Chapter 4
"Wow! She is tiny…and adorable!" Jonathan smiled, praising his first grandchild. Marley giggled as her grandfather touched her cheek with a careful finger. Marley was not a shy little girl. She was happy to meet anyone who was nice to her. She loved everyone…except for Angela who stuck her tongue out at the little fweaset (ferret-weasel mix). Everyone decided together that Marley and Angela ought not to interact until Angela 'grew up and got more mature'.
But Marley knew her parents out of everyone. There were times when she would try to find Buck and/or me, and would reject everyone else or cry until she found one of us. She was a very smart girl even after only a month. She knew scents, she could match looks with the objects they belonged to, and she soon knew her main family.
Emma was the one who Marley often played with when all of us adults were busy. She was pretty much Marley's main best girl friend. Cody was also there and, like his twin (Emma), would often play with Marley. There were others, but the four of us were the closest to the newborn infant, and it stayed like that always…
.~.~.~.~.
I remember Marley's first word. "Buhnjd…" She had said one day. Now the word was not something anyone here had expected. Not only wa it smart, but it made everyone realize how perceptive Marley was. And it had an impact on the future.
"Buuuuuhenjjjjjjjjdd!" Marley tried again. Both Buck and I turned, went down to her level, and watched, listening carefully. Marley's ears flew up and down with her annoyance. She pouted and shut her eyes tight as she tried to think out the words. I glanced at Buck who glanced at me.
Marley opened her eyes, took a breath, and finally said, "Buuuuck en Jaaaade!" Yup, she definitely knew her parents! We both gasped as she repeated, "Buck en Jade!" Some of the others started to listen and crowd around as Marley said over and over, "Buck en Jade! Buck en Jade! Buck en Jade! Buck en Jade!"
Everyone clapped as Marley pointed at her father, "Buck!" And then at me, "Jade!" We nodded and I lifted her out of her crib. She took the collar of my leaf dress and held on as I held her and stroked her hair. I smiled down at her. Her eyes were closed and I'm sure she felt comfortable and safe in my arms.
.~.~.~.~.
About two months later, it was Emma and Cody's double sixteenth birthday. They were now seventeen years exactly. Before the special day, everyone was setting up while I convinced Emma and Cody to keep a watch on Marley. They didn't suspect a thing! Or at least they didn't show it! On the day, there was a party and Cody had a special surprise, but first…
Emma and Cody walked back into the clearing with Marley. All of us were hiding and as soon as they were in the middle and noticed no one was here, we all shouted, "SURPRISE!" It was spectacular! The twins almost fell to the ground from surprise, but kept their balance and laughed with everyone else.
The party had the theme 'colors'. There were different colored flowers covering the place and everything around the clearing was multicolored, including the food. Berries and edible flowers of all sorts were laid on a rock covered by a shiny, very large leaf. The stream nearby seemed to want to have fun too because the sound of the rushing water was a happy sound.
When it was time to do so, we began letting the twins open their birthday gifts. There were to piles for each twin. There were many gifts for Emma like charms for a very well made and pretty bracelet that Abby and Adina gave her. All of the family worked together to help and make charms for it. Then there was a necklace from Buck with all the colors of the rainbow in the form of different gems. I knew that took his forever to put together…but he said that it was worth it. And I gave her a new outfit to wear. It was a blue dress to match her blue eyes. It was made of a fine material that was the same material as my dress, only I made it shine more than mine.
"Thank you so much everyone!" Emma said when it was done. "I will never forget this birthday! I love you guys!" Everyone clapped! And then it was Cody's turn.
For him there were also several gifts. The interesting ones were a rock-made box full of fossils (I forgot to mention his fascination of fossils) from his parents, a necklace of different creature's fangs that hung according to size from Buck and me (I couldn't think of what to give him, so I decided to work with Buck on this one), a stone carving of a moon and sun together from Lily (who had been working hard to get as good as Buck with her carving techniques), a small knife (smaller than Buck's knife) from all his brothers, and several other gifts.
"Wow!" Cody said when it was all over. "I don't know how all of you managed to pull off all of these for both of Emma and me, but we both thank both of you for them!" He was grinning normally throughout the sentence. But about a second after he was done, he smirked similarly to Buck.
"And now I have a surprise and I'll have to ask Jade and my parents to stand!" I hesitated but stood. Amelia and Jonathan stood too as Cody continued, "I've already asked permission one person who has accepted. But I'm going to be more traditional now and ask my parents and this person's guardian."
I looked at Amelia and Jonathan for an answer. But they were just as confused as I was. I turned back. Cody took a deep breath, "I see you are confused, but let me explain." He turned to me with hope in his eyes. "I love your sister, Alex. Jade, I need your permission along with my parents' permission to become her mate and her, my mate. Can you accept that?"
I didn't hesitate as a smile formed on my face. "That is so sweet!" I said. "I knew deep down from when you joined us that you found interest in my sister. She is very smart and if she wants to be with you, I definitely encourage it and give you my blessings just like I'm sure Alex and my parents would! Thank you for asking though! It shows a great deal how amazing you are."
Cody smiled and bowed. "Thank you…" He turned to his parents for an answer and everyone watched. Jonathan spoke first, "I've also noticed that you spend a lot of time with Alex. Before we lived here, we lived in a place full of other weasels. But you never showed interest in any of them. I'm happy for you that you finally found someone that you care about dearly. You have my acceptance. Now it is up to your mother."
Amelia looked like she could burst into tears. Her voice was shaky as she managed to speak. "I also doubted that you would find someone to be with. You're not like your eldest and younger brothers. You are much more like Buck who was always doing different things. I remember how your brothers would go after the female weasels like a game to see who could get the girl. But you and Buck were never like that and I'm very proud of you! You also have my acceptance and love as well."
Cody smiled and turned to Alex who was sitting in the front row. She stood up at his signal and walked up next to him on his rock stage. It didn't take very long because as soon as she got up to Cody, she was in his arms with her lips locked with his and her arms around him. I had never seen such a pure thing, as a pure-love's kiss. It was the start of a new life and it joined together the forces of true happiness…
*~*~*~*~*
