The next morning their house was peaceful and quiet. Edward and Bella lay in bed, not sleeping but enjoying the comfort of each other's presence. Bella was resting her head on Edward's chest and his arms were around her. Both of them wore cozy pajamas despite not needing to sleep. Early morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over their bedroom.
Suddenly, the tranquility was shattered by the sound of tiny feet racing down the hallway. Renesmee, their five-year-old daughter burst through the door like a tiny tornado. She wore soft red footie pajamas that had a pattern of cheerful snowflakes and tiny reindeer, with a cute, white collar and cuffs. She looked cuddly and adorable. A toothy grin was spread across her face and her messy bronze hair resembled a bird's nest. She jumped onto the bed, hugging her mom first, then her dad, before wiggling under the covers to nestle between them. This was their usual morning greeting.
"Morning, Mommy! The sky's awake so I'm awake." Renesmee sang, quoting a line from her favorite movie.
"I see. Good morning, sweetie." Bella kissed her daughter's head, breathing in her scent.
"Morning, Daddy! Do you want to build a snowman?" She asked, still quoting the movie she loved so much.
"Not right now, Princess." Edward smiled at his daughter.
"Okay. Bye." Renesmee was still singing and quoting her favorite movie as she pulled the blanket over her head. She lay there cozy and content until a thought struck her. "Jingles!" She exclaimed, sitting up abruptly. "We have to find Jingles!"
Edward chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "All right, all right, let's go find Jingles…later though."
Renesmee ignored him. She was already out of bed, bouncing with excitement. "Come on, come on! Mommy, you have to get up!" She urged, tugging Bella's hand.
"Sure, sure." Bella was smiling with excitement as she stood to her feet.
"Daddy, you have to help find Jingles. You need to get up." Renesmee urged.
"Must we get up now? I'm too tired." Edward faked a yawn as he rolled over, covering his face with his pillow.
'Lier!' Renesmee thought. She went over to him and pulled the pillow off of his face. "You can't sleep. You are faking it." She said as she placed her hands on her hips she said
Bella laughed and glanced at Edward. "Looks like you don't have a choice to look for the elf."
Edward sighed and rolled his eyes. Hunting for the elf wasn't his favorite task. With that being said, he did enjoy seeing his daughter's joy.
"Get up!" Renesmee shouted with glee.
Her excited thoughts about the elf made their way to her dad. It hit him like a tidal wave and he sat up, focusing on his wife and daughter.
"Come on! Get Up, Daddy!" Renesmee shouted again.
The next thing Edward knew, his wife was in front of him, pulling him out of bed. Renesmee was giggling as she grabbed his hand and pulled. He quickly stood up, telling his daughter she was very strong, and that she pulled him up all by herself.
The three of them made their way downstairs, with Renesmee leading the way. She was a big believer in Santa and her elf Jingles; her enthusiasm was infectious. Edward, being a mind reader, could see the magic of the Christmas season through his daughter's eyes and cherished every moment of it.
Even though Edward and Bella knew where Jingles was, they played along, helping Renesmee search all over the large house. Since Jingles was a ground-floor elf, there was no point in searching upstairs. When they went downstairs they began looking in the bathroom, the living room, the den, the sitting room, and the dining room. Finally, they made their way into the kitchen.
"There she is! There's Jingles!" Renesmee squealed, pointing to the counter. She knew not to touch the elf and kept her distance.
Edward put his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "Yay! You found her." He showed the appropriate amount of enthusiasm.
'Oh my gosh! Jingles does the most amazing things! Her reindeer are so pretty and perfect!' Renesmee's mind was busing with joy.
"What is she doing?" Bella asked her daughter as they took in the sight before them.
Jingles was perched on a sleigh made out of a candy box and two candy canes with 9 butter reindeer pulling it. Renesmee's eyes widened in excitement. "Jingles used her magic to turn butter into reindeer. !ook, Mommy! Look, Daddy! It's amazing! Thank you, Jingles!"
Edward smiled, pleased that his creations were so well received.
Renesmee shrugged out of her dad's grip. She danced around the kitchen, her excitement palpable. "Jingles," She said to her elf. "You need to keep the reindeer until you leave on Christmas Eve because they are beautiful. So, so, so very beautiful. And you must make a butter stable, hay for the reindeer to eat, and a pond for them to drink out of."
Edward stood there trying to picture how to accomplish such a feat. He wondered if he could pull that off.
"I bet jingles can make a barn out of butter, too," Bella suggested, winking at Edward.
"Yes, a barn for them to sleep in. And an elf village with a park and a shopping mall.." Renesmee stopped dancing and clapped her hands. Her eyes sparkled up as she looked at her mom. "Do you think Jingles will do it if I'm extra good?"
Edward opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get a word out, Bella spoke first.
She grinned. "I'm sure if you ask her nicely, she will."
Renesmee's brown eyes lit up. Her imagination ran wild with everything jingles could create. "Maybe I can leave a thank you note and she will know how much I like the reindeer and want to use her magic to make a butter village."
"I'm sure Jingles will appreciate that," Edward said. His unbeating heart swelled with pride at his daughter's thoughtfulness.
'Butter!' Renesmee's thoughts screamed.
Edward raised an eyebrow at his daughter. "What about butter?"
"Do we have enough butter in the fridge? Because I don't think Jingles can get butter at the North Pole." She explained in a serious tone. Not waiting for her dad to answer her, she ran to the refrigerator, opened it up, and looked in. She was disappointed to see there was no more butter.
Edward watched his little girl. He knew she was on the verge of tears and held his breath.
"Ness," Bella went over to their daughter and wrapped her in a hug. "Don't worry, sweetie, we can go to Costco to buy more butter. That way Jingles will have enough butter to make her special creation tonight. What do you think?"
"That's a good idea." Reneesmee agreed in a more cheerful tone.
Bella kissed their daughter's cheek and let her go. "Costco is a long drive from here, do you want to go on an adventure with me?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Reneesmee cheered, running out of the kitchen. Seconds later she was heading for the stairs. "Let's go get dressed! Come on, Mommy! Jingles needs butter!"
Bella followed their daughter upstairs, leaving Edward standing in the kitchen alone. A bemused expression was on his face. From his daughter's thoughts, he could see the reindeer wonderland she was expecting Jingles to create tonight. With everything she wanted Jingles to make for the reindeer, he suspected Bella would need to buy a cartload of butter and a case of food coloring to make it even more magical. To keep the magic of the elf alive, he decided he would have to text his odd shopping list to Bella when she left the house.
Thinking about being roped into the elf's antics….again, he shook his head. Running a hand through his messy hair he turned and playfully glared at the elf. "A butter-stable, hay, a pond, a barn, and a entire village." He muttered to himself with a chuckle. "What have you gotten yourself into Jingles?"
Jingles, of course, didn't answer him back. She was just a toy, after all, but to his daughter, this elf was alive with Christmas magic. Edward knew his little girl believed Jingles was magical and able to run around, causing mayhem when she was asleep. No matter how ridiculous or time-consuming the shenanigans were, he was determined to keep the magic of the elf alive.