"See you soon Mr. Swan, Mrs. Swan and Ms, Swan." Mr. Cullen replied, smiling gently. His wife followed behind, hugging me and my mother.
Emmett pulled himself of one of the chairs and gave me a large bear hug, something which wasn't meant to happen in this society. Men were meant to keep their distance, but he seemed different.
Edward was next, reaching for palm, to lay a soft but fluttering kiss. It was short, but to me it felt like forever.
The night
It was the night before my life changed forever. My hopes of freedom would vanish after tomorrow. My body would not be mine anymore. My chances of finding myself would be just a whisper in the wind. The more I imagined the future, the more I held onto my childhood memories. I feared the future, it was unknown and dark. I wondered what was to come of my children. Would they accept this life, or would they fear the world as I do.
I was lodged in between my single bed and my wall. I looked around the room, rememorizing this night. I looked to my left and saw the chained windows, locked from the outside. The government thought it was better for women and the staff to have this, to protect us from our selves.
I remember when they took away anything dangerous from women, and only women. Such simple things like razors to shave their legs were taken away, to prevent any harm. At the time my mother was in rage.
Now that I have grown up and saw the need of such a small item, I understand. They did this after many of the wives tried hanging her self with the curtain ropes. So the government took away anything to harm anyone in the home. They still do regular searches to check we haven't sneaked one in. It was very rare for someone to do this, but it still happens. I heard my fathers friends talking about it.
"Miss Swan, your mother asks for you." One of the staff asks, wiping her hands in her apron. I knew this girl was one of my mums favourites, not that she knows. She says the girl looks like her mother when she was young. My grandma died 6 years ago, she was a huge feminist, so my mother says it was a perfect time for her to go. I wonder, sometimes, if she looks down on the world and frowns. I wonder if she's disappointed.
"Coming." I whisper, staring at the bed that will never be mine again. I pull myself of the floor, and follow her downstairs where my mother is sat by the fire. It was something my grandma would always do. She said it made her feel connected to the fire.
"Isabella, come sit with me." My mother whispers, with a tint of sadness in her voice. I follow what she says, and take a seat on the leather sofa. It was already warm, from the heat, and the colour red made it feel like I was on fire.
"I have a few things to give to you, a little thing my mum gave me." She was holding a little box, that looked precious. It was made of some type of wood, with engraved hearts. She passed it into my already waiting hands. I held it there, scanning all the grains in the wood, it was so delicate.
"Open it." She suggested, smiling slightly. I looked at the sides of the box, and found a small hatch to open it. As I pulled the lid up, I saw what was inside. It was a silver clip with small safaris in. It was beautiful.
"Thank you, its absolutely beautiful" I whispered, keeping my eyes glued to the large slide in. It was perfect.
"I acted the exact way you did when my mum handed it down to me, on the day before my wedding." I looked up to see her with a tear in her eye. She let her guard down, so I gave her a hug. It wasn't just a short hug that I normally give her. I hugged her like I did as a child, like I would never wanted to leave.
"I love you Bella." I heard my mum say. I replied with a
"I love you too mum." After a few minutes, I pulled back and sat where I had before, picking up the clip like before, and placed in my hand. It felt a little heavy.
"Now its time to go to bed Isabella, big day tomorrow." My mother murmured, placing her guards up again.
I nodded my head, and gracefully lifted myself of the stool and made my way back to my room. I took the small box with my and carried it like I would with a delicate child.
As I walked through my room, I closed the door. I wished for locks on my door, but they were taken away like everything else. I missed the choice, not that I used it ever. But the choice was enough.
I closed my eyes as I led down, still holding the box to my chest. I wished myself away to another time.
The beginning.
I watched the staff rush around the stool that I was currently perched on. They were fixing my hair, and my makeup. It was the only day, where we were aloud to wear makeup. It was banned for going on walks. But I didn't mind, I preferred my face being uncluttered.
I remember the first time I tried makeup. The first thing I tried was lip gloss, and I ended up smudging it all over my bed covers, so I wasn't aloud to use it inside the house. My mother loved all the makeup, she daily wore it, until the day where the shops changed their items, and makeup wasn't the things they kept. It was seen as deviant to them.
"Isabella, you look beautiful." My mother looked at me with pride, as she pushed in the silver slide from last night. It was pushed on top of my bun at the back. It looked so perfectly in place. This was the day where I become a women, well Edward's women. I wasn't a women by myself, I 'apparently' needed a man to be one. I looked in the mirror in front of me and was gob smacked. I looked, I didn't look like me, it was someone else. She looked beautiful and innocent.
"Its time." My father shouted, as he walked through the door, smiling. My mother took this as her chance to walk out and join the people outside. Everyone was counting on me. I had to do this. I could do this.