BellaPOV

I awoke when Flyleaf screamed "I WILL BREEAAK!" only a few seconds after the song started. It was very rare that 'I'm So Sick' played first--usually the first song was softer, like 'Sorrow' or 'All Around Me'. But when 'I'm So Sick' does begin our morning, we always jump. This morning, I yelped, and clung to Alex, who rolled away at the sound of Flyleaf's lead singer, and pulled us both over the edge of the bed. I landed on top of him, then rolled away, and nearly fell back asleep on the floor.

Instead, I started laughing. Alex joined in, but not because something was funny, but because he was confused at why I was laughing. I was laughing because, well, it's pretty funny how we jump every time. But, no. I was laughing because of my dream.

Dream MODE I don't even know. But this is Bella's dream.

I was sitting in the living room of Charlie's house. Alex and I had decided to rent it out for extra money, since, having two kids not near stating school, I couldn't get a job. At the moment the house was vacant, but someone was coming to see it. Someone who, oddly, wanted to live in a rainy small town with a forest, practically surrounding them on all sides, like a cage with no exit.

Since someone was coming to see the house, it was my job, as the actual owner, to clean it and make it presentable. It was easier than one might think, cleaning the house you used to live in with your dead father. However, when we'd decided to rent it out, we had changed and renovated it. The kitchen was now red and white walls, simple linoleum floors, and had dark granite counters, and stainless-steel appliances. The living room, which had been white, was now a soothing beige, that would match most furniture sets a family has. I had taken out the wood, and added some mahogany carpet. It was a family home, and the red wouldn't show as much dirt as white or black carpet, and, if the family has young children, like me, it's easier falling surface. The master bedroom had been white, but was now a chocolate brown, with bamboo floors, and a curtain rod over the window, instead of wooden shutters, which are difficult to clean, and trap a helluva-lot or dirt and dust. The two other bedrooms were my favorite. My old room was blue, deep blue, with white carpet. The last bedroom, the old guest bedroom, was a light green and beige vertical stripped room, with light wood floors. The bathroom, had black and white checkered tiles, a large bathtub, and a shiny shower head. The sink was black, and so were all the drawer knobs and towel holder on the wall. The sink faucet was tall, bowl big. Outside, there was a birdbath, and a place for a garden. The grass was always green, and the back yard was big enough for young kids to run around--the last family had installed a fence just beyond the trees so that large animals couldn't get in, and young children couldn't get out. The house itself was a gray-blue.

Personally, I felt that it was a very family-friendly home. A family home. If it didn't hold such bad memories for me, I would have had my family living here. It was a perfect house to rise a child.

So, when I arrived at the house, I got out of my car, and stared at it. The house, I mean, not the car. Evin and Hayli immediately ran into the house, taking the key from my hand, and running upstairs.

I knew why I was staring at the house. After a month back in Fork after returning from London with Alex, I had decided it was best to rent it. Alex and I immediately began renovating the place. The whole time, I didn't tell anyone. The Cullen's had moved somewhere for college, making a new story for themselves. I knew that Alice was purposefully not looking for me in her visions unless I was in danger, because of what happened to Edward.

The Cullen's had come down to get a few things from the big white house, and had said good-bye to me. Alex had been out, and they all asked if he was still in London. I answered yes, not wanting them to think that I had gotten over Edward so quickly. They all asked my to give him their best wishes for health, life, etc… I had, of course, passed on their regards when Alex had gotten home from his temporary job. That night, we boarded our plane to Florida where we would live. Before leaving, I'd taken four pregnancy tests, which all said I was pregnant. I told Alex when we were in bed in a hotel room near our new house.

I probably stared at Charlie's house for ten minutes before I went inside and started cleaning. The last occupants had done a pretty good job of cleaning when they left, but, I knew that there was still things to be done.

I started upstairs, telling the kids to play out in the backyard and looking out the window every now and then to make sure they were okay.

I cleaned the bathroom, starting with the toilet, scrubbing it with comet. Then I cleaned the tub, since I was already on my knees--this earned me hurting knees, which were fine after the Advil kicked in, and raisin fingers. Not that it mattered. I wiped down the counter and sink, then swept and mopped the floor. Then I vacuumed all the rooms in the house, and the stairs. When that was done, I cleaned the kitchen with Lysol, and used Windex all the windows, inside and out. I went around the entire house, and scrubbed the door jambs, and spot-scrubbing the moldings on the floor and ceilings. Finally, I dusted the fireplace, and insides of cabinets. Then, I laid down on the living room floor and cried. It was hard, cleaning a house up and down, with the memory of everything that used to be in it.

I'd found a fishing hook in the corner of Charlie's closet, and had had to put my fist in my mouth to keep from sobbing and coughing up my heart. I'd run to the bathroom and wrapped in in toilet paper, then ran out to put it in my car.

When I stopped crying, I sat against the wall, and imagined living here again. It looked nothing like it had when I'd lived here. We'd have to move from our Florida house in a few years, since it only has two bedrooms. I think there's a law that after they reach a certain age, children need to be separated from siblings of the opposite sex. I think the age is ten. So, maybe we could move here, and rent out the Florida house.

I could imagine us liking in this house. Yes. I couldn't see it now, with Evin and Hayli so young. But with Evin as a ten year old, and Hayli being eight. I could imagine them coming home from Forks Elementary with backpacks that looked like they would crush the kid. I could see Hayli, long red hair, dressed in overalls or pink corduroys and a cute shirt, mary-janes, sitting on her knees at a coffee table struggling with a math problem. I could see Evin, fair hair, a collared shirt with stripes, dark jeans and light up sneakers with Velcro, sitting across from his sister, going through, I don't know, Pokemon cards, and asking what was for dinner, and talking about how much he wanted summer to just get here already. I could see Alex getting home from work, tugging at his tie, and embracing our kids in turn, asking them how school was, then saying that work was boring and that his office computer was slow. I saw him asking for me, and being told that I was in the kitchen making dinner. I saw myself, in jeans, a long sleeved v-neck, and simple shoes, standing in the kitchen, boiling noodles for spaghetti, and chopping a cucumber for salad. I could see me and my family in the living room, having a movie night, or playing Uno, or me and Alex helping Evin and Hayli with their homework, trying very hard not to just give them the answers.

I couldn't see past Evin and Hayli being ten and eight. It was just too hard. I knew that once they were eight and ten, I'd be able to imagine them when they were, say, fourteen and sixteen. But now, it hurt my heart to think of them being old enough to make their own choices.

I'd been sitting against the wall, imagining everything my family could do here, for maybe twenty minutes. Then I took out my phone.

I had barely began my text message to Alex, saying that I was nearly done with the cleaning, when my phone began ringing. I didn't recognize the number, or even the area code, but I answered anyway, planning to tell whoever it was that they had the wrong number.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Hello," a girl said. She paused. "Who is this? I'm looking for a girl named… Cullen?"

My heart throbbed, but I decided to play. "I know a few Cullen's. Do you have a specific name?"

"Um, no. Sorry. Just Cullen."

I sighed away from the phone. "How did you get this number?"

"I can't tell you that unless you're a Cullen. Do you have a name?"

"Bella," I told her. "I used to be a close friend."

I heard a car pull up outside, and became panicked.

"I'm Clairisa Modorn. If you run into them, can you give them my name? They should know me." She hung up.

"Weird," I whispered to myself.

There was a knock on the door.

I pulled myself up, and went to it, pulling it open. A woman, who was looking away looked into my eyes. I felt, distantly, like I should recognize her, but couldn't put a name to her face. She kind of reminded me of Lucy from I Love Lucy, but only because she had the same kind of face. Her hair was dark, like mine, but more light brown hinted. Her eyes were brown, like mud, not to sound rude. Her skin was tanned, but, to be honest, I felt that it wasn't supposed to be. She wore dark slacks, and a purple t-shirt under a blazer that matched her pants. She had eye liner and mascara on her eyes, and a light lip gloss, but that was it. Her hair was in an official-looking clip. On the road was a dark windowed mini-van. I couldn't see anyone in it--not even the driver, though I could see heir outline.

"Can I help you?" I asked the woman. "Are you here to check out the house?"

"Are you Bella?" She asked. Her voice rang a bell in my mind, but I still couldn't place it.

"Who's asking?" I demanded.

"It's me!" She smiled warmly. I suddenly knew who she was, but I kept my face blank. Why was she here? Did she want to blow up at me for what I did? A million thoughts buzzed through my head before she told me who she was a second after her 'it's me'. "Esme Cullen!"

Hearing her say her own name made my heart jump, and made me remember. This was Esme! The woman who was practically my mother! She would never even dream of hurting me!

I hurried to embrace her, throwing my arms around her neck. Her hands were around my waist, and I felt as though I had been hugging her everyday, just like I used to. When we pulled away, she turned toward the van and waved at whoever was in it to join us.

I knew, before any doors opened that it was the Cullen's. The rest of them. And it was.

Although I knew who was who, it was still a shock when I saw that they, like Esme, had changed their appearance.

Alice was the first out of the car. She had gotten hair extensions, so her hair was now down to her waist. She'd kept it black, but, like Esme, she had gotten her skin darkened, and changed her eye color to brown. She wore dark denim capris, and a pink cardigan over a white tank. On her feet, she wore stylish 4-inch heeled boots, which made her appear taller.

Emmett had dyed his hair blonde, and put in blue contacts. He'd only darkened his skin a little, to make it more human looking, not to seen tan. He wore dark jeans and a long-sleeved green Hollister t-shirt under a medium brown sleeveless vest. His vans peeked out under his jeans. Everything about him said 'normal guy'.

Jasper had dyed his hair light brown, and had a skater cut. He had on a black shirt that proclaimed, I will disguise myself as a sleeping pill, and descend inside of you." I recognized the line from Hello Seattle by Owl City. Over the shirt, he had an open button down that was deep red. His jeans were dark, and well worn, fading at the upper legs, knees, and, probably, over his butt--not that I would look. Just saying.

The rest is coming soon, this is not even half the dream, but I felt I should get something up.