Chapter

Twenty-Four

‡

Bella

Nervous did not even begin to describe my Renesmee. She was practically shaking with her brown eyes wide with fear and anticipation—and it was only the night before. I could not even begin to imagine how she was going to be the following day.

"Mom, do...do you think that this is a good idea? I mean, I know we've...we've been engaged for five months now, and it's...and it's a little late to start regretting the decision, but do you..."

"Nessie," I interrupted firmly before I reached across the kitchen table and took her hands into my own. "Do you love him?"

She nodded, slowly closing her eyes. "Very much so," she replied softly, the first full sentence that she had formed all evening.

"Then it's a wonderful idea."

Opening her eyes to reveal trust and pure joy, she smiled at me in an appreciative manner. "Do you still remember every minute of your wedding?"

I nodded and closed my eyes in the same manner that she had. I pictured the beautiful day, when all of my family and friends had gathered outside of the Cullen's beautifully decorated mansion. However, the most vivid memory I had was Edward, standing at the end of the aisle, never looking more wonderful to my eyes. It was at that moment that I had known he was going to be mine forever, in the most literal sense of the word forever as possible. And Renesmee was going to have that exact same experience.

I thought back to when Jacob had asked Edward and me for Renesmee's hand in marriage and when he had proposed to her. Both of which happened to fall on the same day.

‡

Life was beautiful again—our angel was upstairs in her own bed, where she belonged. Jacob, who had not left her side since they were reunited after the murder of the Volturi earlier that afternoon, came into the living room and collapsed on the couch opposite of Edward and me.

"Nessie's asleep…finally," Jacob told us with a sigh. "It's been a long day."

"Yes, yes it has been," I agreed. I turned to give Edward a small smile. However, his expression was hard and angry as he stared straight ahead.

"Edward, what's wrong?" I asked him, concerned. How could he be angry at a time like this? We were all home—safe and happy. There was no reason that I could see for this reaction. But then again, maybe it wasn't something that I could see. Maybe it was something he could hear.

Now noticing Edward's infuriated domineer, Jacob quickly turned to him. "I…I…Edward, listen, it's just an idea," he stammered, his face instantly flushing. "I just thought…"

"You just thought you could take her away from us. We finally get her back, and you want to take her from us," Edward said softly, his voice as angry as his expression.

I watched as Jacob, instead of growing angry as well, slowly lowered his head so he was looking at the ground. Apparently whatever they were talking about, Jacob needed to be in a submissive position in order to show Edward that he was not attacking him in any way. "No, I don't want to take her from you. It wouldn't be taking her from you," he refuted softly.

"She's too young," Edward growled.

"But she's older mentally and emotionally. She's a half breed, remember?"

He ignored this and moved on to his next point. "This is terrible timing. She's just been told."

"But I've learned over the years that a person can't wait—you have to take initiative at that moment. Because you never know when someone or something is going to take it all away."

There was silence for a moment as we all contemplated the situation—although, I still had yet to know what it was. And then I understood.

Jacob wanted to propose to Nessie.

They both turned to me as I gasped and threw my arms around Jacob. "Oh, Jake you want to marry her?"

As I pulled away, Jacob was smiling as he gave Edward a pleading look. I turned to Edward, mirroring Jacob's expression. I understood why Edward was upset—Nessie had just been told. However, I also understood Jacob's perspective. He simply did not want to lose her again; he loved her more than anything in this world and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. And in my opinion, that sort of love took precedence over the fatherly devotion of Nessie's father. We waited for Edward, the other person whose blessing needed to be given before respectful Jacob would propose to our daughter.

Edward's eyes grew soft as he sighed deeply. "Well, she still has to say yes."

‡

"I'm glad I'm doing this," Nessie explained, bringing me back to a realty that I was thrilled to be experiencing. "It's scary, but it's a thrilling kind of scary. Like when Daddy taught me how to ride a bike. Or when we moved to Washington. Or when I went to Italy with..." She instantly cut off from the pain of the memory that was now at the forefront of both of our minds.

Fulfilling my position in her life as her mother, I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Your aunts and grandmother should be here soon."

She smiled at this. "When do I get to see Jacob?"

"Not until two thirty tomorrow."

I watched as her eyes filled with sadness at the thought of not being with Jacob for most of the day. Since their engagement, they had been absolutely inseparable. They spent the entire day together, only parting at night at the firm request of Edward. However, since Nessie could not sleep in his arms-which I was convinced would have been completely innocent, but I did not want to go against Edward-Jacob had chosen to sleep down the hall in the guest room.

"We're here!" I heard Alice shout from the front door.

"We're in the kitchen!" I called back.

"We know," Rosalie stated as she, Alice, and Esme walked into the kitchen. "We can smell you all the way from the front door. You smell like dog."

"Rose, Nessie is right here," I snapped. I could not believe Rosalie would have the audacity to offend her own niece the night before her wedding.

I felt Renesmee's hand touch my arm, calming me. "It's okay, Mom," she said quietly. "I know you guys hate Jake's smell. That is why I am glad that it never worked out for me to become one of you—if it is as bad as you say it is, I don't think this marriage would have worked out."

"I'm certain you would have barred it. After all, this is true love," Rosalie responded, her voice sweet and genuine.

Renesmee smiled at Rosalie, standing up to give all three of her loving family members a kiss and a hug.

"So, is the house ready for tomorrow?" I asked Alice, who of course was the planner of the entire event.

Alice laughed softly with twinkling golden eyes. "Do you think I would be here if it wasn't? It's absolutely perfect."

"You didn't go too overboard, did you Aunt Alice?" Renesmee asked with concern in her voice.

I watched as Alice's eyes turned playfully accusing as she stared directly at me. "You have been influencing her, haven't you, Bella? You have been telling her that she shouldn't want a fantastic wedding."

"Alice!" I laughed, shooting my hands up in surrender. "I would never do that!"

She gave me a doubtful look, and turned her body to face Nessie so that I was excluded. "Renesmee Cullen, you deserve the best. Don't let your mother tell you differently."

"Aunt Alice, she hasn't said a word," Renesmee defended sweetly, holding up a hand in promise.

"Very well," Alice stated, convinced. "Now, no more talking about the house. You will all see it tomorrow."

"Hopefully it doesn't snow too much," Esme said in a worried manner.

"It's okay if it does, Grandma. I love snow. And besides, it's Alaska—we can't expect eighty degree weather."

We all smiled at this. It was true—we were back in Alaska, where the weather of this season was completely unpredictable. Originally, we had wanted the wedding to be at Carlisle and Esme's house, just as mine was. It would not have been the same house, of course, but it would have been nice to start a tradition of holding the Cullen family weddings in the Cullen family house. However, Rosalie, with all her objectivism, actually came up with a valid point: there might be unwanted attention drawn to a wedding that big and grand. And with that unwanted attention came meddlesome people discovering that the Cullen's were back, and they hadn't aged a bit.

So, we had decided to hold the wedding in Alaska. It was to be small, but grand-Edward had an entire hall built for the occasion, complete with magnificent marble staircases and stunning gold chandeliers.

"I'm going to call Jakey..." Renesmee informed us as she picked up her cell phone.

"No!" we all shouted at the same time, startling her.

Giving us an annoyed look, she set her phone back down. "You won't even let me call him?" she whined in a manner that was so unlike her.

Esme shook her head, causing Renesmee to scowl. "The boys are under explicit instructions to do the same. Neither of you are to see or speak to each other until two thirty tomorrow afternoon."

"But..."

"No buts, Renesmee Cullen," Rosalie stated with a giggle. "Trust us, some of us have been married for...ninety years, give or take. We know how excited your man will get if you wait to speak with him."

"Fine," Nessie replied with an exasperated sigh.

She then looked up at us with anticipating eyes, the bronze hair of her father's falling in front of her face. With a pang of sadness, I realized for the fifth time that evening that she was no longer my little girl—she was getting married tomorrow. She was going to have a husband and kids of her own. She was going to raise them and make mistakes with them, just as I had. But she was going to be happy—and I suppose that's all a mother truly wants for her child.

The hours passed quickly as we lay in the living room, recalling memories—until Nessie finally drifted off to be with Jacob in her dreams.

Renesmee

"You look beautiful, darling," my father said as he kissed my forehead. We were standing in the closed-off foyer of the house that he and my family had built for the wedding and for Jake and I to live in afterwards. Actually, we were not only standing-we were waiting. Waiting for me to marry the love of my life. It sounded so odd. Just last week, I was finishing up high school. But I knew with all of my heart that this was where I was meant to be.

"Thank you, Daddy," I responded softy. He pushed a strand of my hair out of my face and pulled me close to him. "Dad?" I mumbled over his shoulder.

He pulled away and looked at me with his sparkling golden eyes. "Yes, Nessie?"

I paused for a moment, unsure of why I had said his name. I supposed it was simply a subconscious action—I was about to do one of the hardest things I had ever had to do, and my father was at my side, as always. "I love you," I finally said.

He smiled at me, with his eyes filled with distress as he contemplated the hundreds of thoughts that were probably swarming through his head at this moment. "I love you too," he replied with a small sob, something that was unfamiliar to his controlled, firm voice.

Smiling back, I extended my arm. "Ready?"

He shook his head solemnly, but complied anyway. "No, but I'll do it for you."

As we walked, I forgot to take note of the beautiful home that was built for me. I forgot to look at the elaborate decorations my aunt had designed herself. I forgot to look at the faces of the people sitting in chairs watching me closely and admiring me.

All I could look at was the beautiful sight that awaited me at the end of the aisle.

My eternity.

Bella

"And do you, Renesmee, take Jacob to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

"I do."

Renesmee

Night was beginning to fall as we lay in the bed of our new home. I turned to see his anticipating smile, the one that I had known would begin to fill his face as soon as we were settled after a long evening of dancing and joy.

"I love you, Renesmee Black."

"I love you, Jacob Black."

And that had never been a lie.