"So, we have covered body and soul," Seth said, continuing down the sidewalk. "Now, we are going to delve into spirit."
"Aren't soul and spirit one and the same?"
"Oh, not so, grasshoppah. Soul is based on experiences. Spirit is the divine spark. Here we are." He opened the door to a bookstore.
"You're not going to get New Age religious-y on me, are you?"
Seth laughed and shook his head.
"Welcome to New Moon Books and Tea," came a sweet voice from the stacks. "I'll be with you in just a moment!"
"Heya, Bella!" Seth called.
"Seth! Be right there!"
"No rush!" he responded before turning to his sister. "You'll like Bella. She is a lot like you."
A few minutes later, a young woman with long, dark brown hair, clad in a funky, boho skirt and peasant blouse emerged from the shelves. Leah found herself checking the woman's eyes. Sure enough, they were golden.
"Thank you for waiting. Edward wanted a Sixteenth Century spell book. Someone at the shop wanted a tattoo of something or other, and he felt it would be in that text."
"No problem," Seth said before motioning toward Leah. "Edward is her husband. He and another dude, Carlisle, own a tat and piercing shop a few blocks away."
"Carlisle will love you calling him 'another dude,'" Bella said with an indelicate snort. "Former chief of surgery turned piercer. Dude."
"Anyway, this is my sister. I was telling you about her on the phone."
"Of course! Leah! I am so pleased to meet you." Bella smiled warmly and pointed to a small, round table with overstuffed chairs surrounding it. "Seth has told me all about you! Come, have a seat."
Leah obliged, finding a comfy spot. As she sat, Leah noticed an ornate tea set in the center of the table.
"What a beautiful …" Leah's voice trailed off as she noticed one cup had been shattered and repaired with golden strands of metal.
"That one is my favorite," Bella said, carefully picking up the cup and turning it so it caught the light.
"It is beautiful."
Bella nodded, carefully rocking the cup from side to side in her hands, letting the light sparkle and glow on the gold.
"My Grandmother Marie brought this set over from Italy when she immigrated here as a child. One of her brothers stepped on this cup and broke it to pieces. She couldn't bear to throw it away, so she kept the shards. Years later, she met my grandfather, and while he had been stationed in Japan, he saw how artisans use precious metals to repair pottery and china pieces. As a surprise, he had this cup repaired and said his love would last for as long as the cup stayed together."
"That is so amazing," Leah said with a sigh.
"They were married almost sixty years." Bella held up the cup and smiled. "And I have a reminder that what might feel like something that has been broken to pieces and is nothing but trash, can be repaired with something precious and be more valuable than anyone can ever imagine."
Leah felt a shiver go through her as she processed Bella's words. She could be that cup. Metaphorically, of course, but she had been broken. And now, after throwing Emmett over her shoulder at the gym and discovering she was stronger physically than she ever imagined, after finding an apprenticeship and job with Jasper that had until that morning seemed like a pipe dream, now, after just a few minutes talking with Bella about a simple broken cup, Leah felt as if she could take on the world, and be all the stronger for it.
"Wow," she murmured, mostly to herself as the realization struck. "That is…that…is."
"Awesome," Bella provided, nodding. "Not just awesome as in 'totally kewl, man,'" she drawled, channeling her best surfer dude voice. "But awesome as in completely and fully filled with awe. Yes, it is."
"Awesome." Leah stared at the cup, her eyes going fuzzy as she got lost within her own thoughts, feeling stronger and more self-assured than she had in a long, long time.
"Kintsugi," Bella offered, motioning with the cup as she carefully placed it back on the table.
"Hmm?"
"Kintsugi. That's what the process is called."
"Kintsugi. I like the sound of that."
"I thought you might. I think it is a perfect word for you, Leah."
"You know, I think you're right, Bella."
I thank you for reading and hope you have enjoyed my first (and possibly last) Leah story. I'm more of an E/B writer, but I so enjoyed stretching myself. I hope my gift recipient, 4Cullensandablack loves my humble attempt at doing Leah justice.
The prompts were thought provoking and heart rending, imho. I tried to capture that broken feeling, but I wanted Leah to rise above it all. Like a clay bowl fused together with precious metals, Leah will rise above what has broken her and be more valuable than ever.
I would be remiss if I didn't thank a few people: First, the organizers. Y'all are goddesses and the amount of blood, sweat, and tears poured into keeping this event going are greatly appreciated. Kudos and fresh chocolate chip cookies around. Second, my banner maker…DD2, you did an amazing job with a half-crazed mom spouting a vision while you were trying to enjoy a break away from graphic design homework. And third, DD1, for pre-reading and validation. I'm glad my use of "Jesus fucking Christ" made you laugh (you have to understand, I rarely cuss in real life so it was OOC and a bit of a shock).
Again, thank you for reading. Be sure to check out the other stories—based off of the banners, there should be some absolutely wonderful ones!
