LOOOONG chapter this morning. I know it's been too long since I updated, but hey, I've got three going on at once. And plus, with the Christmas-y theme of this chapter, I really wanted to post it in a Christmas-y month. Not that I've been keeping it under wraps or anything.
Now, keep in mind that while I'm trying to keep in line with many canon aspects, this story will soon take on a very AU feel.
For right now, I'll see you at the bottom.
Traditions
December, 1945
Keira
After a lot of planning and pleading with my mother and father, and with a healthy dose of threatening Kyle, Edward and I decided to wait a week after Thanksgiving to go on our first official date. December 1. I marked it on my calender — and I wrote about it in my journal. With very little idea of what we would do on our date, I'd suggested that we give in to Emmett's suggestions of the drive-in. It was a safe place to go, and I figured Kyle would find something to talk to Emmett about so it wouldn't be completely awkward. But then again, I was going on a date with a vampire, and his vampire brother was going to be chaperoning us with my older, arrogant brother who was convinced the night was going to end in tears. Mine or his, I wasn't sure just yet.
Awkward would be a state of mind.
The night before, I went through my whole closet trying to find something I hadn't worn with Edward. If we were going to be at the drive-in, I knew I would need a layered jacket, and I decided to wear a nice wool dress I hadn't worn since the Christmas before. My mother would give me stockings to keep my legs warm, and maybe I could even take a blanket — for me at least.
Sun was shining into my room bright and early when I woke from the late night musings of putting out my clothes. My bed was warm and comfortable, and I was keen to stay there for a little while longer until someone knocked on my door.
"Wakey-wakey," Fisher giggled creeping into my room slowly.
I mirrored his goofy grin, laughing myself. "You're being ridiculous," I teased.
He shrugged. "I can be happy for my baby sister going on her first date. And I might be thinking about what to get for her birthday. You can bet your mystery novels I won't be buying you a Christmas present with it like I did last year."
I gasped mockingly. "That's not fair," I exclaimed.
"You're going to be sixteen in less than a month, kid. Get used to it. You comin' down for breakfast?"
"Of course."
He smiled and left closing the door, and I laughed again.
It was the day of my first date, and my big brother was acting like Peace on Earth had been declared.
I should've laid there long enough for him to come back, but instead, I eased out of bed with a pair of regular clothes so I could at least get ready for my day.
Apparently, I was the late-riser in the family when I got to the dining room, my parents and brothers were all waiting — well, my mother, father and Fisher were all waiting. Kyle was sipping on his juice and nibbling on a piece of toast. He saw me come into the room first, smiling over his glass.
"Mornin', little sis," he teased.
I inhaled, swallowing my remark and moving to my chair beside Fisher. He stood up and pulled my chair out.
"You look like you had a good night's sleep," he grinned, like he hadn't been in my room earlier playing the big brother.
I smiled at him. "I did," I declared, sitting down and scooting closer to the table.
He sat back down, and my mother passed me the platter of eggs.
"You must be so excited," she giggled.
I glanced at Fisher, still seeing the goofy grin on his face, and when I bowed my head, my father spoke.
"I'm still not sure I'm comfortable with this," he avowed. "But I have met the boy's parents, and so far, I feel comfortable that he won't do anything I don't like."
I blushed as I sat there, and before I could voice my pleas for them to stop, Kyle spoke up again.
"Please, it's just a date. Let's not roll out the red carpet for her. I'm the one who has to take her and her stud out for the little event. You should all feel sorry for me."
I looked at him, surprised but no longer embarrassed.
After breakfast, I helped my mother in the kitchen. She made me clear all the dishes from the table while my father and brothers all took the car into town. I was a little suspicious of their behavior. I hoped they weren't trying to spring a surprise on me. I wasn't looking forward to leaving for my date with Kyle and my father scrutinizing my dress or the fact that I planned on wearing my hair up.
While I was standing in front of the sink, my mind kept wandering. I kept thinking about everything Edward had said at Thanksgiving. He was worried about exposing my family to their existence, and I understood that. My parents and brothers didn't suspect anything odd about Edward or his family despite Fisher wondering things about him. My brother was more like me than either of us liked admitting, and it didn't usually stop with the fact that we'd both been close to our grandmother. Without her, the glue that kept us together hadn't diminished, but now there was something else keeping us in each other's lives. Now I knew it was Edward.
Trying to convince myself that Fisher couldn't figure out what Edward was didn't seem very easy, but I kept trying. My brother wasn't stupid or unobservant or arrogant to think no one like Edward could be in my life. It didn't have anything to do with Edward being a vampire — or maybe it did, but I wasn't focusing on that. Hope that my brother would give me the benefit of the doubt was my main ally, and I held onto that with both hands and all ten fingers.
The dishes seemed to clean themselves in the time I stood in front of the sink. I barely remembered putting them up before I left the kitchen and went upstairs to my room. Since Edward and I had chosen a Saturday for our date, we decided to forgo our usual hike through the woods near his house. It wasn't easy to give up. We already had plenty of material for the project, and it would've only entailed a walk with Emmett keeping us company. I liked Emmett, but not enough to want to traipse through the woods with him and Edward.
My journal was still setting where I'd laid it the night before, on my desk in front of my window. I sat down and opened it to the beginning, looking at the date and realizing that I'd started writing in it before my grandmother had passed away.
February 20, 1945.
I was supposed to go to my Grandmother's house today, but she's sick. At least, that's what my dad says. I don't really know what to think. The last time I visited her, she was fine. We went ice skating. She made me hot chocolate. She taught me how to make sugar cookies, and I burned three batches before I got it right. Fisher is worried about her. Kyle is talking about ignoring my father and going to see her anyway. He doesn't like following rules anymore. I hate to admit that I feel the same way. Kyle and I don't usually agree on much, and when it comes to obeying our father, we agree even less. Somehow my mother has instilled a stronger sense of respect in me than he seems to exhibit. Fisher thinks we could hole up in the attic and spend all day going through our family's heir looms. He wants to distract me. I want him to distract me. But I don't know if it will work. I want to see my grandmother. I haven't seen her since last month, which is odd. I hate having to go to school.
A knock on my door pulled me from reading my journal, and I realized I must've lost track of how long I sat there. When I looked up, the sun was much higher in the sky than it had been when I sat down.
"Keira," Fisher called through the door. "You okay in there?"
What was I supposed to say?
I was supposed to be happy about going out with Edward. I should've been trying on other dresses and picking out shoes, begging my mother to let me wear her antique diamond earrings.
Instead, I was sitting there wondering how I was going to convince Edward that it would be okay for our families to be together. Could I make him see it would be all right, that no one would get hurt so long as we were both very careful?
I didn't say any of this to Fisher, of course. So I lied. "I'm fine. Just going through clothes."
"Well, come down for lunch when you're ready, okay?"
"Okay."
Lunch.
It was lunch already. Edward and Emmett would be here in less than six hours. We — me, Edward, Emmett and Kyle — would all be going to the drive-in and then — I didn't know what.
All I really knew was that I was going to make Edward feel comfortable and safe with the idea of us spending Christmas together. I knew he wanted it. I just had to make him see how good it would be.
That meant I had to talk to Kyle. God, how I wish I didn't have to.
Fisher and my mother were making sandwiches in the kitchen when I made my entrance, and at first, I was surprised to see them sitting at the table across from the sink. Then I realized my father and Kyle were both gone, and I was curious.
"Where's Dad and Kyle?" I asked, taking a seat next to Fisher.
He looked at our mother. "Well, Kyle stayed in town to finish a few things he said were . . . exceptionally important — which means he didn't want to be cooped up in the house until it was time for him to take you on your date. And Dad — "
"Got a call from the sheriff about a house that might have been broken into on the outskirts of town," our mother finished.
"Which house?"
She looked at Fisher, and he looked at me again.
Their hesitation caused an increase in my pulse, and Fisher quickly lifted his hand. "I think he said it was the Conway house east of here," he assured me.
I should've still been worried about that, but a part of me was relieved. Our mother passed me a plate with a turkey sandwich already on it with crackers on the side, and I tried not to look like I'd just been told a distant relative came out of the woodwork.
"You mean Ethan Conway?" I asked, and I promise it was genuine curiosity.
"I think so," Fisher nodded.
I didn't think about it anymore, eating my sandwich and sitting with my mother and my brother while I waited for the time to pass until my date with Edward.
Going over conversation starters for convincing him that Christmas together would be a good idea was part of my plan for the afternoon. I still wondered about what Kyle was doing in town, and I hoped my father would be home before I left. Instead of dwelling on the finer points of what it meant to be going on a date with Edward, I focused on talking to Kyle.
I had to wait until he got home only a couple of hours before the beginning of my date, and I had to corner him in his room while he was getting ready — in a bathrobe with my hair in a towel no less.
"I have to talk to you," I announced, garnering the attention of his intense stare.
He was currently dressed in dark dressed pants, no socks and the black shirt he'd worn to our grandmother's funeral. He smirked when he saw me. "I sure hope you're not planning on leaving this house dressed like that," he teased.
I sighed heavily. "Please don't do that. I mean it. We have to talk."
His smirk faded.
I didn't wait, moving closer to him slowly. "This isn't going to be easy for either of us," I said, fidgeting steadily. "And I know the last thing you want is to chaperone me on a date with a boy you don't really like."
He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You got that right."
"But I do like him," I stressed. "And he's not a bad guy. He's not out to steal my virtue, and I'm pretty sure if he was going to do any of the things you're probably wanting to accuse him of, my father wouldn't have allowed him to take me anywhere, much less step a foot inside this house."
The smirk he'd been wearing previously returned, and he crossed his arms over his chest. "And let me guess. You want me to put aside all the differences I've put between me and him for just one night so you can enjoy your little date and wake up tomorrow like a happy little sophomore with a boyfriend I don't like?"
I inhaled deeply. "Actually, yes."
He rolled his eyes again, and I couldn't control the remark that left my mouth.
"God, I can't believe we're even related anymore!"
His lips pressed together into a line, and I stepped closer.
"And black? Really? This is that much of a depressing request I've made that you have to wear the same clothes you wore to her funeral?"
The hurt look in his eyes made me stop, and I lowered my voice.
"You held my hand that day, Kyle," I reminded him. "I know my brother's still in there somewhere. If you don't like Edward now, I understand. You don't know him. But I do, and I know he cares about me. That means the two of you should have something in common, or you wouldn't have agreed to do this. Please, Kyle. I'm begging. I've never done this before, and I really don't want it to be something I live to regret because my brother decided to ruin it. Please don't ruin this for me."
He wanted to argue. I could see it in his pale blue eyes. But I was standing there in my bathrobe with my hair in a towel. Surely, he could see how important it was to me for him to behave.
"I won't ruin this for you," he said softly. "I promise."
I exhaled the breath I'd been holding in. "Thank you. I mean it. Thank you, Kyle."
"You really like this guy, don't you? It's not like that crush you had on Jackson Witherspoon, is it?"
"God, no," I exclaimed, smiling unconsciously. "I can't believe you even remember his name!"
He grinned. "Well, then I just might end up surprising you, little sister."
I rolled my own eyes at the nickname, turning to leave when he grabbed my hand.
"I mean all of that," he said. "I won't ruin this for you. And you are my little sister. And I will definitely end up surprising you. So don't get too comfy with my new attitude."
The wary look on my face made his grin fade, and he squeezed my hand. "I'm sorry."
I grasped onto his hand, smiling slightly. "It's okay. And yes, I really like Edward."
He let me go then, and I hurried to my room to get ready. It was after four, and my hair was still wet!
The dress I'd picked out slipped on perfectly, its warm wool texture a little rough against my skin but not uncomfortable. The stockings I'd borrowed from my mother disappeared as soon as I pulled them, and I completed my ensemble with a pair of heels from my mother's closet.
My mother was waiting in the bathroom to help me with my hair, and by then, I was glad it was mostly dry. She didn't have to ask why I wanted it up tonight. I'd already told her my reasons. The reason was obvious to me since I wanted to look different now that I was going on my first date.
The doorbell rang promptly at six o'clock. It was already well after dark but the night was just beginning. A blanket was waiting on my bed for me after I left the bedroom as my mother had gone down to answer the door.
A knock on my door broke me from my musings about whether Edward had come to the door alone or not, and while I expected it to be my mother, I was utterly surprised to see Kyle there. He'd changed out of the dark clothes and was now wearing blue jeans with a brilliant white button-down shirt and his letterman jacket from our last school. He looked like his old self.
"I'll take it from your stunned silence that you find my new attire more appropriate," he surmised.
"I do," I nodded. "I was wondering when you would show up. It's been seven months, you know."
"I know," he admitted. Then he held his arm out with an exasperated sigh. "Come on. Sooner we get this train wreck started . . ."
I took his arm, eyeing him warily.
"I'm kidding," he huffed. And then he smiled. "Don't look at me like that. Let's go."
He turned then and pulled me down the stairs to the foyer where a small army had assembled.
The first thing I saw was Fisher and Emmett laughing about something that was apparently very funny, and at a creak of the stairs under my feet, they both looked at me. Fisher's jaw dropped, and he stepped closer to the stairs as Kyle and I arrived at the bottom step. My second eldest brother extended his hand to me, and I laid my hand in his.
"You look beautiful," he said, causing me to blush gently.
"I concur," Edward agreed.
I looked at him as he stood next to my mother and father, and with a nod in their direction, he stepped closer to me with the most genuine smile on his face I'd ever seen. Though he was only wearing a pair of brown tweed pants and jacket with a light blue shirt, he looked so much more stunning than he had in his tuxedo. There was a little more disarray in his hair, and his eyes were a darker green than usual. I wasn't sure exactly how it was possible for him to be this way, but I suspected it had something to do with the fact that I'd never felt this way about anyone in my short life. He was so beautiful.
The glimmer in his eyes told me he could hear what I was thinking, and I blushed helplessly.
He smiled at Fisher and then Kyle before he took my hands in his. A glance in Emmett's direction made me think something was going on between them, but nothing was said. Edward looked at my parents.
"I'll have her back by nine o'clock," he assured them.
My mother waved her hand at him. "Don't be silly, honey. My goodness, just go have a good time."
Though I was stunned, I could do nothing to hide my appreciation.
"We should get going," Emmett said, moving to the door to lead the way. "I'll make sure they both don't waste this."
Edward laughed just once, glancing at me and pursing his lips.
There was little in the way of anymore ceremony as Emmett opened the front door to make his way out to the car. Edward followed him with me at his side, and Kyle slowly followed us. Emmett's car was even shinier than it was the last time I saw it, and he opened the back door as Edward arrived with me. Another silent moment passed between them, and Emmett grinned, bowing his head. Then Edward looked at me.
"After you," he gestured to the back seat.
"Uh, wait a second," Kyle protested. "I don't think that's such a good idea."
Edward and I both looked at him, and while I wanted to argue, Edward beat me to it. "It's all right," he said, allowing me to sit in the back seat. "I'll sit up front with Emmett if it makes you more comfortable."
The victorious grin on my older brother's face was enough to bring out the stubbornness in me.
"But that's ridiculous," I exclaimed. "Kyle, please. We'll be less than three feet away. Don't be unreasonable now."
He rolled his eyes, giving in with a light scoff. "Fine."
A covert smile spread across Edward's lips, and he slid into the back seat with me instantly. Kyle closed the door a little too loudly, moving to the front seat as Emmett squeezed behind the driver's seat. No other words were shared as the car was started, and with that, we were off.
I wanted my first date to be somewhere special — somewhere I'd never been so I could relish in the experience with my date. But we yielded to Emmett's desire to go to the drive in. The blanket kept me warm as I sat next to Edward, and he took my hand in his the moment Kyle and Emmett exited the car to order our food. I wasn't very hungry, only ordering something to drink for the time being. My brother claimed he was starving, and Emmett convinced him to sit under the pavilion so Edward and I could be alone a little while.
"Kyle seems to be easing up a bit," Edward said as we sat close together.
I laughed softly. "Well, after what I did, I'm kind of surprised." I thought about pleading with him in my robe with my hair in a towel, and Edward gasped dramatically.
"You really did that?" he whispered.
The little hairs on the back of my neck fluttered under his breath, standing up, and I shivered. Edward turned my hand over so my palm was facing him, and after a few seconds, he thread his fingers between mine. More chills assailed me, and I unconsciously laid my other hand over his.
"You know it doesn't matter where we are," he said softly. "As long as I'm with you."
My eyes found his, and he smiled, leaning closer to me. He'd done this a couple of times before, and now I knew what he wanted. I was surprised to realize I wanted it too, and even though we were only going on our first date, I didn't care.
The tip of his nose found mine, and I shivered again. He was so close I could smell him, and I remembered what he'd said about everything of him that drew people to him despite his desire to stay isolated. If memory served me properly, it was no more difficult for him to do it than the way those other vampires had attempted, and I unwillingly allowed an image of them to flicker through my mind a split second before he drew back with his jaws clenched.
He didn't have to say anything. I knew what I'd done.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
He turned away from me and released my hand, sitting forward with his own hands clasped together. "I should never have done this," he declared. "For every day you're near me, you're in danger."
I grabbed his arm and tugged. "You won't let anyone hurt me. I know you won't."
His eyes were harsh when he looked at me, their vibrant green hue indicative of his hunting schedule. "I'm not talking about anyone else," he hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm talking about me!"
I shook my head. "You're not making sense."
"I'm dangerous, Keira. It doesn't matter what I do or what I say. I'm a predator, and I shouldn't have done this."
He moved to get out of the car, but I stopped him, pulling him back to me.
"I trust you," I swore to him. "You've been protecting me this whole time. How could I not? Having something dangerous inside you doesn't make you evil. And no matter what you've done, it doesn't make you dangerous. It makes you human."
Edward lifted his eyes to me, his expression of self-loathing almost too much for me to bear. I lifted my hands to his face, trying everything I could to comfort him.
"I trust you," I said again, more softly this time. "And you need to trust me. We're here, and we're safe. We're together, and that's all that matters. You don't have to be afraid of this anymore."
"I could kill you so easily," he warned. "Without meaning to. And I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that happened. Do you understand that?"
I eased the tips of my fingers over his skin, eliciting a sharp reaction from him as he took my wrists in his own hands. "I understand," I nodded. "But you have to understand that I'm just as invested in this as you are. Give me a little credit, Edward. I'm not completely blinded by your ability to make me totally helpless."
Thought his expression didn't change, the words he spoke were no less warning than his eyes had been. "How can you be so understanding and so careless at the same time?" he demanded.
"I don't know," I admitted. "Maybe one day, I'll figure that out for myself. But I won't learn that if you stop me by backing away. You don't have to isolate yourself anymore. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. Not now."
He scooted closer to me, laying his forehead against mine. "I don't know if I can do this when the possibility of losing you will always be hanging over me," he confessed. "But I believe you. And I trust you, Keira."
I moved forward slowly, easing my arms around his shoulders and wrapping my hand around the back of his head. He held me close, relaxing for the time being, and I decided then was as good a time as any to mention my questions about Christmas.
"It wouldn't have to be so bad," I whispered. "Us spending time together with our families. And now that Kyle has finally started to relax, he won't be the way he was when you met him. It could work if we were both careful, Edward. I know it."
Tension returned to his body a little after I said that, but when he leaned back to look at me, I didn't see fear like I'd believed I would. Instead, I saw worry and apprehension. I didn't have to ask why. And he didn't have to voice his concerns.
"Just trust me," I pleaded.
His smile returned slowly. "I do," he proclaimed. "I just don't want anything bad to happen."
Lifting my hand to his face again, I smiled back. "Then we'll just have to do our absolute best to make sure nothing bad happens."
He pursed his lips again, lowering his eyes and then bowing his head. "Then there's just one problem."
I sat up straight, suddenly worried. "What?"
He looked at me with a sparkle in his eye. "Now I have to find something to give you."
A laugh bubbled up gently, and with that, our plans were made. He scooted a little closer and draped his arm over the seat behind me, and I settled into his side. I couldn't see the movie playing, but at this point, it didn't matter anymore. Edward and I were together, and there was hope for our future despite the few obstacles that continued to plague us. Regardless of anything else, I knew we would be facing the next obstacle together.
I ended up getting a little hungry, and Emmett flat-out refused to let me or Edward pay for my food. Kyle thought that was strange, but he was currently in a "deep" conversation with a girl from school and didn't pay much attention to it after Emmett's initial offer. Relief overwhelmed me to not have to explain why Emmett was doing it, and it helped that Kyle didn't see Emmett order only one meal — instead of two.
Though the cheeseburger and fries were far outside what I normally ate, I found that I was quite hungry once I began eating. It wasn't easy to eat with Edward watching me the way he always did, but I focused on the sounds of the movie playing to distract me. Before I knew it, the food was gone, and I was left to sip on the soft drink Emmett had purchased for me.
"Well, now that you've hunted and fed," Edward joked as he sat next to me, "we should probably be getting you home."
I grinned around my straw. Then I looked at him. "Ready to be rid of me?"
At first, I thought he might take me seriously, but by the grin on his own face, I could see he knew I was joking with him. He kept his arm around my shoulders, nodding slightly and holding me closer. "If we're going to do this again, I want to make a good impression."
Only a moment later, the doors to the front seat opened, and Emmett and Kyle slid inside with two completely different attitudes.
"Time to go already?" Emmett teased.
"Please," Kyle scoffed. "It's about time we got out of this place. Couldn't be soon enough, if you ask me."
Emmett grinned at him. "I thought you liked talking to that girl."
Kyle shrugged. "Small potatoes."
Edward glanced at me, seeing the wary look on my face. "Let's just go," he pressed.
Neither Emmett nor Kyle offered anymore protest, settling in as the car was started, and as Emmett pulled out to leave, Kyle looked at me.
"So, did you enjoy yourself?" he inquired, drawing out the word 'enjoy' as he smiled a little too widely.
I smiled myself and lifted my chin prominently. "As a matter of fact, I did."
The too-wide smile on his face faded into a real one, but he didn't say anything, turning in his seat to face the windshield.
Emmett stayed in the car after pulling up to the curb of my house, and Kyle got out after shaking his hand and promising they would never do this again. It didn't do much in the way of dampening Emmett's mood, but he smiled at me knowingly before Edward scooted out of the back seat to help me out of the car.
Kyle waited by the front door until we were on the front steps and then the porch, and while I thought he might wait to walk me inside so Edward would have to say goodnight right then, my oldest brother only gave Edward a slight warning in his eyes and then turned to go inside, leaving the front door open. The moment we were alone and standing in the doorway of my house, Edward faced me and took my hands in his.
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself tonight," he said softly, gently caressing my hands with his thumbs. "I must say, I quite enjoyed myself as well. I never thought doing something like this would feel so good. I have you to thank for that."
I stepped a little closer. "And we'll do it again?" I verified with a little grin which he returned.
"Of course we will," he promised. "And next time, we'll just have Emmett with us. He'll be a little more giving in space, and I can take you somewhere no one's been before. But first, we have to finish putting our project together. Once we have that completed and turned in early, there'll be nothing else in our way to just spend our Saturdays exploring."
The idea of just spending time with Edward sounded wonderful, and I found myself looking forward to it before I really thought of what it meant. It didn't matter anymore. I knew everything would work itself out in the end.
He leaned closer to me slowly, laying his lips over my cheek and lingering there for several seconds before he laid a light kiss in the corner of my lips and stepped back to the front door to open it. I couldn't hide my disappointment that he hadn't really kissed me, but he saw the look in my eyes and leaned his lips to my ear as we walked inside.
"There'll be plenty of time for that when we're not standing on your porch," he whispered.
There was no way to stop the light laugh that escaped my lips, and he laughed softly too, closing the front door as my mother came in from the dining room.
"Goodness, is it that time already?" she asked with a giggle.
Edward smiled. "Well, it is only our first date," he insisted. "And I want to do things right with Keira."
My mother didn't notice the implications in his words but couldn't stop smiling. "That's very gentlemanly of you," she marveled.
"I'll just be going," he said, taking and then squeezing my hand gently. "Goodnight."
I squeezed his hand as tightly as I could. "Goodnight."
He waved at my mother and turned to leave in one fluid move, and I watched him leave with a content sigh.
"Oh, darling, he is so wonderful," my mother gushed. "It's amazing he has such good manners."
"Yes, it is," I agreed. "And yes, he is very wonderful."
She wrapped her arm around my shoulders, and I reciprocated with my arm around her waist. "Honey, you're glowing," she teased. "Oh, you remind me so much of myself right after I met your father."
There wasn't much I could say to that, and as she directed me to the stairs and walked up to my room with me, I thought about Edward and how similar he was to my father — if nothing else than the fact that they were very close in age.
"We're going to Edward's for Christmas," I announced as she and I arrived at my room. "He and I thought it would be fun since they came here for Thanksgiving. Is that all right?"
She didn't have to hide her excitement. "That sounds terrific, sweetheart. I'm sure your father and brothers will have no problem with that, especially after we convince them they don't have a say in the matter."
I laughed, and she did as well, leaning forward to kiss my cheek.
"I'm really glad you had a good time," she beamed. "It means you'll have an even better time tomorrow."
"I hope so."
She rubbed my cheek and turned to leave my room.
I slept more peacefully that night than I had in a long time, thinking of my night with Edward and of all the nights that were in the future.
Now we only had to make it through Christmas.
Twice more, Edward and I went out on a "date." The only major difference was the fact that Kyle refused to come again. Once, Abigail and I convinced Fisher and Edward to go on a double date. It was amusing to watch my brother want to watch me with my date while he tried to keep his own in his sight for the night. The second time was the night after we turned in our science project three days early. Mr. Fillmore was absolutely flabbergasted as to what he was supposed to do, but he took the project with a measure of trepidation. It was obvious he was impressed, even from me, and I couldn't read his mind. Edward assured me we would both get more than adequate scores for our . . . fortitude.
To celebrate, he and Emmett picked me up at my house on Saturday afternoon to keep suspicions at a minimum since it wasn't exactly proper for Edward and I to be alone given our age — at least my age.
A large picnic basket occupied the back seat of the car as I squeezed in the middle of the front seat. It wasn't too cold, but winter was right around the corner. We'd already had a few bouts of freezing precipitation, but it wasn't anything that had caused the town to come to a halt. It was damp now, but two thick blankets set beneath the picnic basket. I was instantly curious.
Edward said nothing to appease me, grinning as Emmett pulled away from the curb to leave the neighborhood.
"I could tell everyone you kidnapped me," I cautioned meekly.
He looked at me with wide, brilliantly innocent green eyes. "I could tell everyone you came of your own free will," he countered. "And I have ways of making people see my side of things."
I gasped dramatically, glancing at Emmett. "Are we at least staying in the town's limits?" I pleaded softly, giving him my best pout.
He looked at Edward, and it was clear he was losing his resolve.
"Not a word," Edward ordered.
I looked at him, my mouth agape.
He shrugged. "It's a surprise," he swore.
I pouted again, folding my arms over my chest and settling into the seat. Edward laid his arm over the seat behind me, rubbing my arm through my coat. I tried to look upset, especially since he'd sworn Emmett to silence, but he leaned in and kissed my cheek. If that wasn't bad enough, then he whispered close to my ear.
"Emmett's going to do a sweep and then come back to the car," he revealed. "It's just going to be you and me. Esme packed you something I'm sure you'll have no interest in eating once you see what I have to show you."
Little tingles slid up my spine as his breath tickled my skin, and I couldn't remove the smile from my face. This didn't change anything, but it was a start.
Emmett sped away from the town the way he usually did, and I absently held onto Edward's hand while the sky outside not began to darken but also clear of the clouds that had blocked out the sun the last several days. The farther away from town we got, the clearer the sky became, and soon, I could see stars.
"Just wait," Edward said. "That's not all you'll see."
My curiosity peaked the moment we pulled down a dark road illuminated only by the headlights of the car, and my pulse inadvertently increased as the path narrowed to the point we could no longer drive to our destination.
Emmett parked and turned off the car. Edward opened the door to his side and pulled me with him as he slid out.
"Come on," he beckoned. "It's not far from here."
I couldn't argue, trusting him as he gathered up the blankets and picnic basket.
We set off without Emmett or a light to guide us. Even with Edward's impeccable sight, I was worried about tripping and falling without being able to see where I was going. At that thought, Edward stopped and proceeded to lift me in his arms as he also carried everything else. He never said anything, only smiling and continuing like he hadn't even stopped.
The trees seemed to go on forever, and I thought for the slightest moment that it would take too long to get back to the car. Then the foliage thinned and parted completely to reveal a small clearing and then a cliff that overlooked one of the rivers that flowed into Grays Harbor. Edward put me down gently, spreading out both blankets over the damp ground and then setting the picnic basket down.
"Are you worried?" he asked softly, stepping close to me and then pulling me into his arms.
I glanced around. "About falling?"
A little smirk crossed his lips. "Something like that."
The blanket was on a few steps away, and I moved as confidently as I could. "I trust you," I insisted.
He followed me without arguing — for once.
My wool stockings, dress and coat all kept me warm as I sat on the cold ground next to Edward, and after we'd both settled on the blanket, he opened the picnic basket. Esme had outdone herself, making a dozen little lemon cakes and a dozen cinnamon cakes covered in creme cheese icing with bottles of tea and creme. She'd packed cut apples and sliced strawberries. There were ever some little glasses to drink out of, and I was curious why there were two instead of one.
"She was hoping I would join you for at least one drink," Edward admitted. "I tried to dissuade her, but in true motherly fashion, she said I had to or else."
I laughed softly reaching into the basket to set the glasses on the blanket. They were heavy, clear and sparkled in the growing moonlight. Astonished, I lifted my eyes to Edward as he opened a bottle of tea and poured me a glass.
"Is this real crystal?" I asked.
He smiled. "She said only the best for you," he confirmed.
I bit my lip nervously, suddenly afraid I would drop my glass and break it. Edward lifted my hands and set the little cup in my palm, steadying my trembling limb.
"It's all right," he assured me. "She has more. And if anything else, Carlisle will always replace anything that's lost. There inevitably always is whenever we move. Once, Rosalie broke an heirloom mirror while throwing it at my head. I was teasing her about her interactions with Emmett, and I think I angered her."
His story caused my pulse to increase, but he smiled again, and I knew he was trying to make me feel better.
"Is it working?"
I grasped onto my glass, taking a sip of the sweet tea and then clutching it to my chest. "A little."
Though I wasn't hungry, I decided to eat one of the lemon cake slices with my tea, turning my gaze to the night sky as it continued to clear. Already I could see twice as many stars in the sky as I'd been able in the car.
"It's beautiful out here," I said softly.
I looked at Edward, discovering his eyes on me. Then he looked at the sky. "I agree."
"What do you see?" I asked, scooting closer to him.
His dark eyes scanned the sky, and after half a minute, he pointed with his left hand. "Aries," he indicated. "The Ram. In Greek Mythology, it comes from a story about a King who had two children. Their step-mother beat them, and this made the messenger god Hermes angry. He sent the Ram to carry them away to safety. The girl, Helle, was lost on the way down a strip of water between Europe and Asia. They named it after her. The boy, Phrixus, made it safely to the Black Sea. He sacrificed the Ram and gave its fleece to a dragon for safe-keeping. It's the same fleece Jason and the Argonauts recovered and returned to the King's city."
The laugh that escaped my chest couldn't be stopped, and I covered my mouth as he looked at me.
"I'm sorry," I said softly. "But you remember all of that by looking at a constellation?"
He grinned. "I remember everything," he proclaimed. "And it isn't just from the constellation. Since I began this life with Carlisle, I've probably read more books and listened to more lectures at colleges than I would care to admit." He lifted his finger to his temple. "It's all in here now."
Again, I bit my lip. "What do you see when you look up there?"
He returned his eyes to the sky. "The clouds," he revealed, a little smile pricking at the left corner of his mouth. Then after a short pause, he began again. "The stars — more stars than any human could possibly observe. To the naked human eye, they're just white dots in the sky. But I see red, blue, yellow, purple, orange. All varying degrees of stars being born, growing and dying." His smile fell and his head fell forward. "They all die. Here, we only see the ones closest, but out there, I know they all die."
There was a second meaning in his words, and I tried to comfort him, wrapping my arm around his back and lifting my hand to his chest. Of course he was cold, but I imagined him warm and alive.
"The power of visualization," he commented with a light laugh.
I leaned closer to him without thinking of what would happen afterward, kissing his cheek and then whispering softly. "As long as I'm here, I'm alive. And as long as you're here, you're warm. That's all that matters now. Everything else can wait. No more negative, okay? Only positive."
He turned his head to look at me, and he was suddenly closer than he had been in two weeks. This time, there was no Emmett to bother us. There was no Kyle to tease us. We weren't standing on my front porch.
A new smile replaced the sadness in his eyes, and he laid his hand over mine as it laid on his chest. "No, we're not," he agreed. "But — "
I shook my head. "No more negative. Please. There's nowhere else I would rather be than right here with you."
The smile on his face evolved into another light laugh, and he leaned a little closer, caressing the tip of my nose with his. A chill flickered through my body, but it wasn't from the cold. He inhaled deeper than he ever had, gently wrapping his hand around my arm and then touching my face with his other hand. My brain was doing cart wheels. He was going to kiss me. I knew it.
"Stop thinking," he whispered, his upper lip brushing against mine. "No more thinking aloud either."
I gasped softly, and he closed the last few centimeters separating us to lay his lips on mine. Electricity flitted through me, charging the air around us. His lips were so smooth and perfect. I wondered if they always had been. His hard chest fluctuated with movement as he moved his lips against mine. I tried to mimic him. Never in my short life had I ever kissed or even been kissed by a boy. While I'd always thought of what it would feel like, this barely compared to that.
My heart soared and fluttered the longer his lips were on mine. I felt impervious to the cold, and the light breeze on the air only worked to tickle the hairs on the back of my neck. I grasped onto his shirt, still imagining him warm with his heart beating beneath my hand. I knew it was only my imagination, but for a split second, it was almost like I really could feel something. Nothing was ever going to feel this amazing. I knew it as well as I knew anything I'd ever been taught or shown by anyone else.
Hours could've passed, and I wouldn't have cared as I sat there having my first kiss — with Edward. He reluctantly let go, still caressing my skin and whispering again.
"Clearly, it's impossible to stop you from thinking," he teased, kissing the corner of my mouth. "And you'll want to pay attention to sky soon."
I held him tighter. "Why?"
Turning his gaze from mine and toward the sky, he said nothing to explain. I followed him and lifted my eyes to the sky.
Just as I did, a tiny streak of light blazed across the sky. I gasped again, and soon, another followed. "Oh my gosh," I exclaimed. "Edward, it's a meteor shower!"
He laughed softly. "I know."
I looked at him curiously, realizing too late that he must have known this was going to happen tonight.
"Well, of course, I knew," he chuckled. "It happens every year around this time."
I lifted my eyes to the dark sky, seeing the white dots and then the tiny streaks as they became more frequent. "What is this one called?"
My reading from science class kept creeping in as I watched, remembering that several meteor showers came and went every year. There were decidedly too many to keep up with, so figuring out which this one was proved to be a little difficult.
Edward leaned closer, his lips to my ear. "These are called Geminids," he whispered. "Because they appear near and originate from the constellation Gemini."
I shook gently with a set of chills, and instead of moving away like I was afraid he would, Edward stayed close, kissing my cheek. I leaned into him, wanting nothing more than to sit here all night until it was over.
No response came to my thought, and after another minute, we both fell silent, watching the sight before us. It was so quiet and peaceful. Only the sounds of the river below us permeated the air, and though several animals populated the black woods around us, we were left alone nearly the entire time we sat there.
I never touched the food again the rest of the time we were there together.
For probably a couple of hours, we sat and watched the tiny streaks of light glide across the sky. Every little while I would think of my grandmother and how much she would've loved this. December was her favorite month of the year because it symbolized the end of the year and the beginning of another year. With my birthday being at the end of the month, she'd always given me more than one gift.
One was usually something typical of her — a homemade, heirloom looking piece of nothing that she claimed had taken her hours to make. The other gift was almost always her real gift. The last Christmas I'd spent with her, she'd given me my locket, but it didn't hold a picture. Instead, she'd filled it with lavender and rose — two of her favorite scents. I almost never took it off.
Brush breaking under heavy footfalls caught my attention as I sat next to Edward, and with no light to see who it was, I naturally became worried. There was a new moon out, so no light illuminated whoever was approaching us. Then a booming, exuberant voice pierced the night air.
"It's gettin' late, you two," Emmett informed us.
He came close enough to kneel on my other side.
Edward glanced around. The meteor shower was still going, but I could see on his face that he knew Emmett was right. He looked at me.
"Are you ready?"
I didn't hesitate, allowing him to take my hand. "I'm ready."
Emmett didn't wait, packing up the picnic basket and folding the blankets.
I turned to look up at the sky again, remembering what Edward had said about the stars and feeling a little anxiety over the path I felt being laid in front of me — and him. But then I turned to him and stepped closer, grasping his hand in mine and holding onto his arm as we began walking back to the car. It would all work itself out. I had to believe that. I wanted to believe it so much. If I did that, it would be easier.
The walk to the car was blurry, and I remembered Edward lifting me in his arms again as I became tired. He carried me to the car and sat in the back seat with me. I fell asleep before Emmett turned the car on to get back to the road that would carry all of us to town.
Next thing I knew was Edward touching my face and whispering for me to wake up.
"You're home."
Brilliant golden lights illuminated my porch, and I stretched before smiling at him and nodding that I was ready. He opened the door at his side and slid out, turning to help me and walking me up to the porch.
Would he kiss me again now that we were standing on my porch again?
He touched my chin and lifted my face. Even in the low light, his eyes glimmered. "Do you want me to kiss you again?"
I glanced around, spotting Emmett and the car and then my front door. I looked at Edward and nodded.
He grinned, caressing my cheek and leaning closer. I closed my eyes as his presence encompassed me, feeling his lips on my forehead and his arms around my waist. A deep breath passed my lips as I lifted my hands to hold onto him. After a moment, he leaned back to look at me. "Probably not the best idea here on your porch," he smiled more happily than I'd seen. "But again," he promised.
I bit my lip, smiling after a few seconds and nodding.
He stepped back then and pulled me to the front door. "In a few days, school will be over for two weeks, and before you realize it, we'll be through with Christmas. I'm actually starting to look forward to this, Keira."
I smiled, keeping my head down as we entered the foyer. Fisher was coming down the stairs then, ready for bed, and he smiled when he saw us.
"Is it that time already?" he teased, stepping in front of Edward and shaking his hand.
To that, I said nothing, and Edward laughed softly.
"I should get going," he insisted. Then he looked at me. "I'll see you tomorrow."
I nodded. "Tomorrow."
He smiled at Fisher briefly, turning to leave as quietly as he'd arrived earlier.
"You're blushing, little sister," my brother informed me.
I lifted my eyes to his, wondering if he could see it on my face. Did I look different? Was it possible to have changed in just a few short hours?
Ever observant, Fisher stepped a little closer to me, staring and making me uncomfortable as he surveyed every centimeter of my face.
"Oh, my God," he whispered, still smiling. "He kissed you."
I moved as quickly as I could, covering his mouth. "Don't say it so loud," I pleaded.
He laughed and took my hand in his. "But it's great," he marveled. "You like him, don't you?"
I nodded.
"And you liked it when he kissed you, didn't you?"
I bit my lip and nodded a second time.
Slowly, Fisher stepped to my side and wrapped his arm around me. "Then I think everything's going to be okay," he reasoned.
I didn't argue with him, allowing him to walk me up the stairs silently.
Just as school was ending for two weeks, the weather began to deteriorate. For three days, it rained, and after the rain, it sleet for nearly a day, covering the ground in a clear layer of frozen mess. My father put chains on his car to get to work despite the police station being less than ten blocks away. We kept the fire place going all day, and my mother made stew to last us for several days along with soup and bread. She hadn't cooked like this is months, not since before my grandmother had died.
The weather cleared up only long enough for us to venture out of town to Seattle for a day of shopping. It wasn't cold enough to snow, but my father insisted on going with us so we would be okay getting home. After remembering what happened the last time my mother and I left town, I asked if Edward could come with us. It was a strange request, but I promised he would be a perfect gentleman. My mother was absolutely beside herself when it seemed like my father would say no, but in the end he agreed.
Our Christmas shopping was more hurried this year than it had been since I was ten, but I couldn't seem to remember why it had been that way then. We weren't going anywhere special since all my father's relatives lived back East, and the idea of staying in town for the remainder of the holidays felt better than traveling to another coastline for less than a week. I helped my mother pick out gifts for Fisher and Kyle, and she shooed me away so she could buy something for me. We had lunch in Seattle, and by four-thirty that afternoon, my father was ready to go home. I couldn't blame him after being in the city nearly eight hours.
It was Christmas Eve before I realized it, and we were getting ready to go to Edward's house the next day. The house was more elaborately decorated than I'd ever seen of our old house. My mother hung garland and tinsel to her heart's content, and I volunteered Fisher to help me with the tree. There were already presents resting beneath it as he and I strung the tinsel around it and hung ornaments we'd been collecting all our lives on its branches. Before meeting Edward and his family, I hadn't believed this Christmas would be any good without my grandmother, but like Edward, I was actually looking forward to it.
"You're glowing," Fisher said as he held a box of ornaments on the other side of the tree from me.
I smiled despite knowing he was probably watching me. "First, I'm blushing, and now I'm glowing," I laughed. "What am I? A light bulb?"
He laughed too. "Well, you definitely look all lit up inside."
I inhaled deeply, feeling it in my toes and sighing contentedly. "I feel all lit up inside."
Slowly, he moved around to my side with his box.
"I've never see you this way," he informed me. "I kind of like it."
I laughed a little louder.
"Yeah, well, if you ask me, she looks like one of those ridiculous Disney characters they have on those posters at the drive-in," Kyle offered, stepping into the room dressed in similar clothes as Fisher as they both wore pajamas.
His teasing tone did nothing to wipe the smile from my face.
"Well, then, at least I'm a happy ridiculous Disney character."
Kyle rolled his eyes and moved further into the room to look at the tree. "I thought Dad was gonna get some of those electric lights for the tree," he said with scrutinizing eyes.
"They were too expensive," Fisher replied. "And plus, I think he tried to finagle with the store about one of the gifts he bought for Mom. I think our father is beginning to lose his love for the appeal of Christmas," he commented with a slight smile.
Kyle folded his arms over his chest. "Yeah, well, I know how he feels. Too much trouble if you ask me."
I lifted my hand to Kyle's arm, tugging on it as I spoke. "Just because you don't have a girlfriend doesn't mean there's something wrong with Christmas. It's not just about presents, even if those help. It's supposed to be about bringing people together and making the most with what you have. Christmas is about family and friends, and maybe even neighbors. Please at least try to enjoy yourself tomorrow when we go to Edward's. You won't regret it. I promise."
He pursed his lips and eyed me speculatively. "I'm gonna hold you to that."
I smiled again and nodded. "Good. So, who wants to put on the star?"
We stood there silently for a minute or two, and Kyle scoffed softly, kneeling to where we'd laid the boxes with our decorations inside. He didn't ask or even verify that it was okay. He took the homemade silver star our grandmother had given our father from its metal box and stood up to face the tree.
"Do I get a drumroll?" he joked. "Or should I just — "
Fisher cleared his throat expectantly.
Slowly, Kyle stood up straight and lifted the star to the very top of the tree, putting it in its place with very little ceremony. It wasn't one of those fancy looking ones I'd seen in Seattle, but it was the one we'd almost always had. Going just one Christmas without it felt wrong.
"Am I perfect?" Kyle smirked. "Or am I perfect?"
Neither Fisher nor I said anything, but I took Kyle's arm again, watching the tree shimmer off the firelight as I stood there with my two brothers.
"Kids, it's bedtime," my mother called, coming into the room and spotting the tree. "Oh! It looks perfect!"
Kyle smiled again, and she moved closer to stand next to Fisher.
"You all did such a good job," she praised.
"Thanks," Kyle said, obviously taking all the credit for my and Fisher's hard work.
"Let's all get to bed," she pressed. "We've got a long day tomorrow."
We didn't argue, turning with her to leave the living room.
I let go of Kyle's arm at the top of the stairs, and Fisher smiled at me before turning to go to his room. I stepped into my room after kissing my mother's cheek, facing my bed but certain I wouldn't get a wink of sleep.
Try existing somewhere between being a child and almost a teenager, and you'd probably know what it felt like to wake up Christmas morning without the expectation of having your innocence stolen because your big brother decided to tell you Santa Claus wasn't real. When I was thirteen, Kyle made me stay up late so we could spy on our parents while they put our presents under the tree. It was supposed to be a joke, and when my mother and father actually carried handfuls of presents down to the living room, I remembered feeling more disappointed than I had in a long time.
It wasn't because Santa Claus wasn't real, but because for all my life up to that point, I'd believed in things like magic and faith. For a while afterward, I'd lost my desire to even participate, and I'd blamed Kyle the whole time. My grandmother had been the one to show me that even if Santa wasn't real, the spirit he created was very real. It wasn't like Merlin in King Arthur's Court or the Wizard of Oz, but magic was real. It was the kind you had to believe in to see, not the other way around.
So when I woke up Christmas morning, the only thing I was thinking was how I wanted to spend time with my family and with Edward and his family. I wanted to see the look on my mother's face when she saw the gift my father had picked out for her — especially after he tried to negotiate the price with the shopkeeper. If Kyle smiled once today, I knew it would be a good day.
The house was silent, and the brilliant white glow from my curtains drew my attention as I rose from bed and moved to the window to see the outside world draped in a stunning blanket of shimmering crystal and fluffy snow flakes. Much to my amazement and concern, it had snowed and iced the night before while we'd all be sleeping.
Would this prevent us from going to Edward's this afternoon?
The sun was actually shining through breaks in the clouds, and I tried to remain hopeful as I left my room to hurry downstairs. The smell of coffee already being brewed tickled my nose, and cinnamon and chocolate wafted through the air as I reached the bottom of the stairs. It was warm and welcoming as I turned the corner to see my father lighting a new fire in the fireplace, and as I entered the room, he glanced back to see me there.
He smiled, rising to meet me and wrapping his arm around me. "Merry Christmas, baby," he whispered.
I held him tighter than I had in a long time. "Merry Christmas, Daddy."
"Looks like I made a good decision putting those chains on my car," he chuckled.
With a laugh, I realized he meant we would still go to Edward's for dinner, and I squeezed him tighter.
"I cannot wait until we can start buying new appliances for the kitchen," my mother exclaimed with a light laugh as she entered the front parlor with a tray of coffee and hot chocolate. "Oh, good morning, darling," she gasped.
I waited for her to put the tray down, stepping in front of her to put my arms around her. "Merry Christmas, Mom."
She held me much like my father had. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart." She leaned back to look at me. "Get some hot chocolate before your brothers come down."
Happily, I stole a large mug from her tray and sat over the lounge chair in front of the fireplace.
Half of my mug was empty by the time Fisher and Kyle came strolling into the parlor still in their own pajamas. It was the only time of year neither of them bothered to change before coming down, and the moment they saw me in my robe, any comment they might have made about how silly it was that we still did this evaporated.
Fisher sat with me on the lounge, taking his own cup from the tray, and Kyle grudgingly sat in the floor next to the tree. My father was already reading the paper with his coffee, and my mother made a point of asking him to put it away.
"It's our first Christmas here, dear," she reminded him. "I'd like to do it properly. Then you can go back to keeping up with the local news."
After a sigh, he folded the paper and put his coffee down, leaning closer as she began sifting through the gifts setting under the tree. Three large boxes were given to me, Fisher and Kyle, and then smaller boxes were distributed to each of us. The heaviest box was hers by far, and my father joined us in our festivities to give it to her.
Inside my large box which was wrapped in beautiful white silvery paper, I found a brand-new wool coat. It was royal blue with a tall collar and pearl white buttons laid in sterling silver. Included in the box was a new pair of white cable-knit cotton gloves. The coat was long like my light grey coat, but the pockets were deeper, and the wool felt softer and newer. Even though I hadn't known I needed a new coat, I couldn't hide my smile as I looked at my mother from the lounge chair.
"Do you like it?" she asked with a light laugh.
I stood up from the lounge chair and moved to her side, hugging her tightly. "I love it," I exclaimed. "It's perfect."
"Well, that seems to be our theme this year. Oh, honey, I'm really glad you like it."
Kyle and Fisher also got new coats that were dark green and chocolate brown. Despite it being a unusual gift from her, I could see they were both appreciative.
"Open up the smaller boxes," my mother pleaded with us.
The paper around my box disappeared instantly, and inside the box was a navy blue jewelry box. There was no way to hold in the gasp that escaped my lips when I opened the box to look inside. The little silver pin was no bigger than the inside of my palm, and the swallow bird inside had its wings closed with his head down. Even in the firelight, it glimmered, and I was instantly in love with it. I didn't wait for anyone else, taking it from the box and pinning it to my new coat. The silver pin went with the silver buttons, and I knew I would be wearing this a lot in the coming months.
"I'm guessing you like it," my mother said from my side.
I smiled and looked at her. "I love it."
She squeezed me again. "Good."
I gestured to her present as it lay at her feet unopened. "Open yours before Kyle does it for you," I insisted.
She sighed softly and picked up the box. "Well, it is very heavy," she noted. "Surely the four of you haven't gone and done something unnecessary."
We all smiled as she ripped the paper off to reveal a brown box. The brown box opened to allow her to see what was inside, and the expression on her face was priceless. Though my mother was usually the happier of my parents, I'd never seen her this astonished and . . . overjoyed.
"Oh! Oh, my gosh. Oh, Walter," she cried, moving to his side with the box and kissing his cheek. "Oh, honey, you shouldn't have."
He blushed and smiled. "I know," he agreed. "But if our children are going to keep having milestones and dances, then I figured we needed to have a way of commemorating it properly. And I'm actually very pleased with myself, since I was able to bargain with the man at the store to get you enough of that film it needs to last us a while before you need any more. I even talked to Mr. Wilson at the drug store about getting anything you want developed whenever you want."
"Okay, so do we get to see it or what?" Kyle asked.
My mother was almost too giddy to oblige, but she laughed again and reached into the brown box to extract what was inside. The packaging wasn't misleading in any way, but because none of us had never seen a camera box before, it looked completely foreign.
Of course, I'd been with my father when he bought it, and I'd even helped him find it. It was expensive and a little complicated, but I could already see my mother using it the next time I had a dance or even when Kyle graduated this coming June.
"This mean we're gonna have to pose for pictures whenever something important happens, doesn't it?" Fisher asked.
She giggled. "It most certainly does."
After we opened our presents and finished the hot chocolate and coffee, it was almost time for her to start making lunch. I volunteered to help her after getting dressed, and Fisher and Kyle went outside to check the roads.
We all ate soup around the dining room table. My mother wanted to take pictures of us all on the front porch, and it was only after dressing in our new coats that we all agreed. It was freezing outside, but we stood on the porch for fifteen minutes while she worked out how to use the camera and finally began taking pictures of us. It was a little unnerving, and my fingers began to go numb despite being inside my gloves as I clung to Fisher, but I loved seeing the smile on her face as she clicked away.
All my father's talk about her not using all the film he'd bought her, and she used an entire roll of film in ten minutes. I began to think it might have been better for us to not have bought her the camera in the first place.
Before we knew it, the time to go to Edward's house came, and I changed into a navy blue dress with white trim and flowers across the neckline. My mother helped me braid my hair, and we all gathered at the front door in our new coats to leave at five o'clock.
The air was crisp and smelled faintly of pine and spruce as I walked to the car behind Fisher, and he and I climbed into the backseat with Kyle while our parents slid into the front together. It had been a while since we'd been anywhere as a family, and I liked that we were all going to Edward's house as our first outing since moving here. I hoped my family enjoyed themselves as much as I knew I would. Carlisle and Esme's home was so warm and welcoming. I wanted my brothers and parents to feel that the same way I always did.
Everything between our house and Edward's was coated in a thin layer of ice, and though the roads had been plowed and cleared, it was still all shimmering in the low light of the afternoon. I was oddly wishing I could use my mother's camera to memorize the scenery, but it was tucked safely inside her purse in the front seat. If it wasn't too much, I would ask to borrow it once we were at Edward's house.
Because of the treacherous roads and even with fresh chains on the new tires of the car, my father still took it slow over the road out of town to our destination. The sun set just as we pulled down the drive toward Edward's house, and even from this far away, I could see every light in the house lit up. Two cars were parked off to the side of the house, and my father pulled up beside Emmett's car less than a second before the front door opened.
Esme emerged from within the house in a long-sleeved dress and an apron covering her. With the lights from the porch shining brightly, it was easy to see the smile on her face as she waited for us at the edge of the porch. I was still clung to Fisher as we made our way to the porch with Kyle and our parents close behind us.
"Oh, it's so wonderful you're here," she cheered gleefully. "Please come in, all of you."
I noticed she wasn't wearing a coat, and she wasn't even trying to pretend she was cold. She looked so happy. I didn't have the heart to plead with her just this once.
She guided us inside, and we were instantly enveloped in warmth from the fireplace in the living room. Almost immediately, I heard music coming from the living room, but it was coming from Edward's record player. At first, I was a little disappointed that he wasn't playing on the piano since he'd once said he would, but then I heard Christmas music coming from somewhere inside the room. I decided it was better than no music at all.
Rosalie was standing beside the tree, adjusting several ornaments, and I was stunned at what she was wearing. On any other girl it would've just been a red dress, but on Rosalie, it looked absolutely astonishing. Her long blond hair was pulled up into an elegant bun with braids woven through it, and she was wearing the largest diamond stud earrings I'd ever seen in my life. The neckline of her dress scooped in the front and the back and was trimmed with brilliant rhinestones — or were those diamonds as well? She wore a simple pearl necklace, but knowing her, it was probably made of real pearls.
I'd never seen her look so beautiful.
Apparently, neither had either of my brothers. The moment Fisher spotted her in the simple red dress covered in tiny sparkling diamonds, his jaw dropped. Absently, I remembered to Abigail and her parents had traveled further inland to visit her grandparents in Boise, and Fisher hadn't seen her in several days.
I smiled and touched his chin, closing his mouth. "Keep your hands to yourself," I giggled. "She's taken."
He clamped his jaws shut, pursing his lips and clearing his throat. "Right," he said, smiling and looking at me. "Sorry."
Rosalie chose that moment to turn around, seeing us there after I was sure she'd heard the whole thing, and thankfully, she didn't say anything one way or another.
I could faintly smell ham and green beans cooking, along with rolls and potatoes, and I looked around for Edward just as two eager sets of feet came clammering down the stairs. Emmett and Carlisle were both dressed in comfortable clothes, though for them, I guessed most clothes were comfortable. The black pants and dark green and blue sweaters they wore bore a resemblance to many of Edward's clothes, and the moment his name crossed my mind, I saw him following closely behind Carlisle.
"It's so wonderful you could make it," Carlisle said to my father as they shook hands. "With the roads, we were beginning to worry."
Carlisle glanced at me before he took my mother's hand to greet her, and though she probably noticed how cold his hands were, she didn't mention it, changing the subject instead.
"My goodness, your home is just stunning," she complimented.
He held her hand a little longer. "Well, Esme really has outdone herself. I'm sure she'll love to show you around after we've had a chance to get settled."
Edward stepped off the last step then, and I couldn't see anyone else in the room. He moved closer to me, smiling and glancing at everyone else before he spoke.
"Hello."
I laughed softly. "Hello."
Slowly, we all moved into the living room, and while Emmett took our coats, Esme carried a tray of hot chocolate and warm cider from the kitchen for us to drink. My mother was amazed at how wonderful the cider tasted, and in no time, they were talking about recipes and the decorations strewn through the house with absolute and utter precision.
"I made sure to put new chains on my tires," my father was saying to Carlisle as they both sipped on cider. "Keira was so excited to come. I could hardly refuse when I knew it would make her happy."
I watched my family interact with Edward's, amazed that it looked like everything would be okay.
Edward was freer in his movements around me, standing near me as we both occupied the space closest to the tree and somehow bathing me in the most loving gaze I'd ever found myself within. It didn't make me uncomfortable in the slightest, not even when Fisher and Kyle both spotted us.
"You're very beautiful tonight," he whispered to me.
I smiled graciously, lifting my eyes to his and seeing their brilliant green tenor that nearly matched the tree we were standing beside. "So are you," I replied.
A light laugh bubbled up from within his chest, and I laughed as well. I couldn't believe how happy I was.
Probably half an hour after we arrived, Esme gathered us all around the dining room table where she'd placed everything she had been cooking for our meal. Before we sat, Carlisle spoke to us all.
"Every year around this time, I'm reminded how blessed I am to have people around me whom I love dearly," he said, looking at Esme and then Edward, Rosalie and Emmett. His gaze fell on me, and he smiled. "And I'm also very grateful for new friends to share this holiday with since it happens so infrequently. So I want to thank Keira for suggesting we gather here tonight, and I hope this is the beginning of a new tradition for us all."
I blushed more deeply than I had in a while, and upon lifting my eyes to my mother's, I was overwhelmed to discover tears in her eyes. My father looked more proud than I'd seen him in months, and even Kyle looked like he wanted to burst into applause. While standing next to me, Fisher leaned into me and chuckled lightly. Thankfully, no one applauded, for which I was very happy.
"Please sit down and enjoy the food," he added, gesturing for us to sit. "I'm sure Esme has completely outdone herself this time."
The food was delicious, and I must have asked for seconds and then thirds of the ham and potatoes. I couldn't be sure what Esme had done, but I was positive she'd poured all of her happiness and pride into every dish on the table in front of us. It was difficult not to watch Edward or Emmett shuffle the food around on their plates to give the illusion that they were either eating or simply not hungry. Given Emmett's size, I didn't know if either of my brothers or my parents wouldn't notice.
If they did, they never said anything to me.
Rosalie excused herself less than half an hour after we sat down, saying she wasn't really hungry and that it was more important for her to continue decorating the tree. I thought it might look strange, but after she was gone, my parents simply continued their respective conversations with Carlisle and Esme while Emmett and Kyle engaged in talking about sports. I didn't pay attention to that.
"I didn't think you would be nervous," Edward said to me as we sat beside each other.
I sighed softly. "I know. I just want everything to be okay. And I want to keep doing this. Is that too much?"
He took my hand in his and squeezed gently. "Of course not. And I want to keep doing this as well. First, we should make it through this."
I smiled and bowed my head. "Okay."
My last helping of the lemon creme cake Esme presented at the end of dinner had me stuffed and under the belief that I wouldn't need to eat again for several days. When the last bite was gone, I swore never to touch anymore food until all the children unable to eat tonight had gotten their fill.
It was at this point that Edward suggested we all move back into the living room to open gifts. At first, I was confused, especially since we hadn't talked about doing anything like it in all the weeks that had passed after Thanksgiving, but I was curious. Kyle and Emmett led the way, and Fisher whispered to me just as we passed the threshold of the living room doors.
"Guess where you're standing."
I looked at him, and then absently I lifted my eyes, noticing a particular decoration hanging over the eave of the arch above me.
My mother and father walked passed me and Edward as we were left inexplicably standing there alone. I could feel my heart thundering inside my chest, and as I looked at Edward, he glanced at everyone else as they watched.
"What's everyone staring at?" Kyle griped. "They're standing under mistletoe. So what?"
My eloquent brother.
Edward didn't acknowledge anyone's gaze, holding mine as he leaned in and lightly kissed my cheek. Somewhere in his eyes, I saw the promise of a kiss later, but for now, I was so embarrassed. He held me tighter without saying anything, stepping through the doorway and then pulling me to the couch to sit down.
It turned out that even though neither I nor anyone in my family had thought to purchase gifts for any member of Edward's family, there were apparently gifts under their tree for the five of us. I was so stunned that I didn't notice any of the other gifts when they were distributed. I only saw mine as Edward gave it to me wrapped in the most beautiful blue paper.
But what I was most amazed by was the delicate bracelet inside the box I opened under his watchful gaze. It looked like silver, but I somehow knew it wasn't. The tiny diamonds were surrounded by sapphires, and there were easily six gemstones lining the strand of jewelry.
"Do you like it?" Edward whispered.
I laughed softly. "You have to ask?"
Gently, he lifted the bracelet from its box and unclasped it. I quickly lifted my wrist, and he wrapped it around for me.
"It was my mother's," he revealed so that only I heard. "I inherited much of her jewelry along with several other things I've been able to claim over the years as one of her descendants. I think of her when I look at you, and I believe she would've loved to know you. Nearly as much as I do."
I laid my hand in his, turning to face him. Suddenly, everyone else in the room was gone, and it was just us sitting there. "I don't have anything to give you."
He gently squeezed my hand. "You're giving it to me now by simply being here. I can't remember the last time any of us could ever do this."
Lowering my eyes to my bracelet, I spoke with more resolve than I had only moments earlier in the dining room. "Well, at least I know now so I can find you something next year."
He didn't dispute my claim, and for that, I was grateful.
It was late when my father decided it was time for us to go home, and though I believed we all could've spent much more time there, my brothers and I agreed it was about that time. By then, Emmett and Kyle were in a deep discussion about their favorite sports' team, and Fisher and Rosalie were talking about something I couldn't hear from where I was as I still sat on the couch with Edward.
Reluctantly, we all gathered our new gifts and our coats, bidding our new friends a more fond farewell than any I think we'd ever given any other family we'd known. With us all being out of school, I knew I would be seeing Edward and Emmett soon, so I didn't have any problem pulling my new coat on to follow Fisher and Kyle back to the car. The promised kiss would come when it was just me and Edward, and I was looking forward to it more than I thought possible.
There were a few cultural references here, if you were paying attention. The most notable one should've been the "electric" lights for the tree. While they were already in use at the time, Christmas lights were in their most primitive form in the mid-forties and only really, really wealthy families owned them. It wasn't until the fifties that most other families could purchase them.
The other one should be the camera, which again wasn't in mass production until the late forties. And most of those were very expensive as well - well, for 1945, anyway.
And for a little heads up, the rest of the story will take place in the last few days of December. Does this mean the story will be done by then? Probably not, but so you have a time reference.
That's all for now.
Thanks for reading! And a review is always welcome.