Waiting for the Sun - 9 - Blueprint
[MASTER POST]
As soon as the sun rose above the mountains, Jasper hastened out onto the lake. He waited and waited there afloat in hopes that Aurelia would take a look out her window and see him there and come to meet him as she had before. All the events of the previous night kept agonizingly rewinding in his mind. In his distress, he had acted on his fear and pushed her away. Sure, he had protected her physically, but then he had turned around and lashed back when she had only treated him with kindness. It was unacceptable and he didn’t know how he could make amends. Meaningless hours passed but nothing stirred except the birds and the rustling trees.
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That morning I covered my puffy red eyes with concealer as best as I could and sat in the back seat of the car with the duty of holding the dessert - my parents and I traveled through the winding hillsides to the S’Klallam reservation. The local people were hosting a welcoming potluck luncheon for the doctors who were involved with establishing the clinic, which was due to be open by the New Year. At the long communal table we feasted upon salmon caught in the river just nearby. I ended up next to a girl several years younger than me, who was actually the granddaughter of the chief.
“You’re from California? I’ve always wanted to go…” Hannah gushed. “Do you miss it?”
“I do miss the sunshine sometimes.” I smiled wryly. “But I’m glad we moved. I can’t imagine now how it would have been if we’d stayed.”
Back home, a constant reminder of Abigail’s death might have torn our family apart. And from the passionate way my father was discussing the new clinic with the others, it seemed like he had rekindled his passion for medicine, as well as the real reason why he had begun in the first place - the joy of healing people.
From the sounds of the discussion, there were a few complications holding up the building completion. One calm voice of reason was missing from the cohort.
I turned to my mother. “Are Dr. Cullen and his family not coming?” The striking, pale, empathetic man was absent from the gathering; I only thought of him in the context of his adopted son. At the mention of that name, a few of the council members stiffened and glance my way with narrowed eyes. Even Hannah appeared a bit uncomfortable.
“Apparently he had important business he could not postpone.” said my mother.
“Speaking of Carlisle, he mentioned that one of his sons has an extensive background in architecture!” my father offered. “Maybe he can help us with the final logistics.”
“Which one of his sons?” the grey-haired chief named Saul asked tersely.
“The blonde one - I forget his name…”
“Oh, Jasper? I did not know that about him.”
I stopped chewing for a moment. How was the native leadership already so acquainted with the Cullens?
“We can ask him to come take a look at the blueprints and the roofing.”
The same men across the table gave their chief wary stares before returning to their conversations.
Saul gave a vague nod. “I’ll get back to you about that.”
There was definitely a story untold beneath their cautious demeanor. In the midst of the animated chatter Saul rose and was soon followed out by another elder. I excused myself to use the restroom and with a pounding heart, concealed behind a stack of chairs around the quiet corner from where the two men urgently debated.
“-They have never meant us harm, Mahlon. Carlisle is working on our behalf for the clinic.”
“No, I don’t doubt their intentions. But why can we not just hire a different consultant?”
“You know we’ve already gone over budget, even as careful as we planned. We cannot take ask for any more of the tribe’s savings. Our people have been desperately waiting for this clinic. If there were to be an accident in the future, our investment would be for nothing. Right now it would be foolish and arrogant to refuse help, even from a cold one.”
I frowned - what was a ‘cold one’?
The one named Mahlon ruffled in anxious frustration. “But - but the treaty! We cannot break it now, not after ninety years! For one of them to cross our borders…!”
“I understand how much of a risk it is.”
“Just because the Quileutes have accepted them--”
“I trust Billy Black’s judgment to the fullest. And since Jacob Black has imprinted on the halfling daughter, there is no way that the Cullens would threaten that bond.”
“Surely you know that the lion one has left his coven?”
“Of course I heard.” Saul paused somberly. “Still, that doesn’t mean he’s abandoned their ways. He too has been living peaceably.”
Mahlon sighed, resigned. “I don’t like it, Saul. The others feel uneasy too. Don’t you know that Jasper is the most unstable of them all?”
“Yes, but we can have the pack escort him while he’s here…”
With bated breath I crouched lower and tried to decipher all the cryptic words - cold ones, coven, imprinting, halfling, pack - which alluded to a dangerous world, one that Jasper, Carlisle, and I bet that even the fiery-eyed man from the night before were entwined in. There was perhaps a good reason why Jasper had wanted me to stay away.
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... There was no escape. A pair of murderous red eyes and razor teeth lunged at my neck -- I bolted up in bed in a cold sweat; sheets snarled around my legs like prisoner’s rope. My heart raced as if I’d just been running for my life and the sudden halting return to reality sent the room spinning. I scolded myself to slow down my shallow breathing. It was just a nightmare.
As my mind cleared, I smelled a savory scent that wafted from downstairs. I put on my slippers and curiously shuffled downstairs where my mother was preparing a full spread of bacon, eggs, toast, and fruit. I stood there, astonished.
“What’s the occasion…?”
“Your father is having a guest over this morning.”
As if on cue, there was a polite knock at the front door, and I was told to go answer it. I turned the latch and swung open the door, only to see that handsome, genteel man standing at my doorstep. A startled gasp barely escaped my throat.
Jasper gave a timid nod, not knowing how to start. “Good m--”
In a panic, I unthinkingly slammed the door in Jasper’s face. What in the world was he doing at my house? And at the worst possible time in my pajamas and messy state… Mid-way during my flying retreat upstairs, my mother called, “Aurelia, who was that?”
“J-just a salesman!” I oddly cried before bolting myself in my room. I heard another soft knock, followed by my father’s voice of greeting…
I paced the floor and killed time in the shower, considering perhaps staying put until Jasper left. My stomach growled in protest. If Jasper was here to work on hospital business, then he had probably gone with my father to the study by now. So I tiptoed as stealthily as I could to the kitchen where I could grab an apple--
“-Aurelia, you know you can’t take food upstairs.” my mother appeared like at rap. “Come, sit down and eat properly.”
So with dread I dragged my feet to the dining room where Jasper and my father were lightly conversing. With my mother’s place already taken, the only seat left was the one facing Jasper. Wishing I had at least dried my hair, I sat down on eggshells and kept my eyes on my food at all times. I could tell from Jasper’s limited movements, however, that he wasn’t even picking up his fork.
My entire body was hyper-alert and finally I couldn’t help but steal a glance up at the compelling presence across from me. As if magnetically pulled, Jasper’s golden eyes immediately shifted to meet mine. To my astonishment, they didn’t contain judgment or wariness, but a subtle, respectful curiosity. Unaware of this exchange, my father continued his enthusiastic monologue about not medicine, but baseball. I wondered whether he had always wanted a son, and was grateful that Jasper seemed more than willing to listen as one.
Then, the topic of conversation was brought along to me. I cringed.
“Speaking of colleges, Aurelia is about ready to turn in her applications within the next few weeks!”
“How exciting!”
“Aurelia, tell him which schools you’re applying to.”
I swallowed my food with difficulty answered, “UCLA is my top choice.”
“That’s an awesome school; I’m sure they’d be glad to have you.”
Jasper’s sincerity caught me off guard, and I checked if his expression mirrored his words. It was just as kind. I was beginning to understand that there was a lot I didn’t understand, and that wasn’t his fault. A phone call suddenly pulled my father away from the table for a moment, and I stared down into my lap.
Taking a chance on this moment alone Jasper began urgently, “I’m really sorry for not warning you, Aurelia. This must be uncomfortable, me intruding like this.”
“Please don’t apologize.” I shook my head. “My parents are really enjoying having you over. It’s nice to see.”
“And about the other night, I was incredibly harsh--”
He hastily froze even before I heard my mother’s footsteps from behind. She brought from the kitchen a platter of fresh, fragrant blueberry pancakes that she had prepared from scratch.
“Jasper, these are my specialty, although I admit I haven’t made them in years.” She passed one onto his plate, even though it was clear that Jasper’s uneaten food had grown cold.
He guiltily declined. “Mrs. Fairfax, I’m quite alright, thank you.”
“Just one won’t hurt--”
I decided to step in and, promptly piercing the pancake with my fork, moved it to my dish. “-Jasper was actually just telling me that he’s - err - gluten-intolerant.”
Straight-faced, Jasper followed my cue and bobbed his head.
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Instead of the expected disappointment, my mother graciously said, “Oh, that’s too bad! No wonder you haven’t been eating much. You should have told us beforehand.”
“I’m sorry you went through all this trouble for me. They do look absolutely delicious; I really wish I could.” A wry, glimmering glance my way was his small 'thank you.'
Just then, my father thankfully returned to save him from making further explanations. “Good news, Jasper - the tribal council says they’ll be ready to take you around the building tomorrow. Are you sure that’s enough time for you to evaluate everything?”
“Yes, that should be fine.”
“Carlisle did say you were smart.” my father chuckled. “Well, we’d better get started now. The blueprints are in my office.”
Jasper gracefully rose, thanked my mother again for her hospitality, and gave me a brief but friendly nod before he followed my father down the hallway.
My mother now turned her attention to me by putting a palm to my forehead. “Sweetie, you’re starting to run a temperature. Are you sure you want to go on the field trip tomorrow?” She didn’t think that maybe my face was flushed pink for a different reason.
Jasper perused the small bureau filled with medical journals and old examination tools while Dr. Fairfax gathered the proper documents. The young man’s attention was drawn towards the small picture frames lining the central desk. Inside, they held grainy photographs of happier memories. He noted a bubbly Aurelia in a dance costume, perhaps an inch or two taller than when he’d first encountered her. Beside her stood an older girl with striking features almost too full of awareness for a child, who had her small arm protectively wrapped around Aurelia’s shoulders.
Dr. Fairfax noticed him studying the picture.
“You have siblings, don’t you, Jasper? I don’t believe I’ve met them.”
A small pang hit him in the gut. Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, and Bella… They couldn’t manipulate their feelings, and so Jasper was acutely aware of their wary resignation towards him. Even Carlisle and Esme had taken a step back. Despite all their insistence and meaningful words, they had all rallied around Alice without question. Now that his last official tie had been cut, what exactly did they consider him now? What did he consider them to be?
He forced a smile and hoped it looked genuine. “They’re all mostly abroad nowadays.”
But then here in this house, he saw a piece of what might be called a home. Mr. and Mrs. Fairfax had immediately warmed up to him with no special effort of his own. He felt welcomed and pampered like a son for the first time since he could remember. And Aurelia… he couldn’t read her heart, but he was sure that somehow, she was catching onto him.