chapter┊ ✦. :: twenty three
♡ ﹙florida﹚ ❋  ˚  ݂ ꛒ

It was almost ten o'clock at night, Lydia and Carlisle were in the living room of the Cullen house, calmly discussing their workday when Edward arrived, very agitated, with Alice and Jasper. In a moment, the whole family was gathered.

Carlisle stood up quickly, concerned about his nephew and the grim expression on his face.

"What's wrong, Edward?"

Edward quickly looked at Alice for some kind of emotional support.

"Alice had a vision this afternoon," he began, trying not to sound alarmed or worried. "It's Victoria, and it's most likely she's coming for Bella. I told her to use the plane ticket that Esme and Evander gave her to go visit her mother, but she wants me to go with her."

Carlisle nodded, placing a hand on his nephew's shoulder. That warm gaze seemed to be what the man needed to calm his nerves.

"Alright. We'll take care of it. It's important to keep Bella safe."

Edward nodded gratefully but quickly glanced at Lydia, who was still sitting on the couch listening attentively to the small conversation. She looked away nervously, not thrilled about the idea of being subjected to so much stress, especially at this moment, but she also knew that now the most important thing was to keep Bella safe. Especially from Victoria, as she had learned from Carlisle that the girl had been pursued by that redhead even when the Cullens left Forks.

"Lydia will be fine," Carlisle assured, but there was a barely perceptible tone of hesitation. "Victoria probably won't even remember her, and since she's so determined to find Bella, she won't bother involving Lydia."

Edward nodded but seemed dejected. He felt guilty for putting Carlisle's companion in danger.

"Maybe she can go to Florida with us. Your parents also live there, right?"

"I agree with Edward," Evander suddenly spoke up. "If Lydia stays, one of us will probably stay with her, but it's best if we all face Victoria without worrying about anyone else's safety."

"Evander is right," Rosalie said, which was a surprise to everyone because she usually refrained from commenting on anything. "With Lydia pregnant, it's better not to subject her to so much stress. And being on the other side of the country, she'll be safer than here, even if she's not the target."

Everyone looked at the girl. She blushed at such sudden attention.

"Lydia?" Carlisle asked gently.

"Sure," she spoke softly and slightly tremulously. "I'm sure my mother is excited to see the ultrasound, and we'll have plenty to talk about."

Carlisle nodded. He didn't like the idea of being away from her, but at least he was certain that being with her parents would keep her safe, and in any case, Edward would be more or less nearby if necessary.

"Alright," Carlisle finally said and looked at Edward. "I'm counting on you."

"Of course. And I on you."

No one said anything else, and everyone went their separate ways. Carlisle returned to his place next to Lydia, and they talked a little about it. The next day, after work, he would take her home to pack. He didn't want to be apart from her.

Since discovering that Lydia was expecting a baby, Carlisle had become a thousand times more overprotective. The idea of being away from her and their future child caused him a strong conflict. Many times, Lydia had to remind him that everything was fine and that she even needed her little personal space for a few hours.

Carlisle had no choice but to respect that; he didn't want to overwhelm her, but still couldn't help but worry.

🫀

It turned out to be a great surprise for everyone to discover that Bella's mother and Lydia's mother were neighbors and that they even got along very well because for a short time they had interacted in Forks, as they had also been neighbors there. It was a relief for Edward, as he could monitor both girls without much inconvenience.

"It was very funny," Bella's mother explained. Everyone was at the backyard table in the moonlight. "When Phil and I arrived at this house, we loved it immediately. Then, we went to visit our neighbors to introduce ourselves officially, and Delilah screamed so loudly when she saw me that I also screamed very loudly out of fright," she let out a loud laugh at the memory. "Then I realized who she was. The world is so small."

"It sure is," Delilah agreed. "Besides, Marcelle and Phil got along great. Every time the four of us go out together, those two only talk about baseball and forget they have wives."

Lydia let out a short laugh. She found it quite endearing, although it was strange that they hadn't mentioned anything about it the last time she was there. Maybe it was because she was there for such a short time, and she honestly didn't mind not knowing; it would have been a bit awkward with all the drama surrounding Bella and the Cullens.

Bella remained silent, sitting next to Edward and listening attentively to the stories of the two older women. Both were so excited to tell embarrassing things about their husbands that they had to go get beers so no one would notice the blush on their cheeks.

Lydia didn't say it aloud to anyone, but she had enjoyed those little vacations in Florida with her parents very much. Everything was so peaceful and quiet; she didn't think about home dramas for a moment, and frankly, she felt a little guilty for enjoying it all. But she didn't mind saying goodbye to her parents again when she returned to Forks.

She had enjoyed that weekend, but it was enough for her to regain all her energy and arrive with a completely peaceful mind. Her parents stayed with a photograph of the ultrasound, and they made their daughter promise to send more when possible.

Likewise, Delilah explained to her daughter that Lilian had already given birth and that in two months they would go visit her. She asked Lydia that everyone gather to eat or something similar. Lydia wasn't thrilled about the idea, but maybe she could try. If she was with Carlisle, she would feel safe. The only thing she asked her mother was not to mention her pregnancy to Lilian. She promised she wouldn't say anything.

Carlisle welcomed them at the airport, and Lydia didn't think twice when she ran to him to hug him tightly. Hugging him felt like she had finally returned home... and in reality, she had. Carlisle was her home.

The trip home remained silent, but Lydia imagined that Carlisle was telling Edward everything mentally, and later he would tell her.

This time, they decided to go back to Lydia's house for a night alone. Lydia told him absolutely everything about the little trip, and Carlisle took care of telling her what had happened with Victoria, with the werewolves, and how a fight almost broke out between Emmett and one of the wolves.

Lydia could only think that she was the only one who still hadn't met the wolves, and although she wasn't excited for that to happen, she was curious. She remembered that in the book her mother had given her, it talked about the wolves from the Quileute reservation... but it was strange; it explained about their species, and the next page was torn out.

She hoped to uncover that mystery sooner rather than later, of course.

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