Carlisle was the first one to read the article. I was sitting in our large living room doodling on a page in the diary that I didn't actually update. It was just one of those things that you see in some store like Wal-Mart and feel you have to buy because the cover is so pretty. You tell yourself that you'll find some use for it to ease the guilt that comes with buying something that you know you don't really need.
Jasper was away hunting with the other boys. They would be back later tonight as far as I could tell. Emmett wanted to stay another night, but the other two were eager to get back home. Rosalie was up in her room trying on various clothes from our most recent shopping trip. Esme was sitting next to Carlisle reading a home decor magazine. This house was relatively new to us and she wanted to make a few renovations.
I was just adding the final touches to my maze of roses when my vision shifted. Everything took on a grey hue and the cozy living room in front of me vanished. I was looking instead at a mass of black cloaked people. I mentally narrowed my eyes, trying to get as many details out of the vision I could before I lost it. The people weren't cloaked I realised, but they were dressed in black. It was raining heavily; they were all huddled under umbrellas. Their expressions were sombre as they all gazed at the same spot in their center. I looked around trying to figure out where they were, and was startled to see Carlisle there, dressed in black as they were, half concealed behind a tree....
"Alice. Alice. Alice!" Esme's sharp voice cut through the grey and my eyes refocused on the concerned faces of my parents. It took me a moment to come back to the present. My mind was still stuck on the image my vision had presented, still trying to piece the images together. I locked my eyes on Carlisle who stared back with a pained expression on his face. It came together in an instant.
"Carlisle, who's funeral are you planning on attending?" I asked with a quick glance towards Esme. She was surprised by my words and turned to her husband to hear his answer as well.
Carlisle sighed and picked up the paper from the table where he had dropped it when Esme had been trying to get my attention. He folded it so that only a small column was visible and handed it to me. The name jumped out and hit me like a sharp slap in the face. I looked up at him, my eyes filled with horror. Instantly my vision once again clouded over and I saw a scene that I knew I had to prevent at all costs. For the sake of our family, I could not let it happen.
"You can't go." I said staring intently at him. "He'll find out where you're going and he's going to go mad. You can't...we can't do that to him."
Carlisle frowned at me.
"He's going to find out now that the two of us know."
Esme let out a soft breath. "Oh no." Her face crumpled and Carlisle reached for her hand.
"Now that three of us know, he WILL find out."
I searched my mind, scrambling. We had to keep him from knowing, at least for now, at least until...
"I'll go." I announced. Carlisle opened his mouth to object but I continued. "You and Esme can take off on a holiday or go hunting or something...." I trailed off as Esme shook her head, her topaz eyes full of sadness.
"Alice dear, we cannot keep it from him forever. He has a right to know."
"It destroyed him last time."
"I know dear, believe me, I don't want to see him go through that ever again. But keeping it from him... he'll only be more hurt when he does find out."
I hung my head, knowing that she was right, and wishing that Jasper were back to hold me. I knew my brother was going to be in pain, a brief flash of my vision had showed me that with Esme's words. And I had cared for her too...
Carlisle reached for his phone. "I'll call Emmett and tell him not to extend their trip." He dialled and spoke softly into the receiver for a brief moment, paused and then nodded and hung up. "They'll be back this evening." He announced sombrely.
The three of us sat in silence for a moment, each lost in thought about the pain that one of our family would soon be in. Rosalie entered at that moment and took in our expressions. She glanced down at the paper in my lap and sighed. She didn't say anything, just sat next to me and pulled my head onto her shoulder. If I had been able to, I would have turned into her shoulder and sobbed.
I heard the jeep pull into the driveway and sat up. Everyone else followed my example. We sat in silence, knowing that none of us would have to say anything. I listened to the laughing coming from the garage and up the stairs. I wished desperately that there was another way to do this, a way to avoid this, to save my brother this pain. But I knew that Esme was right. He needed to know.
Jasper entered the room first and stopped short, no doubt sensing the distress in the atmosphere. He was at my side in an instant, holding me in his arms, a wave of comfort washing over me. I knew it wouldn't last. He was right behind, in the doorway having paused at seeing Jasper's reaction. He locked is gaze with mine for a brief moment before I looked away, unable to think the thought. But he knew. Whether he got it from my mind or from someone else's it didn't matter. He froze, becoming a perfect statue, his eyes darkening before filling with pain. He walked slowly forward and picked up the paper on the table. His eyes found the article and he read it, no expression crossing his face.
Isabella (Swan) Black – Aged 84 passed away this past Sunday peacefully in her Phoenix home, surrounded by friends and family. She is survived by her husband Jacob Black (82) and their three children, Charlie (51), Alice (47) and Matthew (44). Also surviving her are her six grandchildren. Mrs. Black married at age 24 after obtaining an English degree from the University of Florida. She went on to become a university professor before her retirement at age 64. A memorial service will be held this Thursday in her hometown of Forks, WA.
I didn't need Jasper's powers to feel the waves of hurt rolling off of him. He replaced the paper, slowly, careful to set it back in the exact place it had been before turning to me.
"You're going."
It wasn't a question. I nodded, this time able to hold his gaze. I stared into his eyes, liquid honey reflecting his recent hunting trip. They seemed endless, full of grief but at the same time, they seemed to hold a slight look of satisfaction, contentment. He gazed at me another long moment before nodding to himself.
"Thank you for telling me. I'll be back later." With that he turned and fled gracefully from the house.
It was my vision come to life. Only this time it was me, not Carlisle standing off to the side. I could smell Jacob, even though it was evident by his old age that he hadn't phased in many years. Nevertheless, I was still careful to position myself downwind.
The pastor was reciting a poem, but I couldn't make myself listen to it. I was staring instead at the casket. This was the first time I had experienced the death of one I loved. It was difficult for me to wrap my mind around the thought that my sister was laying in there, dead. It was hard for me to grasp the concept of death. Her heart no longer beat, but then again neither did mine. So what made me alive and her dead? Edward and Carlisle's argument about souls came to the front of my mind. Was I alive because my soul was still in my body and my dear Bella's no longer was?
I turned my attention back to the ceremony. The pastor was done and her family members were places flowers on her casket in turn. I watched as an aged Jacob Black, leaning heavily on a black haired man who must be Charlie, their first born, gently placed his bouquet on the casket before leaning down and pressing the side of his wrinkled face to the smooth, polished wood. A woman stepped forward, her black hair pulled tightly into a bun at the nape of her neck. My breath caught as I realised that this must be Alice, her only daughter. My eyes burned with the tears that I could not shed. The two siblings gently lifted their father and helped him towards their car. The youngest, Matthew I recalled, paused at the casket after placing his flowers with the others. Then he took a small box from his pocket and placed it among the bouquets. He gazed at his mother a moment longer before walking to join the rest of his family.
I heard the soft footfall of steps approaching. I turned to leave but found myself frozen as the young woman who had made the noise came into my line of sight. I stared, dumbfounded until she spoke.
"You're one of the Cullens. I recognise you from grandma's photos." I was astounded. Even her voice was similar, if not quite the same. I nodded once, unsure exactly what was expected of me.
The young woman smiled. "I'm Carissa. Grandma Bella wanted me to give you this." She handed me a sealed envelope. "I think it's for your grandfather, she just said that the Cullen at the funeral would know who to give it to." She glanced up at me in apology for the vagueness of her instructions. "Was he like, a high school sweetheart or something?" She asked with an impish grin. My breath caught again, the sight of her face was so familiar. I was instantly glad that Edward was not here. This would have been too much for him. I paused before answering, glancing swiftly to where Jacob was being helped into the car by his children.
"Yes." I finally replied. "They were very much in love." Carissa looked enthralled.
"Grandma Bella never talked about him much. " She seemed to be waiting for more details.
"Edward never talked much about her." I answered truthfully without thinking. I glanced quickly towards Jacob again.
Carissa seemed to sense that she wouldn't get anymore out of me. Her grin vanished, replaced with a sombre expression. "Well, thank you for coming. Grandma Bella was positive that you would be here, even though she said that she hadn't seen you in years." I could only nod and attempt a fleeting smile. Carissa once more glanced at the envelope in my hands before turning and beginning to walk away. I couldn't help myself.
"Carissa?" She half turned. I paused, deliberating. "Was Bella, well, was she happy?" I asked slowly.
One side of Carissa's mouth turned up in a half smile. "Yes. She loved Grampa Jacob very much. And she always told me stories about her time as a professor, and the travelling that she and Grampa did before they moved to Phoenix. She had a lot of stories." She smiled a sad smile. "Thank you again for coming. I know it would have made her happy." She turned once more and walked over to the woman with her black hair pulled into the bun. I watched as the car started up and began to wind its way out of the graveyard. Its path took it in front of where I stood. As it drove past I caught sight of Jacob in the backseat. Our eyes met for a brief instant, and understanding flowed between us. We both loved her, and she had lived a life of happiness. She had made her choice and she had chosen the life she wanted. I gripped the envelope in both hands and started towards home.