Chapter 1
Butterflies and Mud Pies
The sun rose early on that early June day, letting the rays of bright light fall into the light pink room, and over the butterfly bed, that held a little sleeping four-year old girl.
She tossed and turned in the bed, squinting her already closed eyes, as if it would make the bright sunlight go away. She gave up after ten minutes, realizing that the sun would not just go away at her wish. But, she got up with excitement. Today was the day she would meet someone new, someone her age. Her mother's friend's son, Jacob. Her mother had told her that Jacob was almost five, just like she was five in three months. She was excited to meet Jacob, and she hoped that he was excited to meet her.
As if on cue, her mother came into her room to wake her up.
"You're already up." Bella said, pretending to be surprised. "Are you excited about meeting Jacob today, Renesmee?"
Nessie smiled. "I can't wait!"
Bella laughed. "Good."
"Let's go now!" Renesmee said excitedly.
Bella laughed again. "Don't you want to get dressed and eat first? We don't have to be there for another hour."
"Oh." Renesmee got out of bed, and went to her drawers. She got out her favorite, good-luck panties, and her mother handed her a pink butterfly summer dress.
"Morning, sleeping beauties." Edward kissed his wife and daughter as they came into the kitchen.
"How are my lovely ladies this morning?"
"I get to see Jacob today." Renesmee said matter-of-factly, sitting straight in her chair.
"Is that right?" Edward smiled. "I had almost forgotten."
"No you didn't!" Nessie laughed. "You and Mommy were talking about it all week!"
"Well, now that I think about it…" Edward smiled. "It seems as if I do remember."
Renesmee smiled, satisfied with her father's answer. Bella came over to the table with her daughter's favorite breakfast, eggs with Italian cheese, two kinds of salt, and pepper, as well as bacon and toast. She ate it up quickly, so she could leave faster. After her parents had finished their breakfast, Bella took her daughter into the bathroom so they could finish getting ready.
"How do you want me to do you hair today, princess?" Bella asked as she brushed through her daughter's long, golden-bronze flyaway hair that she had inherited from her father.
"French braid!" Her eyes lit up.
"French braid it is." Bella smiled.
She quickly braided her daughter's hair, until each strand was twisted and intertwined with the other, and then let Renesmee look.
"I love it!" Renesmee said with joy.
"You're welcome, baby." Bella kissed her daughter. "Now, go get your shoes so we can go, ok?"
"Yes!" Nessie ran out of the bathroom as quick as a whip. She found her black ballet flats, and headed out the door with her parents.
xXx
"Jacob, they'll be here in five minutes," Sarah walked through the halls of her house, until she found her son's room.
"You better start getting ready."
"I'm ready, Mommy!" the five year old boy came out of his room, a big grin on his face. He was proud of himself for getting dressed without any help.
His orange tee shirt was on backwards. His blue plaid cargo shorts were also on backwards. At least he was closer this time.
Sarah sighed, got down on a knee, and smiled at her son. "How about I help you get your clothes on right, and then we can go meet Daddy, Rachael, and Rebecca outside?"
"'Kay, Mommy." Jacob turned around, and his mother followed him into his room, to switch his clothes, so they were facing the right way.
After they were finished, they went out to the front porch, and sat outside, to wait for the Cullens.
"What's her name again, Daddy?" Jacob asked his father.
"Who's name?" Billy asked.
"The girl who's coming over."
"Her name is Renesmee." Billy smiled.
"Re...Re…"
"How about you just call her 'Nessie'?" Rebecca suggested, seeing her brother struggling to pronounce her name right.
"Ok."
About five minutes later, a 2006 silver C30 Volvo came up into the Black's driveway.
"Their here!" Jacob bounced up and down—excited to be meeting new people today.
Rachael and Rebecca, both 10, had already meet Renesmee. But, that was nearly five years ago, when she was just a newborn, so they were a little excited to be seeing her again, a little bit older.
"Sarah!" Bella said, climbing out of the car. "It's been too long."
"The last time I saw you, you looked like you were about too pop." Sarah smiled, and walked down the steps of her porch to give her friend a hug.
"The last time I saw you, you had a small little baby in your arms."
"Momma!" Jacob ran down the steps of the porch, and then hid behind her legs, just as Renesmee and Edward came up behind Bella. Renesmee did the same thing as Jacob, hiding behind Bella's legs.
"And is this baby I saw five years ago?" Bella knelt down, to get eye level with the little boy behind Sarah's legs.
"Hi, Jacob," Bella smiled. "I'm Bella. The last time I saw you, were this big." Bella made a demonstration with her hands to show Jacob his size when he was a newborn.
That made him laugh. "Nuh-uh!"
"Yes way." Bella laughed a little.
"Bella's right," Sarah looked down at her son. "You were just a little baby the last time we saw each other."
"I was always this big!" Jacob puffed out his chest, making himself appear bigger.
Sarah laughed. "And you must be little Renesmee." She got knelt down to be eye level with the little girl. "The last time I saw you, were tiny, and your face was all red. You grew up to be such a pretty little girl, Nessie."
"Thank you." Renesmee swirled her dress, her cheeks red.
"So, how about we come inside, and we can all get to know each other again?" Sarah suggested, leading the small family into the house.
"So, Bella, Edward, do you still work in the ER at the hospital?" Billy asked, as the two families sat down around the table for lunch.
"Of course." Edward said. He worked at the new Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, as a trauma surgeon, his last year as a resident. Bella worked as a resident pediatric surgeon, in her last year as well.
"How old are you two now?" Edward asked Rachael and Rebecca.
"Ten." They answered in sync.
"What grade are you two in?"
"4th Grade."
"Wow." Renesmee was in awe of the big 4th graders. "I'm not even in Kindergarten yet!"
"How old are you, Nessie?" Rebecca asked.
"I'll be five in three months!" she said proudly.
"Are you going to Kindergarten in the fall, then?" Rachael asked.
"Yep!"
"Are you excited?" Sarah asked.
Renesmee nodded furiously.
"Jacob is starting Kindergarten this year as well," Billy said. "What school is she going too?"
"Seattle Country Day." Bella answered.
"Oh, that's too bad," Sarah said. "Jacob's going to Bryant Elementary."
"Well, maybe in high school," Edward said. "SCD is a K through eight school."
"Maybe." Sarah agreed.
"So, what do you guys do for work again?" Bella asked.
"Oncology at Seattle Children's." Sarah answered.
"Biology at Garfield High." Billy smiled.
"Oh, that's right," Edward said. "You're the one with the love of high school students and a passion for teaching."
Everyone laughed.
After lunch, they all went outside, the adults drinking a glass of wine on the porch, and the kids playing in the yard.
"Jacob, what are you doing?" Renesmee asked, walking up to Jacob, who was in a pile of mud patties.
"Makin' mud pies." Jacob said, looking up at Renesmee. "Call me Jake."
Renesmee smiled. "Can I help, Jake?"
"Well…I don't know. You have on a dress, and this gets really messy. And besides, you don't look like the type of person who likes mud pies."
"Oh yeah?" Renesmee picked up a handful of mud, and threw it in Jacob's face.
Jacob grinned, and grabbed a handful of mud, and threw it at Renesmee.
"So, can I make mud pies now?" Renesmee asked.
"Yes."
Renesmee sat in the mud, not caring that she was getting mud in her favorite dress. She enjoyed her time with Jacob a lot. Renesmee was glad that Jacob liked her, and she really liked his sisters. They were really nice.
The end of the day came faster than Renesmee and Jacob had expected. Pretty soon, Bella and Edward said their goodbyes to Sarah and Billy, and had Renesmee say her goodbyes to everyone.
The muddy four year old fell asleep on the ride home. Today had been a busy day for her.
But it had been a good day.