The Road Back
By Mama4Dukes
Chapter 10:
Jasper and Bella quickly realized that dating in Forks as adults posed significant challenges. For example, there was absolutely no privacy. There were no romantic date nights within the town or even Port Angeles. They knew too many people. It didn’t help that they were both still living with their parents. It didn’t occur to either of them to move out on their own until privacy became an issue. Nevertheless, they did the best they could and managed to spend time together on short weekend jaunts away from Forks.
The couple’s relationship progressed quickly, especially since they already knew each other well. By the time Memorial Day weekend arrived, they were well and truly in love. It was Saturday, and they were spending the long weekend away at Snoqualmie Falls Lodge. They were currently hiking the trail, which boasted views of the waterfall from various angles. They were near the end of their hike, traipsing with the flora and fauna until they reached their desired destination. They stood together on a shallow part of the river where they watched the magnificent descent of the rushing water as it tumbled down the mountain.
“Jasper, this is so beautiful.” Bella marveled at the majestic sight in front of her. “I love how the water crashes down into the river and then ebbs and flows, eventually drifting into a slow drizzle when it reaches the rocks we’re standing on. There’s something so peaceful about it. I wish we could fall asleep watching this every night.”
“I’d rather fall asleep with you every night,” Jasper replied, enveloping her in his arms.
“Oh, yeah?”
“I can’t imagine my life without you anymore. In fact, I don’t know how I ever got along without you. When I arrived back in Forks, I was a lost soul – unsure of who I was or what I wanted in life. But then, you came back into my life, and I started living again. You inspired me to change, to become a better man. When I look back to the day I left Texas, when I started driving with no real destination in mind, I don’t think that is the case anymore. The road back led straight to you. I was always meant to come home to you, Bella.
Jasper suddenly dropped down on one knee. He took her hands in his, gazing into her eyes with a look of pure adoration. “I promise to love you with every breath I take and cherish you with every fiber in my soul for the rest of our lives. Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me?”
His heart hammered in his chest as he waited for her reply. His relief came quickly, as she smiled and fell to her knees, so they were at eye level. “Yes, Jasper, I will marry you,” Bella replied simply.
He wrapped his arms around her and held her, immersing himself in the feeling of bliss as he held her tight. Eventually, he loosened his hold and reached into his pocket to remove a small jeweler’s box. Flipping open the lid, he presented an engagement ring to Bella.
“Will you wear this for me?” The ring featured a large, oval sapphire framed by diamonds on either side. One diamond was in the shape of a heart, the other pear-shaped. The three stones were set at an angle.
“Jasper, this is beautiful! I’ve never seen a ring like this. Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome. Do you like it?”
“I love it! I really love it. Judging by the two diamonds, there has to be a story behind this ring.”
“Well, the pear-shaped diamond is from my Grandma Whitlock’s engagement ring, and the heart-shaped one on the right was your Grandma Swan’s. The blue sapphire in the center is our birthstone since we were both born in September. I came up with the design with the jeweler in Port Angeles.” Jasper slid the ring onto her finger. “When I told our parents I was going to ask for your hand, our fathers both gave me rings to propose to you with. So I found myself with two family heirlooms in my pocket. Not wanting to disappoint either my dad or yours, I went to the jeweler to discuss my options. He suggested melting down the gold and using the stones to make a whole new wedding set. We sat for hours coming up with a design, and this is the result.”
“Oh, Jasper. I’d never dreamed I’d have such a beautiful ring, and one with a story that fits us so perfectly. I love you so much.” The look of elation in Bella’s eyes warmed his heart. It occurred to him that, had it been Alice, she would have hurled the ring at him. She would only care that the ring was the largest, most expensive ring from the most exclusive jeweler.
“And I love you.” He was relieved she liked the ring. He had found himself in an uncomfortable situation when Charlie and Peter each took him aside privately to express their wishes that he use their mothers’ engagement rings when proposing to Bella. He didn’t want to hurt their feelings and had to consider the best way to honor both families while following his own heart. The result was the ring he presented to her, and judging by the big smile on her face, he had done the right thing.
After another hug and the requisite selfie photos, the couple finally decided to stand from their kneeling positions. Just as they raised themselves up, a powerful current chose to sweep through, sending the couple tumbling smackdown on their bottoms. Jasper and Bella burst out in chuckles as the water thoroughly drenched them. They picked themselves back up and hiked back to the hotel, laughing all the way.
As soon as they returned to Forks, Charlotte and Renee immediately began planning the wedding, excited that their dream of becoming family was finally coming true. The couple left the wedding organization to their mothers with the stipulation that they wanted their favorite chocolate mousse cake made by Jasper’s mom, of course, for dessert. Peter and Charlie, meanwhile, decided to go fishing with their friends in celebration.
On a bright, sunny day in August, Jasper Whitlock and Isabella Swan were united in holy matrimony in front of their friends and family. Edward stood up for Jasper, and Jake stood up for Bella. But, of course, it was no surprise to anyone in town, considering they had all been best friends since they were toddlers. Lauren and Tyler, Leah and Sam, Rosalie and Emmett, Rachel and Paul rounded out the rest of the wedding party.
The wedding reception was a raucous celebration held at the Elks Lodge. Seemingly everyone in town showed up to wish the couple well. There was food, dancing, and lots of merry-making. The newlyweds stayed at a nearby motel on their wedding night and left on a two-week honeymoon to Spain early the following morning. Jasper and Bella had rented an apartment at the other end of Forks. The couple had been scheduled to move in the week before their wedding, but they were told they wouldn’t be able to move in at the time due to maintenance issues. However, their friends and family promised to have their belongings moved into the apartment before they returned from Spain.
Unbeknownst to the couple, as a joint wedding gift, their parents had purchased Coach Dwyer’s house, which sat in between the Swan and Whitlock residences, when he retired after the school year ended in June and moved to Florida. Somehow, the entire town managed to keep it a secret from them. Even the landlord of the apartment they had rented was in on it, returning their uncashed deposit and rent check to them when they returned from Spain. In the end, neither of them moved far from home. In fact, they both ended up living next door from the homes they’d grown up in. While they wanted a little distance from their parents, at the end of the day, they recognized the advantages of the arrangement. Jasper even let his father keep the 85-inch TV. He realized the TV was too big and didn’t want the entire town showing up to his house on Superbowl Sunday each year.
Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction 
Leave a comment