Nessie's POV

I didn't know anything!

On my first day of school, Ms. Weber helped me a lot… she gave me a desk right by hers so that I could ask her lots of questions, and she showed me around the classroom and the school again. And then she called Megan and Nathan over to her desk and asked them if they could include me at recess, and help me if Ms. Weber was busy. They were both really nice but they didn't say very much to me.

When the bell rang and it was time to do work, I could answer most of the questions… but I didn't know that I had to put up my hand before I said anything.

When I had to go to the bathroom, Ms. Weber had to remind me to ask her first instead of just leaving the classroom.

At recess, Megan ran away with her friends to play and I didn't see Nathan. I didn't know what to do, so I sat down by the wall and watched everyone else. Most of the time it seemed like everyone was doing something different and I didn't know all of the games that they were playing. Then a boy named Frederick sat down beside me and started to tell me things. He was in the fifth grade and he wasn't in my class… but he was nice anyways and I asked him a lot of questions.

After recess, Ms. Weber took us to the library. I had never seen so many books and didn't know what to choose when the librarian – Mr. Fields, told me that we got to choose a book to borrow every week. Momma would love the library here. When I started to look at the books, a girl named Cassidy came over and started talking to me… she showed me books that she liked to read and I picked a book about horses that she said was really good.

After that, Cassidy helped me a lot and then her friends started to talk to me too. By the time that we got to eat lunch, it felt nice to not have to sit alone, and Cassidy and her friends said that they liked me. When I got a message from Edward asking me how I liked school so far… I knew it was really because Momma missed me. I missed her too so I sent them a picture of me and Cassidy and my new friends playing a game.

After school Momma couldn't stop hugging me and asking me lots of questions, and Grandpa took all of us to the diner for supper to celebrate.

Every day when I left for school, Momma asked me if I was okay and if school was good. I always said yes, even though I didn't always know what to do, and sometimes it was hard to learn the stuff that everybody else already knew… I didn't know all of the rules still. But I was learning and I liked to do the reading and writing and math work. Ms. Weber said I was doing really good and Cassidy helped me a lot.

"So Nessie, what's your favourite part of school?" Esme asked me while I helped her make muffins. Grandpa and Edward got called into work and went to Port Angeles to help out with something… so Esme and Carlisle asked if Momma and me wanted to come and spend the night – and maybe the next one too – at their house.

"I like art class the best… yesterday we got to paint pictures about the story that Ms. Weber read to us." I told her, remembering the painting that I had started. I wasn't finished yet, but Ms. Weber said that that was okay… she said I could stay in at recess on Monday and finish it if I wanted to.

"Can I put the chocolate chips in now?" I asked as I picked up the big bag of chocolate pieces. I really really liked chocolate.

Saying yes, she told me how much to add and let me finish stirring them up.

"Can I call you Nana like Emmett and Rosalie are teaching Haley to?" I blurted out the question and Esme stopped suddenly, turning to look at me. She told me a long time ago that I could just call her Esme… I didn't have to say Mrs. Esme anymore.

"Momma's Momma is dead…" I told her and she nodded her head. "And Momma told me about how Mr. James helped make me… but I know he wasn't my dad and I don't have a grandma at all…" Momma told me lots of things, and she always made me feel better… but I still didn't have a grandma. "You treat me like I think a Nana would treat me…"

"I don't see why not." She answered me and I smiled. "Let me just talk to your Momma and make sure that she's okay with it." I think Momma would say yes.

"Can I tell you something?" I asked her a few minutes later. The muffins were in the oven and we were washing the dishes together. I liked spending time with her… she was always calm and she let me ask questions and it felt comfortable to tell her almost anything.

"Of course, anything Sweetheart." Esme answered me, handing me the big bowl to dry while we talked.

"Sometimes I pretend that Edward is my dad." I told her quietly. She didn't say anything and I kept talking. "He spends lots of time with Momma and me… and he treats me like I think a dad should treat their kids. And he likes Momma a lot." I kept going, thinking about it some more. "Momma likes him too… more than anybody else. She doesn't let anybody touch her except me… but she lets Edward hug her. Even Grandpa doesn't hug her." I said again and Esme nodded her head. "So sometimes I like to pretend that we're a family… and that you're my Nana and Carlisle is my Grandpa too."

Esme was still quiet and I just kept talking. I liked talking to her because I could tell that she was really listening to me.

"When we were with Mr. James… he used to come in and try and hurt me." I told Esme carefully. I didn't like talking about the shed and Mr. James, but Esme was safe and she didn't get fidgety like other people did when I tried to talk about it. "Sometimes he would grab my arm or push me down. He told Momma that one day I would be his just like Momma was." I shared my secret with Esme... I didn't like telling people that stuff.

"I know that Mr. James is dead and he can't hurt me. And I know that he hurt Momma for a long time and she wanted to leave and she protected me from Mr. James… but I don't know why he hurt Momma like that. Why he wanted to hurt me? And sometimes it feels like it was all a really bad dream; but I know that I'm not like everybody else because of Mr. James." I continued. We had stopped washing dishes and Esme reached down, taking my hand and leading me to the table. We sat down, and she kept listening while I talked.

"When we were there… Momma told me stories about everybody. She told me about you and Carlisle and Edward and Emmett and Alice and Jasper and Rosalie. She told me about Grandpa and Grandma Renee and about everybody that she could remember. Sometimes when Momma got really sad in the shed, we made up stories… and Momma always made us a family with Edward." I told her and she nodded her head.

"It sounds like you have a lot of really big thoughts and questions that you want answers to." Esme finally said something and I nodded. Momma talked to Mrs. Parker… and I talked to Mrs. Sue a little bit… but I didn't like her like I liked Esme.

"I love Momma… but she doesn't like to talk about the shed." I said and she nodded.

"First of all Nessie, I want you to know that what you are feeling and the questions that you have are all perfectly normal and you can always ask me anything, anytime." She reminded me and I smiled. I knew that and I trusted her. "Now, when it comes to family… I know that it is confusing to try and understand where exactly you and your Momma fit in to everything, and it all feels strange still, even though you have been out for a few months now. But, just because we are not related biologically… do you understand what that means?" She paused and I said 'yes' because Momma told me what that meant when she told me that Mr. James helped make me. "Okay, just because we don't have a biological connection, it doesn't make us any less of a family, and I know that all of us – Carlisle and myself, Emmett and Rosalie, Alice and Jasper – we all consider you and your Momma a part of our family, and we always will." She said. I felt like they were my family as much as Grandpa was, but it was nice to hear her tell me that anyways.

"As for Edward and your Momma… that's a relationship that is very complicated and that will take a long time to try and see what will happen. I know that they both like each other and are very good friends, and I know that Edward loves both you and your Momma Nessie." She said and I smiled again. I really liked Edward a lot. "I can't say what will happen with them, but I can say that Edward wants to be a part of your life, as much as he wants to be a part of your Momma's life… and no matter what happens, he, like all of us, will always be there for you." She said and I nodded. It didn't answer all of my questions… but I guess she didn't really know either.

After that we talked for a long time and we finished the dishes together. I felt better after talking to Esme. Later on Momma put me to bed, but she didn't stay with me. She said she was going to go downstairs and talk to Esme for a little while.

When she came back up to bed, I was already asleep.