Chapter 57
As promised, the last Friday that Kevin would be in Germany, Amber and Anna got themselves dressed up to go out to the Kaberet and Kevin made sure to wear the nicest suit he'd brought with him. Amber ended up wearing the dress she'd worn for her Bat Mitzvah. It was easily the fanciest dress she had. Anna wore a black dress that was sleeveless, but she had a black shawl over that for modesty's sake. She and Amber curled their hair and Anna even let Amber wear just a little makeup, but certainly not too much. In truth, all she put on was powder and the smallest bit of rouge to redden her cheeks. Amber ended up wiping most of it off, complaining that she wanted to look rosy cheeked but not like a cartoon character. They were all dressed and ready by the time Levi arrived home, who ran upstairs and changed into nicer attire as fast as he could. They all left together and went to the Kaberet just in time to see a satirical piece about finances being told by a comedian on stage with a dressed up assistant. They were seated at a small round table with Kevin and Levi sitting across from one another. Amber sat to Kevin's right and Anna sat to his left. Levi ordered them wine when a waiter arrived.
"Now, Levi, last we went drinking, you were kind enough to teach me the German national anthem. Perhaps tonight you'll be of a mind for me to teach you a song," Kevin teased and Levi laughed.
"I hope not," Levi said. "My head's still pounding from that night."
"You tend to handle wine far better do you not?" Anna asked Levi.
"She knows me well," Levi smiled. "Did Anna ever get a chance to tell you how we met?"
"I don't think she's told me how you two met," Kevin said. "She did tell me you nearly put her and her father to sleep when you had your first date."
Levi chuckled, "Yes, I'm told such. If I recall, we'd had something new happen at work that day and I was eager to talk about it. I was still new at the bank and a bit dreamy eyed I suppose you can say. I'm afraid Anna and her father don't share my love of numbers."
"Math was never my preference I'm afraid," Kevin said. "I was far more interested in reading and playing the piano."
"You play the piano?" Anna asked. "Levi, they have a piano here right? Maybe we could convince them to let Kevin play."
"I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask," Levi said, then looked at Kevin. "Assuming you don't mind."
"Not at all," Kevin said. "Just name the song and if I remember how to play it, I'll do it. I'm most familiar with classical music. I've basically had that grilled into my brain and I know it by heart."
"I fear I suffered the same when my mother insisted I learn the harp," Anna smiled reminiscently. "What made my mother decide 'Eureka! My daughter shall play the harp!' is beyond me. I practiced every day until I was about fifteen until I put my foot down and refused to play anymore."
"I take it you don't like the harp?" Kevin chuckled.
"It sounds beautiful, but to play it? I detest playing the harp. If I were to try playing it now, I wouldn't remember a single note."
"The piano and violin are big favorites in our family. My great grandpa on my Grandma Bella's side was a fiddler by passion and he'd taught her to play the violin. She taught my mom a little, but my mother loves the piano. A woman in my tribe named Claire took far more to the violin. Save for my Grandma, she's easily the best violinist I've ever met. My mother and grandpa Edward are still the best pianists."
"Do you brothers and sister play?" Amber asked.
"Kyle more so," Kevin nodded. "Natalie much prefers to sing and Nathan; well, Nathans a bit of a black sheep. He's not really a fan of the piano or the violin. I think he tried both and refused to play them again. He's a smart kid, but he hates studying. He doesn't like reading, he doesn't like math, he doesn't like science or history." Kevin laughed a little. "He's much more interested in playing and, if I'm being really honest, he's a bit of a bad apple."
"How so?" Levi asked with a chuckle.
"The best story I can give is back when he was…..2? I think he was 2. Maybe he was a little older. Anyway, my Grandpa Edward had bought all the kids in the tribe bikes and they were delivered to us by this man that had essentially refused to deliver them to the tribe until grandpa paid him extra. Somehow, Nathan found out about that or he just plain didn't like the man, so he pick pocketed him. Man didn't even notice until a good hour later."
"Sounds like it served him right," Levi laughed. "Does your brother make a habit of this?"
"If he does, we don't know about it," Kevin smiled. "I think after telling grandpa he'd stolen from that man, Nathan learned the golden rule about stealing things: If you're going to do it, don't tell people about it. But who knows, I might be wrong. He adopted a wolf puppy he named Roxanne. She follows him around like white on rice, let me tell you."
"I'm sure your little brother is a very sweet boy," Anna smiled.
"Most of the time," Kevin smiled back. "Embry and I will sometimes joke that one of us must have accidentally dropped my little brother on his head. We used to play a game when the twins and triplets were babies where we'd hold them upside down by their ankles and swing them back and forth. Then my mom caught us and put a stop to that."
"And no wonder! That would scare me to death," Anna protested.
"Boys will be boys," Levi chuckled.
"No kidding," Kevin laughed. "I feel a little bad for Natalie. We teased her so much when we were kids. One time, we had gotten candy from the General Store and one of those candies were black licorice."
Anna shuddered, "Vile candies."
"Tell that to Jae. He's the only one that loves them," Kevin laughed. "Anyway, once Nathan realized they tasted bad and didn't want them, he tried telling Natalie that they were rainbow eggs and that if she ate one, a rainbow would appear. She cried the rest of the afternoon."
"Poor dear," Anna chastised teasingly. "How she must have suffered."
"Oh, she did," Kevin laughed. "My Aunt Rosalie had told us once about the Princess and the Frog. A prince had been turned into a frog and only the kiss of a princess could make him a prince again. I may have implied that since our dad is son to a chief, that might technically make Natalie a princess and that if a prince were to have turned into a frog, she might be able to save him. So we found a frog, I got her to kiss it and it jumped in her face and smacked her with its feet. She cried the rest of the afternoon."
"How dreadful of you," Anna smiled.
"If it makes you feel better, dad made me apologize and made me kiss a frog too. He told me that, since I'm technically a prince, that a frog might turn into a princess if I kissed it. Frog jumped in my face and mom spent most of that afternoon scrubbing our faces clean. I also didn't eat dinner that night if I remember correctly."
"You brought that on yourself," Anna teased.
"Indeed you did," Levi joined with a laugh.
"In my defense, Natalie needs to learn not to be so gullible."
"How old is your sister?" Amber asked.
"She's thirteen."
"And you're the oldest of all your siblings correct?" Levi asked.
"I am," Kevin said.
The waiter came over at last and brought them their wine. They also ordered their dinner and talked more while they waited for their food. They also asked the waiter if Kevin might be allowed to play the piano. After consulting his manager, the waiter stated that the pianist they hired left at nine, so he was welcome to play then assuming they were still there. Levi concluded they would stay and order dessert and coffee to go along with their wait. Kevin glowed about the paintings Amber had made him and how he couldn't wait to hang them in his little house. After seeing them, he agreed they were exactly what his house needed. The carved soaps and candle for Kevin's mother were already packed securely for when he left, ensuring they would be safe on their journey back. Jacob knew about the candle and soap but agreed not to say anything to Renesmee so she would be surprised. Kevin would have a little time to go back home, even if only for a weekend, so he would give Renesmee her gifts from Amber then. When it was nine and they'd eaten their dinner, their dessert and their coffee, or water in Amber's case, the pianist finally left for the night.
"How about I play 'Little' Fugue G minor?" Kevin offered after the waiter walked over and told them Kevin could go to the piano.
"Bach is it?" Levi asked.
"Yes," Kevin nodded. "I admit, I love it best when it's played on the Organ, but piano does well too as long as you know how to play it."
Amber followed Kevin up to the piano at the far left of the Kaberet and sat next to him on the piano chair. Once he was situated, he started playing Bach's 'Little' Fugue in G Minor. Most of the patrons continued with their conversations while he played, but some stopped to listen to him play. Kevin even had Amber playing with him by telling her to press a key when appropriate and pushing the whereabouts of that key into her head. After finishing the song, an older couple walked over and requested he play something romantic, so he played Debussy's Claire de Lune. Thanks to his grandpa, he knew that song backwards and forwards. The couple started dancing together and he overheard the man tell his wife 'happy anniversary'. Amber's parents and a few other couples joined in on the slow dance. After that was over, someone requested a waltz, which Kevin played, causing the din to erupt into upbeat dancing, proper etiquette and steps of a waltz be damned. After the waltz, another customer came up to the piano and requested a turn to play, so Kevin stepped down and the man proceeded to play, of all things, Ride of the Valkyries. 2 other people at the Kaberet requested turns at playing the piano following that patron's turn.
Kevin requested one last turn when he saw Amber was getting tired despite her insistence that she wasn't tired. Kevin walked her up to the piano with him and began paying Elsa's Bridal Procession. It was another song he knew by heart because Edward would play it for him and his siblings sometimes to help them go to sleep. Renesmee loved the song too and would play it sometimes. By the time he finished the song, Amber had fallen asleep and was resting her head on his shoulder. As gently as possible and without waking her, Kevin lifted Amber into his arms so she was resting on his hip with her head on his shoulder as if she were a toddler again. Despite Kevin's protests that he was happy to pay for his own food, Levi insisted and paid the whole tab before they all left together for the night. While they walked back, Kevin kept playing the song he'd just played into Amber's head and it seemed to help her sleep better.
Kevin agreed that he would put Amber to bed when they returned, so Anna and Levi went upstairs and retired for the night, saying goodnight to Kevin and Anna giving Amber a kiss on the cheek beforehand. Kevin followed up and went to Amber's room. He pulled the blankets back and rested Amber on her bed. Then he removed her shoes and placed them neatly on the floor where her other shoes were and brought the covers over her. He gave Amber a kiss on her forehead and told her goodnight before leaving her room to go to his own for the night.
That same day in Washington, Aidetzi had gone into town with Embry wanting to prepare with Bernadette for her night with the Captain. As Aidetzi had feared, Alice was just a touch overzealous in her choice of dress for Aidetzi. The dress was a bright yellow color. This did not bother her. However, it was a dress of the current fashion: boxy as any dress could possibly be landing between her knees and ankles. Given the event, Alice did ensure the sleeves were at least below her elbows. Regardless, when Aidetzi had tried the dress on, she felt farcical despite Alice's insistence that she looked lovely. Word about Bernadette's little date got around to all the kids. Jae took a particular interesting in the news, especially when he found out it would be in the city. After hearing about this, he went to the General Store when he knew Hailey would be taking a break and let himself in through the back door of the shop. As he hoped, Hailey was sitting at the table eating his lunch.
"Uncle Hailey?" Jae had said when he came in.
"What brings you here, Jae?" Hailey asked. Jae sat down next to him before proceeding. "I'm hearing that Aidie's friend asked her and Embry to come with on a date she's having later this week."
"Yes, that's what I'm hearing. Embry isn't too happy about it."
"I actually was hoping I might be able to go with them."
"Why?" Hailey asked, but he figured it out before Jae could say and he chuckled. "I see. You're planning to ask Natalie to go?"
"Assuming Aidie says it's okay."
"Technically, Aidie's not the one that needs to approve, Bernadette does. That and her date for the night. Somehow I suspect he won't take kindly to two of Bernadette's friends coming along for the ride much less her friends' sibling and his girlfriend." Jae started blushing and Hailey laughed.
"I can just run over and ask Bernadette if you want," Embry stepped into the back with a held back laugh. "I suspect Natalie will enjoy the adventure. Hell, I don't think the girl's been out of Forks since she was baptized, so this would be a welcomed change for her."
"I guess go ask," Jae said, still blushing. Embry chuckled and left the shop to run to Bernadette's house while Hailey laughed and patted Jae on the back.
"Don't be so embarrassed, kid. You've spent most of your time with Natalie since the two of you were kids. I'm sure this will go over just as well as any other time."
"Should I get Natalie a gift or something?" Jae asked.
"Normally I'd say it couldn't hurt, but you're going on another person's date, so not this time. Realistically, you're all just supposed to be there to make sure the Captain keeps his hands to himself."
"Shouldn't her dad be doing that?" Jae asked strangely.
"I would think so, but I wouldn't know why he's not going. From what Embry was told by Aidie, Bernadette's father wants someone to join on the date that would 'intimidate' the Captain."
"I would think her dad could do that just fine with a shot gun holstered and ready," Jae chuckled. Moments later, Embry arrived back still chuckling about something. "What did she say?"
"She said no," Embry said, but laughed a little before continuing. "Her mother on the other hand insisted you and Natalie come. 'The more the merrier' I believe were her exact words. Remember to dress nice, though. If I have to wear a suit, so do you damn it."
"Relax, I'll wear a suit," Jae sighed. "And thank you. I'll go ask Natalie if she wants to go."
"Sweep her off her feet, kid," Hailey teased and Jae said nothing as he started blushing again and ran out of the store to get to his bike and go home as fast as possible.
When he got home, he found Natalie at the shore with his sisters and her brother playing in the water with Roxanne. She was jumping up and down in the water while everyone chased her around, drenching their clothes. Natalie was in Roxanne's range and fell back into the water when Roxanne jumped onto her chest. She immediately got off Natalie so she could get her head above water, then started licking Natalie's face causing her to laugh. Then Roxanne was back to running around in the water with everyone. Natalie was about to get back into the play, but Jae finally reached the shore and everyone smiled at him.
"There you are!" Rae said with a smile. "Were you in town again?"
"Yeah, just visiting the General Store. I think I'll be as tall as Uncle Hailey by next year," Jae answered.
"Meh," Rae said and shrugged.
"Only you would be excited to work for that grump," Sharisa said.
"He's not a 'grump', Sharisa. He's just not that good with kids," Jae defended. "Besides, he's nice to me."
"Yes, he was really nice that time he screamed at you and made you cry," Rae said.
"Relax, Rae, we were three," Jae laughed. "He hasn't yelled at me again since then anyway." Jae turned his attention to Natalie, who was petting Roxanne for the brief moment that they were near one another before she ran off again to make another round. "Natalie?" Jae said.
"Yeah?"
"Did you hear from Aidie or Embry that her friend has a date this Friday night and they're chaperoning?"
"Yeah, I think I remember hearing about that. What about it?"
"Well, they're going into the city for it and I got permission from Bernadette's mom to join them. Did you want to go?"
"Oh, that sounds like fun!" Rae said and patted Natalie's shoulder. "Go! You should definitely go!"
"That does sound like fun," Natalie smiled. "Maybe we could all go?"
"No, I'll pass," Nathan said before he winked at Jae while Natalie wasn't looking.
"We'll pass too," Sharisa said, smiling at Jae only a moment and then looking at Natalie again. "The city sounds dreadful if I'm being honest. I'm rather certain I wouldn't like it. Right Rae?"
"Yes, terrible," Rae quickly agreed. "But you should go!"
"Oh, just you and me then, Jae," Natalie smiled. "Bernadette does know you're inviting someone else, right?"
"Yes, she's aware. Upon her mother's insistence I admit, but she knows," Jae laughed.
"Oh no," Natalie laughed. "So what do we do? Just make sure he keeps his hands to himself?"
"That's what I'm being told," Jae smiled. "Apparently, we have to dress nice too."
"I'll go talk to Alice," Natalie laughed and pulled herself out of the water, drenched from head to toe, and went to look for her bike.
"I'll go with you," Jae said, realizing he didn't have anything 'nice' and, admittedly, just wanted to spend time with Natalie.
"Oh, right, you don't have a suit," Natalie giggled. "Alice will fix that right up."
"I'm sure she will," Jae smiled.
The two rode their bikes up to the Cullen house and Alice was waiting eagerly for them. Since Natalie was still wet, she got Jae trying on a few smaller suits they had while Natalie dried herself off some more. It was a more casual suit that she offered Jae, but it was still strange to wear. He just wasn't used to it. Most of the time, he wore pants and a thank shirt or even traditional leather pants. Once Natalie was dry, Alice had Natalie wear one of her dresses since they were the only ones that would fit her. At her age, Natalie was so skinny and tall, so the dress was scandalously close to reaching her knee, but Alice determined it would be alright. The sleeves were too short for her, going well above her elbows. Natalie was in an odd position of being very tall for an average thirteen year old but being too small to wear adult clothes. She gave Natalie the same advice regarding hair that she'd given Aidetzi: braid and pull the braid around into a bun. That way, it would be styled and out of the way. With their outfits in tow, Natalie and Jae rode their bikes back, enjoying the downhill flight back to the tribe. Once back, they got their clothes back home and rejoined the others who'd moved to playing with Roxanne in the woods.
Finally, Friday came and Jae was nervous. He was so nervous he kept feeling like he might faint. Aidetzi had said that Bernadette's parents wanted them all at their house by 5, giving them ample time to relax before the Captain arrived. Before that, the day was going on as it typically did with Jae going to the General Store. To Jae's luck, Hailey was outside taking care of the horse, leaving them able to talk alone.
"How's she doing, Uncle Hailey?" Jae asked, trailing his bike by his side.
"She's alright," Hailey answered and patted her cheek. "So are you excited about tonight?"
"Yes," Jae nodded. "But I'm nervous."
"Why?"
"Because," Jae said. "What if I say something or do something wrong? She didn't seem to see it as a date. In fact, she'd tried inviting Nathan and my sisters."
"Well, you all hang out together all the time. You're thick as thieves, so I'm sure she didn't mean it to say that she didn't want to be alone with you."
"I know, but still," Jae said. "I just want this to go well. We got nice clothes from Alice and we don't even know where we're going besides into the city. What if she doesn't like where we go?"
"If she doesn't, at least she has you to entertain her," Hailey said. "The beauty of this situation is this is technically Bernadette's date and you're all just coming along to keep the Captain in line. So if he picks a place to go that Natalie doesn't like, that's his fault not yours. Just be the way you two always are and everything will be fine. Don't get too presumptuous but don't be afraid to…oh, I don't know, hold her hand or something," Hailey suggested. "Ask her to dance, buy some rabbit food and offer to share it with her. Nice things like that."
"Rabbit food?"
"Never mind, I'm just poking fun at her. My point is you're getting yourself worked up over something that, if we're being blunt, you already do every day. You spend time together. All that's different if going into the city."
"And her brother and my sisters aren't there, and I asked her to join me, and we're getting all dressed up-"
"Okay, stop that, you'll just make yourself nervous," Hailey stopped him. "Stop worrying so much. Everything will be fine. Just enjoy the night together and be a gentleman like you always are."
"Okay," Jae sighed. "Okay, I'll try to stop worrying. It's just hard not to."
"It's okay, you're both young. You'll get over those jitters eventually. You know what, Jae? I guarantee you she's just as nervous as you are."
"No she's not," Jae answered, discouraged.
"Trust me, she is," Hailey chuckled. "Try to relax, Jae. You're not doing yourself any favors by getting yourself scared shitless before you even reached the battlefield. If it'll help you feel better, just think of it as any other day. Focus on having a good time, or as good of a time as is possible when you're babysitting someone's date."
"Have you ever had to do that for Leslie?"
"Yeah," Hailey answered. "When she and her husband were courting, I was always the one that would go along with them whether I had a date myself or not. I did bring someone every now and then when I'd been seeing someone, but most of the time I was a third wheel. There's nothing worse than being the third wheel that no one wants to be there. At least there will be four of you joining on that date, so you won't feel left out."
"I guess that's true," Jae said. "Well, I had been get back home. I should get cleaned up before tonight."
"Have fun, Jae, and remember to not worry so much. Just relax and enjoy yourself."
"Yes, Uncle Hailey," Jae smiled and retrieved his bike to return home.
Embry was given permission to leave early that day but had still brought all his clothes with him to the General Store so he could bathe and get dressed upstairs. Aidetzi was already at Bernadette's house and got ready there. Jae and Natalie rode their bikes into town, met Embry at the General Store and then walked to Bernadette's house in time to sit and wait for the Captain to arrive in his fancy car. Bernadette was dressed to the nines. She was wearing a deep navy dress with spaghetti straps (though her mother insisted she cover up) and her hair was curled into the style she'd seen in a magazine. She'd be wearing lipstick too if her mother would have permitted it. Aidetzi's and Natalie's hair was braided and turned into a bun on their heads just as Alice had suggested and Bernadette's mother praised that they looked adorable. She told Jae and Embry they should wear suits more often because it made them both look very handsome. Then she made everyone some tea and passed with time talking with them while her husband sat in his chair reaching the paper. But finally, at 6 on the dot, there was a knock at the door and Bernadette was giddy. Her father told her to calm herself while he went to answer the door.
"Oh, there he is," Bernadette smiled at Aidetzi. "I can't wait for you to meet him Aidie; I know you'll love him." As that went on, her father answered the door and she smiled a little wider and looked over the couch towards the door when she heard the Captain's voice. When he stepped in, she and everyone else in the room stood from their seats to greet him.
He was certainly handsome; that much Aidetzi could agree with. He had a golden tan that seemed foreign to most in Forks save for the tribesman. Yet his hair was a golden blonde and he had dark brown eyes wearing a very nice, clean navy uniform. It was clearly a decorative uniform that was black with gold buttons as well as other slightly needless adornments. He even wore a medal. He had a rather sculptured face with a bright smile when he looked at Bernadette as well as a little bump in his nose. In truth, the way he smiled at Bernadette was all Aidetzi needed to see and she liked him almost immediately. Yet he lost his smile and looked at the group a little stunned when he stopped to look around the room.
"Who are your guests?" he finally managed to ask.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, John," Bernadette said as she walked around the couch to take the Captain's arm and direct his attention to the group. "They'll be joining us tonight. I know it's more than you anticipated, but since we're going into the city daddy and momma insisted we go with a group. This is my good friend Aidetzi."
"Hello," Aidetzi replied.
"We all call her Aidie, so you're welcome to do so. And that's her brother Embry." Embry simply nodded his head in acknowledgement. "He actually fought in the Great War."
"You did?" Captain Presley said, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't realize the military accepted Indian recruits."
"Yes, as designated 'meat shields' if I recall the name the recruiter gave me and Kevin," Embry said. "Jokes on them, though. Kevin and I went into the army together and he rose to the rank of Sergeant and won a Medal of Honor all by the time he was 15."
"No shit?" the captain said, forgetting momentarily Bernadette and her parents were in the room.
"No shit," Embry reciprocated.
"I assume you both lied about your age then?"
"We said we were 19. We were actually 13."
"They believed you?" Captain Presley said, a little stunned.
"We'd gone through a nice little growth spurt previously and we looked older than that."
"I see," Captain Presley answered.
"Did you fight in the war?"
"Yes, I did," Captain Presley replied a little awkwardly. "I joined the Navy when I was 19. I'd joined when the war broke out in Europe 1914."
"That would make you 26?" Embry asked.
"27 actually. I turned 27 a few weeks ago in fact. You can't be older than 18 am I right?"
"Just turned 19 actually," Embry answered.
"Finally old enough to serve," Captain Presley said and they smiled a little. "And who are our other two guests?"
"This is my little brother, Jae," Embry continued before Bernadette could. "This is a friend of ours, Natalie." They both waved.
"It's nice to meet you," Natalie said. "Captain John Presley, right?"
"Yes, miss," Captain Presley said and bowed his head a little. "Luckily, there's room enough in the car for everyone."
"I am sorry for the sudden jump in number," Bernadette said.
"Not at all, Bernadette," Captain Presley smiled. "In fact I think we'll all have a lot of fun. There's a little restaurant we're going to that I think you'll love. If you're ready to go, we can be there by 7."
"Yes, please, I'm famished," Bernadette smiled and walked arm in arm with Captain Presley with everyone following behind.
"I guess I should have eaten something before we left," Natalie said to Jae, smiling but a little anxious.
"We can ask her parents if they have anything," Jae suggested.
"No, no, it's fine. I'm sure the restaurant has bread," Natalie smiled.
"Are you sure?"
"Really, I'll be fine, Jae," Natalie said.
"Let me at least ask if they have apples or something," Jae said and went to Bernadette's parents to ask. Thankfully, they did and he took three with him as they went to the car and offered them to Natalie. "They're not much, but it should tide you over at least."
"Thanks, Jae," Natalie smiled and took the apples.
Captain Presley opened the front passenger's side door for Bernadette and helped her in while the rest got themselves situated in the back seat. Jae was about to let Natalie get in first, but there wasn't much room left. Embry suggested Natalie sit on Aidetzi's lap, so the rest of the ride was spent with Natalie sitting on Aidetzi eating her apples. Whenever she finished one, Jae would toss the core out the window into the woods. When they finally reached the city, Natalie moved down until she was sitting on Jae's lap so she could look out the window onto the city. She was dazzled by all the bright lights and how many people were there while Jae was desperately trying to ignore that Natalie was on his lap. They drove around the city a moment looking for the restaurant while Captain Presley listened to Bernadette gush over the city and how pretty it was. When they finally arrived, Captain Presley got out of the car and walked around to let Bernadette out while Embry let himself out and moved aside so everyone else in the car could come out. Natalie got off Jae's lap and moved out with Jae behind her, beet red from the last fifteen minutes of the car ride.
"Oh, John, this looks lovely," Bernadette smiled.
"I hear good things about this place from my commanding officer, so if it's not good, it's his fault," Captain Presley joked and Bernadette giggled and looked at Aidetzi.
"Isn't this exciting, Aidie?"
"Yes, very," Aidetzi replied, perhaps a little more tamely than Bernadette would have liked.
Captain Presley handed the keys over to a valet to park the car elsewhere. The valet stared at Embry, Aidetzi, Jae and Natalie strangely as he walked passed them. He appeared as though he was about to say something, but they noticed Captain Presley look at the man and said to him to, "Haul ass, boy. The car isn't going to park itself." They stepped inside and Captain Presley ordered a table for six. The host looked about as surprised to see Captain Presley's and Bernadette's guests as the valet did though he did not bother to say anything, especially when John put a $20 in the host's pocket and asked him to 'make an exception' for his guests. Another $20 ensured that they were seated within five minutes at a very nice table near the back of the restaurant. They all sat together and the waiter immediately brought them bread and asked what they would like. Natalie requested more bread and water while everyone else also ordered water.
"Don't fill up on bread, Miss Black," Captain Presley smiled at Natalie. "You won't have the room for dinner."
"I don't know if they have anything I can eat," Natalie said.
"I beg pardon?" Captain Presley said.
"She can't eat dairy or nuts. She has a bad allergy to them."
"She won't eat meat either," Embry said.
"She won't?" Captain Presley asked. "Why not?"
"I just don't like it," Natalie answered. "Really, it's alright, I'll just eat the bread."
"If you insist," Captain Presley shrugged and they moved on from the topic.
Though the dinner, Natalie picked off the basket of bread while most everyone else ordered from the menu. Jae, on the other hand, just ate bread with Natalie, not wanting her to feel left out. Through dinner, Embry managed to talk to Captain Presley about the military and the war, or what they were willing to talk about regarding the war, and made sure to include Bernadette in the conversation seeing as this was a date. Aidetzi listened in while Natalie and Jae just talked amongst themselves. When everyone finished dinner, Captain Presley offered to buy everyone dessert and coffee, which everyone agreed to. Natalie just ordered coffee with sugar. Jae did the same. The rest of the group got their coffee and fancy dessert. When the check came, Captain Presley didn't even look fazed and rejected Embry's offer to pay for himself and his siblings seeing as they were a rather unexpected addition to the group. When they left, Captain Presley suggested they attend a moving picture. There was a theatre that remained open past nine and had some enjoyable skits for them to watch. For all but the Captain, it was a new experience.
Captain Presley paid for everyone's admission once again and they all sat together in the back of the theatre watching little comedic skits play on the screen in black and white with a strange little song playing in the background that changed with the mood of the scene. The mere newness of the matter aside, Aidetzi found herself rather bored. So did Embry. Bernadette, on the other hand, was enjoying cuddling up to the Captain in the dark, although with Aidetzi sitting beside Bernadette and Embry sitting beside the Captain, they wouldn't be doing much more than cuddling. Jae and Natalie focused on the film, but Jae was suddenly more nervous than he'd been all night. Evidently the skit went on for too long because Jae felt Natalie rest her head against his shoulder and when he looked at her, her eyes were closed and her breathing even. Jae's heart started pounding, yet he managed to stay still so he wouldn't wake her. Embry glanced to his left where Jae and Natalie were sitting and when he saw Natalie, he smirked a little.
"Smooth, kid," Embry whispered quietly under his breath.
"She just fell asleep," Jae said. "I don't want to wake her."
Embry smiled a little more and returned his attention to the screen. The production itself was not very long and it had only cost them a penny each. When the picture was over, Jae gently nudged Natalie and whispered for her to wake up. When she did, she was groggy and her eyelids were heavy, but she forced herself out of the chair, apologizing to Jae for falling asleep on him. Jae assured her it was no trouble at all. They all agreed that it was late and time to return everyone home. Once they returned to Captain Presley's car and started making the drive back to Forks, they were already making plans for when they would see each other again. Natalie sat on Jae's lap the whole drive home and was asleep through most of it. Jae held onto her so she wouldn't move around too much but he found keeping his hands in appropriate places was rather difficult. Captain Presley dropped everyone off in front of Bernadette's house and everyone got out of the car except Bernadette and Captain Presley. Everyone waited while the two confirmed their next meeting plans and even shared a quick kiss. The group was sworn to secrecy by Bernadette. They all waved goodbye to the Captain and despite being so tired, Bernadette was giddy and hugged Aidetzi.
"Thank you for coming with me," she said. "So what did you think of him?"
"He seems like a good guy," Aidetzi answered. "He certainly likes you."
"I'm so relieved," Bernadette said. "Oh, Aidetzi, do you think he'll propose?"
"Bernadette, you've known the man shy of a month. Cool your heels a little," Aidetzi teased. "If he decides he wants to ask you, then he will."
"I hope he does," Bernadette smiled and blushed. "Can you imagine? We'll go all over America together. Everywhere he's stationed, I will go. I hope I can meet his parents. They're in California."
"I recall him mentioning that, yes," Aidetzi smiled. "I'm sure he'll happily take you to California one day."
"I do hope so," Bernadette said again and hugged Aidetzi again.
Everyone said goodnight and Bernadette walked into her house with her parents asleep on the couch waiting for her. Embry took everyone back to the General Store. They were all exhausted and biking back to the tribe just wasn't an option for anyone. Embry used his key and let everyone in before locking the door behind him again. They maneuvered in the dark until they reached the stairs behind the store and went upstairs.
"I'm taking the master," Embry said and ran to the end of the hall to the master bedroom.
"Alright," Aidetzi said, following after him. She sat on the bed, kicked off her shoes and started to lie down.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Embry asked.
"Getting ready to go to sleep. What does it look like?"
"Well, I wanted the bed," Embry said.
"Well, I sat on it first."
Embry and Aidetzi continued to bicker a little about who got the bed while Jae and Natalie just took the guest bedroom. Embry and Aidetzi eventually agreed that the bed in the master was big enough for them to share, but there was to be no argument over the covers. Whether that would end up working later in the night was yet to be determined. When Jae and Natalie were in the guest bedroom, Natalie appeared as though she might fall over at any second.
"I'll sleep on the floor," Jae offered. "You can take the bed."
"Are you sure?" Natalie protested.
"Yeah, I'm sure. It's been a long night and you need a lot of sleep," Jae smiled. Natalie smiled back, far too tired to protest any further, and sat on the bed to begin working on her bun. It was so tight it had given her a slight headache. Falling asleep during the moving picture had helped it a little at least. When Natalie had the bun out and it was just her braid, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"That feels so much better," Natalie sighed. Then she started to undo her braid. Jae only took off his jacket and put it on the desk chair. After he'd done so, he started watching Natalie undo her braid and just stared at her hair. Eventually he shook his head a little to stop himself and went to the floor.
"Did you have a good time?" Jae asked when he was on the floor.
"I did," Natalie smiled. "And thank you."
"For what?"
"For everything you did tonight. I feel bad that you had to just eat bread with me."
"Don't feel bad," Jae smiled. "It was good bread."
Natalie giggled and nodded, "It was. It's just….I know you did it so I wouldn't feel left out. I know I'm picky but-"
"Really, Natalie, I don't mind," Jae smiled. "I'm just glad you had a good time. Did you enjoy the moving picture? What you saw of it at least," Jae chuckled.
"I remember someone dropped a hat and got hit in the face with a cane and then my memory gets fuzzy from there."
"I don't really remember either," Jae said. "Maybe…you know. When I'm working here and I'm making a little money, we could go again."
"Into the city you mean?" Natalie asked.
"Yeah," Jae smiled shyly. "We can go to another moving picture together. We'll go earlier and bring our own food," Jae offered.
"That sounds like it would be fun," Natalie smiled back. Jae couldn't see her that well in the dark, so he didn't see that Natalie was blushing just as much as he was.
"Well, get some sleep, Natalie. We've had a busy night."
"Okay," Natalie said and kicked of her shoes before lying in bed. Jae kicked off his shoes and laid flat on the floor trying to get comfortable. A moment later, he felt Natalie gently tap him with something soft. He opened his eyes and saw it was a pillow. "There's an extra," Natalie offered.
"Thanks," Jae accepted the pillow and put it under his head. Then Natalie handed him a blanket.
"There's another blanket too. I really only need one," she smiled.
"Thank you," Jae said and accepted the blanket too.
"Night, Jae," Natalie smiled and lay back down.
"Gute Nacht," Jae said and Natalie giggled.
"That meant good night right?" Natalie asked.
"Yes, it did," Jae chuckled. "Good night," he said again.
"Good night," Natalie repeated.
The next morning, Jae was sound asleep until he smelled something beside his head. It smelled freshly baked and sweet and there was a bitter smell that he recognized to be coffee. He opened his eyes and saw Natalie smiling at him with a big plate of food and two mugs of coffee in her arms. She'd brought up bread with apple jam that her mother had made and they'd given to the General Store. Jae sat up and accepted the cup of coffee Natalie offered.
"Morning," Natalie smiled. "How'd you sleep?"
"I slept alright," he said. "How about you?"
"I slept fine," she answered. "By the time I woke up, Embry and Aidetzi were already awake baking some bread they'd gotten from the baker. I guess he let them take some dough that was done rising. He even added swirls of cinnamon."
"I can smell it," Jae smiled. "That's your mom's apple jam, right?"
"Yeah," Natalie said. "Don't tell anyone, but I took the last jar of it."
"I didn't see anything," Jae smiled and took a sip of coffee, then scrunched his nose. "That's really strong," he said.
"Oh," Natalie said. "I'm sorry; I thought you liked it that way." Suddenly, Jae went wide eyed and forced down another sip.
"Yeah!" he hurried. "I love it like this." Jae took another big sip and Natalie smiled.
"You don't have to lie to me," Natalie giggled. "Do you want me to water it down for you?"
"No, it's alright, I like it. I wouldn't mind some sugar though." With a smile, Natalie grabbed the little cup of sugar she'd brought up and spooned in a tablespoon.
"How is it now?" Natalie asked. Jae tasted it and was relieved that it was much better.
"It's perfect, thanks," Jae said. They divided the bread between the two of them and spread the jam over their bread. "When we get back, let's ask your mom if she'll make us some lentil soup or something. I need something hardier than bread."
"Yeah, lentil soup sounds great right now," Natalie smiled. "With lots of onions and garlic and carrots."
"And potatoes," Jae reciprocated. "I can't wait for lunch now."
"Me either," Natalie smiled and took a bite of her bread. "Maybe I should make it."
"I bet it will taste better," Jae encouraged. Natalie blushed and ate a little more of her bread.
Back in Germany that Saturday, Kevin needed to start preparing his things to leave. He had his ticket to leave on the train on Sunday and a boat would be ready two days after he arrived in Le Havre. Anna kindly provided Kevin with two traveling cases for both his paintings and he promised he'd mail them back the moment he returned home despite Anna's reassurance that there was no rush. Amber read Pride and Prejudice out loud while Kevin packed. She wasn't reading with quite the chipper air that they'd been reading before seeing as it was Kevin's last day in Germany. Amber was already beginning to miss Kevin, but she focused on reading. By the time Kevin finished packing, Amber completed reading up to Mr. Dacry's letter to Elizabeth explaining why Mr. Bingley had ceased his pursuits of Jane and proceeded to explain the true nature of Mr. Wickham's character and deceitful behavior. After that portion, Amber sighed a little and stopped reading.
"What's wrong?" Kevin asked.
"I guess I just should have assumed Mr. Wickham was terrible and Mr. Darcy was good," she said. "I prefer Captain Wentworth's letter to Anne."
Kevin chuckled, "I guess it's preferable to proclaim one's love as opposed to defending one's self against mean accusations. Don't worry. It'll become more romantic later."
"Don't ruin it," Amber scolded with a smile. "Do you think the point at the beginning is true?"
"What point?"
"'A single man with a good fortune must be in want of a wife'," Amber quoted.
"A good fortune doesn't have much to do with it," Kevin shrugged. "If a man wants a wife, that desire would be there whether he's a pauper or an aristocrat."
"Are you planning to get married?" Amber asked innocently.
"Not any time soon," Kevin finally answered a little awkwardly. "It's not the right time," he continued, thinking of a reasonable excuse that didn't bring up imprinting. He wasn't ready to explain any of that and he knew she wasn't ready to hear it either. "I'm only 18 after all. I'm barely out of school. What could I possibly offer even if I were ready to marry?"
"I suppose you're right," Amber smiled. "You'll send me an invitation when you do get married though, right?"
"Don't worry Amber," Kevin smiled. "I'm sure when I get married, you'll know."
"Maybe you could have it in Germany, that way I'll definitely be able to go," Amber smiled brighter and Kevin chuckled.
"I think a wedding in Germany is a lovely idea," Kevin said. "I admit I would prefer to get married at home on the beach."
"What are weddings like in your tribe? Are they always on the beach?"
"Yes, they're always on the beach. There's a moon ceremony that determines under what moon cycle the couple needs to get married and the couple lights a bonfire together after the ceremony to start their marriage."
"That sounds nice," Amber smiled. "Your beach is so pretty. It's a great place for a wedding. Just send me a save the date and I'll make a point to come."
"I hope so," Kevin smiled and closed his suitcase. "Why don't we get back to reading? Let's see how much farther we can get before we have to get to bed tonight."
"Okay," Amber said, though she hesitantly opened the book back up and started reading from where she'd left off. Kevin moved his suitcase to the floor so he could sit next to her on the bed.
Amber read up to Lydia sending the Bennetts a letter telling them she had run away with Mr. Wickham and that they were planning to elope. By then, it was nine in the evening and she was exhausted. However, she insisted she wanted to know what happens, so she handed the book to Kevin to continue reading. However, Kevin only got so far as Mr. Bennett receiving a letter explaining Mr. Darcy's involvement in rectifying the situation between Mr. Wickham and Lydia before he realized Amber was sound asleep. With a smile, Kevin rested the small strip of paper where she had left off reading so she could pick up with the story later and not miss anything. Placing the book down for a moment, Kevin gently lifted Amber into his arms and rested her head on his shoulder so he wouldn't disrupt her. Then he took the book in his free hand and carried Amber to her room. He placed the book on her vanity and pulled back the covers of her bed before placing her down. He pulled the covers back up so she was snug and kissed the top of her head.
"Good night, Amber," Kevin whispered to her before walking out of her room and returning to the guest room to turn in for the night.
The following morning, Kevin was up bright and early before anyone else. So he went downstairs and started making coffee and breakfast for everyone. There were left over potatoes and they had onions, so Kevin decided to just make a traditional potato cake like what his family makes. It certainly wasn't much compared to what Anna had made him several times while he was visiting, but he wanted to return the favor as best he could. While he was making the cakes, he heard someone come down the stairs and glanced over his shoulder to see Amber still in the clothes she'd been wearing the day before and had fallen asleep in.
"Morning," Kevin smiled. "How'd you sleep?"
"Alright," Amber answered. "You're making breakfast?"
"Yeah," Kevin smiled. "Just wanted to do something nice for your parents for letting me stay here for two weeks."
"That's so nice of you," Amber smiled. "Do you want me to help?"
"No need. I got everything done. I'm just cooking the cakes at this point. Could you hear if your parents were awake yet?"
"It sounded like they were still asleep when I left my room. I'm sure they'll wake up as soon as they smell breakfast." Amber walked into the kitchen to look at what Kevin was doing. He already had a few cakes done and was working on four more in a large pan. "They smell good," Amber said. "I wish I would like them."
"No worries, Amber," Kevin smiled. "My mom hates them too. She did like them when she was pregnant though."
"Really? That's weird."
"It is," Kevin chuckled. "By the way, how are you on blood?"
"I'm fine," Amber said. "I'll be alright another week or so."
"Are you sure? I can take you hunting."
"No, it's alright. I don't like animal blood that much. Mom and dad get me human blood from the hospital."
"How do they get it?"
"I'm not sure. I think mom is friends with a nurse there or something."
"Do they know about you?"
"Not that I'm aware of," Amber said. "As far as anyone knows, I'm just suffering from a degenerative disease. I don't know what they'll do when I turn seven and I just stop aging."
"I'm not either," Kevin said awkwardly. "I guess there's plenty of time to worry about that later. You're only two."
"I turned three, Kevin," Amber teased. "I'm sad you didn't know that."
"You're right, I'm sorry," Kevin smiled. "Looks like there's less time than we thought."
"It smells delicious down here," Anna's voice came from the stairs and they looked to see Anna and Levi coming down, dressed for every day. "What are you making, Amber?"
"I'm not making it. Kevin is. He said he's making potato cakes like his family make."
"So they're Latkes?" Levi asked. "For shame, boy, that's only for Hanukkah."
"Latkes? I didn't realize there was a Yiddish word for potato cakes."
"They're deep fried potato cakes. Perhaps I can give you a recipe and you can try it," Anna suggested.
"Give me the recipe for the mushroom tarts to boot and you've got a deal," Kevin smiled. "Breakfast should be ready soon, but the coffee's done if you want to get started."
"Coffee sounds good," Anna smiled and went to the coffee pot. She took out three mugs and poured them each a cup of coffee, adding cream and sugar for those that wanted it. "What time does your train leave?"
"Around 11," Kevin answered.
"Okay, good. We've got time. I actually wanted to ask you about something I overheard you and Amber talk about."
"What's that?" Kevin asked.
"I heard you pondering as to what we will do when she's seven and no longer aging," Anna said. "I just wanted to have you rest assured that Levi and I do have a plan."
"You do?" Kevin asked. "What's the plan?"
"I've had a few friends that have moved to Berlin for work," Levi said. "I hear good things about Berlin and I hear there are plenty of opportunities for bankers. We're hoping by then, we'll have saved up enough to start Anna's candle shop too."
"That way, we can drop the charade about Amber suffering from a health condition and we can enroll her in school normally. I think it will be good for her to go to school. Her teachers are excellent and the synagogue is very good to her, but I think she needs to get out of our little bubble and see more of the world. It will give her a chance to make more friends that can pass as her age."
"I agree," Kevin smiled. "The younger you can claim her to be, the better. My poor mom had to be moved around so many times. Once she turned 7, my grandparents kept claiming she was around 18. Before they knew it, people would start hassling them about why my mother wasn't married and they would have to move. If I remember how my mom had put it, she'd been '18 for about 35 years'."
Anna giggled, "I certainly wouldn't mind having such a problem." However, after that moment, Levi and Anna seemed to come to a realization. "Oh dear. Marriage won't be practical for her, will it?"
"I would imagine her husband would start wondering why she's not changing," Levi sighed. "I assume the same issue befell your mother?"
"My mother was married twice. Her first husband she was with very briefly before she ended up with my father," Kevin answered, once again keeping the story absurdly brief. "My father knew what my mother is and knew what that entailed. So she divorced her first husband and married my father."
"Did her first husband ever know?" Levi asked.
"I don't think so," Kevin said. "I don't know what my mom's plan was. She just wanted to be on her own, so she jumped the gun as it were and got married to someone on the other side of the country. She met my dad and fell in love with him, so it all worked out in the end at least."
"That's good to hear," Anna said. "I suppose we'll worry about it later. No point in worrying when she has years still ahead of her."
"Perhaps I'll play the over protective father card and just claim no one's good enough for her," Levi said and Kevin laughed.
"It's an excuse at least," Kevin said. Finally, Kevin finished cooking all the potato cakes and brought them to the table for them all to eat. "Thank you again for letting me stay here with you. I hope this makes up for it in some small way."
"No need to make up for it, dear," Anna said. "You were a pleasure to have. If you ever get to come to Germany again, you're always welcome to stay with us."
"Just make sure to let us know you're coming," Levi smiled. "The cakes are delicious by the way. Not so crunchy as Latkes, but I'm sure they're much healthier."
They all talked the remainder of the morning before they realized they needed to leave for the train station. They helped Kevin carry his things (Kevin insisted on carrying the heaviest items himself) and waited with him for the train to arrive. Kevin noticed Amber's mood begin to become more and more sour as the minutes passed. Kevin was instantly reminded of the last time they had parted. He remembered how amber had cried. She wasn't crying now seeing as the situation was significantly less stressful for her than it had been, but she still looked sad. Kevin focused all his attention on Amber while they waited, talking about the time he'd spent their and reliving the time they'd shared. When the train finally arrived, the conductor exited and seemed to handle a few matters of business. All the patrons that would be getting on the train boarded right away. Kevin, on the other hand, was in no hurry at the moment.
"The train's here," Kevin said a little awkwardly. "Thanks again for having me. I enjoyed every minute of my time here."
"We're so happy you did," Anna said. "Do you want us to help you get your things on the train?"
"That's alright. I'll take care of it." Kevin returned his attention to Amber, who was staring at the ground. Kevin kneeled down so they were near eye level, Amber slightly above him. "I'll send you a letter the moment I get home, okay?"
"Okay," Amber said quietly.
"You'll tell me what you thought of Pride and Prejudice?" Amber only nodded in response. "I know you'll love it. You'll love Mr. Darcy as much as Mr. Ferrars and Captain Wentworth I'm sure."
"When are you coming back?" Amber blurted out, not particularly interesting in books at the moment.
"I don't know yet," Kevin said. "But I'll come back, I promise. As soon as I'm able, you'll be the first to know."
"Okay," Amber practically whispered. "Come back soon, okay?"
"As soon as possible," Kevin promised again and took Amber in a hug. "In the meantime, you take care of Anna and Levi, okay?"
Amber managed a little giggle before she sniffled. "I will."
Kevin patted Amber's back before finally, begrudgingly, ending their hug and carried all his things onto the train. He picked a spot and got his things arranged so he would be able to sit comfortably. But as soon as his things were in order, he immediately left the train and returned to the Dymeks to give Amber one last hug. As they did so, the conductor began announcing that everyone needed to get onto the train.
"I'll miss you," Kevin said.
"I'll miss you too," Amber reciprocated and they finally parted again so Kevin could get back on the train. Just a few minutes later, the train jerked and started to move. Kevin opened the window beside his seat and poked his head and arm out so he could start waving. Anna, Levi and Amber waved back, Amber waving with particular exuberance.
I'll come back as soon as I can, Kevin pushed the thought into Amber's head. I promise.
After getting that mental promise, Amber started running to follow the train and only stopped when she reached the end of the platform. She continued to wave goodbye, as did Kevin, until the two of them couldn't see one another anymore. Kevin sat back into his seat and took a deep breath, already feeling heavy and sad. He started missing her since they started walking towards the station but now that she was out of sight, he missed her even more. Immediately wanting a reminder of Amber, he reached into one of his bags and pulled out the little box that held his carved orchid soap. It was more beautiful than he remembered, as if he were holding the real flower. It smelled of flowers too thanks to the essential oils Amber had used. Kevin wound up staring at the orchid for hours just smiling and admiring it. He remembered the rose she'd made for Renesmee was just as beautiful. He knew she'd love it and the candle. He couldn't wait to hang Amber's paintings in his home.
When Kevin arrived in Berlin a few hours later, he waited a few more hours, exploring the town a little, before getting on the train to Le Havre. He arrived in Le Havre early the next morning. He found himself a lodge to stay at and waited two more days before his boat for New York left. The boat ride only took two days and he was on the New York Harbor by Thursday. After leaving the boat, Kevin immediately returned to Connecticut and found Kyle was at their house. Kyle helped Kevin get his things in and was intrigued by all the new boxes.
"I see you brought plenty of souvenirs," Kyle said.
"Better than souvenirs, Kyle," Kevin smiled and started with the paintings. He pulled out the one of a wolf at the bluff looking out to the ocean. Then he pulled out the one of a blonde girl sitting in a meadow of orchids with the moonlight shining. "She said I needed color in this house."
"She's quite a talented painter," Kyle said. "Where are we keeping these?"
"The one of the bluff we'll have out here in the family room. The one of orchids will be over my desk in the bedroom."
"Well, they're beautiful."
"She also carved a candle and soap for mom. She made me some carved soap too."
"Did she?"
Kevin nodded and pulled out the boxes with the soap and candle. He gently opened the candle box so Kyle could see it, but did not remove the candle. The rose was visible and the candle was gently tied into the box so it wouldn't move. Then he opened the two boxes with the orchid and rose soaps. Kyle looked at the candle and soaps but was sure not to touch either. He could smell the soaps from where he stood and they were a sight to see.
"She has quite a few talents, doesn't she?" Kyle finally said.
"She certainly does," Kevin smiled. "I'm planning to go back home for the weekend so I can give mom her gifts. Did you want to come?"
"I wouldn't be opposed. We have a little extra time before school starts."
After seeing everything, Kyle helped Kevin get both paintings hung in their respective spots and Kevin put his carved orchid on his desk next to the candle Amber had carved him years before. Kevin got his things unpacked save to one bag with some extra clothes for the weekend. Kyle packed a few things too, but they used the day to relax before they would leave the next day. In the meantime, Kevin told Kyle about his trip. While he looked on everything fondly, he lamented that he'd needed to return and hoped he could return soon. He told about the time he'd spent with Amber and Anna and talked about his and Levi's night out drinking and the family night at the cabaret. Kyle laughed and complained about their lack of piano in the house, though realistically they simply had no room for one. Kevin was sure there was a classroom on Yale campus that had a piano they could start playing to keep their skills sharp. The last thing either of them wanted was to get rusty. After their talk, Kyle agreed to cook dinner so Kevin could relax and write Amber a letter as he'd promised he would. Kevin asked where Mrs. Croft was and, evidently, she and her husband had taken their daughter to a little lake front for a mini vacation before Mr. Croft would be returning to classes.
"So have you seen the infamous Mr. Croft since you've been here?" Kevin asked.
"Nope," Kyle answered and the two of them got a good laugh.
Early the next morning, they got ready to make the run to Washington, but not before stopping by the post office so Kevin could mail his letter and both the covers Anna had lent him for the paintings. Afterwards, they changed to vampires for speed and made a run for the west coast as fast as they could while being sure to mind the delicate items Kevin was handling. Kyle and Kevin finally made it back home by mid-afternoon the next day and were greeted by everyone when they arrived. Roxanne barked and howled at them until Kevin and Kyle came over to give her attention, but she tired of it quickly and scampered off to the words for a bit. Eventually, Kevin and Kyle finally got to Renesmee to hug her and when they did, Kevin kept it brief so he could present Amber's gifts.
"You know that candle Amber made me?" Kevin said to Renesmee as he pulled out the two boxes.
"Did she make me one?" Renesmee asked a little surprised.
"She insisted," Kevin smiled and handed it to Renesmee. She opened the box and gasped.
"Oh, Kevin, it's gorgeous!" Renesmee praised as she looked at the candle, not daring remove it from the box. "How did she know I love roses?"
"I told her," Kevin smiled. "Speaking of which, Amber carved a little something extra for you."
"She did? Another candle?" Renesmee asked as she took the box.
"No, but it's still something carved."
With a smile, Renesmee opened the box and saw the soap rose. She was just as pleased. "Another rose," she smiled. "It even smells like a rose."
"They have essential oils that Amber likes to use for her soaps. She made me an orchid since that's her favorite flower."
"Well, I adore them both," Renesmee smiled. "I think I'll put these on the mantel of the fireplace with the family pictures. Or would these melt?"
"I'd say keep them somewhere cool," Kevin suggested. "Maybe the bookcase in the family room would be better."
"That would be better," Renesmee agreed. They all walked into the house together and followed Renesmee to the family room where she placed her gifts on the bookcase with a big family photo. The candle remained in the box as it was. Renesmee refused to burn it, scared she might ruin it if she did. "She speaks French, right? I should write her a thank you card."
"Yeah, she speaks French," Kevin nodded. "I think she'd like that."
"What are some things she likes? Jacob, can you carve flowers?" Renesmee asked.
"I could probably manage it," Jacob said.
"Oh, good! You said she likes Orchids right?"
"She does," Kevin nodded.
"I don't know what an orchid looks like, Renesmee," Jacob said. Renesmee turned to face Jacob and placed her hand on his face to show him an orchid. "Oh," he said when Renesmee removed her hand. "I can manage that."
"How long do you think it'll take you?" Renesmee asked, and then turned to Kevin. "Honey, how long will you and Kyle be home?"
"We were thinking of staying until Monday at least," Kevin said.
"That's plenty of time," Jacob said. "If you can, give me a picture so I have something to go off of."
"I'll check my parents' house. I'm sure they have a book on botany somewhere in their library. All else failing, I can just show you myself. Is Jae in here?" Renesmee asked, looking around the group of people until she did in fact see Jae. "Oh, good, Jae, would you mind terribly running over to the General Store and getting a little box? I'll give you $2. That should be plenty."
"Sure, Aunt Renesmee," Jae answered and accepted the $2 she pulled out and handed to him. Rae, Sharisa, Natalie and Nathan wound up joining him.
While the kids did that, Jacob went into the woods to find a good piece of wood to use for the carving Renesmee wanted. He didn't take long to find something good. While he was out, he happened upon Roxanne who had a rabbit in her teeth looking proud of her kill. Jacob whistled for her to come over, but she wouldn't do it. She only came when Nathan whistled. She did, however, start following Jacob back once he started walking. When they returned, with her kill in tow, Roxanne went to the porch of the house and started eating. Jacob made a mental note to tell Nathan to clean that spot once he got back and went inside to start carving. Renesmee made sure the image of the flower was fresh in Jacob's mind while he worked and he was halfway done by the time Jae and the others returned from the General Store with Embry by their side, who eagerly went to Kevin to welcome him home.