He touched his can to mine.

     We rode our motorcycles on the back roads around La Push until the rain made them too muddy and
Jacob insisted that he was going to pass out if he didn’t eat soon. Billy greeted me easily when we got to the
house, as if my sudden reappearance meant nothing more complicated than that I’d wanted to spend the day
with my friend. After we ate the sandwiches Jacob made, we went out to the garage and I helped him clean up
the bikes. I hadn’t been here in months — since Edward had returned — but there was no sense of import to
it. It was just another afternoon in the garage.
     “This is nice,” I commented when he pulled the warm sodas from the grocery bag. “I’ve missed this
place.”
     He smiled, looking around at the plastic sheds bolted together over our heads. “Yeah, I can understand
that. All the splendor of the Taj Mahal, without the inconvenience and expense of traveling to India.”
     “To Washington’s little Taj Mahal,” I toasted, holding up my can.
     He touched his can to mine.
     “Do you remember last Valentine’s Day? I think that was the last time you were here — the last time
when things were still . . . normal, I mean.”
     I laughed. “Of course I remember. I traded a lifetime of servitude for a box of conversation hearts. That’s
not something I’m likely to forget.”
     He laughed with me. “That’s right. Hmm, servitude. I’ll have to think of something good.” Then he sighed.
“It feels like it was years ago. Another era. A happier one.”
     I couldn’t agree with him. This was my happy era now. But I was surprised to realize how many things I
missed from my own personal dark ages. I stared through the opening at the murky forest. The rain had
picked up again, but it was warm in the little garage, sitting next to Jacob. He was as good as a furnace.
     His fingers brushed my hand. “Things have really changed.”
     “Yeah,” I said, and then I reached out and patted the back tire of my bike. “Charlie used to like me. I
hope Billy doesn’t say anything about today. . . .” I bit my lip.
     “He won’t. He doesn’t get worked up about things the way Charlie does. Hey, I never did apologize

officially for that stupid move with the bike. I’m real sorry about ratting you out to Charlie. I wish I hadn’t.”
    I rolled my eyes. “Me, too.”
    “I’m really, really sorry.”
    He looked at me hopefully, his wet, tangled black hair sticking up in every direction around his pleading
face.
    “Oh, fine! You’re forgiven.”
    “Thanks, Bells!”