"I miss you too, Gramps," Renesmee said into the phone. She was facing away from Lily, tracing patterns on the glass door that looked out over the backyard. "We just came to visit a few months ago... Yes, everyone is doing fine... Charlie!"

Lily giggled when the girl turned around with a blush. Clearly, her grandfather had been teasing her about one thing or another. Lily went back to singing softly with Elsie as Renesmee finished the conversation she was having. Elsie's obsession with the song about the volcano was growing and she wanted everyone to know each word to the song.

"No, no, no... It's 'I lava you' Mommy," Elsie instructed.

"Lava?" Lily asked in a teasing tone. "Okay, okay. I think I get it now."

It was now April. Lily's strength was continuously diminishing as her sickness grew stronger and began to take a real hold of her body. Carlisle had convinced her, lovingly, to quit the hospital and spend more time with Elsie before she couldn't do anything anymore. No one truly knew how much longer she had, though Alice's visions told of a second life that was a very real possibility for the young woman. Lily had begrudgingly agreed, especially since Quil had taken Claire back to Washington for a while. The girl had missed her family and thrown at least two tantrums about going back before Quil had convinced Jacob to let them go. Seth had gone with them, leaving Jacob, Leah, and Embry behind. Leah had been hesitant about her brother leaving, but trusted the tribe back in La Push to take care of him. She couldn't bring herself to leave Lily as she was growing worse each day.

"Elsie, time for math," Embry said. He walked in from the kitchen. "Your mom needs some rest."

Elsie frowned before letting out a sigh. She kissed Lily's cheek before skipping off to the kitchen. Lily offered the young man a grateful smile, though it was clear how weak she was. Leah was sitting on the opposite end of the couch from the sickly woman and moved slightly closer once the girl was gone. "Have you taken your meds today?"

Lily nodded, her eyes on Renesmee. "So, what did Charlie say to make you blush so much?"

Renesmee's cheeks burned red, just as her mother's had when she was human. "He was asking about Jake. My Gramps is a bit more protective than my dad, but he also understands that I need to make my own decisions. He doesn't know as much as you do, though. Mostly he just knows about the pack."

Lily nodded once again. "I'm glad you have your grandparents around. I never really knew any of mine, and Elsie never met hers."

"Nessie!" Alice sang as she came into the room. "Carlisle's home."

Renesmee shared a knowing smile with the pixie before following her out of the room. Leah stood as well, though her demeanor shared she was doing it a bit begrudgingly. "Jake needs me to run a patrol. Tell Embry if you need me, and he'll get me as fast as he can."

"Promise," Lily said with a tired smile. Leah pressed a kiss to the woman's head before leaving out the glass doors. Carlisle walked in only seconds later.

"How are you feeling today?" the vampire asked in concern, sitting with Lily and taking her hand in his. The wolf smell didn't seem to bother him as much as the others.

"Good," Lily answered, though they both knew it was at least partly a lie. "Not any more tired than yesterday. I know it's going to keep getting worse, but at least I can still walk. Once that's taken away, I'll have more problems than I want to think about."

There was a pause in the conversation and Lily noticed the deep, thoughtful look on Carlisle's face. She was about to ask what the matter was when he looked at her once more and began speaking, almost too quickly for her human ears to comprehend. "We haven't known one another long. I understand that. I also know that I feel this deep connection to you, as if I've known you forever. Vera, you're the one good thing that's happened to me in years. I will respect whatever you choose, whether you want my help or not. But for now, I have just one question- one request. I want to spend the rest of the time we have left by your side. LilyVera Marie Bradshaw, would you do that honor and marry me?"

Lily's eyes went slightly wider before brimming with tears at the sight of the golden ring. It had a thin band with a simple design and a diamond nestled in the very center. Lily Bradshaw had never seen something so beautiful and unique. The ring itself was a shock, much less the question that accompanied it. The vampire knelt on the ground in front of Lily's spot on the couch as he spoke. He appeared to be patiently waiting for an answer, though on the inside he was more than anxious to hear what she would say.

"Yes," Lily whispered. She nodded as tears finally escaped her eyes. "Yes. Carlisle, of course I will."

Carlisle's smile turned to a grin and he easily slid the ring on her finger before pressing a kiss to her lips and nose. They kissed sweetly before Carlisle pulled the woman into his arms. He knew she had little time left, but did his best to hide that worry from her. Over Lily's shoulder, Carlisle's eyes met Edward's as the younger vampire read his thoughts and concerns. Carlisle's smile returned when Lily pulled away slightly to look up at him. Carlisle nipped teasingly at her nose in a manner his family had never observed. Lily was turning Carlisle into a fraction of who he had been hundreds of years ago, when he was still human. She gave him a sense of youth, renewing his old soul.

"We have so much to plan," Lily said suddenly. Her eyes went wide with worry and she looked up at her fiancé. "I want to walk down the aisle. I don't want to be forced into a chair or have someone carry me."

Carlisle nodded in understanding. Though he had contemplated proposing for a long while, his thoughts hadn't quite turned to what would happen if or when Lily said yes. He offered a gentle smile. "I'm sure Alice would love to help. She is our resident party planner, after all."

Lily laughed and Alice appeared with a grin. "It was hard to see with the wolves involved, but I think I have a few ideas you'd like."

Lily couldn't help the tears that returned to her eyes briefly. She hardly knew Alice, and here she was inviting Lily into her family with open arms. "Thank you."

A calmness intermingled with the excitement in the room and Lily smiled kindly at Jasper. His Texan accent was strong and clear when he spoke. "Welcome to the family."

A thought suddenly occurred to Lily and she looked up at Carlisle once more. "Rose and Emmett need to be there."

Carlisle nodded. "They will. You set the date and I will be sure they won't miss it."

Lily nodded. They kissed once before Alice whisked the woman away to begin planning.

Carlisle called after them. "Don't keep her up too late, Alice! She's only human, after all."