Port Angeles Airport was much smaller than the LaGuardia one. Being here brought back so many memories from three years ago and I was glad that this time I was here for a good reason. I was here to come back home. I looked around for the baggage claim sign, but couldn’t see it over the towering people in front of me. At times like these I really detested my short height. I decided to just follow the crowd and sure enough I was at baggage claim. Getting my bags off the spinning thing was a whole ordeal I don’t even want to describe. Let’s just say I nearly got stuck on the revolver. Once all my things were together, I pulled my bag over my shoulder, my purse on my arm, and the two suitcases in each hand, dragging behind me. I walked over to the gate and stood on my tippy toes, trying to make out a familiar face.
A large smile appeared on my face, almost bearing all my teeth when my eyes came across a small group of tall guys waving their hands towards me, a smile on each of their faces. They were still pretty far, so I couldn’t make out who was who, but as I got closer, I could already see the familiar faces of Sam, Embry, and Quil.
“LUCY!” I heard their bellows as they rushed to meet me halfway.
I let go of my suitcases and threw off my bag, running at them and pouncing into their arms. Sam was the only one out of the three that looked the same. He was still the big, dark and burly. As for the other two—they were a different story. When I left them, they were just some tall lanky kids. But now, as I looked up at them, I realized just how much has changed. Each of them stood to a broad six feet, almost reaching up to be even with Sam. They certainly weren’t the little boys I had left them- they were men now.
After our greetings, we all headed out to the parking lot, they effortlessly towed my suitcases for me.
“Where’s Jacob?” I questioned Embry, squinting my eyes ahead towards the lot, hoping he wanted to surprise me by the car or something.
“Oh, he had to drive Billy to his doctor’s appointment.” Sam told me, “But he’ll be at our place when we get there.” He reassured.
I had to admit I was really bummed that Jacob couldn’t make it here, but I immediately perked up at the fact that I’d be seeing him in thirty minutes. I waited three years. I can do thirty minutes.
The ride was short since we spent the whole time talking about all the things I’ve been doing in New York and how LaPush had changed. I already knew more than half the things they said all thanks to Jacob. The last ten minutes of the ride, I was too busy looking out the window to engage in any conversation with the boys. I took in all the familiar scenery of Forks and LaPush. We finally made it down the old dirt road leading up to the reservation. I could feel the adrenaline pump through my veins and my heart pound. I looked at my little wooden cottage that I had lived in all my life. I remembered the little red door, the big flower pots on the porch, and the swing Sam had built for Emily.
And at last, I saw her- sitting at the bottom stair, a big smile across her face as she quickly stood up. As soon as Sam had parked his little Chevy, I was out the door and running down the little path towards her.
“EM!” I shouted, wrapping my arms around her as tightly as I could manage.
“Lucy!” She screamed back, entwining her arms around me as well.
I took in her usual jasmine scent and closed my eyes. I never realized how much I really missed her until this moment. We both pulled away at the same time and I was able to take a good look at her. She was much taller than me, about 5’8” so I had to look up. But when I did, I could easily make out the scar across the right side of her face that led all the way down to her arm, fading at her hand. Jake had told me about this a few months after I left. She had fallen on some broken glass while cleaning the attic. Even with the scar, she was still my beautiful cousin, Emily.
“Look at you!” She exclaimed shaking my arms and giving me a once over. “You look so beautiful!
“Oh my God, Shut up. You look better!” I jumped, still holding her hands.
I could hear the boys’ chuckles from behind as they listened to mine and Emily’s exchange.
“Yo, Em I can’t find the---“My head immediately whiplashed to the familiar deep voice. I’d only heard it a couple times over the past three years, but I knew that voice anywhere.
_____
JAKE (an hour earlier)
I held my foot down onto the gas, pushing my old truck to go as fast as it can down the dirt paths of LaPush. I looked at the clock on the dash to find it six o’clock. Good, I still had a good half an hour before Lucy arrived. I still couldn’t believe that I wasn’t able to be there to greet her at the airport. Billy had already apologized about ten times on the way there and three times on the way back. But I didn’t really blame him. All I was focused on right now was getting to Emily’s.
“Son, calm down. Lucy’s not going anywhere.” I heard my father laugh beside me. “She’s not even here yet!”
“I know. I’m just… excited. And nervous.” I looked at him before returning my gaze back at the road.
“Nothing to be nervous about, son. It’s Lucy.” He patted my shoulder.
I smiled. Yeah. Everything was going to be great once she’s here.
“Alright, well our house is on the way, drop me off will you?” He asked, his eyes looking straight ahead.
I looked at him confused. “You’re not coming to see Lucy?”
He turned to me this time, his eyes nearly twinkling. “I think I’m gonna let you have her for a bit before dinner time when everyone will be wanting to be with her.”
I smiled at my dad and nodded, “If you say so.”
He chuckled and turned the volume of the radio up.
After I dropped Billy home and helped him into the house, I ran outside, jumping the porch steps and headed down the rocky dirt path. I had promised to be there a little early to help Emily out with setting everything up. Seth and Jared were supposed to be out getting the “Welcome Home” banner while the other guys were getting Luce. I hurried through the screen door, already smelling the pot roast from the kitchen. Poor Emily had been slaving over the stove since eleven in the morning. I walked into the small kitchen to find every inch of counter space taken up by random bowls and ingredients. Emily had her back facing me as she stirred something.
“Hey Em.” I greeted, leaning against the counter beside her.
“Oh!” She jumped slightly. I guess she didn’t hear the door slam behind me. “Jake! Thank God you’re here.” She wiped her sleeve across her forehead.
I could tell she was really stressed. Her hair was up in a high pony tail and her apron was on lopsided. Her cheeks were smattered with flour, along with her black t-shirt- there was even some in her ponytail, which I really can’t imagine how that could happen.
“You alright there?” I chuckled, running my fingers through her black hair, pulling the powder out.
She looked up, bemused. “Do I look okay?” She turned back to the skillet where she was frying some vegetables up.
I leaned off the counter and placed my arm around her shoulders. “What can I do to help?”
“Well you can start off with taking those plates and setting them around the table.” She pointed to the glass cabinet where they kept their stuff. “Oh and can you cut up some lemons so I could put the slices on top of the roast?”
“I’m on it.” I got straight to work, every few minutes, my eyes wandering off to the clock. Twenty more minutes. I could feel my adrenaline rushing faster and faster through my veins as the minutes passed by.
When the phone rang, breaking the silence, Emily was quick to answer it.
“Hello?... What?... No! Seth! I told you exactly what it should read.” Emily exasperatedly spoke as she stirred. “No, seth! It cannot say Congratulations!” This time she turned to me, her face clearly annoyed by my airheaded friend. Oh Seth…
“Yes. Yes….” She rolled her eyes. “Seth, shut up, get the banner and come back.” She hung up the phone and set it down next to the sink. “That kid’s an idiot.” She told me, her face completely still.
“He’s your cousin.” I laughed.
She sighed, “I’m pretty sure he’s not going to come back with that banner I asked.”
I shrugged. “Well Jared’s with him, so I don’t think you should worry too much.” I set down the last plate and started on the utensils.
“Yeah, we’ll see.” She muttered. “Okay, just let this simmer for a while. I’m going to sweep the front porch.” She lowered the heat on the skillet and quickly rushed out.
“Stop over working yourself!” I called after her.
She ignored me as usual.
About ten minutes later, I began on the lemons. The only problem was I couldn’t seem to find them. Not on the counter. Not near the stove. Not in the fridge. Where the hell did Emily put them? Deciding against wasting my time on looking all over, I headed out to ask her.
“Yo Em, I can’t find the---“ I felt my words catch in my throat as soon as I stepped foot onto the porch.
I didn’t expect to see Lucy standing right in front of the house. I didn’t expect her to be here yet. And I sure as hell didn’t expect the electrical pulse that flooded through me as soon as our eyes made contact when her head quickly snapped in my direction. Everything else faded in the background- it was just her and me. She was the only important thing. It was the strangest feeling. So intense that it almost made my heart ache. I could feel an adrenaline rush ten times stronger than I have ever had before. All I saw in front of me was her. Her now wide beautiful brown eyes staring right at me, and that gorgeous smile of hers, widening more and more by the second. I knew that very moment that it wasn’t the gravity that was holding me down onto these wooden floors anymore. It was her. From that moment on, I knew I would do anything, be anything just for her. Whatever she needed- I was going to give her because she was the reason I was here.She was the reason why I was ever created. She was all I ever needed.
“Jake!” The sound of her voice broke me out of my stupor. I quickly realized that I had stepped into some sort of intense daydream. I had no idea how long I had stood there, staring at her. It felt like hours, but I guess it was just seconds. I shook my head and looked back at her, wanting more than anything to wrap my arms around that small body of hers and keep her there forever. I couldn’t explain this sudden rush of emotion I had towards Lucy. I mean, I’ve always loved her more than anyone in the world. But now this was completely different. Lucy wasn’t just by best friend anymore. She was so much more than that.
Now that I wasn’t staring so blankly, I was able to take in how much she had changed in the last years. Her hair flowed down to her mid back, in soft perfect waves- much longer than when I last saw her. Her body was different as well—she looked more feminine and fragile than before. And when she smiled at me, I could no longer see the metal bars across her mouth, but instead a perfect row of teeth. The girl in front of me simply took my breath away.