(This chapter is dedicated to my friend Emmy, who's recuperating from surgery. I hope you enjoy it, Emmy, and get better every day!)
Seth stayed at the Cullens' overnight, and Leah came to pick him up the next day. He remained sullen and uncommunicative, and she decided to give him some time. She knew it was a big adjustment, and it wouldn't happen in a day, or a month for that matter. She was just glad to get him safely home where Sue could fuss over him. Seth didn't mention his conversation with Charlie; he just didn't want to get into it with Leah.
When he got home, Seth spent most of his time in his room. He stared into his aquarium for hours on end, and Sue noticed his appetite was suffering. She tried to tempt him with his favorite foods, to no avail. The stump of his arm healed quickly, and he kept the smooth, shiny scar covered and out of view. Paris visited him faithfully every day, but her cheerful chatter was mostly met with stony silence.
Leah picked up her wedding dress, and plans moved along smoothly. It would be a small wedding, with just two attendants. Paris would be the only bridesmaid and Quil would be the best man. Leah had decided on a wedding ceremony on the beach, and she insisted she wasn't going to wear shoes. Jacob just laughed and went along. Her dress was short and comfortable, and the ivory silk was a perfect complement to her russet skin and black hair. The simple beading accented the dress and alluded to her Quileute background.
As the date of the wedding approached, Seth knew he would have to break the news to Leah that he wouldn't be participating. The Thursday before, as he sat listlessly at the dinner table, Seth broached the subject. "Leah, there's something we need to talk about," he began. "I've already asked Charlie to stand in for me. I just can't do it, Sis. I'm not ready, and I hope you understand."
Leah nodded sadly. "Charlie told me, Seth, but I was hoping you'd change your mind. You know there's nobody else who should stand in for Dad." She hated to play that card, but there it was, laid out on the table.
Seth sighed, long and deeply. "You know how I hate to disappoint you, but the way I feel right now would drag everyone down. I can't do that to your wedding day, Leah, so please don't ask me to."
A single tear glistened in Leah's eye, and she impatiently wiped it away. "It's your decision, Seth. I won't pretend that I don't care, but I respect your right to choose." Leah noticed that Seth's face had matured. His lean, handsome features were no longer as soft and youthful as they had been, and his ready smile was noticeably absent.
Leah and Jacob's wedding day dawned warm and uncharacteristically sunny. The day seemed endless, but finally it was time for Leah to get dressed. She brushed her dark hair until it shone. She applied a little makeup, but her eyes sparkled and her cheeks were naturally pink with excitement. The ceremony would be performed by one of the tribal elders, with the traditional campfire, as the sun was setting over the ocean.
As the small party walked toward the beach, Leah laughingly urged them along, joyful and impatient to begin her life as Mrs. Jacob Black. She caught sight of Jacob's tall form from a distance. He looked incredibly handsome, dressed informally in light slacks and a dark jacket. She smiled when she realized that he, too, was barefoot. In fact, so was Quil, who grinned at her as she approached. At Leah's side, Paris chuckled, bending to remove her shoes and toss them aside. She was striking in a royal blue knee-length dress that complemented her pale skin and dark hair.
While the guests positioned themselves around the campfire, Charlie offered his arm to Leah. She closed her eyes as he kissed her cheek and murmured "I'm honored, Leah." As she opened her eyes he suddenly stepped back, withdrawing his arm. She glanced at him in confusion, then caught a glimpse of a tall form making his way through the small crowd toward her. Seth was dressed neatly in tan slacks and a crisp white shirt, the left sleeve pinned just below the stump of his arm. His smile was genuine, and Leah's face lit up with relief when their eyes met.
The ceremony was simple and traditional. Leah and Jacob vowed to love and cherish one another, and then Sue stepped forward. In a strong, clear voice, she read a Quileute wedding prayer:
Now you will feel no rain
for each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold
for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no loneliness for you.
Now you are two persons,
but there is only one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place,
to enter into the days of your togetherness.
And may your days be good and long together.
After the ceremony, everyone went back to the Clearwaters', where Sue set up long tables in the yard laden with food. She'd been cooking and baking for a week, with Paris' enthusiastic help. Someone had set up a CD player in the window, and Jacob pulled Leah into his arms and crushed her to him, to the delight of the guests. First Charlie and Sue, then Seth and Paris, joined them, and soon everyone was dancing.
Leah caught Seth as they approached the food table, and she hugged him and whispered, "What made you change your mind, Seth? You realize, of course, that you made my day completely perfect."
Seth grinned that familiar, devil-may-care smirk that she had missed so much, and replied, "I had a long talk with myself this morning. I decided it's time to face the fact that my life isn't over. It's different, and it's harder, but I'm actually anxious to see what happens next."
Leah smiled radiantly and hugged him close. "Well, I'm glad you didn't wait till tomorrow to have that talk!" Paris grinned, obviously relieved and ecstatic to welcome the old Seth back.
It was late when Jake and Leah said their good-byes and jumped into his car. They headed off toward Seattle for a short honeymoon, dragging a collection of shoes that Quil had tied to the bumper. They waved and honked the horn, and before they left LaPush Jake got out and removed the shoes. He chuckled when he noticed the hastily lettered "just married" sign in the rear window.
A soft rain was falling when Jake turned into the hotel lot, reflecting the neon lights onto the wet pavement. A sleepy desk clerk signed them in and handed him a key. Jake left their luggage outside the room while he effortlessly scooped up his bride and carried her over the threshold. He laid her carefully on the king size bed and went to retrieve the suitcases, then locked and bolted the door. He lay down beside her and kissed her hungrily, as he unzipped her dress and slid it off her shoulders.
"I love you, Mr. Black," Leah murmured breathlessly in his ear, as he continued slowly undressing her. "It was a perf…" her words broke off in a gasp, as his lips found a vulnerable spot.
He chuckled, a low, deep, delighted sound. "What was that, Mrs. Black?" he teased. She moaned in reply, as her hands explored his body, lightly caressing with her fingertips. "I didn't quite catch…"
She grinned at his sharp intake of breath, cutting off his words in mid-sentence. And so it continued, throughout the perfect night, until they fell asleep in each other's arms as the sun peeked over the horizon marking the beginning of their first full day as husband and wife.