CHAPTER 58
Leah POV:
Emily insisted on having Thanksgiving. It would the first for Sam and Embry as family, and the first with their dad. It was really important to her to make it special. Sam was throwing a fit because she was seven months pregnant and he didn't want her to overdo it. So, Mom, Angie, Abby and I insisted on helping and she actually accepted.
So, Embry, Seth and I were here on the day before to help clean and do whatever we could ahead of time. Emily set the guys out to wash all of the windows, as it was actually a warm fall day for this late in November. And they raked leaves and cleaned the gutters . . . I think she just wanted Sam out of the house so he would quit following her around telling her to take it easy. "I know he loves me, but he is driving me crazy!" Emily told us.
Abby and I were on bathroom detail. I didn't mind, because I was used to it at home. Abby did anything that Emily asked her to, and some things she didn't. Her room was spotless, and she did all of her own laundry. She was so worried about being a burden to them. She loved living here with them and she wasn't going to give them any reason to make her leave.
She was scrubbing the shower while I worked on the toilet and vanity. "You're really happy here, aren't you, Abby?"
"Yes! I love it here. I wish I could always stay here, but, I know I can't." I couldn't see her face, but I could hear the fear in her voice.
"Why do you say that? Emily hasn't said anything about asking you to leave," I told her.
She had just finished the tub so she stood up to face me. "Yea, but with the baby coming, I figure they won't want me in the way. And they can't afford to feed me and stuff."
"Oh Abby. I'm sure that Emily will love having help with the baby. Sam is going to start working with his Dad, so she'll need an extra pair of hands, I'm sure. And you hardly eat enough to feed a bird."
She smiled at that. "I don't want to leave, but . . . I don't want to burden them."
"You're not a burden, Abby. How many times do I have to say it?" Emily said from the door. She walked in and put her arm around Abby's shoulder. "I love you, sweetheart. I'd miss you too much if you left."
I smiled at Emily. Abby just melted. She needed so desperately to be loved, and Emily did love her. We all did. It was hard not to.
"OK, enough of this. Back to work!" Emily said with a smile.
"Sure, slave driver!" I called to her. I looked at Abby and smiled. She gave me a brilliant Abby smile then we went back to work.
Later, we all took a break to eat some dinner. Emily had managed to cook a big pot of chili while we all were cleaning, and Seth had just come in to tell us that Sam had a fire built in the pit out back so we could roast hot dogs. "Where's Abby?" he asked me.
"She went upstairs to clean up and change clothes," I told him. He nodded and headed for the stairs. "Uh, where do you think you're going?" I called to him.
He stopped on the stairs and said, "To see Abby."
"I just told you she was changing. You can wait down here," I scolded.
He stood there defiantly and said, "Would Embry sit and wait for you?"
"Are you kidding me? We are engaged, Seth. You two are only 16. I thought we talked about this?"
"Embry and I talked about this." He turned and walked back down the stairs. "I thought you were going to stop treating me like a baby. I was going to knock on her door and ask if she was finished changing. I wasn't going to barge in and rape her. God, Leah! I'm sick of you treating me like I'm some creep who only wants to jump her bones. I care about Abby, OK? I am not on some mission to get laid." He stalked past me and went down the hall out the back door, which he slammed to make his point.
Emily walked up behind me and said, "You do hover a little too close sometimes."
I turned and looked at her. She was right. I did. Embry was always telling me that. Why did I do that? "I know. I don't know why I do it. I know he's growing up. I know he's a good kid and he's not going to hurt Abby. It's this wolf thing. I'm worried about him being too aggressive with her, and I know with what she has been through, she doesn't need that right now. And I guess I'm a little worried about him falling in love at 16."
Emily smiled. "You know, Leah, you'll be a good mom someday. You've mothered Seth your whole life! But it's time to back off a little now and let him live his life. You can still keep an eye on him, but not so close. Be his sister, not his mom, OK?"
I smiled at her then heard Embry say behind me, "Great advice, sis. Wish I'd thought of that. Oh wait, I think I told you the same thing."
I turned around and gave him a look. "OK, OK, I get it! I'll back off!"
He grinned and bent down and kissed me on the head. "Yea, right." He reached over and snagged a handful of chips and put a couple in his mouth.
"So Seth is out there pouting, is he?" I asked him.
He laughed. "Uh, no, but his cussing is coming along quite nicely." I raised my eyebrows at that.
Just then, Abby came down the stairs and made her way over to us. "I feel better! I'm starving and the chili smells really good," she said to Emily.
"Hey, we built a fire so we can roast hot dogs. You may want to grab a sweatshirt or something. It's getting cooler out," Embry told her. She nodded and ran back upstairs. He turned to me and said with a smile, "She's so cute."
Emily laughed and added, "She really is. I've become quite fond of her. Even Sam is getting used to having her around."
Abby came bouncing back down the stairs with a hoodie on and said, "I'm going out back to find Seth." Emily called, "OK!"as Abby ran down the hall toward the back door.
Just then, Josh and Angie walked in. "I wanted to go ahead and bring the pies over now so I would have less to carry in tomorrow. I hope that's OK," Angie told Emily.
"Of course! You're just in time for some chili," Emily told them.
Emily, Embry and I carried the chili and other food outside and put it on a table on the back porch. We roasted hot dogs and ate chili and just enjoyed sitting around the fire and talking. Josh told us that he was now a licensed contractor and he already had his first job! He was going to be working at Quil's house, putting in a new bathroom. Quil's mom had been wanting another bathroom put into the house and Quil told her about Josh, so she hired him. He was hoping that word of mouth would help him get another job when he was finished with this one. Sam was going to work with him. I wondered how that would work out. They actually were getting along pretty well now. I think Sam was finally putting the past in the past.
I know he was doing that with us. He was keeping to his word and treating me like a sister, nothing else. That made me sad and happy at the same time. I would always feel something for Sam, I couldn't help that. But he had a beautiful wife and a daughter on the way who needed his undivided attention. And I was lucky enough to have Embry, who deserved all of my love and attention.
He put his arm around my shoulder as he told some funny story about him and Jake as kids. I loved when he told those stories. Everyone around the fire laughed with Embry . . . except Josh. I happened to look over and catch the sadness on his face. So did Angie. She reached over and took his hand. I knew he hated that he missed out on Embry's childhood. But then, I saw something else. An exchange of looks between them, and Angie slowly moving their joined hands over her stomach . . . oh my God, Angie's pregnant! Why hadn't they told anyone? Maybe she's not sure yet, and she wants to wait until she sees a doctor. How will Embry take this? How will Sam? But then I looked at their faces. No, this is really great! They look so happy.
I had been thinking a lot lately about babies. I had really become afraid that I might not be able to have a baby. I had no idea if being a female werewolf would . . . make that impossible. Mom had put me on the pill when I was going with Sam, before we knew all about this wolf business. I kept taking it out of habit, but now I wondered if I even needed it. I remember joking with Embry once about having a litter instead of just one and how that freaked both of us out. But now that we were engaged, I wanted more than ever to be able to have children. I had the bloodline . . . I guess I thought somehow it should be possible to pass on the gene. But I had so many questions. If it was possible for me to pass on the gene, why didn't Sam imprint on me when he first phased? And how would I phase if I was pregnant? And if . . . Embry interrupted my thoughts.
"You're awful quiet," Embry said into my ear. It made me jump! "Whoa, I didn't mean to scare you! What are so deep in thought about?"
I looked at him and smiled. I knew I couldn't tell him what I was thinking about, and it wasn't my place to tell him Josh and Angie's news. "Nothing really. I'm just really enjoying being here. I was looking around at everyone and thinking how awesome it is that you and Sam and Josh have each other this holiday season. Especially Josh. He doesn't have to be alone anymore."
Embry looked over at his dad and said, "Yea. I'm really glad about that, too." Then he squeezed me closer and put rested his chin on my head. "And I'm glad I have you," he added softly.
The next day, Mom, Seth and I arrived with armfuls of food. Sam and Embry helped us carry everything in. Embry had crashed here last night to give his mom and dad a night alone. He did that about once a week or so. I think it was still weird for him having his dad there. He loved his dad, but he wasn't used to sharing the space with another guy. His parents weren't here yet. Embry told us they were coming around four.
Abby was already in Seth's arms and they were whispering to each other. I noticed Mom glancing that way and keeping an eye on them. She loved Abby just like the rest of us, but she was a little concerned at how close they were for only being 16. I smiled as I thought of the lecture I got from Emily and Embry. Maybe I should sick them on Mom! Just then, I felt Embry's arms come around me from behind. "I miss you," he whispered into my ear. Then he kissed me on the neck. I leaned into him and let him hold me.
"Let's take a walk before everyone else gets here," he suggested. I turned and smiled. "Sure," I said.
He took my hand and led me out the back door and toward the woods. As we walked we talked a little about school, and work. "I feel like we have to catch up with each other. We've both been so busy," I said.
He nodded. "I have a book report due in English in two weeks and I haven't even started the book. I don't have time to read."
"Yea, sure. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the book. What is it?"
"Some old book by some old dude. Ernest someone."
"Ernest Hemingway?" I asked.
"Yea. The Old Man and the Sea. It's boring as hell."
I laughed. "Do you have to read that book, or can you choose another one?"
"No, I picked it. She gave us a list and I thought a book about the ocean might be good, but it's not."
"Well, when I was in her class, I did my report on The Last of the Mohicans. It's about Indians. You might like that book better. I still have a copy at home. And, they made it into a movie, so after you read the book, you can watch the movie. But not before."
He smiled. "OK. I'll give that a try. I don't suppose you still have the report, do you?" he asked slyly.
"No cheating mister. I'll help you write a new one," I said with a sweet smile.
He stopped and took me into his arms. He just stood there for a moment and stared into my eyes. "What?" I asked.
"I would be lost without you. Sometimes that scares me a little," he said softly.
"I know. Me, too." He bent his head toward me and put a gentle kiss on my lips. I wound my arms around his neck and let him hold me.
We made our way back to the house and there were more people there. Josh and Angie had arrived, and Jake, Bella, Billy and Charlie were just coming in. Rachel was going with Paul to his family dinner. It was crowded and loud, but it was wonderful. I stood there with Embry and looked around and thought how sad last year had been for me. I'd lost Sam and my dad, and I was trying hard to deal with being a werewolf. Now, things were so different. I squeezed Embry's hand and he looked at me. I smiled and he kissed me. I was really loving life now.
Embry POV:
"Honey? Could you step outside with me and your dad for a second?" Mom asked.
"Yea, sure," I said. What is this about?
"Oh, Leah, you can come, too," Mom added. I looked over at Leah and saw she wasn't quite as surprised as I was. Now I was really curious.
We stepped out onto the front porch and Dad closed the door. "What's going on, guys?"
Mom looked over at Dad and they exchanged some weird look. Then she looked at me and said, "Embry, I wanted to bring you out here to share some good news with you. Your dad and I just found out that we are going to have a baby."
What? A baby? Did she say . . . baby?
"Oh my gosh, I knew it! I saw the two of you last night at the campfire and I saw a look between you and I wondered. This is great! I'm so happy for you." Leah gushed and hugged them both as I just stood there.
Finally Mom said, "Embry? Are you OK with this? You haven't said anything." I looked at her and could see she was worried about what I thought.
"Um, wow. I don't know what to say. I mean, I was just getting used to you being married, and now a baby." I looked at Dad and could see how happy he was. He would finally get a chance to be a Dad from the very beginning and be there for the kid through school, and . . . how could I not be happy for him? I smiled and said, "It's cool. I'm happy for you guys."
Mom grabbed me and hugged me. "I'm so glad, honey. I was so worried that you would be upset." She pulled back and added, "You know you'll always be my first baby."
I rolled my eyes. "Mom, I'm 18 now. I'm all grown up. I'm not going to be jealous over the new kid. Don't worry, OK? This kid will have the coolest big brother ever."
She laughed at that. I looked at Dad and said, "I'm glad for you old man. You get another shot at this. I hope it's a girl."
He smiled and hugged me. "Me, too." He stepped back and put his arm around Mom. "But, I think we do a pretty good job with boys, so I'll be happy with another boy, too."
"Well, we want to announce it today, but I wanted you to know first. So, I guess now we can go in and your Dad can make a big fuss over me!" Mom was so excited. She was glowing. Man, two babies in the family. This family was growing at a fast rate! I looked over at Leah and smiled. We would be adding to that number someday. I could imagine us telling everyone. What a great day that will be.
We walked back inside and Dad called for everyone's attention. When it was quiet, he said, "I would like to tell you all that I am a lucky man. Not only do I have the most beautiful wife in the world, and two great sons, a lovely daughter-in-law and a grandbaby on the way, but I am getting another shot at being a dad. Angie is pregnant!" At first there was silence as the news soaked in. Then everyone cheered and made their way over to congratulate my parents.
Sam made his way over to Leah and I. "Man, this is weird, huh? Their baby will be my baby's aunt or uncle!"
"Yea, but they will grow up together. It will be sweet," Leah said.
He rolled his eyes and made his way over to hug Dad and Mom. "Are you really OK with this?" Leah asked me.
"Yea, sure. I think they deserve a shot to be a happy family. I mean, the baby won't be here for what, seven months or so? By then, I hope I will be planning a wedding and moving out to live with my beautiful wife."
"Wow. That would be . . . fucking awesome," she said with a grin. I laughed and pulled her to me and kissed her.
"Listen to that mouth," I said. "Where did you learn to talk that way?"
"Hmmm, I wonder," she said with a smile.
Just then Seth came up. "Hey, dude! You're going to be an uncle and a big brother. How weird is that?"
"Weird, but good."
Abby smiled and said, "I think it's really cool. I love babies. I can't wait until Emily has her baby. She promised I could babysit."
"Yea, well I hope Mom doesn't think I'll be doing that. Changing diapers, and cleaning up baby puke? No way."
Leah looked away and I wondered why. She looked kind of . . . upset or something. "You OK, baby?" I whispered to her. She looked at me and nodded with a small smile. I said to Seth and Abby, "Um, talk to you guys later, OK?" They nodded as I steered Leah down the hall and into the spare bedroom. I closed the door and said, "Talk to me. What's up?"
"All this talk about babies. I don't know. I guess it's got me wondering if I can . . . even have a baby. I mean, the whole idea of us imprinting to preserve the pack and pass on the gene . . . then why didn't Sam imprint on me when he first phased? Is it because I can't have a baby? And how could I phase if I was pregnant? I couldn't phase from human to wolf with a baby inside me. I just don't know. There are so many questions going around in my head. Stuff I didn't think of before . . . I fell in love with you. Now we're engaged and I want to be able to have babies with you and I'm afraid I won't be able to."
I took her in my arms and said, "Leah, I love you. Whether you can have a baby or whether you can't. I hope you know that."
"Yes, I know that," she mumbled into my shirt. "But I want so badly to give you a baby. Watching Emily get bigger and when I felt the baby kick . . . I knew I wanted that with you."
"Oh baby, I want that, too. But let's don't worry about now, OK?" I pulled back so I could look at her face. "I love you. I want to marry you. Let's deal with that first, and we'll worry about babies later."
She smiled. "How about if I kiss you and make it all better?" I asked her. She nodded, so I bent down and put my lips on hers. I kissed her until I felt that fire start to burn. I pulled back and said, "Maybe I better stop. I would be a little embarrassed for my mom to find me having sex at my brother's house on Thanksgiving. Although, that would be a first."
Leah just shook her head and laughed. "Come on, let's get back out there. I'm hungry and I don't want to miss that turkey!"
We got around to having our turkey dinner and everything was delicious. We all ate way too much, and for us, that was a lot! It was awesome sitting around with everyone and sharing stories. Emily showed off the baby's room which was done now and just waiting for the baby. She had even bought a few little dresses and they were hanging on little hangers in the closet.
I looked around and couldn't see Seth or Abby anywhere. I nudged Leah and asked her if she had seen them lately. She shook her head. I told her I was going to take a walk and see if I could find them. She nodded and then went back to her conversation with my mom about the new house they were trying to get. Dad was still negotiating with the guy. He said he thought he was "wearing him down." I hoped so! There was nowhere in our house to put a baby!
I walked toward the back of the house and peeked into each room. I wondered if they had somehow drifted upstairs to Abby's room, but I would have seen them walk up the stairs. I walked out onto the back porch and didn't see anyone there or in the backyard. I needed a little air, so I decided to walk around the house. I got out to where I parked my truck and noticed that the windows were a little steamed up. My truck? Really, Seth?
I walked quietly over to the truck and looked inside to see Abby laying on the seat with Seth on top of her. They were going pretty hot and heavy, but they were still dressed. I knocked on the window and Seth jumped a mile! Yea, been there. That will stop your heart! I opened the door and said, "Uh, what's going on here, dude?"
Abby sat up and adjusted her top a little. Hmmm, looks like Seth's been at least to second base. I gave him a look.
"Just messing around a little, bro," he said, trying to sound cool.
"Uh-huh. Can I talk to you a sec, bro?" I said as I pulled him out of the truck by the arm and over a few steps away. "What the hell, Seth? I told you to take it slow with Abby. You told me you really cared about her."
"I do! I . . . love her, Embry. I wanted someplace in private to tell her that, and we came outside, but I forgot it was cold for her, so we got inside the truck to talk and I told her and then . . . we started making out, and I guess I got a little carried away."
I looked over to see Abby sitting there in the truck with her head down. I hoped she wasn't crying. I looked at Seth then walked over to the truck. "Hey, Abby. Sorry about that. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. Are you OK?"
She looked over at me and said, "I'm sorry, Embry. You don't think I'm a slut. . . like my . . . mom?" Whoa. She called her mom a slut. Man, I hate what this girl has had to grow up with.
I sat down on the seat and said, "No, Abby, not at all. I would never think that of you. I was upset with Seth because I thought he might be pushing you too fast. Seth just told me that he told you he loves you. How do you feel about that?"
Then she smiled. "Good. I love him, too." I hung my head for a second and thought how Leah will go through the roof when she hears this. I looked back up at her and said, "I'm glad, Abby. I really am. Seth is a good guy, and you deserve a good guy because you are the best." She smiled again that cute Abby smile. "But, I don't want you two moving too fast, you know? Making out is one thing, but for right now, that's all it should be."
She nodded quickly and said, "I know. I'm not ready for . . . that."
"You make sure you keep reminding Seth about that, OK? And if you change your mind, talk to Leah or me. It's tough being in love and being so young. But it's also the best thing in the world," I added with a smile.
I climbed out of the truck to see Seth glaring at me. "Come on, dude. Don't be pissed at me."
"You had to talk to her to make sure I wasn't forcing her, didn't you? Why do you keep thinking I'm going to do that? I know we talked about this . . . " he lowered his voice, "wolf thing. I understand. I feel it, dude. I want to do things I know I shouldn't, and I'm handling it, OK? If I think I can't, I will come and talk to you. But I don't need you and Leah following me around and making me feel like some monster! I can't take it anymore!"
Abby had climbed out of the other side of the truck and she made her way over to Seth. She reached down and took his hand.
"Look, Seth, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you in front of your girl. It just caught me off guard to see you guys like that in my truck! I mean, that truck has seen it's share of action, you know? I know what kinds of things you can do in a truck. I was just a little worried. But I trust you guys. Just ask next time so I don't come breaking in and spoil things, OK?"
He finally gave me a small smile and a nod. I patted him on the shoulder. "I'll see you inside," I told them as I walked toward the front porch. Man, that was tough. I knew just how Seth felt. It was hard to stop once you got started. I know he told me he was handling it, but by what I saw, I wasn't so sure. But he was right. I didn't want to make him feel bad about himself. He's a good kid. I needed to cut him some slack.
I walked back in and took my seat next to Leah. She leaned over and whispered, "Did you find them?"
I smiled. "Yea. They're OK." I put my arm around her and thought how it was better that I found them and not Leah! We just told her today to back off. I didn't want to worry her. They would be fine.
Just then they walked in the front door. I saw Leah glance over at them then at me. I knew she was wondering what they had been up to. I whispered, "They just went for a walk." She smiled and nodded and went back to listening to my mom telling Emily how she was hoping she could quit her job and stay home with the baby. She hated missing out on so much of my life, and she was hoping she could spend more time with this baby. I thought how nice that would be for her and the baby. I missed my mom a lot when I was really little. But, you get used to it. You have to. What else can you do? I looked at Leah and hoped that she could be home with our kids. I knew she wanted to teach, and that was a really good thing. At least she would have summers off with them. If we could have kids . . .
The party finally broke up. Mom said she was tired and wanted to get home, so she and Dad left. Then Charlie said he would take Billy home so Jake and Bella could stay a little longer. Sue said she would tag along with them and Charlie could drop her off.
I looked around and said, "Alright! All the parents are gone. What are we going to do for fun?"
Jake laughed and said, "I seem to remember you saying the same thing back at Cindy Grey's 13th birthday party, and she suggested Spin the Bottle."
"Oh yea, I remember that. She got me on the first spin. I made her birthday special," I said with my best cocky smile.
Leah just gave me a look. "Really? At 13 you were already a player?"
"Uh, yea. I'll have you know I kissed all 5 girls that were at that party that night."
Jake laughed. "He did. They kept spinning until it would land on Embry because he was the only one not too scared to kiss them!"
Everyone laughed at that. "Yea, Jake was always a chicken shit," I said.
"Naw, I was already in love and waiting for her to figure out that she loved me," he said as he looked over at Bella. She smiled shyly. "It took her a little longer than it took me." He leaned over and kissed her.
"Awwww, isn't that sweet?" I said. Jake had his arm around Bella's shoulder and he flipped me off behind her back. I just laughed at him.
"Well, I think we are a little old for Spin the Bottle, but I do have Trivial Pursuit," Emily said. "We can play teams, girls against the guys." The guys all groaned. "Oh, come on. We'll spot you a chip then you only have to get 5 instead of 6."
We all gave in and played. It ended up being a lot of fun. The girls whipped our asses, of course, but it was still fun.
"I guess it was good we had Seth on our team to answer the sports questions! Man, for guys we are pretty dumb about sports," I said. "I mean, how would I know what an ERA is?"
"Seriously, Embry. It's baseball! It's the great American pastime? How can you not know anything about baseball?"
I laughed and said, "Hey, I found better things to do." I put my arm around Leah and gave her a kiss. They all laughed.
"Well, I'm glad we had Bella for all the literature questions. I thought I read a lot, but you came up with some answers I didn't know," Leah added.
Bella smiled. "I spent a lot of time alone growing up. I found reading passes the time."
"I'm beat. Let's go, Bells," Jake said as he stood and stretched. "Thank you so much, Em, for having us over. Everything was great, as always." He went over and pulled her into a hug.
"You're welcome. I'm glad you could come," she said. She hugged Bella, too. They said their goodbyes and left.
"We should go, too. You have to be tired, Emily," Leah said to her.
"Yea, I am. But it's a good tired. I really enjoyed having everyone here today. And next Thanksgiving, we'll have two babies here! Won't that be great?" she gushed.
Leah smiled and said, "Yes, it will." Leah reached over and hugged Emily. "Thanks, Em, for today. Be sure to sleep in tomorrow. At least until 8 or 9!"
She laughed. "Yes, ma'am!"
Sam stepped up and said, "I'll take care of that." He gave her a fake mean look and she just rolled her eyes at him.
I looked over at Seth and Abby. He had his arms around her and he was saying something in her ear. She smiled and he kissed her. "Hey! You want a ride or are you walking home?" I called out to him. He looked over and said, "Give me a minute. I'm coming."
"OK," I said to Sam. "I'm heading out. You can tear them apart and send him outside." He winked at me and smiled.
Leah and I said goodbye and headed out to the truck. I opened the driver's door and she scooted in first and stopped in the middle to leave room for Seth. She looked down toward the floor then leaned down and picked something up and held it out for me. "Hmmm, I don't have any earrings that look like this. Who else has been in your truck, mister?"
I smiled. "Abby," I said softly. I took it from her and she said, "Oh, yea. I forgot you give her rides to and from school sometimes. I don't remember seeing it in here on the way over though."
"Um, yea. Well, that's because when I told you they went for a walk earlier tonight, they didn't. They were here, making out in my truck," I told her.
"What! Did you catch them? Did you yell at them?"
"Come on, Leah. They were just kissing. And yes, I talked to them. Now stop. Here comes Seth. Please don't yell at him. He hates that we are constantly on him about it," I said quickly.
Seth opened the door and hopped in. I put the earring in my pocket and started the truck. Seth didn't say anything. He just turned and looked out the window. I pulled out onto the road and Leah touched Seth on the arm and said, "You OK?"
He looked over and smiled. "Yea. I'm good. Just tired." He turned back to the window. Yea, I knew that look. I'm sure my face looked that way every night after I said goodbye to Leah. I hated it, too.
I pulled up to the house and Seth got out and waved then made his way into the house. Leah looked at me and said, "Is he OK?"
"Yea, Leah. You should recognize that face. That's how I feel every night when I leave you. He loves her, baby. He just told her tonight. And she loves him, too."
"Oh no. How could they love each other? They've only been seeing each other for a few weeks? They barely know each other! They don't even know what love is."
"Listen to you! You sound like an old lady. I knew after a week that I loved you. It can happen that fast. And it might just be puppy love, I don't know. But you have to respect how he feels. Don't yell at him about it, OK? Be happy he's found someone. Abby is a great girl who needs to be loved. I just don't want to be around when he finds another girl and decides he doesn't love Abby like he thought. I'm afraid that will crush her."
"Oh God, I never thought of that. I hope that doesn't happen."
"Yea, but how many people find their 'soul mate' at 16? I mean, it happens, don't get me wrong, but it's kind of rare."
She was quiet for a moment and then she said softly, "I met Sam when I was 16. I thought he was my 'soul mate.' I'm glad I was wrong." She turned to me and put her arms around my neck. "Kiss me," she whispered.
I was very happy to obey that command.