The medicine doesn't act fast enough and my mind won't stop freaking out. I want to change into something more comfortable to take my mind off things, so I walk over to the closet, just trying to think about something else besides how angry I'm at Jasper.

Alice got me this white sweater and pink shorts set and has been pestering me to wear it even though it is winter. She put it, yet again, right on top of the folded clothes, hoping I would wear it. Well, today is the day.

Looking at the door, I try to imagine what Jasper is telling everyone downstairs. He wanted to talk to me alone, not to protect my privacy, but to isolate me and scare me into talking. I wonder how he managed to make me spill the beans. I can still see the marks of my nails on my palm. He'll make me look like a liar. I feel humiliated imagining how people will react to his words. I'm not a liar, I just needed more time, but Jasper pressuring me into talking and my reaction to his questions will be enough for people to doubt me.

I wonder what Esme will say. I'm an idiot. I should've told her everything right away. Now, all cards are on the table. I laugh a bit. A painting and a voice, sure, all cards. The anger in me is boiling over. If I weren't sure I'm not innocent, I would've probably lashed out at him. The problem is, I am hiding things, so I can only hold this anger in.

I grab the box from my closet, look at the presents I practically finished now and put the new items I bought inside. Is there even a point? They might want me out of here by sunset for lying. I guess he was just protecting his family. Everyone, including Carlisle, acted like they couldn't question me about anything or were trying to avoid making me nervous. All this care made me soft. When Jasper did the right thing and put me against the wall, I still hoped Esme would swoop in and stop him, but she didn't. I was alone and chose to lie because….

A knock on the door distracts me. I held my breath, waiting to hear Esme's voice, but it was Seth who spoke.

—Can I come in? I think for a moment. He just heard all of those things from Jasper. Is he here to judge me or to talk? As soon as the thought pops into my head, I discard it immediately. There is no chance Seth is here to judge or question me. I tell him to come in.

I'm standing in front of my closet, eyes on the door and with the box of presents by my feet. He looks a bit surprised to see me just standing there and looks away, the door closing behind him.

—Are you all right? It feels like we are back to the day I told him why I wanted to stay here. —You didn't say a word when I called you.

I stare at him, waiting for him to raise his head. When our eyes meet, I observe his, looking for any anger or resentment for me, but there is none. In his eyes, I only see him.

—Do I have to talk about it?

—No. I was just… curious. You looked strange when you left.

—I'm fine. I have to finish this. I look down at the box.

—Sure. I'll give you a hand. He grabs the box and puts it on the sofa. The view from the window is depressing as always and brings back too many thoughts to my head I rather avoid looking at.

—Let's sit on the bed. I say, sitting by the headboard. This way, I can stare at the empty wall or just the curtains on the bed and keep my mind clearer.

—Ahm… sure. He says, bringing back the box and sitting in front of me. I roll the line on his hands like the last time and work on Esme's scarf.

I'm almost finished now, so it just needs some adjustments and the final decorations I bought. I'm going to sew a small flower next to her name, but I'll do it when I'm alone. When I finish the adjustments, the silence feels unjustifiable.

—Done.

—It's perfect. She'll love it. He is smiling, but I can't smile back.

—Is she still downstairs? I ask, looking at her scarf. I wonder if she's angry at me and that's why she hasn't come to see me yet.

—Yeah. She was talking with Jasper and the others when I left.

—Did she look… I couldn't finish, but the word "disappointed" was dancing on my lips.

—She looked like she wanted to see you, but Jasper didn't let her. I guess they had a lot to discuss. His name makes me feel angry at myself all over again. If I had been honest, I wouldn't be sitting here like this, rethinking my decision to wait.

—You weren't curious about what he had to say?

—I was more curious about how you were doing.

—I'm fine. I lie again. If I repeat it enough times, I'll believe it. —I'm… fine. I can't look at him. I'm a terrible liar, so I should just stay quiet, but…

The little robot on the corner beeps loudly, scaring me a bit. Red letters are blinking the word "door." Seth stands up and opens the door for another robot carrying two big trays of food over its head. It goes straight for the sofa and unfolds an even larger space over its head, mimicking a table.

—I'm starving. Seth says, sitting down and eating. I sit next to him, and we eat in silence.

Esme didn't even leave a note on the robot. She must be angry. There's gotta be it. Otherwise, why wouldn't she have come up to see me? Those insignificant memories were enough to paint me as a liar. If he had only asked!

As soon as we finish, I program the robot to go back downstairs. Seth looks curiously at how I type in instructions. Once, he told me he couldn't use the robot and even shook the poor thing thinking it would work.

—Do you need me to help you with anything? I ask, watching the robot leave.

—What do you mean? He looks confused by my sudden question.

—I know I owe you credits, but since I can't get any, I'll do something for you. Whatever you need help with. I could teach you how to use the robot.

—You don't have to pay me back. I told you it was fine. He looks a bit offended by what I said.

—You mean I can't pay you back. He was being perfectly nice, but I wanted to fight someone. If can't be Jasper then…

—You said you were fine. You don't sound fine. I look away. He won't take the bait.

—I told you I'm fine! Why are you calling me a liar?

—I'm not. Why are you screaming?

—Should I just leave then? If you hate me screaming so much. The anger finally comes out. I was not supposed to be in this position. It was unfair of Jasper to make me talk like that. I want to give him a piece of my mind, but the fact that I'm in no position to do so makes it even more challenging to accept how right he is to question me.

Seth holds me by my shoulder, making me look at him. —You are not going anywhere. Even if you do, I'll follow you.

—Why? I lied to you.

—You didn't. You are my friend. I don't want you to leave. I don't want to lose you.

His eyes make me regret my words immediately. I did to him what Jasper did to me. I pressured him into saying the words I wanted to hear. The selfish words I need to listen to feel better.

I realized after Jasper made me talk. The real reason I was hiding those memories wasn't that I didn't know what they meant; it was because I didn't want anything to change again. I tried to keep inside the bubble of happiness and never speak of things that may make them see me differently or that would remind me of the day I'd leave.

—Besides, I want my present. Don't think I… I don't wait for him to finish and stretch my body as high as possible to hug him. I held on to him like he did the day he heard about what happened with Rosalie. I can feel the heat of his skin where his face touches mine. I needed to listen to those words, to feel like someone was on my side, and Seth always was. He always made me feel relaxed, and I could count on him to be next to me all the time. I can feel his hands on my back, and it's recomforting. I whisper a "thank you" and let go of him feeling shy.

His words give me the courage to speak my mind first.

—I'm going downstairs to talk to Esme. I need to let her know I didn't mean to hide anything from her and apologize.

—You don't have to. Seth says, pointing at the door. I turn around, and there she is, standing by the door, looking at us.

—Hi. I say. I have no idea what's she's thinking.

—Hi. How are you feeling? She asks, still outside.

—I'll just… Ahm… Seth passes by us and leaves the room.

—Better. I say as she comes inside, closing the door behind her. —Did Jasper tell everyone?

—Yes. He was too impatient. I'm sorry he pressured you like that.

—I guess I understand him. However, I can't entirely agree with his methods.

—He's not very good with humans. Please don't be too angry at him. It's strange to hear her refer to me as a human. She's not wrong, but it makes me feel left out somehow.

—I felt… weird talking to him. I remember how I felt like I wanted to tell him the things I swore myself I wouldn't.

Esme hesitates for a moment before she finally speaks.

—He… influenced you. Her voice is calm, but I can tell she's reluctant.

—Influenced? She seems to insinuate he did something to me, and the fact I told him my secrets is not only because he's good at questioning people.

—You felt sick after talking to him, right? I nod yes, surprised she heard me throw up all the way down to the hall.

—I did. I also felt very confused. My body felt relaxed, but my head told me something was wrong. It was… unpleasant. I wanted to say "enough to make me spill my guts out," but I went with the most polite version.

—Jasper can intensify or change people's feelings. He can make you feel happy, sad, or comfortable and safe enough to answer any questions he has.

Her words help me connect the dots. I remember feeling relaxed right before I told him everything, well, almost everything. I had to use physical pain to make my body obey me again. It's because he's a vampire.

—Can all vampires do that?

—No. Our talents are unique.

—Talents?

—Vampires can… do things humans can't.

Obviously, I think, remembering how insanely strong Rosalie is and how Esme walked away without a scratch that night. But I thought that was is. I thought it stopped with the strength, but I never thought it could be so complicated.

—Well, you already know Jasper can manipulate emotions. Carlisle has a fantastic ability to resist human blood, Alice can predict the outcome of people's choices, and…

—Wait. So… you all have like… superpowers?

—Talents. She says the word slowly, like it's different from what I said. I guess calling them that is less embarrassing.

—What about you?

—Me? I guess I don't have any. Sometimes our talents are subtle and so quiet you can barely notice, but sometimes they are very loud and obvious to everyone. Other times they never come out. I'm not like the others; I'm not even sure if I'll ever develop one.

I can't quite grasp the meaning of what she said. She used simple words, but it's a difficult pill to swallow. They are vampires AND have powers, talents, or whatever? Alice can see the future, and Jasper can make me say whatever by playing with my emotions?

Let's say it's all true. Let's say I believe what she said because, honestly, she has no reason to lie; what am I supposed to do with this information? Does that mean I need to be careful around Jasper now, or he'll use his powers on me? Should I be wary all the time?

—You don't have to worry, though. No one is manipulating you or influencing you anymore. Not even Jasper can do it freely. In fact, you resisted his powers so well that your body knew what was happening and rejected his touch. I just want you to know that no one is making you do anything.

—But Jasper tried to and was successful.

—I told you. He was just worried and impatient.

—What about you? She's looking at me, confused. —Are you also… worried about what he found? I'm analyzing every movement of her body, but she is so still right now that I can't say if she's breathing or not.

—I never worried about you like that, Anne. I never had a reason to.

—But, I lied.

—You weren't ready. I noticed you sometimes seemed lost in thoughts and had a feeling you remembered something, but I knew you were going to tell me when you were ready.

—I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't find the best time to. If Jasper hadn't done what he did, I would've probably only told her when I recovered all my memories.

—It's all right. Just don't be too angry. Jasper is a good person, and you just started on the wrong foot. I'm not sure I can do what she asked, but at least I don't feel like I want to scream at his face anymore.

—I'll do my best. I say, smiling and changing the subject to something less tense. —So, talents, huh? What about Rosalie and Emmmett?

—Well, Emmett is strong, even for a vampire, and Rosalie is… like Carlisle said once, captivating. She's very famous for her beauty actually. You'll meet Edward, Bella, and Renesmee on Christmas Eve, so I'll let them explain to you what their talents are, but you can look forward to it.

—I can't wait. I say, smiling. I really can't wait.

The days pass by quickly, and when I check the calendar one day, it's already December 23rd. Of course, Alice is flying around the house, making sure the decorations are up and looking perfect.

Esme is very excited as well and talks about Edward and his family all day long. I always remember how she told me they have exceptional talents and wonder just how special they are. She said they travel around the world with Renesmee, their daughter, and only come back a few times a year.

—I renovated the house in the forest for them, but they never stay there. She complained one morning.

I finished all my presents, even Jasper's, so I'm very relaxed. Seth is back to going out all the time, and I wonder what he does when he disappears. He said he goes training with Jacob and Sam, but I'm not sure I know what that means. Alice won't let anyone help her, so I spend most of my time surfing the internet or just looking at how fast she can run around the house. I'm basically a couch potato now.

I didn't remember anything else either. I thought about how those memories made me feel and told Esme everything in detail. I told her how the memory of that painting felt like some image I looked at every night before I went to bed. Also, about how I couldn't really understand how the voice I heard in the greenhouse made me feel. It was a mix of nostalgia and excitement. I also told her about the mossy castle painting I saw in the mall. I said all those things in front of Jasper, of course. I wanted to show him that if he had been a little more tactful and patient, I would've told him what he wanted to know. At least, all I was comfortable sharing.

Seth left again after breakfast this morning, saying he would be back for dinner, but without letting us know where he was going. The snow outside was really pilling up now, but Esme would always insist on taking a walk with me after lunch, so I put on my boots and dragged my feet outside. We walk around the house towards the forest. We never really go too far, just enough to be surrounded by the trees for a moment before coming back. Maybe, she wants to help trigger my memory somehow by coming back here every day, but the thing is, I don't really remember where I woke up or where I came running from.

—Isn't it nice to walk around here? She says, looking excited to be outside, but I can't feel the same. If it was less cold, I love to go for a walk, but I'm just freezing my face off out here.

—Yeah. It's beautiful. I can't wait to turn around.

—Are you looking forward to the party?

—I guess. I'm not sure how to act in front of people I don't know. They have questions I can't answer.

—You don't have to worry about that. They know what happened to you.

—That might be even worse. They'll be awkward around me.

—Don't be such a Debbie Downer. Just be yourself. They'll love you.

—Debbie, who?

—I mean, don't be so pessimistic. It'll be ok.

—Thanks.

After a little while, we go back to the house, and I'm glad to be back into the heated environment. I go to my room, eager to rest a little bit, but I can only lay down for a moment before someone knocks on my door. —Come in. I say, standing up.

—Hey. Seth says.

—Hey, you're back early.

—Yeah. Ahm… did you finish your project? I thought maybe I could help you if you need me…

—Oh, I finished a few days ago. I was going to tell you, but we haven't had time to talk in a while.

—Sorry about that. I was… busy. He runs his fingers through his hair, avoiding my eyes.

—Busy? I asked, curious about what he actually does when he goes out.

—You know… busy.

—Hum…

The silence is uncomfortable. I thought we were close enough for him to tell me, well, anything, but I don't want to be nosy, so I'm about to make up an excuse to go back to doing nothing when he finally says something.

—Esme wants to talk to you. Downstairs.

—Esme? I look at the robot, but there are no messages from her. We just returned from our walk; what could she possibly want to talk about? —All right. I say, following him out of the room.

When we get to the living room, Esme is on the sofa, talking to Jasper. She smiles when she sees me.

—You wanted to talk to me? I ask, smiling back.

—Hum? She looks confused.

—Seth told me you wanted to talk to me.

She looks at Seth, right behind me and back at me, still appearing lost.

—Yeah… I did want to talk to you, but… I forget why…

—You told me to show here the Hellebores, remember? Seth says, reminding her.

—Right. Hellebores. Now, I remember.

—What are Hellebores? I have no idea what they are talking about.

—They are winter flowers, dear. Some call them Christmas Flowers. I, ahem, asked Seth to show them to you. We were just outside, but somehow I forgot to take you there, silly me.

—All right. I'm not happy to go back into the cold for a flower, but Seth rarely asks me to do anything, so I follow him without complaining.

He walks towards the greenhouse, but he doesn't go in. He passes by it, towards the forest.

—Are they growing outside? I ask, confused how a flower can grow out of the frozen ground.

—Winter flowers, remember? He's smiling at me as he keeps walking towards the forest.

We pass by big trees and deeper into the woods. I never walked this deep in before, except for the day I actually woke up in here. The dense trees stop most of the snow from falling on the ground, so it's easier to walk.

—Are we there yet? I already had my walk today. I was not ready for a second one so soon.

—It's right over there. He says, running ahead of me to check on the path and coming back with a big smile.

—Close your eyes. He says.

I raise an eyebrow. The last time he wanted to show me something, he shoved a frog on my face, so no, I don't feel inclined to close my eyes at this moment.

—I promise it'll be worth it. His excitement is so contagious that I just do it.

He holds my hands, guiding me through the path. I squeeze his fingers, afraid to fall, but I trust him. My cold fingers burn a bit when they touch his unbelievably warm hands. Maybe he is more used to the cold than I thought.

We finally stop, and he turns me to the side, facing the direction of the flowers, I guess.

—You ready? He asks, making me nervous.

—Ready.

—Open your eyes.

My eyes lay on a small circle illuminated by a faint light in an open space between the trees. The snowflakes dance in the light as they fall over dark purple flowers growing straight out of the snow. They look so perfectly placed, as if someone put them there one by one. They have their faces up to the sunlight, looking perfectly comfortable in their private little world. The yellow in the center gives a pop of color to the scene and ties the whole mood together.

They are hagging out there, living their lives, and just the sight of them makes me smile. I finally understand what Seth sees on those flowers and all the others. I never thought something so small could make me feel so much happiness.

—How are they not frozen? I squat down, looking closer.

—They are unbelievably strong. It takes more than a bit of ice to stop them from growing.

I could look at them all day, just observing the different patterns of the petals and how they seem unbothered by the adversities around them.

—Anne? Seth's voice makes me stand up.

—Yeah?

—I… ahem… made you something. He cleans his throat, looking the shyest I've ever seen. He has one arm behind his back and can't look me in the eyes.

—You made me something?

—I was busy these days because I asked my sister to help me make it.

He's still looking away, struggling with what he wants to say. I don't ask any more questions and just put both my hands out, palms up, waiting for him to give me whatever he has on his hand.

He puts a small braided bracelet in my hands. It's black with a blue marble that looks like a moon attached to it and a white and gold star hanging right beside it.

—You made this? I can't imagine him braiding this delicate bracelet when I know how impatient he was every time he helped me sew.

—Why? You don't like it? He tries to grab it from my hands, but I'm faster and close my fingers around it just in time.

—No, I love it. It's perfect. He looks relieved and finally smiles at me. —Thank you.

He helps me put on the bracelet and pull the strings to the sides to adjust the size.

—You could've waited until tomorrow. I say, looking at the bracelet.

—Oh, this is not you're present. I told you I have something perfect for you. His smile is getting bigger.

—Can't wait. I say, smiling as much as him. —Also I'm not telling you what your present is just because you gave me this.

—C'mon! He jokingly complains.

We walk back to the house together. After dinner, I sit by the window in my room and admire the pictureas Rosalie took. More specifically, the picture in which I have my head on Seth's shoulder, and he's looking down at me, his eyes sparkling as the sun reflects on them. Suddenly, I can't wait for the party tomorrow.