Chapter 56

Several weeks had passed and the family had come to terms with Rosalie's situation. They were positive she had not conceived, but were hopeful for the future. Billy had suggested that the eclipse may have to be visible in their area for everything to work, but it was merely a theory. Rosalie seemed to be on board with Billy's thoughts on the matter, and was already mapping out when and where the next one would be so she and Emmett could make their way to that destination.

Alice, Renesme and Rosalie sat together on a patio set on the porch. It was warm and a little breezy with the sun attempting to peek through the light gray clouds.

"I think today should be the day," Alice whispered to Renesme, speaking about Jacob. Rosalie nodded in agreement.

Edward appeared next to them within a few seconds, "Today should be what day, Alice?"

All three of them knew he could read their thoughts, and so Alice was truthful.

"Renesme wants to tell a certain someone how she feels about him."

Edward shook his head, and Bella quickly joined them.

"What's going on?" Bella asked.

Renesme was beginning to become a little upset, "Mom. I want to tell Jacob that I... that I.."

"No," Edward said, "Not now. No."

"Edward," Bella said sternly, "Let me talk to her."

Alice glared at Edward and lead him inside. Renesme could hear their conversation but tried to focus on what her mother was saying.

"Honey," she started, "I know how you must feel about Jacob."

Rosalie listened on, standing next to Bella.

"I just want you to you know, take your time with things."

Renesme sighed, "Mom, look at me," she motioned to herself, "I've gone through the stages of life so fast. I'm at the point where I have to take the next step. I'm ready."

"Ready for what?" Bella asked concerned.

"Ready, I don't know, for a boyfriend."

Bella thought back to only the few short years that had passed since she'd be in the same boat, and how nuts it drove Charlie.

"I talked to Esme. She told me to wait, and that was over a month ago. I've waited."

"A month isn't a long time," Bella told her.

"It is a long time. For me it is. I'm probably, like, eighteen by now."

Edward reappeared, despite Alice's attempts to keep him inside, "You're still just a child, Renesme. You're not old enough to handle a boyfriend. It's too soon."

"No, Dad," she said, holding back a wave of frustration, "It's not too soon. And I'll admit, I'm young, but I'm not a child."

"Yes you are," he said calmly.

"No, I'm not!" she yelled back.

Everyone else had heard the commotion and came to see what was going on. Renesme was extremely embaressed and fled from the porch into the house.

"Nice going," Rosalie said, passing Edward to follow her.

"You don't want to start this, Rose," he said, about to tell her she had no idea what it was like to be a parent. He decided against it, and was immediately glad he did.

"What happened?" Carlisle asked.

Edward shook his head, "I told she was too young to have a boyfriend."

"She wanted to tell Jacob how she feels about him," Bella explained, running a hand through her hair.

Carlisle and Esme looked at each other. The situation of someone aging so quickly was new to all of them. It wasn't long ago that Renesme was still watching cartoons and doing kid things. Now, she was, in every way, the same age as Edward. The only difference was that Edward was on the earth for a century, give or take a few years. Renesme was only at one percent of that.

"I'm not sure waht to do," Bella admitted, "I really don't."

Carlisle sighed, "I'm not sure I have the advice to give on this one," he shook his head, "But think of how hard it's going to be to prevent her from starting a relationship with him."

"I wouldn't stay away from you," Bella told Edward, "No matter what Charlie wanted."

"That was different," Edward said, "You really were seventeen."

"But so is she. She's just whipped through her years faster than me."

"Esme, what do you think?" Edward asked.

She was caught a little off guard, "I'm not sure, Edward. Renesme did approach me about this about a month ago. Maybe a little longer. I told her it was probably in her best bet to wait a little bit. But, I mean since then, she has grown quite quickly. I don't know."

"I'm sure it's difficult to think of your daughter being old enough to date Jacob," Carlisle empathized with him.

"That's because she's not old enough to date Jacob," Edward told him.

"The bottom line is, she has feelings for him," Carlisle said, "It's going to make the situation difficult to control."

"Edward," Bella said, "Maybe we should just let her tell him. Regardless of what we say or do, she's going to. Whether that's today, tomorrow or next week."

"I don't think Jacob would be disrespectful," Carlisle assured him, "He's imprinted on Renesme. He'll want what's truly in her best interest, not his."

"So you're telling me he'll tell her to hold off of the boyfriend, girlfriend stuff?" Edward asked.

Carlisle shook his head, "I don't know. But I don't believe he'll do anything to make her, or you, feel uncomfortable."

"And you'll always know what he's thinking," Esme added.

"That's not going to work to my advantage here," Edward told her, "I don't want to know what he'll be thinking."

"I don't think he's even close to that point, Edward," Carlisle said, "What have you gotten from him lately?"

"He's thought to himself how beautiful she is."

"Anything else?" Bella asked with curiosity.

He shook his head, "No. Nothing beyond on that, but it will happen."

"Not any time soon," Carlisle said, "Jacob is a gentleman."

"Well, you don't know him like I do," Edward told him.

Alice entered their conversation, "Nessy's fine. We calmed her down a little bit. And Edward, I hate to tell you, but I've seen her gushing to Rose about her first few dates with Jacob."

Bella smiled for a second and tried not to let Edward see her as he stood with a scowl on his face.

"It's harmless, Edward," Alice assured him, "You know they're going to be together. He imprinted."

Edward stormed away from the group and Bella looked at the place where he had just stood beside her seconds ago.

"Come here, Bella," Esme hugged her, "I wish we had better parental advice for the two of you."

Carlisle played with his hair, "I'm not so sure there's a right answer," he confessed, "Sometimes things are inevitable."

Esme looked to Carlisle, "Go find him and talk to him."