"Thank you, Edward, but I don't need your help." I had been a vampire for 19 years, and still, Edward finds the need to escort me upstairs sometimes.
"Its ok, mum, I wont need any of your old things." Renesmee sat in my tiny cottage's lounge, along with Jacob, Edward and me.
"You will have these." I rushed upstairs and collected an old box of jewellery from my safe. It was just something Renee had got me for my 13th birthday, but I had grown to like them. I wanted to give Renesmee something for her evening out, even if it was only a hunting trip.
Downstairs, I placed the box on the coffee table. It was made of leather and wood, and the hinges were rusty, but I kept it for its memories. Another present, from Charlie, this time. My 15th. I'd loved it.
I watched my daughter's face as she opened the box to find a set of beautiful handmade jewellery. I heard her gasp.
"Bella," Jacob said, astounded. Renesmee was speechless, so he spoke for her. "We can't take these."
Renesmee reached into the box and took out a silver chain necklace. A small heart shape with an inscription on it dangled from the thin chain. Renesmee squinted as she read the message aloud. Of course, though, she didn't need to squint, with her incredible vampire sight. "Hopes and dreams last forever," she read. "Oh, mum. It's beautiful."
"There's more," I said, pointing to the silver earrings and bracelet in the box. She lifted them out, and another gasp filled the room.
"Mum, don't you want these?"
"I thought they'd suit you better." I looked into her deep brown eyes and at her pretty dimpled face, surrounded by her beautiful chocolate brown hair, which fell in ringlets down her back. I thought of how her eyes looked so much like mine, and how we'd had to lie to Charlie. And Renee. Renee, who had never met her grandchild. Who would be so proud, and happy that I'd found the life that made me happy.
Jacob helped her put on the jewellery, and she put her hand on his face. How soft her skin must feel. Jacob opened his eyes and a huge grin spread across his face. My smile. But I handed that smile over to Nessie the moment Jacob imprinted on her. I could only imagine what she had just told him through her strange gift of communication. I glanced at Edward, who would be able to hear what his daughter had just showed Jacob, even if he did choose to respect her privacy. He smiled softly, and it was a smile of happiness.
Renesmee turned to face me. It was amazing, but wearing the jewellery, a gift from her grandmother, she looked even more adorable, even more loveable, than ever before. She stood up and walked to me and put her hand on my face. Though it took no effort for her to do this, I was still amazed at how she chose to do this rather than speak. We knew that when she chose to do this, she really meant it. I now understood Edward's smile from before.
Her silent thank you was all I needed to make me smile. I opened my eyes and gave her a big hug. "I love you, Nessie." I whispered.
"Love you too, mum." she whispered back.
Jacob stood up, much taller than anyone in the room. Renesmee skipped to him, and reminded me slightly of her aunt, with her graceful, pixie like dance-walk. The two of them stood together, and Jacob put his arms under hers, linking them at the front. He rested his chin lightly on Nessie's head. It made me happy, but sad.
Happy- to see my Jacob and my Renesmee together, and happy.
But sad- to see her grow up. I knew she wouldn't grow much more. Nahuel, the only male of her kind, stopped growth at the age of 7, but it seems that females take longer. Though she grew fast after her birth, it gradually slowed down to the rate of a normal human when she was about 3. She had been growing normally until 19, and then suddenly stopped growing, only a few weeks ago. She'd been changing constantly until recently. And it made me very sad to see her now, fully grown up, as she would be forever. And Jacob, still not ageing. How, once, this had distressed me so, but I knew if he was ageing, it would hurt me so much, that one day, he might not be with us anymore.
"We'll be off now. See you soon." Jacob announced.
"Goodbye." I said. Each time they left, it upset me. So, I tried not to think about it too much. Once, on a day when Renesmee had still lived with us, after the family had left, we would put her to bed, and then go to bed with Edward. During the night, whilst he laid thinking, I would sneak into Nessie's room, not un-noticed, of course, but it amused me so to watch her sleep. Now, her face had not changed, but she had more maturity, and I hated to see her leave. For 19 years, she had stayed with me. Only a few weeks since she'd moved out and I already felt like I was missing a part of me.
Edward said his goodbyes, and we waved them off from the door of our cottage. He closed the door, and turned to face me. Soft lips touched mine and I wanted so badly to kiss back. But I turned away. A tear rolled down my cheek and Edward wiped it away.
"What's wrong?"
"You know too well."
"Show me."
I placed my hands on Edward's face and let my 'shield' float around him. I thought about Nessie growing up, and yet this was the only way to let him know what was wrong, it only made it worse.
He stepped back, out of my shield and I let it snap back. He knew that it hurt me to think about it, so he wasn't going to force me to.
Edward and I amused ourselves for the afternoon by going hunting. I caught a small deer, because I wasn't very hungry, but Edward went to lengths to catch a mountain lion.
We perched on a rock after draining our prey.
"She's happy you know." He said.
"I know. But, she's leaving us."
"She would have to leave some time. And who better to take her than Jacob?"
"You are right." Like always.
As we ran back home, I kept a short distance from Edward, but further that usual. We approached the break in the trees opposite our cottage, and saw a figure through the window, sitting, watching our TV. To human eyes, they wouldn't be able to even see the house from this distance, but I saw clearly the back of someone's head. A certain short sister-in-law of mine. My heart skipped a beat. Alice is home. Edward knew it too. He'd known it since Alice's thoughts had registered in his mind, only a few miles back. Our pace quickened, and soon, we were at our front door.
Inside, Alice was stood facing the door, ready to greet us. Beside her was Jasper, his face as un-changed as hers. The expression on my face alone expressed the pure happiness at her home-coming. And of course, Jasper was feeling my joy.
"Bella, Edward… we brought gifts."
"Alice. Your home." I said. And then we were in a big hug, which lasted a while. When she finally let go, she moved on to Edward, who had already greeted his brother. I went to Jasper. My happiness radiated back into the room through his gift.
"You've been longer than you said you would be." I said.
"Hello Bella. How are you?"
"Good, thanks." In truth, I had become dependant on Jaspers gift.
"So," I announced to the room after the greetings had been carried out. "How was your trip?"
Alice and Jasper left over a year ago to travel around the world. They'd wanted some alone time and we let them go. It was agony without part of my family, but I knew they'd be back. They promised.
"It was wonderful, but we missed you all so badly." Alice said. "Now on to gifts. I was going to wait until we got together with Carlisle and Esme, but he told me he was away this weekend. So's Rose and Emmett. And I can't wait, so I thought I'd give you two, Jacob and Nessie your presents now."
"Hang on, they knew you were coming home, but we didn't?"
"We couldn't get hold of you. I asked Carlisle to let you know, but he was away. So, surprise!" Alice chimed.
"Oh. Ok," Edward said. "I suppose you will force these gifts on us."
"Yes, it's the only way to make up for us staying away so long," she replied. She opened a suit-case with a tag on the side that read Bella. It was full of clothes in shopping bags. "We stopped off in Milan. I couldn't resist." The same Alice that I knew 19 years ago. She took out a dress that cut off at the knees. It had thin straps and was made of a black silky fabric.
"Alice-"
"No buts. I can't exactly return them to Milan, can I?" She said, handing me the closed suitcase.
"You couldn't stop her could you?" I asked Jasper, who shook his head.
"Now, Edward. This wasn't hard." She opened another case. She easily lifted up a set of leather bound books than any human would not be able to lift with one arm. She turned to me, "The only set of books he has not read twice. These were from the time of the Spanish Influenza." She handed them to Edward and he looked at them like they were a part of him already. I could only imagine that he was thinking of his real parents.
"Thank you, Alice, Jasper. These are wonderful. I will read them as soon as I can."
"Now, we'll go visit Nessie and Jacob." She said, as always, in a hurry to spread gifts. "We haven't seen their house yet."
"They've gone out hunting for a night out, up into the mountains. They won't be back until tomorrow afternoon." Edward said before I could.
"Oh, then we'll go settle back into our house, if that's okay." Jasper cut in.
"No, Jasper, we've just got back, can't we stay a little while?" Alice turned to face me. I couldn't resist her puppy-dog look.
"Of course. Stay as long as you like." I said. I was sure Edward wouldn't mind. "Have you eaten?"
"Yes, we took a few wild moose on the way here." Was Jasper's response. "It's good to be home. In Italy, it was all posh food, and France was just a joke."
"It was a great trip; you should take one, now that Nessie has moved out." She said.
Edward quickly changed the subject for me. "Well, did you meet anyone on your travels?"
"Surprisingly, no. Except for Tanya, on the way home, of course. They're doing well. And Katie and Garret too." Jaspers voice faded away as Alice and I crept away, leaving our 'brothers' to talk.
"You really missed us?"
"Of course. And you missed us too I suppose?" She asked, fake shock covering her features.
"Yeah. Well…" I joked.
"How've you been after she's moved out?" there was no Edward to save me now.
"Not great. I'm happy for her and all, but it's strange. I went into her room just the other day and she wasn't there. I knew why, but my brain wasn't accepting it. Edward had to drag me back to bed."
"Well, it's bound to happen, I wouldn't know, but I'm sure you'll get used to it. And she's not going to change anymore, so you'll always have her as she is now."
I hesitated, then, "Did you really have to buy all of those clothes? I have plenty."
"Fashions change, Bella. Fashions change, but we'll always look this good. Make the most of it and we can shop forever!"
"Alice. You haven't changed one bit."
We continued these discussions all night. Edward and Jasper left in the night to go and see something Jasper had spotted on their journey home. Alice and I were sat in the lounge in the late morning when there was a knock at the door. Alice had been so busy telling me all of her stories that she hadn't thought to look ahead.
Her face went very pale and she sat very still. I knew who it was. Renesmee was alone at my front door. So why was Alice acting like this?
I opened the door, and Renesmee's face was pale too. "Honey, what is it?" I asked, pulling her inside and sitting her down.
Alice was still sitting there like a statue.
"It's Jacob. He proposed last night."