The love between them lifted my spirits and reminded me of my own first dance with Teren. Extending a hand out to him, I tilted my head to the dance floor, starting to fill with people. "Dance with your wife?"
Teren grinned and grabbed my hand. "Gladly."
Pulling me to the middle of the floor, close to my sister, he laced an arm around my waist, holding my other tight to his chest. We were quickly joined by all the other couples that populated our lives - Jack and Alanna, Gabriel and Halina, Starla and Jacen, Hot Ben and Tracey. Even my mom and Imogen laughingly started twirling around the floor together.
Staring into the depths of my husband's amazingly pale eyes, it took mere seconds for our children to cut in. Giggling, the adorably dressed up pair wedged right in between us. Teren and I backed up a step, letting the youngsters hold our waists while we continued to hold each other. As a foursome, we continued dancing the night away.
When the bulk of the partygoers started leaving, Ben and Tracey approached us. I clenched my jaw, knowing that we probably wouldn't see them before the move. Well, I was sure Ben would see us off, but Tracey... We had all agreed that tonight was the best opportunity to give her a clean slate.
Placing a hand on my shoulder, Halina gave me a quick glance before stepping towards the perky blonde. I put a hand up to stop her. "Wait...can I have...just a minute," I whispered to her. Halina paused, then nodded briefly. Twisting away from me, she stepped into Gabriel's embrace, slow dancing with him even though the song playing was a fast one. Lost in their own world, the couple ignored everyone else at the party.
Glad that Halina was giving me a chance for a final goodbye, I stepped up to where Ben was shaking Teren's hand. Ben looked over at me and nodded his head. "We're gonna head out, Emma. Tracey's beat." Holding his wife's shoulders, he pulled her into his side.
Tracey smiled then yawned; she did look exhausted. Reaching out for me, she pulled me into a loose hug. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"
Tears in my eyes, knowing she wouldn't remember me tomorrow, I hugged her back fiercely. "I love you, Tracey. I hope somehow you always know that."
Feeling my seriousness, the emotion in my voice, she pulled back. "Hey, you okay?" I felt Teren put a supportive hand on my back, but I couldn't stop the tears now streaming down my cheeks. "Yeah, I'm great...I just..." I swallowed, knowing none of this made any sense to her, but I had to say it anyway. "You have helped me so many times without ever realizing that you were doing it, and I want to thank you for that. For being my friend...through everything."
She nodded, her eyes misting. "Hey...are you pregnant or something?"
Teren and Ben both chuckled and I eventually did too. Laughing, I hugged her fiercely again. "No, I'm just going to miss you, is all."
Now tears dropped from Tracey's eyes and she sniffed as she pulled back. "Stop that. Utah isn't so far, and Ben and I are going to visit." She rubbed her stomach. "We have to get the kids together for play dates."
I nodded, knowing that would never happen. I looked back to Halina and Gabriel dancing. "I'm ready, thank you." Halina stopped dancing and looked back at me. She gave me a sad smile, then nodded.
As she began walking towards us, Teren asked me in a barely audible level, "Are you sure you want to do this now? There really is no harm if she remembers you for a few more years."
I looked up at him, searching his light eyes. He shrugged and looked at Halina as she joined our foursome. Ignoring Tracey and Ben for a second, I quietly reaffirmed with her. "Can she remember me for awhile? At least, until my looks start to become...an issue?"
I was, after all, physically unchanging. That was the entire reason the Adams cleansed places when they left, so their never-ending youth wouldn't start people asking the wrong questions. But I still looked the age I technically was. Surely I could pull that off for awhile?
Halina frowned as she looked behind me at Tracey. Hot Ben was taking a moment to distract his wife while we conversed, asking her what baby names she was leaning towards. Loving the idea that I could maybe meet her baby, I placed my hand on Halina's arm. She sighed. Halina didn't like loose ends and she was already conceding with Ben and Ashley. There was already a plan in place for Christian too, one that involved hazing our physical appearance from him after each visit, starting in a few years, when we would need to start hiding our looks. I knew Halina would have preferred the simplicity of just wiping him completely, but he was sort of family now. Tracey...was not.
As Gabriel came up and smiled down on her, nodding slowly, Halina huffed out, "Fine...for awhile, I guess."
Looking a little irritated that she'd been outvoted, Halina rolled her eyes and muttered, "Why don't we just tell her that we're all vampires while we're at it? God forbid someone didn't find out the family secret."
I laughed at Halina's comment, then flung my arms around the teenage vampire. She sighed again and causally patted my back, maybe hoping I'd get off her soon. Sure, she'd lightened up considerably since falling in love with Gabriel, but she was still...Halina. "Not forever, Emma...but for now."
I nodded as we pulled apart. "For now is fine," I muttered, feeling the tears in my eyes spring out again. No, Tracey was not the sort of person who could calmly handle what we were, not like my sister had, or even Ben...eventually. She'd never look at me the same if she knew. She'd always be scared if she knew. I couldn't blame the girl for that...the world of vampires wasn't for everybody. But to hold onto her friendship for a few more years...that was enough.
"Uh, if everything is okay, Ben and I are going to go," Tracey hesitantly said, her hand coming out to touch my shoulder.
Ben lifted an eyebrow, not knowing the outcome of that near-silent debate. I nodded at him, then her. "Yeah, you guys are free to go."
I emphasized that for Ben and he smiled, understanding. Looking over at Halina, he inclined his head in a polite bow. "Thank you," he whispered to her.
She smiled at the show of respect then inclined her head. "You're welcome."
Not long after they left, my sister was ready to go. Christian was taking her to a secluded island in the south pacific, where she could walk up and down the beach in a two piece and not feel an ounce of self consciousness. I adored Christian already.
Giving her a bear hug, probably bruising her in the process, I weepily said goodbye. Weeping herself, she kissed my chilly cheeks. "You call me when you get to the new place," she whispered, "and I'm coming up to visit the second I get back."
I nodded, giving her a final hug before hugging Christian and wishing them both well. Halina stepped up next, hugging my sister as fiercely as I'd hugged Tracey. Then she stepped up to Christian and cordially said goodbye to him. Then she leaned in and said something to him that shocked me. In a way that I knew was a command, she told him that he would never betray Ashley. He nodded at her, obedient. Looking satisfied that her trancing ability had never failed her, and never would fail her, Halina turned to walk back to Gabriel.
Seeing me staring at her with my mouth open, she shrugged. "You can never be too careful with men...especially human men."
I opened my mouth to defend my species, but I sort of couldn't. I shrugged then too. I was pretty sure Christian never would have betrayed Ashley anyway, not with the way he openly adored her. A slow peace flowed into me as I shook my head. I guess now I didn't need to worry about it.
We waved as they took off in their limo, Teren holding me as I sobbed harder than my mom. I couldn't help it. I'd looked after her for so long, protected her as best I could...even though she'd never needed me too. But now she had Christian to do that.
Leaving the wedding with my husband, kids and mother, I felt that peace stay with me. Ash was going to be just fine. And so were we.
On the evening of our great departure to Utah, Hot Ben and Tracey saw us off. Tracey commented that she thought it was weird that we were leaving at night and I only shrugged and smiled. I couldn't exactly tell her that traveling during the day with Halina just wasn't possible, and we'd all decided to go together. Even though that meant a pit stop halfway there, so Halina could hide away from the poisonous light she missed seeing on a daily basis.
Jack and Alanna piled into Alanna's car, Imogen and my mother riding with them. Gabriel and Halina stepped into his sleek sedan, Starla and Jacen giggling as they slunk into the back seat. The rest of the cars had been shipped out to the new place weeks ago, and the ranch looked exceedingly empty as Teren and I piled the kids into his Prius. We waved as the cars filled with vampires pulled away, knowing we'd see them in a few hours and we'd be able to track them the entire time, thanks to the blood bond that joined us all.
I smiled as I glanced back at the rear seat, watching my kids start a game of cards, Spike happily nestled in the space between them. I felt our bond with them and exhaled contently, knowing that it would never be taken away from me again. Teren and I gave the ranch one final, last look - the white beauty encrusted with river rocks, the blood-red tiles gleaming in the moonlight. It was the most beautiful place...I'd miss it. But I knew we'd be back, the next time it came up in rotation.
Clasping Ben and Tracey a final time, we finally got into our car and left our castle in California behind.
On the second night of travel, Teren nudged me awake. I jerked out of my dream, momentarily confused. Then he smiled and pointed to the home that he was parked in front of. "Welcome to the new ranch...well, new to you anyway."
My mouth dropped open. It was one of those homes that you only saw on magazines catering to the independently wealthy, never in real life. We were on the edge of a wide, circular driveway. Low, bright green hedges lined the circle, with a fifteen foot fountain of a crying woman in the center of it. I blinked as I stared at where it glowed, lifelike, under the spotlights surrounding it; it was the same statue that had been inside the other ranch, only a much, much larger version.
We'd passed through a six foot high wall to get into the complex and the gate behind us was an elaborately twisted wrought iron that sort of matched the design on Teren's San Francisco home. Over the top of the gate, large metal letters spelled out ADAMS. The floodlights on either side of the gate were fixed on the family name, warming the bronze letters, even in the dead of night.
A plush, green lawn lined the drive, leading up to one of most impressive buildings I'd ever seen. It didn't even really look like a home, it looked more like an Ivy league University. It was an aesthetically pleasing, multi-leveled home, one story on the edges of the home, but lifting to at least four near the center. I had to assume it stretched just as far underground, to accommodate the pureblood in the family. Imagining those underground levels, the shape of the structure reminded me of a diamond. Fitting, for the family it protected.
Built completely out of blood-red brick, tall, slim chimneys dotted the home like castle spires. Long in length and sturdy in appearance, the building had to be as strong as the vampires that lived inside it. Three sets of dark cherry and glass front doors gave me a clear peek into the interior of the home. It already looked warm and inviting, the lights on, highlighting itself for its returning owners.