I held Jacob's hand and looked out at the view. Mountains rose in the distance almost as far as the length of the blue water on the beach. He stood with me not talking just listening to the birds in the trees and the wind rolling through the open blue sky. I felt the lukewarm breeze on my face and froze. Time stopped and all I felt was peace.
Mom and dad's breath washed over my face and I felt fresh tears cascade down my face at the realization that this was where I could come to feel them.
"Jacob did you-"
"Yes." he whispered not wanting to ruin the moment.
"How?" I breathed hardly believing that he had done this.
"I found this place before and I thought I would share it with you. It is where I had my first kiss."
"And how is that supposed to make me feel better?'
"Because it's ours. Our special place where no one in the world can touch you or tear you down. You are able to be free from everything you are afraid of and all the things you want to forget. Kara, this is your place. Yours and mine if you want me to be here with you."
"Jacob I can feel my parents here."
"I know. I saw it that way too. I have been here alone since my mother died and I kissed someone as a way of calming down. It worked wonders but it didn't end up going the way I planned so I didn't come here for a while."
"Do you think you're ready now?" I asked. We watched white birds fly overhead and the waves, tiny dots of white and royal blue move over the sand.
"If you need me to I will come here." Jacob said. "I'll do anything for you Kara. Everything I have is yours and I want you to be able to be yourself with me. Don't hide anymore. You are free here and so am I when I look in your eyes. I see someone I know I can overcome anything for, even death."
I sat on the grass stunned. He was so in love it was inevitable that I would feel the same way.
"Jake do you know what you're getting yourself into?"
"I do and I want to be totally involved with you. Take your time though okay? We don't have to rush into anything because we have forever."
I nodded and he sat down next to me.
"Hey Jake? What were you talking about the other night in my room? Something about imprinting?'
He smiled "Yeah it's just something I heard somewhere. My dad believes it can happen to people without warning and I think we have it."
I snuggled into his shoulder. "is it like a sickness?"
"no no no nothing like that Kara. Imprinting is like time freezing and the only thing that's left to matter is you. At least to me. I remember seeing you for the first time in a dream and then to find out you were actually real… wow, that was something."
I dream vividly too but when I do get to sleep I wake right back up because I think about the accident again and see it so clearly I scare myself." I laughed and asked "Where were you when I was six?"
Jacob
FLASHBACK
I stood in the woods, wolf paws and a fur covered body watching someone. She was a wide eyed six year old on the verge of crying and I felt my heart brake for her.
I had run around the house as she slept and woke up screaming.
I changed forms and vaulted up to her window to see her fear stricken face as she wondered aloud where her mommy and daddy went and why she was all alone.
I slowly climbed through the window and whispered her a sound that made me go to sleep when I was little. A Quileute song about the moon and wolves that my mother sang whenever I was the one having bad dreams.
I stilled as I watched the little girl fall slowly into a dreamy sleep and left without making a sound, but staying in the woods close by to watch and be ready to save her if I was needed.
END
Jacob
I knew from that night on that Kara was the one. She just had to grow up for herself to realize that I had always been there, even from such an early age. It was fate and astrology and anything else that could predict our lives together. I knew even then that I was destined to be with Kara, a trembling six year old in a bed that felt too big, in a world that she thought didn't want her, there was one person who did. Me.
I stood up and took her hand.
"I want you to try to remember that night when you were six Kara. I know it's hard and you'd rather forget it but that's the only way you can see that this is real for me as well as it is for you. If you remember and try to visualize what happened after you went to sleep for the night then I will be sure we can take on the whole world. Life is bigger than death Kara and life goes on after death. I'm not saying you should forget about your parents, I just think that coming to terms with the whole thing will help you."
"I'll try Jake. I don't want my anxiety to get in the way of what we have or are trying to have. I love what we have and what you do to me and I want to develop this further."
"Me too." he said wrapping me into a hug.
"Will you make the panic go away if I have another one while trying to remember what happened?"
Jacob sighed and kissed me.
"I'll try."
We sat on the spot with spirits until it got dark and I couldn't really see my way anymore. Jacob carried me back to car and drove back to his house ready to be there if I panicked.
