Peace

It looked like Thanksgiving dinner when Tessa was done cooking and bringing food to the dining room. She had gone all out. It had been a long time since she had her family together like this and having two new people to share with made her need to mother even stronger.

Growing up without a mom had made Tessa long for a family of her own. Now she had more than she could have hoped for. She was beyond happy. She was blessed and she was grateful.

Eliza had returned from her duties and was resting on the living room sofa with Jacob’s arm around her. Erik and Haldir sat on the floor with Marissa and helped her build a house with her blocks. Teddy, Stella and his children had come over as well. The house was dripping with people.

Tessa watched them from the dining room and smiled to herself. She had hoped that Jacob would meet someone worthy of him, and Tessa knew Eliza was. She looked over her family and felt a peace she had rarely known.

Logan came to her side and put his arm around her. “We did this Tessa. All these people are sitting there right now because you and I fell in love.”

Tessa nodded. “It’s a funny thing Logan. I once cursed you for this mark you gave me. Said it was a chain around my neck. It is a chain. It’s the chain that binds all of this together.” Tessa leaned her head on Logan’s shoulder and he kissed her head.

Logan rubbed Tessa’s belly and said , “You have made my life amazing, perfect. Gave me strong, beautiful children. Cared for my Pack like you were born into it. Everything I have is because of you. You are an angel Tessa.”

Tessa looked over at Logan and smiled. Then Logan looked at his family and yelled, “ Time to eat.”

As the family sat around the table, Jacob spoke up and said, “ So everyone, I wanted to tell you that Eliza and I are getting married.” Everyone smiled and offered their congratulations to the couple. Tessa wiped away her tears of happiness as Logan leaned over and kissed her cheek. “ Oh Jacob, I’m so happy for you both.” Eliza got up and went to Tessa and wrapped her arms around her from behind. “This is just wonderful Eliza.”

“ Thank you Tessa,” Eliza said and then returned to her seat.

That moment right there, surrounded by everyone she loved, was all Tessa ever wanted.

After dinner, Eliza and Jacob rocked on the front porch swing. He put his arm around her and she leaned back into him. Jacob wanted her to come home with him in the worst kind of way, but Eliza was going to hold him to his word. She wasn’t just another woman for his collection and she was going to make him wait.Not that she didn’t want him too, but she wanted to get to know him more.

She had married Avery quickly because she was so overwhelmed with love that she couldn’t think clearly. She didn’t want to make that mistake with Jacob. She was sure that they were mates, but as she had witnessed with her parents, sometimes that isn’t a guarantee of a happy life.

“It’s getting late Jacob. I should probably get in soon. I don’t want to be waking everyone up.”

“Just a couple more minutes,” said Jacob.

“You know that was really sweet of your dad to invite Haldir to stay. I know Haldir acts like nothing bothers him, but I know he really misses having a family of his own. He just always gushed about Tessa and Teddy . I know he loves them so much.”

“ You would think that after all this time, he would’ve had got married or had kids of his own.”

“Oh Jacob, his kind can’t have children.”

Jacob was shocked. “Really, why not?”

“They just can’t. When he died his human death, he left that ability behind. He wasn’t born immortal. He became that way. They're just not like us. That was just something he had to give up.”

“Didn’t he have a choice?” asked Jacob.

“No I’m afraid not. He didn’t know what would happen to him. He was just some man living his life when it suddenly ended. He was as surprised as anyone when he woke up again.”

“Do you think if he had the choice, if he would’ve chosen differently. Like knowing what he knows now.”

“Yes, I think he probably would’ve. It seems like a gift, but Haldir loses everyone in the end. This world is not a happy one for him.He loves your mum and Teddy but even someday they will leave him. I think when that happens, he will probably go to the other world and stay with them.”

“What’s so bad about that?” asked Jacob.

“Nothing. There’s still adventure to be had there.Maybe he’ll even find someone like him to be happy with. But there everyone is like him, you, me... it’s a bit boring when everyone is the same. Here there are humans. Believe it or not, they keep things interesting.”

“So the other world. What’s it like?” asked Jacob. The concept of a whole different realm was a little too abstract for Jacob. He imagined it to be like Heaven. A pillowy cloud city with angels.

“It’s actually very similar to all this except that there’s no technology, no phones, no electricity. It’s very medieval. And time is nothing. Once you reach adulthood, it pretty much stops. Your growth is more internal. It’s more about learning and becoming wiser.”

“No one gets old?”

Eliza said, “ Well, yes eventually. The elders, they are as old as time. Some look very old, some do not. I’m not sure why.”

Jacob became very quiet, he had been thinking about something since he learned about the other world.

“My uncle Jacob, he’s there?”

“If he didn’t reincarnate, then yes, he would be there.”

“So if I went there, I would see him?Could I bring him back?” asked Jacob.

“There’s no way to know that. It’s a big world, he could be anywhere. You can’t just type him into a search bar and get his address. You could search forever and maybe never find him. Also, getting there would be no problem, but there’s no guarantee that you would be able to come back. Haldir and I, we can go back and forth. But he’s an immortal and I was born there.Not everyone can do it. And no, he can’t come back. He died his Earth death. He is bound to that world now.”

“But your parents,they came back.”

“It was the curse.”

She turned to face him and put her arm around his neck. “Someday Jacob, I’m sure that your family will be reunited again one day, when the time is right.”

Jacob ran his fingers down the side of her face then said, “ Are you sure you don’t want to come home with me tonight?”

Eliza smiled and said, “ I promise I will be worth the wait Jacob.”

Jacob kissed her softly and said, “ I have no doubt.”