Author's Notes

Hey all I'm feeling a bit better now that I've had some time to clear my head. Some updates may be a bit slow as I really have to feel each chapter in order to write it through. But more updates are coming.

4

"Grandma, why did you invite Sam Uley over if there was nothing broken?" I asked as I drove her grey Avalon to the beach. She just waved her hand at me.

"What I'm old and I like the company. Sam didn't seem to mind." she said and I just shook my head.

"But grandma, he probably has other things to do. That's wasting his time." I replied.

"Oh, he and a lot of other boys came by the house when you moved away. They always needed some direction. I was happy to give since you were grown and walking your own path." she said. I kept my eyes on the road, making sure to never taking my eyes off of what was in front of me. I called my grandmother a lot when I moved away. I sent her photos and invited her to my wedding and even showed her the ultra sounds of Leila. I didn't say anything else for it wasn't my business what she did. "You still remember how to work the register?" I grinned some.

"I'm sure a quick refresher would jog my memory." I replied. Denai's Antiques, along with my mom aunt, was a part my grandparents' legacy. Many loved to shop and buy trinkets and dream catchers. I liked the animal necklaces. There was always a beauty to them, a history that transitioned through the air and into my mind. I could feel it.

"Good. You'll be in charge of the register. And I will shadow you until you've got the hang of things." she said. I nodded.

"Yes ma'am." I replied.

We walked on the sand together, like we did when I was a little girl. The waves could be violent or gentle and asleep. I loved it all either way. Grandma would always hold my hand and when Grandpa was alive, they'd swing me in the air as I held on to both of them.

"When I was a little girl, my friends and I would skip school and go to the waterfalls deep in the forest. Ah the animals brought me life in Jamaica." she said, her voice trailing off as she gave an old smile to the waves. I looked out the waves as well and smiled.

"Your mother came here to work then sent for you… do you miss St. Catherine?" I asked. She hummed and wobbled her head some.

"Sometimes. We had the largest of parties and would dance all night until the black skies turned orange with the sun!" she said gently shaking her hips, gyrating some. "You remember the dances I taught you, huh?" I looked away hiding my embarrassment.

"Yes. You said I was quite good." I replied and she elbowed me.

"Yes, until you started dancing at school making all the kid's parents uncomfortable." she said before laughing more. "Ah your grandpa said I was a bad influence on you."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Because you were!" I laughed. Oh how I loved to dance. Before I could comprehend my next thought, something of black and white landed in front of me and I gasped and looked down to see it was a soccer ball followed by someone screaming heads up! I placed my hand over my chest catching my breath as I tried to calm down the jump scare I felt.

"WAGWAN!" I heard the familiar word used numerous times by my family. I looked across the sand to see a group of young, bronze-skinned boys running over to us. My grandma yelled in happiness.

"Wagwan!" she said happily and the boys smiled as one of them picked up the ball. "Seth, you tryin' to give me a heart attack?" She said to the smallest of the group who shook his head approaching her.

"Never Ms. Evelyn!" he said and embracing her which completely took me by surprise. The boys were a bit younger than me, maybe in their 20s. Grandma smiled and looked at me patting my back.

"Boys, this is my granddaughter Briseis. Bris, these are Seth Clearwater, Jacob Black, Embry Call, Paul Lahote, Quil Ateara, and Jared Cameron. They are some of Sam's friends and are very good boys" she introduced making all the boys smile wide. There was a shuffling of his and hellos.

"Hi." I responded.

"Ms. Evelyn, you never told me you had such a beautiful granddaughter." Jared said teasingly. His friends elbowed him and ruffled his hair in response and I just laughed him off.

"Hey now don't be making any moves or I'll have to hit you with my cane, huh!" Grandma teased before Seth raised his head.

"Ms. Evelyn are you coming to the beach party tonight?" he asked.

"Of course, I would not miss it for the world!" she said before looking at my curious face. "The elders like to get together with some of the neighbors and have a little party. There's music and dancing and you will enjoy it." I arched a brow.

"Oh I'm going?" I asked.

"You have to go," Paul said, "It's one of the best parties on La Push. The elders tell their stories, we get to drink a little." Sounds like something I wouldn't want to be a part.

"Should be fun." I said lowly. And it was exactly what I was hoping wouldn't be. Loud with people laughing and dancing on the sand. Grandma drove this time. The sun was just starting to go down and she parked a few jeeps. She walked with her cane this time and it worried me that she did. I shouldn't worry for her, but I couldn't help it. She was in one of her dresses wearing her hair wrapped up with gold hoop earrings. I wore a green crop top with white dots on the hem and a long green skirt to match. My hair was in a messy braid and hung over my shoulder. There were lights from the cars shining onto the beach and small pits of fire made along the beach with people around them.

I followed grandma down the beach where she met some people who were huddled around one of the pits of fire. Jake was there standing next to a man in a wheelchair. Sam was talking to an older woman who had long beautiful hair when he saw us. He seemed taken back by us being there. The man in the wheelchair saw us and smiled.

"Evelyn, glad you could make it!" he said joyously. Grandma smiled.

"Oh I wouldn't miss it for the world! Everyone some of you remember my granddaughter, Briseis. Bris this is Billy Black, Jacob's father and Quil Ateara the third, Quil's grandfather, and Sue Clearwater, Seth's mother. These are some of the elders of the tribe. The rest are out and about with their family." she explained. I smiled politely at them.

"Nice to meet you all." I replied. Billy smiled at me.

"Oh I remember you. We all do. Of course we were just old people to you." he said and everyone chuckled as I just looked away as if embarrassed.

"Yeah, that sounds like me." I replied.

"Well it's nice to see you again, all grown up." Sue said warmly. "Evelyn was very happy when she told us you were back in town to stay. Welcome home." Sam seemed to be watching me intently as if gauging my reaction now and I just smiled at her.

"Thank you." I replied.

"Well don't be so quick to cling to me. Go out and have some fun. There's food being made and a game of soccer starting." Grandma blurted. I looked out at the sea of… my people only to feel my feet plant further into the ground. I didn't know any of these people. Did I even want to know them? Sam finally approached me.

"It's okay Ms. Evelyn, I'll take her off your hands." he said with a smile to her before looking at me with deep rich eyes. Once more I felt myself shivering at the sound of his deep voice.

"See, Sam is always here to rescue me." Grandma teased before looking at me. "Go, Bris, have some fun."

"Okay." I said lowly before turning with Sam and walking down the beach.

"Well I'm glad you're here. I mean glad both you and your grandma decided to come." he said. My eyes scanned the different fire pits as different people were talking and others danced near the water together. Further up the beach boys were playing soccer shirtless, and off to the back, women sat in chairs or on towels with their kids.

"Well it seems my grandmother attends these things, a lot. I guess she didn't want me to miss out or something." I replied with a soft shrug. Sam nodded looking ahead.

"You don't like parties?" he asked. I shrugged.

"I don't mind family get togethers." I replied, and he grinned raising his hand over the beach.

"But everyone here is your family. Your grandfather was a well-respected member or have you forgotten you're Quileute yourself?" he asked. I gave a soft frown.

"I have not forgotten. Maybe I just don't like being social. I just moved here yesterday I just want to take my time when it comes to others." I replied and he nodded.

"Okay, I get that." he said and tucked his hands into his sleeveless hoody. "So what'll it take to speed that up… with me?" I glanced up at him and arched a brow.

"What do you mean?" I asked. He shrugged.

"What will it take for you to say yes… to a drink?" he said. Was he really doing this, asking me out? I bit the edge of my lip.

"I don't drink." I replied. He grinned.

"Neither do I." he replied. I looked him over some before crossing my arms some.

"Look, I'm not someone you want to get to know. I moved back here with baggage I haven't sorted through yet. And frankly I don't want to sort through it yet." I said with mild defiance. He nodded slowly.

"That's cool. Maybe one day I can take you out for a non-alcoholic drink." he said and I shrugged.

"Don't hold your breath." I said and he smirked down at me. I wanted to ask what was worth him smirking when someone yelled heads up! I gasped as another soccer ball was flying to me. However, Sam's hand stretched out quick and caught the ball with one hand and he frowned in the direction of the group of boys who looked apologetically at us. His glare was sharp and definitely made me stand at attention.

"Sorry!" one of the boys yelled. Sam just gave them a look of warning and he threw the ball back. He looked at me.

"You okay?" he asked and I nodded.

"I'm fine." I replied before hearing the beating of drums playing over us. I looked around Sam to see numerous women dancing in the sand to the beat of the steady drums. The sound was beautiful and familiar to me of when I was younger and my grandmother was teaching me to dance. The women who danced were beautiful with choppy and long flowing black hair. They were in shorts and skirts and tank tops. But they were barefoot also, something I used to love being a girl. Sam looked at me with a smile.

"Can you dance?" he asked as if challenging me and I glanced up at him unable to stop the smile from spreading over my face. I merely walked around him now and he watched as I joined the group of girls. I felt like a foreigner amongst them, but they smiled and made space for me to join and I appreciated that. As the beating drums continued, I felt my hips begin to move forward with the beat, my chest beginning to pop as well. It wasn't hard to be engulfed by the music and within seconds my hands came up, shaking with the beat as my left leg moved out then in and my right leg moved out then back in and I moved my body like this for a few seconds slowly rotating in a circle as my neck rolled slowly rolling as well. I leaned forward tapping my right foot now with the beat while my chest still moved out and in with the beat. I flipped my braid onto my other side and let the music take me.

I rotated my body once more and opened my eyes to see Sam just standing there watching me in complete mesmerization. No one else was watching me, except him. I couldn't explain the heavy look in his eyes and I felt like I should stop, a small layer of embarrassment was coming over me. But I didn't want to stop honestly. Not because he was watching me, but because I was actually enjoying my dance. To have a one-man audience was fine with me as long as I could still dance. I rotated my body once more so that my back was to him and let myself be engulfed by the music once more, my bottom shaking rapidly as the beating of the drums increased.