Chapter 5

I should have left my phone at home.

"I swear, this is the last thing for today," Alice spoke as soon as I put the phone to my ear. "Okay, well two more things. I swear!"

I rubbed my temple. "What do you want this time?"

"Cake first," Alice chirped. "What kind do you want? Vanilla's classic, so I was thinking we could do that, or maybe red velvet, with white fondant and black decoration…"

"Alice," I interrupted.

"What?"
"I really don't care. It's going to be gone in three seconds, anyway."

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen, I am serious!" I heard her growl. "This is your wedding, and you will tell me what kind of cake you want—and don't tell me that you haven't been thinking about this wedding for as long as I have, because I know that's a lie!"

I sighed. "I like vanilla, with a lemon filling. White fondant, black decoration. You've seen the pictures. Base it off of those."

"Alright. Next item of business, I need to know how you want the invitations to be formatted. I was thinking something like this: Jacob William Black, son of William David Black and the late Sarah Amelia Black, and Renesmee Carlie Cullen, daughter of Edward Anthony Masen Cullen and Isabella Marie Swan Cullen request the honor of your presence at their marriage, on Saturday, twenty-five April, two-thousand and fourteen, at half-past three."

Jacob, who had been playing with my hair, suddenly stopped. I looked over to find him completely still, eyes squeezed shut.

"I thought Jacob might want his mother mentioned," Alice said softly.

"Jake?" I asked quietly. "What do you think?"

"Yeah," he nodded, his voice full. "It sounds fine."

Alice must have known what was happening on our end, because before I could tell her I'd call her back, she said that she'd call me later. I tossed my phone aside and wrapped my arms around Jacob, rubbing circles in his back. I knew it was hard for him to not have his mother around, especially during large family events. Jacob always told me how he had wished that she were here to meet me, and I always wished that I could meet her. She sounded like such a wonderful woman. It broke my heart to see Jacob so distraught, and it was hard to comfort him, because I had never experienced such a loss. Still, I did my best.

Jacob and I sat in silence for a few moments longer.

"She would have loved you," Jacob said, his voice broken.

"I would have loved her, too." I said quietly.

"I really miss her right now, Ness."

"I know," I sighed. "I'm sorry." I gave Jacob a quick kiss, and rested my head in the crook of his neck. It was hard going through life events without his mother there to enjoy it with us.

xXx

The boundless energy Alice had could rival that of a small dog. Because she never slept, she never stopped, which could explain why we had nearly every single detail of the wedding planned in nearly a month after the engagement. It was nice, sometimes, because we didn't have to worry about dress fittings, or floral arrangements, or color swatches for five months. But it also meant that she would hyper-plan nearly every minor detail; which might explain why, at six in the morning, I was assaulted with two napkins nearly the same shade of white, with Alice demanding that I pick one.

"Alice," I moaned, as I attempted to curl into the bed, underneath the sheets. "They're pretty much the same color. No one will care if it goes with the other colors or not. It's not that big of a difference."

"You're just like your mother sometimes," Alice moaned. "You're not even looking at them! Just poke your head out of the sheets for five seconds and pick one. Which do you think would go better with the rest of the color scheme?"

"The white one," I replied.

"You mean the eggshell?"

"Sure," I groaned. "Now let me sleep."

"I'll be back later to discuss hair ideas!" She sang as she left.

I moaned, and turned in my bed, making a burrito out of the sheets. I was able to sleep for a few more minutes before Jacob came into my room. I stayed in the bed, letting him climb in next to me. I smiled, curling into his body. My eyes remained closed.

"I've missed you," I murmured.

"I was only gone the night," Jacob smiled.

"Take me away," I said into Jacob's chest. "Take me far away from Alice, and her planning."

"Whatever you wish, my queen," Jacob leaned down and gave me a chaste kiss.

"You're not wearing anything underneath those sheets, are you?" Jacob whispered, pulling away from the kiss.

"It gets hot underneath all of these blankets," I smirked.

"It is pretty hot under here," Jacob climbed under the sheets, pulling his shirt over his head. He leaned in for another kiss.

I weaved my fingers through his cropped hair, pulling him closer. I smiled underneath his lips, as I felt his hands slide up and down my sides, finally cupping my breasts. A small moan escaped my lips, as I moved my hands up his back. I sunk deeper into the kiss, letting my mind wander.

I still couldn't believe that Jacob and I were engaged. I knew that we would always be together; that we would never be apart. But when it came down to it, the ring on my left hand made me feel like a giddy teenage girl.

Before anything could move further, Alice came knocking at my bedroom door.

"Nessie, your dress is here!" She squealed from behind the door. "I want to get started on the final fittings!"

"I guess that's my cue to leave," Jacob smirked. "I'll be back." He kissed my forehead, and left out of the window.

"You're lucky your father isn't here," Alice stated, walking into the room. "Just because you two are engaged doesn't mean that he'd like it if you two were having sex across the hall from him."

"Gross, Alice." I pulled the comforter over my head, feeling heat rush to my cheeks.

"Oh, please," I could hear Alice roll her eyes. "Don't act like you've never had sex. Especially in this family."

"I'm not acting like I haven't," I defended from under the sheets. "I just don't appreciate you talking about my sex life."

Alice laughed. "Sweetheart, in this family, everyone knows everyone's sex lives. It's pretty much inevitable." She pulled the comforter up.

"Come on, your dress is here and Rose and I want to get started on the final fittings."

"Fine," I groaned.

Alice turned her back to me as I heaved myself out of the bed, and begrudgingly got dressed in grey sweatpants and a black tank-top. I followed her across the hall to the spare room, which she had renovated into a dressing room. In the center of the room, where Rose stood, was a small pedestal, where the white dress hung.

It was the first time I had really seen the dress. Alice and Rose had chosen it for me right after the engagement, getting a one-of-a-kind design done by one of their favorite designers. It was a simple dress. It was floor-length, strapless, and made from tafeta. The bust was embellished with sewn in crystals and rounded beads. It also had a fitted, ruched bodice which was also embellished with beading and crystal work. It came completed with a corset back and a chapel-length train that came around the front of the dress.

"Alice, it's beautiful," I whispered.

Alice smiled. "I knew you'd love it."

"Come on," Rose held her hand out. "Let's get you in it."

For the next twenty minutes, I played Barbie doll for Alice and Rose. As soon as the dress was on, the two of them pinched and prodded me until they felt their modifications were complete. They finished by fasting the veil to the nape of my neck. After they had tied my hair up, they stood me in front of the covered mirror. Rose and Alice each took a side of the cover and slid it off the mirror.

"Oh," I breathed. I ran my hands down the length of my sides, feeling how the dress fit around my curves. My eyes followed down the dress, and looked back up in the mirror. The dress looked amazing on me. It hugged everything just right, and it made my small breasts pop out.

"What do you think?" Alice gushed. She could hardly stop from bouncing.

"I love it," I beamed. "It's beautiful,"

"You look beautiful," Rose smiled softly.

I could hardly keep from blushing. I felt the heat rise from my chest to my cheeks. I grinned, and half-laughed. I could hardly believe that I was standing there, wearing the dress that I would marry Jacob in.

It suddenly became real to me that Jacob and I were going to be married. That I would be his wife. I always knew, in the back of my mind, that one day it would happen. We were meant to be together from the start. But as I stood wearing the white gown, staring at my reflection it the mirror, it didn't seem so far off anymore.

Although the big, happy family I had imagined might never come, I would be with Jacob, and that's all that mattered.