Elemental Love

Chapter 61

SAM'S POV

"She's amazing." I muttered as Nylah walked back over to us.

"I didn't even think it would work." Seth said.

"Kid, your dad would be proud of you." Mike said.

"He loved you both more than anything." Ryan said.

"That was really nice of her." Jenna said.

"Nylah really is the sweetest." Emily sniffled.

"Hey." the girl in question said.

"Thank you." Seth said, kissing her head.

"Nothing to thank me for. I know what she's feeling and I know that grief is hard to carry but easy to drown in." she said. "I know I'm not her favorite person but on a day like today, she shouldn't be or feel alone. Please don't make a big deal out of it, I don't want her to feel uncomfortable."

"Alright, sounds like a plan." Ryan said.

"Sam, guess what conversation we just had before you all came back." Emily said with a mischievous smile.

"Em . . ." Nylah sighed, sitting on my lap.

"Let me guess, the puppy thing again?" I smiled, poking my girlfriend's arm.

"Oh my God, so what if I want a puppy?" Nylah complained, her cheeks a deep red.

"You realize that you have a pack of overgrown and hairy dogs already, right?" Jenna asked.

"Yeah, I know but I want a puppy. They're cute and trainable." she said.

"Hey!" Seth, Mike, and I argued.

"Aww babe, you're cute." she said, making the girls laugh as she kissed my cheek.

"No, it actually was not about the puppy." Emily smiled. "Jenna knows a gallery manager that's looking for new artists."

"Emily . . ." Nylah sighed again.

My girlfriend people, the most selfless person I know and she really hates being the center of attention. She really doesn't like being in the limelight but she has so much talent. I think that it's time for her to hear, from someone who really knows their stuff, how talented she really is.

"That's great."

"Not you too." she said, turning to look at me.

"You're going to see him right?" Ryan happily asked his daughter.

"I mean, I guess, it all depends on Jenna and the manager." she said, already uncomfortable.

"Babe, you have so much talent and you waste it here on us only." I said, cupping her cheek.

"I don't waste anything."

"You've given us so much of your art because it comes from your heart. The world needs to see what we see all of the time." Emily said.

"You all realize that he might not like my stuff and say I'm an amateur at best, right? This could all be a bust." She happily said and it left all of us quiet.

"Yeah, that's not happening. You've got talent, Nylah." Jenna said.

"How do you know?" she asked and if the other's didn't hear it, I heard the fear in her voice.

"That manager friend of mine isn't just my friend, he's actually my boss and I help with talent acquisition." she replied with a smile. "You've got talent and I know that he's gonna like your work. If you don't mind, I'd like to take a few pictures of some of your artwork to send to him."

"Sure! You can go inside and take all the pictures you want." Emily said.

"Dad knows where my drawings are at home, take your pick." Nylah conceded.

"Thanks." Jenna smiled but I noticed her attention wasn't on Nylah anymore, it was on Leah. "Is she gonna be okay?"

I forget sometimes that not everyone who comes here knows what happened here.

"My sister is complicated, at times it's best to leave her alone." Seth said.

"I'm gonna go talk to her." Jenna said before walking off.

"Brave woman." Mike said.

"That she is." Seth agreed.

"Alright you three, leave them alone. Hopefully Leah will talk to her, maybe someone from outside will help her find peace." Nylah said.

We spent the rest of the afternoon joking around and eating Emily's snacks. Lately she's been baking up a storm. Her momma hen is starting to manifest even more now. It suits her, she glows and smiles so much more now. Her happiness reflects on my brother, it makes me happy to see them happy after everything they've been through.

Nylah helped Emily clean up after everyone left, she did most of the cleaning to get Emily off of her feet. We're spending the night because the girls want to. As much as she loves having a house just for them, Mike says that Emily misses all of the noise and the boys. Nylah likes to spoil her so that she doesn't feel alone. Ny says, in part, it's why she's made so many drawings for Emily.

"Okay, so tell me how you really feel." I said when it was just the two of us on the sofa.

"I . . . don't really know. I mean, I enjoy drawing and painting but I never envisioned showing my stuff." she said.

"You're hiding all of your talent but, if you really don't want to go then don't." I said, pulling her legs over my lap.

"What do you think I should do?" she asked.

"Not my choice to make."

"Sam . . ."

"I think you should go. Jenna already said that you've got talent, I doubt she would have mentioned it if she didn't think you were talented. Just see what he has to say." I told her.

"I don't like being . . ."

"The center of attention, I know."

"Know it all." she said, scrunching her nose.

"Not at all, I just know you." I smiled.

"I know. So, what does the life of alpha Sam Uley look like now that there is no vampire danger?" she asked, shifting the topic away from her.

"That's a good question. The Cullens will have to leave soon, thankfully, then we'll slow down patrols and hopefully we can stop phasing. Live as normal a life as I can with you." I told her.

"Sam, phasing is a part of you now. Will you be able to stop phasing?" she asked and it threw me off.

I haven't really thought about it. Being a shifter has given me a purpose over the past three years, it gave me a reason. This absolutely changed my life plans but I'm all the better for all the changes. Being a shifter gave me Nylah, gave Rachel to Paul, Emily to Mike, and now Mallory to Jake. Will I be able to leave it all behind?

"Hmm, seems I gave you something to really think of." she smiled.

"I'd like to give it up and grow old with you."

"I'd like that too but that doesn't mean you have to give it up any time soon. Babe, this is all a part of you and no one is asking you to give it up tomorrow. Surely all of the guys' responses will be different to this question but it's not an answer that you have to find right now. You take your time and when the time comes to let it go, you'll know." she said, placing her hand softly on my cheek.

"How do you know that?" I asked her.

"Because I know you and I trust your spirits, they'll let you know."

"I will never know what I did to deserve you, but the spirits were definitely shining on me." I said, pulling her onto my lap and laying my head on her shoulder.

"I love you too." she said, kissing my forehead.