Hello all, another chapter makes three within a short (for this story) space of time. Please don't forget to review, I honestly would love to hear your opinions

Chapter 13 Life makes a move

Three weeks later and Sonny was the proud to say that all of her hard work to becoming medicine woman had paid off completely. While the guys worked hard at building her cabin, she spent the time scrubbing out the storefront and setting it up the way she wanted.

Shelves were installed and she hoarded as many glass jars that she could possibly find until she figured the best place to order in bulk from. A few friends of her Aunt were able to let her know who their suppliers were and got her set up with enough stock to last her a couple of weeks while she did her vetting. Not everyone was keen on the idea of driving all the way to La Push for deliveries.

Deputy was her ever loyal companion next to her Uncle. Sam and the guys were fine with her not providing their food personally for a while, happy with the catering order she had placed with Sue Clearwater and the diner while she focused on everything there was to do with the commercial building.

Paul was her dream despite it all—working hard on her home, then coming to see her in the late afternoons and helping her move things around until she was happy with it all. The frequent kissing breaks were a definite plus in both of their minds.

They were doing so phenomenally together. Everything was so easy with them, like puzzle pieces just slotting together to create the best picture possible. Sonny adored being with him. Despite how amazing things were going for the two, she couldn't help but feel like a part of her was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

She knew it was self sabotage—it was stupid really. All of her teen life her mother pushed at building her own confidence and accepting herself as who she was. It was the greatest gift she gave her daughter—not apologising for who she was. This self doubt was so irritating and nothing Paul did warranted her distrust.

It was the hard part, putting the blame where it truly lied—with Evan. Sonny's trust in people was shaken and it was influencing her view of the people around her.

Despite knowing all this, despite being around people who had never let her down, all it took was one person to affect everything she had been taught. Leaning against the counter, she looked out at the window towards the large red building of the clinic as she slowly sipped out of the warm tin cup of tea.

She had started building a relationship with the staff, talking over morning teas and planning sessions on the best way she could help the community. One of the nurses was the great granddaughter of the previous local Medicine Man and had gifted her one of his painted Medicine Wheels he had created.

It was a stunning piece of culture, covered in delightful reds, yellows, whites and blacks. The feathers and beads were all authentically hand crafted or collected and showed such a love for their people. She gave it a place of pride on the wall, arranging all shelving around it.

So close to being ready to open had her jittery in anticipation and it was difficult to settle the nervous butterflies. Taking in another long draw of her tea, her ears pricked to the sound of her uncle coming to the front room, Deputy repose in his lap.

"Tea's on the counter," she murmured, her eyes drawn back to the window as rain started to come down heavy. It was cheerless day, dark rumbling clouds loomed heavily over the evergreen forest. The wind churned the sea until it was only a few shades darker than the clouds broken only by the harsh white of pounding waves.

"I doubt the boys will be at the cabin today," Billy murmured, joining her musings with his tea. "I'm glad they got the roof and walls up earlier this week."

Sonny hummed in agreement. "Paul was saying that it'll only be a week or two before we can start moving my things in. Embry was working with the electrician that came down from Forks and they've got everything nearly wired up—they're just waiting for the last few things to come down from the suppliers."

"You're going well, Sonny," Billy replied. "You're doing your mother and your people proud with everything you're working towards."

Loss was the side of loving no one ever warned her of when she was a teenager. Having her heart buried with her mother—that moment when the dirt hit the wood and buried Sonny's soul with her. For so many years if felt like the light became shadow, the pain coming and going like the waves on the sand. Swallowing thickly, she gave her uncle a wet smile, soft and tenuous.

"I wish she was here," she whispered like the broken teen she once was.

Billy's hands were warm and leathery—everything she had associated with comfort before she left. Indulging in the feeling, she knelt down next to his chair, resting her head against his shoulder. It didn't take more than a moment before his arm was around her shoulders, holding her tightly against him. "You and me both, honey. But she knows what you're doing—she sees it all and I know she would be so proud and happy for you."

Tears dripped down her cheeks before pooling into the dark fabric of his shirt. Deputy, sensing her sadness, licked at her hand that was around her Uncle's waist before nuzzling under her arm. "Even now I'll have a moment where I want to say something to her and I have to remind myself that she's gone. It feels like my heart is breaking all over again."

"You just got to keep living," he replied, his hand rubbing down her back. "She would want you to grab hold of life and live it to the fullest. All she wanted was for you to be happy."

Looking around the store, taking in all the herbs—the wholesome foods and teas and the artwork, Sonny knew that she was taking a step forward in her life. This was part of their dream, the thing she and her mother talked about often as she was growing up. Being a contributing part of the community was her mother's pride and joy and having her daughter belong with that was everything she ever wished for.

So often Sonny was criticised by her friends in College about her reasons for studying the way she did. Her Aunt Shay was her strongest supporter during that time. It took Sonny a while to realise that she shared her mother's dream about being a part of something bigger than herself and that it was ok to honour her mother and herself by pushing herself to achieve something that not only made her closer to her mother's memory but also pay it forward to those who needed some sort of guidance too. It was a part of the Medicine Wheel. You couldn't heal the body until you healed the mind and the spirit too.

"I think I'm getting there, Uncle Billy," she sniffled, wiping at her nose before standing up. His face was kind as he patted her arm.

"I know you are, kid. Go wash your face, you'll feel better."

There was this perfect line someone once wrote: "If you want a leading lady, i'm all in—but you gotta cut the crew, the girls who hang on to your coattails, and be my gentleman. If you want a queen and not some stupid princess, I'm here—but you gotta be a king, someone noble. Deep live needs deep trust, so let's start this strong. " Sonny found it so much to her liking that she painted it onto a canvas; the plan to hang it somewhere in her new home.

As she unpacked the boxes piled into the cabin, she stumbled across the artwork, her lips quirking into a smirk. Never truer words spoken when compared to her burgeoning relationship with Paul. Pulling it out from the other artworks, she moved to the lounge room and hung it above her buffet board.

She could hear the soft laughter of Jacob behind her as he read the stylised script. "I'd ask if you were trying to say something, but that thing says it all." He snorted as he reached a hand out to adjust the angle of the picture. "Can I be here when Paul sees it?"

"No, you turd," she pushed at his hand playfully. "You don't like my art?"

"You're turning into one of the 'Live, Laugh, Love' people who have inspirational messages all over the house," Jacob teased back, "only this time you're calling out your guy's past with it."

Sonny scoffed with exaggerated offence. "You take it back, Mr BioHazard!" She pulled the art back off the wall and put it back with her other art, instead pulling out a photo canvas of First Beach she had taken when she was twelve with her mother's camera to replace it.

"Will not!"

Turning to face him with narrowed eyes, her lips turned into a devilish smirk when she spied his group of friends behind him. "I'd be careful of what you say next, little big cousin. I still have all those baby photos you don't want getting out."

Jacob jumped ten feet in the air when Quill burst into hyena like laughter. "what's the going rate for decent blackmail material these days?" It didn't take long before Jacob and his friend were play tussling around all of Sonny's boxes.

"Dude!," she yelled somewhat wide-eyed as they nearly smashed a glass vase, "If you're acting like an animal, go to outside. I'll flay you alive if anything gets broken!"

Paul moved close to her, giving her a smacking kiss in greeting. "how you going?" he murmured, his fingers tangling into a long tendril of hair that had fallen out of her messy bun. Her hand settled on his stomach, just above his waist line as she leaned into his side.

She loved that she didn't have to be all dressed up around him. He was happy to see her even when she was dressed down in an old knit sweater of Jacob's with thick black tights and heavy socks. "Yeah, good, unpacking is a bit of a pain," she replied looking up at him softly. "I forgot how much Mom was a pack rat."

He looked around, his lips playing a little smile, "Somehow I think it's you that's the pack rat. Most of these boxes are the ones we hauled into the storage near Sue's place."/

Pinching his side playfully, she pulled away and moved to a box, ripping the tape off. "I'll have you know," Sonny said primly, "These are all the boxes that you guys took there, barring my clothes, there's two full rooms left of boxes that were Mom's and all the furniture is hers too!" Carefully, she removed the bubble wrap to reveal glass nick-nacks and photo frames.

Paul followed her, keeping her within touching distance. "OK, so you both are hoarders," he snickered, his hand reaching down to cup her arse cheek fondly. "So what do you think?" he looked around the place with a smile. The foot print was just like his cabin, but with a slightly larger kitchen and an extra bedroom. However, unlike his in dark wood tones and evergreen colours, Sonny's was light. Grey furniture with cream throw rugs and bright colours.

Looking around with a sad little smile, she glanced at Paul. "It's a bit like how it once was, but its also got a little bit of me stamped on it too."

Paul's kiss stole the words she didn't need to say. In that silence, in his sweet caring way, she felt strong enough to conquer the world, to do what she needed to do. When they parted, Sonny gently caressed his cheek before turning back to her task. He stayed a beat longer before moving to another box and worked on that.

Between them all, all the guys, Sue and Leah when they stopped in with hot food and a grocery shop that had her keen to try cooking in extra bulk, and her Uncle Billy, they had everything unpacked and set up the way she wanted it. There were only a couple of boxes that she needed to sort through on what she wanted to keep or throw away.

Sam had his wife bring out a barbecue from their home and in the twilight with great music and clear skies, they all enjoyed an easy feed with the radio in the background. Sonny loved the feel of it all, the atmosphere of family, the new beginnings of her life and the memories of the past.

Sipping at a beer, she laughed at the story Leah was telling her of one of the guys fall flat on his face in the diner when it hit her. This was what she wanted. Having family around her, a budding romance and easy nights. She was home again and nothing was going to pull her away.