tough | b.swan

16 - After: Part Three

"No, we aren't having that tiling! This isn't the 80s!" Blake glares playfully at her mate as they sit at the table in the construction office.

Embry laughs. "I'm kidding, god you're soooo sensitive." He teases.

"Yeah, well I still haven't gotten over the little reunion yesterday, okay? Now seriously, I know this isn't fun but do you want a dark or light backsplash?"

"Light. Breaks up the fact you want dark wook flooring everywhere." He rolls his eyes playfully.

"Baby, we'll be living in the middle of nowhere. And you and your pack of delinquent brothers will end up scuffing my floors, making them dirty and ruining anything pretty. So yes, we are having dark flooring." She smiles, kissing him gently. "You can choose the carpet in the... No okay. You can design the landscape."

"I'd fight you more if you weren't paying for this whole thing." He says, writing down the numbers of the samples they like.

She giggles and gets back to work, comparing things and spreading them out to see how they may look. I'll be a couple months before they even have the house up, let alone things going in, but she doesn't mind. This is the first big decision she's made, and the first big purchase. And this will be her forever home, so it has to be perfect.

"Okay, but do we really need five bedrooms?" Embry asks, eying the plans.

Blake looks at him. "Where will our 9 kids go?" She pouts. She laughs hard at the look of sheer horror on Embry's suddenly pale, sweaty face. "Awh, baby, I'm kidding. The master is all ours. We should have a spare room or two, a room for the one kid we may have and then an office space or something. I want a place to be able to work. Y'know, since I'm so amazingly talented that I saved up for this house in less than a year."

He rolls his eyes, exhaling slowly. One kid. He can do that. "Yeah yeah, you own my ass, I get it." He kisses her cheek. He grabs her phone for her as she gets lost in everything again, answering. "How ya doing, chief?"

"Where's my baby, Embry?" Charlie rolls his eyes.

Em smirks. "Signing our lives away. Blaaaaake."

Blake looks up. "Hmm?" He holds the phone out and she takes it. "Y'ello?"

"I thought you were coming to see me." Charlie says half playful, half hurt.

B looks at the time. "Shit! Dad, I'm so sorry, we're still at the office. What time is visiting till?"

"8, but Carlisle said he's working nights today so he can sneak you in." He says chuckling.

"Fab." Blake rolls her eyes. "I will wrap up here and come right now, okay? Want me to bring you a salad?"

"You'll bring me a steak? Oh, you're a good daughter."

"Ha ha ha, yeah daddy, not gonna happen. Is Sue there? Do I get to meet her officially?" She grins.

Charlie stutters for a moment. "I mean, you know here it's no- ugh. Fine."

"Perfect. I'll see you soon, pop." She giggles and hangs up. She checks the forms quickly and her and Embry head to his truck, a smile on their faces.

"Y'know, it feels real good having you back... Now things are more settled." Em says, playing with her fingers as he drives.

Blake smiles. "I love being back with you. No time apart. No curfew."

He smiles gently and looks at the road. "Are we... Are we ever going to talk about what happened?"

Blake sighs. "Maybe. One day. But not yet, I-I can't yet. I don't even think it's sunken in yet."