BellaPOV
It's been five years since Renesmee was born and we had the conflict with the Volturi. She's grown so much over the past five years, it's hard to believe sometimes. She looks so much like Edward with her tousled bronze hair and her dazzling smile. She looks a bit like I did when I was human, she has my eyes which were Charlie's brown eyes. She looks as if she's a little older than seventeen and her intelligence is passed that. She didn't attend highschool but between all of the Cullens she has a vast knowledge of almost every subject, some of it based on firsthand accounts and memories. She's never been sick and she heals almost as fast as a vampire. She maintains a diet of animal blood and certain human foods. She'll eat meat if its cooked extremely rare and she likes squash, lemons, icing and black beans. She doesn't make too much of a fuss over eating other foods but she says, more times than not, that it tastes like dirt.
Today is her fifth birthday and we're celebrating it with the entire family, including the Delani coven and everyone from La Push. Garrett is still with Kate in Alaska and Tanya has yet to met her mate. Eleazar and Carmen still live there too, of course they are in love as much as they were when they first met. Sam and Emily are married and have a beautiful little girl named Grace Noelle who is four. Paul and Rachel are also married and are waiting until Rachel finishes university to have children. Jared and Kim aren't married yet but they have been working with Alice to organize a New Years Eve wedding. Alice is beside herself with all the planning and dress designing. She's done a few weddings since Edward and I's but she's always had a special place in her heart for Kim. I think it's because Kim loves dressing up Nessie as much as Alice does. Seth, Embry, Quil and Leah run most of the patrols under Jacob now because Sam decided stop phasing so that he can age with his daughter and Emily. Everyone is under the assumption that Paul and Jared will also give up their wolf once they also have children and settle down more.
It's been an interesting five years with Jacob. He works at a mechanic shop in Port Angeles and has an apartment in Forks. He spends the time he's not working, sleeping or running patrols at the cottage with Renesmee. He is so amazing with her. He not only helped defend her life all of those years ago but he's been there with and for us through so much. He was the one who helped her through all of the awkward moments you have growing up. My beautiful daughter and her soul mate. She's known most of her life that there was something special between her and Jacob. Recently, however, she is beginning to wonder if she is his imprint. She knows about imprinting from being around Kim and Emily so often and hearing them talk about their relationships. She's also over heard conversations about Quil and Claire so she know it's possible to imprint on someone young. She does wonder if its possible because she's part vampire and she's been working up the nerve to ask me. Edward has always been careful to give her privacy when it comes to her thoughts but on occasion he's let me known what she's been thinking. We've always known this was inevitable, the two of them falling in love. I couldn't imagine a more perfect fit with our little girl and I will be happy as long as she is. He's taking it a bit harder than I am. She is only five, after all.
"Bella, honey, what are you doing?" Edward came up beside me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "You've been in here for almost an hour, love. Is something wrong?"
I shook my head and lifted my shield so that he could hear what I had been thinking about. I kissed his cheek and returned to looking at Nessie's baby album. He sighed and rested his head on my shoulder.
"Bella... we knew this day would come eventually. It's so hard to let her go, I know. It's probably harder for me since Jacob wasn't always my favorite person. I have to say though, no one is better for her than him."
"I know... It's just so hard to believe she's grown up so fast." I brushed my fingertips across the picture that had captured my attention. It was a picture of Renesmee sitting in front of the water at the La Push beach. She was about two in the picture so she looked about six. She was grinning up at the camera with a look of pure happiness and innocence. She truly is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I smiled at the memory of that day and her overwhelming excitement to get to play in the ocean and build sand castles all day. Of course Jacob was there with us, all of the Cullens had gone as well as Charlie and Billy. It had been her first trip to the beach. If you look closely enough at the picture you can see part of Jake's foot on the far left edge.
"I know it's hard and like I said, I don't want to let her go either. Her thoughts are getting more clear on her feelings about Jacob. I think she's planning on saying something to him today. Speaking of, she's going to be waking soon and we should help Alice with the last of the decorations." He kissed the top of my head and started towards the door.
I brushed the picture one more time and closed the album. I sat on our dresser next to the photo album of our wedding. I met Edward at the door to Nessie's bedroom and we poked our heads inside. There she was, our beautiful little girl, fast asleep. Her long legs were hanging off the end of the bed and her bronze hair was spread across her pillow like a halo. I smiled and decided she needed a new bedroom set. The one she had now was suited more for a pre-teen and she's ready for something more mature. My daughter, just turning five but mentally and physically and eighteen year old.
We walked silently out of her room and raced through the forest towards the main house. As expected, Alice flung the door open before we reached the porch. Rosalie and Esme were next to her and smiling brillantly.
"Bella! That's such a great idea. After we give Ness her presents and cake this morning we'll have plenty of time to go shopping for a new bedroom set and wardrobe before her party with Jacob tonight. It's going to be great!" She clapped her hands and hugged Edward and I before moving aside to let us into the house. I gave Rose and Esme hugs as I passed them to enter the main living room. Tanya, Carmen, Eleazar were watching the five am news with Jasper and Emmet. I knew Carlisle was at the hospital working so that he could be home in time for her party. We decided to do a brunch, buffet style, with all the adults and family. Jacob, Ness and the rest of the pack were going to have a bon fire party and the beach later tonight. I wondered where Kate and Garrett were though, so I turned to Carmen to ask.
"Carmen, where are Kate and Garrett?"
"They decided to go hunting before the party. Garrett is still getting used to the vegetarian diet but he sure does love the challenge!" Carmen and Eleazar laugh and stood up to hug Edward and I.
"It's been so long since we've seen you, since Christmas?" Eleazar gave me a kiss on the cheek and patted my head. "How fast Ness has grown up. How are you handling it, Edward?"
Edward sighed but responded as honestly as his could, "It's hard, I won't lie. I knew she wouldn't be my little girl forever but I did hope. I think that the worst is yet to come, I have a feeling today is the day she discuss the imprinting with Jacob."
The room collectively sighed and I could feel Jasper pushing calming emotions towards everyone. Esme and Alice looked guiltly happy and Rosalie looked disgusted. I could of sworn I heard her mumble 'mutt' but I couldn't be positive. Even with astounding hearing, some things can still be heard wrong. Especially if the person didn't want to be heard.
"I understand Edward. I have never been a father but we all love Renesmee a great deal and we all know how fast she's grown. We all want her to be happy and if that's with Jacob, we must let it happen. Even if it's a bit too soon for our liking." Eleazar squeezed Edwards shoulder comfortingly and walked back to finish watching the news.
We spent the next few hours hanging lights and putting up balloons. I knew this would probably be one of the last parties Renesmee would tolerate and I wanted to make it truly special. Esme, Edward and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen making food for the party. We decided on sausage and egg quiche, a few pounds of bacon, a ton of scrambled eggs, lemon poppy seed muffins, banana and walnut pancakes, and a coconut cake with a thick buttercream frosting. I knew she would want her bacon only cooked for a few seconds so I set aside a few pieces for her. Kate and Garrett came back around eight am and we spent some time talking with them. Everyone was due to arrive around eleven so at about nine thirty we went back to the house to change. After a quick shower and a fresh change of clothes, we walked to Nessie's room to wake her. Edward put his arm around me and gave me a quick kiss and we opened her bedroom door.