Threading the Wrong Needle | Twilight [2]

onze

December 25th, 2006 Forks, WA

When you have the ability to live forever, you tend to overlook many of the special dates that come each year.

The Dupuis, as it were, did not celebrate holidays each year. It became tedious and repetitive, boring to go through the same human motions when they were not human. The years that they were close to humans were the times they mostly remembered festivities. When Thomas was first changed, they took care to celebrate until she no longer cared to leave old traditions behind.

Estelle only knew that Christmas had come by the murmuring of the other immortals who remembered and the well wishes that seemed to grow within the house.

Also, by the gift that was thrust toward her the moment that she went in search of her maman. Emmett appeared sheepish, uncertain in himself, as he held the carefully wrapped box.

"Merry Christmas," he says shyly, timid. "I've had this sitting around for years. I got it after we first met. I wanted it for the first chance that I would be able to give it to you."

The statement came with a warm feeling of pleasure. It was a giddy feeling of knowing he was telling the truth, that he was so determined to see her again, so certain, that he had gotten her something and held on to it for this long.

"You didn't need to get me anything," she says, taking the package that was offered.

She tore into it eagerly, curiosity getting the best of well-bred manners.

Her conversation with her mother from days before was fresh in her mind. A conversation that they've had many times over the years, ever since she had first met Emmett.

While it was rare to recognize who would be your perfect partner upon sight, it was meant to be something that was celebrated. They had simply done things the wrong way around. They might have begun everything all wrong, but the fact that they remained interested even after all these years and this distance showed that Estelle shouldn't be so harsh to judge. Emmett had gotten things wrong the last time, but so hard she. Estelle knew she was quick to bite back when it came to her mother.

She wasn't aware that he had been trying over the years, that they had been trying to find them, but she was as valid in the clear way she did not want to see them. Either, as they came as part of a deal. Estelle and Marion were much the same.

Talking with her maman had made it easier to swallow, had shown her that she no longer had to protect them from something that was not out to damage. If Estelle wanted to see what could happen, she had always been free to try. Seeing Emmett once more truly sent her for a loop, had rocked her foundation more than anything ever had before. Estelle had always thought herself strong and steady until now.

Within the packaging, she found a rather simple box, that just like the wrapping was older in nature with the colors fading. Going further to prove his statement of how long he'd been waiting to give her such a gift.

"Open it," he insists. "I searched nearly every shop in Louisiana until I found this one."

It was jewelry, that much was obvious, and jewelry was such a male gift to give. Estelle found herself eager even though she had a rather old and rich collection of golds, silvers, and other wonderful stones waiting for her at home.

She did not where any of it now and it was a gift. A gift from Emmett.

Inside was a soft velvet cloth carefully folded. She peeled it back slowly, gently so as not to disturb the placement of the thin chain that was revealed. It was gold, something that would shine brightly against the white pallor of their skin. It was a bracelet, one with lovely green garnets interspersed between the links. There were at least twenty evenly cut and balanced around the whole thing. It must have been incredibly expensive at the time that he bought it.