empathy

FORTY-ONE

"Where's your bike?" Anastasia asks Jasper, who shrugs as a response. "Ther garage. Come on, I got a surprise for you," he brushes it off just as quickly and runs over to the truck, opening the back door for her. 

"Ana," Antonina yells happily, jumping out of the car and into her sister's arms. "Hey, darling, what are you doing here?" 

Darling? She really needs to stop hanging around Jasper that much. 

"Jazzy said we'd go to the petting zoo," Antonina grins up at her. "Did he now?" Anastasia looks up at him. "She's been nagging Rosalie and Emmett all day. But well, we're not good with animals, remember, darling?"

Humming a little she turns back to her little sister. "Let me just get ready. But how about you tell Jasper all about your dolls. I'm sure he'd love to hear about them," Anastasia proposes before making her way inside when Antonina nods. 

Grabbing a simple pair of black mom jeans, a cropped sweatshirt and a pair of flats, she quickly changes into them and throws her hair into a ponytail before freshening up her make-up a bit. 

Joining the two of them back downstairs, she grins at Jasper's slightly disturbed expression, though it soon falls into a smile when she hears Antonina's rant. 

"Did you pack lunch already?" Anastasia questions Jasper, who shakes his head. 

Leaving the two of them be for a moment longer, she goes to make some Sandwiches for her sister and herself.

"Okay, you guys ready to go?" she joins them once more. Antonina nods excitedly and the three of them leave. 

"How've you been?" Anastasia starts a conversation with Antonina, who manages to go about every little detail that has happened since the last time they saw each other. 

"Emmett's dancing with you?" she raises a brow, cutting her oft gently after a few minutes. "Every night. It puts me to sleep," Antonina nods with a bright smile. "It's almost as good as your stories."

Emmett dancing... Anastasia is picturing bigfoot in a ballet costume breaking everything. 

Antonina continues to ramble after that and Anastasia just listens with a smile. 

Jasper is busy driving, sending a glance over at Anastasia, who has turned enough in her seat to be sitting sideways, her knees facing him and her head leaning against the window as she watches her sister.

Smiling at her, his hand comes down on one of her knees and he gives it a gentle squeeze before just letting it rest there. Anastasia stares at it for a moment, the touch feeling warm and if she were in a hot area, she'd probably pushed it off by now. She wants to push it off.

No, scratch that. She wants herself to want to push it off. But she doesn't. In fact, it actually feels rather nice. Weird, unusual strange and foreign but still nice in a way she hasn't felt before. 

She doesn't like it. No again, scratch that. She does like it, she simply does not want to like it. 

Jasper notices her stare and the shift in her mood and goes to retrieve it. Maybe it was a bit far but then again, it felt too good to be wrong. It felt too right. 

Before he can pull back completely, Anastasia's hand shells out and the two of them share a look, hers awkward and his surprisingly gentle. Though she quickly focuses her attention back on Antonina while placing his hand back fully on her knee. 

Jasper continues to glance her way, his thumb rubbing small circles every now and then but not too often. This feels great, normal. 

And while he never deemed it possible, he swears that right this second, he is falling even deeper in love with her than possible. 

And while Anastasia never deemed it possible either, she is catching him and dragging him back up to the surface. Back to air, back to safe land, back to life. 

At that moment it feels like they are truly belonging; like they're at home. At that moment, she is finally starting to truly accept everything that is happening. Everything that has happened. 

At that moment, all three of them are as happy as can be.