matter what in order for her to not dwell on her thoughts and her emotions.

However, there were times her control slips away and that's when Elijah comes in. He would scoop her inside his arms as she breaks down, her silent sobs contrasted with her eyes as if they were screaming, breaking his heart into pieces.

His feet stopped just in front of her door, about to knock when several sniffles stopped his fist midway. He softly twisted the knob and immediately saw his daughter curled up into a ball on her window sill, a fuzzy blanket covering almost the entirety of her lower body.

The sound of the door opening caught her attention, her gaze shifting towards it, and saw her father who looked as if he had just gotten out of work. She instantly wiped her tears and sat up straight, making room for Elijah.

"I'm sorry, did I distract you?" she softly asked as she glanced down at her fiddling fingers.

Elijah could feel himself tearing up at the sound of her small voice that seemed... so frail and beyond vulnerable. He slowly walked near her, gently enough to not scare her. As soon as he sat down, he gently lift up her chin and immediately saw her bloodshot eyes and dried tears that ran down her cheeks.