Chapter 17: Look Who's Talking
(6 months later - 9 months old)
"Daisy wait for Mommy!" I cried as Daisy stumbled forward. I grabbed her hand and waited for Jasper to get the stroller out of the car. With her advanced abilities, Daisy had started walking at just six months old, whilst it took most babies a year to learn to toddle around. Since discovering walking, it was hard to keep Daisy still. She pouted as I strapped her into the stroller, "I know you love to walk around Sweetie, but the mall isn't safe for little girls. You could get lost, or someone could steal you, or a pile of purses could fall on top of you!"
"Come on." Jasper said with a laugh, pushing the stroller and trying to keep up with me as I sped towards my favourite mall.
It didn't take me long to fill multiple glossy bags with clothes, shoes, purses, and accessories. I ended up carrying Daisy so that I could pile the stroller with bags. Now that I had a baby to take care of, I didn't get to go shopping as often as I would have liked. Of course, there was always online shopping, but it really wasn't the same. I missed going to the mall. As a result, when I did get to go shopping, I tended to go a little...overboard. Or that's what Jasper said, anyway.
"Alice, I think that's enough shopping for today." Jasper said, trying to keep all of the balanced bags on the stroller, "And we're supposed to be seeing Renesmee's class play in a half hour."
"Oh, but look at these!" I said, holding up a gorgeous pair of ballet pumps - white with pale pink decoration.
"Alice, do you know how many pairs of shoes you've bought today?" Jasper asked.
"These would look great with my new jeans..." I mused.
"Twenty six." Jasper said, "That's how many."
"And that white top I have at home...or did I give that to Bella? I'm sure she won't mind giving it back." I said, mostly to myself.
"Twenty six!" Jasper exclaimed, "And you already have hundreds at home!"
"She refuses to wear it anyway." I continued, "Oh! I could wear it with-"
"Alice, Darlin', we have to go! You have enough shoes!" Jasper said.
"But Jazzy!" I said, looking up at him with a slight pout. I batted my eyelashes, "Can't I have the shoes? Pleease?"
"Shoes!"
The voice was tiny and sweet, like a peel of bells to my ears. I stared at the little girl in my arms, "What did you just say?"
"Shoes!" She said.
I squealed, "Jasper!"
"I know!" Jasper said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Shoes please!" She said, and I swear to God she batted her eyelashes up at Jasper.
Jasper laughed, and I swear he was almost crying, "Like mother like daughter, right?"
"Shoes! Please! Shoes! Please! Shoes! Please!" Daisy sang happily. Now she'd found her voice, she wasn't afraid to use it.
"You can have all the shoes you want." Jasper told her, sweeping her into his arms with a massive smile. I watched as he spun her round and she squealed. She was yelling her two words at the top of her little lungs, and people in the store were staring at us, wondering why we weren't controlling our child. We didn't care. She was talking! Our baby girl was talking!
"We have to celebrate! We have to-" I broke off with a shriek, "Renesmee's play! We're going to be late!"
I grabbed Daisy from Jasper's arms and sped towards the car, leaving him to push the stroller full of shopping bags. We slipped into Renesmee's play just as it started, and found our seats next to Carlisle and Esme.
Pupils stepped forward on the stage, all dressed in different flower costumes. Renesmee had insisted on being a daisy, in honour of her little cousin. Bella had slaved for hours on that costume, insisting on making it herself rather than just buying one (I'd found the cutest costume online that Nessie would've looked just adorable in, but Bella refused). Renesmee smiled at us and waved at Bella.
Each flower child stood forward and delivered their line; some stumbled as they walked, some tripped over their words, some forget their lines completely. Renesmee delivered her line almost perfectly, hesitating only a little over the word "photosynthesis". The play continued with kids dressed as rocket ships and bananas, umbrellas and milk cartons. None of us could quite follow the complicated plot, if there even was one, but we all clapped each time Renesmee came on stage.
After the play had finished, Renesmee rushed towards Edward. He picked her up in his arms with a smile, "You were wonderful, Ness."
"We're so proud of you." Bella told her.
"You looked super cute as a fox in the last scene." I told her. She beamed at all her compliments, soaking up the attention, "Now I don't want to take away from your day, Nessie, but we do have some pretty exciting news!"
I looked up at Jasper and he smiled down at me encouragingly, "Daisy said her first word!"
"Really? What was it?" Esme asked.
I grinned, "Shoes."
"Shoes?" Bella asked with a frown. Emmett burst out laughing and whispered something to Edward. It was too quiet for me to hear, but Edward cracked a smile at it. Esme was smiling at me, trying to hide her laughter.
Carlisle grinned, "She takes after her mother, then?"
"She most certainly does." Jasper said, "She's already mastered that cute little pleading face Alice does when she wants something."
"I do not do a face!" I protested, but my family was all laughing in agreement with Jasper, "She also said 'please'!"
Esme and Bella "aww"-ed and the boys smiled fondly down at Daisy. Renesmee jumped around her, trying to get her to say the words.
Suddenly Daisy decided to yell, "SHOES!"
Whilst the rest of the family applauded her vocal breakthrough, I followed her tiny pointed finger to the feet of a woman a little way away. She was wearing deep purple strappy heels with tiny white flower detail; they were super cute.
Whilst the rest of the family always discarded her talent, I would later regard this as her fourth vampire gift; my daughter had style.
A/N: Helloooo everyone :) What do you think of Daisy's first word then?
Sorry it's a little short...I just wanted to get it updated...especially because today is PANCAKE DAY :D Dunno if you really have pancake day in America...it's what we have instead of Mardi Gras I think...it's to mark the beginning of Lent...but mainly, you get to stuff your face with pancake after pancake and not feel bad about it... ;) SO, happy pancake day everyone ;)
The next chapter will either be another at around 9/10 months...or skip to about 3 years. Which would you prefer?! let me know :)
Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Sorry that I couldn't send sneak peaks to Razzburry17 and terahteapot because I can't PM either of you :(
Again, anyone who reviews will get a sneak peak of the next chapter before it's updated (but I can't send them if you're a guest or if you have your PM function turned off!)