New Moon Chapter 6 - Friends

I really love Charlie. In this chapter, Charlie gets to see that something different is happening with Bella. Bella of course notices this - and a couple times she feels the guilt of how she has acted the last 4 months. I took a minute and tried to to imagine what Charlie must have been going through during those "zombie" months. I still have small children, so I haven't experienced anything where I feel like I don't have any control over my child's happiness/sorrow. But reading some of this, where Charlie is so relieved that Bella is actually alive, or surprised to hear her laughing. What a great burden that Jacob has even lifted for Charlie!
Also, in this same chapter, Bella first compares Jacob to the sun:

"Jacob was simply a perpetually happy person, and he carried that happiness with him like an aura, sharing it with whoever was near him. Like an earthbound sun, whenever someone was within his gravitational pull, Jacom warmed them. It was natural, a part of who he was. No wonder I was so eager to see him." (NM pg. 145)

So many more times throughout the series, SM relates Jacob to the sun or warmth. Mostly, as we find out later, because of his characteristics as a werewolf. But here, in NM, we hear these comparisons, even before SM has decided to turn him into a werewolf (correct me if that is wrong...). I love the last line, "no wonder I was so eager to see him." Bella has barely survived these last months - she doesn't even know how she gets from point A to B she says. And all of a sudden, in pursuing a way to 'cheat' and "not be the only keeper of an empty contract" (NM pg. 147), she realizes that "getting to spend time with Jacob was just a much bigger perk than I'd expected." (NM pg. 147) It makes me remember how much she loves the sun - Pheonix. How sad she was to now be living in a city where it rained nearly everyday of the year. And, remember the only thing she found in Forks to make her forget about her love of the sun, was Edward. We find out through Edward (in TW), that in the beginning she used to dream of how she missed the warmth of Pheonix, but then her dreams became happy and complete - with Edward in them. Now that Edward has left, there is nothing in her life to replace that warmth that she misses from Pheonix. There is nothing in her life now to make the dreary rain any better. But, now in this chapter, she realizes that there might be some hope of surviving - not forgetting - but surviving. She says, "I was going to see Jacob again today, the thought made me feel almost...hopeful."
Through all of this, I still am a little sad...thinking of what this is starting (feelings of both Jacob and Bella). But, I am grateful that Bella has some help through this desparate part in her life. And you can't forget that Bella hasn't forgotten..."I hadn't forgotten the reason for what I was doing. And, even though I was injoying myself more than I'd thought possible, there was no lessening of my original desire..." (NM pg. 147) She only wanted to hear Edward! And feel that he was still there, somewhere (still loving her).