The sky was beautifully colored with the sun setting in the west. It was the perfect day, just one of many in my seemingly perfect life as a vampire. As I looked around at the group of people that make up my family, I realized I have everything I could ever want. I saw Edward, my godlike husband, playing ball with Emmett and Jasper my brothers-in-law, more brothers then anything. Carlisle and Esme were setting up for the celebration tomorrow. My angel-daughter Renesmee was playing with her Aunts Alice and Rosalie and my best friend Jacob.
Tomorrow was her "first" birthday. Although she looked like she was about to celebrate her Sixth, and if you talked to her you'd think she was well on her way to her thirties a trait she inherited from her mother, a small joke between Edward and I. You see Renesmee was a very special child, although not one of a kind like we thought at her birth, she is half-vampire and half-human. She was the "souvenir" Edward and I brought home from our honeymoon, another of our jokes.
She, like the rest of our family, has the natural aptitudes common to vampires such as running, although not as fast a full-blood vampire, hyped up senses, and the diet of blood; although not humans we are vegetarian vampires (its amazing how many inside jokes you accumulate when you live forever). She also has a special ability like almost everyone in our family. She can transfer her thoughts to anyone, and I mean anyone, simply by touching them with her fingertips, another mix of her parents in her.
She is absolutely the most beautiful "toddler" you'll ever see with her long auburn curls and my own chocolate brown eyes. When she officially comes of age some six years from now we are going to have the beat the boys off with bats, or just set Jacob on them.
We are making tomorrow a joint celebration between my daughter and myself, for it is also days before my birthday, both human and vampire. It was Alice's idea: "Come on Bella, You've had a year to adjust to our way of living, we are rich, get over It.," she told me when the idea was first broached.
Its not that I'm against having money, believe me when you can't sleep ever, you have to entertain yourself some how. My tastes run between a mix of Esme and Alice, I have recently taken to decorating houses, especially since we are moving from Forks to our new home of Bayview, Washington, and my abhorrence to shopping quickly disappeared due to Alice's delight.
With the appearance of Renesmee, we quickly realized that the citizens of Forks were becoming slightly suspicious. So we fabricated a story about the opportunity for Carlisle to start his own non-profit hospital, and who could pass up that opportunity. It wasn't a total lie, however, Carlisle did have the opportunity head up his own hospital, but this didn't come around naturally, lets just leave it at that.
Bayview seemed perfect for us, still in Washington so we can take advantage of the constant cloud cover, close enough for Jacob and my dad Charlie to visit and with the small populations we are accustomed to. Not to mention near the ocean so that Renesmee can indulge in her new found love of swimming. We are leaving Forks after the celebration tomorrow and it's off to Bayview to prepare for us to restart in school much to the displeasure of Rosalie and Emmett.
It was necessary for us to all restart in school for us to maximize the time spent in Bayview. Edward, Alice and I would start as freshman and Jasper Rosalie and Emmett would be sophomores.
They would keep up the previous arrangement of Edward Alice and Emmett being related and niece and nephew to Esme while Jasper and Rosalie would be twins adopted into the family. I however was new, so we had to figure something out that would be believable and yet not cause my relationship with Edward to become incestuous and we finally settled on Carlisle's ward.
My "Father" was Carlisle's best friend and having no other family after his death the Cullens graciously aloud me to live in their home. I would keep my maiden name of Swan and it allowed me to stay with my husband, although the title would be kept in the family.
Renesmee also posed a problem so we decided that she would be my younger sister and would carry the Swan last name as well. We planned on keeping her home and out of the public eye as much as possible, so Esme would be home-schooling her, which both parties thoroughly excited about.
So lost in my thoughts about the move I didn't notice Edward sneak up behind me. Its quite hard to sneak up on a vampire on account of the heightened senses, however my sneaky husband was able to and we both laughed as he picked me up and swung me around.
"Not still upset about the party tomorrow, are you?" he asked. "Nah, not really, I was never upset about the attention on me anyways, I just didn't want to take any spotlight from Renesmee. It is her day after all." I replied. "You know she doesn't mind, she is so happy to get share with her beautiful momma," he said with a smile "I don't know how I was so lucky to have such a beautiful wife and daughter."
Looking into his eyes I thought the same thing. With his perfect features and truly pure soul I don't know how he came to love me when I was nothing but a klutzy, plain-jane human. But I did and now we are going to be together forever literally. I stood on my tip-toes to plant a kiss on his smiling mouth when a voice rang out
"Will you two stop mooning over each other, good god, you'd think they were out of this honeymoon stage by now," yelled Emmett. "And how long were you and Rose in this stage hmm? Still in it if I remember correctly." Edward replied and then he leaned down and finished the kiss I'd started, and then ran off with my favorite crooked smile still flashing at me.
I walked over to Esme and Carlisle to see them put the finishing touches on the stage. When asked what kind of celebration she wanted Renesmee replied that she wanted a talent show and everyone had to participate.
There was much grumbling at this especially from Jake, Jasper, and Emmett but one look into Renesmee's eyes and nobody could deny her anything. The stage was beautifully decorated with my daughter's favorite colors of lime green and hot pink. There was a microphone set up center stage as well as a baby grand piano in the corner for Edwards's performance.
I was truly excited about that part of the party because I had a feeling I knew the piece he would perform. My own performance was being carefully hidden from Edward, as it was a late anniversary present. I looked over and saw as Alice and Rosalie ran to the tree marked base in the game of hide and go seek continued on with Jake the seeker. I looked around carefully for my daughter and saw her pirched in a tree a few yard from base.
The mother in me still worried for her safety even though she was practically as Indestructible as we vampires. She jumped down and ran and touched the tree, just as my seven-foot best friend came bounding into the clearing.
Jake was just as special as the rest of us, well in his own way. Jacob was part of the Quilite tribe and when the boys (and some girls) came of age they aquired the ability to turn into wolves. Giant wolves, but not werewolves in the Van Helsing sense. Jacob was a special member of our family as he had imprinted (in other words found his soul mate) on my daughter. This was another difficulty we would face when Ness comes of age.
"Renesmee its time to get ready for bed." I called as I saw her attempt to hide a yawn. "Okay Momma, I'll race you home Jake." And she tore off through the woods with Jacob on her heels. I caught Edward's eye and he was at my side in an instant, "are you coming home as well or should I tuck her in?" "Like I would miss the opportunity to put my daughter to bed and then spend some alone time with her mother, I'll see you later guys" he said with a wink.
"You want to race too?" he said with a laugh. Before the words were out if his mouth I had taken off and was half way home. Edward had ever one in speed but with the element of surprise I might just beat him.
Or so I thought. I heard his laughter before I saw him, but he over took me in a millisecond. By the time I made it home he was leaning against our little cottage with a smile so bright it could have lit a dark room. "I always win."
A/N: THIS IS MY FIRST SHOT AT WRITING SO PLEASE REVIEW... BE BRUTAL... PLEASE... HOPE YOU LIKE IT :-D