Chapter 24
"I'm glad you liked it I remember you said that you like angel food cake." Esme said and I gawked at her I had thought they had ordered it from somewhere.
"You made this? Wow its perfect Esme!" I told her as I stood to put my plate in the sink or dishwasher. Esme smiled and took it from my hands and was back as I blinked. Man vampires are fast and abnormally nice.
"Here this is from me." Alice said handing me a wrapped box and I wondered what it could be. I shook it and heard nothing which told me nothing. I opened it slowly wanting to save the neat blue and green metallic paper. Maybe I would do something with it, though I could think of what. Emmet groaned and I giggled as I ripped the last of it and he perked up. The reason I had heard nothing when I shook it was obvious as I pulled out a slip of paper promising a shopping spree on Alice. I rolled my eyes but hugged her.
"But I get to dress you up or I'm not going." I told her and she crossed her heart.
"I'm curious as to what you'll dress me up as." Alice told me and pouted cutely and I smiled evilly.
"Not going to happen Alice, I will get some much needed help from a friend maybe, or maybe we'll go to Target or Wal-Mart. I am not planning anything till day of and maybe not even then. Miss smarty pants." I told her and everyone broke out in laughter. Alice had made the cutest face when I said Wal-Mart and Target. She was pouting but smiling so I knew that she didn't mind but wanted to know.
"Here this is from me and Rose." Emmet said thrusting the bag into my hands. I giggled but dug into the bag and pulled out a baseball outfit definitely vintage and a slip of paper, yet again, promising to up grade Nia. I raised my eye brows.
"Please tell me Rose is the mechanic I like Nia too much to let Emmet touch her." I said and Rose smiled and nodded, "Thank heavens." Everyone chuckled but Emmet frowned and I shrugged. "Cars take skill, dedication and patience Emmet." Rose smiled at me and I blushed. It was true Rose seemed all three; I don't think of Emmet as patient and only maybe dedicated.
"You have to play ball with us sometime Bells." Emmet said changing the subject and I looked at him. I was fairly good at baseball having spent time with Phil on the field. But judging by the evil grin on his face it was not the baseball I could play.
"This is from me." Jasper said pointedly ignoring his brother. I smiled and held the heavy wrapped book wondering what it was. It was obviously a book but which one. My fingers itched as I stroked the object Jasper smiled and everyone else laughed at me as I hugged it. Finally I unwrapped it and looked over the beautiful old book and it didn't matter what it was the book itself was really neat. It had to be at least 500 years old and perfectly preserved.
"I got it from my father with a few others but I thought you would like an accurate history book." Jasper said and my eyes widened as I opened the book and saw that it was written in Latin. Emmet laughed but I just stared down at the lovely piece of history in my hands.
"Wow." I said in a hushed and awed voice. It would take me forever to slowly translate this book and I loved it. "This will take a little while, but are you sure you want to give me this?" I asked as my fingers gently played on the front cover.
"There are few people I would have given that book to but you are definitely on the list." He told me with a smile. I blushed deeply as I continued to stare at the book in my lap. He would give this precious gift too. Carefully I put the book on my seat and hugged Jasper fiercely.
"Thank you so much. Even if it takes forever to translate it I love it." I told him. Carlisle smiled at me as I returned to my seat.
"This is from Esme and myself." He told me as he handed me a small box. It was velvet and deep blue. I knew it had to be jewellery I held my breath as I opened the box as stared down at two sets of pearls. One was white and creamy the other was a dark purple-y colour. My fingers flitted over them and I tried to reign in my desire to tell them to take it back that it cost too much.
"It's a gift common from when I was a girl." Esme said as she moved and put the purple-y pearls on me taking off my other necklace. The string was fairly short and rested perfectly at my collar bone. "I thought that you would like the black pearls and that the white might remind you of Clara." I stared at her and nodded. The white would have matched my little sister perfectly.
"Their lovely, thank you you're too kind." I told her as I hugged her and fingered the pearls around my throat. Esme smiled as she pulled back. Carlisle moved forward and wrapped his arms around me tightly. I was surprised by this unexpected contact with him but my body never froze or stiffened. He was Carlisle; he has only ever looked after me.
"You look lovely this morning Bella." He said as he pulled back and wrapped his arms around Esme. "I'm glad that you can smile today." I blushed but nodded. Even as they gave me gifts and attention I didn't mind I just basked in the safe and loved feeling that filled this room.
"This last gift is from me." Edward said as he handed me a tube. "I saw this and thought of you." He said and I looked at it and uncapped it pulling whatever it was out gently.
As I unrolled it my breath hitched and I flushed. He thought of me when he saw this? It was one of the many paintings I had made in my three years of notability. It was the one I painted when we first moved to Jacksonville I had lost all my trees and mourned them. So I painted a dream place where I had trees, forests and forests full of trees. This one was my tree with its tiny door that only I could fit through that led to my fort. My safe place where I kept all my sweet dreams and played all my pretend games.
"Treehouse reminds you of me?" I asked as I looked down fondly at the painting I had regrettably sold when I grew to love other things. Like dark fairies and deep blue butterflies and deeper darker colours.
"Treehouse?" Edward asked confused.
"That's the title of the painting." I replied blushing slightly.
"Oh, well yes it does. Why?" Edward asked and I smiled at him.
"I have often thought that I am not the same as I was when I painted it." I told him and his eyes widened. I smiled at him as I looked back to the painting. The innocence and joy of this painting filled me. It was a carefree and happy time in my life. My mother was three months pregnant and I was to have a little sister.
"You painted it? But it is signed by Quinn." Edward said confused and yet not angry. Jasper chuckled and Edward looked at him and then smiled. "Ah... You are very talented Bella." Everyone looked at me and I blushed a deeper red.
"I suppose I was." I said, "Thank you for this Edward." I rolled the painting carefully and returned it to the tube.
"I'm sorry I got you something you made, perhaps..." he said but I didn't let him get any further as I giggled.
"Stop. It is perfect I regretted selling it as soon as it was out of my house. I love having it back. It's perfect for today; I painted it when we first moved to Jacksonville. Mom was three months pregnant with Clara and my world was bright and happy." I said and smiled up at him he nodded and smiled back.