AN: Wow. I have amazing readers/reviewers. I just passed the 800 mark for reviews for this story, and in only 36 chapters. Thank you, thank you to everyone who's taken a moment to let me know what you've thought, asked a question, or offered a suggestion. We're doing a little time jumping here; hope it makes sense and that you like it. The next chapter after this one will contain the wedding. I've got a start on it already; lots of reviews on this chapter will inspire me to whip it into shape quickly.
Srose: Hope the wedding is coming soon enough for you. I was hoping to have it in this chapter, but so much else insisted on getting their places too.
JacobEdwardLover: Enjoy your vacation—I only got 1 ½ weeks between my spring and summer semesters, and will only get about 2 weeks between summer and fall. Really makes me enjoy the month off over Christmas. Hope this came soon enough for you.
Oh, I made some small changes to the last chapter, and have also added a link on my profile page to an image of my version of Bella's engagement ring. I'm adding another link as soon as this chapter goes up that will show what her wedding dress is like.
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Bella POV
The entire rest of the month of June had passed in a blur, broken by a few moments of clarity. All the wedding planning had set my head spinning. And when it wasn't spinning from that, the pregnancy took over. Not that we'd had any doubts, but the blood test had indeed confirmed I was pregnant. Much to my relief, the blood and urine tests had also ruled out any of the potential problems I hadn't wanted to hear about. The book Jared had passed on from his mom, What to Expect When You're Expecting, had become my Bible. It seemed like I was constantly referring to it. I'd even caught Charlie sneaking a peak once or twice; not that I could blame him—it had been a while since he'd had to deal with an emotional pregnant woman.
As Sue had foretold, I quickly started dealing with the spectrum of pregnancy symptoms. My nausea that day at lunch wasn't just a one-time thing, but was now a regular occurrence. Charlie had taken to swinging by the café on his way to work to pick up coffee, as the smell of it brewing was guaranteed to send me running to the bathroom. I was quickly coming to loathe that sour taste in my mouth. But I had still been able to find a positive aspect to it. Jared had stared at me when I mentioned that.
"I know you try to find the good in anyone and anything, Bella," he'd said cautiously, "but how can there be anything positive in you throwing up every day?"
"I don't have to keep looking up new fish recipes," I'd replied triumphantly, before giggling. He'd joined me in laughter, because it was true. I'd discovered almost immediately that the one thing besides coffee guaranteed to set me off was fish—uncooked, cooked, baked, fried, grilled: it didn't matter. So the entrée was now officially banned from my kitchen until further notice. But to keep from disrupting Charlie's fishing habit, Billy, Sue, and I had come up with a rather ingenious system: Billy would take Charlie fishing and they would take the fish over to Sue, who would cook it up for them. On Charlie's behalf, she was even making things he could freeze and then use after I'd moved out.
Jared was amazing as I dealt with anytime sickness, mood swings, exhaustion, and endless trips to the bathroom for my ever-shrinking bladder. Sometimes I felt bad for how much he was dealing with right now: wolf stuff, my pregnancy, our wedding, and having to pick up more time at his parents' store. I knew we would need the money, so I wasn't going to complain about that last bit—too much. To keep myself distracted, I alternated between spending time at the store with him, "Learning the ropes of the family business," I explained; and meeting with everyone who was helping us out. Kim's mom was a great seamstress and had offered to make dresses for my bridesmaids. To make things easy, all three dresses were the same green fabric and the same knee length style with spaghetti straps. Renee and Laura found dresses with reversed combinations of green, so they would coordinate but not exactly match. Since we were hoping and planning for a casual beach wedding, the guys were going to go with suits rather than tuxes, and would be renting instead of buying.
My dress…I still couldn't help crying as I remembered that particular shopping trip.
(flashback)
The entire wedding party: all the Mahan's, me, Angela, Jacob, Emily, and Sam, had all driven to Port Angeles for some wedding shopping; only Charlie had had to beg off, citing some police issues. I was surprised when Ben showed up too, but he said he just wanted to spend time with everyone before heading off to college in the fall. The guys dropped us off at Black Diamond Bridal. Ben handed a rectangular bag to Angela, one that looked suspiciously like a laptop case.
"What's that?" I asked.
To my surprise, Jared was the one who answered. "I know it's bothered you a little that your mom can't be here for all these preparations, especially this shopping trip. Well, I thought that this would be the next best thing. There's a webcam on the laptop, and your mom and Angela are all set up with Skype accounts. She'll be able to see everything you try on and give you her suggestions."
"You set up a web chat with my mom for my dress shopping?" I stared at my fiancé as if he were speaking a foreign language. He nodded. I flung myself into his arms and hugged him tightly. Pulling back, I breathed, "Thank you," before kissing him. Only the laughter of our audience made us break apart. As the girls pulled me toward the store entrance, I had enough time to call out, "Thank you," again before he disappeared from my sight.
The saleslady, Madeleine, suggested I browse a little to see what caught my eye, since I didn't really know what I wanted; I did have some ideas of what I didn't want: fancy, ornate, over-the-top—in short, anything I would have ended up with if Alice had been involved in this. The cap-sleeve dresses looked nice, until I realized that they looked a little too 'Anne of Green Gables'-ish, which would have been perfect for Edward, but that was something long ago consigned to the realm of impossibility in my mind, heart and dreams, and which I had long since ceased to have regrets about. The one-shoulder look was a little too much like my prom dress, and the two-strap look seemed so…so ordinary. I realized I was being drawn to the strapless dresses, perhaps in part because I knew how Jared would likely react.
"We're ready here, Bella," Angela informed me.
"Do we have some ideas now?" Madeleine inquired.
"Yes, I think I'll want to have something strapless," I announced.
"Excellent. Any fabric preferences?"
"We're hoping for a beach wedding, so something flowy?" I wondered.
She went to go pull a few options while I headed over to Angela to say hello to my mom through the webcam.
"Hi, mom."
"Hi, baby. I'm so happy I can be here for you."
"Jared's pretty amazing, isn't he? I can't believe he set this up." It was enough to make me want to tear up; yet more proof of the love between us.
"He really loves you, baby." Renee was so excited she was having trouble remembering to stay in front of the camera so that I could see her.
"I know. And I love him."
"Here we go," Madeleine arrived, carrying several dresses over her arm. "Let's get you in the changing room and see what the first dress looks like."
I got some complimentary gasps when Madeleine pulled back the curtain.
"Oh, Bella," Renee cooed.
The dress had horizontal ruching across the top of the bodice and the entire gown was embroidered with a delicate floral pattern.
"What do you think?" Emily asked me.
"I don't know. It's pretty, but…I don't like the ruching, and the embroidery just seems like it's too fancy for the wedding we're planning."
"That's fine, Bella, this gives us a direction to go in." Madeline made a note on her pad. "Let's try something else."
The next option was lace-covered with a criss-cross wrap of fabric at the bodice.
"That's pretty, Bella," Angela offered.
"But…" Even from the other side of the country, Renee must have caught my ambivalence.
"It's a little too fitted. I don't want to get a dress, only to have it end up too tight around my stomach on my wedding day." Catching Madeleine's confusion, I realized I'd have to make my first outsider announcement. "I'm pregnant—about six weeks along."
"Oh. Congratulations. And the wedding will be…?"
"In three weeks."
"Congratulations. Alright, so the fit around the waist is important. You know, I would recommend an empire-waist. That will hit along your ribcage, under the bust, and we can find something that will drape over the stomach and not cling. Give me just a moment." She disappeared, but returned a couple minutes later with an armful of filmy fabric.
With the gown on, I turned to face the mirror in the dressing room and struggled to remember how to breathe. The bodice had vertical pleats, with a satin band under the bust. At the top point of the band, at the base of my sternum, was a small jeweled brooch. The skirt of the gown was made of light-weight chiffon that floated away from my body, stopping just a fraction above the floor, except for a short train at the back. When the curtain was pulled back to reveal me to everyone, there was a moment of silence, followed by loud squeals.
I hadn't needed their reactions to know it though: the instant I'd faced the mirror I had known I'd found my dress. "This is it!" I could hardly believe that I would be walking out with the perfect dress for my wedding. The fact that they had my size in stock, and that it was on sale were mere bonuses.
"Perfect," Emily sighed.
"You look like an angel," squealed Savannah.
"Beautiful," Laura gave me a hug.
"Give her one for me," Renee instructed, and my soon-to-be mother-in-law did just that.
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"Don't you dare," Emily slapped Jared's hand away from the opaque garment bag containing my gown. "You can't see that until the wedding."
"Will I like it?" he wheedled, but did move his hand away as directed.
I reached up to run a finger along the line of his jaw. "You know how you didn't need that EMT on prom night?"
"Yeah?"
"I think we'll want to have one standing by for the wedding."
"Oh, boy."
(end flashback)
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As I'd expected, the news of my impending wedding hit Forks with the same force as my arrival must have done a year and a half ago. And also as anticipated, it didn't take long for some people to start coming to the correct conclusion about the reason for a month-long engagement. It took only one derisive comment from Lauren and her crowd for Jake to follow through on his threat from the last school beach trip and ban the lot of them from coming down to La Push. And since I was spending a lot of my time there, I didn't have much occasion to run into them.
Angela's father, the local Lutheran minister, had agreed to perform our wedding. We did have to have a couple of sessions with him, just so he could talk with us about the particular pressures of marrying so young and starting a family so quickly. He did seem somewhat impressed with how mature we were, but reiterated Jared's mom's advice about communicating. Reverend Weber also encouraged us to have a support network of family and friends that we could turn to for help.
"That's what the tribe is, Bella. It's really one big family," Jared had commented as we headed back to La Push that day. "Others will help us now, and someday we'll help someone else who needs it."
"Like paying it forward," I observed.
"Exactly."
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The more I'd thought about it, I'd come to the decision that I wanted to do something special for Jared. He had always been so wonderful about giving me anything I wanted, and that included the wedding ideas. With all that he had on his plate, I wanted there to be something about that weekend that was all about him. I was stumped on ideas, until I sought advice from Sue.
"Well, Bella, there is something that we could set up, if you really wanted."
"What is it?'
"There's a little tribal ceremony that can be done the midnight before a more traditional wedding ceremony. We'll need to find you something to wear, and teach you some of the language."
"Whatever I need to do. I really want to do something special for him."
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The weekend before the wedding, Jared's mom had invited me down for lunch. We went over to the community center afterward to finalize details for our reception there. When Jared and I walked inside, I at least was stunned by what I saw. One whole corner of the room was filled with furniture, dishes, small appliances, bedding and linens—everything a couple would need to start a life together. I honestly couldn't say what brought me to tears over this surprise wedding shower from the tribe. I pressed close to Jared and heard him say, "Wow." As we walked around looking at the things others had given us, I murmured, "I know you said they help others, but this is too much."
"They want to help, Bella. Others helped them before, they're helping us now, and we'll be expected to help others in our turn. We can even start now: like with the twin beds we won't need any more. There'll probably be someone who could use one or both." The idea of passing on to other people the generosity we were being shown really did make me feel better about the whole display in front of me.
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Renee arrived from Florida at the beginning of that last week in June. She passed along Phil's regrets—he had a game on Friday night. We got to work on packing up all my stuff—all the things I planned to keep, that is. The whole process took a lot longer than I expected, thanks to countless trips of Renee's down Memory Lane.
On Thursday, we were interrupted by Charlie's rather frantic voice from downstairs. "Bella! Renee! You've got company!"
We got downstairs just in time to see him hightailing it out of the house. It was obvious as to why: Laura, Sue, Leah, Rachel, Emily, Kim and her mom, and Angela and her mom had all arrived.
"Hi," I was a bit uncertain about the reason for this influx of my wedding planning crew.
Emily came to give me a hug. "Bella, we decided we wanted to give you a few things."
"You don't have to do that. You have all given me so much already with all the wedding help."
"Well, this is more for after," Rachel grinned slyly.
My face flamed as I figured out what she meant. "You didn't…" I groaned. But they had. Fighting blushes all the way, I somehow got through the lingerie shower they'd decided to throw for me. Jared had never seemed to mind my usual attire, but Renee pointed out the benefits to having some special things. None of it was stuff I'd ever thought of buying for myself, but for Jared…trying to imagine his reactions to me wearing these sheer numbers… Being a seductress would be a departure for me, but one that made me feel…I decided that 'tantalizing' was the right word, and couldn't help a small sly smile.
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The night before the wedding, Jared's parents threw a big pre-wedding family dinner, which most of the pack ended up crashing—well, not really crashing, since most of the guys would be helping out in one way or another tomorrow.
"Bella," Jared's dad said, after he'd stood up and tapped his glass with his spoon. "Ever since he was born, Laura and I have thought about the girl Jared would one day marry. Even before he brought you by the house, we knew you were someone special; there was just something different about him once he met you…" he trailed off, unable to continue. Laura picked up for him.
"A mother always wonders about the woman who will take her place in her son's life. I've heard other moms have regrets—but I don't. I don't feel like I'm losing my son—I'm gaining a daughter."
I had to wipe away a few tears as they both hugged me. Charlie and Renee were both pretty emotional, but neither said much. Renee just gave Jared a hug and told him to "take care of my girl." Charlie couldn't seem to get anything out, only a nod when Jared suggested a fishing trip sometime.
When the adults were all out of hearing range for a few minutes, Jared was officially banned from my bedroom for tonight. "It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding," Emily insisted when he tried to protest. "Besides, her mom is sure to insist on some mother-daughter bonding time tonight."
"And you ought to spend some time with your own parents, Jared," Sam advised. "I'll have one of the others keep watch at Bella's house, so you don't need to worry."
Jared held me close for as long as he could, before the rest of the pack pulled him away. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yes, you will," I agreed, with a smile that made him dart back for one more kiss.
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I burst into a whirlwind of activity as soon as my parents and I got back to the house. The out-of-the-blue surprise the Mahan's had sprung on us: three nights and two days at Kalaloch Lodge in the Olympic National Park, about an hour south of here, had completely surprised me. I hadn't thought a honeymoon was all that necessary, but now that I was getting one, and after all the chaos we'd survived this past month, I had a feeling I was going to be very grateful for these few days of isolation and peace and quiet.
"I know you don't want a fuss, but you deserve a few days to yourselves before plunging into married life in the real world. This is our gift to you both." Jared's dad had said. I couldn't help a few tears as I hugged them both. Jared had given them hugs of his own, along with our gratitude.
The lingerie I'd been given the other day had been laundered and I upended that gift bag into my suitcase. I felt a tingle of excitement at the thought of modeling them for my new husband. My next move was to riffle through one of the boxes of clothing that was stacked along one wall of my bedroom, pulling out a mix of things I might need. I'd wait till the morning to grab my toiletries bag from the bathroom.
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"Bella? How are you feeling?" Renee came into my bedroom and settled on the end of my bed. It was odd to see my room looking so spartan; most of my stuff was already packed up in boxes, waiting to be taken to my new home. It would get moved during my brief honeymoon, and I'd been promised help in unpacking, too, once we got back.
"I'm fine, mom," I finally replied. "A little nervous, but excited and happy and who knows what else."
"You're going to be a beautiful bride, Bella, and a wonderful wife and mother."
"Thanks, mom."
"I've got a bag packed with crackers and stuff, just in case you get a little nauseous, and Emily already said she'll have some of the tea on hand."
"Sounds great, but hopefully I won't need it."
"With luck," Renee agreed. "Speaking of luck, we've got to find four things for you. Can't forget the old tradition of having something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue."
"The dress is new, so that's one thing taken care of," I started. "My engagement ring is old." It was still resting on my left hand at the moment, but would be taken off when I got to La Push tomorrow and given to Sam for safekeeping until the ceremony. I'd decided that I wanted to use it as my wedding ring, too.
"I've got some old heirloom hairpins that I thought you could use," Renee offered.
"I'm thinking of leaving most of my hair down as long as it's not too windy, but I'm going to have them pull back the hair around my face, so the pins could work. Thank you." I had fought and won on the issue of having an up-do. I hadn't seen the need to spend the time and money going to a salon to get a fancy hairstyle that wasn't me, for one thing, and that I would only use for a few hours; a few pregnancy-induced eye-shimmers hadn't hurt, either.
"So we just need something blue…" Renee's voice trailed off thoughtfully. I suddenly had an idea, one that sent me diving into the one area I hadn't touched yet: my nightstand drawer. Riffling through the contents, I found the box I was looking for, which I hadn't touched since finding it the better part of three months ago.
"I'll wear this," I decided in an instant as I dropped the box into my mom's lap. She opened it and gasped.
"Where did you get this?"
"One of the Cullen's gave it to me for my birthday, right before they moved," I replied quietly, realizing this was going to be sensitive ground for her, but not intending to waver in the slightest.
"Bella, I don't think—"
"Mom, it's a necklace. Given by a friend" Ok, that was a stretch, sort-of, unless Alice being the one to buy it counts, "before she knew they were moving" Very true. "It's mine and I want to wear it."
"But Jared—"
"Understands that the Cullen's are part of my past, part of what made me the person that I am, the person he will be marrying tomorrow. I've been over them for a long time now, and over Edward, too. All I'm doing is acknowledging a past friendship as I move into my new future, and using a generous gift to complete a wedding tradition."
"If you're sure…"
"Yes, mom, I'm sure."
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As soon as I could, I pleaded the need to get a good night's sleep, and Renee gave me a last hug and headed off to get some sleep herself. Charlie had given up his bedroom to her during her visit and was sleeping on the couch down in the living room. Mom had offered to get a hotel room, but Charlie had insisted that there was no need, since Phil hadn't been able to come. "You'll want to spend as much time with Bella as you can. There's no need for you to book a hotel room."
But in actuality, I had no intentions of going to sleep any time soon. I was waiting for my cue that the coast was clear and that we could get going. I felt my stomach fluttering in a good way right now, thinking about the surprise I was about to spring on Jared.
The faint sound of a rock hitting my window brought my gaze around, just in time to see Jake swinging inside, exactly as he had done back in March, when he'd weaseled around Sam's injunction in order to come see me. That night had started everything—had changed my life utterly and completely. It had been Jake's 'you already know' that had sparked my memory, and had sent me charging down to La Push the next morning, straight to Jared.
"Hey, Bella," he kept his voice low, in deference to my apparently sleeping parents.
"Jake. Coast clear?"
"Yeah. Your parents are out for the count."
"He doesn't have any idea, does he?"
Jake grinned. "Nope." More seriously, he added, "Bella, this is going to mean so much to him, that you're doing this."
"That's what I want him to know," I replied.
"Hey, are you two planning to get moving, or just stay here and chat all night?" Quil's head peaked over the window ledge.
"Sure, sure," Jake scoffed. He looked me over, and, apparently satisfied that I was appropriately dressed for the outside, led me over to the window. Quil climbed inside, and Jake climbed out into the tree. "Okay, careful…"
Quil braced himself and gently picked me up and passed me out the window and down into Jake's arms. Embry was waiting on the ground, and Jake passed me down to him. My feet on the ground, I watched as Jake and Quil silently jumped down to join us. I found myself in Jake's arms again, and the three of them took off at a good clip. He was careful, though not to go too fast, "Don't want you hurling on me, Bella," he ragged; it probably helped that I kept my eyes closed, focusing instead on what I was about to do. I knew how important this was, and wanted everything to go perfectly.
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Jared POV
I'd been a bundle of nerves ever since I'd had to watch Bella leave. I was as restless now as I'd been as a kid on Christmas Eve.
"You'll see her in the morning, Jared. And every day for the rest of your lives." My dad clapped a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. He then proceeded to give me lots of advice: "Never let an argument go on too long. Sometimes walking away and coming back to the topic later can help you both. But be careful that you don't wait too long or forget-you never want her to think you're ignoring the problem.", "The little things can sometimes mean the most—not just flowers and knickknacks, but unloading the dishwasher or sweeping the floor can earn you major points." "And the big one: always put the toilet seat down!" We shared a laugh, even though I knew he was being serious.
Mom stopped in to inform me that she and her friends would be making sure our pantry, fridge, and freezer were well-stocked by the time we got back from our honeymoon. "That way you don't have to go shopping or start cooking from scratch right away, while you're also trying to get settled in. If you and Bella like the recipes just let me know and I'll pass them along."
"Thanks, mom. And thanks to both of you for the honeymoon—you didn't have to do that." Bella and I had put forth the argument that our Florida trip a month ago had been enough that it counted as a pre-wedding honeymoon, but I guessed that my parents hadn't bought it.
"It's not a big trip, or anything, but this will give you a few days where you can just focus on each other, without thinking about work or fielding visitors, or anything else." Mom was resolute on that point.
They left me alone after a while, seeing that I needed some time to myself, and also to get a good night's sleep themselves. I alternated pacing and flopping on the bed and messing with anything I hadn't packed yet. I abruptly remembered that we'd be taking a trip tomorrow, and managed to find a small bag to throw some things in that I'd need.
"Nervous?" I'd been so lost in thought that I hadn't even noticed Sam's approach to my house and my bedroom window.
"I don't know. I mean, it's not like—I don't know. It's not like I haven't felt responsible for her safety and happiness for a while now already; it's just going to be official now. The ceremony won't change how much I love her or how happy I am about the baby or—" Sam was inside my room and clapping a hand to my mouth.
"You're nervous," he decided. "Come on, let's go for a walk and see if we can get you past this."
The house was quiet, but I still almost felt like I should stay here, as if there were something wrong with sneaking out on my last night here. As if there hadn't been anything wrong with me sneaking out every night for the past almost four months.
"Come on," Sam insisted, practically lifting me up and shoving me out the window before following me.
"Jared, it's alright to be nervous," Sam advised, as we moved into the woods. "In some ways, you'd be insane not to be. You're right that things aren't going to change in terms of how the pack views your relationship with Bella, but it will change. Family expectations, your expectations for each other—take it from me: things do change with your imprint when you're living with her 24/7. All the little things you don't even think about could be exactly the habits that will drive her nuts—and that's not factoring in her being pregnant, like Bella is, either. And," his touch on my arm guided me in a slightly different direction than we'd been traveling, "there are the tribe's expectations."
"Sam, you know what? If you're trying to boost my confidence, you're doing a really crappy job of it."
"Maybe I can help, then." I literally jumped out of my skin. How in the world did I not know she was here? Was all I could think as I stared at Bella emerging from the shadow of a tree. The clearing we'd just entered was suddenly full of the rustle of movement, which was further indication of how completely out of it I was right now. Not sensing Bella, not sensing a dozen others—sheesh, what next?
"Bella?" I was struggling to understand why my fiancée was standing in the woods on the reservation, when I'd been told I couldn't see her until the ceremony tomorrow. She came to stand right in front of me and interlaced her fingers with mine, pressing our palms together.
"Jared, from almost the day we met, you've kept telling me how important I am to you, and that you want me to be happy and have everything I want. What I want right now is to make sure that you understand how important you are to me. This is for you," she relinquished one of my hands, but kept hold of the other, using it to pull me along behind her. When we neared the middle of the clearing, I jerked to a sudden stop.
In the very center of the circle that my family—including my parents and siblings—and the pack and the elders had formed, a large pile of wood was waiting. I realized that two smaller piles of wood were also laid at the north and south ends of the circle. Torches set on poles at the four cardinal points of the clearing provided a small amount of illumination—enough for me to get a good look at Bella. She was wearing a dress made out of tanned leather dyed red and covered with black decorations and ribbons. Around her neck, just as it had been every day since I'd given it, was her pack tattoo pendant.
I knew what this had to be—I'd paid attention during the elders' lectures on our tribal ceremonies. Bella was offering me a tribal wedding. I looked down at Bella, seeing the love in her eyes. I could only begin to imagine the effort she'd put into this, on top of everything else, in the last few weeks.
"I love you," was all I could say. It wasn't enough, but she seemed to understand all that I couldn't find the words to say. Sam pulled me back then, taking me out of sight so that I could change into a pair of leather leggings. When I reemerged, Bella was waiting where I'd left her.
"You are the qahla that warms me, the pititchu that lights my nights. You are the kwaiya that quenches my thirst, the ti'iyahl with whom I will spend the rest of my life." My heart was full to overflowing listening to Bella speaking even a few words in my tribal language; I knew from experience how difficult it was to learn, and I'd had years to pick up what I knew—Bella had only had weeks.
I stroked her cheek with my finger, letting everything I was feeling fill my eyes. We turned to face the elders, and Billy began to speak.
"Jared and Bella. Tonight you come before us pledging your commitment to each other in the traditions of our tribe." He gestured toward the small woodpiles.
"Here are branches of Shore Pine. May the totems of our tribe inspire you as you carve a new life together. Here are branches of Douglas Fir. May the music of your souls be audible to all. Let the Black Cottonwood remind you to adorn one another with love and care. Use the branches of Cascara to heal one another of all hurts. Let the branches of Pacific Yew remind you to provide for one another's needs, whatever they may be. The Western Red Cedar is a symbol of the culture you have lived in, Jared, and that you, Bella, are joining. Remember this heritage well, and teach it to those who are to come. And may these branches of Willow be a token of the tribe's blessing of your union and of the children to be born through it."
As each tree had been mentioned, Bella and I had each dropped handfuls of tobacco, sage, sweet grass, sea grass, corn, and other ritual herbs onto our respective woodpiles. Sam approached me and Old Quil approached Bella; both knelt to kindle the spark to light our fires. As I watched the flames spread, I prayed silently that I would never let down or disappoint this incredible woman. I began pushing my small fire toward the larger one in the middle; I glanced over to see that Bella had clearly practiced the maneuver herself and was perfectly safe from the flames. I wrapped my arms around her and rested my cheek against her head as we watched the bonfire ignite. The other members of my tribe began to sing a song of blessing on our union and praise to our Creator.
"Thank you, Bella," I whispered.
"You're welcome," she whispered back.
"Bella?" Jacob spoke quietly. "We'd better get you back home before you're missed."
She nodded, then reached up to frame my face with her hands. "Hach awi," she told me. "I love you."
"I love you, too. You have a good night as well. I'll see you on the beach."
"Yes, you will," was her last comment before she followed Jake out of my sight. I walked home for the last time, surrounded by my family, my parents, siblings, aunts and uncles and cousins, grandparents.
"Was I the only one who didn't know this was coming?" I asked of no one in particular.
"Yep," Drew snickered.
My nerves of earlier in the evening were gone, dissipated by the ceremony just concluded. I actually felt nothing but admiration for Bella, and how she'd pulled this off with me completely in the dark. "I love that woman."
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Hope you liked this one. I really worked hard to try and make it come out the way I envisioned it. Again, deep thanks to mc7575 for a ton of research for me to pull from.
Here are translations of what Bella said during the ceremony:
Qahla = sun
Pititchu = moon
Kwaiya= water
Ti'iyahl= man