My Hope (Complete)

Chapter 23

Hope

I think Dad regretted his question the moment he said it. "I mean, not that you two should start touching each other. I just wondered if it would make any difference at this point." I see Mom laughing a little behind her hand. Noah's face is blank. I believe he is thinking that he should have just been touching me all along. I feel the same way. Now I'm a little irritated with myself for not just going for it.

I overheard Noah explaining to Dad how much he cares about me. This werewolf hearing really comes in handy sometimes. Okay, maybe I was listening in on purpose, just a little.  It really meant a lot to me. I teared up just a little bit. I think Delilah knew what I was doing. She gave me one of her sweet smiles.

"Well, Mr. Christianson, I will respect your wishes and not get any closer to Hope until she turns 18, if that is what you decide is right." "Call me Asher. I would just ask that you be respectful and not do anything intimate, like kissing, until she is 18. I suppose that holding her hand is acceptable." Dad concedes. My cheeks flush at my Dad talking about me kissing. But my heart surges at the idea of holding Noah's hand. He simply smiles over at me. Is he even excited at the idea? Maybe he's worried about the separation sickness.

"I'm going to go grab the dessert. Hope can you help me please?" Delilah asks. Thank you for small favors I think to myself. "I thought you needed a moment." She tells me when we get in the kitchen. "Thank you, that was so awkward.  I would rather not talk about kissing in front of my Dad. Delilah, Do you think Noah even wants to hold my hand?" I ask her as I scoop some ice cream onto each piece of home-made apple pie. This woman really can cook. She stops what she's doing and takes my hands in hers. "Hope, my son wants to hold your hand more than he wants to do anything in this world. The first time you touch your Soul Mate, it's magical. Trust me on this." That makes me feel so much better. I smile and thank her. Then we take dessert to the dinning room.

Thankfully, they are all laughing about something Zade said. He is always entertaining. I look right at Noah as I walk to the table, and he winks at me. That's new. It feels nice. Not anything like the guy at school. It's like he is telling me something.  Maybe, Yes, I want to hold your hand. I wish I could read his thoughts already.

Mom tells us a story about Delilah when she was pregnant with the twins. They went dress shopping for some big event. Delilah felt huge. She didn't want to try any of the dresses on. Mom made her put one on in the dressing room, but she didn't come out. Mom ended up going in there to find Delilah on the floor crying because she couldn't get the dress over her huge belly. Both of them are cracking up. I'm glad they can laugh about it now. It's nice that they share good memories and not just the one horrible one.

Dad tells everyone how he and Mom met. It was when I was little. They had a class together. He thought she was the most beautiful woman he ever saw. So, he kept trying to bump into her "accidently" and introduce himself. She somehow kept avoiding him. He goes on to tell how they finally officially met at the library where they were both studying the same subject and reached for the same book. They agreed to share it and the rest is history. I'm so glad they found each other. Mom could have ended up alone forever after what happened. It's not easy to lose your Soul Mate. But some people survive it. She's stronger than I ever thought.

We go home after dessert. I finish the rest of my homework. Take a bath to ease the achiness. Then I lay down and don't fall asleep. My head is full of thoughts of Noah. I try to imagine his smell. I actually grabbed a sweatshirt that was in his car today. He said I could keep it. I jump up to get it out of my backpack. I get back in bed and hold it up to my face. I take a deep breath of his scent. It's nice, but it isn't him. It will have to do for now.

I sleep for a while until I have a dream about being torn away from Noah out in the woods. I sit up in bed and try to clear my mind. I notice my phone is flashing with a text message. It's from only 15 minutes ago. "Hope, I miss you so much love. I'm running by your house. If you are asleep, that's okay. I will be in the back yard for a while, trying to focus on the healing power of your energy. If not, sleep well my love."

I grab my robe and go out onto the balcony. If he ran in his wolf form, he would definitely be here already. I take a deep breath and feel him nearby. I look down and see a black wolf below me. We make eye contact and I put up my finger to tell him to wait. I run downstairs and outside without even putting shoes on. I rush over to him and he takes a step back as I approach. "Would you rather touch for the first time in your human form?" I ask. He nods. "Okay. I will wait. I want to see what your fur feels like. It looks so soft. I wish we could communicate telepathically already." I tell him. He lays down and puts his head on his paws and looks at me. 

I feel free to express myself for some reason, maybe since he can't respond. "I never thought I could care about someone as much as I do you. I don't know if it's just the pull. But I don't think it is. I think I would be drawn to you even without it. You are handsome, and smart, and kind. I respect you. I want to learn everything about you. What you like, what you hate. I am looking forward to getting to know you, inside and out. The moment I met you, I knew you were a good person. Someone who puts others before themselves. Someone who deserves to be cherished. I'm so glad that I can be that person. If I could imagine my Soul Mate, it would be you." I realize I have a tear running down my cheek.

He moves just a tiny bit closer. I wipe away the tears. "Sorry, I don't know why I'm so emotional. This has been a crazy couple of weeks. I moved across the country, started a new school, found out that I am a werewolf, and found my Soul Mate." I look around myself. "And now I sit out in the freezing cold without any shoes, talking to a wolf. I'm hungry all the time, and I don't fit my clothes anymore." He just listens. "But, even with all of that, I am the happiest I have ever been. I am so excited about a future with you. I cant wait to one day be your wife." I tell him. He is looking at me intently, in my eyes. I love this man, this beast.

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