Coruscate || Jasper Hale [ON HOLD]

Birthday Blues

"The purpose of life is not to be happy.
It is to be useful, to be honourable,
to be compassionate,
to have it make some difference
that you have lived and lived well."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

"When Al said I'd love it, she meant it," Elle comments as she eyes her reflection.

The beautiful iridescent orange and fuchsia dress hugs her waist, the skirt flaring out slightly and coming to an end above her knee.
Brushing through her hair again, Elle pulls it over her right shoulder before fixing her hearing aid in place.

"You don't think this is all a bit..." Bella trails off next to her twin as she searches for the right word, "...excessive?"

Elle shakes her hair, letting it settle naturally before moving to her bed, sitting before responding, "I think they probably don't celebrate birthdays—they become pretty meaningless when you don't age—and this is an opportunity for them to experience a meaningful birthday again."

"And I have to wear a dress for this experience?" Bella questions as she looks at herself in the mirror, the dark green dress from Alice accentuating her fair skin.

"You still get to wear your sneakers," Elle reminds as she slips her feet into a pair of golden pumps, "I've been urged to wear pumps."

Bella snorts as she puts a headband on her hair.

"You two ready yet?" Charlie knocks on Elle's bedroom door, "I'm sure your boyfriends are waiting impatiently by their front door for the sound of the truck still in our driveway."

The imagery makes Elle snort as she jumps to her feet, tossing a cardigan at Bella who still studies her reflection, picking up her cardigan and moving to her door.

Opening the door, the younger twin jokes, "If Bells would just stop checking herself out..."

"I hate you."

Charlie glances between his daughters with a slightly-agape mouth, "You two look beautiful; I'll have to thank Alice for getting you to dress up.
Recalling who the twins will be seeing, Charlie adds protectively, "And then I'll have to scold her for it."

"Thank you, dad," Elle says with a smile as she pulls her black cardigan on, the sleeves reaching just below her elbow, her fingers caressing her new leather bracelet wrapped around her right wrist.

The Swan man waits until Bella is next to her sister before starting, "I want you two to have fun–but not too much fun–and to look after each other if anything-"

"Don't worry," Elle interjects, placing her hand on her dad's arm, "We're twins, we're stuck together so we'll always look after each other—no matter what. We both agreed a long time ago that if we didn't look after each other, the first to die would haunt the other's ass until they die."

Charlie chokes out a laugh as Bella facepalms.

"We should get going," the older twin states awkwardly, prompting the father to follow his daughters to the truck, instructions, advice, and threats against their boyfriends spilling from him until they pull away.