The Raven and the Witch Hunter Omnibus

BIG BEAR CHAPTER 13

BIG BEAR CHAPTER 13

Vanessa smiled as Emma Jane walked down the airport gangway independently. She'd offered to hold her hand for support, but Emma Jane was way too proud for that. Instead, while she’d been a little shaky in the knees and paler than usual, she'd walked proudly off the plane into the airport, promptly bee-lining it to the nearby Starbucks.

"Was the flight better this time?" Vanessa watched as Emma Jane carefully sipped hot chocolate, then looked at her.

"No, not really," said Emma Jane, giving her a rueful smile. "I mean, it was nice to have you next to me on the plane, but I don't think flying is something I'll get used to anytime soon. If we were meant to fly, we'd have wings."

Vanessa raised an eyebrow, causing Emma Jane to laugh.

"Well, okay, you already have wings. It's completely different. That did help a little, actually. It crossed my mind more than once that if the plane crashed, you might be able to fly us to safety. Unless you were dead, in which case I wouldn't want to live anyway."

She spoke matter-of-factly, and Vanessa knew she was telling the truth, as morbid as it sounded to her. "Yikes. I'm not sure what to say to that. Thank you? Or that's incredibly disturbing?"

Emma Jane shrugged. "It is what it is."

Vanessa rolled her eyes as they headed for baggage claim. Emma Jane had her cane out again since they were in public, but otherwise the two girls were completely indistinguishable from any of the other travelers streaming in all directions through the airport. A glint of light sparkling from Emma Jane's left hand caught her eye, causing joy to warm her chest for the thousandth time.

It wasn't much, but it had been what Emma Jane had wanted. They'd spent a week in Banff playing tourist and had gone to the hot springs as Vanessa had initially planned. They'd also had one very special moment at the top of the mountain, which was witnessed by employees from the company they'd booked for the ceremony.

It had taken most of the remainder of the week to arrange everything they'd needed, including the paperwork, licenses, and venue. Vanessa had been surprised how much she enjoyed the details of what she'd normally have found to be frustratingly slow and tedious administrative details. Yet for some reason, the knowledge that everything she was doing was to tie them together forever had lifted her spirits and she'd loved every minute of it. They'd gone to every jewelry store in the small tourist town, the sheer number of which they hadn't been prepared for. Vanessa had chosen an emerald stone to complement the necklace as her symbol of love, but Emma Jane had selected a deep blue sapphire that matched the color of Vanessa's eyes. She'd also chosen it because of the stone’s association with wisdom, love, and commitment.

Vanessa remembered the day with crystal clarity and knew that every moment was now locked forever in her mind. They’d gone to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel for the actual ceremony, cancelling their reservation at the bed and breakfast for the final few days they were in Banff. While it was more expensive to stay at the old hotel, first built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1887, the place was magnificent. Vanessa's romantic side felt that it was the next best thing to getting married in a Scottish castle.

The weather had been beautiful, as though the spirit of Big Bear was blessing their day. The sun, always so elusive in San Francisco, had shone brightly over the crisp white snow, while the mountains outside the elegant room in which they made their promises to each other rose up as solid and eternal as their vows. With the presence of only the required witnesses, Vanessa and Emma Jane stood together with all of creation smiling down on them. They promised to love and cherish each other, gave each other rings to symbolize their commitment and promises for life, and finally sealed their vows with a sweet kiss.

And now as they returned home, to their home, Vanessa smiled and looked at her finger. They hadn't called anyone to tell them about what they'd done in Banff. Vanessa hadn't wanted to be interrogated about what she knew would be seen as a crazy caper. Not only was it sudden and unpredicted, but her parents hadn’t even met Emma Jane yet. Vanessa hoped they’d be okay with it, but realized it was more likely that they'd be upset they hadn't been at the ceremony.

Vanessa had known all the possible repercussions, deciding to go ahead anyway because she'd wanted it to be only the two of them when it happened. She still remembered the craziness of Mai and Jake's wedding day far too clearly and never wanted anything like that for herself or Emma Jane. Marriage was two people vowing to be together forever. The idea of everyone she knew being there, at such a private and special time, made her feel constrained. She didn't want to get married because of other people’s expectations. She'd wanted to do it just for Emma Jane, to show her exactly how much she meant to her.

"What do you think Cat will say?" Emma Jane sounded nervous, which brought Vanessa back to the present.

"Hmm? What? Oh, Cat?" Vanessa smiled at the small emerald on her left hand again. "She's going to be mad we didn't call her. Otherwise, I think she'll be happy for us."

Vanessa grabbed Emma Jane's suitcase off the carousel, but Emma Jane didn't appear convinced when she stood up. "Okay. Did she say she'd come pick us up?"

Vanessa shook her head. "No, I told her we'd cab it. I thought it would give us time to get home and relax prior to getting bombarded by questions." She bit her lip. "I also kind of booked the return flight for when I knew she'd be in school and maybe kind of didn't tell her exactly when it got in so that she didn't try to surprise us."

Emma Jane raised her eyebrows and Vanessa grimaced.

"Okay, maybe I'm nervous too. I want to have you in my room at home and just hold you for a while longer before we have to get back to reality."

Emma Jane's expression changed from judging to loving and she leaned over to give Vanessa a quick peck on the lips. "You're funny. Let's hit the taxi stand then, because I can't wait to cross the threshold with my wife for the first time."