Bella POV
I walked back to my cozy home with Rosalie, Alice, and Esme by my side. We had spent most of the day out shopping and had found quite a few items. I was especially excited about one dress in particular. It was a form-fitting black dress with a low neckline. It flattered my figure well, and I couldn't wait to see the look on Edward's face when I showed him.
"Bella, you have to try on that dress for Edward! I know that he'll love it." Alice winked at me.
"I'm going to," I laughed. Alice was always trying to make sure I had the most fashionable clothes to show Edward. I would never forget her packing skills for my honeymoon. At first glance, I was horrified, but I soon came to be very appreciative.
"Alice, I don't think Bella wants to talk about showing off her body to Edward," Esme said sweetly. "Besides, I don't think Edward cares what Bella wears. She's beautiful no matter what."
Esme was right in saying that Edward wouldn't care. He was always telling me how beautiful and perfect I was. I could walk into a room wearing a trash bag and he would think of a million compliments to give me. "Thanks, Esme."
"Of course, sweetheart." She wrapped one of her arms around my shoulder, giving me a side hug as we walked. Her embrace was the most gentle and comforting out of the entire family. One hug from Esme felt like it could cure every problem or worry.
"We need to bring Renesmee with us next time!" Alice's eyes lit up, "When we get settled into our new place I have to take her school shopping. I have so many locker design ideas. Oh, and I can take her to get the perfect first-day outfit!
Rosalie stopped Alice from continuing, "Alice, what if she doesn't want all of that?"
"I'm sure she will." I stepped in before Alice could lose hope. "Renesmee loves hanging out with you Alice, and I think it would help her feel better."
Esme looked at me seriously, "How did she respond when you told her?"
"I think she's nervous and scared. She's been homeschooled up until this point so it's a completely new experience." I grimaced, "Plus she isn't thrilled about going to high school with her parents."
All three of them nodded in understanding. They knew what it was like to move to a new area and hope for the best. Rosalie responded first, "I'll help her as much as I can."
"Thanks, Rose," I said, giving her a small smile. Rosalie was always looking out for Renesmee and trying to help her as much as she could.
Rosalie added, "You'll also need to tell Edward to relax."
"Yeah, we already started that conversation. I think it's going to take some time for him to agree to my terms." Knowing Edward, he would be incredibly nervous and ready to pounce on anyone who even looked at Renesmee for the first few days of school.
Rosalie snorted, "That sounds exactly like my stubborn brother."
Esme became stern in the most polite way possible, "Rose you shouldn't talk about him that way. He's just scared for his daughter."
We finished our conversations as we neared the cottage. I hugged each of them goodbye and watched as they sped off back to the main Cullen house. I let out a content sigh and opened the door to my home. The house was oddly silent. I walked down the hallway into my bedroom and sat my bag down at the foot of the bed. I listened intensely for Edward but heard nothing.
"Edward?" I called out to him but received no response. I walked back through the hallway and into the living room, "Edward?" Surely they aren't still hunting, I thought to myself. They never took this long to hunt. I raised my wrist and checked the time on my shiny watch, 4:30 PM. I wracked my brain trying to think of where they could have gone. Ultimately I came up with nothing and decided to take a bath.
I turned the silver knob on our huge marble bathtub, letting the warm water fill the basin. I stuck my hand in and splashed it around a little, checking the temperature. Once the tub was full enough I undressed and got in, letting the water cover my pale body. I laid my head back and closed my eyes, trying to take a few seconds to think about life.
I was unsure of how much time passed before I heard footsteps on our wooden floors. I heard Edward's footsteps alone. No Renesmee? "Edward?" His footsteps continued until he stood in the doorway of the bathroom. A worried expression was painted on his face. I immediately started to worry, "What's wrong? Where's Renesmee?"
"I don't know." His voice was strained and quiet, his eyes fixated on the floor.
"What do you mean, "you don't know?"" I stared at him with a newfound intensity, the intensity of a mother trying to locate her lost child. "Edward, where is our daughter?"
"My only guess is with Jake."
"Why is that only a guess? What happened?" In a matter of seconds, I'm out of the tub and dressed. "You didn't try to call her?" I rushed past Edward into our bedroom where I had left my cell phone. I unlocked it but didn't see any messages from her.
Edward followed me into the room and began talking quietly, "We went hunting this morning, and then she got mad at me and ran off."
I looked at my husband and raised an eyebrow. "What did she get mad about?" I rarely ever became frustrated with Edward but I felt it happening now.
"She mentioned how she wanted to try human blood and I told her maybe she shouldn't go to school. Then she freaked out and ran away." He groaned, "Bella, I wasn't trying to upset her. I didn't even follow her because I didn't think that would help either."
I crossed my arms across my chest, "No, probably not." I took a moment and collected my thoughts before continuing. "She was already having a tough time stomaching the move, maybe telling her she shouldn't attend school wasn't the best idea," I said gently in hopes of not upsetting him more.
"I know, but I just was terrified at the thought of her being in pain because she's thirsty. She hasn't been around humans like that."
I nodded, "I don't want that either but she'll learn to withstand her thirst." I thought back to when I first started school at Forks. At first, Edward had such a hard time being around me but as time passed and things happened it became easier. I just hoped it would be the same for Renesmee. "Is that everything that happened?"
My husband shook his head, his eyes focused on the floor. "She said that she hates being half-human and half-vampire. She made it clear that she feels like she doesn't fit in with either group."
I felt my heart drop. The last thing I wanted was for our daughter to feel like an outcast. It was something I had always worried about in the back of my mind but hoped it would never happen. I could tell that my husband was also devastated by her words. His mood was somber, and I was positive he blamed himself for her hating being half-vampire. I closed the distance between us and wrapped him up in a hug. "Whatever you're thinking, don't."
He sighed, "I was thinking that I wish I had handled that better. I wish I could make her realize how much we all love her and how perfect she is."
"She knows we love her, Edward. She's a teenager that's going through a lot of emotions and life changes. Sometimes that comes out in frustration and anger like this." I gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "I'm going to call her and make sure she's okay." I stepped out of the embrace and dialed Renesmee's number. The phone rang a few times before her sweet voice came on the other end.
"Mom?"
I let out a sigh of relief, "Sweetheart are you okay?" If I could still breathe I would've been holding my breath. I could feel the tension and anxiety as it pulsed through my body. I just wanted to make sure that she was safe and okay.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm about to go to the movies with Jake."
I could hear Jacob laughing at something Seth said in the background. "That's great!" My worries were soothed knowing that she was with Jacob. He always had a way of calming her and making her feel better. "Just come home after the movie, okay? Your father and I were worried about you."
There was silence for a moment and then a quiet, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to worry you." I could tell from her voice that she was fearful of being in trouble.
"We'll talk about it when you get home. Go have fun with Jake."
"Bye, mom."
"Bye sweetheart, I love you."
"I love you too."
The phone disconnected and I slipped it back into my pocket. "I'm glad she's okay."
"Me too." Edward moved forward to wrap his arms around me again. He gently tugged my body until it was pressing into him. Then he tilted his head down and kissed me on my forehead. "Am I a good dad?"
I pulled back just enough so I could look up into his beautiful eyes. "You're a great dad. We're just still learning how to handle a teenager." I always knew when Renesmee got to her teenage years that it would become harder. Being a human teenager was hard enough, and she had to deal with being part vampire too.
"What should we do until she gets back?" His question was serious, he was looking for anything to take his mind off of his worries.
I thought for a moment, deciding on something I knew we could do together. "Why don't we watch a movie?" I took his hand and led him to our cozy living room. "We could watch that new comedy film Alice was telling me about the other day," I suggested.
Edward nodded and plopped down onto the couch. I joined him and turned on the tv. As the movie started I could feel his body relax, I moved so I could lay my head on his chest. It was a comforting position and one that I would have fallen asleep in if that was possible.
It was a few hours later when the front door quietly opened. Relief washed over my body knowing Renesmee was home. Earlier in the evening after the movie, Edward and I had parted ways to do our own activities. I had chosen to lay in bed curled up with one of my favorite books. Upon hearing the door, I set the book down on my nightstand. I swiftly got up and walked to the front room. When I arrived, Renesmee was in the process of taking her shoes off. "How was the movie?"
She was startled at the sound of my voice. This was odd considering she had close to vampire-level senses. I assumed her thoughts had preoccupied her mind. "Sorry sweetheart, I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's okay, I just didn't hear you." She turned to face me and her expression was nervous. I could only imagine what was going through her mind.
I immediately wrapped her up into a tight and loving hug. "You aren't in trouble I promise. We were worried, but we understand why you were upset."
A few tears threatened to fall down Renesmee's face. Silently, she raised her palm and touched it to my face. I was immediately struck with a flurry of thoughts and images. She replayed the argument for me and I felt her pain and worry. I was also able to see Edward and his reaction. Shit, Edward, I thought. Even though he wasn't in the room, I knew he would be listening to her thoughts. I immediately pushed my shield outwards to protect Renesmee too. Just for a moment I wanted to keep Edward out, she deserved to have this moment with me alone.
I didn't mean to upset dad like that.
I looked into her beautiful brown eyes and nodded silently. "I know," I whispered as quietly as I could.
Is he mad?
"No."
Are you mad?
I shook my head, "Absolutely not." I continued to keep my voice as quiet as I could, "Your dad panicked because he doesn't want to see you in excruciating pain because of thirst, or mad at yourself because you've harmed a human. He wants you to be able to experience human things too, but you know how protective he is."
Renesmee nodded, I know.
"He trusts you, but excruciating thirst can overcome even the best vampires sometimes." I looked at her seriously, "My thirst almost got the best of me after I was first turned." Renesmee had heard the story many times before, so she knew the dangers. However, I couldn't blame her for being curious. If I was being honest, I too was curious about human blood. I hadn't truly tasted it since becoming a vampire.
I know I said I wished I had a different life, but I didn't mean it. I do wish I was more like you guys, but I'm okay with my life.
"You're perfect the way you are, Renesmee. You don't need sparkling skin or golden eyes to be our perfect vampire daughter." I smiled at her warmly, "You don't need to be more like us, because then you wouldn't be you."
Finally, a soft smile appeared on her face. She removed her hand from my cheek and I allowed my shield to fall away. The second it was gone, Edward was by our side. I expected there to be an awkward silence but to my surprise, there wasn't.
Renesmee looked up at Edward, "I'm sorry dad."
He wrapped her up into a hug and held onto her tightly, "I'm sorry too. I never should have suggested pulling you out of school. You're a vampire, and it's natural to be curious about human blood. I was just being an overprotective dad."
"I promise I'll keep my thirst under control."
Edward smiled, "I know you will."
A smile crept onto my face as I watched them. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have both of them. My perfect husband and my perfect daughter, all of us together forever.
