Home
February 13th, 2015
I never thought it would be possible for me to ever get tired. I was wrong. I'm mentally dead, all I do is worry about Johanna and build her house. The house which is finally done, and just in time too otherwise I would have feared that Johanna wouldn't see it until she's a vampire. I made it huge, but not all windows like so many of our other vampire friends. It is situated on a cliff over looking the water, if I were to jump off that cliff I would find myself standing on the beach. The house has this small, home-y, inn kind of feel to it. I decided to model it after one of her favorite movies: Practical Magic. The outside is stressed wood painted white. I made the kitchen huge, because Johanna likes food, there is a huge center island and then a wooden bar top looking into the backyard. There is a refrigerator made to blend in with the cabinets and a simple white stove with brass pots and pans hanging above it. I can already tell that her favorite part of the kicthen will be the small green house I built off of it. I planted some popular herbs but she can add other vegetables and such if she wants. There is a back door leading to a wrap around porch. White wicker furniture can be found all around, in the front are two chairs, a table and a swing. If you take the set of stairs in the kitchen all the way up then you find yourself in the attic. If you take the stairs you see as soon as you walk in the front door then you are led to the 2nd floor. On the 2nd floor is our room, painted white with vines tangling around. Everything in our room is white, the comforter, the pillows, the furniture, the window shades, everything except the red bed sheets. On the other side is our babies nursery. I painted it jungle green but left it unfurnished, after all I wouldn't want to spoil Johanna's fun. There are a few more spare rooms, each one warm and inviting. I made one special for my niece, I painted it pink and brought in her favorite books and movies, she has a window seat and a big comfy bed. I figured that she would need a room seeing as we are no longer just across the field. It isn't that we are extremely far away, it isn't even completely neccesary to take a car...Sophia could use a bike. I had built Johanna her dream house and was ready to show it to her today.
I ran back to the main house and found Johanna folding laundry in our bedroom, she was humming to herself.
"You keep getting more and more beautiful every day."
Johanna turns around and Nanuk stirs from his spot by the foot of the bed, yes he is my dog but he is extremely protective of Johanna.
"You mean fat, right?" She giggles while folding her hands over her tummy.
"Beautiful," I repeat while placing my hands over hers.
Inside the baby taps to let us know that it feels us, Johanna and I had it worked out that if it wasn't someone else touching her tummy or that we were calm and not nervous, the baby wouldn't kick with full force. We kept the touching to a minimal, in any case, I didn't want to cause her more pain. But she hardly has any, which I thought odd. The baby has let her eat her human food, and has let her walk around normaly, it caused her a few cases of morning sickness and, I am told, a few bruises. I was thankful that this baby was being so kind to my Johanna, but I still got nervous, the only time I would know if Johanna had been hurt was if I had been there and seen it. She refuses to tell me her cases of pain or to let me look at her tummy for bruises.
'The less you know, the better," Johanna used to tell me.
"Come on, I have a surprise for you," I gently turn around and lead her downstairs.
"What kind of surprise?" Nanuk slips down the stairs as he follows close behind.
"This kind," I smile as I hold up a blindfold.
Johanna turns around so I can tie the blidfold over her eyes.
I gently cradle her to me as I run over the field and continue running past Jordan's house with Nanuk running behind to catch up.
As I set her down carefully, she pauses and listens, "Are we by the ocean?"
Before I can even answer she sniffs the air and says, "We are! I can smell the salt! Gabriel, where are we going?"
I quietly open the door and lead her inside into the kitchen.
As the blindfold falls away from her eyes I say, "Home."
Johanna's eyes light up as she brings her pale pink nails to her gaping mouth to cover it.
"Wha-what?!"
"Baby, this is ours. I built it for you, for us," my hands had settled over her tummy, "You deserve this place to call your own home, to say it is yours. Built for you and cared by you."
"This is my dream kitchen! My dream house!" She rushes out onto the front porch to look at the view of the water, the wrap around porch, and the outside of the house, "How could you have known?" She asks with tears in her eyes.
"Because I know you,"
As she settles into my arms the words just come flowing out:
"'I hear your key in the door
Unlocking more than wood
The ceiling may not be dry yet
But it feels like home
Yes, we have come from a long way
Friends say wrong way
Still, I only know when you hold me
It feels like home
We don't need a dining room table
So far there's no one to invite
For me a cardboard box will do just fine
As long as I'm with you each night
It seems to me if you never ask
You'll never win
And since we're in this together
It feels like home
We don't need a dining room table
So far there's no one to invite
For me a cardboard box will do just fine
As long as I'm with you each night
Yes, we have come from a long way
Friends say wrong way
Still, I only know when you hold me
It feels like home
It feels like home
It feels like... home'"
Her breathing changed, became heavy and choked and when I looked down she was trying to stop her tears.
I was able to drag one kiss out of her before the doorbell rang.
Johanna looked pleasantly shocked.
"Well you better go answer your door, Mrs.Ryan." I smiled. She rushed over and opened it up wide. Jordan threw her arms around Johanna's neck and they hugged and started mulling over every small detail while Josh and Sophia came into the kitchen to me.
"Hey, squirt," I pick Sophia up into my arms.
"Hey, Uncle Gabriel." She hugs me back tightly.
"You kept our little secret, right?" I ask her. She gives two silent nods of her head.
Upstairs, Johanna and Jordan were exploring all of the rooms, I couldn't help listening in on their conversation:
"So this must be the nursery, right?" Johanna asks.
Jordan giggles, "Hence the crib and rocking chair."
"It's kind of empty, like missing some baby toys and stuff.." Johanna continues.
I can't believe she really thought that I had did that on purpose...
"That's why I'm here!" That clear, friendly voice, and the high pitched squeal gave it all away.
"Alice!" Johanna screams while running to hug our pixie friend.
Alice hugs Jordan and the three of them start squealing and giggling.
Esme comes out of the closet with plates and bowls of food in her hands, Carlisle follows behind to help her. Jasper and Emmett are hanging decorations around, Rosalie comes walking out of the living room with her sparkly heels on, "Could they be any louder?"
We all laughed at her joke but I could sense the reality of her question.
When Johanna came downstairs we had transformed it into a wonderul baby shower.
"What! Seriously? A house shower and a baby shower?!"
The door flew open and in walked Johanna's best friends from highschool; Charlie, Taylor, and Mackenzie.
"Oh my god! First wife then mother! Oh my god, Johanna, you are glowing!" They all fuss over her as other guests start pouring into the house, some of which included her mom and Darla.
"Here, Gabriel," Esme thrusts a plate of lasagna into my hands, "Baby showers are usually for the girls. So heat this at 350 degrees for 25 minutes and then serve while hot."
I blink and give Carlisle a look as he shrugs telling me just to obey orders.
After all the games and hugs and food and presents, we almost needed another house to keep everything in.
Once everyone had gone, Johanna insisted that we stay up late and finish opening presents and putting them away. We started with the house items, candles and pillows and dishes and such, and then spent the most time on the nursery. We had the most fun there, opening up clothes and highchairs and strollers, blankets and bottles and stuffed animals. I could really see the aspect of motherhood gleaming in Johanna's eyes, she wanted this more than anything. We ended up staying so late that the two of us collapsed into our bed just before sunrise. Nanuk folowed into our room and collapsed in a tired heap onto the cozy little bed cushion I had got just for him.
We're home, and we're here to stay. Just the four of us...
Downstairs I heard the door close.
...Five of us, Rhoan was here too. Sure he could have his own place at the main house, but let's face it; Rhoan is like a small child, he can't be left alone! Everytime Johanna and I had to go somewhere we ended up spreading him out to our friends and family. A week or two with Jordan, a week with Lottie, two weeks in Pennsylvania with Darla... This guy is like a lost puppy, he follows you everywhere.
Nanuk let out a growl as if he had heard my thoughts.
I responded in my mind; 'Well, hey,only the best and most loyal friends do.'
Satisfied with my reply, Nanuk lay down his head and fell asleep in his bed. His bed which was in his home. Our home.
-Gabriel
I never thought it would be possible for me to ever get tired. I was wrong. I'm mentally dead, all I do is worry about Johanna and build her house. The house which is finally done, and just in time too otherwise I would have feared that Johanna wouldn't see it until she's a vampire. I made it huge, but not all windows like so many of our other vampire friends. It is situated on a cliff over looking the water, if I were to jump off that cliff I would find myself standing on the beach. The house has this small, home-y, inn kind of feel to it. I decided to model it after one of her favorite movies: Practical Magic. The outside is stressed wood painted white. I made the kitchen huge, because Johanna likes food, there is a huge center island and then a wooden bar top looking into the backyard. There is a refrigerator made to blend in with the cabinets and a simple white stove with brass pots and pans hanging above it. I can already tell that her favorite part of the kicthen will be the small green house I built off of it. I planted some popular herbs but she can add other vegetables and such if she wants. There is a back door leading to a wrap around porch. White wicker furniture can be found all around, in the front are two chairs, a table and a swing. If you take the set of stairs in the kitchen all the way up then you find yourself in the attic. If you take the stairs you see as soon as you walk in the front door then you are led to the 2nd floor. On the 2nd floor is our room, painted white with vines tangling around. Everything in our room is white, the comforter, the pillows, the furniture, the window shades, everything except the red bed sheets. On the other side is our babies nursery. I painted it jungle green but left it unfurnished, after all I wouldn't want to spoil Johanna's fun. There are a few more spare rooms, each one warm and inviting. I made one special for my niece, I painted it pink and brought in her favorite books and movies, she has a window seat and a big comfy bed. I figured that she would need a room seeing as we are no longer just across the field. It isn't that we are extremely far away, it isn't even completely neccesary to take a car...Sophia could use a bike. I had built Johanna her dream house and was ready to show it to her today.
I ran back to the main house and found Johanna folding laundry in our bedroom, she was humming to herself.
"You keep getting more and more beautiful every day."
Johanna turns around and Nanuk stirs from his spot by the foot of the bed, yes he is my dog but he is extremely protective of Johanna.
"You mean fat, right?" She giggles while folding her hands over her tummy.
"Beautiful," I repeat while placing my hands over hers.
Inside the baby taps to let us know that it feels us, Johanna and I had it worked out that if it wasn't someone else touching her tummy or that we were calm and not nervous, the baby wouldn't kick with full force. We kept the touching to a minimal, in any case, I didn't want to cause her more pain. But she hardly has any, which I thought odd. The baby has let her eat her human food, and has let her walk around normaly, it caused her a few cases of morning sickness and, I am told, a few bruises. I was thankful that this baby was being so kind to my Johanna, but I still got nervous, the only time I would know if Johanna had been hurt was if I had been there and seen it. She refuses to tell me her cases of pain or to let me look at her tummy for bruises.
'The less you know, the better," Johanna used to tell me.
"Come on, I have a surprise for you," I gently turn around and lead her downstairs.
"What kind of surprise?" Nanuk slips down the stairs as he follows close behind.
"This kind," I smile as I hold up a blindfold.
Johanna turns around so I can tie the blidfold over her eyes.
I gently cradle her to me as I run over the field and continue running past Jordan's house with Nanuk running behind to catch up.
As I set her down carefully, she pauses and listens, "Are we by the ocean?"
Before I can even answer she sniffs the air and says, "We are! I can smell the salt! Gabriel, where are we going?"
I quietly open the door and lead her inside into the kitchen.
As the blindfold falls away from her eyes I say, "Home."
Johanna's eyes light up as she brings her pale pink nails to her gaping mouth to cover it.
"Wha-what?!"
"Baby, this is ours. I built it for you, for us," my hands had settled over her tummy, "You deserve this place to call your own home, to say it is yours. Built for you and cared by you."
"This is my dream kitchen! My dream house!" She rushes out onto the front porch to look at the view of the water, the wrap around porch, and the outside of the house, "How could you have known?" She asks with tears in her eyes.
"Because I know you,"
As she settles into my arms the words just come flowing out:
"'I hear your key in the door
Unlocking more than wood
The ceiling may not be dry yet
But it feels like home
Yes, we have come from a long way
Friends say wrong way
Still, I only know when you hold me
It feels like home
We don't need a dining room table
So far there's no one to invite
For me a cardboard box will do just fine
As long as I'm with you each night
It seems to me if you never ask
You'll never win
And since we're in this together
It feels like home
We don't need a dining room table
So far there's no one to invite
For me a cardboard box will do just fine
As long as I'm with you each night
Yes, we have come from a long way
Friends say wrong way
Still, I only know when you hold me
It feels like home
It feels like home
It feels like... home'"
Her breathing changed, became heavy and choked and when I looked down she was trying to stop her tears.
I was able to drag one kiss out of her before the doorbell rang.
Johanna looked pleasantly shocked.
"Well you better go answer your door, Mrs.Ryan." I smiled. She rushed over and opened it up wide. Jordan threw her arms around Johanna's neck and they hugged and started mulling over every small detail while Josh and Sophia came into the kitchen to me.
"Hey, squirt," I pick Sophia up into my arms.
"Hey, Uncle Gabriel." She hugs me back tightly.
"You kept our little secret, right?" I ask her. She gives two silent nods of her head.
Upstairs, Johanna and Jordan were exploring all of the rooms, I couldn't help listening in on their conversation:
"So this must be the nursery, right?" Johanna asks.
Jordan giggles, "Hence the crib and rocking chair."
"It's kind of empty, like missing some baby toys and stuff.." Johanna continues.
I can't believe she really thought that I had did that on purpose...
"That's why I'm here!" That clear, friendly voice, and the high pitched squeal gave it all away.
"Alice!" Johanna screams while running to hug our pixie friend.
Alice hugs Jordan and the three of them start squealing and giggling.
Esme comes out of the closet with plates and bowls of food in her hands, Carlisle follows behind to help her. Jasper and Emmett are hanging decorations around, Rosalie comes walking out of the living room with her sparkly heels on, "Could they be any louder?"
We all laughed at her joke but I could sense the reality of her question.
When Johanna came downstairs we had transformed it into a wonderul baby shower.
"What! Seriously? A house shower and a baby shower?!"
The door flew open and in walked Johanna's best friends from highschool; Charlie, Taylor, and Mackenzie.
"Oh my god! First wife then mother! Oh my god, Johanna, you are glowing!" They all fuss over her as other guests start pouring into the house, some of which included her mom and Darla.
"Here, Gabriel," Esme thrusts a plate of lasagna into my hands, "Baby showers are usually for the girls. So heat this at 350 degrees for 25 minutes and then serve while hot."
I blink and give Carlisle a look as he shrugs telling me just to obey orders.
After all the games and hugs and food and presents, we almost needed another house to keep everything in.
Once everyone had gone, Johanna insisted that we stay up late and finish opening presents and putting them away. We started with the house items, candles and pillows and dishes and such, and then spent the most time on the nursery. We had the most fun there, opening up clothes and highchairs and strollers, blankets and bottles and stuffed animals. I could really see the aspect of motherhood gleaming in Johanna's eyes, she wanted this more than anything. We ended up staying so late that the two of us collapsed into our bed just before sunrise. Nanuk folowed into our room and collapsed in a tired heap onto the cozy little bed cushion I had got just for him.
We're home, and we're here to stay. Just the four of us...
Downstairs I heard the door close.
...Five of us, Rhoan was here too. Sure he could have his own place at the main house, but let's face it; Rhoan is like a small child, he can't be left alone! Everytime Johanna and I had to go somewhere we ended up spreading him out to our friends and family. A week or two with Jordan, a week with Lottie, two weeks in Pennsylvania with Darla... This guy is like a lost puppy, he follows you everywhere.
Nanuk let out a growl as if he had heard my thoughts.
I responded in my mind; 'Well, hey,only the best and most loyal friends do.'
Satisfied with my reply, Nanuk lay down his head and fell asleep in his bed. His bed which was in his home. Our home.
-Gabriel
