A/N: Sorry for the huge disappointment in last chapter's A/N. But I just don't know what any of the classes would be like (or what they would teach, for that matter) so I had to skip it. Please don't be too upset with me!

"Finally, it's over," Emmett groaned in relief. We were stepping out of the car—Seth and I had ridden with Emmett and Rosalie this time—and onto the driveway of the Cullen house. The tassel of my graduation cap was dangling in front of my face and I lifted my hand to swipe it to the side. I stood up inside the Jeep to make my way out when strong, warm hands caught my waist from the outside of the car. Seth lifted me out of the car and I smiled as my feet crunched against the gravel of the driveway. I was home again, and oh, how much I had missed it.

"You'd think after how many years of college I'd be used to it," Emmett muttered as he piled several large suitcases into his arms to carry into the house.

"No one ever gets used to school, Em." Rosalie sighed and rolled her eyes. "I mean, come on, it's school. No matter what school, it's still sick, disgusting, totally pointless school."

"Oh, my kids are home!" Esme's singsong voice came trilling from the doorway. She scurried down the steps of the porch to come and hug each of us.

"Hey, Esme." I laughed as she squeezed Seth and me at the same time. "We're glad to be home."

"We're glad to have you home!" she said. "Carlisle would've loved to have been here to welcome you home, but he was needed at the hospital."

"We'll see him tonight," Edward said, walking towards us, one arm around Bella. "Nice to see you again, Esme." He gave his adoptive mother a one armed hug and Bella did the same.

"Mommy, Daddy!" Renesmee came bouncing down the driveway and I completely lost my breath when I saw her. She was so much taller now, her voice more mature. Her hair was longer—if that was even possible—and the girl looked around eighteen. She hugged her parents tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I'm so happy you're home!" she cried. Nessie leaned back from her embrace and I saw Edward and Bella's eyes were as wide as those of a dear in headlights. I could've sworn I saw tears glisten in Bella's eyes, but of course that wasn't possible.

"Renesmee," she whispered. "You've grown so much."

"Aw, Mom," Nessie said, hugging Bella. "Don't be sad. I'm still your little Nessie. I'm just… taller. Now where is…" Nessie looked around until she spotted me. "Jasmine!" She bounded forward and threw her arms around me.

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen!" I exclaimed. "You're taller than I am!" Maybe Bella couldn't cry, but I sure could. My vision was blurred by tears which I blinked away quickly. "You're only seven years old."

"Seven years go by fast!" she giggled. "And how old are you now, Jasmine? Thirty, right?" She smirked. She knew how much I dreaded that age.

I grimaced. "Very funny. No, Nessie, I'm twenty-one, thank you very much. Going on twenty-two."

"You're a little short for twenty-one, Jasmine," she teased.

"Excuse me, but I think five-foot-five is a perfectly nice height." I smiled. "At least I'm not an eight year old who looks eighteen!"

Our playful bickering continued while everyone else worked on unloading our luggage from the cars—which took about two minutes. I was laughing and teasing Nessie when a short, pixie-haired hurricane came spinning toward me.

"Alice," I groaned. "What now?"

"Hello!" She knocked on the side of my head. "Have you forgotten our appointment?"

"Appointment?" Okay, yes, I had forgotten. "What appointment."

Alice rolled her eyes and smacked her head against her palm. "Do the words Etoile Bridal ring a bell?"

"Oh, right." Etoile Bridal was one of the bigger bridal stores in Port Angeles. Alice, Rosalie, Esme, Nessie, and Bella had all committed to helping me find my perfect wedding dress today. I was getting married in August, so that only gave us three months. But, knowing the Cullen girls, they probably already had more than half of the planning done.

Alice widened her eyes and motioned toward the Jeep.

"So," she said, "let's go, then! We don't have all day! Rosalie, Esme! Hurry up!"

Before I could blink, I was sitting in the back seat, seatbelt on, with Nessie and Rose sitting next to me. Gosh, I hated when they did that. Esme was sitting in the front seat and Alice put the car into drive.

"We'll be back later!" Alice called out her window to Jasper and Seth who stood, confused, on the doorstep of the house. "Love you!"

"You didn't tell them?" I asked Alice once her window was rolled up.

"Nope," she said. "I wanted them to be surprised. Anyway, I already have all the invitations sent out for your wedding."

"Who is there to invite, anyway, besides the pack, Jade, and Ali?" I asked.

"Well, you don't know them personally," Alice said. "But I'm sure I've told you about them. I sent invitations to Tanya and her family. They've wanted to meet you. Nessie convinced me to send invites to the Amazons, too. Peter and Charlotte—Jasper's friends from his time with Maria, if you remember when we told you about that—said they'd be around here in the summer so we asked them to come to. I hope you don't mind."

I vaguely remembered the names from the times that I'd asked Alice to tell me stories about the days before I joined the Cullens.

"I don't mind," I said.

"Have you chosen a maid of honor yet, Jasmine?" Rosalie asked me. She was looking in the small mirror she carried in her pocket and fluffing her hair. As if she needed to—the girl looked perfect anyway.

"I have, actually," I said. "I just… haven't asked her yet."

"She's asking Jade eventually," Alice said. She turned back and winked at me. "She'll say yes, no worries."

I let out a sigh of relief. There was one thing I didn't have to worry about anymore.

"Esme?" Alice asked. "Did you call and see if that church in Bellingham would be available for the wedding?"

Esme nodded. "I have it covered. They said you can go at any time to see the inside and decide on the décor."

"Fabulous!" Alice squealed.

"Alice?" I asked. "Jasper… is he going to give me away?"

Alice was turned away from me, but I could almost see her smirk. "I dunno. Why don't you ask him?"

I laughed and sighed. "Can someone give me a phone? I left mine at home."

"Jasmine, asking Jasper to give you away isn't something you can do over the phone," Esme chastised. "Besides, I'm sure you'll want to see his face when you ask. For being an empathic vampire, the boy hardly ever gets seriously emotional. It might be nice to see something other than Alice light up his face for a change."

I rolled my eyes and turned my head to look behind us. I could faintly see disappearing red and blue lights and hear a siren.

"Alice," I said. "Um… shouldn't you, I dunno, slow down?"

"Nah," she said. "We're almost there anyway. Just have to go a little faster."

She pressed down hard on the gas pedal and the car lurched forward. I gripped Rosalie's arm and she brushed me off, annoyed.

"Jeez, Alice isn't gonna kill us," she said. "She knows what she's doing."

I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I freak out easily."

"We know." The two words echoed through the car, coming from Alice, Esme, Rosalie, and Nessie.

"Well," I gasped, pretending to be offended.

Eventually, Alice pulled into one of those huge, four-story parking lots. She drove to the top and parked the Jeep in the farthest, loneliest corner. We all put on our jackets and stepped out into the cold rain. I shivered and rubbed my arms to try and warm myself. Renesmee draped one arm around my shoulder. Her natural body heat seeped through my thick jacket and warmed my freezing skin.

"Thanks, Ness," I said.

She smirked. "No problem."

We took an elevator down to the main floor. From there, we walked for a couple of minutes until we reached a large store with four different large, white, poufy dresses in the window. Esme held the door open for us and we all walked in. A lady with short black and purple streaked hair and a smile as fake as Pamela Anderson's boobs came to greet us. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped in surprise when she saw Rosalie and Alice, then stumbled back a foot as she took in Esme and Nessie. Her expression became one of mild disappointment and some relief when she saw me.

"Hello!" she said, too perkily. "Welcome to Etoile Bridal! My name is Alana, how may I help you?"

"We're looking for a wedding dress," Rosalie said, clearly annoyed by Alana.

"Oh! And may I ask who the bride is?" She looked at Rosalie, Esme, Alice, and Nessie, clearly counting me out.

"Oh, the three of us are already married," Alice said, motioning to herself, Rose, and Esme.

"Well, then." Alana walked closer to Renesmee. "Which of these two young ladies is it?"

I raised my hand and waved at her.

"Oh." Her smile became even more bogus than before—if that was possible. "And your name?" she asked.

"Jasmine," I said. "Jasmine Cullen."

"Soon to be Clearwater." Nessie giggled.

"Interesting. The gowns are over here." Alana turned around and started leading us through the large store. It was even bigger than it looked on the outside.

"Here we are," she announced when she stopped in the middle of a large circle of wedding dresses. "Now, just call me if you need anything." Then, finally, she walked away.

"I don't like her," Rosalie muttered under her breath.

"Neither did I," Esme said. "Did you see the way she was looking at Jasmine?"

"Problematic," Alice sang.

"I seriously hope this doesn't turn out like an overly dramatic episode of Say Yes to the Dress," I mumbled.

"Anyway, Jasmine," Alice said, "you sit here." She pushed me down into a faux white leather chair. "We'll bring you dresses."

"Hey!" I protested. "Don't I have a say in what dress I wear for the most important day of my life?"

Alice's bottom lip stuck out in a resigned pout. "Fine." She frowned. "C'mon."

I followed Alice to the first rack of dresses. Whenever she came upon a dress she thought was nice, she'd stop, stare at it for a moment, and then sometimes she'd fling it into my arms or back onto the hanger. Once my arms were stacked so high with poufy dresses that I couldn't see, Alice started piling them onto Nessie's arms, then Rosalie's, then Esme's, then Bella's, until she had to use her own as well. When neither of us could carry anymore (and still look human), we made our way over to the dressing rooms. Nessie, Rosalie, Esme, and Bella each gave the dresses they held to Alice who followed me into a dressing room. She put all the dresses on a large chair and I did the same with my pile.

"Well," Alice exhaled sharply. "Looks like we've got a long day ahead of us." She surveyed the seen in front of her. "Show us every dress. And, I mean it, Jasmine, every dress. We'll help you pick. Good luck!" And with that, she swept out of the room, leaving me with a million dresses to try on.

I picked up the first dress without really looking at it. I closed my eyes and slipped it on as quickly as I could. I was turned away from the mirror, but I could tell it wasn't a traditional gown. Well, maybe it could still be nice—

I turned toward the mirror and only three words went through my head.

Oh, hell no.

It was the shortest dress I'd seen in my entire life. It hugged my hips tightly and the neck stretched down to my waist. Not only that, but it was sleeveless.

"Jasmine, come out and show it to us!" Alice called much too innocently.

"Alice, I am not going out there in this!" I screamed. My eyes were wide in mortification.

"C'mon!" Alice whined. "It can't be that bad!" Her voice was smug—she knew exactly how bad it was.

I reluctantly stepped out of the dressing room, trying my hardest to cover myself with my arms. Esme raised a hand to her mouth to muffle her laughter. Nessie, Alice, Bella, and Rose weren't nearly as polite.

"Okay, I changed my mind," Alice said through her hysterics. "It can be that bad."

I grimaced and stared daggers at her. My head whipped to the side when I heard a familiar voice.

"Sorry I'm late," Leah said, digging in her purse. "There was so much traffic—" She stopped when she saw me. Her eyes widened and she dropped her bag. "Please tell me you didn't pick that," she said.

I frowned and shook my head. "Of course I didn't." I pointed an accusing finger at the five Cullens girls. "One of them did."

Leah laughed. "Why?"

"I haven't a clue. Can I change now?" I begged.

Alice nodded. "Go ahead, I've had my laugh." She smirked. I rolled my eyes and was about to go back into the dressing room when a Vietnamese whirlwind came into the room.

"Leah!" Jade whined. "I told you not to walk so fast! I'm wearing sneakers today, remember?"

"Jade!" I screamed when I saw her. "What are you doing here?"

"Leah picked me up on her way here!" I was about to hug her when she stepped back from me, a surprised expression on her face. "And what are you doing in that? Please tell me that's not your wedding dress."

"Oh, come on, I think it's cute," Nessie lied through giggles.

"As if I would dress like a hooch for my wedding day!" I screamed. I turned on my heel and stormed back into the dressing room.

"Was that really necessary, Alice?" I heard Esme ask.

"Of course not, but I was bored," Alice answered. The seven of them exploded into laughter as I slipped the next dress over my head and fought to pull the zipper up. The day continued in a calmer manner, until all the dresses that had been piled up for me had been tried on and not liked.

"This is hopeless," I sighed as I plopped down in between Esme and Jade in a large, Cinderella-style gown. "Esme? How did you know which dress was, you know, the dress?"

"Well, it's hard to explain, dear," she sighed. "I guess you just… know. I didn't even have mine zipped up before I knew it was the one. You get a feeling and you just know that that is the dress you're going to walk down the aisle in."

"Well, then," I said, fighting to get up. Jade gave me a small push and I rose to my feet. "Maybe we should call it a day. We can try again tomorrow."

"Oh, no," Alice argued, rising and putting her hands on her hips. "I promised you I would find you the perfect wedding dress and, so help me, I will. Why don't you and Jade stay here? The rest of us can go find more dresses for you to try on." When the six of them were gone, I turned to face Jade.

"I'm sorry you're stuck here," I said.

"Sorry? I love being here to help you pick out your wedding dress. Jasmine, you're my best friend. Of course I want to be here for you."

"Aw," I said, touching the spot where my heart was. "You're my best friend, too. Jade, please, would you be my maid of honor?"

Tears glistened in her eyes—something I hadn't seen since the first day we met. I expected her to bite her lip to keep her eyes from overflowing, but the tears came freely as she hugged me.

"Maid of honor," she whispered once she pulled back. "I like the sound of that."

"So you'll do it?" I asked, my face brightening.

"Of course I will!" she squealed. I laughed and gave her another hug.

"Thanks," I said.

"My pleasure," she responded.

"We have more dresses!" Alice sang as she trotted into the room, piles of fluffy garments trailing in behind her.

"You can leave the dresses on those chairs in the dressing room," she said to Esme and the others.

"Oh, boy," I grunted, hoisting myself up off the chair I'd been sitting on. I lifted the skirt of the dress as I walked back into the dressing room.

I pulled my hands behind my back to try and undo the clasp at the top of the gown I was currently in. I had just managed to unfasten the clasp when I saw it.

Within the white and ivory fabrics of the dresses available for me to try on, I caught a glimpse of the corner of a skirt the color of a unique oyster pearl, of the dawn.

Of the shell around my neck.

I made my way toward it and pulled at the swatch of fabric I saw, knocking down about twelve dresses in the progress. I slipped out of the Cinderella dress I had on and into the gown I held in my hands. I turned slowly toward the mirror and took in what I saw.

The pearly pink silk was soft against my skin. It was strapless with a single ruche in the corner. The edges of it were delicately decorated and there was an excited feel growing in the pit of my stomach. I rushed out of the dressing room as quickly as I could. Alana was there, talking to Alice animatedly about something, but all heads turned when they heard me.

"Oh, my, Jasmine, you look amazing, darling, here, let me look at you." Esme stood up slowly and walked over to me to examine every inch of the dress. Alice looked as if she would be crying if such a thing were possible.

"This is it," I said, trying to push away a sob of happiness. "This is my dress, the dress."

"I love it," Jade sighed. "You look spectacular."

I turned around to face the mirror again. "You really think so?" I asked, a smile stretching broadly across my face.

"Totally," Leah said.

"Absolutely," Nessie chimed in.

"Completely," Bella laughed.

"I haven't seen anyone look that nice in a wedding dress since the day I got married," Rosalie sighed. "That's a compliment, by the way."

"Are you sure?" Alana pressured. "There are so many more gowns…"
Alice held up a finger to stop her. "If Jasmine says that this is the dress, then it's the dress. Where do I pay?" Alice pulled a clear card out of her purse and looked expectantly at Alana.

"Mrs. Cullen, is it? Surely, you'd like to know the price first," Alana said.

"A price is but a number," Alice said. I snickered—that was her favorite saying. "Now, where can I pay?"

Alana—about as pale as Alice was—turned and lead Alice away. I went back into the dressing room to change back into my normal clothes. I couldn't believe that after nine hours of trying on gowns, I'd actually found the one.

I put the dress back inside its plastic bag and carried it out of the dressing room where Esme was waiting.

"Here, let me take that for you," she offered, extending her arms to receive the dress.

"It's all right, Esme. I want to carry it. Thanks, anyway."

Esme smiled warmly at me. "All right. Let's go, the girls are waiting for us."

We made our way through the racks of clothes and other brides trying to find their perfect dress, and I took comfort in the fact that I was one step ahead of them all. I held my dress close to me when we stepped out into the drizzle. I practically ran when I saw the Jeep and stepped inside quickly, slamming the door behind me.

The ride home was silent except for the steady sound of raindrops against the windows. I took comfort in their soothing sound until we arrived home. Alice took my dress from me and hurried inside while I walked slowly in the rain, lifting my head so that the drops fell on my face. When I finally got inside, I shook myself and raindrops went flying in different directions.

"Alice, several packages came for you while you were out," Jasper said, motioning to a stack of large cardboard boxes.

"Oh, goody!" Alice squealed. She picked up all the boxes in one hand, grabbed my wrist in the other, and flew up the stairs. Once we were in her room, I sat down on the bed, breathless.

"What are those?" I asked when I could breathe again.

Alice smiled at me. "Dresses," she answered.

"What kind of dresses?" I pressed.

"Bridesmaid dresses, a maid of honor dress…"

"How did you know which ones to get?" I asked. "You didn't know—wait. You knew what dress I was going to pick, didn't you?"

"Maybe," she teased.

"Alice!" I groaned. "You made me go through all that for nothing?"

"Oh, c'mon, I thought you liked doing things normally."

"I guess you're right," I decided. "Thanks."

"No problem," she said, tearing the final box open. "You think Jade will like this?" Alice held up a silky light pink dress with detailed beading at the bust.

"Wouldn't you know?" I teased. "I'm sure she'll love it."

Next, Alice laid out a small pink dress with an ivory sash tied at the waist.

"I knew you'd want Claire as your flower girl," she said. "I called Emily and got her measurements."

"Thanks," I said. "And the bridesmaid dresses?"

"I got five of them," Alice said, showing me a beautiful tea-length dress. "One for Bella, one for Rose, Leah, Nessie, and Ali."

"And what about for you?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm not a bridesmaid," she said.

"You're not?" I asked, confused.

"Nope," she said. "I'm the mother of the bride, remember? So I'll be wearing this." She pulled a light dress with thin straps and a diamond broach out of a box.

"Mother of the bride," I whispered. "Of course."

I hugged Alice tightly, wanting so much to express my gratitude for everything she'd done for me. I knew words would fail me, but there had to be a way to thank her.

"You're welcome," she said, as if she'd read my thoughts. "For everything."

I smiled at her and reached up to wipe the tears I was sure were coming, but my eyes were dry. Was it possible to be so happy that even tears would fail to form?

Well, yes, yes it was.

Author's Note: M'kay, so, it's four in the morning… And I'm uploading a chapter. Yeah, I'm insane, whatever. Anyway, I added pictures of the stuff mentioned in this chapter to my website, so you might wanna check that out. Tell me what you think! ^^