.oO Birthday Memories Oo.
I was a fool, I had underestimated his love. As soon as the plane touched down, I could sense him. As soon as we were connected to the terminal, I could smell him. It was a faint, far of scent, but still I knew it was him. I was so excited, it took all I had not to shove passed the humans in the thin aisle, and run out of the aluminum tube. I wondered how fast I could leave without looking as if I was about to bomb the place.
Painstakingly slow, the flight attendants finally gave us the ok. I jumped out of my seat. I all but ran. I don't know what my parents thought, I'm sure my dad would explain to mom what my rush had been due to, but then again, I am sure they smelled him too.
With controlled speed I dashed through the airport, passed luggage claim- my parents would get that- and I almost knocked over the sign that said No Returning Pass This Point. I saw him, my fluttering heart almost stopped. Involuntarily, my cheeks lifted and my bottom lip flattened over my teeth as I smiled. I sprinted and threw myself into his arms.
Oh, his warm, the warmth that no human or vampire could replicate. I almost crushed his neck in my grasp, I pressed my cheek against his.
"I miss you." He whispered. My smile grew. I shared with him that I missed him as well, I tried to recover the time, the moments he had missed in my life, the moments I wish we could have shared.
"You'll overwhelm him." I heard my father say. I pulled out of my memories, and turned to see my family standing beside us. I let go of Jake, and went to all of them in turn.
I did miss them too, but it wasn't like the separation I had experienced with Jake. Of course I had seen them, I could name each country they visited, how long they had remained with us. And of course they always gathered around my birthday.
"It's wonderful to see you again." Grandpa Carlisle said as I embraced him first, he could pass for my father more readily now than my actual father could. Esme was the same, I looked like I was my parents' sibling rather than daughter.
"We missed you so much!" Esme said in a hushed voice, clutching my head as I hugged her.
"Look at you, you've grown into a mighty fine young lady." Uncle Jasper said as we smiled at each other, I could feel his genuine joy.
"Yes, she's quite lovely." I had grown to be taller than Alice, and I still felt odd having to slightly bend down to hug her as she kissed my cheeks.
"She's absolutely gorgeous." Auntie Rose said as she waited for me with open arms. I held her tightly, as she closed her arms around me. After she let me go, Uncle Emmett scooped me up in his arms and threw me up in the arm.
"I missed ya kid." He boomed as I screech with laughter. Once on the ground, I glanced at my parents who had just arrived from baggage claim.
"Please, throw her higher, make a show of your strength why don't you." My mom said, clenching her jaw.
"What has Edward done to you?" Emmett shouted in mock horror. "Don't be so stiff Bella." He added, elbowing her gently, laughing at his own joke.
I jumped back to Jake's side and grasped his hand. I returned to my sharing. I had decided so as to not overwhelm him, and as a quick synopsis, I would show him all my birthdays he had missed, seven in total. I walked with his as our coven turned heads, we were too eye catching not to attract attention.
My first birthday, we had had a large gathering up north with the Denali's. I remembered we could not go into town together very often because we were a large group and too beautiful. I remembered I had perfected my Spanish with Carmen, such a sweet ad wonderful person.
That birthday Carlisle had bought me the most gorgeous wedding cake, though it was smaller in size than Alice would have liked. I had eaten the vile thing for Carlisle's sake, but I much preferred blood. I eagerly showed Jake the wide variety of fauna available in Alaska, from the small foxes and seals to the larger buffallo and moose. And oh the bears! The bears Uncle Emmett loved to play with.
I suddenly remembered how angry I had become the day before my birthday. Auntie Rose had hunted a wolf, and though my mother was upset, I was furious. Auntie had come pleading to me that night, and as a birthday gift, swore herself and the rest of the Cullen's off of wolves. She always aimed to please, me always spoiled me.
Jake's laugh tore me from my memories and I noticed we were walking toward a shiny new white volvo. I followed him into the back seat, an continued to share my memories.
We had spent my second birthday with the Amazon coven. I enjoyed it there, the feral nature of the coven was freeing. I adored the woman Zafrina, and we could spend days on end showing each other things. The women of the coven were not use to such a large gathering, but the birthday was fun. The Amazon had gifted me with clothing and jewelry similar to there own, and I had worn it the rest of my stay with them.
Though they themselves did not adhere to our lifestyle, we enjoyed our diet while with them. I showed him, though it was fun playing with them, I did not quite enjoy the taste of crocodile or anaconda. However I had definitely became fond of jaguars.
My third birthday we had gone to see Siobhan, Liam and Maggie in Ireland. It was a quiet birthday party, a lot of conversation and gift giving. We attracted a lot of attention in that small town they resided in, and didn't stay for very long anyway. I had hated it there, the main predator were wolves, and therefore all that was available were foxes, sheep and deer. I had almost thrown myself into the ocean to see if dolphin's blood was any better.
I took a moment to recall a time I had stood in front of a mirror. I wanted to let Jake see what I had looked like. I was perhaps the physical age of nine maybe ten. My face and eyes were no longer so round, and my limbs were growing longer and thinner. My hair remained at my waist and full, its bronze color as vibrant as ever.
My fourth birthday was much more interesting. We had gone south, to visit Benjamin and Tia, who happen to be with Amun and Kebi at the time. Benjamin was a lot of fun to be around, he reminded me of Jake. He indulged my whims, took me into ancient pyramids and tombs, expertly navigating them and taught me how to decipher hieroglyphs. His abilities he demonstrated to the Cullen's, showing off for them. I remembered Amun looking worried.
Egypt's cuisine had offered gazelle, camels and a medium size jungle cat. Not as fun as the Alaskan or Amazon, but better than much Ireland.
For my fifth birthday, Renee had come to join us in China. It was the third time I had met her, and she adored me. She had almost spent her entire vacation money on me, buying me every little thing I showed the slightest interest in. I had been forced to eat many meals with her, and though they were not my exact cup of tea, by that age I was able to even pick out which dishes I preferred. Carlisle had hope in me yet. I remember I had been allowed to hunt exactly one tiger and then after had to suffice with bears and deer once Renee had left.
My sixth birthday was a rather unpleasant one, I had been invited to Italy. I had very horrible feelings toward the Volturi, and was none too happy with accepting the offer. Like all the others of their race, they looked at me with wonder and awe. They inhaled my scent, and watched my every move. But I saw how Aro's eyes followed me with interest and greed. I am glad we only spent the one day there, and was sorry my family had to endure their company for me.
My last birthday was an odd one. We had run into vampires before, but never more than one traveling group. We had ran into Peter and Charlotte in the Philippines, perhaps not so by accident seeing as Alice had insisted that September was typhoon season and we had a grand chance of getting hit by one.
Jasper was happy to see his old friends, and they were interested to see me too, like everyone else amazed by my growth and nature. But I remember during my birthday dinner (not really a dinner, more of a gathering) I had been surprised with an unexpected visitor. I remembered him, from those years ago.
He was extremely handsome, with rich dark brown skin and eyes an alluring black. He was only slightly taller than me, by three inches. He had presented me with a beautiful exquisite jewelry set, he claimed to have crafted himself. He explained how he had hand picked each rock and how he had carved and polished them into the beads that were strung on a sterling silver beads were an intense blue, with tiny gold flecks. Nahuel said the stone was a rare and precious gemstone, lapis lazuli.
He had confessed to tracking my dad's phone number down and asking for when my birthday was, and where they would be. I remembered the first time he had laughed, when he found out I could speak Spanish. It had been a nervous laugh, he had felt foolish speaking to me in English, unsure at times if he had chosen a proper word or phrase. I had been flattered to know he had been practicing his English for my sake. I assured him it was flawless. I had enjoyed his company very much, we conversed in Spanish for the most part. I was excited to tell Jacob that he was planning to visit me this birthday too.
I ended the memory, withholding myself from sharing more, and looked at his face. There was something not perfectly content, something I couldn't quite place. But he smiled brilliantly and I forgot my worries at once.
"It sounds like you had a great time." I nodded softly and then with a slight frown said,
"But I missed you so much." and crashed into him, burying my face into his shirt.
I felt the car parked, and had hardly realized we had arrived. Home.