"Renesmee is waking up." Edward said slightly groggily. I giggled but didn't lift my head. The light was filtering through the big windows leading to our garden, announcing the big day. "I'm failing to see the amusing part of this." He said, a hint of laughter in his voice. I only giggled as a reply. He smiled and chuckled, lifting himself up onto his elbows. "Well, I suggest that we get dressed." He said smiling down on my face. I pouted but then rolled over. He rolled on top of me, one hand caressing my lower back, and kissed my forehead. Then swung his legs over the side of the bed and walked into the closet. I sighed and followed. Edward was wearing a pair of navy pants, rearranging the shirts in his drawer. I came up behind him and trailed my fingers across his back. He reached one arm back and around, wrapping it around my waist. I was quickly in front of him.
"Let me help." I suggested. I pulled out a gray Lacoste sweater and handed it to him. I remembered the sweater from one of my shopping excursions with Alice. He put it on without a complaint before whisking me over to my side of our massive closet.
"My turn." He kept his arm wrapped around me while moving back and forth between racks and drawers. Once he stopped, there was a pair of brown skinny corduroys, an ice blue wrap sweater, and a brown belt. I slipped on the clothes and buckled the belt at my waist. I pirouetted in front of the mirror then faced Edward. His eyes traveled over my body while handing me a pair of ice blue UGG moccasins.
I cocked my head to the side. I didn't remember buying these.
"Alice." Edward said explaining. I mouthed "Oh." while slipping them onto my feet.
We entered the hallway seconds before Renesmee did. She was wearing a light pink, long sleeved dress with knee high crocheted boots. They had light pink roses embroidered onto them.
"You look adorable, sweetheart." I said, scooping Renesmee up into my arms.
"Are you ready for the day with Jacob?" Edward asked, kissing her on the cheek. She nodded eagerly, smiling. She struggled to get out of my arms.
"I'll race you." She said facing me. I knew this game. Edward and her were a tag team, it was not fair in any way shape or form. She reached out for Edward's hand. He took it subconsciously, enveloping her tiny hand in his. "I bet we can beat you, Mommy." Renesmee said eagerly, almost jumping in place.
"Yeah. I bet we can beat you, Bella." Edward snickered, smiling. I faked a 'hurt face' and crossed my arms across my chest. Edward leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. Renesmee lightly touched my arm.
"Don't take it personally, Mommy. When there's a game we're playing that you will be better at I'll be on your side." Renesmee said innocently. Edward mocked the same hurt expression I had before Renesmee spun around and apologized. "No offense." Edward wiped his expression off and replaced it with a smile.
Renesmee tugged on his hand signaling the beginning of the race. I took off at full speed and I still couldn't hear them behind me. I smiled and chuckled to myself. Then I felt a burst of air behind me. Edward, holding Renesmee in his arms, blew right past me. Renesmee turned her head around Edward's elbow and stuck her tongue out at me playfully. I stuck mine out at her, then they picked up their pace.
When I entered the grass lawn they were lounging around on the ground as if I had taken all day. I walked, at a human pace, over to them and sat down crosslegged next to Edward.
"Wow. You took long enough." Edward said looking down at a nonexistent watch on his wrist.
"Oh, come one. I couldn't have been that much behind you." I answered, swatting his arm.
"Okay." Renesmee sighed sarcastically.
"Think what you wish." Edward added.
"Will do." I said getting up silently, walking over to the house. They both bounded up to follow me.
Before we entered the house I could hear Jacob being rushed out the front door. We ambled around to the front of the house where we were greeted by Jacob.
"Hey, Ness!" He exclaimed. His face instantly picked up the second he saw her. "Hey Bells and Edward." He said smiling towards us once Renesmee was in his arms.
"Okay, okay. Lets go!" She exclaimed tugging at his shirt to shift is attention back towards her.
"Okay, okay. Lets go." He repeated smiling down towards her. "Bye, Bells."
"Bye, Jacob." Edward said.
"Bye, Edward."
As soon as Edwards Volvo had pulled out of sight Alice came rushing out the door. "So much to do. So much to do." She muttered to herself. She was making unintelligible noises, even for a vampire, about flowers and cakes.
"Alice? Can we do something to help you?" Edward asked chuckling. Alice turned and stared at him. A stare so evil, menacing, and intimidating it is amazing someone so small could have that much fierceness in her. She then switched to her condescending stare with her hand on her hip.
"Yes, Edward." She hissed, "There is." He looked slightly taken aback but then she started up again, her normal self. "I need you and Bella to set up the canopy outside. Jasper and Emmett are building the arbors for the roses, Esme is baking the cakes, Rosalie is making the aromas, and Carlisle is…ummm. I'm not completely sure what he is doing but I'm sure its something helpful."
Edward nodded along with Alice. "Got it. What can we do, Alice?" I asked.
"Set up the canopy in the back!" She snapped in a higher pitched voice. I could tell she was slightly overwhelmed.
Edward nodded, trying to keep the calm. "And where is it, Alice."
"Its in the y-" Alice shrieked before calming herself down. "Its in the yard."
"Okay. We'll get right on that, Alice." Edward answered slowly, pulling me around the house. While we rounded the corner I could see Alice rubbing her temples.
"Does she always get this…upset?" I asked, failing to think of a good enough adjective to describe Alice's stressful mood.
"Not generally." Edward answered nonchalantly.
"For my parties, Edward?"
He laughed. "No." He saw my confused look. "She can't see Renesmee, and inviting the werewolves to both the parties gives her a headache."
I nodded, showing I understood. He laughed and took off the plastic sheet covering the picnic table. Laying on the table was a weaved net of white, pink, and red roses with white and pink Christmas lights.
"Some canopy." I said snorting. Edward was smiling.
"It's beautiful." He murmured.
Using vampire speed putting up the canopy only took thirty minutes. It was much more complex than we had thought.
"It goes this way, Edward."
"Are you sure?" Edward asked.
"Well, it would make sense." I answered quietly, picking up the side of the flowers, very delicately, and cocking my head to the side.
Edward, who was up in the tree, suddenly agreed with me. "Yes, yes it does." He strapped that corner to one tree before leaping down. He repeated this around every corner, with me directing.
"Higher…no lower…a little bit looser…okay."
Although we accidently ripped the canopy in a few places, the overal effect was the same.
Once we accomplished our task for the most part, I leaped up into a tree and ran across to the center. I took the center of the canopy and lifted up to add a more tent like appearance to the outdoors. I then leaped down and landed on top of Edward. He caught me and rolled to the ground with a dramatic groan.
"Oh, please. As if it hurts." I said lightly, swatting him on the shoulder.
"This is true…if it was Emmett I would probably kill him though." I laughed, he probably would.
"Well, not kill…" I said leaning down into a kiss. I pressed my lips softly to his lips and began to pull away, but he wouldn't let me. He put his hand on the back of my neck and gently pulled my head back down towards him. I was still amazed at the change in roles since my transformation. He was now the needy one. I smiled against his lips.
"What's so funny?" He murmured against my neck.
"Oh…nothing." I answered playfully. He laughed into the hollow dent of my collar bone. I kissed his forehead and he brought his lips back up to mine. His hand was still caressing my back.
"Ahem." I heard a crystal clear voice from the porch. I turned to see the gleam of blonde hair and the beautiful face of Rosalie. She was turned slightly away.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." She honestly sounded a little intimidated.
"Its alright, Rose." Edward said. He didn't remove his hand from under my shirt on the small of my back.
"I didn't know if you were listening…" She began, "But Alice really needs your help."
"We'll be there in a second Rosalie." Edward said, flashing her a quick smile. She nodded and caught my eye. She grinned at me quickly and disappeared into the house.
He rolled his head over on the grass lazily to look up into my eyes. He gave me a look asking "Should we go?" I nodded and packed him on the lips before nuzzling into his shoulder briefly. He inhaled deeply and let it out. His breath was still as sweet as in my dull human memories. I breathed in and couldn't stifle a giggle. "Come on, lets go." I sighed, crawling up into a kneeling position at Edward's waist.
Alice was on the phone when we got into the house. "No, Carlisle. It has to be pastel food coloring…No it won't taste different, but it needs to be pastel colored…Alright, thank you." She sighed and flipped the phone shut with a flick of her wrist.
"I can run to Seattle real quick, if you need me to." Edward offered.
"No, no its okay. That's not what I need you to do. Esme started making the frosting, but she realized we don't have pastel colored food coloring…Carlisle was already out, but he doesn't understand why we need pastel colors. I had to explain that we need the frosting to match the roses and then that lead to-"
"So you need us to make frosting?" I asked, stopping Alice from continuing her rant.
"No, no. I was wondering if you would like to help all the others with the roses' distribution?"
"Do we have a choice?" Edward asked.
"No…no, not really." Alice giggled her tinkling, wind chime laugh.
"Alright. What shall we do captain?" Edward saluted Alice.
"Oh. You won't be reporting under me. I have to arrange things inside." Alice smirked.
"No." Edward said under his breath.
"Alright." Rosalie said to Jasper, Emmett, Edward, and I, who were sitting on the grass. Edward groaned, Emmett beamed proudly at his wife, and Jasper slouched back onto the grass. "Edward and Bella, do you think you two could work on weaving the roses through the arbor?" Rosalie directed.
"Actually I think I'll go take a nap." Edward stated sarcastically.
"Funny, Edward." Rosalie sneered. She didn't enjoy Emmett, shaking with laughter, or Jasper and I suppressing our chortling.
Working under Alice was like serving under a stressed President. Toiling under Rosalie was like living under a dictator. You had no say in what happens, you could only beg and grovel in hopes of Rosalie feeling merciful. Edward's remarks during the doling out of jobs made for much graveling on my part.
I was weaving a stream of pink, white, and red roses through the last of many arbors when I felt a light tug on my hair by my ear. I reached my hand up to my ear and felt the soft, rubber like petals of a rose. Edward let his hands fall off my shoulders, down my arms, and rest at my waist. He rested his head on my shoulder.
"How did I get so lucky?" He whispered. I smiled and turned around. "I have you and Renesmee, forever, and a family that loves us. It just amazes me. My life, err existence, turned out better than I could have dreamed." I rested my head on his shoulder as he slowly started moving back and forth.
He began humming a new song, a song I had not heard before, almost as beautiful as my lullaby. "Its…its beautiful." I murmured.
"It's Renesmee's lullaby." Edward explained. "It isn't finished yet…"
"It doesn't matter. Are you giving it to her as a present?" I asked, remembering my birthday, the birthday I turned eighteen, the birthday Edward had left. I shudder ran through my body. The thought still scared me.
"Edward." A call came from inside the house, a jingling call like the sound of bells.
"Alice." We both said laughing. She sounded happier, more at ease. That was progress.
We walked into the living room and heard her prancing around the kitchen. I also heard Esme barking directions to her. "Star tip…flat tip…pink…white." Alice's footsteps danced around the kitchen subserviently.
We walked into the kitchen soon after Alice made her mistake. "No, Alice. That's not it." Esme glanced at the approaching footsteps. "Oh, Edward. Thank goodness! No offense, Alice." Esme said, smiling warmly.
"None taken. This is why I stick to clothes." Alice said, walking out of the room. "Oh, we are done with everything else. Only the cake needs finishing. I glanced towards the three tiered birthday cake on the counter. It had an off white base coat of frosting, decorated with a braided top of the layers and delicate frosting roses. All the colors matching the millions of roses I had hung up today.
I followed Alice out of the room, as Edward was swathed in Esme's baking terms and instructions. I could hear their footsteps stirring around the kitchen at full vampire speed.
Alice sat down on the couch and sighed. "You look quite nice, Bella." Alice approved of my outfit. "It looks like you actually kind of tried while picking out your outfit this morning."
"Er, thanks. But Edward picked it out." I admitted. She made a face that made me think she already knew that. "Anyway, are we really done?" I asked looking around at the house, decorated to the nines.
"We better be!" All the guests should be arriving in the next twenty minutes!"
Honestly and truthfully I don't feel like I have any reason to finish writing this besides for my friend who reads it. I need some love!! Review please; even if it's just a "this is good" or "wow this sucks." Whatever, I don't care. I just want to know what you think. Actually, I just made up a new rule. If I don't get more than three reviews, I stop writing.
Take three seconds and write a review! Please!