My Renesmee/The Choice
Chapter 37: Miracle (Renesmee's POV)
My vision was blinded by vivid colors . . . the green and brown of the woods . . . the yellow beams of the moonlight . . . the blue glow of the dagger's piercing blade . . . the red of searing pain as it took me over . . . the black void of death slowly closing in around me . . .
And then, nothing but white.
I blinked and noticed that I was staring up at the ceiling. I looked to my left and noticed my dad, sitting in a chair, his head buried in his hands and resting on the bed beside me. In an instant, his head shot up, and he tenderly smiled at me.
"I'll go get Grandpa Carlisle." My dad squeezed my left hand, kissed my forehead, and swiftly dashed from the room.
And then, I felt the burning warmth of something on my right arm. I turned my gaze only to see Jake, holding a small bundle in his arms. His eyes attended to the precious cargo in his embrace, and I noticed his tanned hand was touching my elbow.
"Jake." My hoarse voice called out to him. His beautiful eyes flittered up and took in my face. He sighed, lovingly cupping a hand around my chin. He gently leaned over and placed a kiss softly on my right cheek.
"Hey, beautiful. I have someone who wants to meet you." Jake stood up from his chair and adjusted the wrapped bundle in his arms. My hand instinctively shot to my lower abdomen, and I felt the strange, empty feeling that part of me was gone. I then attempted to sit up, but my body was incredibly weak. My arms and legs felt so achy and sore; I had never experienced anything like this before.
"It's Mommy, EJ." Jake simply added. "He's missed your voice, he says."
As he smoothly positioned the tiny body into my fatigued arms, I instantly felt a jolt of strength surge like electricity throughout my entire body. The weakness and soreness left my being like they were never there, causing me to gasp as if I were taking in fresh air for the first time.
Jake's expression crinkled in alarm, "Is everything okay, Nes?"
"The pain, the aches—it just disappeared when he touched my skin." I peered down in wonder at the tiny being in my arms. My heart raced at the thought of holding my newborn child for the first time. I forgot the woods, my pursuer, the blade, the pain—that whole frightening scene with Nahuel dissipated with the soothing warmth of the infant in my embrace. I deeply inhaled, and his scent was incredible—as fragrant as rose petals. His head was full of curly black hair, and I instinctively kissed him on his forehead. A single tear escaped from my right eye and rolled off my cheek to the blanket below. His gorgeous green eyes gazed up at me, and my heart unexpectedly beamed with incessant love for my son. He was perfect and looked exactly like Jake—except for the eyes. I had no idea where those green eyes could have originated.
"My little EJ." My voice was just a whisper.
"You mean he healed you?" Jake's eyes widened in awe.
"I think so." I happily grinned, my eyes never leaving my beautiful son.
"What about the scar?" Jake asked. He then helped me pull up my lavender nightgown, and about a dozen shiny, silver objects fell from my lower abdomen. "The scar's completely healed! The staples—they just fell out!"
"He did heal me." I peered intently at the wondrous child in my arms. My dad was right—his grandchild was special.
"Wow, this kid's going to be powerful someday!" Jake gleefully exclaimed, letting EJ coil his little hand around his finger.
"He already is." I turned to Jake, anxiously desiring to know everything about my newborn child. "Tell me more about him, Daddy."
"Well, Carlisle says he's definitely mostly human, but he thinks he's still venomous, so I have to watch myself around him." Jake hoisted himself up on the bed and lay down on his side, snuggling up next to me. "He's growing at a slower rate than you did, but Carlisle seems to think he will fully mature in about ten years."
"Man, how long was I out?" I questioned him, running my fingers through the baby's soft hair.
"Three days."
"Oh." It had only felt like a matter of minutes, but I was glad to be awake and able to hold my son in my arms. "And about the wolf thing?"
"Carlisle seems to think he'll be able to phase when he's fully mature—maybe even before then. But when he does, he'll be a powerful, venomous wolf. Imagine that." Jake kissed our baby sweetly on the forehead.
"Wow, and with healing powers, too." I marveled at the tiny creation before us. We had certainly brought something utterly unique into the word. Our lives would never ever be the same. And then, I remembered. "Rosalie!"
Jake looked down and didn't say a word. His lips curled, and I knew my favorite aunt was dead.
"Is she . . . dead? Nahuel said the knife would kill her." My mind filled with sheer panic. "Where is she, Jake?"
"Over there in the other bed." Jake tilted his head toward the opposite side of the room. My brown eyes widened in shock. Rosalie's body lay limp and completely rigid as stone. "She's slowly dying, Carlisle said, from the poison on the knife. Emmett hasn't left her side."
"But why didn't it kill me?" As I uttered those words, I felt an enormous weight of guilt rest heavily on my shoulders. I sat there silently, tears streaming down my face, and then something came to me.
"Do you think EJ can heal her?" I asked, cradling my son to my chest and exiting the bed. Emmett's head immediately popped up, his expression full of hope, and I knew it was worth a shot.
Jake didn't respond, but put his arms about my shoulders, guiding me over to Rosalie's motionless body. I unwrapped EJ from the pale-blue blanket and laid him on his belly across Rosalie's chest. Emmett, Jake, and I waited patiently to see if he truly could bring my aunt back to her immortal life.
But nothing happened. Uncle Emmett disappointedly held his head down, running his hands exasperatedly through his short hair. I burst into tears again, and Jake pulled me into his arms. There wasn't any hope left for her. We had lost her forever. And it was all because of me.
Then, a loud gasp suddenly split the silence of the room.
"Rose?" Emmett literally jumped out of his seat, and Rosalie's right arm wrapped around the child lying across her chest. Her dazzling eyes focused on me, and she rose up and enveloped me with her free arm, still engaging my son with the other.
"I'm so sorry, Nessie." Those were the only words she managed to say. My tears were coming even faster now as we held each other there, reunited with a tiny miracle lovingly wedged in between us.
Then, after several minutes, Rosalie pulled away from me and glanced down at EJ. "Your baby is beautiful. Just like his father." I smiled at her; it was my silent way of telling her that all was forgiven.
Uncle Emmett tapped her gently on her shoulder. She sweetly handed the baby back over to me and flew fervently into his bear-like arms. They longingly embraced each another, and Emmett simply nodded at Jake and me to show us his gratitude.
I looked over at my Jake, and he endearingly encased our child and me with his arms. We were a family—reunited and together at last.
Attn: Only two chapters left! Thanks so much for reading and please let me know what you thought.