I watched the sun set for the second time since Bella had begun transforming. I continued to wait with her and watch, holding her hand, smoothing her hair, stroking her arms.

In spite of my worry, it was fascinating to watch the venom do its work. I had seen it with Esme, Rosalie and Emmett, and now with Bella. Her skin had been made perfect. It was bleached white and smooth. Her features were altering slightly, straightening, being heightened in their beauty – not that I noticed any real difference in that. She had always been beautiful to me.

Her scent sweetened and became even more beautiful. The sight of her was breathtaking. I couldn't wait for her to wake … if she did.

Several hours after the sun had set I heard Alice approaching. She hadn't been to see Bella since she had helped me change her, as she had been trying to help Esme navigate the chaos downstairs. Nor was Alice finding her time with Renesmee completely gratifying; she continually looked into my daughter's future and saw nothing. Again and again she tried, but with the same result. She had spent some time sulking in a corner before she'd decided to check on me and Bella.

It didn't help that Carlisle was asking for her to try and predict if Renesmee would continue to grow at the same pace. She now looked about two months old. She was sleeping just then, and I wondered how much she would have grown in the morning, and if Bella would be awake to see it.

Alice peeked around the corner. Knock, knock. I came to gloat. You know she's going to be fine, so stop denying it. She showed me a string of visions, which, I had to admit, I had been ignoring because I didn't want to get my hopes up, but there were so many now even I had to believe.

I answered her with a demand. "How much longer?"

"It won't be long now," she assured me. "See how clear she's becoming?" She showed me her latest vision of Bella, bright and beautiful, with open, blood-red eyes. "I can see her so much better." She sighed in relief.

I smirked. "Still feeling a little bitter?"

"Yes, thanks so much for bringing it up," she replied with a scowl. "You would be mortified too, if you realized that your were handcuffed by your own nature. I see vampires best, because I am one; I see humans okay, because I was one. But I can't see these odd half-breeds at all because they're nothing I've experienced. Bah!"

"Focus, Alice."

"Right." She nodded. "Bella's almost too easy to see now."

I looked at the vision of loveliness in her mind and finally accepted it. "She's really going to be fine."

"Of course she is."

"You weren't so sanguine two days ago," I reminded her.

"I couldn't see right two days ago. But now that she's free of all the blind spots, it's a piece of cake."

"Could you concentrate for me? On the clock – give me an estimate."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "So impatient. Fine. Give me a sec –"

She concentrated on the image of Bella, and zoomed in on a clock in the corner of the image. It read 7:00 am. Six hours from now.

Six hours. That's all I had to wait. "Thank you Alice." I smiled.

She gazed fondly at my wife; her best friend. She was running through all the fashion possibilities in her mind as her eyes roved over Bella's figure. "She's going to be dazzling."

"She always has been," I growled.

"You know what I mean," she replied with a snort. "Look at her."

I raised an eyebrow.

Yes, I know, she thought. She looks just the same as ever to you.

I smiled as she left.

So there was now every reason for me to believe that Bella was going to be fine. The visions were too concrete for even my denials to continue. I had seen her in Alice's mind, standing, eyes opened, fully aware of what was happening around her, so it seemed her condition would be normal.

Now the worry about her recovery was receding, another worry took its place, the one that had tortured me ever since Alice had first seen a vision of Bella becoming a vampire. Would she be truly happy in this life?

Bella had said continually that all she wanted was to live with me forever, and everything else, family and friends, she was willing to give up. Countless times I had tried to tell her that it wasn't going to be that easy. What if she found it difficult to adjust to this life, as Jasper was expecting? What if the realization that she could never see her family again struck her with full force? She would never be able to visit Renee. It would be best if both her mother and Charlie thought Bella was dead. Could she live with that, now that it was a permanent reality?

Would she turn to me, once she saw her blood-red eyes, and declare that she hated me for what I'd done? Even she, on our honeymoon, had told me that she wouldn't mind waiting a little longer before she made the change, but the pregnancy had put an end to those plans. What if that was a sign she had changed her mind about becoming a vampire at all? Would she accept it now?

I continued to worry for the next few hours, wondering if she would wind up hating me after all this, but, to my surprise, another thought came to me. Something that I had never thought before.

Has she ever been wrong about anything?

Bella had professed from the start that she wanted to be with me forever. She had told me that her feelings for me were stronger that anything else. I hadn't believed it. That was what had made me leave her; the thought that she would be better off without me. She wasn't. My absence nearly destroyed her. She had been right about that.

She had been right about Victoria and the newborns. She had been right about Jacob belonging in her life – just not with her, but with our daughter – and, most importantly, she had been right about Renesmee. In spite of all the pain it had put us both through, and how close a call it had been, she had been right to keep her.

Was she wrong this time? Or was she right? Would she still love me? Would she cope with this life? Could I believe that?

For the first time I allowed myself to hope. Perhaps this was the right thing. Bella had been sure of this above all things. Would her faith be justified?

And who knew? Perhaps I would get more than I bargained for. Perhaps, now her mind was more like mine, I would be able to hear her thoughts. That would be a boon I had not expected.

I continued to watch her, occasionally receiving snippets of thoughts from Jasper as he ran through his plans for when Bella had recovered.

We need to keep her away from Nessie until after she's hunted, he thought. Emmett and I will come up when the transformation is in its final stages in case she is unable to control herself. Edward, I'm guessing you'll want to stay with her, and I think that's a good idea, as I think you'll have a calming effect on her. Just be careful. It's likely she will be erratic and volatile.

I nodded. I had seen enough newborns, both through my own experience, and through Jasper's memories, to know how difficult they could be. I didn't think Bella would be among the worst, but who knew? We were fortunate to have Jasper, not just with his experience, but with his ability to control emotions. His help would be invaluable. We could have done with him for Emmett …

Just before seven, Bella's heartbeat picked up. It was the sign I had been waiting for. The sign that her transformation was drawing to a close.

"Carlisle," I called. Carlisle was measuring Renesmee, who had just woken, but he downed his equipment and flew up the stairs. Alice was behind him. She already knew what was about to happen.

"Listen," I said, as they entered the room.

Carlisle's eyes narrowed at Bella's still motionless form, and did not miss the sound of her heart. "Ah. It's almost over."

"Soon," Alice agreed, looking like she was about to bounce up and down with excitement. "I'll get the others. Should I have Rosalie …?"

"Yes – keep the baby away."

The hand I held in mine twitched suddenly, and I turned back to my wife. It was the first time she'd moved since the birth. I squeezed her hand. "Bella? Bella, love?"

"I'll bring them right up," Alice said, racing out the door.

Bella's heart beat even faster. She sucked in a deep breath and her back arched with a sudden, sharp movement, before slumping back onto the table. Her breath continued to come fast and hard as her heart beat desperately, trying to keep going in spite of the venom's advance. But it was impossible. It was over.

Her heart stuttered a few times before falling silent. Her breath silenced too, as did ours, even Emmett and Jasper, who had just arrived at the door. Carlisle retreated to stand with them, but I wasn't moving. I would be here for Bella when she opened her eyes.

It didn't take long. A moment later they snapped open, blood-red and wild, and she looked around her.