Dear Claire,
Happy 16th Birthday! I bet you're so beautiful. I bet you've got those boys wrapped around your finger. I bet Quil's beating them off with a stick.
So today was a major turning point in your life. I'm guessing you won't remember it at all, but I know it's a day I'll never forget. See, You're only 2 years old. Your mom dropped you off at my house, intending for me to take care of you for a few days. Little did anyone know, of course, what was going to happen next.
Right after, Sam and the boys (and Leah) came home. The second Quil saw you, he imprinted on you. So I know that you won't know what imprinting is, and that is why I am so honored to be the one to tell you. 14 years from now. In a letter. It was actually Leah's idea, this way you would know how much you mean to Quil and everyone else before you knew he'd imprinted on you.
I threw a fit when I figured it out. Now I sound like a hypocrite. It's not that I didn't want you to have the love and commitment that comes with an imprint, because I did. It's the most amazing thing, knowing someone was made for you. That you'd found the one and that you're their world. I just didn't want anyone to feel what poor Leah ahs gone through. Luckily, Quil wasn't in a relationship when he imprinted, but there's the fact that you won't know till now. I really, really hope that you aren't in a relationship right now. And if you are, I hope it's not a big one. Leah is so broken and hurt all the time, and it kills me to see her like that. I don't want anyone else to feel like that, ever. (I sincerely pray this is a much different Leah then the one you know right now.)
So I'm sure you still have some questions about imprinting, but I have no clue what they are. (Ha, ha, ha, shocker!) So that's the point of these letters. You're going to get one from a different person every year, detailing something you've done that has affected them to the point they want you to know about it. Such as the fact Quil imprinted on you. They'll be kept in a box, and on your 16th birthday, Quil will somehow present them to you so you can learn everything. Think of it like a time capsule.
In all honesty, I don't think Quil likes this idea at all. He really wanted you to grow up knowing it, he doesn't think it's fair he has to keep secrets from you when Sam kept none from me. Sam then decided you could learn everything when you were 16, when he felt you were old enough to understand it (and Quil wouldn't look like a pedophile). So I suggested that a girl be the one to tell you, because I figured you'd want to talk to someone right after and I wasn't sure you'd want to talk to Quil. I suggested Leah do it. I thought that seemed fair. She insisted if she was going to have to be the first one to wish you a happy life with your imprint, she was going to jump off a cliff and kill herself then. Then she brought up the letters, which we all agreed were a good idea. She says she didn't want to tell you for her. I think she did it for you. She's so biased on the subject of imprinting. But that's not my story to tell.
So in conclusion, Claire, these letters are to show you just how loved you are, and that imprinting is nothing to be afraid of, or hurt by. If you have feelings for Quil now, I can guarantee he feels the same a hundred times stronger. And to reveal some other stories and secrets too. So sit back, get some hot chocolate, and enjoy a stroll through memory lane.
Love,
Emily
Claire sat and stared at the page. Imprinting? She'd never heard of it. And the Leah Emily described sounded nothing like the Leah she knew. Did she have feelings for Quil? She didn't even want to imagine that. How awkward would that be? But Emily had said Quil felt the same…a hundred times over. 14 years in the past. Had Quil fallen in love with her 14 years ago? That was creepy. "Imprinting is nothing to be afraid of." Emily had said. Claire bit her lip. Confused as she was, she knew she had to keep going. This letter had just whet her appetite. She reached for the next one.