The Twilight Twenty-Five
thetwilight25 dot com
Prompt: Fabricate
Main Character: Bella
Rating: T
Word Count: 500
"Should I be worried that Ana talks about monsters and fairies all the time? She's fabricated this whole alternate universe that she seems to live in. One that no one understands. She shuts me out and plays with her monster friends." I ask Alison, my mother in law and also a pediatric nurse.
"She's been through a lot and she's little so she doesn't even understand everything she's been through. Leah and Embry were both very creative storytellers and so she probably got some of that from them. She might even be using pieces of stories they told her to create this fantasy world. She knows that you and Sam love her and that she is safe in this world but in her world she doesn't have to deal with wondering where her parents are."
"Then why does she shut me out?"
"I don't know Bella but just give her time."
"She adores Sam, she always plays with him. But if I try then she just runs off with her monsters." I cry to her.
With Leah and Embry were killed and left us with Ana I immediately doubted their decision. I didn't know anything about kids but then Sam pointed out that I love her so much already and I'd been in her life since the first day of it. We're close, or we used to be. She used to run to me giggling when I saw her.
"Was Sam there the night Embry and Leah left her with you?" She asks me.
"No, he was out of town remember? He didn't get here until 2 days after."
She hesitates and then suggests that maybe Ana associates me with the disappearance of Leah and Embry since at her age she doesn't understand death.
"So then what? She hates me for the rest of her life?"
"She's so young, soon all she will see is that you are the one that takes care of her and loves her and sadly Leah and Embry will fade from her memory."
"Well I don't want that either."
"Of course you don't. But it will happen it's normal at this age. So just love her and care for her and let her play with Sam without being resentful. Imaginary friends are perfectly normal but one day they will fade and it will be you who is still there, still loving and caring for her."
"Bella!" Ana runs up to me and tugs on my shirt.
"What is the Ana baby?"
"The fairies made cookies. Want one?" She asks me holding up a blue block. I take it and pretend to eat and try not to cry over the loss that led me here.
"I love you Ana." I tell her kissing her check and handing the block back.
"Love you too! Have to go back to party." She runs off and I remember the story Leah used to tell her about monsters and fairies and their amazing cookies.
I won't let her forget them.