Twilight: But The Cullens Adopt A Gen Z Kid (Remastered)

Leah Clearwater POV

I ran through the La Push forest with Quil at my flank, thinking about my mom. We had an uncomfortable conversation earlier in the day before I left for patrol, and I haven't been able to shake it from my mind.

The day started out as any normal day. I woke up at the buttcrack of dawn, got Seth up to brush his teeth and do his homework before he left the house, made breakfast for him and my mom and lightly went over my chores for the day. Seth had all but rushed out of the house to go see his bloodsucker besties, and I ignored the familiar quiver of anxiety in the pit of my stomach when he did. Before I could stalk out the door behind him, my mom stopped me in my tracks as she sat at the dining room table with a book in her hand and a cup of coffee beside her.

"Leah, wait." She folded the corner of a page in the book and placed it down on the table. "I need to discuss something with you."

"Can it wait?" I groaned, standing by the door. "Jacob is going to be pissed if I'm late."

"It'll only take a few minutes, babe." She gestured to the chair across from her. "Take a seat."

I groaned again internally and walked to stand behind it instead of sitting down.

"When was the last time you spoke to Emily?" She asked. She feigned nonchalance, but I could see the severity in her eyes.

I sighed. "Mom, I really don't want to rehash that right now." I turned for the door. "I've gotta go."

"Now you stay right there, young lady." She demanded, her tone hard. "I'm your mother, you can leave when I say you can. I don't care what Jacob says. Talk to me."

I let out another exasperated sigh and turned back to her. "No, I'm not speaking to Emily and I don't plan on doing it ever." I glanced out the window, impatient. "Are we done now?"

"This nonsense has gone on too long, Leah. It's time for you to move on. She's having a really hard time right now with the pregnancy and-"

"I don't want to talk about Sam's parasite of an offspring-"

"She needs someone who isn't her husband to talk to. She's lonely, Leah. She needs her best friend. She needs you."

I scoffed. "I don't care, Mom. She's the one who decided to have the damn thing, it's on her and Sam- and she's most definitely not my best friend anymore. Can we please not talk about this again?"

She sighed. "Fine, keep being this bitter shell of yourself." The corners of her lips turned down.

"I just worry about you. Maybe if you started dating again, if you met someone you liked-"

I spat the words. "What, I'd just forget about everything? Gone and forgiven, just like that?"

Her hard expression softened and her voice came out in a whisper. "Maybe you would be... happy again."

"Yeah, right." I turned around and stalked for the door, leaving her alone in the house and phasing in the trees.

I was feeling guilty about the way I spoke to her as Quil and I ran to the border of our reservation. We met up with Jacob earlier in the morning to cover plans, and then he went off to the bloodsuckers the same as Seth did. The thought made me sick. Quil was trying to give me privacy to think alone, but he spoke up anyway.

Come on, Leah. Don't be like that. The Cullens are nice.

Mind your own business and stay out of my head, Quil.

I don't know what your deal is, dude. Why do you have to be such a bitch all the time? The image of my mom's soft expression from my memory appeared in his mind. Poor Sue.