Rain quietly drummed against the window as the darkening sky crept over the small town of Forks, Washington. Unopened boxes were scattered throughout the newly painted pastel pink room while I sat with my arms around my knees on the window seat. Mesmerized by the incoming storm, I didn't hear the sound of approaching footsteps until a knock on the frame of my door startled me out of my trance.

Mom poked her head through the open doorway, a small apologetic smile tugging on her lips. Her hazel brown eyes peered warily at my face as her left hand tucked loose strands of chestnut hair behind her ear, the braid she quickly fastened hours ago spilling out from the faded green scrunchie.

"Enjoying the view?"

"It's calming." I smiled as I turned my back to the window, my feet dangling above the hardwood floor. "What's up, Mom?"

"I ordered pizza for dinner, it should be here soon. How's the unpacking going?"

"It's a work in progress." I shrugged as Mom sighed sadly, taking a seat next to me. The faint scent of gardenia, bergamot, and amber wafted around us and I took a deep breath in, reveling in the familiar perfume.

"I'm sorry this has been difficult for you, Autumn... Your father and I getting a divorce, us moving across the country. Starting a new school in the middle of the academic year. I just want you to know that I only want what's best for you. And I think this move will be the best thing for both of us."

"I know, Mom." I grabbed her hand and squeezed reassuringly. "I'll be okay. A fresh start at a new school is exactly what I need after what happened with Reed. Plus, I won't be that behind everyone else thanks to the counselor emailing me everything before we moved. I promise I'm not upset about moving here."

"Do you want to talk about what happened with Reed?" Mom asked gently. Instantly, the memory of our break-up flashed through my mind, almost as if a movie began on cue.

The gazebo in the town square was blanketed in white twinkling lights and multicolored confetti, spilling down the steps and into the empty streets. Midnight had come and gone, ending the celebrations of the new year as the clock marched closer to 1 am, then 2 am. The remains of magnificent fireworks scattered the bridge road, waiting to be swept by the town council. The air was filled with a soothing quiet across town; families had headed home, sleeping peacefully as if the looming hangovers would fade in the moonlight.

I sat on a bench in the gazebo, taking in the sight of my hometown when Reed slowly walked over to me. My heart leaped at the sight of him, the same butterflies lingering in my stomach as the first day we met freshman year. His eyes clouded over as he sat beside me, shifting so there was some distance between us.

"We need to talk." He said as he shoved his hands into his coat pockets, his eyes not once meeting mine.

"Okay?" Immediately, my throat went dry as my heartbeat sped up, the sudden burst of anxiety crashing over me setting off sirens in my head.

The atmosphere around us dropped a few more degrees, despite being in the single digits from the light snowstorm rolling in. Reed's harsh tone was a slap to the face, sending me into shock as he spoke at last.

"It's over, Autumn."

Not the same three words spoken only a couple of hours before, when he kissed me under the fireworks...

Time stopped, my heart shattering like glass dropped onto a tile floor.

"What are you talking about?" My voice cracked as tears swelled in the corner of my eyes.

"We're done."

"Reed... please. Don't do this," I begged him. "I want to be with you."

"Oh, please!" He scoffed, launching himself away from the bench, away from me. "You're moving across the country, Autumn! A long-distance relationship would never work out. You know it and I know it."

I gaped at him, speechless as I tried to rack my brain for a reason we should stay together. The first thing that popped into my head slipped from my mouth.

"But I love you, Reed. Please, don't leave me..."

"I don't love you," he spoke angrily, cutting me off. "God, how stupid are you!? I don't want to be with you anymore! I haven't for a while. I slept with another girl during Thanksgiving break just so you would get the picture, for Pete's sake!"

"What?"

I stopped in my tracks at his confession, my chest tightening as the air left my lungs. Reed sighed, running a hand through his dark hair, his blue eyes full of resignation.

"You're not good enough for me, Autumn. I don't want you. It's over."

Without a backward glance, Reed stalked away into the darkness, leaving me in the gazebo with a broken heart and icy tears.

"There's not much to talk about. He decided I wasn't good enough to be his girlfriend anymore." I blinked back a threatening tear as I mentally pushed the memory away. "I should get some unpacking done. My first day at Forks High School is tomorrow and I want to be ready."

"Okay, baby. Well, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me. I still have some boxes to finish before I start on the living room." Mom walked toward the door before turning around. "I love you, Leaf. I hope you know that."

"I love you too, Mom." I smiled warmly at her, a moment of bonding passing between us.

After Mom disappeared down the staircase, I turned my attention back to the bedroom, to the scattered boxes that contained pieces of my childhood. Quickly contemplating where to start first, I knew the logical choice would be organizing the new desk Mom had bought me for Christmas; other than my bed, which was already put together, the desk was the most important space to focus on. Sorting through my belongings, I began to put boxes filled with items from my old desk off to the side; one by one, I opened them and slowly put things away in proper places, organizing as I went.

As I shifted through the diminishing pile of cardboard, my heart sank when I pulled out a black picture frame that used to sit proudly next to my laptop back home. It contained four photos, two portraits and two landscapes, laid out carefully in an overlapping display; a birthday present from Grandma four years ago that I cherished until recently.

The top left frame held a portrait of my parents and me from Homecoming a few months ago; Mom and Dad were dressed up for a benefit that Dad's boss was hosting, their smiles as radiantly happy as mine. Mom and I both wore red dresses, our brown hair twisted into elegant buns with curls framing our faces. Dad was dressed in a black suit with a red tie to match us, a white pocket square peeking out from his chest. The sight of my parents together gnawed at my chest and I furiously brushed a falling tear off my cheek before forcing my gaze away to the next photo, a landscape shot of Reed and me from the summer carnival. Choosing not to dwell on that particular memory, I shifted to the next frame; another landscape shot, but this time of my best friend Chloe and me.

The shot was taken from behind us by Mom on our annual summer vacation to the lake where Chloe's parents had a cabin. Chloe and I were both dressed in white outfits with green and white floral crowns on our heads. The sunset was fading into the water, and we stood at the shoreline in awe as waves lazily lapped at our bare feet. Neither one of us had known about the photo until Mom gave us a copy a few weeks later after the film had been developed. To say it was one of my favorite photos of us was an understatement; I smiled at the image and made a mental note to call Chloe after school tomorrow.

The last portrait frame held a worn piece of paper that I had painted myself nearly two years ago - a Christmas tree on a dark snowy night. Every time I looked at the green tree, I remembered the weekend Mom and I spent decorating the house for the holidays, making all kinds of cookies and our own ornaments while the Christmas playlist we made on her computer played in the background. Dad had been away on a business trip and we wanted to surprise him Sunday night when he came home. I was just about done with the pencil sketch when the front door slammed shut and the sound of angry voices floated up the stairs into my room. Not wanting to get in the way of my parents fighting, I turned up my stereo and lost myself in painting, only focusing on capturing the happiness of the weekend with each stroke of the paintbrush.

Shaking myself out of the unexpected memory lane, I laid the photo frame face down in the top drawer of the desk and returned to the box I had set in the chair for easier access. With each passing second I used to focus on arranging the desktop to the way I liked having things organized, I had forgotten all about the frame hidden from sight.

By the time pizza had arrived twenty minutes later, my vanity desk and bookcase were the only things left to organize. Setting down a box of books next to the bookcase, I began to descend the stairs when the doorbell rang a second time.

Mom was already answering the door when I reached the last step. A dark-haired man in a police uniform was standing on the porch with his daughter next to him, who was holding a fruit basket. Compared to his black hair, hers was more of a dark oak brown; however, their eyes were the same soft chocolate, wide and anxious.

"Hello, neighbors! I'm Charlie Swan, the police chief of Forks. This is my daughter, Bella. We live three houses down," the man introduced himself as he pointed down the street to a white house where a police car was parked. "We just wanted to officially welcome you to our small town."

Charlie turned toward his daughter, who awkwardly handed him the gift basket. With a friendly smile, he offered the gift to Mom.

"Thank you," she beamed warmly at him in return. "My name is Julie Watson, and this is my daughter, Autumn. We were just about to sit down for dinner. Why don't you join us?"

"Oh no, we don't want to intrude. I'm sure you would like to settle in before having company over."

"I insist. Please."

"Well, we would be honored." Charlie smiled a bit shyly, giving Mom a small nod.

Mom stepped aside to let them in and Charlie motioned Bella to go ahead, following behind her. Leading the police chief to the dining room, Mom apologized for scattered boxes as Bella and I silently stood in the hallway.

"So, you're the other new girl in town," Bella stated, breaking the silence first.

"Looks like it," I smiled. "Although, I hate being the center of attention, so maybe I'll die from embarrassment before first period is over."

My joke seemed to melt away any tension because Bella visibly relaxed as we laughed. I stuck my hand out and she grabbed it.

"This may be the start of a beautiful friendship," I said as we shook our hands twice.

"Yeah, I think so too." Bella nodded in agreement and we headed into the dining room to join our parents at the table.

As dinner was finishing, the phone on the wall began to ring. Mom excused herself to answer it, her face darkening like the sky as she moved out of earshot to scold at the person on the other end. I turned to Charlie and Bella, a smile brightly plastered on my face as I tried not to listen to Mom's annoyed tone.

"So, Autumn, tell me. Where are you from?" Charlie asked, shifting the attention away from the muffled conversation in the next room.

"River Heights, Michigan. It's about an hour and a half from Detroit. Small town, kind of like Forks." I answered, pretending not to hear Mom uttering in Italian; it was never a good sign to hear her speak in Italian the way she was. "Even the weather is similar, although we get a lot more snow there rather than rain. Rain usually only happens in the spring and in the fall, with the occasional summer storm."

"Do you like the snow?"

"We have a love-hate relationship," I joked, causing Charlie to chuckle. "But yes, I do enjoy the snow. Winter is probably my favorite season, despite being named for the fall."

"Bella has a permanent hate relationship with the cold," Charlie beamed at her.

"I was born with the clumsy gene," Bella grimaced, cracking into a small smile as her cheeks flared from embarrassment. "Ice is not my best friend."

"Where were you living before?" I asked curiously.

"Phoenix, Arizona. I was living with my mom and her husband... Phil. He's on a minor league baseball team, travels a lot." Bella's voice trailed off as she stole a glance at her dad, who focused on the nearly empty pizza box in front of him awkwardly. "Anyways, I wanted to have some sort of stability and it's been a while since I've seen my dad, so I asked to come stay with him. That way, I can also finish my education at one school."

"I understand that. It's hard going from school to school because of job opportunities." I nodded in agreement.

"No, Clint, you listen! I don't care what you think about my parenting skills. You chose that woman over your family!" Mom's voice rose to almost a screech. I cleared my throat loudly to cover her next words and rose to my feet.

"Thanks for coming over, and staying for dinner. I think my mom will breathe a little easier tomorrow now that I will know at least one person at school." I said cheerfully as I walked the Swans toward the front door.

"Tell your mother thank you for the invitation." Charlie smiled back before glancing toward his house through the side window near the staircase. "Why don't you come over, Autumn? There's someone else I'd like for you to meet."

"Okay?" I tilted my head in confusion at the sudden warm tone of his voice. "Let me just tell my mom where I'm going."

"See you in a few," Bella waved as she followed her dad outside.

I walked back into the dining room where Mom slammed the phone down on its receiver and sighed. She turned to look at me, rubbing a hand over her face.

"That was your father. He sends his best," Mom said sarcastically, plopping down into a nearby chair. I put my hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"What did he want?"

"Just to tell me that he sold the bakery to help pay for his new house. Everything I had went into that bakery. Now it's gone... before I could make a decision to sell it or... or... keep it and let your grandmother take over," Mom said dejectedly. "I can't believe him!"

"It'll be okay, Mom. A fresh start, remember? You could open a new bakery here," I suggested. "You always wanted to expand the business, it was your dream since high school. Why not start now? I'm sure Charlie knows a good spot for a bakery."

"I guess you're right. I just never thought your father would do this to me. We had our problems, but the bakery was mine." Mom sighed sadly.

"Why don't you come with me and ask? Charlie said there was someone he wanted us to meet, anyways." I held my hand out and Mom smiled.

"Alright. Let's go," she said as she grabbed my hand and I helped her out of the chair. Slipping on our coats, we walked down the sidewalk to the Swans' house, a slight breeze whisking around us.

Charlie was standing outside with a man in a wheelchair and a guy about my age. The two newcomers both had long, black hair and piercing brown eyes. Their skin instantly reminded me of smooth caramel that melted in your mouth on immediate contact. By observation, it made sense that the pair was father and son; judging by the pink flush on the guy's face caused by the teasing coming from the other man, I knew I was right. The older man was talking to Charlie as they watched Bella inspect an orange 1953 Chevy pickup when their attention shifted to us walking toward them. Charlie smiled as he waved us over.

"Julie, Autumn. I'd like you to meet my best friend, Billy Black," he motioned to the man in the wheelchair, "and his son, Jacob."

At the mention of his name, the guy looked over from the truck and gave a little wave. His eyes locked on mine, and my chest expanded as if my lungs couldn't get enough air into them. Heat rose to my cheeks as I noticed he didn't look away from me; instead, he gave me a warm smile and tilted his head in my direction, his gaze curiously intrigued. His father's voice broke the spell over us, making me jump slightly at the sound.

"It's nice to meet you both," Billy chuckled, shaking my mother's hand before turning to me. "Charlie tells us you moved here from Michigan."

"That's right," Mom answered him. "Autumn and I both needed a new start, and I used to come here every summer to visit my grandparents. It made perfect sense to come back."

"Who were your grandparents?" Billy asked politely.

"Tom and Linda Sterlington."

"I knew you looked familiar!" Charlie exclaimed. "You were friends with Renée Higginbotham."

"Yeah, I was. How do you... Oh!" Mom gasped, a lightbulb clicking in her head. "You're the Charlie she married!"

"And divorced," Charlie said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. Mom picked up on his embarrassment because she immediately apologized.

"Small world," a voice mumbled behind me. I turned to see Jacob leaning against the bed of the truck, Bella standing next to him with a surprised look on her face. She met my confused gaze and blushed.

"Renee is my mom." She explained.

"Oh. That makes sense." I replied. Jacob shook his head, chuckling at my embarrassment.

"You didn't know, it's okay. Renee is just a touchy subject for Charlie," Jacob whispered in my ear before walking over to his dad. "Should we get going, Dad? We have a tribe meeting tonight."

"Ah, yes. Take good care of that truck, Bella. She'll be good to you if you're good to her." Billy winked at Bella and shook Charlie's hand before turning to us. "It was a pleasure to meet you both. I'm sure we will be seeing more of you soon."

With a knowing smile shot at me, Billy nodded at Jacob, who helped his dad down the driveway to where a brown Chevy was parked. Both waved as they pulled away, and an easy silence settle over us.

"Well, I probably should go finish unpacking." I turned to Mom. "If you want to stay for a while, I'll be okay."

"I probably should get back too," Mom said, turning to Charlie. "Oh, I almost forgot. Do you know if there is a space in town for rent? I want to look into opening up a bakery here."

As Mom and Charlie talked about the bakery situation, I waved goodbye to Bella and headed home. Once I finished unpacking my room, I double-checked my backpack and began to get ready for bed. Brushing my teeth, I heard the front door shut and poked my head out into the hallway to see Mom coming up the stairs.

"Bella said you can ride with her to school tomorrow if you want."

"Okay. I think I'll take her up on that."

"Good night, Leaf. See you in the morning." Mom kissed my forehead and smoothed down my hair before heading to her room.

"Night, Mom!" I called after her.

Climbing into bed, I reached over to click the lamp off and pulled the comforter up to my chin. Outside the window, I could see the pale moon in the distance and a wave of calm washed over me. My eyes slowly closed and I drifted off to sleep, wondering what kind of adventure tomorrow would bring.