Esme's POV

Our lives had changed dramatically with Bella's return, and Nessie's addition to our family. And I did consider them both a part of our family, with absolutely no reservations.

That was why when Nessie sat with me and confessed some of her thoughts, wishes, fears, and concerns; I decided that it was time to have a deeper conversation with Bella. I had already spoken to Edward on some of these very issues… warning him specifically about his relationship with Nessie and reminding him that he had stepped into an extremely fragile role as a male in her life. He was completely dedicated to the two of them though, and I knew that, as I told Nessie, he would always be there for her – regardless of his relationship with Bella.

When it came to Bella herself, we had spoken many times before, but she wasn't comfortable with talking too much about the bunker and their living situation before being found. We had also never really talked through a lot to do with roles within the family, and how Bella herself felt about us all. And while I had a fairly educated guess as to how Bella felt, I thought it might be time to address some of these things… for both her sake, and for Nessie's.

"I spoke with Renesmee in the kitchen earlier tonight." I began cautiously, gaging her reaction to my words as I spoke. I didn't want to push Bella… she was doing remarkably well, and moving forward at a good pace – but I also knew that she was still fragile.

"She asked if I minded if she called me Nana; she's heard Emmett and Rosalie speaking to Haley and referring to me in that way, and she expressed sadness over not having a grandmother of her own." I needed to be careful. Charlie had told Bella about Renee, but as far as I knew, she had never spoke about her mother to any one of us yet.

"I expressed to her that I felt that both of you were a part of our family, and that I had no problem with her calling me whatever she was comfortable with… if that is Nana… then I don't mind at all. But I need to ensure that you are alright with that first Bella." I told her and she nodded. She was curled up on the couch with her legs underneath her, and her fingers were picking at the hem of her shirt. She was already small as it was… her time in the bunker had stunted her growth and she was quite petite… but curling up on the couch like that, she seemed even smaller.

"I don't mind at all… I always… I told you before… she's named after you and Carlisle too… I always felt like you guys were my second set of parents." She answered me quietly and I waited to see if she had anything else to add. When she remained quiet I continued.

"How are…" I began to ask my next question but she cut me off,

"I know that she's confused on everything with regards to her family, and who everyone is to her." She told me and I gestured for her to continue. "She's picked up calling Emmett and Rosalie and Jasper and Alice her Aunts and Uncles… they all told her to, and I'm fine with that, and it makes it easier in some ways." Bella bit down on her lip, pausing momentarily. I allowed her the space to formulate her thoughts.

"I think what confuses her the most is you and Carlisle… and Edward and I… and then where my dad fits into everything." She said and I nodded in agreement. "She knows that my dad is her Grandpa… she seems to have accepted that before she accepted anything else… maybe because I talked about him so much when she was little." She explained. It made sense that she would be comfortable with Charlie. "But she also thinks of you and Carlisle as her grandparents as well… again, maybe it's because I talked about you both a lot when we were in the bunker… and she knows that you aren't biologically related, but I think she can connect with you both in that way – and you guys have been nothing short of amazing with her." She paused again, her face darkening as she thought about what she needed to say next.

"The day that she escaped… I saw her leave." Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard. "I knew we were in Forks… but I didn't know if she would really be able to get away… or who she would find when she did." The tears were starting to flow down her cheeks, but she didn't reach up to wipe them away. "Nessie told me that when you found her in the street that day, she didn't know that you were the Esme that I always talked about… she didn't know Edward or Charlie… they were such a foreign concept to her that she couldn't connect the dots until after we had been taken to the hospital and I started to confirm it all to her… that you… that you all were the people I had told her stories about." As she told me this I believed everything she said, it all made sense.

"But even though she didn't know you were the same Esme… she connected to you right away. She told me that she had been surrounded by people, but she knew that you were one of the helpers that I had always told her about." She continued and I simply listened, beginning to think that I had needed this conversation as much as Bella had. "I'm glad that she has had you, and Edward, and everyone else." Pausing for a moment, she blew her nose, curling back into her ball on the couch before pushing her head up, her eyes piercing mine for a moment.

"I didn't know that when we got out… I would feel so lost inside of myself." She declared. "I love my dad, and he has been amazing… but I don't know what I would have done without… without all of you guys as well…" She sniffled again and I smiled. "I… I'm still not totally okay. I know that… and I know that I have needed to depend on everyone so much over the last few months. But I also feel safer than I've ever felt… and I know that Nessie feels the same way." She said and I nodded, happy to hear that she felt that she was making this kind of progress in her journey.

As we sat quietly together, I could feel the air lighten, I truly saw Bella as one of my children and I wanted her to feel safe and secure with us. I wanted to protect her from ever facing the kind of hurt that she had lived through again. So while I still had questions… primarily to do with her and Edward's relationship and how it was progressing – or even if it was progressing, I decided to wait. Bella had revealed a lot to me, and she continued to tell me bits and pieces as the night continued, revealing some of her thoughts and feelings since being rescued to me… things that I was positive that she hadn't shared with anyone else – perhaps with the exception of Edward.

Throughout the night I watched her as she smiled, and as she chuckled… as she told me all about Nessie's progress in school and how well she was doing and I could see the pride. I saw an entire range of emotion on this girl, who just four months prior, had been a shell; the only emotion visible at that time fear. And now, though the fear still made its appearance known… there was also so much more.

By the time that we both crawled into bed that night, I realised that I had never once seen Bella relax as much as she finally had as we spoke together, her posture loosening up over time, and her words flowing smoother. As I fell asleep, I was confident that she was no longer taking small steps… no, now she was starting to take giant leaps and bounds in her recovery. But I also recognised that now more than ever it would be important to be there beside her, especially if she fell backwards a step or two.

I didn't realise that she would need to return to intense support again, the very next morning.