1.Special Place
I SMILED AT EDWARD, AS MY HANDS MOVED LIKE HIS
against the sleek ivory keys of the piano. Nessie clapped her hands appreciatively when we were through.
Nessie stood up, her legs wobbling a little, and managed to reach the side of me and press her fingertips against my chin—the highest thing she could touch.
It was the image of me playing the piano as fluently as Edward. "I'm not so bad, am I?" I said quietly. Edward wrapped his arm around my waist, his lips resting in my hair. I almost forgot Jacob was in the room too.
Then, on his own, Edward started playing again. It was my Lullaby. I needed to learn that too.
"Hey. Isn't that the song you hummed in the tent last year?" Jacob asked pulling Nessie up in his arms, tickling her stomach.
"Yes, it was the only thing that could distract me from your highly inappropriate thoughts before." He murmured.
I frowned. That weird dream was real. Them, talking about me. The unspoken questions. All of that. When Jacob tempted the rivalry between him and Edward. Now, it was as if none of that really happened.
As If brothers. Sometimes, Edward even patted him on the head, and called him son. I thought I got used to it a week ago.
The Volturi weren't going to bother us again, and everything was perfect.
"Jacob, what did you think inappropriate of? Was it about Mommy?" Nessie's voice ringed with curiosity. The atmosphere became tense. Edward made action before I did.
Nessie's face stayed serious as she was swept up into Edward's arms. "Renesmee, do you want to go somewhere special?" Edward alternated time to time with Renesmee and Nessie. I remembered, me always infuriated by everyone calling her that. But after the experience with the Volturi, I clung to her and called her by the name she actually liked the most. Nessie. Nessie, Nessie, Nessie. I had crooned.
"Special? Everywhere we are is special, right, Daddy?" Jacob rolled his eyes. "Well this is somewhere me and your Mom used to go to." Edward peered at Jacob. Jacob sighed and lifted up his hands.
"Sure, sure, I get it. It's also a private place…but I want to have Nessie with me by dawn…please." He added. Jacob quietly walked out of the Cullen house and phased, heading back to La Push.
Private, special, and the place we used to go to?
I pondered about it for a fourteenth of a second. The Meadow.
"Oh, yes, Nessie. You will love it there. Do you want to go?" Nessie leaned out to me, her hands flying in the air. I smiled and came beside her.
Her hands touched my forehead. It was Edward, saying the word special, constantly. She really wanted to go. I smiled wider.
"Can I carry her there, love?" I batted my eyelashes to Edward. He smiled my favorite crooked smile and handed her to me gently.
Nessie nestled her face into my hair, arms tight around my neck. "Don't let go…" We sprinted out the front door, making sure we closed it after ourselves, and headed into the woods. We jumped over the river, and found the trail. It was much shorter than it was when I was human.
"I see it, I see it!" Nessie cheered. A lighting, about 70 yards away, lit our path. We came out into the blistering sun, dropping to our knees—not because we were tired, but so we could smell the flowers, and let Nessie climb off my back.
She crawled around in the grass, breathing in the air. I stared my glowing baby, and then Edward. He was looking at me with sparkling golden eyes. "What?"
He shook his head. "You're an excellent mother. Your responsible, loyal, caring, loving, and beautiful." I felt like blushing. "You too. I bet you could be Father of the year." I teased. He laughed softly.
I looked back at where Nessie was. She stared unnaturally at a ladybug on a flower petal. Then, she pounced, the ladybug flying away in reaction. She giggled, music echoing in my ears.
I glanced up, my eyes widening. The meadow held so many memories. That tree, with a branch missing. The one Edward broke off with one hand.
Hard to believe it was 2 years ago. This human memory, I remember clearly. Where I was attacked by Laurent. Where I first saw Jacob in werewolf form. And now, the newest memory. With Renesmee.
Heaving a sigh, I laid back and closed my eyes. A rustle of grass distracted me. I turned my head and opened my eyes. Nessie gazed at me with wide eyes, lips curled up into a dimpled grin. Without a word, she laid down too and snuggled next to me.
I was afraid Edward was left out until a white arm pulled in front of us and rested there. As if sleeping in the mid-day sun. I could stay like this forever, If I wanted. Yes, forever was all I had. No time was ever wasted.
"Mom?" Nessie whispered.
"Hmm……?"
"I like this place."
"Of course. I loved this place. So many stuff to look back at here." My hand searched for Edward's face and I found it. I concentrated really hard, and felt my shield slip away.
Edward's arm moved a little when he saw the image of him trying to seduce me here—again, seduce, a word that never fitted in the sentence. When he found out I was trying to make everyone else happy. My shield recoiled back and I sighed.
Edward cleared his throat and sat up. Nessie stared at him with her big brown eyes. "It's time for the baby to eat…" Nessie was up and smiled widely. "I'm no baby! Jacob says I'm a big girl!" I laughed. She looked like a normal 4-year old now. She might be 5 in 2 months or so.
"Of course, you are. Sorry….now please get on Mommy's back…" I pulled her up and she made her way onto my back with no struggle. Then, her tiny body paused and blurted something I did not except. "You smell good!" Edward's lips twitched in the corner of my eye.
That's exactly what Edward always feared when I was mortal. My scent overwhelming him every time I moved. That is, until the Volturi and Cliff incident.
I flinched as I thought of that. "Bella?" Edward asked as we came into a clearing. We stopped and rested on a convenient boulder. I didn't notice Nessie waddle over to Edward, until she slipped and almost fell. Edward caught her in time.
She grabbed his fingers and put her head on his chest. Sighing with a smile, and closed her eyes. "Looks like she was more sleepy than hungry…" I whispered. Edward smirked and rocked her in his arms.
My breath caught and looked up. The sun sprayed in my face through the tree tops. Birds chirped and sang around us, but keeping distance. I could tell they were curious at how still we were. Like we were carved in with the rock itself.
"What are you thinking?" Edward said in a low voice—obviously frustrated.
"Many stuff." That only made him more flustered. "Just at how everything is now. That there isn't any troubles anymore, too." I amended.
"Ah." He breathed, and brushed his free hand against Nessie's forehead. "What a wonderful dream…" I focused all my attention on Renesmee now. I crept closer and caressed her tiny hand in mine. After a few moments, it was a different dream from the last time. It wasn't just colors and faces. It was an adventure.
She was running in the meadow, pouncing at dragonflies. Laughing, as she frolicked around. Then, something happened. The skies changed and a rainbow appeared. It hadn't rained or anything. A rainbow was there, and the sun was already hidden half behind the horizon line. It was Twilight. A Rainbow at Twilight?
"She's more creative than you were…" Edward teased. I smirked and released her hand. "I was only human." His smile faded, but then re-appeared, except wider. "We should get home." He handed her to me, and this time, we just walked. Our house wasn't too far.
"I'm kind of happy our house is a bit too small for Jacob. We need some privacy." I rolled my eyes.
"Nessie. Renesmee….Renesmee Black??" I glowered at that name for second, but shook it off. "It sounds a bit bland." Edward chuckled.
"Don't worry, love. She'll always be a Cullen. She's part vampire, isn't she?" I took his words for a while and smiled. "Yes."