"Whatever you'd like," Jace said affectionately, reaching over the table and squeezing Embry's hand. "I am at your disposal." Because as much as this was his honeymoon, too, he wanted to make sure Embry had a wonderful time. She deserved a break, from having a baby and being a new mother and all.
"We can totally go snorkelling. I wanna befriend a turtle." Turtles were cute in Jace's opinion. He finished up his breakfast and took the plates over to the dishwasher to wash them clean.
"I know you can't keep sea turtles as pets but we should get a tortoise or something. Luna can ride him around the house." Jace chuckled and opened the curtains to their balcony, letting a soft tropical breeze filter through the window.
"Let's just hope that volcano doesn't erupt," he joked. "If it does I shall shield you with my high notes."
"Jace," Embry said very carefully and somberly, but in truth she was clearly holding back a laugh."We are not giving our one month year old daughter a tortoise. So, you can give up on that fantasy." She declared with a firm shake of her head.
She rose from her seat at the dining table and moved to join him at the balcony. Briefly, she closed her eyes feeling the cool breeze and breathing in the fresh delicious air. "You'll protect me against molting lava with your high notes? How romantic and sweet."She laid her head against his shoulder, smiling brilliantly.
"What are you? A banshee or something? No human being's notes, no matter how high can go against that." Her smiled remained as she pulled back to freshen up some, staring by tying her long blonde her back. In doing so, it'd keep it of her way for the activities they had planned for the day.
"I may or may not be a banshee," Jace said mysteriously, flicking Embry on the end of the nose affectionately and leaning in and giving her a tender kiss to the lips. "Or maybe I'll shield you with my ego, that's impenetrable."
The couple broke away briefly to get ready for the day. Jace dressed in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt with sunglasses hanging off the collar by the arms. Once Embry had readied herself for the day, Jace took her hand and lead her down to the lobby of the hotel. He had rented a car for them for the duration of their stay, so he helped her inside before sliding into the driver's seat and taking them to the reef where the snorkelling took place.
The instructor was a handsome native who was giving Embry kind smiles and appreciative looks that made Jace wonder if he would get arrested for pushing him off the pier. He knew it was stupid to worry since they were literally married now, but still, he couldn't help but feel slightly defensive over his wife. Like he needed to hide her from everyone.
But he wouldn't do that because he wasn't a moron.
"If I run away with the dolphins, just give Luna to a sea turtle for her visitation," Jace told Embry as he strapped his wife's oxygen tank onto her back.
"Already planning to abandon your newlywed wife, huh?" Embry snorted with a hint of a smile. She lightly ran her fingers down the front straps, feeling the excitement surge through her for the activity they were about to dive into. Literally. It was only too bad they wouldn't be able to capture the sights with a photo to show others, but she was sure it'd only be more amazing up close.
She pulled his mask down over his face, smirking as she did. "Okay, sure. But that's only if I'm not feeling salty about it. Send me postcard."
To finish equipping herself, she crouched down to a secure the fins on her feet, only after that did she stand and pulled her own snorkeling mask over her face. And once they were given the okay, she dived, careful not to make too much of a splash and scare away any nearby wildlife.
Jace dove right in after his wife, slipping under the surface and into a paradise he would have never seen otherwise. The reef was breathtaking, with stunning displays of coral and tiny shoals of fish flicking through the gaps of leafy underwater vegetation. Jace was momentarily taken away by the beautiful scene around him.
He reached out, claimed Embry's hand and squeezed it gently as he reached down and plucked a small starfish from the ground. They had been told they were allowed to touch rocks and coral and starfish but not living animals and they couldn't take anything with them, not that Jace would have wanted to do that, anyway. No, he'd want to run away and live as a sea turtle himself.
He showed Embry the starfish before letting it go and admiring the clearly most beautiful detail of this world -- her. His gorgeous, stunning wife. Embry Lesecki.
Embry held his hand secure on her own, admiring the wildlife surrounding them. She came to recognize many of the sea creatures lying on the ground or swimming around without a care in the world. Coral, sea cucumbers, urchins and of course colorful fish. The particular fish she loved the most was the buttetfly fish.
The reef was so vibrant, full of color and life and simply a beautiful sight to behold. It was more than she had hoped it to be. What made it more special was the person she had the privilege to share the entire experience and beauty with. Her husband, the most important person in her life, Jace Lesecki.
After observing the charming starfish he had spotted, her eyes wandered to the sea floor where little ways ahead she spotted the dark eyes of a very familiar creature. A green sea turtle. She gestured to the reptile for her husband to see.
Jace looked at the sea turtle and his bright blue eyes, hidden behind a pair of goggles, widened with joy. He pulled his wife over to the stunning creature and gently brushed his fingers over the animal's shell, careful not to harm it or overwhelm it in any way. He didn't want to disrupt the wildlife.
The turtle looked up at the humans and calmly swam away. Jace let him go with a smile on his face, before turning to his wife, removing his mouthpiece and kissing her softly on her cheek.
He had never loved another human being more.
When the swim was over, he helped her up onto the pier and smiled as he removed her goggles and mouthpiece for her. "That was amazing. Not as amazing as you, of course."
Embry unstrapped the heavy and half empty oxygen tank from her back, feeling much lighter after doing so. A smile so bright that it could have outshone the sun was brought to her face at Jace's comment. His words never failed to make her feel magnificent. Magnificent because she was forever in love with him and she was more than okay with that.
And he was hers. That made her feel victorious and on top of the world. Music used to make her come alive. Now, it was Jace Lesecki.
"Oh, yeah. That's why I married you, huh?" She replied teasingly and leaned in to kiss him on the lips. It was a salty and wet kiss because of the seawater they were drenched in, but delicious all the same.
She pulled back and kissed his cheek affectionately. "I love you." She said tenderly, holding his hand in her own.
Jace happily kissed his beautiful bride back, he could never get enough of her or her presence. She was easily the highlight of his life, standing alongside Luna in the beacons of light for Jace Lesecki. How could he ever love a human being more than what he loved Embry?
She was perfect for him.
"I love you, too."
Jace lead them both up to the shore and to the outside shower, where he rinsed Embry's body of seawater, handed her a clean towel and did the same for himself. The diving instructor was still eyeing Embry with interest but Jace ignored him. Still, he put an arm around his wife's shoulder and handed her back her wedding ring.
"What do you want to do now, princess?" he inquired, brushing a couple of strands of her curly blonde locks away from her beautiful face. "The world is our oyster, and you are the pearl. Well, no, Hawaii is our oyster. You're still the pearl."
Embry wasn't blind to the instructor, but she pretended to be. This was not the first she had experienced clear interest or flirting from another, obviously. But she was hyperaware because she was in a relationship and she was a newlywed with her newlywed husband. However, it was easy to forget his existence and eyes on her body when standing and communicating with the love of her life.
"Unfortunately, we won't be able to see the fire dancers until tonight at the resorts restaurant," She thought aloud, slipping on her wedding ring. She smiled at it approvingly, it fit snuggly, perfectly on her finger, proceeding to prove they were meant to be.
She put her arm around his waist and looked up at him."But we can, however, see the hula dancing and have lunch or chill at the beach or pool."She pinched her lips. There was just so much for them to do, but they had two weeks to spare, so they could take there sweet time.
"What do you want to do?"
Jace blinked once or twice. He knew that this was very much his own honeymoon as well as hers, but he was so focused on making sure that Embry was enjoying herself and having a good time that he had never even stopped to think of what he wanted to do on their vacation.
"Hmm ..." Jace licked his lips thoughtfully, brushing his tongue over his lip ring as they walked up to the parking lot, in which their rental car sat, waiting for them. Jace made sure to put towels on both their seats and shake the sand off their shoes before they slid inside the vehicle.
"Maybe we should go and have some lunch by the pool, watch the hula dancing," Jace suggested as he drove. What he really wanted to see was the fire dancing, but as Embry had said, that wouldn't be occurring until later that evening.
"And we should call Luna later," Jace suggested. He didn't like not being with his baby girl. He knew, of course, that she was in very good, capable hands with his mother, but, still, he was a new parent and he had some level of anxiety when he was away from his daughter. Their daughter.
"That is the bet idea I've heard all day." Embry was quick to agree. She, like Jace, couldn't help but worry. Frankly, she sometimes worried about their child even when she was in the same room as her. And she hadn't wanted to call her since they had first landed on the island.
She looked out the car window, gazing at the beautiful and foreign land around them. The weather was hotter than Los Angeles, but it was easy to forget about with all the wondrous things to see and do on the island. The heat would be the last thing on one's mind. She loved it so far, more so because she was there on her honeymoon.
"When Luna gets older, we should come back here with her." She smiled at the idea, at the thought of their baby girl."We should also bring back a little souvenir or so for everyone."
"Ah, yes, souvenirs." Jace knew he was being selfish but he couldn't help but not worry about souvenirs for his family and friends all that much. He was here with Embry and he wanted to enjoy their nice honeymoon, but of course he would bring something back to Los Angeles for their loved ones.
"Cass and Evan wanted me to bring some hula girls back for them but I told them I'd rather not be arrested for human trafficking." Jace shook his head and tsked as if he was disappointed in his friends' antics.
Humming to himself as he parked, Jace helped Embry out of the car, took her hand and lead her to the pool, where there were many small booths and stands and cafes selling lunch to the resort's guests. Jace let Embry pick one out, ordered chilli fries and barbecue lamb ribs for himself and then let Embry order her meal.
"You're beautiful," Jace reminded his perfect wife, gazing at her with nothing but affection in his eyes as he brushed her hair back from her face. He knew she knew he loved her, but he still felt the need to tell her every single day because his absolute worst fear in life was losing her.
A teenage girl was going around and selling leis to the guests, so Jace purchased a purple one for Embry and draped it around her neck.
"Even with the leftover baby fat?" Embry chuckled softy, gently touching the the petals of her leis happily. She didn't mind the leftover weight she picked up during her pregnancy and had yet to lose. Besides, she didn't think it was noticeable and clearly her husband didn't care.
But of course it was a rhetorical question, she already knew how he felt. And it only made her feel intensely warm inside and continuously reminded her of her love for him, not that she needed reminding. A smile grew on her face and she leaned in to kiss his cheek lovingly.
She pushed remaining bits of chicken salad on her plate to the side and instead finished her cool glass of iced water.
"Embry, you could weigh four hundred pounds and I'd still think you're the most beautiful girl on the planet," Jace said honestly. He didn't care about the extra baby fat that lingered around her hips and breasts, because he knew that that weight had been added to support his child. Their child. Their beautiful little Luna. How could he dislike that weight if it had helped bring something so perfect into the world.
As if to prove this to Embry, he kissed her on the cheek and wrapped his arm around her soft middle for a moment, squeezing her tightly. God, he loved her. She was so beautiful and perfect and amazing in every way.
Soon they finished up their lunch and turned around in their seats to watch the hula girls do their morning dance. They looked nice, sure, but not as good as Embry did all of the time. She didn't need to dance to be gorgeous.
Regardless, he clapped when they were done and turned to Embry. "What's the plan?"
"We're going to call Luna, aren't we?" Embry pushed her now dry hair away from her face and tucker a couple of hair strands behind her ear. A small smile graced her lips and she stood up from her when she saw others doing the same. If she was to be honest, she had wanted to hop up from her seat as soon as the show ended.
Of course, the blonde haired beauty had loved watching the hula dance, every bit of it. But since he had mentioned phoning their daughter, it had been lingering around her mind for the entire time. She was eager to hear from her, she missed Luna, she loved Luna.
As much ad she did worry about their newborn, she was happy to be here, alone with Jace, her husband. It was their honeymoon and she was going to make sure they enjoyed every bit it. "We can Facetime or Skype her." She said, helping him out of his seat.
She stepped on toes and kissed his lips. Why? Because she could, she wanted to, she loved him. She held his hand in hers and laid her head against his shoulder as they made their way to their hotel room.
"Ah yes, I miss my Luna." Jace paid for their meal, kissed his wife and followed her up to their hotel room.
He flopped down on their couch and opened his phone before calling his mother on FaceTime. She answered, though with some confusion as she wasn't the best with technology, and directed the camera to Luna.
Jace melted at the cuteness of his daughter. His father was holding her in his arms, and she was awake, her bright, glossy blue eyes sparkling as she identified her mommy and daddy on the phone screen. She giggled and waved her little fist at the phone to say hello to her parents.
"Hello, beautiful," Jace crooned, waving back at his baby and wishing with all his might that he could be there to hold his infant. But he was happy in Hawaii with his wife.
Embry grinned at her baby, awing and waved back from her place at her husband's side. She missed her baby so much, though, it hadn't been too long since they had been apart she couldn't help but feel that way. Wanting to hold and nurse her and kiss her. She supposed it was simply part of being a new mother.
She blew a kiss to her daughter. "Hey, sweetie." She swooned, laying her head on her on Jace's shoulder as she watched their baby on his phone screen. She looked healthy and happy which was what was to be expected in the care of her grandparents who were not newcomers as she and Jace were. They had made the right choice leaving her with them.
"Is she eating alright? And sleeping? Does she cry a lot? She isn't keeping you up all night is she?" The blonde vocalist inquired, smiling happily at the infant on the screen, though, her questions was directed at her in-law.
Jace let Embry pepper his parents with questions as he gazed with nothing but affection at their enchanting baby girl. She was so beautiful that he couldn't help but become transfixed by her whenever he laid eyes on her. How could anyone resist her charms? She was gorgeous.
"She's been eating well, though I think she misses your breastmilk," Tanya told Embry. That had been one of Jace's main worries as he was incredibly supportive of breastfeeding and believed it was one of the most important aspects of an infant's life. But he knew that as soon as they got home, Luna would go back to receiving the nutrition she needed.
"She doesn't cry very much and she sleeps normally. And don't worry about waking us up, we don't mind at all."
"I mind," came Riley's voice from somewhere.
"Shut up, Riley," called Jace. Riley's floating middle finger appeared on screen.
"Stop fighting," Tanya scolded her boys. "Anyway, dears, Luna is going well. She just misses her mommy and daddy."
"We'll see you in a week and few days, baby." Embry cooed, addressing the small baby on the phone screen. Which would feel like forever and it probably was a forever for the little baby who had to be separated from her parents for two whole weeks. She missed her baby girl so much, still, she was enjoying her honeymoon to much to go back just yet.
"Oh and swearing or flipping off people in front of Luna. I'm not asking either. She may be a baby, but she learns from all those around her." Her words obviously directed at Riley. She remembered saying the same things to her own bandmates and Jace's as well. Naturally, there was no need to say this to either her parents or her in-laws. "I don't want my Luna's first word to be the F-bomb."
She smiled at Luna who was still gazing very merrily at them both. Embry waved at her once more, wishing she could touch her. "Be good to your uncle, sweetie."
