Prologue
"Grandma, can you tell me a story?"
"A story? I thought you were too old for those?" I looked down at my twelve-year-old granddaughter, and raised an eyebrow at her. She shook her head at me and crossed her arms.
"Well… Only when mom or dad tells them. But that's only 'cause they tell the little kid stories." She raised her eyebrow at me.
I laughed under my breath and walked back across the room to her bed and sat down, groaning slightly as my old body settled on her Twilight comforter. "And what makes you think that I don't tell the little kid stories to you, Jezebel?"
"Because even though you won't let me tell mom…" She peeked at the cracked door, "You always tell me how you met Edward." She whispered the last part.
I sighed. Jezebel knew her way around predicaments. Just like her mother Renesmée. "Alright dear. Get comfortable- oh, and could you close your door please. I would, but I'm getting old and my body just isn't the same anymore." I murmured a thank you as Jezebel quickly jumped out of her bed, closed the door carefully and quietly, and then jumped back in. I smiled at her as I moved to lean against the wall next to her.
"Alright now. How does this story begin-" Jezebel interrupted excitedly.
"I know! You were going to the town's annual swing dance. And-" I interrupted her right back.
"Now let me tell the story," I playfully tickled her stomach. "You're right, Jezebel, it was the year 1952 and the annual swing dance was coming up. My friends convinced me to go. As you know I wasn't the most coordinated person, but your great-grandfather had bought me a new beautiful dark blue dress, and it was the only occasion I could think to wear it in.
"So my friends and I got all gussied up and went to the town square to the dance. I didn't have a boyfriend and didn't intend to get one that night, but fate stepped in, I guess you could say. My friends and I danced and had loads of fun but as the night carried on they each found a man to escort them for the rest of the night. That was okay with me though- I had had my fun." I no longer saw Jezebel's room; I saw the streamed lights and the tent over everyone's head and I saw-
"And that's when you saw Edward!" This was Jezebel's favorite part.
"Yes, that was when I saw my dear Edward for the first time." Memories came rushing back to me.
"Hello, miss. I see that you are alone, and I was wondering if I could have this dance?" The man standing in front of me was absolutely gorgeous. He had brown hair with streaks of red through it and the greenest eyes I had ever seen. His skin was pale (but mine was too); it was obvious that he had well defined muscles beneath his suit as he reached out to me.
"What's your name?" I asked, eyeing his hand. He smirked.
"Edward Cullen. Does that meet your standards?" It was then that I noticed that he had the sexiest crooked smile I had seen.
"Um, y-yes I suppose so." I stammered as the next song started. I glanced at the band, then back at Edward. "Alright, we can dance. But only for this song, deal?"
He smiled, "Deal." Then he took my hand and swung me gracefully out onto the dance floor. Big mistake.
My foot caught on my other foot- damn these heels- and I fell into his chest. "Whoops! You alright there, miss?" His voice was deep and smooth, like honey. It sent shivers down my spine.
"Um, yeah, I'm great. It's just, well I'm not really used to wearing heels and I am such a klutz, and I don't really know how to dance either so-" I gasped as his hand went from the middle of my back to right above my bottom.
"You're doing just fine. And so I don't have to keep calling you miss, what is your name?" His hand moved back up the middle of my back slowly.
"B-bella Sawn. Isabella, but I liked to be called Bella, please." I bit my lip to keep from talking too much again.
"Beautiful." He said quietly.
"What was that?" I asked, looking into his eyes. Just then he spun me out and away from him. As he took hold of my hand again, I realized how cold it was. Surprised, I looked to his face again.
"I was just thinking out loud- did you know that 'bella' in Italian means 'beautiful'?" He asked inquisitively, smiling crookedly again.
"Yes, I did. That's been several men's pick up lines in the past, in fact." Without another word I slipped out of his arms and walked toward the exit quickly.
"And that's when he begged you to forgive him, right?" Jezebel's voice was filled with delight and elation. She was clinging to my wrinkled arm tightly.
I patted her hand. "Yes, Jezz. That's when he begged me to forgive him and spend the rest of the night with him. He said he would do anything to earn my credence again." I paused, thinking of the look on Edward's face.
"So what did you say, Grandma?" Her eyes sparkled with wonderment of the idea; the idea of true love.
"Well, he was so dang charming that I just could not resist his offer and his begging. Although I did drag out the begging a little bit more than was needed."
"Bella, please. I did not know that was a sensitive… spot for you. I- well there's no not blunt way to say this, but I really like you." His words stunned me speechless.
"You like me? That's it, you're just going to come right out and say it- 'I like you'." He nodded his head vigorously. Sighing in frustration I turned away from him and started walking home.
"Yes, Bella. I'm being that blunt because I like you that much. Don't you get it?" His voice was harsher now, but he did make sense. I just couldn't shake this weird feeling I had about him.
I stopped and spun around to face Edward, almost falling on my bottom as I did so. "Fine. But you have one chance, Edward Cullen. If you screw this up, you will have no legitimate excuse to talk or interact with me pleasurably. Understood?" I shook my finger in his face, trying to punctuate my point.
He nodded once. "Now, what time is your curfew?" His slight dimples appeared as his smile spread across his face.
I blushed, "11:30." It seemed so early compared to others. Edward looked like a rich boy, or at least like he was from a rich family that doted upon him. I'm sure he didn't even have a curfew.
"No worries, dearest Bella. We still have an hour and I can make that the best hour of your life."
"And for the rest of the night he took me to the lake that was close to town. Edward was right, it really was the best night of my life." I finished the story with a smile on my face and a feeling of deep nostalgia in my heart.
"Grandma, there has to be more. Please, I know there is, just tell me?" Jezz was as excited about this story as she was the first time I told it to her. And I withheld the same amount of information as I did the first time. Like the fact that my love was really a vampire and our daughter is half vampire half human.
"I'm sorry dear, but there really is not much left to tell." I replied.
"Well… What about… Did you get home in time? Did your daddy get mad at you because you came home with a boy?"
"Honey… It's your bedtime and I have already broken one of your mommy's rules by telling you this story… Again. You need to go to bed." I kissed her cute little forehead and turned out the light just before I closed her door and whispered a goodnight. And then I was faced with my angry daughter.
"Mother." Renesmée said through her teeth.
