Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to S. Meyer. I own the book "twilight – director´s notebook" by Catherine Hardwicke and I think that woman is on crack! Really!
Chapter 2 - The Cullens, Libby and the loleny Dad
I had a very nice life. My parents were more than I ever could ask for, Carlisle and Esme Cullen were respectable, smart, caring and thoughtful parents, my childhood can be checked out on dozens of photo albums my mother's office in their house in the rainy Forks. We had a big house to run into, cookies on afternoons, football and baseball practice with my mom taking us, dressing up in Halloweens and barbecues in weekends and Holiday in family. What could I ask if very often I had a smile plastered in my face in those pictures?
My siblings were the same, my little brother Emmett was the pure joy of the family, and he was younger but bigger than me, with dimples people (Okay, women…) died for. He was bound to be a heart-breaker but surprised everybody by getting engaged in graduation and later when he married his high school sweetheart after undergrad school, Rosalie, she could really put him in his place. Aphrodite herself would be jealous of Rosalie and with all these good genes and they gave my mother two more grandkids: Amy, my beloved little niece and Anthony, the dimple smile chubby boy who was given his name after me, his godfather. And finally, last but not least, my sweet baby sister, Mary Alice Cullen, a 5´4´´ white little woman with spiky brown hair and the spirit of the Energizer Bunny and a tiny (actually we considered intervention more than once) addiction to shopping. She knows no boundaries once she is in your life but damn her pout, she could get Dad to operate a deer thinking it's Bambi (that actually happen once, a horrible thanksgiving story). But they're half of my heart, the other half belongs to my baby girl, Elizabeth Grace Cullen. What can I say? I turned into a sap the minute I heard her little heart beat on the ultrasound exam. I found myself wondering the streets and looking at some fathers and daughters and wishing that would be me someday, even if the was giving me a hissy-fit about wanting ice cream. What flavor do you want sweetheart? I still have no idea how she is not one of these spoiled kids you see screaming at their parents for something ´cause let me tell you, the kids in our family have us all wrapped around their little hands. My Libby was born September 13th of 2005 and everyday she amazes me. Physically, she was a mini-me, but that was expected, her mother said with our luck she would have our pale skin, my bronze hair and green eyes. Personally, who would think… she was more like me again. She was a funny kid. Even at age of two, she wasn't like the others. When I was home, playing the piano, she just came and sat silently by my side for hours, just balancing her little legs on the bench. When I was reading on the office, she would come and sit with her crayons and just stay there. Of course, the Dad in me couldn't ignore her and I would end up going with her flow, if she wanted music, she named the song, and if she wanted to color I would ask what crayon she would want. That's how we roll. When everything changed, she was too young to remember, but that was a change. She was always a calm baby, she got even quieter. Like she knew what we were going through. Her personality grew as did she, no one could tell her how to dress (to much dismay of my sister and mother) or what to like, she had ideas of her own. She had some little twits like every Saturday mornings she would come to my bed and we slept a little longer, we had to go have pancakes, in those afternoons we would go to the movies and afterward, a little junk food and some ice cream to close the evening. She woke up every morning alone along with her Disney Princess alarm clock and got ready to daycare by herself but sometimes let me help combing her hair. I loved our life.
Since our moving to Forks, we got a new house, my mom and sister got everything decorated by the time I had to get there with my, at the time, six month old baby. It was a big house for us, but my mom being who she is wouldn't want us living anywhere. The house was 4 bedrooms, but my mom explained it would be one for me, one for Libby, an office and a guest bedroom. Made sense. Everything was alright: The house was ready, my mom would stay with Libby while I was at work, my work has a great schedule, I worked Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesday and half-Thursdays and the rest was off to my little girl.
My mom kept and eye on her but lately was voicing her concerns about Libby being to shy and too into her shell. My kid was fine, she kept to herself but I never noted anything in her behavior that would call my attention that something might be wrong. She knows everything about Tanya and loved when she would pick the photo album, pick a photo and ask me the story behind it. It was a nice way to always keep her memory alive. Of course she was a little shy but that's not an issue really, I was like that and I'm fine. When Libby was with my mom, she would color; watch her DVDs, practice her writing and reading (my mom was very adamant about that!), run around my parents place and play with her toys but she was alright. I really think so.
My routine was… well, a routine. I went for work, talked to my Dad, since we worked at the same hospital and shared a private practice, I went for jogging every morning when I had work, took care of Libby, when I got home I would clean the place, play with her, got her a bath and always got her tucked in. Rosalie said I should date one day when Libby was about 3, in the middle of a family lunch on a Sunday. I said no, gave her a glare and no one pushed it. A few more hints a few months later from everyone else and I decided this was crazy. I would not be pushed into the "dating scene", as my dad so eloquently said. I have a daughter to take care off and that was it. Of course I found some women with nice traits but no one really stood up to catch my attention. I wanted natural beauty, too much to ask that I don't want to kiss some lipstick with fake scent and don't want my hands on make-up and fake breasts? I don't think so. I have urges, but I can take care of myself. I would not take any woman to my place, where my child sleeps and lives. Me and me (cold) shower are always up for a challenge.
Today was August 30th and in almost two weeks she would have her birthday (inspired in Romeo and Juliet themed, go figure my kid…), and in Sundays we are pretty lay back, usually go have lunch with my parents, this has been going ever since we moved back to Forks, and she wanted enjoy a rare day of a little sun in a park near our place and as I was getting ready I couldn't get the feeling she was trying to be joyful and simply a kid just for me, ´cause she may think I'm still too depressed about her mom. I loved Tanya, that's for sure, I'll never could be more grateful for her in my life ´cause she gave me Libby, but I accepted what happen and would do whatever I could to make my daughter happy. I was brought of my thoughts looking at my little girl through the closet mirror and she was just in my doorway looking at me with her head a little to the side as if thinking to hard and trying to decipher something.
"Daddy?" I loved that she called me that.
"Yes sweetheart?" Turning around to her.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Say what?
"Say what?" Apparently beautiful kids with looks of wisdom beyond their age break my mental filter.
"I asked if you have a girlfriend." She asked calmly and going to sit on my bed.
"No, I don't have one. Why do you ask?"
"Nothing." She responded looking at her little Chuck Taylor All Star converse. "I just think you're lonely sometimes." And she balanced her little shoes in my direction as an indication to tie it down.
I came in front of her and as I tied them down I began not even knowing why she asked me this. "Honey… Daddy isn't lonely. Do you know what lonely is? I can't even believe you think that. I'm with you, and Aunt Alice and aunt Jasper, and grandpa and grandma, and Uncle Emmett…" I was continuing but she cut me off.
"I know daddy, but I'm not talking like family to be with us. I'm talking about a girl to be with you, like boyfriend and girlfriend, like Aunt Alice and uncle Jaz." She said like it was obvious. "Someone to be here with you." Uh-oh, I immediately thought.
"Honey, I don't need a girlfriend right now. I'm perfectly fine taking care of you..." Knots done in she shoes and I got up to get her out of bed. "…Besides, who would be crazy enough to get into out family with your auntie Alice around?" I asked in the hopes of lighting up the mood.
"You're right. I love her. But she's crazy with her shopping. You don't believe what she tried to dress me with last night at her house!" She said like it was outrageous and I had to laugh, Alice should know better than trying to play Barbie with her. Libby is not a doll, she plays with them. That what she always says to Alice. And that Alice should also stop trying to steal and hide her converses, she loves that stuff. I got her little hand in mine and got to the car.
Child in the backseat? Check.
A cooler with drinks and snacks? Check.
Blanket? Check.
Sun in Forks? Check. (Believe it or not).
Someone on the passenger seat holding my hand? Let's reschedule this answer after the park and after a nice Corona at my parents place.
