I studied her; stared at her would be a more apt description. My eyes never left her as if in a stupor. In reality though my thoughts were flashing a mile a minute.

It clicked and I finally saw her as if it were from someone else's point of view. I saw a beautiful girl standing next to her boyfriend who I grudgingly admitted was beautiful, it was still hard to admit that the bloodsuckers had an air of grace and beauty after knowing what you had to do to look like one of them.

I saw her standing there, her gaze trained on him so lovingly and I knew she would never be mine. He turned his head and nodded as if accepting my silent surrender and saying thank you.

They left after Bella graduated and the pack and I stopped having to patrol so often as less and less vampires came near Forks.

I never heard about them again and I grew older mentally if not physically. I never imprinted or anything like that though I did marry. Her name was Maree. She was the exact opposite of Bella. Light silvery blond hair steel gray eyes and a dark sarcastic humor that made her and Leah the best of friends in no time. She was in all senses of the word perfect for me.

We loved each other and I think she secretly knew that I didn't love her with my whole heart and I knew that she didn't love me with her whole heart either. But we accepted each other and what the other could give. It was enough for us.

I had children. Four girls and a little boy that didn't make to the age of three before fate claimed him. Sure we had to scrimp and save to get what we wanted and we didn't have a lot but life was good for us. I grew old and got gray hair Meme, as I called my wife, said that I made it look good. When I died I was at peace. That was more than I could say for one of those bloodsuckers.

Dying is funny you don't actually think about dying and not coming back. You think about things like your family and frankly you mainly think about what you're feeling. I just had an overwhelming urge to get whatever was lodged in my throat out and out now. Towards the end I thought about someone I hadn't even talked about let alone thought about in forty years.

I pictured her human. Old and frail with gray hair and wrinkled skin still with that stubborn set to her features and those big doe eyes. Then I pictured her as a leech. Pale and cold with honey colored eyes. Perfect. I immediately banished that image I wouldn't let that be the last image of her in my mind. The last thing I remember thinking was 'Maree baby I love you'. And I did.