I sat with my back against a large oak tree that lived a few feet from the cottage. Edward had his head resting on my lap as we both watched our daughter sleep soundly on his marble hard chest, I played quietly with his hair as my attention shifted back and forth between him and Nessie. Today was on of those oddly sunny days, and I marvelled at Edwards beauty as well as my own, slowly flipping my wrist front and back to reflect the shine. I knew the day would come when my beauty no longer dazzled me, yet, Edward's on the other hand, would always hold my undivided attention. Renesmee stretched, yawning then clamping her little chubby lips back together in a pout before staring at me with her inescapable eyes. I scooped her up and sat her beside me, whilst plaiting her hair.
"Where's Jacob?" She sighed.
"Go see." I patted her bum to get her running. He was planning her birthday party, for when she turned 7 months, it was habit now as she was growing so quickly. She hopped and bounced over the roots, and stomped through the brown leaves in her mission to find her best friend.
I bent over to whisper "I love you" in Edward's ear but he grabbed my waist and shoulder with each hand, flipping me to the ground in front of him, before hovering over me. I pulled him closer, and wrapped my arms round his waist but he tangled the fingers of one hand through my hair, and wove his other hand through mine. I kept one hand firmly planted on the small of his back as he covered my throat with kisses. I rubbed a leg up his and wrapped myself further around him. Our lips crushed together, and we desperately needed to watch Nessie on her way back to the house, but neither of us could find the strength to stop. Eventually, about sixty seconds later, she came bounding towards us thinking we were playing a game, and leaped through the air, landing gracefully in Edward's arms.
"Eurgh!" She snorted whilst climbing onto Edward's shoulders, "Yuck, kissing." I reached up to her, pulling her face down towards me, and showered her cheeks in kisses. "Noo!" She squealed, laughing desperately. I pulled away and grabbed Edward's hand to run back to the house.
"One!" Nessie squeezed Edward's shoulders.
"Two…" He braced to set off.
"Three!" I raced ahead laughing.
We got to the house together and went through the lounge where everyone sat laughing. Nessie jumped from Edward and ran towards Jacob where he snuggled her close to his chest, while she sat in his lap listening intently.
The conversation died down, as Alice and Jasper left to hunt, Rosalie and Emmet went upstairs, and Esme and Carlisle went running. I squeezed Edward's hand before kissing him lightly on the lips and going through to the kitchen for some peace. Crossing my legs, I sat on top of the empty, granite, island counter and looked out across the river, thinking about what the new school would be like.
Renesmee's lullaby sailed throughout the house, soothing her and Jacob's squabble, and my boredom. It had been a couple of days since our last hunt, yet it seemed weeks ago that I was roaming in the fresh air. Edward was holding me hostage until he learned how capable I was around humans, in large capacities, and more importantly, in the presence of blood, before we left Forks for the new school. I'd been tested around jasper, to see if I could control my emotions independently, around Emmet to test whether I could "give up" whilst ravenous, around Alice to see whether I could quickly change the outcome of whichever situation, and finally around Edward to see if I could keep up with him. Slowly, very slowly, my "newborn" speed was wearing off, and he was slightly ahead of me during races. We had also learnt, that as I was becoming perhaps weaker, Renesmee was becoming stronger by the day. She had grown to the size of a 5 year old in the space of 6 months. Obviously, she was probably more mature than even a nineteen year old, but that didn't change the fact that my best friend, who was technically older than me now, was gradually becoming more infatuated with her.
My thoughts were suddenly interrupted when my personal miracle grabbed me from the counter top in the kitchen, speeding through the back door and over the river, where he finally stopped, putting me down, outside the cottage. We had become so used to spending our days at the Cullen's house that it seemed abnormal for Renesmee to come back to the cottage. We, therefore, had the whole house, whenever, to do whatever. I wasn't complaining. Edward pointed through the trees to the humans who had paused during their hike up the mountain. Obviously, a human would be blind to the fact that they even existed, but as a vampire, I could smell them from here. Immediately, I knew one of them was bleeding. Although the last hunt hadn't been so long ago, the burning in my throat rose to my mouth, where my lips began to water.
"One's just fallen over a branch. Care for a quick test now?" Edward grabbed my hand, smiling and squeezing it tightly. He would never put them in danger, even strangers, and after all my "tests", he evidently believed I was ready for it by myself.
"Sure," I said maybe a bit too enthusiastically, but not wanting him to be disappointed with any hesitation, "question is, are you?" I laughed.
We sailed through the trees with ease, and up to the spot where the hikers sat. The smell of blood was strong here, there was barely any wind, and the drizzling rain only made it more aromatic. Edward let go of my hand, and sat on the thickest branch of a tall tree, round the corner from the hikers.
"Go ahead." He said, a slight smirk to his voice. I looked at him confused, but drew in a short breath and smoothed down my coat that he had somehow slung over my shoulders when kidnapping me. I began to walk, wondering what the strangers would think as I wandered past in a man's jacket, heeled boots and slightly over the top hair, something Alice had been working on for Renesmee's birthday next week. I slowed my pace, and rounded the corner so that they were in full view.
Something I definitely was not expecting. There, sat on the rock wincing in pain, was Jessica Stanley with Mike Newton, Lauren and Eric Yorkie, swooning over her desperately. I couldn't help the snigger that escaped my lips, as she stared at me in disbelief.