First of all ... thank you to everyone who is reading this. I really appreciate it. Please, let me know what think of it or any suggestions.
Secondly, this chapter is obviously shorter that the others because, sometimes you just need those "little moments" chapters.
Enjoy!!
Again, I don't own any of them.
RPOV~
Two weeks after I had come home, dad and I went back to the cottage. The first few nights were difficult, having to see my mom's things again. Much to dad's relief, the nightmares that had haunted me did not return. On the third night, I slept peacefully through the night as dad watched over me.
With his help, I got into a routine that I could handle. Every morning, dad and I would head to the house where I would either eat breakfast or go on a short hunting trip with Esme. Alice would gather my homework from me to turn in then Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice and dad would leave for school. I spent the day with Esme. Half the day, she tutored me then I would eat lunch and I would sleep for a couple of hours. After I woke up, I would help her with the various projects she had going on. Around 3:30 pm, everyone would come home.
One day, Esme found me in the kitchen looking at the family photo album. She came and silently sat down next to me. I was looking at a photograph of mom and dad from their anniversary last year.
"Sweetheart, are you okay?" she asked.
"Valentine's day is in two weeks. Dad and mom always did something special."
Esme brushed the tear that sneaked out from my cheek. "You're worried about Edward?"
I nodded. "He may not say anything, but his eyes are sad. I want to do something for him, but I don't know what."
Esme thought from a moment then smiled. "I think I have an idea." She got up and we went upstairs to Esme's study. "You said one time that you wanted to build something that would hold all of your father's books."
"You mean the study I've wanted to build for him," I replied.
Esme nodded and pulled out the blueprints for the cottage and looked at them. "I think it's time to add a new addition to the cottage, don't you?"
"I do believe it is."
She showed me how to design a room using CAD. Therefore, I designed a study to house all of dad's books, music and journals at the cottage. In addition, I thought a piano and desk would be a nice touch. The exterior and interior would match the outside and inside of the cottage with three large windows that dropped into a window seat. When we began to work on the study, dad was not allowed to venture anywhere near the cottage. It would be his Valentine's Day present.
Alice, Esme, Rosalie and I worked on the interior while Carlisle, Jasper and Emmett worked on find the piano and desk. After a few days, Carlisle found a piano dated circa 1920 and a desk dated circa 1890. I wanted them to be dated when dad was born, but having one dated around the time of his birth and one around the time of his change, would definitely work.
It was two days before Valentine's Day. Therefore, dad and I decided to hunt, having some much needed father-daughter time. It was then that he expressed his aggravation to being kept in the dark.
"Renesmee, what is going on?" Edward asked.
"Dad, can't you for once, leave it alone?" I laughed, finding it hilarious that he was getting frustrated. "Let something be a surprise for once."
Edward sighed heavilythen smiled. "You look much better than you did when you came home." He tucked a stray curl behind my ear then cradled my cheek.
"I feel better." I smiled back as we sat on a rocky outcropping. "I think sometimes, we take things for granted after a while."
"Yes, that's true and sometimes it takes tragedy to remind us not to take those things for granted."
I looked at dad. His shoulders were slumped and the corners of his mouth were turned down slightly. "Is that really what you think, that you in some way, shape or form, neglected mom and I; that you failed us somehow?" When he did not answer, I decide to use his own words against him. "You don't see yourself clearly, do you?"
He turned his head, his calm mask falling away. He quickly turned his face away as a tearless sob ripped from him "Nessie … I miss her-" the words being choked off by a tearless cry.
I had never seen my dad break down like this. It startled me for a second. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I did for my dad what he had done for me. At one point, he tried to push me away.
"You don't need to see me like this," he sobbed.
I would not budge from my place by his side. "I'm not going anywhere. You caught me when I fell, so now, I'll catch you." I kissed his cheek. "You have never failed nor neglected us in anyway, dad."
We stayed there until he stilled. Dad put an around me, hugging me tight. "I love you so much, Renesmee, so much." Edward caught the scent of three mountain lions. "Are you still thirsty or have you had enough?"
I took a deep breathe. "I could go for one or two more."
Carlisle, Emmett and Jasper got the piano and desk into the cottage while Esme, Rosalie, Alice and I got the books, music and journals arranged on the shelves. We were putting the final additions on the room when we heard the guys approaching the cottage. I looked around the room quickly.
"Esme, do you think he'll like it?"
She nodded then gestured for us to go outside. I looked at dad and saw that he was not happy about being blindfolded. "Emmett, you can take the blindfold off Edward," Carlisle said.
Dad blinked a few times then looked around. Realizing we were all at the cottage, he looked over at me. "Nessie, why is everyone here? I can't take the translations anymore," he asked, clearly irritated at everyone. Then he noticed it, the new addition. "Where did that come from?
"Come inside and I'll show you." Dad and I went into first then everyone followed. We stopped in front of the doors that lead to the study. "Would you please close your eyes?" Dad closed his eyes then Esme opened the door. I lead dad into the study and rested his hand on the piano. "Okay, you can open them."
He opened his eyes. Shock and surprise took over his face. He walked around looking at the two hundred years of journals that he had written in and music and books he had collected. Then he closely inspected the piano and desk. "This is a Baldwin 5'8 Model R. Louis XV, isn't it?"
I nodded. "Yes, it is. It's circa 1920," I replied then I pointed to the desk. "The desk is circa 1890." I watched as dad continued around the room.
Dad turned, looked at everyone. "You all knew about this?" Everyone nodded. "Esme, was this your idea?"
"No, Edward, this was Nessie's," she said as she gestured toward me.
I smiled. "Happy Valentine's day, dad." Dad wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. "Do you like it?"
He looked around the room then turned back to me, giving me the warmest smile. "I love it, sweetheart, very much."
"Nessie even gathered up all of your journals and put them in here," Rosalie said as she brushed the shelf next to her.
Dad looked confused for a moment. I giggled. "Everyone helped me out a lot. Grandpa, Emmett and Jasper found the piano and desk. Alice, Grandma and Rosalie helped me with the interior."
"Son, would play for us?" Carlisle asked. I was only hoping that I had it tuned right. It seemed to take forever to get it right.
Dad sat down and ran his skilled hands over the ivory keys. I saw the corner of his mouth turn up. I knew I was going to miss something. He looked up at me. "It just needs a minute adjustment. You did a wonderful job, Nessie."