Emmett's Jeanie

Chapter 72

Emmett's POV:

I took a deep breath before I looked away from her and towards little Gemma playing with Leah and Gio. I saw her follow my gaze from the corner of my eye but she didn't say anything, she was waiting for me to answer the question, though I wasn't sure how to explain it to her. I let out another unneeded sigh as I looked back at her and started my explanation.

"Jeanie, I know I said I would be the new genie's uncle but-" (Em)

"But you don't want too anymore?" (J)

I saw the look of heartbreak cross her face as she moved away from me, tears growing in her eyes. I tried to reach out to comfort her but she moved farther away from me. She shook her head closing her eyes and walking out of the tent into the garden. She turned back to face me only once as I saw the tears start to form in her eyes, breaking my heart as it did.

"I need you to see something, follow me." (J)

I felt myself follow her through the garden until we were a couple of yards away from the tent and the rest of her family. She stopped walking and so did I in front of what looked to be a willow tree except it was bright gold with silver leaves. She walked underneath it and I followed until she was at the other side.

"This tree is my wishing tree. Each genie has one for as long as they live, though for each genie they look very different. Aunt Jinny's for example is a rose bush, while Gio's is a redwood. Every time the genie wishes for something or grants someone else's wish, a new leaf or flower grows." (J)

I heard the sadness wash through her voice and it broke my own heart as I stared at her. The silver leaves blowing gently around us, wavering almost as much as her voice was. I took a few steps closer to her before stopping as she turned away from me again.

"Jeanie listen I-" (Em)

"These leaves here, they were some of the first that appeared. See every branch represents a different category of wishes you could say. These branches here, these wishes were all about you." (J)

"Me?" (Em)

I forgot about the point I was trying to get across to Jeanie that I wouldn't be a good uncle for Gemma, as she said that. I looked at the multiple branches of what had to be hundreds if not thousands of leaves she was walking under. I saw her touch a single leaf gently before letting it go as her hand fell to her side.

"When I was younger, Gemma's age, I wished to meet the one I was supposed to be with. I wished for him to be kind, courageous, and with a pure heart. I wished that we would meet and live happily ever after. I was a child after all and I loved fairy tales because to me they were just as real as the creatures that were in the stories themselves." (J)

"Jeanie I.....you never mentioned-" (Em)

"I was planning on showing you soon, since I was going to move it my house now, along with Gemma's once hers forms. I just thought that you should know that I have wished for you, just as you are now, since before you were even born as a human, let alone a vampire." (J)

I stayed silent as I watched another soft gentle breeze sway the thousands of leaves on the branches around us. Her soft curls moving in a similar way to the leaves as the wind rustled past us. I heard her take a deep breath before she seemed to stiffen some in front of me, still looking at the leaves rather than me as she spoke in a soft determined sounding voice.

"You do know that should you reject Gemma as her uncle it could separate us for the next few decades. I have a responsibility to her now, and if you don't want to be a part of her life I understand but I can't do that her. Not only would it break nearly fifty genie council rules to do that but I simply could never leave her like that." (J)