Chapter Twenty Five
J POV
I sit here rocking in my mother's chair and I run my hands along the fine wood that my Pa had hand crafted himself, much like Bella had.
I can hear laughter from downstairs and I know it's coming from Bryan and Sadie.
Today is Sadie's fifth birthday and she won't let us forget it, either. After Bella and I went hunting in the early hours of the morning, Sadie pounced on us when we returned asking when she could open her presents. We didn't even know she knew.
After breakfast and lots and lots of whining, we let her open one. It was from Bella and I and it was a beautiful dream house. She loved it. I told her she had to wait for the rest and that she had to be a good girl and wait for Grandpa to get here.
"Easier said than done." Bella had joked.
She's quite the little charmer.
"Hey."
I look over to see Bella standing in the doorway looking as beautiful as ever. I gesture her towards me and she takes a seat on my lap in my mother's rocking chair that sit in our bedroom.
"My dad's here and so is his… girlfriend? It's so weird."
"I know" I chuckle. "But he's happy."
"Yeah. Too bad my mom isn't here."
"Whose fault is that?" I tease.
She rolls her eyes and slaps my shoulder a bit too hard. She still questions her strength.
"Can I ask you a question Bella?"
"Sure."
"It's been on my mind for a while now. How come you won't tell your mother you adopted children?"
"Um… well…she thinks getting married, having children and settling down so young is pointless. I mean she doesn't know there is a possibility of living forever. I don't want to hear a lecture and have her degrade me and tell me how much I am ruining my life. I don't want to hear how I should regret things when I don't and never will. I love my life."
"I see. You have to stand up to your mother. She needs to know."
"I know" she sighs. "Soon."
"C'mon, let's go open presents."
…
After lots of cake and ice-cream and presents galore, I took Sadie and Bryan upstairs to see my Momma's chair.
I take a seat with both kids on either side of my lap.
"Do you know what I want for my birthday?" she asks as she hides her face behind her golden locks.
"What is it darlin?"
"I want you to be my daddy" she whispers.
I hear everyone stop their movement downstairs including Bella. I almost forget that she can hear the slightest noise now with her new vampire hearing.
If my heart could beat wildly, it would be right now. I never thought about having children, maybe when I was human but not now. I never thought it possible and here I am sitting here with this little girl and little boy whom I love dearly.
If I were to be a father to Sadie and Bryan how would Bella feel about that? I focus my emotions on downstairs and all I can feel from Bella is pure bliss.
I know my answer.
"If that is what Bryan and you would like, then yes. I would love to be your father, Sadie. I love you very much already."
She grips me into a tight embrace and I kiss the top of her head.
"Great! I love you too… daddy."
My undead heart swells at her declaration and I feel so elated that I could burst.
She rests her head on my cold chest and I wrap my arm around her and continue to rock back and fourth.
"I love your new chair."
"Thank you. It was my Momma's chair. I just got it back after all of these years."
"Really? It looks really old."
"It is."
"Where was it?"
"At my old house in Texas. It's where I grew up."
"I used to live in Texas, too." She says sadly. "I had a house there and a swing set."
"I'm sorry, baby girl." I whisper.
"It's okay. I'm glad you're my daddy, now."
"Me too." I smile as I rock us.
I adjust Bryan so he's lying down in the crook of my arm and he let's out a happy gurgle.
My son. My daughter. How did I ever get so lucky?
"Do you think they miss me in heaven?" she asks breaking me away from my thoughts.
"Of course they do, sweetheart. My parents are in heaven and I know they miss me."
"Your parents?" she asks confused.
"Mhm. Esme and Carlisle adopted me."
"Wow! And you lived in Texas, too."
'And we have the same last name', but I wont say that.
"I had to go back and say goodbye. I never got to." I admit to her.
"Me either, daddy. I was there and the next I was gone."
I can relate.
"One day you can say your goodbyes. Just pray for now and they'll hear you."
"Tell me about your Momma."
"Well… She used to sing and tell me stories while she rocked me in this chair."
"Will you do that for me, daddy?"
"I can do that right now if you'd like."
She nods her head and I think back very far to my youth as a human boy and remember a poem my Momma used to sing to me.
I begin to hum and I close my eyes as I sing softly into her ear.
.
Of all the toys I e'er have known,
I loved that whistle best;
It was my first, it was my own,
And I was doubly blest.
'T was Saturday, and after noon,
That school-boys' jubilee,
When the young heart is all in tune,
From book and ferule free.
I then was in my seventh year;
The birds were all a singing;
Above a brook, that rippled clear,
A willow tree was swinging.
My brother Ben was very 'cute,
He climbed that willow tree,
He cut a branch, and I was mute,
The while, with ecstasy.
With penknife he did cut it round,
And gave the bark a wring;
He shaped the mouth and tried the sound,--
It was a glorious thing!
I blew that whistle, full of joy--
It echoed o'er the ground;
And never, since that simple toy,
Such music have I found.
I've seen blue eyes and tasted wines--
with manly toys been blest,
But backward memory still inclines
To love that whistle best.
.
"You sing so pretty." She yawns.
"Thank you. It's called, "My First Whistle", by Samuel Goodrich."
"I'm glad you sang it to me and Bryan."
"Me too." I smile happily. I finally feel whole for the first time in years.. more whole than I ever thought I could be.
I have Bella and our two children.
I really did look up that poem and it was first published in January, 1841. I needed something on short notice. LOL.
So thank you for the reviews! They mean a lot to me!
I hate to say it guys but... this story will be coming to an end soon :(
I don't think it's going to be THAT soon, but soon none the less. So sad.
Anyhoo... keep reading and reviewing and!
I hope you enjoy!
And I really need to go to sleep because it's almost 2 am and I am dead tired. G night. LOL.
Sapphire.