Jacob Black pulled into his driveway and smiled. It looked like Renesmee had decorated the house with brightly colored lights while he was at work. The lights outlined the roof line and adorned a big fir tree in the front yard. He shook his head, amazed at how she could find the time while caring for their four kids.
Entering the back door, he set his lunch box on the counter next to two smaller ones. He dutifully opened all three and removed the thermoses, dumping any remaining contents down the sink and filling each with water. Four-year-old Jimmy came running into the kitchen and tugged on Jacob's dirty jeans. He held up his hands. "Daddy?"
God, how he loved that name! He picked up the little boy and set him, giggling, on his broad shoulders. "Let's go find Mommy, okay?" Jacob ducked through the doorway into the family room. Mei Hua Black dropped her picture book and came running. Jacob scooped the little girl up in his arms and kissed her. "Where's Mommy, Mei?" The two-year-old pointed.
Almost hidden behind a huge Christmas tree, Renesmee sat in her wooden rocker holding 11-month-old Clarence. His tiny brown face lit up when he saw Jacob. "Dada!" Chubby hands reached out for him.
Renesmee stood and held up her face for a kiss. "Sure, when your tummy is full it's all about Dada! But when it's time to change your diaper…" She laughed.
"Hey! I've changed my share of diapers!" Jacob complained half-heartedly. He knew his wife was the glue holding this patchwork family together "Mmmm...you taste good." He smiled and kissed her once more.
"Sorry, Babe, but you smell like motor oil. Go get your shower while I start supper." She set the baby in his playpen and headed for the kitchen.
Freshly showered, clad in flannel shorts and a t-shirt, he helped her set the table. As she ducked under his arm to place Mei's tiny fork and spoon, she suddenly looked up at him. "Damn. Now you smell good enough to eat!"
Chuckling, he set down the rest of the plates. "Honey, I ran into Embry today at the auto parts store. He said Leah's going to call you about setting up a playdate. Is your calendar handy?"
She picked up her phone and opened the calendar app. "Thursday afternoons are usually good, after I pick them up from Pre-K. I can pick Amber up at the same time and bring her here. I'll coordinate with Leah." She pushed a few buttons and started to put the phone down. "Oh, and I had a call from Esme. Zafrina and Senna are in town and would like to see Clarence. I told them to stop by tomorrow."
He nodded. "Wait - one more thing while you have the calendar out. Can you squeeze in sex with your husband one of these days? Shouldn't take more than a half hour."
She frowned at the calendar, studying the notations. "How's next month? I think I have a Sunday night free, probably could give you a whole hour if you don't mind the baby watching. Otherwise, you'll just have to get the job done in 15 minutes." She giggled, shoving the phone in her pocket. "Is it really that bad, Jake?"
"It's been eight days," he pouted, "but who's counting?"
"Eight days and four hours," she shot back. "You're not the only one counting." She sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh, but it's soooo worth the wait!" she purred, kissing him lightly before calling, "Soup's on! Come and get it!"
The kids clambered into the kitchen and onto their assigned seats. Jake helped Mei into her booster chair while the twins took their places. The twins were strategically placed, one next to each parent. They were best friends, with the possible exception of meal time.
They were from the nearby Makah tribe, and they looked enough like Jacob to pass for his own children. Jacob and Renesmee had adopted them at only two months of age, shortly after their mother died in a car accident. The babies were in the car, but miraculously escaped unscathed.
Jacob and Renesmee had desperately wanted children, but Carlisle had broken the news to them before their marriage. As a human/vampire hybrid, she could never conceive a child of her own. It shot the hell out of Billy's theory that the imprint was meant to preserve their bloodline, but they had made their peace with it and decided to adopt. They were married five years when Jimmy and Jenny came into their lives, and the others had followed.
The strangest of these had been the message from Zafrina in the Amazon jungle. Zafrina had found a baby boy in a deserted hut. She didn't have a lot of compassion for humans in general, but the owner of the hut was a drug lord, a truly malevolent being, and she had dispatched him in traditional vampire fashion. As her victim's heart stuttered to a stop, she sensed another faint heartbeat nearby. Hearing a muffled cry from an adjacent room, she found a tiny human who captivated her heart of stone. Reminded of a conversation she'd had with Carlisle Cullen about the Blacks, she contacted him - and the rest was history. Thankfully, Carlisle provided his jet for Renesmee and Bella to fly to the Pantanal wetlands in South America and pick the baby up. Mr. Jenks had been able to supply the necessary paperwork to make the adoption look official.
They had actually adopted Mei from an orphanage in Washington. Her family came from Canada, and there was little other information in the note they left with her. Jake and Nessie intended to blend some element of her Chinese culture into every holiday to honor her heritage. Not yet three, she was already more adept at using chopsticks than either of her parents. Their tree was decorated with red paper chains the children made together.
Renesmee set the bowls on the table and took her place, and the family joined hands. "Daddy, can I say the blessing?" It was Jenny who asked. "Amber and I have been practicing." Leah and Embry's only child was just a few months older than the twins, and she was Jenny's best friend.
Jacob smiled and nodded. She was so earnest. "It's MAY I, Honey, and of course you may. I'll help you if you need it."
Everyone bowed their heads and Jenny intoned: "We thank Great Spirit for this food; we thank the Earth Mother for producing it, and we thank all those who labored to bring it to us. May the food before us nourish the Spirit within us."
"Amen," Jacob breathed. "Great job, Sweetheart!"
Not to be outdone, Jimmy said "May I do it tomorrow? I know the words too." Jacob nodded. "Looks like we'll have to start taking turns!" He gave the hands on either side of his a gentle squeeze that quickly passed around the table.
As Renesmee helped the children load their plates, Mei picked up her fork with a frown. "No fork," she said clearly. Jacob chuckled and went to the silverware drawer and brought back a pair of chopsticks. Mei grinned and dug in.
After dinner, while the twins helped clean up the kitchen, Mei wanted to get in the playpen to play with Clarence. Jacob boosted her in and Clarence's face lit up. "Okay, Jen, your turn to take out the trash. Jimmy, you help Mommy load the dishwasher." Jacob finished clearing the table, washed it off, and replaced the yellow and white checkered tablecloth while Renesmee swept the floor. There was time for a one-hour movie before baths and brushing teeth. Bedtime was 8:00 sharp.
Renesmee collapsed beside Jacob on the couch. The tiny white lights on the tree provided scant illumination but plenty of romantic ambiance. "What's on your agenda for the evening?"
He bent and kissed her slowly. After nearly ten years of marriage and four kids, she still thrilled to his touch - and his wolf sense gloried in the reaction of his imprint. He looked at his watch. "I think I'll make out with my wife for maybe ten minutes, then I have some bookkeeping to take care of. Reconcile the accounts, pay some bills. How about you?"
"Laundry to fold - but I think I can spare those ten minutes first." She chuckled and relaxed into his warm embrace. Fifteen minutes later, the windows in the family room were steamy and clothing was in disarray.
Breathless, Jacob whispered, "Bills can wait for tomorrow. Want me to help you fold laundry?"
She gasped as his hot wandering fingers found their prize. "No! Laundry can...wait." Chuckling softly, he scooped her up in his arms and headed for the stairs, with a whole precious hour to kill before time to sleep. Tomorrow, the process would start all over again, but Christmas Eve meant a half day for him. The kids were out of school for a couple of weeks, and that made things easier.
Jacob's garage was doing well. He had a solid reputation for excellent work and fair prices, and he had all the work he could handle. Renesmee had honored a promise to her parents and completed her Masters degree in Child Psychology. She worked three nights a week with a group in Forks and volunteered one Saturday a month at a clinic on the rez. If Jacob couldn't be home with the kids, Bella or Esme loved to volunteer. Some day the children would realize that not all grandmothers were young and beautiful, and that not all giant wolves wanted to be climbed on. Their little world was unique, and they were happy in it.