Oh. My. Fah-reaking. Goodness. How long has it been this time? Two weeks? Two and a half? I am SOOOOOOO sorry! I mean, I've had tests, and quizzes out of who-knows-where! Plus, semester exams are coming up next week, and I've been studying like a madman! But other than that...
I would like to thank brankl1, tulip-tnt-28, and nataliemarrs for their wonderful reviews. You guys are awesome!
Before I start this chapter, I'd like to say that this chapter is ANOTHER major milestone! Yes, that's right people! CHAPTER 30! Can you believe that I only put up this story two months ago? I checked my stats and I've had over 8,000 hits from around the world! True story, bros! I mean, for real! If you don't know how to do that…This is how you do it! Go to your account, and at the very bottom on the left hand side, there's something that says 'traffic stats.' Click on it, and there's a drop down bar. Click on 'story stats!' And there you go! It tells you how many people have been reading your stories, and what country they're from! Isn't that totally freaking awesome?
Anyway…On with the chapter! (You've been waiting long enough! (owo)!)
~SashaFierce12.0
Chapter 30
Leah's P.o.V.
My eyes fluttered open and I sighed and rolled over. Frowning when I didn't see Jacob in his usual spot next to me, I sat up, resting on my elbows. I looked around, still half asleep, and tried to focus on the clock on the nightstand. I rubbed my eyes and looked again. My eyes widened and I jumped out of bed.
12: 51
"Crap, crap, crap!" I whisper-yelled to myself. I started to run to the bathroom, but tripped on the blanket lying on the floor. I cursed, and stood up, hopping to the bathroom. There, I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, and ran back into the room to pick out some clothes.
Why was I going through all this trouble? I'd slept in. Why hadn't my alarm gone off? Well, yeah, I know its summer…But I got things to do! I have to start food for the Pack and everyone else, take care Jayah, and I made a note to do some grocery shopping today…
I finally settled on some shorts and a tank top. I rushed to my closet to get my cardigan…Yeah…It kind of matched, and it looked super cute! I slid on some flip-flops and then rushed out the door, leaving the room how it was. I walked into Jayah's room, and frowned when I didn't see her there.
"What the…" I said to myself, and walked down the stairs. I paused and looked around. NO ONE was here. I scratched my head and continued to the kitchen. It was there that I noticed a note taped to the microwave. I took it off and read it.
Leah,
Went for a beach day with everyone. Don't worry, Jayah's with me. I let you sleep in; it's your birthday, after all! Come meet us when you wake up, it's really beautiful outside. The sun decided to come out! Be prepared to stay at the beach all day, 'cause that's what we're gonna' do. Awesome seats for the fireworks! And don't worry about food; Emily and the other ladies got that covered.
Oh, and I left you some eggs, toast, and sausage in the microwave just in case you got hungry. But, seriously, take your time. I don't want the birthday girl to stress herself!
Love, Jake
I smiled to myself and opened the microwave. He was right about the food; and it was still warm! I took a sausage and started eating it. I looked back at the note, and noticed more writing on the bottom. I moved my thumb to read it.
P.S. Forget what I said about taking your time, get your ass over here! It's not gonna' be a party 'till you get here!
Again, Love, Jake
I smiled and rolled my eyes. Did I have a bathing suit? Hmm…
Psh. Whatever. I took off my cardigan and threw it on the couch. A tank top and shorts was perfect beach attire. I went upstairs and grabbed a bag to fill with sunscreen and water. Then I went to Jayah's room and grabbed diapers, bottles, formula, and some baby wipes. I didn't know if Jake had already brought some with him but I'm just gonna' bring them…
You know, just in case he forgot.
I walked back downstairs and looked and grabbed my phone off the table. Opening it, I checked the date.
July 4, 2012, 1:27 P.M.
Sure enough…It was my birthday. I'm eighteen today! OFFICIALLY an adult! I giggled a little, walking out the door and towards First Beach. I took the moment to look around. Jake was right, it was beautiful out today. The sun was shining, and everything was lusciously green…
I love green.
I looked in the sky for any signs of clouds that might ruin today, and grinned when I didn't see any. There really wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was clear and blue and big. I grinned wider when I saw the first signs of sand, and started walking faster. I maneuvered around the rocks, and then I saw them. I could see Marie holding Jayah in her arms under the beach umbrella. Elliot, Billy, and the other adults were a little ways away from them, talking and laughing away. Marie laughed and waved at the sea as she watched the guys. Her hair was growing back, and she looked pretty. Jayah played with a seashell in her hands. I smiled to myself.
Everyone else was playing in the water. Splashing around, and throwing the girls in. I saw Claire on Quil's back as he swam around. Then he lifted her up and she jumped from his hands into the water, screaming as she did so. The water…It matched the beauty of today. It wasn't blue, but it wasn't dark and intimidating like it usually is. I looked around for the Cullens, Mom, and Evangeline, but didn't see them. Oh, yeah! It's sunny. They were probably having an anti-sun powwow at the Cullen's house, or something.
I kept walking and waved to Marie when she looked up. She grinned, and held up Jayah.
"Hey, Leah! Jayah, look, it's Mommy!" Marie said excitedly. Jayah smiled and threw the seashell down. She kicked her legs when she saw me and reached her arms out. I laughed and took my daughter.
"Hey, Baby," I cooed and kissed her cheek. Jayah had grown so much over the past month and a half. And I mean a lot bigger. Even though she was just a month old, she was the size of a baby that was four months. Carlisle said she was developing faster than most, too. But he also said her aging would slow down soon. But she could do a lot of things most babies her age couldn't do. She could pretty much hold things in her hands, and recognized my voice and Jake's. And best of all she liked to smile. Smiling was her favorite thing to do. "Are you excited about the fireworks today? Your first July Fourth!" Jayah smiled and kicked her legs. She stuffed her fingers in her mouth, and I laughed. I handed her back to Marie. "She didn't give you any trouble, did she?" I asked. Marie shook her head.
"She wasn't any trouble at all. Like a little angel," Marie cooed. "You can go hang out with the others if you like. We'll still be here! I'm thinking about taking her with me to set up the food and everything." I nodded and threw off my flip flops.
"You sure?" I asked, walking backwards. Marie nodded and waved me off. I laughed and ran out to the water with the others. Everyone was there. I stood at the edge and shaded my eyes with my hands so I could see better. Collin was playing around with his brothers and sister, and Jared had his sisters climbing all over him. I giggled at how totally funny he looked. When Ashley slipped off his back, Kim jumped on it, bringing Jared and Amanda down and into the water. They got back up laughing. Jazmyn was on top of Seth's shoulders, and Emily was on top of Sam's. They started playing Chicken. I gasped. "Ooh, I wanna' play! I love this game!" I splashed into the water and onto Embry's back.
"Leah, where'd you come from?" he asked, and helped me onto his shoulders.
"My house, where else?" I answered simply. Then I tapped his head and pointed to the other couples. "Onward!" Embry walked forward and I reached out to push Emily off Sam's back.
"Oh, no, Leah's here!" she giggled, and pushed me back. I smirked and kicked Sam's chest. Emily giggled again. "Hey! That's cheating!" I shrugged.
"Since when do I play by the rules?" I winked. We giggled again and were stopped short when Jazmyn pushed Emily off Sam's back. Emily screamed and fell into the water.
"Woohoo! Jazmyn is the best, who cares about the rest?" she cheered herself. With her arms held over her, I could see something on her arms...They almost looked like scars. Like Seth's.
Weird...
I'd talk to her about them later. Not here. I didn't want to embarrass her in front of everyone else.
Emily got back up, then, and wiped her wet hair out of her face. She laughed, and Sam grabbed her again. He tickled her sides and Emily laughed harder and splashed around.
"Sam...! Sam, stop!" she ducked under the water and swam away, kicking water into Sam's face. He wiped his eyes and swam after her. I watched them, kind of remembering a time when it was Sam and me like that...
Then Jazmyn pushed me off Embry's back. I screamed and fell into the water. I got back out, coughing, but smiling.
"That wasn't fair!" I splashed Seth.
"What are you splashing me for?" I crossed my arms.
"You're my brother, we're supposed to be allies!" I answered in a 'duh' voice. Seth just smirked.
"Yeah. Then I imprinted." I scoffed and splashed him again. Jazmyn jumped off of Seth's back.
"Jerk."
"Jazmyn Young...¡El vigente campeón!" she danced around, splashing water everywhere.
"Jazz! Stop!" I said with my hands up. She looked at me and stuck her tongue out. I rolled my eyes. Sometimes, Jazz was like that annoying little sister that you ignore, but still love.
Well, you know, seeing as she was going to be my sister one day.
Suddenly, Jazmyn looked towards the shore and grinned. She started waving wildly. I turned to look at who she was waving at. There was a girl and about four other people walking over to where our umbrellas and towels were laid out. The girl waved.
"Who's that?" I asked. Jazmyn glanced at me.
"Teasha!" she answered, swimming towards the shore. Seth followed her. I looked at Embry, shrugged my shoulders, and swam after them. When I met them on the sand, they were already chatting away with the girl, Teasha. Oh...! This must be the girl Jazz couldn't shut up about!
"This is Leah. She's Seth's older sister," Jazmyn was saying. I waved, and Teasha waved back. "Leah, this is Teasha. I told you about her, right?" I nodded. She had.
Every. Freaking. Day.
"Jazz's told me a lot about you. I'm so happy we're finally meeting!" I said. I yelped when someone grabbed me from behind. I looked up and smiled when I saw Jacob. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. I pointed at him. "This goofy guy here is Jake. He's my boyfriend." Teasha nodded and waved.
"Hi!" then she turned to the people that were setting down towels on the beach. "That's my family. Mom, Dad... That's Isaac, my big brother," she waved to him, and he smiled and waved back. A little girl ran up to Teasha, and shyly hid behind her leg. "This is Davida. She's seven." Teasha stroked her head. "Say 'hi.'" Davida waved a little.
"Hi..." she said. I giggled. Her voice was cute.
"You like swimming? I've got some friends in the water who are just dying to meet you," Seth said, squatting to Davida's level. He held out his hand. Davida nodded eagerly and took it. Seth stood up and looked at Teasha. "You mind if I steal her for a bit?" Teasha shook her head, and Seth took Davida towards the water.
"C'mon. We can catch up with the guys before they eat all the food," I said, rolling my eyes. I took Jake's hand, and we began walking towards our picnic table.
"Hi, guys! Look who I brought!" Jazmyn sang, taking Teasha's hand.
"Hey, it's Teasha!" Brady said. "She sat next to me in Spanish." Teasha laughed.
"Swag," she said, her hands on her hips.
"Let's go!" Brady answered. They laughed again. The rest of us just smiled; not knowing what they were talking about. It was probably some inside joke they shared. "How are you? I haven't seen you since...May." Teasha shrugged.
"I've been good," she answered. I grabbed her shoulders.
"Okay...Seeing as you two know each other...That's Embry, Quil, Kim, Jared, Paul, Rachael, Emily, Claire...Where's Collin?" I asked. The others shrugged.
"I-It's okay," Teasha stuttered. "I-I-I already know him." She looked down, her face red. All of a sudden, Collin ran over, his brothers trailing behind him.
"Please tell me that all the food isn't gone!" Jason pleaded, coming to a stop at the tables.
"It isn't, Jason! See? They didn't even start eating yet!" Brandon answered, pointing to the array of plates and containers of burgers and chips. Jason looked relieved. I smiled at them. Even though they weren't related to me, I loved them like they were. "Hi, Leah," Brandon waved. Out of the two, Brandon was my favorite.
"Hey, Brandon," I waved back. He flashed me a toothless grin, and I laughed. "Collin, do you know Teasha?" I asked. Collin shook out his wet hair and looked at me, shaking his head.
"I don't think I..." he looked at Teasha, and stopped mid-sentence. He stared at her, and she stared back. But then, quickly, she looked away, her face turning red. I looked up at Jacob, my smile getting wider. I pushed Teasha towards Collin, and then dragged Jake towards a seat at the table. "I'll let you two get acquainted." We sat down across from Paul, Rachael, Jared, and Kim. Rachael was four months, but still wasn't showing. She looked the same as she did before she was pregnant.
"Hey, guys!" I said, grinning at them. They turned to me and smiled back.
"Hey, birthday girl," Rachael said, winking. I laughed. "The big one-eight! So...? How's it feel?" she asked. I looked up, pretending to be in deep thought.
"Well...I'm eighteen, officially an adult, I've got a beautiful daughter...Who I have yet to get back...A wonderful boyfriend..." I glanced at Jake and he pulled me closer. "I'd say it feels good." Rachael laughed just as Elliot and Marie came to join us. Marie held Jayah out to me and I took her back happily. "Hey, Jay!" I touched her nose. She instantly scrunched it up and sneezed. I sighed and blew a raspberry on her cheek.
"I brought her diaper bag," Marie said, holding out Jayah's bag.
"Thank you!" I said, and Jacob took it from her. Looks like I won't need that emergency stash, after all! Jake was the best. He handed me a bottle, and I started to feed Jayah. Making sure she was situated, I looked back at the others. "Can you guys believe Collin imprinted?" I squealed.
"He what?" Kim screeched, slamming her hands on the table. "Who?" I looked down the table, and spotted them. They were talking, looking like they'd known each other forever. "Her? Oh...She's pretty." Kim cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone. "Nice choice, Col!" Collin shot her a death glare, but his face was red so it was hard to take him seriously. Teasha laughed, and munched on a chip. Speaking of chips...
Jacob frowned at me when I stole some Ruffles from his plate.
"Really? There's enough chips here to feed an army," he said flatly. I smiled sweetly.
"Love you, Jakey," I said in a baby voice. Jake rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah." Marie laughed.
"You two fight like you're married," she joked.
"Yeah, you do. It's actually kind of entertaining," Rachael added. I glanced at Jacob, and noticed him glancing at me, too. He smirked, and I looked away.
"How's the baby doing, Rach?" Jake asked. "I haven't heard any 'exciting news' in a while." I was glad he'd changed the subject. When Rachael and Paul told Jake their news, I half expected him to phase and rip Paul to shreds. But...He had no reaction. He just smiled, and joked around about it. But I could tell that he was excited to be an uncle.
Rachael and Paul looked at each other, smiling a little.
"Awesome," she answered. "I'm savoring the days that I still have my perfect figure." She ran her hands down the side of her body for emphasis. The rest of us laughed.
"Thought of any names yet?" Kim asked. Rachael shook her head.
"Oh, my gosh! It hasn't even come to my mind! Let's start thinking now...Oh, I remember when I was younger, I always wanted a son named Aaron..." she sighed dreamily. "Isn't it cute?" she asked. I nodded, and looked down at Jayah.
"You like that, Jay? A nice name for your cousin, don't you think?" I joked, pulling the bottle out of Jayah's mouth. Then I sat her up and began burping her.
"But, of course if it's a girl, I always liked Arielle...Because she's my favorite Disney princess..." Paul snorted out a laugh.
"You'd name our kid after a freaking Disney character?" he asked. Rachael glared at him, and his laughter died down. "But if it's what you want, then I'm fine with it," he added quickly. Rachael crossed her arms and smiled triumphantly. The rest of us laughed.
The rest of our lunch was filled with talking, laughter, and jokes. When Jayah fell asleep, I put her down on the beach blanket, and went back to the water with Jacob. He caught me by surprise when he threw me over his shoulder, but I played along with it. Hitting his back playfully, I giggled.
"Put me down, Jake!" I exclaimed. Jacob laughed.
"Sure," he replied.
"Than-" I started, then screamed when he threw me into the water. I plunged in with a huge slash, then swam back up, shooting him a death glare. He just smirked at me and clapped.
"I'd give that splash a seven out of ten. What do you think, Em?" he turned to Embry, who howled with laughter.
"Eight, for sure," he finally said. I rolled my eyes and splashed the both of them. They splashed me back, and soon we were all splashing each other, like we used to do when we were kids. Jacob picked me up and threw me in a couple more times, all of which I swore I'd get him back on. But all too soon, it started to get dark, and the three of us headed back to the picnic tables. Teasha was holding Jayah, making faces and giggling.
"Having fun?" I asked her. Teasha looked up and blushed.
"Sorry, I didn't think you'd mind," she said, and handed Jayah out to me. I leaned down and kissed her head.
"It's okay, I really don't. You can play with her some more, if you want." Teasha grinned happily at me and kept on playing with Jayah. Collin looked at her, love and adoration clear in his eyes. I purposely walked behind him and whacked his head. He cursed under his breath and looked at me.
"What was that for?" he hissed. I shrugged.
"Dunno...I just felt like it," I replied, shimmying my shoulders. Collin shook his head, but didn't say anything. Layla, who was still wet from playing in the water, jumped on him, and he laughed, pulling her over his shoulders.
"Leah! Come sit down right here!" Emily called to me. Doing as she told me, I looked around at everyone. They stared back at me with smiles on their faces.
"What's going on...?" I asked slowly. Emily shrugged her shoulders.
"Eighteen years ago today, Leah Harriett Clearwater was born!" she said, completing the sentence with her famous jazz hands. I rolled my eyes, just as Jake came and sat down next to me. He held Jayah in his arms. "So..." She turned around, and Mom appeared, a cake in her hands. The candles were sparklers, and I was surprised that it hadn't started a fire yet. I gasped and giggled.
"Oh, my gosh, guys! You didn't have to..." I said, and watched as Mom set the cake down in front of me. I looked up, and she smiled. The Cullens and Evangeline had mysteriously appeared out of nowhere, and were watching me with grinning faces. Their skin sparkled in the decreasing sunlight, but not enough to make anybody suspicious. Seth came from behind me, and kissed my cheek. I noticed that his video camera was in his hand, and I giggled and stuck my tongue out at it. He laughed, and started singing 'Happy Birthday,' and soon everyone joined in with him.
"Make a wish, Lee," Jacob whispered from beside me. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. How could I wish for anything better than this? Finally, I blew out my breath, which made the candles go out. Everyone around me cheered and clapped.
"What'd you wish for?" Ashley asked. I gave her a playful frown.
"If I told you, then it wouldn't come true!" I answered with a wink. I took Jayah from Jake and kissed her all over her face.
"Leah...Take a walk with me?" Jacob asked. I cocked my head, but nodded, anyway.
"Baby for sale!" I held up Jayah, and hands instantly reached for her. Alice 'won', and took her away, sticking her tongue out at all the other 'losers.' Jacob took my hand, and we walked away from everybody.
Jake and I were silent for a few moments, but it was a nice silence. We walked along the shore line, barefoot. The sun was just below the horizon, and it cast a beautiful pink streak against the sky.
Finally, we reached a group of big rocks, and we sat down on them.
"So...What'd you want to talk to me about?" I asked, playing with my hair. It reached the middle of my back now. I'd have to cut it soon if I was planning on phasing again. Jacob looked out at the horizon again, and then back at me.
"Leah...We've known each other for so long now. You're my best friend...My girlfriend...The mother of the most beautiful daughter a guy could ever have," he started. I smiled.
I think I know where this is going...
"We've been through a lot in the past couple of years...Especially this one." He chuckled at this part, and I laughed with him. "But...I want to get to know you more...And I think that taking the next step is...The most perfect thing to do." He hopped off of our rock, and then reached behind it. When he retracted his hand, there was a small black velvet box in it. I gasped when he opened it. Inside was a ring. It had a single diamond on it, but it was still so beautiful...And it looked so freaking expensive.
"Jake..." I breathed.
"I'm not asking you to marry me today...Or tomorrow...Next week, next month...Or even next year! ...Just...Whenever you're ready," he looked at me with his big, brown eyes. "I'll wait. So...I guess what I'm asking is...Leah? Will you marry me?" I didn't hesitate and threw myself on top of him with a happy shriek. We landed in the sand, and I kissed him all over. He chuckled. "So I'll take that as a 'yes?'" I kissed him again.
"Yes, yes, YES!" I said between kisses. When I was done, Jacob took the moment to kiss me. He kissed my forehead, both cheeks, my nose, and then finally, a long, passionate one on my lips.
"I love you. So much," he whispered. I kissed him again.
"I love you, too, Jake," I replied. We stood up, and he slid the ring on my finger. I sighed when I looked at it. "It looks so expensive. And the diamond's so freaking huge! It must have cost...A lot!" Jacob chuckled, and wrapped his arm around me. We started walking back towards everyone else. But slowly, as if we both had the same idea about savoring this moment.
"It didn't cost anything at all. It was my grandmother's. She gave it to me when I turned thirteen. She was all...'Jake, when you find her, give this ring to the girl you're going to marry.' And then she went on and on about some rhyme her mother had told her when she was younger..." he looked out at the ocean. I leaned my head on him.
"That's so sweet," I cooed, admiring the ring again.
"For the record, I knew I was gonna' marry you the first time I saw you..." he looked at me again. I smirked.
"How cheesy can you be?" I joked, nudging him with my elbow. He laughed.
"Hey! It seemed like the perfect thing to say at a moment like this!" We laughed together, and then he sighed. "I can't wait to marry you." He kissed the top of my head. I smiled, and looked at him again just as the picnic table came into view.
"Don't you two look cozy?" Kim laughed, eating a piece of cake. Everyone was just as we left them, except some new people were at the table...
Oh, yeah. That's Teasha's family. Her parents were talking with Billy, Carlisle, Esme, and Mom. And her brother, Isaac, was laughing and joking with Embry and some of the other guys. Davida was playing with Ashley, Amanda, Layla, and Claire. And Teasha...
I spotted Teasha sitting real close to Collin. They were talking.
"How long do you think it'll be until they get together?" Emily asked. Jake and I were seated, now. I looked at the two.
"I give 'em two weeks tops," I said, winking at her. Emily smiled. Where we sat, most everybody who wasn't talking with someone was here. Seth sat across from me, and he turned on his video camera and pointed it at me.
"So? 'Gonna tell me why Jake stole you away before you even had a chance to taste that delicious birthday cake? Come on! I want to document this for future generations." I rolled my eyes and looked at Jake. He nodded.
"Well..." I smiled slyly. "Have you guys tasted those burgers? Elliot and Mr. Ataera did an awesome jo-"
"Cut the crap, Lee," Seth told me. I laughed.
"Okay. You guys really wanna' know?" I asked.
"Yes!" Jared shouted. "Why are you stalling?"
"Because," Jacob said. "It may come as a shock."
"Try me," Rosalie challenged. Not being able to hold it in any longer, I squealed.
"We're getting married!" I screeched, and flaunted my new ring to everybody. Rosalie's eyes widened.
"Whoa. That is a shock. Didn't know you had it in you, Jake," she smirked at him. Alice sat Jayah up on her lap.
"Oh, my gosh! When? Where? I'm totally planning the wedding! Dresses...Venues...And Jayah can be our flower girl! Oh! This is great!" Alice bounced Jayah on her lap. Jayah just showed off her toothless grin, not having the least bit of a clue as to what we were talking about.
That's right, Blue Jay. Just smile and look cute.
Evangeline snatched Jayah out of Alice's hands.
"Did you hear that, Jewel? Your mother and father are getting married! Isn't it wonderful?" she hugged Jayah. After Evangeline started calling Jayah, Jewel, it had become her permanent nickname amongst the Pack and everyone else. It suited her.
'Cause she was pretty. Like a jewel.
"Forget about the wedding! The bachelor party's what I'm all about," Emmett said, waggling his eyebrows. Wolf whistles sounded from all over the table. I rolled my eyes.
"Hey, I got a daughter and a fiancé to come home to. You guys can do what you want. I'm keeping it clean," Jake said. I kissed his cheek, and the other girls 'awwwed' from around us.
"Now that's what I call a devoted man," Emily said. "He's definitely a keeper, Lee!"
"You say that now..." Emmett said, shaking his head.
We talked some more about the wedding after that...Well, more like everyone else talked more about the wedding. I put in my say here and there, but I mostly listened to their excited chatter. Alice practically had the whole wedding planned out by the time we were settling down in the sand to watch the fireworks.
"...And I'll make your dress," she was saying. I smiled and hugged her.
"Thanks, Alice. But...Let's worry about this when we actually have a date and everything set. It's not like we're saying our vows in two weeks!" Alice rolled her eyes, but nodded. She handed Jayah to me.
"You can sit with Mommy and Daddy for the fireworks, Jay-Jay. It's a family affair!" Alice kissed Jayah's head one more time before going to sit with Jasper.
"Leah! C'mon! They'll be starting soon!" Jazmyn called to me. She had her favorite sweater on over her swimsuit, and she plopped down next to Seth...Who still had his camera going.
"I'm surprised that thing hasn't gone out of batteries, yet," I said flatly as I sat down next to Jake. Seth pointed the camera at me.
"One day, when you're old and grey, you'll look back on this Fourth of July and say, 'Jakey, that was a wonderful day. Out of all my two-hundred ninety-eight years of living, I've never had a Fourth of July like that one,'" he said all of that in a mock-granny kind of voice. I picked up a fist-full of sand and threw it at his camera. "Hey! Watch the merchandise! NOT refundable, you know!" But he was laughing, anyway. After cleaning off the lens, he pointed the camera at Jayah. "Hey, Baby Jay! You excited?" Jayah smiled and kicked her legs and arms. That was something that she did when she was happy.
"I think she is," Mom said, and patted her head. Elliot and Marie sat next to her, and Billy's wheelchair was parked next to them. Rachael and Paul sat together behind Jake, and were talking quietly. I looked around at all of us.
We looked so much like family...I mean, seeing as we'd all be officially related in the years to come. If only Dad...And Sarah were here...Then...Then it would be complete.
But I knew that they were looking down on us, smiling, and happy that we were all happy. I closed my eyes and held Jayah tighter. Then they shot open as I heard the first few booms and crackles of the fireworks. I gasped and stood Jayah up on my lap.
"Look, Jay! Pretty, right?" I looked at Jayah's face, which seemed awed at the way lights could explode like that. I could see the colors in her widened eyes. When a pink one exploded, she kicked her legs and flailed her arms around, laughing.
Actually laughing.
One month olds could do that?
...
Then again, Jayah wasn't any normal baby.
"Jake! She's laughing!" I said, turning to Jacob. He reached for her, and I proudly placed Jayah in his arms. When a blue firework exploded, she did the same thing. Jacob laughed with her. Seth moved closer. He was on his stomach, and had his camera pointed towards Jayah.
The rest of the 'show' was us all staring at Jayah's reactions. It was so hard to look away; she was just too cute. During the finale, Jayah wouldn't stop giggling. I think that was the best part of my night; seeing her so happy. When it was over, she stayed looking at the sky, searching for any more signs of those pretty explosions that she'd seen before.
"Was that Jayah laughing?" Jared asked, walking over to us. Kim walked closely beside him, and he carried Ashley on his back. The people in our group nodded and chuckled. "I could hear her over the fireworks!" Jacob stood up, Jayah still staring at the sky with her fist in her mouth.
"Best part is...Got it all right here!" Seth said, wiggling his camera around.
"Technology rocks!" Ashley giggled, throwing her fist into the air. I checked my cell phone clock, and looked at Jayah.
"It is way past your bedtime, Jay," I said. Jayah heard my voice and turned to me. She flashed me a toothless grin and I smiled lovingly. "...But I'll let you slide."
Everyone gathered back at the picnic table after that, and we talked and played around some more. I even took Jayah out to the water. I could tell how much she liked that, note my sarcasm. People began to trickle off a couple at a time; families with small children leaving first.
"We'll see you guys later! It was nice meeting all of you!" Teasha's mom was saying. She carried a sleeping Davida in her arms. Isaac followed his dad to the car, putting towels and umbrellas into the back seat. Some of the other ladies went to hug her. "We'll see ya'll soon, okay?"
"Oh, yes! Don't forget about tomorrow!" Esme called after her. "You got the directions to our house, right?" Mrs. Kidd nodded and smiled. "See you then, honey!"
"May-May, come on!" Mrs. Kidd called to Teasha. Apparently that was her nickname, or something. I gave a small smile when Teasha blushed and stood up from her place next to Collin.
"See you later, C," she said quietly. Collin waved.
"Bye..." he said as she ran to catch up with her family. He watched as her car left.
After they left, everyone else started cleaning up and leaving, too.
When we had our stuff together, Jake and I started heading towards our house. Jayah was slowly nodding off, and I wanted to give her a bath before she fell asleep.
I gave everyone hugs before heading down the path.
"See you tomorrow!" Alice called after Jake and I. I turned and waved one more time before continuing down the path. I held Jake's hand, and Jayah in the crook of my right arm. She was awake, and looking around at all the dark trees.
When we got to our house, and Jayah was bathed and put to bed (I highly doubt she'd be waking us up tonight! Thank the Lord!), I showered and put on my own pajamas. Climbing into bed, I was prepared to sleep. Today had been a great, eventful day, and I was tired. I smiled sleepily as Jacob climbed into bed next to me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I pulled him close. He rubbed my knuckles, and paused when his thumb came across my ring. I smiled a bit.
"I can't wait to marry you, Leah," he breathed. I sighed.
"I can't wait to marry you, either, Jake," I replied. Jacob kissed my head, just as my eyes started to droop closed.
"Happy birthday."
Happy birthday, indeed.
(owo)! Review!
~SashaFierce12.0