Elle lazily skipped through the fuzzy radio stations as the tall trees whizzed past her. The sun had fallen behind the trees hours ago, leaving the rising moon to take its place. Elle shifted in her seat as she struggled to keep her eyes focused on the road and not on the beautiful scenery that surrounded her. Her uncle had warned her of the wildlife that had a history of surprising late-night travelers. She passed a handful of deer the deeper she entered the lush forest and was amazed at their stance and colors. The only critters she had seen back in California had been a few rats and the occasional bat. The Golden State was a beautiful place to grow up, but now it held piss-poor luck and bad memories. Looking back now, Elle realized that her childhood was vastly different than her peers. 

Her uncle, Charlie, was drastically different than his sister Maggie. While he decided to settle down in the small town of Forks, Washington, with a wife and child, his sister, traveled the world in search of something else. Charlie seemed to take after his father, a level-headed man who bent down to no one. Elle's mother took after her own mother, laidback with no worry in the world. In the few visits Elle had taken to see her uncle, with her mother in tow, she was able to only find a few similarities between them, but only in looks, never in personality or responsibility.

It wasn't a tough decision for Elle to make the move north in search of a parental figure who actually wanted to guide her through the last of her formative years. With only two emails and a handful of calls, Elle was on her way to live with her uncle. She spent only one, five-minute call with her mother to convince her to let her only daughter pack up everything she found dear and leave town. Elle's mother had been traveling for more than six months somewhere in Africa, trying to find the perfect cover photo for her magazine. One please and a few promises, she was ready to leave sunny California with only a few bags and boxes in her trunk.

The traveling didn't bother Elle as much as it used to. Maggie was as absent as much as she could while her daughter grew up. It took years for Elle to understand that her mother was just a free spirit, and while she loved her daughter in her own way, she wanted more in life than what a small town could give her. She used to travel with her mother until she was old enough to care for herself. Maggie always sent money and trinkets, but Elle just wanted her mother's love and approval.

Maggie never stuck around long enough for Elle to ask about her father, or where she was going to be traveling next. Her only source of information about her father came from Charlie, who didn't know him well either. He was able to tell her that her father did give her his blonde hair and strong chin. She liked to imagine that he was alive somewhere, just waiting for her with open arms and a loving smile. But her imagination was not reality, and the only people who greeted her that way were Charlie and his daughter, Bella. 

With the glow of the moon to guide her way, Elle finally pulled into her uncle's gravel driveway, gravel crunching under her worn tires. She quickly cut the engine when the screen door flew open on squeaky hinges. The two met in the middle of the driveway, laughing with their arms wrapped around each other. Elle loves her Uncle Charlie's hugs, as they were different from her mother's cold, unflinching grasp. Charlie was warm and surrounded by the smell of the forest, sharp and welcoming. 

"Hey, Pumpkin," Charlie let out a jovial laugh as he twirled Elle around. "It's good to see you." He set her down gently and held her at arm's length to give her a once over. "You grew again?"

Elle giggled, "Only an inch, it's been a while since I've seen you last." An owl in the distance called, reminding Elle of the time of night it was. "Let's grab my bags so you can get to bed. I feel bad that you've waited up for me."

Charlie scoffed. "I'm not eighty years old."

"Well, you sure look like it," Elle teased with a grin spread across her face. 

Charlie laughed with her. "I'm just looking out for you, kiddo." He took the keys from her hands and popped the trunk, reaching for the first bag and lifting it to his shoulders. "What do you have in here? Bricks? Concrete?"

"They're books, Uncle Charlie. Not all of us fall asleep when we try to read. Some of them are cookbooks because I know that you can't cook for crap. You're too thin anyway, so you'll have to be my guinea pig; there are a lot of recipes that I want to try out." 

Charlie patted his stomach and laughed. "I'll eat anything you cook, kiddo."

"I don't doubt that for a second." She smiled when she passed Charlie, who politely opened the front door for her. The entryway walls were covered with old family photos from his childhood, up to Elle and her cousin's recent school pictures. The old staircase creaked under their feet as Charlie led her up to the first landing and then up another small set of stairs. "The attic, as you requested. There wasn't a lot of stuff up here anyways, but the rest was moved to the basement."

He opened the door with a flourish and Elle grinned. She stepped in first and spun around the room in awe. He had painted the walls from the peeling white paint to soft lavender. A full-sized bed was placed against the far wall, facing the door. A large flowery comforter covered the bed with more pillows than she could ever need in her life. The window to her right was open, a soft breeze entered and carried the smell of clean earth in. The wardrobe to the left brought back happy memories of her and Bella hiding in there when they played hide and seek as children. 

 "Harry Clearwater's kids helped, well, mostly Leah, but Seth helped paint." Charlie rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I know it's not much, but-" Elle wrapped her arms around Charlie in a bone-crushing hug.

Tears threatened to spill as she squeezed him. "It's perfect, Uncle Charlie. Thank you."

"You like it? If you don't, I can change it if you want." 

"I won't lie to you, it's probably the most thoughtful thing someone has done for me. I love it." Elle did in fact, love the space. Never in her life had someone gone so out of their way to help her and let her move in a blink of an eye. Her old room in California had plain, white walls in every room and no family photos to speak of. But this room had everything she wished for.

✧

It was one of the hottest days of the summer, as hot as Forks can get, but the rain had finally let up enough for Charlie to cut the long grass. "Uncle Charlie! Dinner's ready!" Elle called from the back door. Just in time, Charlie guessed, as dark clouds began their journey once again. He packed up the mower and happily followed after his niece, his stomach rumbling. In the week that Elle had moved in, the house had begun to look more open and bright. The shadows cowered in fear as Elle's radiant light turned a house into a home. The old yellow walls seemed brighter and more welcoming than they had in a long time. Plants had been slowly accumulating on the windowsills and fresh flowers were always on the table. Dust never seemed to settle, the furniture never faded in the sun.

Like her uncle, Elle preferred the peaceful silence that the house provided as they enjoyed their meal. A few grunts of approval from Charlie and a quick shoo, he banned her from the kitchen as he cleaned up. He did the dishes and grabbed a beer to quickly join her in the living room.

With the low hum of the tv in the background, Charlie finally spoke up. "I, uh, enrolled you at the local high school. They said that they would mail your school schedule soon."

Elle looked up from the sportscaster on the tv and met Charlie's gaze with a genuine smile of gratitude. "Thank you, Uncle Charlie. 

"Don't worry kiddo, it was easy-peasy. Now come on, there's a game on." Elle giggled and turned her attention back to the game on the tv. 

✧

Charlie remembered the day that Elle was born like it was the back of his hand. At the time, Renee was too pregnant to travel, but Charlie dropped everything and made the solo trip to see his sister. Maggie was always calm and he had only seen her cry once growing up. So when he picked up the house phone and heard his sister's sobs, he knew where he was needed. Charlie and Maggie had never been close growing up, but they were family and family took care of each other. 

Eleanor Ruth Swan was born on July 7th, 1987 in the early morning hours. She was born ten weeks early and wasn't breathing when she made her way into the world. She was taken from the delivery room to the one next door as doctors and nurses worked on reviving her. It was a miracle that the medical professionals had saved her, but Elle's struggles were far from over. Charlie and Maggie had sat up every day and every night, watching baby Elle with numerous tubes and sensors attached to her, as she struggled to breathe. Despite Elle's sickly appearance, Charlie would always and forever remember the tight grip she had on his finger as she laid in the incubator. He knew then, that she would be a fighter. 

Elle eventually left the hospital with her mother, who encouraged Charlie to return to his own pregnant wife. He worried about his sister, who never wanted children, and the baby girl in her arms, who might not know a mother's love. He regrets not taking her himself like Maggie had begged one night. But he talked her down and she kept Elle, just not loving her the way she deserved. 

Charlie was incredibly proud of Elle. She grew up a beautiful, intelligent, independent young woman despite everything the world threw at her. She struggled for years with not knowing her place in the world, like her mother, but Charlie hoped that she would find her place in Forks. Charlie said a silent prayer before he fell asleep, as he does every night, that his niece and daughter stay safe, healthy, and most importantly, loved. 

It seemed his prayers were being listened to as a dark figure wandered into the house and found its way in the attic. The dark shadow knelt next to the sleeping blonde and gently swept a lock of hair behind her ear. The stranger brushed their frozen lips against Elle's pale cheek and sat down next to her without a sound, not moving until the birds started their singing. 

#charliedeservedbetter