Renesmee's POV
As I continued down the highway, I repeated to myself all my parents had told me about their time in Forks and the details of our cover story. Even with my perfect memory, it helped calm my nerves to go over it all again.
A part of being a Cullen was having a backstory; every town, every fresh start, my family had to create a believable story about their relation to each other to help them blend in amongst the human world. Once I came into the picture, the stories became more complicated. This was the worst thing about being a part of the supernatural world, having to lie about my two favorite people—my parents.
It was not hard to tell from looking at me next to them that there was a family resemblance, especially if you knew my mother when she was a human. My hair was the exact same bronze shade as my dad's while my chocolate eyes came straight from my mom. My dad loved that about me; my mom's eyes were one of his favorite things from her human days and he says he'll always be grateful those weren't lost after her transformation. Unfortunately now, my mom's eyes are the ever changing shades of gold and black that any fellow "vegetarian" (animal blood drinking) vampire would have. While we still share some physical similarities, anyone who compares us to each other now would never realize I have her eyes. This is where our backstories had to stay creative.
Who would believe that someone who looked like a young adult woman was actually the daughter of this couple who looked 18 and has only been married for 8 years? But we couldn't deny our physical similarities. When I was younger, we leaned into my resemblance to dad. He and my aunts and uncles always claimed to be adopted by my grandparents, so we told people that he and mom adopted me. To account for our looks, they told others that I was his niece, left behind by his brother he was separated from as a child and reunited after his death. As I grew so quickly, I didn't spend much time around humans so this story worked when needed.
With Grandpa Charlie, things were complicated. Early in my life, mom and dad also told him the same story. He obviously recognized my eyes from day one, as he had them too. Thankfully he chose to never question the oddities of my family and went along with the lies, as long as we continued to visit. Dad knew from reading his thoughts that he knew the truth, even though he couldn't figure out how it was possible. Aside from a select few, no one in Forks knew about me.
When we made my summer plans, we knew we needed to rethink my backstory. This trip wouldn't be kept a secret, I would meet many people in town who knew my grandpa as well as my parents—my human mom. They would wonder why this young adult woman was spending her summer with Charlie. To explain my relation to Charlie, and the brown eyes that would surely be recognized, we decided to float the story that I was my mom's cousin who came to stay with Charlie the summer before starting college. While we knew I may look a bit older than expected, the Cullens have gotten away with that before. My aunts taught me the classic line to assure others I "developed early" if they ever questioned it. All the better practice for our next town come the fall.
Lost in my thoughts, I realized I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. Looking around the tree covered highway, I was unsure where I was. I swore under my breath. My dad was going to kill me. He went over the directions a million times, showing me map after map. Despite my great memory, directions were never my strong suit, especially when I'd never been to that place before. While we had visited Forks over the years, I never saw the town from the driver's seat until today. I fought back the panic and looked for something helpful. I refused to give in and call my parents this soon, they'd abandon their trip and insist on staying with me all summer. Absolutely not.
As I looked up, I saw an answer to my prayers. A quaint little store was set off to the side of the road and I immediately went to pull in. I noticed the sign and giggled "Newton's Olympic Outfitters". I'd not been in town even five minutes and already I could cross something off my sight-seeing list. My mom had worked here! I was dying to see this store and imagine her behind the counter. I hopped out of the car, bouncing with excitement up to the door. A young man was stepping out as I was about to grab the handle. As he passed I was hit with the scent of what I assume was an outdoorsman. My nose wrinkled for just a second before I remembered to keep my face polite. He held the door open for me as I rushed in.
"Welcome in!" A polished woman greeted me from behind the counter. With her short blonde cut and her business casual attire, I knew this had to be the Mrs. Newton from my mom's stories. Even though I originally only stopped to ask directions, I couldn't resist taking a look around. I could find something worth buying, just for the memory, and then be on my way.
As I turned to walk the aisles, I turned the first corner and almost ran head first until another blonde head of hair. This one belonged to a man, short and tousled, it reminded me of my dad's hair in a lighter shade. The young man turned around and it took all my effort to hold back my laugh. His eyes widened and he smiled in welcome.
This was Mike Newton. I knew it immediately. Before coming on this trip, my mom and I sat at the kitchen table while she got out her Senior yearbook and showed me pictures of her closest high school friends. While no one would expect me to know them beforehand, my parents wanted me to be aware of the people who would know the most about them so I would be prepared. There weren't too many faces to remember, and this one stood out to me from my father's reaction. As soon as my mother pointed to his picture and spoke his name, my father groaned from across the room. My mom started laughing so hard she couldn't continue the story so my father butted in.
"Mike had quite the crush on your mother in high school. He met her on day one and tried to stake his claim. He would try to ask her out in the most cowardly ways and every time she turned him down. From your mother's point of view he seemed to be a harmless friend. But his thoughts. His thoughts. So crude, so juvenile, even on our wedding day! It's truly a miracle he is still alive to see adulthood. The greatest effort of my self control." He drifted off in stony silence, remembering.
My mother gathered enough composure to tease him further. "But if it wasn't for Mike where would we be today? It was his relentless pursuits that finally shook you out of your ridiculous cold shoulder." She chided.
This part of the story I knew. After saving her from a near death van crash, my dad realized—with help from Aunt Alice—that he was falling in love. He panicked, terrified he was dooming her life to either death or vampire-hood. So, he gave my mom the cold shoulder for weeks. Man, did it piss her off. She ignored him right back but they both were dying to stop. He finally gave in after watching boy after boy ask her out on a date on the same day, turning each of them down. I didn't realize this was one of the boys who helped wake my dad up. Dad rolled his eyes and scoffed, turning back to fix my dinner while mom and I giggled behind him.
One glance at the name tag confirmed it, Mike. Dad was going to love this.
"Well hello, welcome to Newton's!" He said cheerily, his eyes widening as he looked me up and down. I was immediately reminded of dad's comments, the crude and juvenile thoughts and had to repress a grimace. His eyes came back up to mine and they narrowed just a bit. I silently gulped, my damn brown eyes. "Can I help you find anything?"
"Actually, I stopped in to ask for directions. This is my first time trying to get to town and I'm worried I'm a little lost." He perked up immediately, ready to help.
"Sure thing, where are you headed?"
I rattled off Charlie's address, ready for the questions. Mom warned me this was a small town, everyone knew everyone, so surely he knew that was grandpa's house.
"You headed to see Chief Swan?" His eyes narrowed even more, his face showing his confusion.
"Yeah I am. I'm staying with him for the summer, he's my cousin—my grandma and his mom were sisters." Laying the groundwork for the backstory already, I hoped I was doing this right. I was suddenly nervous to be working on these stories so much without my family's help.
The shock on Mike's face was almost comical. "So wait, does that mean you're related to Bella?" His voice got louder with each word. I wanted to roll my eyes. Yes, dad would really love this story. I could see the wonder in Mike's eyes thinking of my mom. Ew.
"Yep. Cousins too." Obviously, I wanted to say.
"What a small world! I was friends with Bella when she went to high school here. Wow, I've not seen her since…" he paused and slightly grimaced, "the wedding. How's she doing?"
My acting skills were in full force. How hard it was to hold in an eye roll, a laugh, something! I can see why my dad was so frustrated. This guy was clearly obsessed with my mother.
"Bella is great! I just saw her before I came here actually. Her and Edward are headed off on another trip, they just keep finding new places to travel to." It felt so odd to call my parents by their first names, but all a part of the story. I watched Mike's face fall at that update. I'm sure he was hoping for something different.
"Oh wow. Yeah sure. Cool." He tried and failed to hide his disappointment. "So you're visiting Chief Swan for the summer?"
"Yep, I just got in today. So how far off was my sense of direction?" I asked, hoping to get him back on track.
"Oh yes of course. Actually you were right on track, just a few more miles." I listened as he continued the directions, determined to get it right this time.
"Thanks so much for your help! I'll have to tell Bella we ran into each other." I smirked thinking of that conversation tonight.
He nodded with an even bigger grin. "Yes, for sure, tell her I said hi!"
"And Edward too, of course!" I added mischievously. Mike pressed his lip together and gave the slightest nod, refusing to comment.
He walked with me to the door and I headed out back to the car. With his directions fresh on my mind, I found Charlie's house easily. I pulled into the driveway, the cruiser already there. He must have just gotten home. I gathered my luggage and knocked on the front door.
"Renesmee!" Charlie answered the door happily, scooping me into an awkward one arm hug. My mom always said Charlie was not the most emotional person, but he always made me feel right at home. "Welcome kiddo, so glad you're here!" We walked together into the small living room.
"Hi Grandpa! I've missed you!" I squeezed him once more before dropping my arm. He flushed at the affection. I wanted to take full advantage of calling him grandpa when I could, since I wouldn't be able to say it around town.
"Missed you too kid. Sue will be home soon to make us some dinner, I thought you might need a few minutes after your drive in?" He picked up one of my duffels and walked with me upstairs. As soon as I stepped into my mom's old room, my stomach clenched with homesickness. Man, did I wish she was here with me.
"Yes, a few minutes to settle in would be great." I choked back my emotion. "I'll be back downstairs real soon."
Charlie smiled his sweetest smile, his eyes crinkling with happiness and he shuffled back downstairs. Once he was gone, I took my time taking in the room I'd seen year after year; it had never changed. According to my mom, the only things she changed since she last lived here was packing up the belongings she wanted to take with her. Her bed still sat in the same spot, with the same purple bedding and the rocking chair from her childhood still in the corner.
I walked to the rocking chair first, thinking of dad. I'd heard so many stories of nights he spent sitting in this chair, watching mom as she dreamed and talked in her sleep. I was thankful I didn't inherit that quirk—being able to share my thoughts intentionally was enough for me. I sat in the chair and rocked for a few minutes, imagining what that time of their life was like. It warmed me to my core to imagine my parents, so deeply in love now, fumbling and stumbling through the beginning stages of dating like true teenagers.
Next I walked over to the bed and lowered myself down, wrapping up in the comforter. I breathed in as deep as possible and giggled. I caught the barest trace of my dad's scent and my mom's human one. It was obviously years old, but they spent so much time here and barely anyone had been here since, so the scent lingered. This summer would be the first time someone actually slept in this bed since my parents had gotten married. For a moment it was as if they were here, wrapping me in a hug. Which reminded me, I'm sure they were dying for an update. I shot off a quick text to them both:
Just got to Charlie's. Settling in now and about to eat with him and Sue. Talk later when you land!
I smiled to myself for a moment, then forced my body up and down the hall to freshen up before dinner.