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10/26/2020

Episode One-hundred-fifty-four: Magical

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Episode One-hundred-fifty-four: Magical

We arrived at the cabin a couple of hours before sunrise. My siblings were already awake and getting ready. Vanessa was in her dress from the shoot while my sisters were still in robes. This way, we could get even more maternity shots for them. Jake was only in traditional tanned leather pants with no shirt or shoes. His hair was mostly down with several small braids and wooden hand-carved beads in it. His tattoos were on full display. He would have been intimidating if I didn’t know he was as soft as a teddy bear and had a gentle, kind heart.

“Come on in, baby. The chief said he’d be here before sunrise,” he mumbled. He was already smoking. My brother was also a bit of a pothead. He was only trying to get relaxed. I think our grandpa made him nervous and stressed. He was just so serious compared to him.

“These will be some amazing pictures,” I smiled as I walked past him.

“Coffee?” He offered with a smile, patting me on the shoulder as I came into the house.

“Mm, please,” I said with a yawn. “I need some caffeine. Ugh, I miss my bed. I didn’t get nearly enough sleep.”

My sisters were grinning. Rebecca stepped forward and held out her hands. “Bella, come to the bathroom with us. We’ll do your hair first, then we’ll get dressed. We’ll do our makeup last. It’s just easiest that way.”

I glanced back at my boyfriend. “Go on, dove. I’ll help with the drinks. I know how you like it.” Jasper put our camera bags down.

I followed the girls to where there was a chair waiting for me. It was something I had done a thousand times with Alice and Rose, but it was the first time I was getting ready with my sisters. It made my heart skip a beat. Smiling to myself, I sat slowly.

“Your friend is so fucking hot,” Rachel whispered in my ear, looking over her shoulder as she played with my hair. She peered back towards the kitchen. “Mm. He’s just… yummy. And polite. Charming. He could talk my panties right off if he wanted too.”

Giggling softly, I nodded in agreement.

“It’s the accent,” Vanessa added, watching from her bed. “It’s sexy. Eddie’s is, too.” She fanned herself playfully.

“It’s awesome,” I agreed with a snort. “I love them so much.” Them and their accents. “I think Jasper would be an amazing voice actor, too. He’s so funny. He doesn’t have the same range, but he’s got a great comic sense of timing.”

My boyfriend came into the room, bringing me my drink. It was the perfect shade, and I could tell by the smell I was going to like how it tasted. Leaning down, he kissed my cheek lightly. “Seriously, the genetics in this family are insane. You’re all stunning. Your girl is going to be gorgeous, too,” he complimented Vanessa. He paused. “Oh, your kids will look so much alike,” he mumbled as if he just realized it. He looked between my sister-in-law and me. “People will know they’re related, that’s for sure.”

“Oh, it’s been discussed,” Ness smirked at him, holding her belly. “You Blacks have a type. Redheads.”

“Yeah, I get it. Actually, I think they’re pretty hot, too,” he teased, winking at her in the mirror. She laughed, falling back on the bed to her side. “So, you Blacks might just have good taste.”

“Yup. Mine,” Jake said as he came into the room to bring his wife tea. He set it on the table before grabbing her ankle and pulling her toward him. She squealed and giggled as he hovered over her for a kiss.

“Ew… don’t,” the girls spoke at the same time, grimacing. “You look like you’re about to do some weird-ass roleplay,” Rebecca concluded.

Our brother deflated instantly, collapsing behind his partner face-first into the mattress. He groaned loudly. “I can kiss my wife in my house.”

“No,” Rachel snarked, shaking her head as she did.

“Just go. It’s too early for you all to get started.” Vanessa pushed his arm roughly. “Go play outside or something.”

“Excuse me?” He turned his head to the side. “Play?”

She didn’t even really look at him, rolling her eyes. “Yeah.” She flexed her fingers towards the door. “Go outside for a smoke or play in the shed. Go show Jasper around. Whatever you do to entertain yourself.”

“You could have worded that differently,” he complained as he pushed himself off the bed.

“If you’re going to act like kids, I will treat you as such.”

Frowning, he shook his head at her before glancing at my boyfriend. “Care for a smoke while I show you around? I’m going to need it. It’s too early for this shit. I don’t know why you’re all so mean to me when you’re together.”

“Because it’s hilarious,” Rebecca snorted, her head falling back. “Okay. We better hurry before Grandpa gets here. Go away.”

The makeup we were wearing was actually traditionally made from natural products. The pattern we were using was our family’s personal design, passed down for generations. They whited out my face. A two-finger wide yellow bar moved over my eyes with another one over my lips in red. Thin black stripes lined both with tiny dots on my cheeks. They braided my hair with feathers, ribbons, and beads. Everything had meaning. It almost felt like getting ready for church.

Jasper started taking pictures of us once we were all finally dressed. We switched places, so I could get my sisters doing theirs and our brother’s face. It was beautiful to see them work, each action delicate and precise. Doing this felt so natural to me. We were preparing for a performance we were born to be actors in.

When there was a knock on the door, Jake ran to get it. Our grandfather was in full dress, his face matching ours. He had a headdress in his arms. We all stood as he came in, almost automatically. He was so regal that it brought us to our feet. This was a great leader, not just our gramps.

My boyfriend never stopped filming. I was glad he got his reaction. He was still for a long moment, gazing at us before a grin spread over his face. “My beautiful family. Thank you for doing this for me.”

“Of course,” I smiled.

Jake stood beside me. “Yeah, we’re all thrilled to be doing this. Would you like some coffee before we go?”

“Yes, please,” he mumbled but continued to smile a little.

We went to the beach just before sunrise. The fog was floating over the smooth black stones and murky water as it lapped at the shore. White foam formed with every pass, then washed away when it came back again. The wildlife in the surrounding forest sang as they woke up.

Jasper was an amazing photographer. He had taken classes, though. We took pictures as a family, just my sisters and me, and with each of them separately. I snapped photos of my siblings with my grandfather and him alone. The final set was only my grandpa and me. The sun was fully over the horizon, the sky fire-red behind us. The den fog still lingered but thinned.

“I feel like I should apologize to you,” he began softly. We were standing a good distance away from everyone. I looked at him in confusion. “I didn’t do all I could to help your father find you, and that was a mistake. I see that now. I’m-” he paused and swallowed. “I was just so angry he got her pregnant. He was the first to go to college. I had such-” he stopped again. “Billy would be so proud of you. He was. He always told everyone that he had four children. Your dad never hid it or was ashamed. I want you to know he loved you, and so do I.” He put both of his hands on my shoulders and lightly kissed my forehead. “And your grandmother isn’t here, but she does too. I promise.”

I let out a broken breath. “Please don’t apologize for that. There have been so many mistakes made by so many people. We can’t pick that apart. It’ll hurt everyone for no reason. I love you, too. Thank you for welcoming me into your life. I realize I’m white and-”

“No,” he interrupted. “You’re not. You’re Quileute. Just like Jake and the girls. Just like that baby will be. This is still who you are, and that won’t change.”

“I want to be a part of this family,” I declared. “I need to be a force of good for it.”

“You are.” He hugged me tightly to his chest. Tenderly, his hand moved over my cheek. “You are my granddaughter, and I am honored to be your grandfather.”

At one o’clock, we were on a flight out of Port Angeles. I brought my grandmother’s clothes with me in my carry on. My hair was still styled as it was in the morning, but my skin was clean. I wrapped my arm around Jasper’s, staring out the window. I was right. The weekend was an adventure, but it kind of kicked my ass.

“Are you okay?” He whispered in my ear. I nodded slowly. “You looked incredible with your relatives. That was… God, something. I’ve felt nothing like that before. It was kind of spiritual.”

I pushed my face into his shoulder, sucking in a deep breath. “Thank you for taking such wonderful pictures. I can’t wait to edit them. I’m going to be doing it all week. But tomorrow, I want to sleep until at least noon, though.” Closing my eyes, I took another. There was almost a weight on my chest.

He nodded, gazing ahead. “Sounds good to me. We don’t have anything to do.” He wove his fingers with mine. Jasper was silent for a beat, lowering his voice. “Thank you for sharing this entire weekend with me. I feel like I was a part of something magical.”

“It kinda was,” I agreed softly. “For so many reasons.” I mouthed that I loved him. He grinned, squeezing my hand in response.

When we came out of the airport, people called my name. It was a little jarring. I wasn’t expecting it. There were several paparazzi with big cameras standing close by. Both of our hands were full with luggage. We were waiting for a taxi, so it wasn’t like we were doing anything interesting.

“Hey, Bella! Where’s Eddie?” One of them yelled loudly. It echoed in the enclosed space.

“Working.”

“Where did you go?” Another asked, still taking our pictures.

I smiled slightly. “To see my family in Washington.”

“Are you excited about the premiere?” The same one pushed.

“Of course,” I giggled. “I can’t wait to watch the movie. I’m sure it’ll be phenomenal.”

As soon as the car came to a stop, Jasper rushed to get our things into the trunk and me inside the back as if he was my personal bodyguard. He was obviously uncomfortable, ignoring any questions thrown at him. They wanted to know who he was, mainly. When we were moving, I put my head on his shoulder, and we returned to holding hands like on the plane.

His mouth moved before he spoke, considering his words. “You’re so good with them. I just want to shout to leave us alone.”

“I know, sweetie. You’ll get better at it.”

He snorted softly. “I won’t need to. I won’t be a celebrity. You and he will be, and that’s fine with me.”

We said nothing else for the rest of the ride home. We were both so tired already.

Edward’s car was in the driveway when we got there. It was a little unusual to see. It was in the garage normally. We were expecting him to still be at work, too. As soon as we parked, he came out of the front door with a big smile. His hands were behind his back.

“Oh, no. He did something stupid,” Jasper mumbled, glancing over at me. “Look at that shit-eating grin. He’s already so pleased with himself. Brace yourself, dove.”

He rushed to help us get our luggage, giving me a quick kiss first. “Oh, I see we came back with way more than we left with,” he chuckled as he pulled out a new duffle bag.

“Uh, you have no idea. I’ve got you some gifts,” I replied, grabbing my things. I double-checked the car before allowing it to leave. My grandmother’s clothes and my camera were in my arms.

Edward paused at the front door, not letting us inside. His grin returned. “Um, so… I got you both something too,” he drew out each word innocently. It was his worst acting to date.

“I told you,” Jasper sassed as he peeked at me. I swatted his stomach. “What did you do?”

Laughing awkwardly, he looked down at his feet. “You’ll see.”

“You don’t have to-” I began, but he stopped me with a kiss.

“You got me things. Right?” I rolled my eyes and shrugged before finally nodding. He beamed and pecked my lips again. “Okay, but here’s the thing… They’re actually kind of for the channel. It’s practical. But they’re kind of big.”

“They?” I questioned.

“Well, I got you each something. You’ll see,” he babbled. “You won’t miss yours. It’s first.”

He opened the door, bringing my baggage inside. I walked in slowly, looking around to see if I could find what was different. Within a second, a black grand piano in the corner of the living room came into view. I gasped loudly, dropping my backpack to the ground with a gentle thud. I looked at Edward, then Jasper, my jaw hanging open.

“It’s for the channel?” I laughed brokenly.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he nervously started as he strode towards it. “See… it’s electric. It’s got Wi-Fi, and it can record.” He pointed at different parts of the instrument. “You can make more music for the channel whenever you want. And I know you don’t have anything like this.”

Slowly, I walked to it. It was, by far, the nicest I had ever seen. And it was for me. I ran my fingers over the keys. My lip quivered as my heart hammered in my chest.

Everyone was still and silent, waiting for me to react.

“Is it not good? Do you not like it?” He questioned after a painful minute.

“I love it,” I cried. Everything came falling down on me at once, the full weight pressing on me. Both of them rushed towards me automatically and wrapped their arms around me. My hands went to my face as I shook my head. “I’m sorry. It’s been an emotional weekend,” I explained. “And I am so tired and-”

“I figured it would be, that’s part of the reason I wanted to get you something nice,” Edward cooed before kissing my forehead. Though we had talked some, I didn’t want to stress him out with everything I was going through while he was at work. Most of our messages were wishes of sweet dreams or pictures of pleasant things we were doing if we had the time.

“I’ll fill you in later. It’s a lot,” Jasper mumbled to him, rubbing my back.

“So much nice stuff has happened,” I breathed, leaning into both of them. “But it’s so much, Edward!”

“But, but, but… It’s for the channel!” He said in a playful voice. He pushed his bottom lip out. “It’s a tax write-off- a business expense. You produce all the music now, so you need the best equipment.”

I shook my head. “Our accountants must hate you.”

He snorted. “Are you kidding? I make them so much money. Do you like it?” I nodded. He smiled a little, kissing my lips. “Will you play for us later?” I nodded once again. “When you’re ready. No rush. Once you get some rest.”

“Thank you.” I kissed him gently.

“You’re welcome,” he sighed in relief. He licked his bottom lip before glancing at Jasper. “Are you ready for yours?”

“No,” he scoffed

“Okay… look…” He cleared his throat. He was having trouble preparing himself for whatever was about to happen. Edward was trying to be confident. “It’s big, but it’s honestly for the channel, just like hers, and I think we need it.” He dragged him towards the garage.

“Oh, no. What…?” He stuttered. “What did you do? No. What’s in there, Tony?”

When we got to the door, he flipped on the light. Inside was a brand-new SUV. My hands flew to my mouth. Edward pulled a set of keys from his pocket and handed it to Jasper. “Since Bella doesn’t want to drive.”

Our boyfriend shoved them back at him, turning in the opposite direction to flee.

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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!

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