The Learning Curve: Chapter 127
The summer passed excruciatingly slowly.
I'd thought it would be busy. What with preparing for a wedding, moving across the country, starting college and beginning married life, I'd thought there would be plenty to keep me busy and make the time pass.
There was absolutely nothing to do.
Everything had been finalized with Dartmouth. We'd sent in the letter asking for our residency exemption and we'd mailed off all the other information the university required. Edward was having all our furniture delivered to the apartment, so that would wait until we arrived. Esme had been handling pretty much everything to do with the wedding, and once my mom became determined to help, there was really nothing left for me to do but taste cake samples that Esme prepared. The dress was done. I couldn't pack my belongings until a few days before we were due to leave.
The days dragged on forever.
It wasn't that I didn't enjoy myself. I got a part-time job working the cash register at the diner in town. The rest of my time was spent with Edward or our friends or both. With school out and the wedding past the point of no return, Charlie finally let up on my curfew, so I was able to spend a lot of time in the back of Edward's car. I was getting really fond of that backseat.
But I was also impatient. I felt suspended between my old life – that life that already felt so long ago, when my only aspiration had been leaving Washington and I'd settled for dating Mike Newton – and the life I was about to start, as a woman with an amazing husband and an amazing life.
Somehow, though, we made it to the end of July. The days leading up to the wedding were suddenly hectic, a blur of errands to be run and boxes to be packed. Edward and I were forbidden from participating in the actual set-up of the wedding, so Edward ended up at my house helping me pack up the things I wanted to take to Hanover.
"So…we're getting married tomorrow," Edward said while he was helping to pack away my books.
"We are," I said as he avoided my eyes. "Are you getting cold feet?"
He shook his head, pausing between Dickens and Faulkner to meet my eyes. "No way. How are your feet?"
I stuck one of my socked feet out for him. "Feel for yourself. They're nice and warm."
He laughed and tugged me closer by that foot, and I slid easily toward him across the hardwood floor. He pulled me into his lap and kept me tightly secured in his arms. "I can't wait for tomorrow," he said.
"Me neither," I admitted.
"You realize I'm never letting you go, right?" Edward said, nuzzling into my neck. "You just try to divorce me."
"Don't talk like that," I said, running my fingers through his hair. "I never want to leave you."
"Good," he said, pressing a kiss to my skin. "A lifetime with you won't be enough as it is."
My throat felt tight as I was forced to contemplate the possibility of one day being parted from him. "It's a good thing our lifetime is starting as soon as possible, then."
Edward nodded, and the books lay neglected for quite a while as we sat in a quiet embrace.
A/N: Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I didn't get that sick day, and my mom scheduled an appointment to have our very, very old cat put down, so it was an emotional day. But no pity parties. I did get some good news yesterday - I'm going to be switching to a better job soon, so no more crazy schedules.