With Renesmee and Jingles spending the night at her grandparents' house, Edward and Bella found themselves with a rare evening alone. After a successful hunting trip, they went to their bedroom and got busy wrapping their daughter's gifts.
Rolls of wrapping paper were all around them as they sat cross-legged on the carpet working as a team. She was putting the finishing touches on the present from Santa Claus she just wrapped, and he was opening the packages from out of town relatives.
He opened the package from Charlie first to find a junior detective kit, a police Lego set, a police officer dress up set with a hat and was also a pretty outfit and shoes. The outfit was a charming little dress in a soft pastel pink with delicate lace trim, and matching shoes that sparkled with tiny rhinestones.
"These gifts are a surprise," Edward said, holding up the police officer dress up set. "Your father originally asked about getting Rensemee a rainbow unicorn blanket or an instant print camera for kids. He never indicated he was thinking about buying her a bunch of police related items."
Bella was now rapping one of the four gifts that she and Edward were giving Renesmee. She looked up from her task. "I guess he wants Renesmee to become a cop like him." She mused.
Edward's reaction was a mix of amusement and concern. "I suppose it's natural for him to want to share his interest with her, but she's still too young for him to push a law enforcement career onto."
"At least it's not a bunch of fishing stuff." Bella shrugged her shoulders as she went back to wrapping a princess tile magnet set.
Next, Edward opened the package from Jacob and his wife Jessica. It had been 6 years since Jacob had imprinted on Jessica Stanley, and Edward was grateful for it. Once Jake found his imprint he and Edward stopped being rivals and fighting over the same girl. Jacob became happier and fell into step with being a brother of sorts to Bella even after she became a vampire. Which is why there was a card inside the box addressed to Renensmee from her Uncle Jacob. Along with the card Edward found a washable makeup set and Moana 2 doll.
With those two gifts out of the cardboard box and on the floor with the rest of the growing pile of presents, Edward grabbed the package from his family in Denali. He opened it and pulled out a fancy outfit with a warm, stylish jacket and matching boots. The outfit was a deep blue, velvet dress with silver embroidery, a pair of deep blue leggings, with a cozy white flux jacket, and black sparkly boots. There was also a soft pink stuffed kitty and a bracelet making kit.
Due to her vampire speed, Bella was making quick work wrapping the presents. Edward had one box left to open, which was from Bella's mom, Renee, and her stepdad, Phil who were spending the Christmas holiday in Acapulco. He carefully opened the very large Amazon box that was marked fragile and pulled out a….
"An empty Bluey pinata?" Edward held it up as he tried to figure out the thought process to this gift.
"Who sent that?" Bella wondered.
"Your mom and stepdad." Edward replied. "But why would they send an empty pinata to a child for Christmas?"
Bella paused in her wrapping, equally confused. "I have no idea."
"I know Rensemee never had an empty pinata on her wish list." Edward went on.
Bella knew that too. Then slowly, realization dawned on her. "I know what happened. When my mom asked Renesmee what she wanted for Christmas, Renesmee had said 'anything Bluey.' Well, that's anything and it is Bluey."
Edward blinked, processing the logic. "Interesting," He said, not thinking much of the gift.
Bella could tell he was unimpressed. "My mom has never been the best gift giver," She admitted. "She once gave me a used deep fryer for Christmas when I was ten-years-old because I mentioned I wanted to cook more than eating fast food every night."
Edward stared at her deadpan. "Who gives a deep fryer to a ten-year-old?"
Bella shrugged. "My mom."
They both laughed, the sound filling the room with warmth. As they continued wrapping presents they talked and joked around. The task of wrapping gifts became a bonding experience filled with love and laughter between the two of them.
By the time they finished, the room was filled with beautifully wrapped presents, which they gathered up and put back in their closet. They did that instead of putting the gifts under the tree because they knew their little one would be tempted to open every single one of them. Their plan was to bring five gifts out on Christmas Eve so she could pick one and open it that night, then the rest they would set out on Christmas Day. This wasn't the usual way people displaced gifts at Christmas time, and they were aware of that. However, this is what worked for them.
Once they were finished with the gift wrapping, they went downstairs and sat on the couch to watch TV. The house felt unusually quiet without Renesmee's laughter and needless energy.
"What do you feel like watching?" Edward asked Bella as he grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. As a habit, he automatically went on Disney Plus.
"I don't know." Bella bit her lip.
"Love, it's not a trick question." He chuckled.
Bella sighed. "I know. But we don't watch TV much besides the news, and other than that, when we do sit down to watch a movie or series it's usually with Renesmee. That means we are watching something age-appropriate for her. That's fine, but right now I'm not in the mood to watch Frozen, Bluey, Super Kitties, or any other cartoon or kid's movies."
"I'm not either." He said honestly.
"But I'm a mom," Bella reminded him. "Kid shows are all I know of."
"Those are all the shows I can think of too." Edward admitted. "We really don't watch TV much when we are alone."
"No, we don't." She ran her hand through his messy hair, earning a loving look from him. "We're more book people than TV people. That's one reason why we don't watch a lot of TV."
"True." He closed his eyes enjoying the feeling of her playing with his hair. He leaned into his touch.
"Yeah." She whispered.
"Should we forget TV and go read?" Edward wondered in a husky tone as he opened his eyes.
"No." Bella ran her hand through his hair once more, then stopped. "Watching TV and cuddling on the couch sounds nice."
"That does sound good." He gave her a half smile.
They then turned their attention to the TV screen, he scrolled through different categories and both of them discussed the pros and cons of each show or movie. For the longest time, they weren't finding anything interesting until they finally stumbled on something that looked good. Eventually, they decided to watch a recently completed series they were both curious about: The Mandalorian. The Star Wars spin-off seemed promising to get into and escape reality for a little while.
Edward lay on the couch with Bella nestled comfortably against his chest. His arms were wrapped around her, pulling her close as they started the first episode. The flickering light from the TV clasted a warm glow over the room, creating a cozy atmosphere.
As the series unfolded, they found themselves engrossed in the adventure of Din Djarin and the adorable Grogu. Edward's fingers absentmindedly played with Bella's hair and she snuggled deeper into his embrace, filling the steady rhythm of the rise and fall of his chest with every breath he took. They shared occasional comments and reactions about the show's twists and turns, their voices soft and filled with affection.
During a particularly intense scene, Bella propped herself up on her elbow to see her husband's face. He turned to her and her eyes and her eyes reflected the excitement he was feeling.
"Yes?" He wondered.
"This show is really good," She whispered. Her voice was barely audible over the sound of the TV. If he were human, he would not have heard what she said.
Edward nodded, his gaze never leaving hers. "I'm glad we decided to watch this together," He replied, his tone low.
"Not a bad way to spend a kid-free night." Bella leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.
They kissed for a few minutes until a noise on TV interrupted them. Their attention was once again on the show. They continued watching TV, the hours slipping by unnoticed as they lost themselves in the world of The Mandalorian. The comfort of each other's presence made the experience more enjoyable, turning a simple night of TV into a cherished memory.
Before they knew it, they had binged-watched a whole season. As morning light trickled in through the windows they decided to watch one more episode. However, one more episode somehow turned into three. They only paused the show when Bella's phone that was on the coffee table, broke the peacefulness with its loud ringtone.
"Who's calling?" Edward asked.
Bella sat up and grabbed her phone from the coffee table. "It's a video chat from Carlisle," She said, accepting the call. Immediately, Renesmee's joyful face filled up the screen.
"Hi, Mommy!" Renesmee exclaimed, bouncing with excitement. "Where's Daddy?"
Edward sat up, moving closer to Bella. "Good morning, Sweetie, I'm right here," He said, peering at the screen and smiling at his little girl.
Rennesmee started jabbering about what her elf, Jingles, had been up to at Grandma and Grandpa's house during the night. Her excited words blurred together as she anxiously hopped up and her unsteady movements the camera bounced around, giving them a good view of the ceiling at one point, and her feet at another.
"Whoa, slow down, Nessie," Edward said gently, trying to catch some of her words.
"Yeah, I didn't really understand what you said," Bella said in the same gentle tone as her husband.
That's when Carlisle took over, holding the phone steady as he spoke. With his ever-calm demeanor, he managed to get his overly animated granddaughter to speak coherently. "Okay Renesmee, tell them slowly what Jingles did," He said, his voice soothing.
For the first time since the video call began, Renesmee stood there silently looking at the screen on her grandpa's phone. Edward could see the wheels in his daughter's mind turning. Yet, she never spoke a word.
"Honey," Esme chimed in from the background. "Why don't you tell Mommy and Daddy about the mimi float Jingles made that has two bulldog puppies playing tug of war with a rope toy on a rug."
Her words were not a question, but a suggestion.
"Oh, yes!" Renesmee squealed happily. "Jingles made a tiny float decorated with real roses, seeds, lentils, and other real flowers, just like the big pretty floats in the Tournament of Roses parade on New Year's Day." She exclaimed.
Edward and Bella exchanged amused glances. Both of them had an idea of who helped Jingles make the foalt.
"That sounds amazing, Renesemee," Bella said, her voice filled with pride.
"It is! Let me show you!" Renesemee ran out of view of the camera then.
"Yes. That's a good idea." Carlisle said as he and Esme followed their granddaughter. He held his phone steady. The camera never jostled as he moved from one room to the next.
"Look, Mommy! Look, Daddy!" Renesmee's little voice called out.
The camera was pointed to the windowsill where the happy little elf was. Jingles was sitting on a mini float that was just her size. There on the float were two bulldog puppies -one red and white and the other black and white - playing tug of war on a rug with a blue and green rope toy in their mouths. Edward and Bella admired the beautifully decorated float. The attention to detail was impressive and it was clear that Jingles had really outdid herself. Never before had she done something so magnificently beautiful and both of them said that as Esme came on camera. She grinned at the praise and agreed Jingles was a very crafty elf.
Reneseme, once again, started jabbering about the float. She loved it so much and expressed how much she was hoping for Jingles to make a whole parade of mini floats. Esme, still smiling, couldn't help but laugh.
"All right, Renesemee, it's time to show them the kitchen." Carlisle's calm voice came through again.
Renesmee took Grandma Esme's hand and led the way to the kitchen. "Mommy, Daddy, you gotta see this! Jingles cooked breakfast," She announced proudly as they went into the kitchen.
Edward and Bella watched as the camera panned to the stove where green and red spaghetti noodles were overflowing from a pot, a sign next to it read, Breakfast is served. Resnesmee told her parents all about the magical, colorful noodles. She also told her parents the plans for the noodles; since none of them could eat the cooked food they were going to add spaghetti sauce, put it in a container, and take it downtown and give it to a homeless man Grandpa Carlisle knew that was a frequent visitor of the ER. Both Edward and Bella agreed that was a very nice thing to do.
Then the camera moved to the sink. Candy sprinkles were coming out of the kitchen faucet, or so it appeared that way. Edward recognized the trick from Facebook since Bella had shown him a similar setup a few weeks ago. Rensesmee talked their ears off about the water freezing into candy sprinkles. Edward smiled and listened. He knew there was a strip of tape on the faucet with the sprinkles stuck to it, giving the illusion that sprinkles were coming out of the faucet. He knew this, yet he kept this information to himself, not wanting to spoil the magic for his little girl.
"Now you got to see this! Come on!" Resnemee shouted with glee.
Once again, Rernesmee moved out of view of the camera. Carlisle followed her over to the refrigerator where Esme already was. Rensesmee opened the fridge to reveal a dozen beautiful butter carvings shaped into roses sitting on the first shelf.
"Look at these, Mommy! Look, Daddy! Aren't these butter fowlers pretty?" Rensemee asked, her eyes wide with wonder.
"They're gorgeous." Bella was genuinely impressed.
"They are." Edward agreed and smiled at his mother. "Good job to Jingles. That elf is very talented."
"She is very talented." Esme nodded her head.
When Renesemee was done showing her parents the fun things Jingles did in the kitchen, she took them upstairs to Grandpa Carlisle's office. On his desk was a tall, clear glass with pink and purple liquid in it. Next to it was a round white chalky tablet and a small sign that read, "Drop the magic tablet in the glass and watch what this lava lamp can do."
Renesmee followed the instructions as Grandpa Carlisle handed the phone to Grandma Esme. He helped Nessie put the magical tablet in the glass, which was really an Alka-Seltzer tablet. The liquid began to bubble and swirl, creating a makeshift lava lamp.
Renesmee was over the moon with enthusiasm. "Look, it's magic!" She clapped her hands, her face glowing with joy.
Edward and Bella watched, their hearts full of joy for their daughter.
"That's really amazing, Nessie," Bella said, smiling.
"It is. I like how Jingles used modern medicine, not to mention science, to create a magical experience for this elf shenanigan." Edward pointed out. He knew which of his parents was responsible for this elf antic.
"I do too," Carlisle said looking at the screen. "These elves should do more fun things with science."
When the video call ended, Bella put her phone back on the table. Edward turned to her, shaking his head in amazement. "I was mistaken before, love. Our elf wasn't doing too much with two shenanigans in one night. She was just practicing for her big show today."
"Yeah." Bella laughed, her eyes twinkling. "Esme and Carlisle seem to really be enjoying the elf. After all, Jingles did five crazy things when she's only done one or two."
"I'm sorry my parents went overboard," Edward spoke very seriously. The expression on his face was uncharacteristically bashful.
It was easy to see Edward's embarrassment. If he were human there's no doubt his face would have been red.
"It's fine," Bella said sweetly as she brought her hand to the side of his face and rubbed her thumb over his cheek. "It's a lot better than what my parents would do."
Edward raised one eyebrow. "And what would your parents and stepdad do with Jingles?"
Bella exhaled as she thought about it for a second. "Well," She slowly began as she dropped her hand from his face. "Renee would be all pumped up about it, but I'm sure she would forget the elf needs to move. Then in the morning she would make up some weird excuse to Rensemee about why her lf didn't move. And I don't think Phill would even acknowledge the elf because it's too much work. Or too silly." She rolled her eyes.
"How about Charlie? What do you think he would do?" Edward wanted to know.
"My dad would at least try to have Jingles do something fun." Bella smiled. "It wouldn't be anything like what your parents did, of course. But he would try. Jingles would probably be sitting in the kitchen next to a cup of coffee or by his fishing gear ready to go on a fishing trip. You know, just something very simple, that's very Charlie."
"I could see him having Jingles do something with his fishing gear." Edward agreed. "Then he would probably take Renesmee and Jingles on a fishing rip."
"I bet he would do that!" She grinned.
Edward laughed and so did Bella. When their laughter ended their faces pulled together, getting closer as until their lips touched. Enjoying their tender moment, they continued kissing. Not having to worry about a little person walking in on them, their kiss went from sweet and tender to hungry and passionate very quickly.