The thick layer of clouds drank all the sunlight. It was an exceptionally gray day, even for Forks and it was the first day back in school. Back playing our part. To my discontent, the first day I was separated from my daughter.
Angela had greeted me excitedly as soon as she saw me and Edward by the Volvo. She congratulated us on the birth of our daughter and asked to visit some time to meet her. We could do nothing but agree. And then she told me about her Christmas. About her twin brother's antics at the dinner table and the gifts she had gotten from her parents and grandparents. Her other relatives, she told me, had not come this year but they had plans to see them for easter. I was thankful that she did not ask about my holidays, I suppose she could feel I was not up for it, instead she entangled me in a discussion about the latest book she had read.
Even though I had missed Angela, I despised the fact that we were back playing our roles.
I hated the separation from Aurora. It had only been a few days since I had given birth to her. And I hated to miss any time about her growing up, especially because she grew so fast. I knew Edward felt the same way. And yet he bore it with a lot more grace.
I complained. He soothed.
I was sad. He tried to cheer me up.
But nothing truly worked.
And I was so very jealous of Esme, who got to spend this time with her. An irrational feeling, but one I could not shake off.
There had been many discussions in the family about our roles after Aurora's birth. Most of the Cullens did not understand Edward and mine needed to be with her. Dr. Cullen had argued that we could not afford the attention it would bring us. I thought the argument was complete and utter nonsense, human teenagers regularly start to get homeschooled after getting a baby.
Rosalie was our only ally. But her words had little sway with the others.
None of them understood. And I could not truly fault them. Before Aurora I would not have understood either.
In the end Dr. Cullens guidance counted more than Edward and mine wishes. And we bowed our heads to the collective decision.
For now at least.
I was close to suggesting Edward and I just leave his family with Aurora. But I could not bring myself to separate him from the people he had relied on for the past ninety years.
For now at least.
The last days of the Christmas break had been a pleasant teaser of how life could be like without the restraints of the theater for the benefit of humans and one Dr. Cullen.
The evening after the wolves had left us Alice had brought out a huge collection of fireworks.
All of us had left for a run through the woods to start the next year with fireworks. Emmett was not quite patient enough to wait with the fireworks until it was actually 12pm. Aurora was nestled in my arms, we had put in earplugs and earmuffs to protect her from the noise.
"Look at all the colors, Aurora." I cooed at her. "Isn't it beautiful?"
Her tiny fingers reached out as if she wanted to touch the raining stars.
Her beautiful green eyes wide with curiosity as she gazed at the bursts of color overhead. The night was painted with vibrant colors. She giggled when a particularly vivid burst of red fireworks adorned the sky.
"Hey Jasper," Emmett grinned at his brother. "I bet you can't jump as high as my next firework."
Jasper grinned back. "Bring it on."
Edward shook his head and chuckled. "Do you see that, Aurora?" He asked her playfully. "You have the biggest fools for uncles."
While Emmett set up the next firework Jasper bent his knees and flexed his muscles, ready to jump at any second.
"Ready?"
"If you are."
Emmett nodded and set fire to the firework. The fuse burned slowly. But as the firework finally started Jasper jumped. His body was much faster than the firework. Almost a blur against the dark sky. But it was obvious he reached much higher than the firework, even though he was already back on the ground when the green lights rained down on us.
Alice clapped enthusiastically and rushed over to his side and wrapped her arms around him.
Jasper pressed a kiss to her cheek and then looked back up at Emmett. "You think you can do the same?" he challenged.
"I can out-jump all of you!" Emmett declared confidently, flexing his muscles for good measure.
Emmett waited a little while longer once the firework started. But even as he ascended I could see that he would not reach the same height as Jasper. His bulkier build must be a hindrance. Or he put less strength into the jump.
The violet firework exploded right next to him.
Rosalie clapped for him when he came crashing down. But he still pouted.
Aurora reached up to show me a vision of herself flying just as high as her uncles. "No, we can't do that, little love."
Edward came over to take her from me. "Momma is right, that is something we will do when you are a bit older, alright? Why don't we try something else instead?" He tried to sooth her.
"Careful." I warned him.
"Always, love." He promised and playfully tossed her into the air. For a brief, magical moment, Aurora floated upwards, her laughter a sweet melody that filled the night. And then he caught her again, softening her fall by moving his body with hers.
"Again?" he asked her.
She nodded enthusiastically and reached up towards the sky.
"Alright, are you ready?" He tossed her a bit higher this time, eliciting a shriek before Aurora laughter brightly. She clapped her hands, delighted by the feeling of flying. Her laughter was the sweetest music to my ears.
However, after the fifth time Edward had tossed her into the air and caught her in his arms he froze. His head whipped around. His attention shifted. He was searching. Searching for something I could not see, hear or smell.
I creeped to his side and crouched down. Expecting imminent danger.
"Laurent." He whispered gravely. "I felt him. His presence brushed the edge of my mind. He must be close."
"Do you hear him?" I asked anxiously.
He shook his head. "He is just beyond the range of my ability. I can just…" He searched for a word to describe the feeling but did not seem satisfied with the limitations of the English language. "Feel him. It's like a tickle in my mind. But it is gone now. He must have moved further away."
"I don't see any danger." Alice said calmly.
"He must have crossed into your sphere by accident." Jasper said.
"So," Emmetts grin looked forced, "Edward, you're up next! Let's see if you can jump higher than the fireworks!"
"Aurora, do you think Daddy can jump as high as those fireworks?" I asked her as I took her from Edward.
She showed me a vision of Edward jumping so high he brought her a part of the clouds.
"Let's see if Dad can do it, shall we?" I smiled down at her.
Edward readied himself. His muscles taunt under his clothes. I bit my lip.
"Ready?" Emmett asked him, ready to light the fuse.
Edward nodded at him to start.
After the firework slowly lifted from the ground he waited a few more seconds before launching himself into the sky. His slender body seemed sharp as an arrow. He did manage to jump higher than the firework. But to Aurora's disappointment he was nowhere near the clouds, even though his arms were thrown up.
She clapped excitedly all the same.
Edward grinned at her. His face was so bright and full of joy.
"Well," Emmett scoffed playfully. "That was less than I expected of you. Is humility suddenly your middle name or are you just rusty in the jumping department. Maybe you do a little too much of the other jumping." He wiggled his eyebrows at him.
Edward chuckled. "You've got it, Emmett." He grinned back. "I didn't want to show up the fireworks; they deserve their time to shine."
"Pff."
"And what was your reason for performing so badly earlier?"
"At least I perform in the other department." Emmett raised his eyebrow. "I'm not so sure you can say the same."
Instead of answering Edward scooped up a handful of fresh snow, shaping it into a perfectly round snowball. Aurora's eyes widened with anticipation, she placed her tiny fingers to show me she wanted the ball. He turned to let her execute his revenge.
Emmett saw Edward hand her the snowball. With a mischievous grin, he gestured for Aurora to throw the snowball his way. "Come on, Auri, give it your best shot! Can't be too hard with such a washcloth for a father." he called with enthusiasm. Aurora giggled.
With surprising speed and accuracy, Aurora released the snowball. It soared through the air and came remarkably close to its target.
"It seems we have a natural talent in the making," Emmett remarked with a chuckle.
"Almost." I smiled down at her. "Do you want to try again?"
She nodded excitedly.
Edward scooped up another ball and gave it to her. "Now, Aurora, concentrate on your target. I know you can do it."
On her next try she did succeed. She hit a puzzled Emmett square in the face.
I could not help but laugh out loud at his face.
"Well, it's safe to say Auri has got a future in the Cullen Olympics!" He finally recovered.
The last days of our Christmas break had been quiet. Edward and I took Aurora on lots of walks. She particularly enjoyed catching snowflakes even though they melted on her slightly warmer skin.
Alice had dragged us all along to some After-Christmas-Shopping where she curated the outfit for our first weeks back at school.
I had tried to fight her on the thigh high boots with a skirt she wanted to place me in. But I had given up. My only achievement was that I had won the right to wear black tights with the skirt.
And so Edward and I once again joined his siblings for lunch. It was just like almost every day before the holidays. But because my little angel had been born it was so very different.
I was different.
There was a deep happiness, a peacefulness within me now. But as I sat with the others it was overshadowed by my misery.
It was made worse because I knew that it was so utterly… useless.
All of this was. It was a theater we all played for the humans. But to what end?
I missed precious time with my baby daughter only so I could once again go through highschool, just as I had done so many times before. And all so that Dr. Cullen could practice medicine while creating the illusion of a perfect family. The beautiful wife, the well behaved orphants he took in because of the goodness of his heart. Even though he in fact stole their peaceful deaths from them. Only so he could have company in the cursed life he had been given.
Edward had pulled me down into his lap and wrapped his arms around me. Pulling me tight to his chest. His head rested on my shoulder and every now and then he pressed a soft kiss against my neck or behind my ear. I let my head fall back to give him better access to my throat and closed my eyes. When I was in his arms the world was almost acceptable again. Even though my little angel was missing and I felt the part of my heart that was entirely reserved for her throb I could not truly be sad in Edwards arms.
Not after the hundred years I had yearned for this exact moment.
And then, abruptly, Edward stiffened under me, his head snapped up and he made a sound that was somewhere in between a gasp and a choke.
I looked up, searching. My eyes fell on Alice's blank face.
A vision, I realized.
Jasper took her hand in his, gently stroking her fingers. "Alice, what did you see?" he asked her.
"Visitors." Edward said quietly, sharing an anxious look with Alice. "Do you truly think-" he wanted to ask but fell silent when Alice nodded.
"The resemblance is there, at least to me." She said. "And I don't see why they should lie about that."
"What is happening?" Emmett asked loudly, voicing what we had all been thinking.
"There will be some visitors coming tomorrow." Alice answered him.
"And what is the big deal?" he asked, impatiently bouncing his leg. "We constantly have visitors. Is it Charlotte and Peter again? We haven't seen them in a while. I would love to have a wrestling match with him again."
"No Emmett," Edward said dully. "It's not Charlotte and Peter. In fact, it's no one we have met before."
"Then who is it?" Rosalie asked, her frustration evident.
"It seems to be- It is mine and Bella's grandparents."