A/N: This chapter is a bit short than usually, but it's also a bit lighter, nothing too dramatic or gasp-worthy happens. It's mostly some fun meet the parents/wedding prep. So, I hope you like it! Pleasee, por favor, per piacere REVIEW! :) Thanks!!
3. Preparations
I called Marie while Edward and Bella took Renesmee out to hunt. I told her I was engaged and she was thrilled. It was a funny conversation. She thought I was engaged to Edward and when I corrected her she was confused but didn't seem to care, she was too happy about the news. Ronald, on the other hand, was huffing and puffing in the background. It would be an interesting meeting tonight.
Jacob arrived just as I was getting off the phone.
"Well, I just told my mom about us. She's really happy." I told Jacob. He wrapped his arms around me and smiled.
"That's good! I can't wait to meet her and your dad." He said.
"We should get going. Marie is really anxious to meet you."
Jacob laughed.
Pulling into the driveway of my house felt like visiting a stranger. I had completely abandoned the place I once called home so it's completely foreign to me now. Walking up to the doorstep, butterflies began to flap their wings feverishly in my stomach. Jacob put his arm around me, but that just made it worse. Marie opened the door with her arms wide open and sporting a wide, red-stained smile. She always wore red lipstick, but never the right shade for her skin tone. She wrapped Jacob and I in one big hug, squishing us together. She squealed and let out an 'aw' here and there. I could hear Ronald clearing his throat behind her. He had his arms crossed and his chin in the air. I had expected that from him, though. He was never too approving of anyone I brought home. The only time he would accept that I was dating was if he chose the man I was with and that would never happen. His idea of a good pick is a man with money and prestige, regardless of their personality.
Marie finally freed us from her bear hug, but still kept her hand placed on mine and Jacob's arms.
"Oh, look at you two! You make such a lovely couple, don't they Ronald?" She said, tilting her head towards Ronald, but keeping her eyes locked on Jacob and I.
Ronald didn't answer, he just grunted and walked away.
"Oh don't mind him, he can be such a grouch. Come on in!" She said, stepping aside to let us in. Jacob's eyes widened as he stepped inside and scanned the foyer.
"Wow" He whispered. "You have a lovely house, Mrs. Johnson." He said, placing a hand on my mother's shoulder.
"Oh, thank you dear. And please, call me Marie. Mrs. Johnson makes me sound old." She said, primping her hair as she led us to the dining room.
Ronald was already seated at the head of the table. Marie took the seat next to him and Jacob and I sat next to each other, across from Marie.
"What does your father do?" Ronald asked, point blank.
"Uh, he's a fisherman." Jacob answered. I noticed Ronald role his eyes, letting out another grunt.
"Dad, can we not give him the third degree?" I asked.
"Well, I'm just trying to get to know the boy!" Ronald said defensively.
"Where are you from, dear?" Marie asked, looking genuinely intrigued by Jacob's strong features.
"I live down on the Quileute reservation in La Push."
"Oh" Marie said, enthused by his answer. "You must work out a lot down on the, um, reservation." She said in a breathy voice as she stared at his muscles. I began to blush in embarrassment. Jacob laughed.
"Yeah, I guess. I'm a bit of a mechanic, so it keeps me busy."
"Oh! You know, I think we have a car that needs fixing." Marie said, twirling her hair. I couldn't believe she was actually hitting on Jacob. I laughed to myself, amused by the fact that she would even try. She always did try to act younger than her age, though, so it didn't really surprise me.
"A mechanic, huh? That's some good, honest work there." Ronald said, trying hard to make some kind of conversation with Jacob without getting too judgemental about his financial background.
"Yeah, I really love cars." Jacob smiled.
"Oh yeah? I just got a 1968 Ferrari 330GTC, shipped directly from Italy last week. It's in the garage, you want to take a look?" Ronald asked. Jacob's eyes widened like a kid who just found out he was getting a puppy.
"Yeah, that'd be great!" Jacob said, scooting the chair back. He followed Ronald out to the garage, leaving Marie and I alone in the dining room.
"He's a nice boy, sweetheart" She said, smiling.
"Yeah, he is."
"I can't believe my little girl is getting married." She said, placing her hand over her heart. "I can't wait to take you shopping for a dress, oh you're going to look ravishing! I should have Paolo send over some samples in the morning." She said, about to get the phone.
"Mom" I said, stopping her. She turned to me.
"Yes, sweetie?"
"Do you think I'm doing the right thing?" I asked.
"If you love him, honey, yes. He really is a fine boy, don't let this one slip away." She said in a motherly tone. I nodded, reassuring myself that marrying Jake was the right thing.
Marie scurried out of the room in search of the phone and I could hear her arguing with Paolo, a fashion consultant friend of hers, that we needed samples immediately. I laughed.
Jacob and Ronald returned shortly after. They were talking and laughing with each other, like a real father-in-law and son-in-law should be. It made me smile to see them getting along so well.
Jacob sat down but my father remained standing. He waved at me, motioning me to follow him.
Ronald led me to the garage and I could tell that whatever he had to say was difficult for him. He was never one to express his feelings openly.
"He's uh...a good kid. I like him, he knows his cars." He started. "He's really fond of you, kept bringing you up while we were talking. That's important, that he cares, uh, about you." He continued, rubbing his chin as he spoke. He stared at the ground the entire time. "I'm okay with this. I know you'll be in good hands and at the end of the day, you know, that's what matters. As long as this is what you want." He said, looking up at me for the first time.
"Yes, it's what I want, dad."
"I don't approve of how you went about this, though, bringing him here at the last minute. I know I can be tough sometimes, but I would have liked to have met him sooner. I'd like to think you can come to me if you ever need anything. So, uh, you know hopefully next time you tell me about things beforehand." He said, still struggling with his words. I smiled and threw my arms around my dad.
"I love you, dad." I said to him, holding him tight.
"I love you too, Elli-bear." He said, a nickname he gave me when I was a little girl, but rarely used anymore. Hearing it was very comforting.
"Let's get in there and talk weddings. Your mother is in a frenzy in the kitchen." He said, his voice loud and boisterous. When I got inside and saw Jacob sitting at my dining room table, I felt giddy. I just wanted to skip over to his side, hug him and squeal like a crazy fan girl meeting her favourite Jonas Brother. And that's just what I did, minus the squealing.
"This went better than I thought." I admitted as I squeezed my arms around Jacob.
"Yeah, your parents are great." Jacob smiled. "I think your mom was hitting on me." He whispered with a laugh.
"That's Marie for you." I laughed. Marie came running into the dining room with phone in hand, clearly suppressing a scream.
"Good news! Paolo's having a whole slew of dresses sent over tomorrow! Oh, honey this is going to be great!" She said, hurrying back into the kitchen to do some more negotiating.
"Looks like your mother is going to be on the phone all night. Why don't you kids take off?" Ronald said. I stood to give Ronald a hug before I left.
"See you tomorrow, Elli-bear" he called out to me as Jacob and I reached the front door. I waved back to him and followed Jake to the car.
"Elli-bear?" Jacob laughed as we backed out of the driveway.
"Yeah, he used to call me that all the time when I was little."
"I like it." He smiled.
Jacob was obsessing over Ronald's new car during the entire car ride home. He kept saying how cool it was that my dad was into vintage cars like that. Jacob really liked my parents, even my middle-aged mother who attempted to hit on him. I remember her telling me once that it was a tactic she used to prove if a guy was truly loyal. I rolled my eyes. Marie could be so silly sometimes with the things she comes up with. I started wandering off into my own thoughts as Jacob continued with his car talk. My phone rang just in the nick of time.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Elina! I can't wait for tomorrow morning!" Alice said, full of excitement. She saw the dresses.
"Alice, why don't you just tell me which one it is so I won't have to try on a bunch of dresses?"
"That would ruin the fun of picking a dress. Plus, it would break your mother's heart to miss out on such an important experience."
"Okay" I sighed. "But ten dresses is my limit, if I don't choose the right one by then you have to tell me." I bargained.
"We'll see" Alice said, hanging up before I could negotiate any further.
"Try to have fun tomorrow." Jake said as I slipped my phone in my pocket.
"Right now, it sounds like torture. I hate trying on dresses. Will you come with me?" I pleaded, pursing out my bottom lip.
"And ruin the surprise? Nah, I want to be blown away when I see you for the first time."
"You're such a romantic" I said, pouting.
"Come on, it won't be too bad." Jacob said, skimming my cheek with the back of his hand.
We pulled into the Cullen's driveway and I let myself out this time so that Jacob wouldn't have to keep getting in and out of the car. I hurried over to the driver's side and leaned in to the open window to kiss Jacob before he left. He kissed me so passionately that he practically pulled me back in. I pulled away, giggling.
"Go on" I said, stepping away. He winked before back out of the driveway and down the drive towards the main road.
Sleep was not an easy task for me. I spent the night in Edward's room, since it was the only one with a bed. I practically lived with the Cullens now. Staying with my parents wasn't the safest arrangement, with me being a thirsty, half vampire and all. Of course that bit of information was still foreign to them. According to them, I was going through a phase and needed my space. I let them think that, it seemed to comfort them and was easier to say than explaining I was a vampire. But all of that didn't matter now, I had bigger issues at hand like that of holy matrimony.
I began thinking about Edward and Bella and how they were young when they got married too. Well, one of them was anyway. It wasn't too uncommon, right? And they've made it. They're both happy and in love. That could be Jacob and I someday, with a little cottage somewhere in the woods. I sighed, hoping that would be how things would work out instead of being left at the altar or something.
Alice rushed through the door at the first crack of sunlight to see if I was awake. I tried to pretend I was asleep so that she would leave, but that kind of stuff didn't work with Alice. She pulled me out of bed, literally, and assured me that today would be fun.
I hadn't even considered what kind of dress I wanted. I suppose I liked more of a classic or vintage feel. I've always been a fan of lace. White is nice, but I always pictured myself wearing ivory. Ivory and lace.
I'd know when I found the right dress. Or at least, I hoped so. That's what I've always been told, that I'll just get a feeling in my gut that'll tell me that's the dress. Hopefully it's that easy.
Alice drove me to my house, barely able to contain herself on the way there. She told me about all of the wedding plans from the decor to invitations. I wasn't paying much attention though. I thought I heard something about orchids. I like orchids. Maybe this won't be so bad after all. My spirits started to lift.
Marie was already at the door, waiting for my arrival when we pulled into the driveway. She was waving us down as we stepped out of the car.
"Hey mom" I smiled as I walked up to her. "This is Alice, she's going to help." I had the feeling Alice and Marie were going to get along very well.
"Oh hello, dear! Come in!" She said urgently.
When I stepped inside, I was pummelled by the color white. It surrounded every square inch of the foyer and the dining room table was missing, replaced by racks of dresses. I was feeling overwhelmed. Alice, on the other hand, was ecstatic. The foyer and staircase was set up like a little runway. There was a space left from the door to the stairs, with either side of the space full of racks. There were two armchairs at either side of the pathway. Marie explained that I would change upstairs then make an entrance by stepping down the grand staircase, on to the main floor, twirl and then pause so that she and Alice could decide what they thought of the dress in question. I rolled my eyes. This was going to be along day.
I tried every kind of dress there was, every style, every fabric, every design. From ball gowns to trumpet styles, to chiffon and silk. Nothing was standing out to me. I wasn't getting the feeling I was supposed to when I put on the dress. Alice loved anything with lace and beading. I did like the lace dresses. There was one in particular that I loved that was drenched in lace, but Marie said it wasn't 'bride-y' enough.
After about an hour I was getting tired of slipping in and out of dresses and parading them around for Alice and Marie. I slipped into what I vowed would be the last dress and was pleasantly surprised. It was a white, silk taffeta, ball gown style, but not extremely poufy. The bodice was detailed with two strips of beading, one underneath the bust and another at the natural waistline. The dress was different. It had a bit of a woodland feel to it, which I liked. I wasn't too keen on a traditional wedding dress. I stood in front of a mirror and swayed to swoosh it around. I smiled. This one was pretty. I still wasn't getting the 'this is it' feeling, but it would have to do. I stepped down the stairs, smiling when I heard a gasp come from Marie. She started to wave her hands in front of her face as she began to cry. This has to be the dress, then, right?
"Oh, you're so beautiful!" Marie cried as she threw her arms around me. She started snapping her fingers behind me. "Jacqueline! Get her a veil!" She called out to Jacqueline, the consultant that arrived with the dresses. Jacqueline came running down the stairs with a cathedral length veil, pinning it into my hair.
"You're a ravishing bride" Alice said sweetly. Marie fled the room in search of shoes.
"Was this the one?" I whispered to her. Alice hesitated to answer.
"It is now" She smiled. I noticed she was looking at the lace dress I had tried on earlier.
"That was it, wasn't it?" I asked.
"It doesn't matter, this is the dress." She said as she fixed my veil for me.
"Do you think Jacob will like it?"
"I know he will." Alice said with a smile. I wasn't one to risk betting against Alice. If she said he would, then I believe it.
Marie hurried back with a tattered, white shoe box.
"These are the shoes I wore on my wedding day, and my mother's before me. I want you to have them now." She said, holding a white, peep-toe heel in her hand. The shoes were gorgeous. Marie knelt down and slid the right one on to my foot. It was a perfect fit. Jacqueline wheeled over a full length mirror, placing it in front of me. When I caught a glimpse of my reflection it didn't seem like I was looking at myself. The whole scene was weird, seeing myself in a white dress, wearing a veil and with my mother crying over me.
"Honey, aren't you happy?" My mother asked, noticing I didn't have a smile on my face like she and Alice did.
"Yeah" I lied. "I just can't believe I'm getting married." I said quietly as turned from side to side, watching myself in the mirror.
The flash of Marie's camera startled me. She started snapping pictures left and right, saying that we had to remember this moment. I looked at Alice, who simply giggled, and rolled my eyes.
"What time is it?"
"Almost noon." Marie said, briefly looking at her watch.
"We should get back, then. Jacob is probably waiting for me." I said, trying any excuse so that I could get out of this dress.
"You're not staying for lunch?" Marie asked, disappointed.
"I promised Jake we'd do lunch, sorry mom."
"Oh, well wait just a second so your father can see you." She said, scurrying into the garage where Ronald was no doubt admiring the new addition to his car collection. Ronald trudged inside unwillingly but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me. I smiled, a bit embarrassed that he reacted that way. I wasn't exactly fond of being the centre of attention. I could tell he was choking back tears. What was with all the crying? It's just a dress. I've worn white dresses before.
"You look beautiful, Elli-bear." He said before turning away and retreating to the garage.
"Can I take it off now?" I asked.
"Well, I suppose so. You're just a party pooper." Marie whined.
I hurried up the stairs and changed into my regular clothes as quickly as humanly – or hybridly – possible. I stared at the massive pile of white that settled on to my bed. I wasn't smiling, excited to wear my dress on my wedding day. I was nervous. I didn't even care if this wasn't the dress anymore, that wasn't my problem. There was only one question boggling my mind now: was I the girl? Maybe this wasn't for me. I wished I had someone to talk to, to take my mind from this. When was the last time I felt safe and worry-free?
I hurried downstairs to meet Alice at the car before my mother tried to guilt me into staying, which she would inevitably do. I dreaded the ride home, though. I didn't feel like sitting in a car, watching trees pass me by as I continued to doubt my decisions.
"Alice, do you mind if I meet you there? I need a good run." I said, hoping Alice wouldn't see through me.
"Of course not. I'll see you soon!" She said, waving as she zipped out of the driveway.
I looked behind me to check if anyone was watching and then sprinted into the forest. I didn't even pay attention to where I was going, I just wanted to get there. I kept thinking about the wedding and everyone's excitement, while I'm in the middle aching to figure this all out. I shook the thoughts out of my head, letting myself go wherever my instincts decided to take me.