Ch 3

I sat on Emily's couch almost vibrating with excitement; Claire was coming to visit for a whole week today. I had not seen her in six months. These short visits were never enough for me. I only got to see her two or three times a year which was hard. Sometimes I would run all the way to San Francisco so I could just get a glimpse at her but I could never go talk or it would seem odd for me to be there. It had been three years since the Young's had moved and Claire starts first grade in two weeks. I had already decided that I would have to go down so I could watch her get on the bus. Claire had known about the wolves when she was little but we had decided since she was not around to understand why she could not tell people to just let her forget. Now she just thought it was a story I used to tell her.

A lot of other things had changed to. I had gotten my GED and Jake and I had found the perfect place for a shop just inside the reservation but not too far from Forks so we could get business from both areas without paying taxes because we were on the reservation. Edward had built a massive garage with all the best tools. Since we had no over head, he just took 10% of the profits; we were doing quite well for ourselves. Seth and Embry also worked at the shop with us. I was living in a house with the three of them that I bought last year. It was good size so we had our space but it could get cramped sometimes especially since Seth imprinted last month. She is a really nice girl who just moved to Forks from Colorado. She is 24 and just got a job teaching at the Quileute School her name is Lilly. She had briefly considered calling the mental ward when Seth first told her but there was just too much evidence. Just then I heard the car pull up outside it must be Emily back from the airport. I ran to the door and threw it open just in time for Emily to put the car in park. I ran to the car and opened the back door.

"Quil" She yelled excitedly reaching for me from the booster seat. Claire's mom got out of the front seat.

"Hello Quil" she stated. She still thought it was odd that I loved spending time with her daughter but trusted me none the less. I lifted Claire out of the car and swung her around as she squealed and laughed.

"So what do you want to do Claire-bear?" I asked

"Go to the beach!" as she gave me a wink. I know she meant our special place. I looked at Mrs. Young and raised my eyebrow to ask permission.

"Go have fun you two" she answered as she pulled a suitcase from the trunk. I reached down and pulled Claire up onto my shoulders and headed for the beach. I only got one week and I was going to make the best of it. As we walked she updated me on everything that had happened since I last saw her. She told me about how she has a Dora the explorer back pack for school and a Hanna Montana lunch box. She was going to be in Ms Laura's class they had gotten to go meet their teachers last week. She told me Ms Laura was really nice and that I would like her a lot. I loved learning all about her. We reached our secrete place and she got down and sat in one of the make shift chairs I had made. "So what do you want for your birthday next month?" I asked. I always sent her a gift. She put her finger to her mouth and looked like she was thinking really hard. "I want… a wolf like from your stories" I smiled at her.

"I am already yours" I said as I swooped into a bow you only see in movies. She started to laugh and ran to hug me.

"I want a stuffed wolf doll so I have something like you" She still though they were stories but I would always be her wolf. We played on the beach all afternoon. We played tag for like four hours but it never got old. Sometimes it was weird how I loved doing these things when she was here but would roll my eyes if anyone else ever asked. When the sun started to set I told her we had to go back but she made me promise we would come back tomorrow.

I tucked her in that night her mom had gone with Emily to dinner in port angles so I was on babysitting duty. As I sat there watching her sleep I thought of how lucky Jake was. He imprinted on Nessie at birth but she had understood right away that he was hers and that they would always be together. I did not have the same promise from Claire she knew I loved her and was her best friend here but that could all change. And I was also jealous of the fact that Nessie was three and a half but looked like she was ten already. She would be full grown in just three and a half more years. I still had over a decade to wait. But it would be worth it.

Then I thought about before Nessie was born and Jake asked if I would date until Claire was old enough. I thought is sounded ridiculous but after they had moved I had tried going on a few dates but it never felt right. I just resigned myself to my right hand being my girlfriend for at least the next decade. I sighed.

I could watch her sleep for hours, I thought. Just then I heard the car pull up well I guess I just did watch her for hours well it was a great few hours.

The next day we went to Leah's for lunch. Leah had been a surrogate aunt for many years and I was required to bring her over every time she visited. After lunch Claire sat in the living room floor coloring. I sat at the table with Leah watching her. "I want an imprint" Leah said as she watched Claire "I don't care if they are one or ninety but I want to have this someday" she said waving her hand between me and Claire.

"You would too care if they were ninety" I laughed.

"You are probably right" she said with a smile, "but I still want it none the less"

"I will keep my fingers crossed for you" I was still not best friends with Leah but she had gotten much easier to be around since she was not in Sam's pack anymore. She was teaching yoga in Port Angeles now and that also was helping. She had actually become really nice. She had been a bridesmaid at Sam and Emily's wedding two years ago and was actually able to be truly happy for them. She was jealous of them for a whole new reason now. She wanted what they had.

I spent the rest of the week with Claire; I had taken the week off so I would not miss a minute of time with her. We had played at our special place, built sand castles, gone to MacDonald too many times, it is her favorite at the moment, went swimming, and watched Pocahontas at least 50 times. I could probably quote the whole thing to you. I had decided that I needed to buy another copy just in case she ruined this one. Before I knew it was time for her to leave. On our last visit to our special place she asked me "Quil will you ever stop being my best friend?"

"Never, Claire-bear you are by best friend, you are my girl and I will always love you" She smiled and hugged me before climbing on my back to go back to the house.

***

On her birthday I sent her a chocolate brown stuffed wolf along with a Dora birthday card. Her mom let her call to thank me "Love it Quil. It is perfect." She had gushed. I had been on cloud nine for weeks from that. She told me how she loved school and her best friend was Annabelle. Annabelle was an only child and loved horses and her favorite color was red. She told me all about school. She hated the school food so her mom always packed her lunch and how reading was her favoret subject. Finally her mom told her it was time to get ready for her party. "Sorry Quil" Mrs. Young said as she took the phone away "she never talks that much on the phone."

"It is fine. I love hearing her talk. She can call me any time."

"You are so good to her. I wish I had someone like you when I was growing up. My parents were always too busy." She said with a sigh.

"Um Mrs. Young?" I started

"Please call me Kelly, Quil"

"Um Kelly is it ok if I send Claire some books she said she like to read"

"If you want to Quil feel free"

"Thanks Mrs. Young I mean Kelly"

"oh when will Claire becoming to visit again? You know so I can ask for a few days off"

"She wants to come during Christmas break. So I guess we will spend Christmas there"

"OK thanks I will talk to you soon"

I went to Emily who had written down all the old legends and she helped me make them into books for Claire. Although she just thought they were legends I wanted her to know them so one day she would understand. Now I just had to make it through three months before I got to see her again.