(Woo! After all of the tenseness, this chapter will be a light-hearted fluffy filler. Hope you guys like it! The next few chapters will skip a few months to a year or two in time, also. Thanks for reading!)
The first day after the Volturi had left was the first carefree day in a long time. We even knew how I would grow, and also that I was going to live forever, too! I awoke that morning at our cottage. Before I could sit up and rub the sleep from my eyes, both of my parents were in my room, beaming. Momma lifted me into her arms, planting kisses all over my face. The chill never bothered me, it never would. I responded with a giggle and pressed my palm to her neck, telling her good morning.
"Morning, Nessie," she didn't seem to mind the nickname anymore- in fact, she seemed to take to it pretty quick, just like everyone else. Daddy was next to us in an instant, his expression bright as well.
"Ready for breakfast?" Momma handed me into my father's arms. Before I could respond, my stomach growled. They both chuckled. "I think that's a yes."
I had a cup of blood for breakfast- a treat, usually, but sort of a mini celebration for yesterday, my parents chatting in the kitchen as I ate. I knew we would hunt animals next time. I practically wrinkled my nose at the thought, but at least I could play a game with Jacob while we hunted.
"What's the plan for today, Mrs. Cullen?" Daddy joked.
"Well, Jake's probably on his way over to see Renesmee," momma noted. "But we could go over to the main house for the day, relax after everything that's gone on all day." Daddy nodded, a crooked grin on his face.
"Sounds like a plan to me." I nodded, too. It would be nice to just spend the day with my family and my Jacob. And that's just what we did.
I sat in the living room on aunt Rose's lap as she played with my hair. It had already been brushed, but she decided it seemed too plain for the day. It still felt relaxing to have my hair brushed or played with. My eyes, however, were on the TV as uncle Em and Jacob watched some kind of sports game. Emmett was loudly cheering every time his team scored, of course. My eyes settled on my grandparents in the kitchen, hovering over the counter. Grandma had been planning to build some type of greenhouse, and grandpa was helping her sketch out the design of the little building. Grandma wanted to grow flowers and plants, she said it made her happy. That sounded fun. I glanced at my parents, who were chatting quietly to themselves, amused by my uncle's outbursts as well. Uncle Jasper was hunting while aunt Alice was shopping for clothes for myself and the others, too.
Aunt Rose finished my hair; pulling the two front pieces out of my face with butterfly clips, and braiding two tiny pieces, clipped at the back of my hair with another butterfly clip. I liked the shimmery clips. I glanced out the window as she was finishing up, humming softly to me. Large snowflakes were blowing in a gentle breeze, a few inches having already landed on the ground. Then the idea popped into my head; a movie I'd seen at grandpa Charlie's around Christmastime, children playing in the snow and building a snow man. I turned around in my aunt's lap, touching my hand to her cheek. She smiled.
"That sounds like a lot of fun, Ness. Why don't you ask Jacob and your parents to play outside with you?" Her smile warmed my heart. I nodded.
"Thank you for doing my hair, aunt Rose. It's really pretty," I spoke aloud, grinning in return, before hopping from her laugh and walking over to my parents. Daddy had heard my thoughts, a big grin on his face as he picked me up and sat me on his lap. It still wasn't often that I wasn't held by somebody.
"Why don't you tell your mother about your idea?" He encouraged in a soft chuckle.
"What is it?" She questioned, her now butterscotch eyes warm. Momma took my hand into hers, and I showed her the four of us (my Jacob, momma, daddy, and myself) running in the snow, building a snow man. She laughed lovingly.
"Of course we can go play in the snow. Jake?"
My Jacob looked over, still laughing from a conversation with Emmett. "Yeah, Bells?"
"Nessie wants to go play in the snow. You coming?"
"Of course!" He was immediately in front of us, scooping me into his warm arms, a comfortable temperature change.
After putting on a warm coat, a pair of gloves, and boots, we were outside in the snow. It didn't feel too cold to me, just a mild chill, but the snow would make me cold, they assured. First, I decided to make snow angels. I flopped onto my back in the soft snow, moving my arms and legs to make an angel. Jacob joined me, doing just the same. After standing back up, snow sticking to my back and hair, I observed our angels and laughed. Mine was so tiny compared to my Jacob's. My parent's laughed as well, and Jacob couldn't help but join in.
Next, I wanted to build a snow man, but I had no idea how. Jacob reassured me that him and his sisters used to make them all the time, and momma did, too. She waved daddy over to help, as well.
"I used to build snowmen too, you know. It was a long time ago," he laughed, "but it was pretty fun."
All three of them helped gather the snow to make the base of the snowman. Momma and daddy didn't get cold, and Jacob really didn't either. The only difference was that the snow on his skin melted quickly, while theirs didn't. The snowman was pretty large, the bottom part at least two feet tall.
After building the base of the snowman, Jacob and I were to make the middle part. We took a big snowball and rolled it around in the snow, packing it down. Jacob lifted it and sat it on top of the other part, his warm hands beginning to melt hand prints into the big snowball.
Momma made the head while we were making the middle part, setting it on the top. They already had the decorations covered. Momma lifted me into her arms so I could reach easily, and daddy handed me a carrot. I stuck it in, giving the snowman a nose. Then two rocks, substituting for coal. Then smaller rocks, pebbles from the driveway, for a smile. Funnily enough, daddy had grabbed a hat and scarf for it. I gave Jacob those and insisted that he dress the snowman up, and he gladly did. I leaped from momma's arms, flipping once and landing on my feet- I loved doing that, and I ran through the snow to one of the nearby trees. My fingers grasped instantly onto two fallen twigs, turning and running back. I stuck them in his sides, the final touch- arms. We stood back and laughed. It looked really good, and was one of the most fun things we'd done in weeks.
Of course, pictures were necessary. A few of all of us, Jacob and I with the snowman, my parents and I, me with each of my parents, and me alone, standing next to the snowman that was nearly twice my height.
They weren't wrong about the snow making me cold over time. Before I could shiver, we went inside. I got into warm, dry clothes and sat on the couch huddled up next to my Jacob, stealing his heat.
"You think you'd wanna try something sweet?" Momma asked. I raised an eyebrow. What was she talking about?
"She doesn't understand what you mean," daddy informed her.
"Oh! Hot chocolate. Its a sweet, warm drink. I liked it a lot when I was still human. Wanna give it a try?" She seemed excited. I was hesitant- human food, ick, but I would try it. In less than five minutes momma left and returned with a red mug, small waves of steam rising from it. I took it into my hands, the warmth soothing my chilled hands. I sniffed it, eyeing my seemingly amused parents. I knew they, and my Jacob as well, were excited to try another human food with me. They wanted me to like it, but I was more than content drinking blood.
I took a sip.
It was.. actually.. good? The first thing I tasted was the sugar on my tongue- which was almost as nice as blood. Then the chocolate, which I'd realized in that moment that I could eat chocolate and nothing other than that for the rest of my life, and do so happily. My dad laughed harder than I'd ever heard. Momma and Jacob seemed confused. I swallowed and spoke aloud.
Simply, "I love chocolate." Everyone in the room laughed.
"Well, she is technically a kid." Jacob noted, still chuckling. I narrowed my eyes slightly at him, sipping my drink again.
Before I knew it, it was growing dark outside, and I was becoming tired.
"Hm, usually sugar and chocolate makes kids bounce off the walls," Jacob joked. I made a face. "I know, I know. You're not a little kid," he grinned, smoothing my hair.
We went home, after that. Momma and I read- but mainly she read to me. Before I knew it, I fell asleep.
Today was a wonderful day.