Chapter 17: Celebrations
~Edward~
The holidays had come and with it all the wonders of watching my daughter playing in the snow and enjoying such a magical time of year. We got our first real snow a little after Thanksgiving, and by then had word that the rest of our family was coming home with a few guests. It would be nice to see our home full again, and Esme had already spent a large part of her time, after that holiday, preparing for our family and for Christmas. We had yet to get a tree, and Renesmee kept showing us in our minds fuzzy pictures of the trees she remembered in her past. This year was special because she was beginning to be old enough to really enjoy everything that Christmas was, though I wanted her to realize that it was more than just getting presents.
I'd gone alone to Seattle to pick up a special gift for Bella, leaving my wife and children at the house to wait for the rest of our family to arrive. Esme was with her, knowing Bella still feared her strength around Renesmee, though over the past few months since our return my wife had done quite well with our daughter when it came down to the trying times of tantrums and tears. As I walked to my car from an established jewelery store, it was the display in a large bay window that caught my eye. The shop specialized in ornaments, handmaid and customized. Knowing I still had a little time on my hands and that I could get home in an hour even with the snow, I went inside.
"May I help you?" a man with a short stubble gray beard asked.
"Yes, I would like to get my daughter a special ornament. This year she's old enough to help us decorate the tree."
The man was already smiling not at all uncomfortable in my presence as most people tended to be. "It sounds like you want her to have something to remind her of this year. I have just the thing," he said as he led me to the back of the room where a giant tree stood. From the smell of the pine and the faint scent of sap, I knew it was alive. He took a delicate crystal snow flake from the center of the tree, turning without missing a beat before putting it in my outstretched hand.
The crystal flake wasn't small, but wasn't too large either. I held it up by it's golden string and the light caught it making it glitter much like my own skin. "I think this will make her very happy," I said.
The man had gone but returned with a box. "Do you want me to etch anything on it?"
"No, I think it will be fine the way it is."
Once that ornament was boxed up he led me back to the tree and I took from it a smaller version of the rocking horse that Anthony was just beginning to take interest in. The miniature horse had a soft tale like the larger one at home and it was obvious that it had been hand carved. "Do you do these yourself?" As I asked the man my question I realized that I could barely register his thoughts.
"Yes. During the year it's what keeps me busy, though these old hands," he said holding them out, "Aren't what the used to be."
His mind was clear and quiet as though he knew what to expect from me and it was a little unnerving. It made me wonder just what kind of man or being he was."
After he wrapped the ornament for Anthony he went in the back, and as I was about to leave he came out holding a box in his hands. "This is for your family." He said putting it in my arms. The box wasn't too big, shoe box in shape, and again I found I couldn't hear what he was thinking only because he was at peace. From the expression on his face, I could tell he wasn't going to take it well if I refused his gift and once outside I focused on his thoughts still finding him peaceful and happy.
~*~
Home wasn't as peaceful as the older man's mind, though it wasn't Renesmee causing the fuss. As I pulled onto our drive I could hear my son's fussing cries along with his sister's unending questions about why he was so sad. Renesmee had been told about his teeth, but didn't quite get the reason why it hurt so much.
"Momma, him not stop crying and I want go outside now."
"Bella, why don't you let me try for a little bit," Esme offered as the house came into view.
"Daddy home. Daddy, Daddy," my daughter began to scream as she heard my car. Anthony began to cry harder as she ran to the back of the house and I was glad I was home, ready to give them a break.
In the garage, Renesmee was on the bottom step in a sundress with no shoes on her feet. It was bitter cold outside and I knew even for her she could feel it. The instant my car was off, I had my daughter in my arms. Renesmee laughed as I nibbled on her neck. "Daddy, baby crying lot today. Momma, me took him outside and he not liked it."
"Anthony isn't feeling well," I responded as Renesmee struggled to be let down. My wife entered the kitchen with our son cradled in her arms. He was chewing on a hard rubber teething ring wearing a soft flannel sleeper. When he saw me he began to fuss reaching one hand out for me.
"Why don't I take over?"
"No, you take me outside," Renesmee demanded.
My wife handed our son to me and I settled him against my left hip seeing the drawn tired look in his eyes. "Will you ask Daddy nicely?"
"No, him not have Antony."
Jealousy was the latest development. Renesmee didn't like sharing me with her brother and so far we hadn't found a solution to the problem of her acting out. I'd tried numerous time to play with them both, but my daughter always ended up doing something, such as pinching her brother or even projecting her thoughts into his mind which promptly brought an end to what ever it was we were trying to do.
Esme had already taken her to the other room, though not without a fit, leaving Bella and I alone for the moment with our son. "I'm sorry I was gone so long," I offered as my wife hugged me from my free side while Anthony rested his cheek against my shoulder.
"Don't be, I took just as long with Esme the other day getting your present, and some for Charlie. He is so calm when you are around."
Our son was already drifting into a much needed rest. "Perhaps your more calm when I'm around," I said in a teasing tone.
My wife poked me in the side smirking at me before giving me a kiss on the lips. "You might be right. It is easier when you're here."
Esme already had Renesmee outside, both of them having fun in the snow. Upstairs Bella and I put our son in his crib draping a light weight blanket over him, knowing that was enough.
~*~
A few hours later the big house was full. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett were back and along with them a young half human-half vampire named Nahuel with his Aunt, Huilen. Micah was staying with Zafrina for the time being though from his thoughts I could already tell Nahuel wanted to help his half brother. Esme had had already set up a bed for Nahuel on the second level of our house in a rarely used guest room, there when he felt the need to sleep. As we all sat around the living room, Renesmee content to sit on her Uncle Emmett's lap, and Anthony already out for what we hoped would be most of the night, Alice told the rest of the family what I had already seen in her visions.
Nahuel and his Aunt sat closest to Alice and Jasper, not comfortable being around so many vampires. Every now and again he would look over at Renesmee, and then back at his own hands.
"What was he thinking?" Bella asked as we walked casually through the darkened forest a few hours later.
"How lucky our daughter is to have both of us, and not a father who wants to use her for his own twisted purposes."
My wife nodded. "And his mother died while having him?"
"Yes, She and her sister went in the the forest and there were too many complications. After Nahuel was born, Huilen raised him on her own, knowing that they would be in danger if they went back to the village. She killed animals for him so he could have the blood he needed, and like Anthony he doesn't tolerate human food very well, though over time he's learned to eat some kinds."
"How did she become a vampire?"
"Nahuel bit her when she wasn't being careful and the change occurred." It made me uncomfortable to know that was what was in store for our son. Anthony would have to be taught very early not to bite on anyone, which meant the rest of us could no longer let him use our fingers to teeth on.
"What about Charlie?"
"We need to be careful. Charlie may not get to hold him as much until Anthony understands not to bite him."
My wife nodded, and before I could say anything the wind shifted and we both smelled what we desired. Bella broke off in a sprint and I ran behind her watching how gracefully my wife moved in and around the trees now bare and covered with snow. It wasn't easy to find a herd this time of year, and by the time I caught up to Bella, she had taken down a six point Buck. The other deer had begun to run and I found a large doe, taking her down with practiced ease. Once we had fed, Bella turned to me, letting me examine her shirt.
"No rips or smears of blood, I think you have the hang of this," I said, proud of my wife.
"It's about time," Bella answered as the wind began to pick up, stirring the snow.
"It's so strange not to feel the cold," Bella told me as we headed back toward the house to let the others go hunt.
"It makes things much easier for our way of life." With our children safe at the house with the rest of our family Bella and I took the opportunity to simply walk in the forest both of us quiet, lost in our own thoughts while at the same time aware of everything around us.
~*~
As Esme instructed Emmett on where to place the large tree we had found in the forest, Bella and I were sitting with our daughter sorting out ornaments our family had collected over the past few years.
"Daddy what this one?" In her small hands Renesmee held the box her ornament was in, and as she handed it to me I reached out and pulled her onto my lamp.
"This is a special ornament for you. You have to be very, very careful with it." As my daughter began to open the lid of the red box, the rest of our family gathered around. Our guests had gone on a hunt, but were both comfortable to stay for a while longer.
When the lid was off, Renesmee reached in and pulled out the crystal snowflake, memorized as it glittered in some sunlight coming in through one of the windows.
"What do you think?" I asked.
"Pretty. I put it on tree."
"When Nanna is ready," I said. Before she could complain I got the other box and let her open that. Inside was a porcelain Christmas Angel for the top of our tree.
"Her very pretty," Renesmee breathed.
"Yes she is," I agreed touched by the generosity of the man from the store.
Once Anthony's ornament was open, the tree was ready for decorating. Jasper and Emmett had the lights on, and we let Renesmee pick a spot for her ornament as well as her brothers. Everyone else joined in, handing Renesmee more ornaments and holding her up when the reach was too high. There was a certain calm about our home, one that hadn't been in a long time, though I couldn't help but wonder how long it would last. I hoped that it would remain so until after the holidays were over.
Much later Bella and I rested in bed with Renesmee tucked in between us as she listened to her mother reading The Night Before Christmas.
"Momma?" Renesmee asked as Bella turned the page without ripping it as she had done a few times when this life was still very new to her.
"Yes baby?"
"We see Santa and he give presents?"
We had discussed how to do that, and neither of us were sure of taking her to a public shopping plaza or mall, not wanting to risk any of our old friends seeing us.
"Santa will come while you are asleep," Bella began, though already our baby was shaking her head.
"No, see on TV. Have go tell him want and he bring it."
We tried to limit the amount of TV she watched, and for myself I was again a little surprised by how much Renesmee seemed to understand.
"We'll have to discuss that later," Bella said before getting back to the story. Luckily for us our baby seemed more interested in the book rather than more explanation.
Once she was asleep and we checked in on Anthony who was asleep on Alice and Jasper's bed, we went downstairs. "What do we do about Santa?" Bella asked as she held on to my left hand.
"Perhaps find someone to dress up for her," I suggested, fairly certain Renesmee would know it was one of us by the way we smelled to her.
"I doubt that will work, maybe Charlie can do that," Bella suggested as we sat down on one of the sofa's facing the TV which was always turned to the news at this hour. As Bella leaned into my arms I nuzzled her cheek with my lips and a moment later my lips were on my wife's. Bella molded her lips to mine and her arms came around my neck as her hands pushed at the back of my head, drawing me willingly closer.
"There are other people in this house," Rosalie said long before she and Emmett reached the front door. The had gone out hunting, and unfortunately anything Bella and I had planned to do was for the moment pushed away as they and our company came inside.
"I seem to recall a few times when you and Emmett were caught in the act," I said not willing to let her off the hook so easily.
My brother chose that moment to pinch her bottom and Rosalie playfully slapped at his hand as Huilen and her nephew sat down on the other sofa. They were both thinking about returning to the forests of the Amazon to get Micah before going back to their home. I wanted to address that, telling them they could stay as long as the liked, but would wait until one of them brought it up.
At that moment Esme came in from the kitchen, bringing some food for Nahuel. The young man thanked my mother, taking the plate of steamed vegetables, excusing himself before he began to eat.
"Nahuel and I think it is time to go back to our home," Huilen said as Esme sat next to her.
A moment later Carlisle appeared from the back of the house. "You are free to stay here for as long as you like," he told them.
"Thank you, but we want to go back and get Micah. Where we live we are fairly certain that Joham will not find us or him."
"Of course, would you like me to make travel arrangements for you? We can get a private flight that will take you back to Brazil."
"You are so generous, we should be able to go by foot," Huilen answered. Alice told us how uncomfortable it had been for her and Nahuel to fly commercially even with the more modern clothing Alice had gotten for them, and it wouldn't be hard for them to find their way home with some maps in hand.
As they continued to talk I felt Bella move away from me while at the same time hearing the unmistakable sound of small feet leaving our room. We excused ourselves, and at the top of the stairs found our daughter walking into the bathroom. She was unaware we were there. As we waited, Renesmee used the bathroom unaided as she had been able to do since a few weeks after getting back from the Island before Bella had been turned into a vampire.
When she came out she went in the other direction, still unaware we were there. Quietly we followed her to the nursery hearing her telling Anthony she loved him.
"Momma want sleep in my bed," Renesmee whispered as we walked in.
My wife knelt down and Renesmee walked into her waiting arms. "He might wake you up," Bella reminded.
"My bed," Renesmee muttered sleepily. After Bella tucked her in, my wife moved to the side and I knelt beside my baby girl trailing my fingers through her soft bronze hair. "Go to sleep now," I whispered.
Renesmee nodded, yawning before shutting her brown eyes. I remained by her side combing my fingers through her hair as I hummed my lullaby to her until she was deeply asleep.
Later on as Bella and I rested in our own room, my wife nuzzled her cheek against my bare chest. "What were you thinking about when you were with her?"
"Just how fast she's growing and how smart she already is."
My wife nodded, "I know. It's going to be fun watching her open presents this year, watching the expression on her face when she finds out what we got for her."
That would be fun, but my thoughts took me back to the other day when I thought about teaching my daughter about what Christmas really was. At some point I wanted to get her alone so we could make a present for Bella and some for the rest of our family. Our daughter was smart, though I didn't want to overwhelm her with to much and hoped she would like giving gifts as well as getting them.
~Bella~
As much as was possible I visited Charlie, taking Renesmee and sometimes Anthony with me, leaving everyone else at the other house. Edward was always welcome, but knew how much my dad enjoyed the time with just me and his grandchildren. Once Renesmee was settled into play, and Anthony was content to sit in his bouncy seat, Charlie sat down in his recliner as I sat on the sofa. "We've been trying to figure out how to get her to see Santa," I said softly keeping my eyes on my daughter as she worked on a puzzle.
"Is she old enough to get that?" Charlie looked over at her before shaking his head, "Of course she is," he whispered back. "We usually have a Santa at the Police Station if you want to bring her or I could even take her."
That was the hard part, and I sighed, "I remember the magic of believing, but also remember being hurt when I found out," I responded.
"I'm not sure we went about it right when you did," Charlie began before we both stopped as Renesmee came over giving my dad a plate with a plastic cake on it. My daughter giggled as Charlie playfully ate the cake. When he was done she ran back to her stove preparing more food as Anthony began to fuss while chewing on his fist.
In a moment Charlie had him and for the moment Renesmee wasn't aware. "Oh dad, don't let him do that. You know we had company?" He nodded so I went on. "The woman, Nahuel's Aunt, was turned when he bit her. We don't want Anthony to do that to you, so it's best to find something else," I whispered quickly.
"Grandpa Charlie you need help me now," Renesmee said as she realized my dad was holding her brother.
Once I had my son, Charlie complied with Renesmee's wishes and I thought about his offer to take her to the station. It was rare when Charlie was able to show her off to people. On the other hand there was always a risk with her or with Anthony that something would happen to expose what we were. Still when we got home Edward and I would figure things out and get back with Charlie.
"What was that all about?" I asked as Anthony screeched. I turned him to face me as I let him stand on my lap. He grinned, bouncing up and down as he reached his fingers toward my lips. When I nibbled them he laughed bringing his sister to our side.
Renesmee laughed when he did and even gave him a hug, making me wish she was this sweet to him when they were with Edward. "Momma, we go for walk?"
"I think we could manage that," I said as Charlie nodded from behind us. While he got Renesmee into her coat and boots, I got Anthony's snow suit and put that on him without him getting fussy. Outside it was snowing and Renesmee ran ahead of us on the street with her head tilted back as she tried to catch the flakes on her tongue, something Jasper had taught her the other day.
"Do you think they feel the cold?" Charlie asked as he carried Anthony who was nearly asleep in my father's arms.
"Not so much. On the windier days sometimes Renesmee will. She likes wearing her summer dresses in the house, and there have been times she's managed to get outside before we can catch her."
"She's fast for someone so small," my dad agreed.
We walked around his block twice before Renesmee was ready to go inside, and once there she wanted a snack which Charlie fixed while I got a bottle ready for Anthony.
"Grandpa, Santa coming see us. I see him tell him my things."
Charlie held her on his lap as she ate some fruit while drinking blood from her sippy, "Really, what things are you going to tell him?"
"Tell him want oven at mine house," she said as she took another drink before rubbing her eyes.
"What else?"
My daughter sighed and I chuckled softly as Anthony reached his chubby fingers up patting my lips as he drank his bottle. When I kissed them, he grinned before getting back to drinking his food.
"Momma, not go home," Renesmee said as she finished the last of her fruit.
"Not even if Daddy and I take you for a walk in the forest?"
For a moment Renesmee was quiet, obviously thinking over what I was offering before she shook her head. "Stay here with Grandpa Charlie," she said through a yawn.
It was Charlie who stepped in to help as he cleaned her hands and mouth, "Actually, I need to go in to the station."
"I go with you," Renesmee said, smiling up at him.
My Dad hugged her, kissing each cheek, "I would love to take you, but I have some things I need to take care of that I can't do when you're around."
"Want stay," Renesmee answered as she began to pout.
While they debated I took Anthony into the den and got him in his infant seat, leaving him there as I got my daughter's jacket. Renesmee was quiet as I handed it to Charlie and didn't fight him as he put it on her. The last time she had pitched a fit, Edward told her she wouldn't be able to come back if she kept it up, obviously she remembered, or so I hoped as we headed out to the Volvo. Again my daughter was quiet and cooperative as Charlie got her strapped into her car seat. Once she was safe my dad came around to my side of the car and we hugged. "Be careful," I said.
"I always am," Charlie reminded before I got in my car, ready to get my babies home.
~*~
To ease our minds, Edward and I decided to take Renesmee to the station on our own. I let Alice have her way with my hair and makeup, knowing my sister was very talented when it came to that. Once she was done I looked in the mirror. I did look older, I'd have to give her that much, but I felt too made up for just a visit to the local station to see Santa with my daughter. Edward's profile joined mine in the mirror and he was looking intently at me through our reflections. "So what do you think?"
"You look beautiful," he breathed, nuzzling my neck while Alice put her things away.
Looking at Edward in the mirror I noticed he had on a pair of dark slacks along with a cream colored long sleeved shirt, and his black leather jacket. His hair was jelled up and he too looked older than a high school student, but not by much.
"Momma," Renesmee called a moment before she walked in. We turned finding her all dolled up for the occasion, wearing a frilly red dress with her hair curled up in spirals. Behind her Rosalie was standing holding Anthony against her hip with his bottom resting there so he could face out and see all of us. We were keeping him home this year, and Renesmee didn't seem to mind that we were.
"You look so beautiful," I told my little girl as Edward picked her up.
"Aunt Rose got me pretty," Renesmee informed both of us as we left Alice's large bathroom. Once we were ready, we said goodbye to the rest of the family. As we drove in to town Renesmee sang her own version of Jingle Bells while looking out the window and swinging her legs as much as she could while strapped in her seat.
As we got closer she became quiet, and Edward glanced back at her. "Renesmee, when you see Santa you have to be careful just like you are to Grandpa Charlie."
"Him might smell good?" She asked looking up at the front seat.
"Yes, so you can't do anything like sniff at him or anything else."
"Not going too, him have bring me Antony presents." After that we both felt relief. Before we got to the station I called Charlie so he could meet us out front.
The moment my dad opened the door, Renesmee seemed to forget Edward and I were there, giggling as Charlie kissed her. "Are you ready to visit with Santa?"
"Have tell him about oven and him get for Antony too."
With Charlie slightly ahead of us, holding Renesmee in his arms, I took Edward's hand. "How do you think she will do once it's her turn?" I asked my husband.
"I'm not sure she realizes what this entails," Edward said looking all around us. Inside the lobby of the police department that space was decorated not the way it usually was. Charlie told me that anyone needing to be brought in during this time of day did so through the back, which made me feel better. There were only a handful of people there with their kids, none of which I really knew, so Edward and I waited off to the side as Charlie held Renesmee showing her off to some of the other officers who came to greet them.
~Edward~
As Charlie and Renesmee stood in line, I was mindful of my little girl, reading her thoughts. At first she was very curious, watching the other kids sitting on Santa's lap and there wasn't any fear, only excitement. The moment another child had his turn and started to cry, doubt entered her mind even as Charlie reassured her he would stand right with her. She glanced over at Bella and me and I smiled at her as she bit at her bottom lip much the way Bella does when she's nervous.
"What is she thinking?" Bella whispered.
"I'm not sure she's going to make it."
When it was her turn Renesmee began to struggle in Charlie's arms and I left Bella going to them, taking her into my own arms before I carried her back to her mother. "It's alright," I whispered as she pressed her face against my cheek feeling the wetness of her tears as they spilled against me.
"Not have presents," Renesmee sobbed.
"Yes you will baby, you don't need to see Santa. We'll tell him what you want," Bella tried, but she was crying too hard to hear her mother.
Thankfully, Charlie led us back into his office, a much quieter less chaotic place to be. Once I was sitting down holding Renesmee on my lap, she began to quiet down. My Father-in-law brought her a glass of water which she drank down while sitting sideways on my lap, and once she was done she looked over at Bella. "Home."
"Okay, but we need to get your coat."
Again Charlie came with that and Renesmee let him help get it back on, "Mad me?"
"No angel, I'm not mad at all. You don't know him, and it's alright to be afraid of people you don't know," Charlie answered
"You see me later?"
Charlie hugged her and Renesmee wrapped her arms around his neck letting him hold on to her as we headed back toward the front. "I'll be there Christmas Eve to have dinner with you."
"Promise?"
"Yes," Charlie said as we got out to our car.
As I pulled out of the parking lot Renesmee began to cry again, and I stopped letting Bella get in the back with her. Our daughter was disappointed about not seeing Santa, and I scrambled to think of a way to help make things better before realizing that there would be some times when she would have to go through this as a natural part of being a child.
"When we get home we can make Christmas cookies," Bella told our little girl.
"Them good eat?"
"I remember them being very good."
"Not have anyone share with."
"Well, you can share them with your Grandpa when he comes to see you."
"Momma, we sing Jinga Bells?"
"Alright."
They sang that the rest of the ride home and I was glad Renesmee felt better. While we were gone the family spent most of the time wrapping presents for her and Anthony and I still had to find time to help Renesmee make presents for everyone. My idea was to have her make everyone a Christmas picture and for Bella, make her something from a small shop in Port Angeles that specialized in pottery.
~*~
As the big day drew nearer, I realized that we weren't going to get pictures made or get to Port Angeles for Bella's gift. Renesmee seemed more overwhelmed the closer the big day drew nearer and more prone to tantrums even with fewer cookies. Jasper said she was picking up on everyone's excitement and seemed confused by what was going on even though she knew presents were involved. He also felt fear from her whenever we brought up Santa, so one day as I lay with her resting on my chest after a pretty big tantrum, I asked her about him. "Are you excited about Santa?"
"No, not presents no Santa," Renesmee whispered as I rubbed my hand over her back.
"He's not why Christmas is important," I said.
At that my daughter lifted her head away from me looking into my eyes. I reached out wiping a few tears from her soft cheek. "The most important part about Christmas is celebrating that time for a very special baby born on that day."
"Pop say him Jesus and his Birthday."
"Yes," I answered, glad Carlisle had found time to let her know. I still didn't know where I fit in to all of this, but I had to hope that my daughter and son would find salvation if at some point they passed away. Carlisle agreed to teach them about Christ upon Bella's request and my own, and it seemed my daughter had the right start. As she drifted to sleep I shut my eyes humming her lullaby, hoping that things would settled down in the next few days once Christmas was behind us.
~*~
On Christmas Eve, Once Renesmee was down for the night and Anthony was settled in Alice's arms, Bella and I got down to the task of putting presents under the tree. We had a lot of help and by the time we finished, ten minutes later, there wasn't a way to step up to the tree without stepping on a package of some sort. "I think we overdid it," I said.
"She has a lot of Aunt's and Uncles," Jasper reminded and I nodded as I took Bella's hand leading her into the dining room where her present was waiting. We had made it a tradition of opening ours in private and once I was seated in one of the chairs, Bella sat on my lap opening her present with graceful moves. She opened the black velvet box and took a breath in, looking at me. "Oh Edward," she breathed.
I reached around her and took the necklace from the box. On the 24 karat gold chain were two gold angels with each child's birthstone in the middle. My wife let me put it around her neck before she turned and we kissed. "Thank you."
"You are very welcome," I answered missing seeing a blush on her face or even tears of joy, though I wouldn't tell her that.
In a moment she was off my lap and gone before she appeared with my present. It was a slightly larger box, and inside was a photograph, professionally done of our babies. "When did you do this?"
"That day I told you we were going to Charlies. We did go see him and he went with us to get their portrait done at a friend of his."
The picture was in a backyard with our children in a wagon wearing matching denim overalls. Anthony was smiling at his sister as she smiled back at him. "Thank you, love." It would be one of the only pictures made of our children done professionally, and I knew we would put it someplace we could both see it. As I thought of that I was already aware that Alice was about to walk in and looked at her as she did. "I think that's a good idea."
My sister smiled at me, "We thought it would be good to go on and open our presents for one another and let tomorrow be for Anthony and Renesmee," she told my wife.
Bella got off my lap, and we held hands as we went in to the other room to spend the evening with our family.
The sun had just started to rise when Charlie arrived, before either baby began to stir. Esme had coffee ready and was making breakfast for Renesmee while the rest of us sat around waiting for her to wake up.
"How did you like the picture?" Charlie asked me as we talked quietly.
"It was a nice surprise. Thank you for finding someone we could trust."
Upstairs I heard both of my children as they began to wake up and nodded at Alice and Rosalie before they disappeared. They were ready to get this day started.
Esme came out with Charlie's food on a tray while I focused on Renesmee finding her in a good mood as her Aunts helped her dress in a pretty green dress. Anthony was awake too and Renesmee was asking if he could go back to bed.
"She's going to forget about him the moment she sees all of this," Bella said, also hearing what was going on upstairs. "Should we try and push her to eat breakfast first?"
"I think we should, she's going to want to eat all of that candy in her stocking," I said.
When Alice came downstairs holding her, Renesmee was silent as she looked at all of the presents. Before she was let down I took my baby into my own arms. "I need you to eat with Grandpa Charlie before you open everything.
"Eat fast," she said as Charlie reached for her. He fed her and once she was done to mine and Bella's satisfaction, her grandpa put her down. Carlisle was sitting on the floor and already had her stocking as Esme held Anthony and his. There was a lot of candy in her stocking along with plastic jewelery and plastic makeup, all things pushed to the side as she ate her first peace of chocolate before Alice gave her a box wrapped with golden paper.
For the next hour and a half we all took turns helping to open presents. Renesmee got a real bike, mini sized, from Charlie, complete with training wheels and a helmet. It was a little big for her, but would be great once summer arrived. She also got a lot of toys including the oven like the one at Charlie's, only slightly fancier as the model had improved. Along with the toys she had a lot of clothes and hair accessories to go with those clothes.
Anthony got a jumper which hooked to a door frame and was already in that having a great time. He too got several new outfits with several different hats to go with them along with lots of toys. His Uncles were already into his Duplo Building Blocks, while Rosalie and Alice helped Renesmee get a dress on one of three new dolls that she had gotten.
"Where are you going to put all of this?" Charlie was asking Bella as I made quick work of cleaning up all the paper, while Esme broke down the boxes for later use.
"We'll get a house with a giant play room," my wife answered as Charlie nodded.
By the time he left Renesmee was asleep on a soft polar fleece blanket on the floor and Anthony was asleep on the sofa in between Jasper and Emmett as they watched a ballgame on TV.
I found my wife outside on the porch looking at her hand as it glittered in sunlight filtering through the clouds. "What's on your mind?" I asked as I sat next to her.
"Just about moving again."
"We need to make those plans, but today is time for celebrating, not worrying," I said as I stood up easing her to her feet. We went back inside and joined our family to watch the game knowing that times like these would be few and far between once we made our move.
"Merry Christmas," Bella whispered as we snuggled together on the sofa.
"Merry Christmas," I answered wrapping my arms around her, wanting nothing more than what I had in this room right at this moment.
~*~
AN: Hey everyone, thank you for all the reviews and adds from the last chapter. I'm sorry this is taking so long to get out and can't promise anything much faster. Life's gotten to busy. Well I wanted to do a Christmas chapter and hope you all enjoyed what you read. I promise more lemons in later chapters, but truthfully that's not easy for them with two kids and a house full of other vampires, still though romance will insue eventually. AS for Renesmee I see her having a pretty good vocabulary and as well a good comprehension. She's continuing to develop and learn as is Anthony. I'm glad you all are liking my story. I'm having fun with this. Please feel free to continue and review and add me to your lists. Thank you again.
~Ella~