This interview with Renee Swan was conducted at her home, Forks WA.

What follows is a transcript of the actual interview. Nothing has been omitted, censored or changed from the original recording. These are the thoughts and feelings of the interviewee and the thoughts and feelings of the interviewer have in no way hampered the transcription process.

Lisa: Thank you for agreeing to speak with me today. I have a few standard questions and then we'll move on to some more personalised ones. Please state your full name.

Renee: It's quite a list. (She laughs) My name now is Renee Swan.

Lisa: And previously?

Renee: Renee Dwyer, nee Higginbotham.

Lisa: And your husband's name?

Renee: Charles Swan.

Lisa: And the Dwyer comes from where?

Renee: My shit of an ex husband, Phil.

Lisa: Is it true this is the second time you've been Mrs Swan?

Renee: It is. (She laughs) I was married to Charlie first, then Phil, now Charlie again. God, it makes me sound like such a flake.

Lisa: Not at all. It's actually rather romantic.

Renee: If you say so. (She laughs)

Lisa: We'll come back to that topic shortly. Could you state your year of birth and where you were born please?

Renee: I could, but I'm not going to. (Laughing heartily now) I'm not like the other women around here. I actually age. So let's just say that I'm old enough to have a 20 year old daughter, and a granddaughter argh, but that I'm young enough to still enjoy being a newlywed. Oh, and I was born in Downy California.

Lisa: And what do you do for a living please Renee?

Renee: I am the proud owner of Rainbow Early Learning Centre right here in Forks.

Lisa: So you're a daycare teacher, is that right?

Renee: Among other things, yes.

Lisa: And those things are?

Renee: Oh, well. Sure, I look after the little ones there too but I'm also the cook and cleaner, nurse and receptionist.

Lisa: It sounds busy.

Renee: It really is. We've got a waiting list a mile long now. I love it.

Lisa: Is it true that the title deed and the centre itself was given to you?

Renee: It's true. The Cullen's gave it to me for Christmas. Incredible, isn't it?

Lisa: Very. But they're very generous people I'm coming to learn.

Renee: Oh they are. So very generous. They have a lot, it's true, but they share it.

Lisa: We'll talk more about that too. What did you do before you began with the daycare?

Renee: Well, in Phoenix I taught at a kindergarten there too.

Lisa: So you've always had an affinity for small children?

Renee: (laughing) Not if you ask Bella!

Lisa: What do you mean?

Renee: Oh, well, I wasn't always the most attentive mother, I guess you could say. Bella practically raised herself for a while there. But I do love small children, yes.

Lisa: So, going back to your recent marriage. Congratulations by the way. What would you like to say about returning to Forks and to Charlie?

Renee: I didn't plan it, if that's what you're asking. It just sort of happened. Which is the way my life sort of goes. I fall into things. I don't seek things, they just find me. (She stares away wistfully for a few seconds before continuing) When Edward called us, me and Phil, to tell us that Bella had been hurt and that we should come right away we did. I just never left again.

Lisa: But Phil did?

Renee: Hmm mmm. He did. I can talk about all that stuff, can't I?

Lisa: Of course. I'm happy to record whatever you'd like to say.

Renee: Well, when we arrived and Edward explained to us what he was, what they all were, we both freaked out. I mean, anyone would, wouldn't they? It was just all so hard to believe at first. But after a while you just sort of accept it and when you're thrown into it like I was you don't get much of a chance to process anything. You just do what you can for your kid and hope that it's enough.

Lisa: But Phil didn't react that way, did he?

Renee: No. He didn't. Charlie knew already, though they tell me only by a few hours, so he'd had a bit of time to get his head around it. Phil and I arrived in the middle of the night and it was already done by then. No warning, no preparation. Phil took it badly. Very badly. Made Edward very angry I think, his reaction.

Lisa: What was it that Phil felt he couldn't handle? Just the changing process or something else?

Renee: We talked about it for hours and at the end he couldn't come to terms with what she was going to become. The process was horrible, of course, but I think whereas I was willing to sit by her side and help her through that so that we'd have a future together Phil didn't want the future so he didn't stay for the whole process.

Lisa: Is that something you can understand, in him, or is it reprehensible for you?

Renee: Oh, no. I don't blame him. Not really. I was angry at him at first, but that wore off when I saw that he just wasn't handling the situation at all well. It was a lot to take in and it's changed my life forever. Phil's a simple man. He likes simple things and I guess this was just too complicated for him. I don't like how he chose to deal with it, but I can see why he did. In his shoes I mean. I didn't feel that way so he left and I stayed.

Lisa: With Charlie no less.

Renee: (Giggling) Yeah, with Charlie. That just sort of happened too.

Lisa: Understandable, I think. That was your daughter and I don't think it's uncommon in the human realm for parents to come together, or bond again, during times of great stress for their children.

Renee: I totally agree. And that's how it started. Comfort. Just being there, and listening, which was never something either of us had ever been very good at over the years. I guess, with Bella not being able to actually be near us for those first weeks that it left us alone to actually talk. She was the common link.

Lisa: For future reference what is it you'd like to tell other human parents who might be faced with the kinds of challenges you've faced with Bella's change?

Renee: I don't think that it's just this situation, Bella needing to be changed I mean, that I'd like to comment on. I just want to tell all parents that they should love their kids as much as they can. No matter who or what they are. Love and support them, encourage and appreciate them. I haven't always done that before, but I won't ever make that same mistake again.

Lisa: How would you describe the Cullen's?

Renee: Oh, well, I guess they are just genuinely beautiful people.

Lisa: I notice you call them people, never vampires, why is that?

Renee: Because they are people first, vampires second. Like diabetics. Person first, diabetic after that. That's how I see it anyway.

Lisa: So you've accepted them?

Renee: Of course.

Lisa: Because your daughter is married to one of them?

Renee: Not at all. I think about that sometimes. I knew Bella and Edward were to be married. He'd called and told us that he was planning to propose. When I thought it was just a regular pairing I knew he was a good guy and that he was utterly devoted to her. Then after, after I found out what he was and what she was going to be, that didn't change for me at all. He's still a good and caring man who is utterly devoted to her.

Lisa: Do you have a lot to do with the coven?

Renee: To me it's not a coven, it's a family. A regular family at that. Parents who work hard and love their kids. Brothers and sisters who fight amongst themselves sometimes but you can just tell how much they all love one another.

Lisa: And your day to day contact with them? Can you describe that for me?

Renee: Oh well I guess it's just like anyone else with a family in law. I see a lot of Esme since we organised the wedding together and I see Bella every other day or so. Edward not so much now that the school is so busy getting ready. I see the others when they gather or when we do something as a family. Oh, and we go to the beach with them a lot since Charlie got the bigger boat. That's always fun.

Lisa: The extended family who visits quite often, what would you like to tell me about them?

Renee: The other vampires? Oh, they're interesting. (She laughs) So many different personalities and mannerisms. It was strange at first because I had this notion that they were all going to be just like the Cullen's I already knew. But of course, like all big groups, that was so far from the truth it was laughable.

Lisa: Do you have any favourites?

Renee: Amongst the bigger group? Sure. Of course. The women. They're all so friendly and they've all lived such long and interesting lives. I love just sitting with them and listening to their stories. But I like most of the men too. But there are a few that are more than a little intimidating.

Lisa: Did you find the Cullen's intimidating at first meeting?

Renee: I was too scared for Bella to feel much at all really, that first few days. But as I got to know them they became less intimidating.

Lisa: Was there a time when you were frightened of them?

Renee: Of course. I mean, they're designed to be frightening, aren't they? But I say that in the same way I'd say that about meeting a lion for the first time. It might be a big kitten in reality, but you're taught to fear them, so you do, at first.

Lisa: What was it about them that put you at ease in the end?

Renee: That's easy. It was Edward. It was the way he was suffering. Watching him suffer because my baby was suffering put me at ease. I think I bonded a little with him over that, feeling the same things. Of course I felt awful for his pain, but knowing he loved her that much, that he felt the pain for himself, made me see that he truly was sorry for what had happened to her and that he'd be there for her always.

Lisa: How did you feel when you realised that forever really did mean forever for them?

Renee: Relieved.

Lisa: How so?

Renee: No parent wants to think about their child dying. No parent wants to outlive a child. I won't have to do that. She'll live forever. Healthy, happy and strong. I won't have to watch her die to some horrid disease or some accident that nobody could've prevented. It's comforting really.

Lisa: And then when they told you Bella was pregnant. Describe your reaction when you were told you were going to be a grandmother.

Renee: Oh gosh. That wasn't really a good time for me. (She laughs long and hard) I kept a lid on it, and I genuinely was so very pleased for them, especially because Edward had explained that it was supposed to be impossible in the beginning. But that night, after they told everyone, I went home and sobbed and sobbed.

Lisa: You were upset?

Renee: No! Not really. I was just totally human about it. (She laughs) I was too young to be a grandmother. I was too young to have a daughter who was old enough to be a mother in my own mind. My reaction was selfish and childish but now that she's here she's so wonderful I wonder why I ever balked.

Lisa: You have a lot to do with Renesmee?

Renee: Oh yes. She came to the centre when she was just a few months old. To learn to behave more like a human you see. She needed to do that so she could go to normal schools and have normal friends. I see her all the time. She stays with us quite a bit when Bella and Edward go on dates or there's something big happening at the big house that she can't be a part of.

Lisa: And when she's here, with you, do you do human things together?

Renee: We do. She lets me braid her hair and we bake although I'm terrible at it and she doesn't really eat that sort of thing anyway. We go to the shops and I've taken her to plays and children's movies. It really is very normal. She fights me when it's time for bed and she beats me at every game we attempt. But other than that part she's perfectly normal.

Lisa: That does sound very normal. How do you feel about the bond between Seth and your granddaughter? And what was your initial reaction to the news?

Renee: I knew about imprinting already, because of Bella and Edward of course. But nothing prepared me for that, with Nessa and Seth. Edward had explained to us that he'd met and fallen for Bella when she was very little, but not in infancy. So that took a bit of getting used to.

Lisa: How do you feel about it now?

Renee: I think it's wonderful actually. Edward once told me that Seth would be everything she needs. He'd do everything he could to make her happy and keep her safe. And that's all a parent, or a grandparent, should want for their children. He's so good with her and she obviously adores him too.

Lisa: The inclusion of the Quileute pack into the group, how has that affected you?

Renee: Oh gosh. That one threw us for a serious curveball. Now, I remember the Quileute's from my time living here with Charlie that first time around. You could've knocked me down with a feather the day I found out they could change into wolves! I didn't think that was possible and even though I'd only just gotten my head around the fact that my daughter was a vampire when they told me about the wolves, and the pack and how it works, I had a hard time believing it.

Lisa: Why was that?

Renee: Because they all look so normal! (She laughs)

Lisa: Did the Cullen's not look normal to you then, in contrast?

Renee: No, they didn't. They're so pale. And so perfect looking. The wolves just looked like the regular natives I remembered from before. The first time I saw one of them phase I just about peed my pants.

Lisa: A normal reaction I'm betting.

Renee: I think so. Charlie told me he nearly wet himself the first time he saw them too.

Lisa: That would've been the day Bella was hurt, correct?

Renee: Yes.

Lisa: Quite an initiation.

Renee: He still has nightmares over it.

Lisa: How did the way you were initiated into the secret affect the way you saw the world and live your life?

Renee: I don't think the way it came about has affected me other than to say that nobody should ever have to see their child hurt. That's unrealistic, I know, but I wish nobody ever did. But now that I know everything my life has changed. And not just because I didn't go back to Phoenix with Phil. But in fundamental ways. I'm safer than I've ever been, living between a very powerful coven of vampires and a pack of huge wolves. I value my life more, I think. After learning how easy it would be to lose it to a mythical creature that is. I'm happier, I think. Happy that my daughter is settled and has a good life of her own. Happy that she had a healthy and happy child and a good marriage. I'm content knowing that she'll be provided for, forever, and that even after I'm long gone she'll remember me.

Lisa: After Bella's change how did you react the first time you saw her?

Renee: (She shudders minutely) Oh that was a big shock actually. It was the eyes, you see. Bright red. They freaked me out. But that was balanced out by the fact that she was alive and well and so very beautiful. Not that she wasn't before. But she was perfect, like the Cullen's, and always would be.

Lisa: How did you feel that night when you had to leave her there, at the Cullen house, knowing you probably wouldn't be able to be near her again for more than a year?

Renee: It was gutting. That's the best way I can describe it. I mean, she'd been living here in Washington for ages and its true I hadn't seen her for a while, but knowing I could whenever I wanted to and having that taken away hurt. So badly. I was very angry with Edward for a bit after that. I'm not proud of it, but I was.

Lisa: Could you describe your anger for me?

Renee: I blamed him. Not for the accident, I know that that wasn't his fault at all. But after she woke up again I guess I blamed him for not being strong enough to stay away from her.

Lisa: What changed to make you trust him again?

Renee: Oh it wasn't about trust. It was just misguided angst. I needed someone to blame and Edward was the closest thing I guess. I saw the most of him, you see, because he came everyday to check on Charlie and me. I trusted him right from the off. You can't not. He's a good man and that comes across the instant you meet him. I'm sure the other people you've interviewed have said the same thing.

Lisa: They have indeed. Alright, I'd like to talk about the recent fight if you're willing?

Renee: Sure, but I don't know much about it because I wasn't actually there.

Lisa: I understand. What can you tell me about the weeks leading up to it?

Renee: It was awful. Like I said before, I got used to the idea that they'd live forever and then as soon as I got used to that it was like the carpet was ripped out from under me again. I was right back to the start, like the day we found out she'd been hurt. They were all so scared. But really brave too. They made plans, so many plans, and contingencies. They made sure we understood and that we were well taken care of should it go wrong. Thank god it didn't.

Lisa: At the end, when you were at the Reservation, and Seth brought Renesmee to you, what was that like?

Renee: Relief. When I saw him running with her on his back I was so relieved that they were alright. Of course I was worried as hell too. I wondered if he'd brought her there because the others had...well...died. And then when that other vampire came and Seth had to fight him, that was horrendous.

Lisa: But he prevailed, right?

Renee: He did. He's very brave and I knew he'd protect Nessa with everything he had. He nearly did too.

Lisa: He was close to death, wasn't he?

Renee: I believe so, yes.

Lisa: And when Bella arrived?

Renee: It was Bella and Jasper actually. They arrived together. I didn't see what Bella did but I heard about it later. (She shudders)

Lisa: But Seth recovered well?

Renee: He did. He's good as new now. They all are. Except for poor Brady.

Lisa: That was a sad loss.

Renee: It really was. He was just a boy. Could've been Seth. I hate to think...

Lisa: Okay. So, last question. What is it you hope is in your future?

Renee: Oh, well, I wouldn't like to wish for anything more than I already have. I guess just that everyone I love stays healthy and that they have happy lives.

Interview concluded.

A/N: Thank you for reading.

Please review.