"...know! She's waking up!" someone whispers from my right.
"Seven more seconds!" Someone else says excitedly.
"Shh!" someone hisses. My eyes sleepily flutter open.
"Happy birthday!" a chorus of musical voices shout. I laugh, looking around at my family. Everyone is wearing party hats, and everyone looks happy and excited. Mom looks like her old self, the person I knew and loved that existed before we made this trip to Volterra.
I slide myself up with the palms of my hands in my bed. Alice flutters to my side, being her normal self also instead of the quiet, distant girl she has become recently.
"I just know you will love my present the best." she gushes, smiling excitedly.
"Are you screwing with me? She is obviously going to like mine the best." Emmett scoffs, folding his brawny arms over his chest. Alice sticks her tongue out at him, and he sticks his back out at her.
"You're both so childish." Dad mutters with a roll of his eyes. Like father like daughter.
"Here you go, dear. It's pistachio, your favorite." Esme pushes through the crowd to hand me my own mini-cake with sixteen candles lining the border.
It is sea foam green because it is, like she said, pistachio. I love pistachio, though most find it weird. There is ivory icing on it that I'm going to assume is butter-cream because that is also my favorite, and in big purple letters it says "HAPPY BIRTHDAY NESSIE". I scoop some up with my finger and lick it. Yep, butter-cream. Most human food tastes pretty bland to me, but pistachio cake with butter-cream icing always hits the spot.
"Stop that." Rose lightly smacks my hand away from the cake. "Pictures first." She holds up her shiny red Nikon camera. Everyone clears way, and I am so thankful that I have enough vampire beauty to not look like a mess in the mornings, and also very thankful that I wore my cutest PJs to bed last night. Carlisle lights the candles and then gets back.
I tilt the cake forward slightly to give Rose, who is standing at the end of my bed, a good view. I smile brightly, the camera flashes, and I blink a few times after being momentarily blinded.
"Close your eyes and make a wish!" Emmett booms excitedly. I squeeze my eyes closed wishing as hard as I can. My wish? For everything to work out with Alec, me, and my family. I blow out the candles as another picture is taken.
Mom comes and sits by me on the bed as I begin to dig into my cake. "Happy sixteenth birthday, Nes." she smiles gently, brushing my hair back from my face.
"Thanks, Mom." I smile back at her, glad to have things back to normal if just for a day. Emmett comes to sit on my other side.
"So, looks like you've made it to the big one six, Nes. I remember when you were about this big." he holds his hands hands about an inch apart.
"Em, I was that big for, like, an hour in Mom's stomach. I'm pretty sure you weren't there for that." I smirk, taking another bite of my cake.
"You callin' me a liar?" he looks appalled, holding his hand to his chest.
"Pretty much." I nod. So fast I never saw it coming, Emmett smashes my face into the three quarters of a cake I have left.
"Emmett!" Esme and Mom gasp. Emmett howls with laughter.
"Saw that one coming." Alice giggles, tapping her temple.
"Couldn't you have given me a heads up?" I sputter, wiping the cake from my eyes. She snaps a picture quickly.
"Nope." she laughs. Her laugh is so beautiful, it sounds almost like wind chimes.
"Here you go, princess." Carlisle hands me a towel.
"Thanks." I get to work wiping the cake off.
"You're unbelievable, Emmett." Rose whacks him on the back of his head.
"Awh, Rosie, it was just a joke." Emmett pulls his famous puppy dog eyes. I set my smashed cake on my nightstand and maneuver my way out of my bed. I run into my bathroom and use the facet to help clean myself up. I'm just glad nothing got on my pajamas. I return a moment later to the warmth of my bed, good as new.
"Present time!" Alice sings, dancing away with Rose, Esme, Carlisle, and Jasper following behind her.
"I'm a little scared." I admit. There is no telling what they got me. Every year there is always some weird thing. Like on my tenth birthday when Emmett bought me a fifty year old grilled cheese off Ebay.
"Don't worry, I made sure there was nothing bad. I want this day to be perfect for my little angel. Too bad your big goof of an uncle had to pull that stupid move." Dad growls at Emmett.
"You people have no sense of humor!" Em raises his hands defensively and I laugh. "See! She even thinks it was funny!" he points at me. Alice and the gang return just then, each of them carrying armloads of wrapped boxes.
"Oh, guys, that is too much!" I say as they dump the presents down on my couch. For most kids, each year they start gradually getting less and less presents. With my family, it seems every year I get more and more. Maybe it's because I am nearing the same age as most of them and they can more relate to me now, knowing exactly the things I want. Geez, I can't believe I'm only a year younger than Dad and Alice now.
"C'mon, don't pull a Bella on us." Emmett grumbles. I laugh and look up at Mom who smiles slightly at him and rolls her eyes.
"Here, here." Alice excitedly prances over, handing me a small box wrapped in shiny pink wrapping paper. The card attached reads To Renesmee, From Grandma&Grandpa. That is Carlisle and Esme. I rip it open, not concerened about preserving the paper. I open the small box. Inside there is a new horse brush and a picture of a baby horse with all white fur that tapers into black on her nose and at her hooves.
"Her name is Tilly. She'll be just old enough to come live with us when we get home." Esme smiles, wrapping her arms around Carlisle's waist.
"Oh my gosh. Thank you guys. So much." I look up at them, tears filling my eyes. Raising a baby horse has been my dream since we first moved to Montana.
"Next one!" Alice takes the box on my lap and replaces it with a new one, too impatient and eager to allow me some time with the present and to give proper thanks. I continue opening presents, getting all kinds of clothes, make up, shoes, and jewelery. A lot of them did what Esme and Carlisle had, give me a picture of something that will be available back home. Like the flat screen being put in my room that Emmett and Rose got me. And speaking of my room, Mom and Dad are having it remodeled for me. Jasper got me a new phone that is so cool, Carlisle got me a new camera, and Alice got me a new laptop. Dad even got me a car.
"You are kidding me. You have got to be kidding me." I stare down wide eyed at the pair of car keys in a box.
"I'm not kidding you." Dad chuckles. I take the keys out of the box. "It is a black Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni."
"I have no idea what that means, but I am in awe." I laugh.
"I bought it last month. It's being shipped back home right now." he smooths my hair. I wonder if he bought it on Alec's birthday because no one bothered me that day, thankfully. I hug him tightly.
"I guess Eddie beat us." Emmett grumbles to Alice.
"No, they were all so great. Thank you guys so much." I tell them all. Carlisle has already cleaned up all the wrapping paper, and Esme is getting the cake to dispose of. Alice is hanging all my new clothes up and Rose is putting away my jewelery and make up while Emmett switches over all my old phone stuff to my new phone. My family spoils me too much.
"I hope you're enjoying your birthday so far, sweetie." Mom says from my side, playing with my hair. God, I've missed how easy and tension-free things used to be between us. I am dreading tomorrow when that atmosphere is sure to return.
"Of course I am." I smile, snuggling into her side.
"We are going to go sight seeing later. We can see the Colosseum, Pompeii, Saint Mark's Basilica, the Roman Forum, the Blue Grotto, the Uffizi Gallery, anything you want."
"That sounds great, Mom." I smile. She says something more, but I didn't catch it because my eyes zoned in on something else. Rose, in my bathroom putting things away, picks up the diamond bracelet Alec gave me from one of my drawers, observing it in confusion. I tense up watching her read the little silver heart. Her head swivels back to me, our eyes locking. She takes in the image of Mom and I talking and smiling like we used to, stares at me for a moment longer, and then pushes the bracelet to the back of the drawer. I breathe a sigh of relief.
"Nes, did you hear anything I just said?" Mom asks, shaking me slightly.
"Oops, sorry, zoned out for a second." I say sheepishly, my heart pounding. Oh, thank you Rose. Thank you for not ruining this moment, or this whole day for that matter. I will make it up to you. Some way, some how, I will pay you back.
"I was saying that I know spending the whole day with your family might not be the sixteenth birthday party you have always imagined for yourself, and I am sorry this trip couldn't have been planned a little better. But as soon as we get back you can have the biggest party you want with all your friends." she promises.
"That's okay, I don't really want one." I pat her hand.
"What kind of girl doesn't want a big sixteenth birthday party?" Alice asks in astonishment.
"Remember, she is Bella's daughter." Jasper chuckles from the other side of the room.
"I thought maybe I had worked all of Bella's weirdness out of her." Alice sighs, teasing Mom as always. Alice loves messing with Mom, they're best friends. About half an hour later and everyone left to go get ready to go sight seeing.
"Happy birthday, baby." cool breath tickles the back of my neck as icy arms wrap around me from behind. I twirl around, coming face to face with Alec who obviously let himself in through the balcony. He kisses me as I soon as I face him. I smile into the kiss, in such a good mood today.
"I'm leaving soon to go sight seeing with my family." I warn him as he begins kissing down my neck, his intentions very clear.
"Damn it." he growls, pulling himself off me.
"Come by my room at around midnight. I'll try not to fall asleep." I promise, going into my closet to change.
"No. You need to sleep. I'll come by, and if you're asleep, I'll just get in bed with you." he says.
"Creeper." I giggle, coming out of my closet in a one shoulder hot pink dress that clings to me and goes down to about an inch or two above my knee.
"Oh. I guess I'll just go help Aro with some things then.." he shrugs.
"No, no! I find creepers to be rather sexy." I smile sweetly at him.
"Then I'll see you tonight." he says and gets up to leave.
"You're leaving?" I ask, a little confused. I figured he would have gotten me something extravagant for my birthday.
"Oh, did you want this?" he chuckles, sliding a velvet jewelery box out of his pocket. He has already learned how much I adore jewelery. Bless this boy.
I giddily skip over to him, taking the box from him and opening it up. Inside is a pair of gorgeous droop earrings. Diamonds twist their way down in an almost floral pattern and surround a single oval shaped green gemstone that I couldn't identify for the life of me. They're magnificent, catching the light from every angle.
"Oh, Alec." I breathe, taking them out of the box and putting them in my ears. I check my reflection in my bathroom mirror. They look stunning. "They're so beautiful. You always know exactly what to get me." I tell him, hugging him tightly. I kiss him with as much passion as I've got for a moment, before breaking away and running into my closet.
I change into a black dress about the same length as the fushchia one I was just wearing that has straps that hang off my shoulders and a green floral design on it. It goes perfectly with the earrings.
"Aren't you concerned your family might see them?" he asks, nodding towards my earrings.
"I've worn the bracelet every day since you've given it to me and they've never noticed. Besides, everyone knows that Rose and Alice buy me tons of jewelery and I buy myself tons of things too. If they happen to ask I'll say I got them from Tiffany's a few months ago."
"Good plan. But you don't really think that a pair of earrings is all I got you, right?" he grins.
"Alec, these had to have cost at least 30 thousand dollars. You don't need to spend any more on me." I tell him.
"Don't complain and come outside." he grabs my hand, leading me onto the balcony. Sitting on the table out there is a saddle and saddle pad.
"Oh my gosh." I gasp, going over to them. The saddle is English by the looks of it, made of black leather with a flawless design that is obviously Amerigo, saddles created for top level performance. The saddle pad, which goes under the saddle for the horse's comfort, is soft and dark red with a furry black border.
"You said you like horses, so I thought you might want these.." Alec runs his hand through his hair, for once looking unsure.
"These are Hermes aren't they?" I ask, still in awe.
"Yeah.. Is there a problem with that brand? I can send them back and -" I cut him off by throwing myself at him and kissing him. Hermes items are the best of the best. A saddle like that probably costs around four thousand, and the saddle pad around two hundred. Not nearly as much as the earrings, but it is almost better because it shows that he listens to the things I tell him and remembers them.
"I love them. I love you." I whisper. I release my hold on him, grabbing the things and taking them to my closet. I shove them far back in there so they won't be seen. I'll tell Esme I bought them for myself if she ever asks considering she rides sometimes too.
I turn around to hug Alec and thank him again, but he is gone. I go out in my room, looking around, but he is no where to be seen. When someone begins knocking on my door, I realize why.
"Renesmee sweetie, are you ready?" Mom calls. I grab a pair of black flats and shove them on my feet as I stumble to the door. I yank it open and find Mom standing there, smiling at me.
"Let's go." I smile back, linking my arm through hers like I always have before and dancing downstairs with her to my family. I don't think my birthday could have been any more perfect in any way.