Light streamed in through the window of my room, making everything buttery golden with sunshine. Jacob was still holding me in his sleep. His mouth was slightly opened as he slept, his black hair tousled on the pillow. It was a peaceful, childlike expression.
This was the face of my fiancee.
I loved the sound of that. Fiancee. I had a fiancee. I was getting married. Jacob was mine.
I heard no movement in my parent's room. This either meant that they hadn't come into the cottage at all last night...or they had watched Jacob and I sleep, our arms around each other. I blushed a little. Not that there was anything to be ashamed of.
"Wake up, you," I said, nudging Jacob's shoulder. His eyes fluttered and met mine. He smiled. "Good morning, fiancee." He kissed me, then yawned and groaned. "Can't I sleep for a few more minutes?" he begged. I wanted to let him--he looked so tired--but there were other things to do today. "No," I said. "You have to ask Dad's permission for my hand today, remember?" I knew what Dad would say--an uneqivocal yes--but I just couldn't resist teasing him. Jacob fake-gulped. "Okay," he said, stretching and then standing up. The cottage roof was too low for him; he had to duck until he got outside. I would have to get Grandma to make extra-high ceilings for our house...
We walked hand in hand in the woods to the house. There were still details to be sorted out about the wedding...everything, mostly. I couldn't wait to break the news to my family.
We saw Mom and Dad in the front yard, about to go hunting. We caught them just as they were about to jump over the creek.
"Can I talk to you two for a minute?" Jacob asked.
"Please do, Jacob," Dad replied, staring at me curiously. I just grinned back. My face felt like it was glowing.
"I proposed to Nessie last night," Jacob said. "She said yes, and I came to ask for your blessing."
For a second, neither one said anything. Then Dad grinned an exquisetly happy smile. He gave Jacob a hug, looking like a dwarf next to a giant, and said, "Welcome to the family, Jacob. You have my blessing. Mom hugged me, looking as if she was going to cry. "Congratulations, sweetie," she said. "Jacob and you were meant to be. But you're so young..." I rolled my eyes. "I'm not aging," I reminded her. "Plus that was your worry, not mine," I teased her. She grinned back. "I know," she said. Dad hugged me next. "Don't let your age stop you from getting married," he told me, shooting glances at mom. "Don't be like your mother." Mom pinched him playfully. "It's how I was raised!" she exclaimed. "You were the one who wanted to get married practically the minute you fell in love with me. I'll race you to Seattle!" I blinked and she was gone, a bullet from a gun. Dad rolled his eyes at us and ran after her, laughing.
Children.
"Do you want Alice to do the wedding?" Jacob asked.
"Definetly." After all, what could I say? Aunt Alice would never forgive me if I said no anyway. But she did a good job, and I was willing to let her help.
We tracked down Aunt Alice and told her our plans. She squealed and clapped her hands, first hugging me, then Jacob, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Hands off!" I complained. She laughed her bell-like laugh. "I get to do two weddings in a decade!" she exclaimed. She got right to planning with Grandma. Getting Aunt Alice to plan was the most we needed from actual people today. We went back to the cottage and laid on my bed, facing each other, hammering out the details of our life together.
"Where are we going to live?" was the first thing on our minds. I couldn't think of anywhere else I wanted to be besides in the Forks and La Push area. I couldn't leave my family.
Jacob left the choice up to me. "Definetly Forks," I told him, hoping that's what he wanted. He sighed in relief. "Good. Because I don't think I can live anywhere else," he said.
"We'll have to get Grandma to make us a house." I told him
"Yeah. With extra-high ceilings and huge beds," he teased.
I laughed. "Right."
"Do you want kids?" he asked.
"Jake," I protested, shoving him a little.
He frowned. "What? You don't want kids?"
"Of course I do. There's just more important things to think about before we talk about kids. I want to marry you as soon as possible. I want Aunt Alice to finish planning today, then I want Grandpa to print up a certificate and marry us today, and then I want to live here as a married couple until Grandma can build us a house." He stared at me with wonder. "I didn't want to seem too eager, but I feel the same. I can't wait to marry you and you're right about the wedding plans. They come first. Next will be children. Agreed."
I grinned at him. "Agreed."