“Caleb is here,” I reasoned, “what else could I do?”
“Caleb is what you need now. You need to be dependent on him even though it is hard at times.”
I nodded and continued to pet Bella before she took off to chase a seagull.
“My dad really needs me, though he’d never admit it, and I still need him. It’s strange that you guys just split from your family.”
“I just want you to know that no matter what happens, no matter what anybody says, no matter what drama that’s going to plague us once the leaders learn of your being the Visionary; you are not without family. I know you have your father but...sometimes a girl just needs her mother. Although I’d never try to take her place, I’m here, if you ever need to talk or vent or whatever.”
“Thanks,” I wiped my cheeks with sandy fingers. “I appreciate that.”
“So, has Caleb talked to you about the ceremony yet?”
“What ceremony?” I groaned. “Don’t tell me there’s some kind of Visionary ritual I have to go through,” I said horrified.
“No, no. I’m talking about the dedication ceremony.”
“What’s that?”
“Caleb didn’t tell you?”
What is he thinking? Why would he not say anything about it? Maybe he just let it go because of everything that’s going on.
“Well,” she started and stretched her legs out, crossing them and then looked at me. “A dedication is our kind’s wedding ceremony.”
“What?”
I felt my heart speed up and took a deep breath.
“We don’t have traditional weddings. It’s similar in a lot of ways but it’s only for our families. Humans are generally not involved with it. It just lets everyone know that there’s no doubt about you being each other significant and that you are dedicating yourself to each other and to the clan. It’s really beautiful, actually. Some people get hung up on the whole imprint thing, about how our bodies need each other. Well this is to show that it’s not just our bodies, it’s our willing hearts too.”
I saw stills of Peter and her at their dedication ceremony in her mind. Rachel was so young, so very pretty and lively. Peter was dashing. They weren’t wearing tuxes and poufy dresses and there were no bridesmaids. Rachel was wearing a simple red silk slip dress that had a slight train and her feet were bare, a Malva flower tucked behind one ear. Peter was barefoot as well wearing a red button up shirt and black pants.
Everyone else wore red too as they made a circle around the two of them. Grandpa Ray was officiating. It was intriguing.
“What’s all the red for?” I asked and Rachel laughed.
“Oh,” she laughed again. “I forget about your ability. Red is for blood. I know,” she said when I made a ‘what the’ face. “It sounds terrible. We don’t use the traditional white for purity because we are binding ourselves together, body, soul, mind, and heart. Significants blood calls to one another, protects each other and completes one another. It’s the basis for a body and it’s the basis for an imprint, a bond. Remember back to your imprinting? The very first thing you feel is your blood freezing?”
I nodded remembering and realizing it made sense.
“So you just exchange rings in front of everyone and that’s it?”
“Oh, no, no, your rings are a very private thing. It used to be that your rings were for public display purposes, to show humans you were married, but over the years it’s grown into a very romantic and sweet thing. You won’t pick your own ring, you see. You’ll choose Caleb’s ring for him and he’ll pick yours for you.”
“Really? I like that. That is sweet.”
“It is. I was so nervous searching for Peter’s. Picking out a man’s piece of jewelry is nerve racking.”
“But, don’t most people have matching rings?”
“Most people aren’t us. Do you want matching rings?”
“No,” I answered truthfully. “I think the idea of picking the other person’s ring is a great leap of faith. Picking something like that for someone shows that you know them.”
“Exactly,” she smiled.
She’s so perfect for this life. I just wish she’d see what we see. Thank you, God, for bringing her to Caleb.
“You have to conduct the ceremony or the clan doesn’t recognize you as a couple?”“No, you don’t have to, but I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to. You love him and want to spend your life with him and you accept his love, his family and protection for you.”
“I just...never thought I’d be married at seventeen,” I said in a small voice, almost ashamed of saying it.
She wrapped her small firm arm around me and pulled me to her side. I could feel her taking deep long breaths beside me. Her mind was filled with sympathy and kind thoughts but she also worried, like she always did. Caleb was her son and she didn’t want to see him hurt and though she didn’t think I’d ever intentionally hurt him, she didn’t want to see her son in pain the kind of pain that losing a significant would cause.
She also worried that we were too young but it seemed that God had chosen us and she was powerless to stop it.
“I would never hurt him,” I said with conviction and turned slightly to her, her arm still around me. “I love him.” I felt a tear slide down my cheek and saw her swipe a tear of her own. Bella ran over and licked my hand, like she sensed I needed a kiss. “I love him and I’m not gonna reject him or your family or your ways. I’ve seen it. Caleb and I are going to be together and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I just don’t understand why everything with us has to be so complicated. Why can’t we be just like everyone else and be normal teenagers that love each other? Why do I have to lie to everyone about it? Why do I have to be the Visionary?” I felt the sob rising in my throat as I started to cry harder. “I just feel like I have no one to talk to. Sometimes I just...I just-”
“You just need your mom,” she finished for me.
“I need the way my mom used to be. I just need someone who would understand.”
“I’m afraid there won’t be anyone in this world who understands. You and Caleb, no matter how irritating it may be, are one of a kind. I’m sorry, honey. I’m sorry that you feel so torn over this.”
“I know it’s me, that I’m the Visionary. I can feel it in my blood. I just don’t know if I’m strong enough for the fight that’s ahead.”
“You are or you wouldn’t be the Visionary.”
“That’s what Caleb said,” I said laughing through my tears and she laughed too.
“He’s pretty smart, my son.”
“He’s pretty everything. I don’t know what I’d do without him,” I said more to myself than her.
“I’m so glad to hear you say that.”
“I don’t deserve him,” I muttered. “He’s always so sweet and thinking about other people. I’m selfish and naïve.”
She chuckled.
“I wish you could hear the things that Caleb has told me. When he calls he talks non-stop about you. I wish you could have seen him tell us that he’d imprinted with you.” She got a bright look in her eyes and tilted her head. “I can show you.”
She immediately began to replay me a fuzzy off kilter playback of Caleb running into Kyle’s house, not even shutting the door and yelling for his parents. Everyone was gathered around in the living room as he ran in. He sank to his knees on the carpet so he wouldn’t fall. As he told them he’d imprinted, they gasped, excited. Everyone scrambled to get out the door to see me. He told them I’d left with Kyle, to give him space to tell them.
“You should see her. She is everything I would have thought up for myself. She’s sweet and adorable and took everything so well. I was pulled to her even before the imprint, like she already belonged to me.”
“What does she look like?” someone asked.
“She’s just…gorgeous; she’s short with brown curls and freckles.”
“Now, come on, Caleb, you can do better than that,” Gran complained.
“You’ll all see her tomorrow. I’m gonna go get her in the morning and bring her here to meet you. Please take it easy on her. I know this is just a...miracle and all but I don’t want to scare her.”
“Now, Caleb,” Gran drawled. “If she’s your girl, she’ll be just fine.”
“She’s mine,” Caleb confirmed loudly and then cracked a little embarrassed smile. “I can feel her heartbeat, right now.”
There was an explosion of ahh’s and ooooh’s at that and Rachel grabbed him in a hug with big fat tears dripping from her chin as everyone hooped and hollered behind them. Peter clapped him on the back and looked towards the ceiling with his eyes closed.
Rachel let the memory fade and I wiped my tears away once more and felt her do the same.
“All will be as it should be, Maggie. We can’t out run destiny. I know you love Caleb.”
“I do.”
“And he loves you.”
“I feel silly for leaving like that in the Jeep,” I said and felt a burn of shame on my neck and cheeks.
“He should have been more focused and supportive. We all make mistakes, even Aces, but at the end of the day, you always have each other.”