A/N: Hello & thank you for reading! This story is very near and dear to my heart, but it's not for everyone. I always appreciate feedback when it's constructive and not mean. I will work to update weekly—difficult now while I try to keep up with "Meet Ya at the Altar"—am still looking for betas for either/both of these stories. I hope you enjoy Edward and Bella's journey and my take on their enemies to lovers relationship.

1. The Manifestation

"Hohmmmm…hohmmm…hohmmm…la la LA LA…"

Edward shook his head as he tightened the knot of his tie and straightened it in the mirror. Those throaty sounds were no doubt coming from Nanny Alice in Renesmee's room.

"Now you, Nessie," Alice told her.

This led to a chorus of more hohmmmm's and lolos and lalalas. His seven-and-a- a-half-year-old was easily influenced, and though she clicked very well with her new caregiver, Edward wasn't sure about the things Alice was teaching her.

The smell of sage drifted from her room, and he sniffed to clear the overpowering scent from his nose. He stopped in her doorway, finding his young daughter facing her nanny, both seated in lotus position, mirroring each other's sounds as they sat across from each other. They stretched their necks, moving their heads from side to side and then back and forth.

"What have we here?" Edward asked.

At least she was dressed, he thought. The other nannies couldn't get Nessie to put on the burgundy polo and the khaki skirt. His daughter hadn't been crazy about the new school so far, but it was a far cry from public school where he'd grown tired of their lack of standards and discipline.

"I'm trying to open up my throat chakra," Nessie said, matter-of-factly, "Alice says it's the best way to deal with bullies. And Bella Swan says that when you open up your throat chakra that what you say comes straight from the heart."

Bella Swan? Chakras? "Wait. What the hell is a throat chakra?"

"It's one of the energy centers we have in our bodies, Daddy," Nessie said.

Renesmee's nonsensical tone reminded him of her mother, and yet Rose's innocence was still reflected in the girl's violet eyes. Though, her long hair was auburn like Edward's, her tiny nose and the stubborn set to her jaw was all her mother. Rose would've loved to see how their daughter had grown. Ness wore that same expression of innocent enthusiasm.

Energy centers? What was all this nonsense? "Miss Allen already dealt with your classmate."

"Leelee doesn't listen. She's just sneakier now."

"Well, tell Miss Allen again."

"I did. But she just smiles because she's teacher's pet, and Miss Allen doesn't even notice when Leelee's drawn on my paper or tells the other girls not to sit with me at lunch."

Edward pulled out his phone and looked at his schedule. "Looks like I'll be having a conference with your teacher." And he would very much like to talk to this Leelee's parents himself.

"Daddy, please? I don't want you to make it worse. Can we try Alice's way?"

The calendar on his phone showed meetings all afternoon, and he was due to be in court in an hour. Besides, he didn't know what good opening up a throat—what did she call it?— would do. Without replying to his daughter directly, he looked at the nanny, who sat with Renesmee, her expression expectant.

"May I have a word with you, Alice? Nessie, go brush your teeth, it's almost time to leave for school."

When Nessie was out of earshot, he focused his gaze down at Alice, who despite her 22 years still resembled a child herself—almost a life-like fairy, standing at the most 5 feet tall, with pixie-like features. She reminded him of a brown-haired Tinkerbelle. All she was missing were the pointy ears. Alice had just graduated from college and was trying to "find herself," so this job had been a fit for her.

"Look…Alice, Nessie loves you, and she's very impressionable." Edward took a breath as he led her to the kitchen and filled his thermos with coffee.

Yes, Alice was exceptional with his daughter. Yes, she was flexible with her time, taking Nessie to school, dance class after, cooked dinner, and helped her with homework, always available when his meetings ran late and a number of long nights. Alice Brandon scored an A in every category…but he didn't agree with all the influences she had on her daughter.

A thick, paisley headband covered Alice's forehead, and her short light brown hair settled into a pointy edge below her chin. She smiled as if nothing fazed her. He didn't know if she was unfazed by life or if she was just high, though he'd scrutinized her background prior to hiring her. "I love Nessie too; that's why I don't want her to get hurt."

He'd already warned his daughter about not bringing the tarot cards to school, which he didn't believe in, but at the time, he was just grateful that Alice had been able to coax her back to class. It had backfired when Nessie began "practicing" readings with her new friends. She hadn't known it but it made her a target for bullying behavior.

"Still, I don't think you should encourage her to do this hohmmm thing, which might just lead to more bullying."

"All due respect, Mr. Masen, I only teach Nessie things that will help her be her authentic self."

Her authentic self? She was only seven—almost eight years old.

"Opening your throat chakra is a way of helping you express yourself. And Nessie obviously has had trouble with that."

"I have no idea what that means." For as long as that child could talk, she'd had no trouble telling Edward things, like how she missed having a mother, how she hated her old school, how she hated her life, how she didn't fit in anywhere. "But, I do know that not following the advice of the school can lead to actual fighting, and nobody wants that."

"No. I would never encourage that…but there's this video that Bella Swan put out on Youtube…about dealing with power struggles…"

Again with this Bella Swan person. He glanced down at his watch and had to get out the door in five minutes and somehow either speak to Miss Allen before school began or arrange a conference. "I understand you mean well, Alice, but will you please let me handle this?"

Alice's gaze dropped and she gave a slight nod. Thank you, he thought. He called out to Nessie that it was time to leave and she bounded down the stairs, her long locks bouncing with childlike enthusiasm. Her fingers curled around the handle of her butterfly backpack, and Alice handed her her lunch pail, which bore the matching image.

"So, I'm going to handle it," he told her.

Her gaze fell just the way Alice's had.

"Yes, Sir."

He pressed his lips together, hating when she called him that. It was a new thing where she called him sir instead of Daddy or Dad. It seemed all the time she was learning new ways to be expressive, and some of those times made him feel like he was failing as a father. That feeling seemed to be coming up more often.

He leaned down and kissed her on the top of her head, breathing in the scent of cherries and vanilla. "I love you, sweetie. Have a good day."

Ness and Alice skipped together towards the front door, and he had to laugh at the nanny's playfulness, but then Alice told her. "Didn't you forget to say goodbye?"

"Oh yeah," she said, turning to face him. "Goodbye, Daddy. Love and light to you."

Love and light? Another new thing. "Uh…thank you." He glanced down at his watch again but realized he forgot his ring on the dresser. He still wore it, even though Rose had been gone for over 5 years. More than enough time had passed, but his finger felt naked without it, which would bother him all day. His heart gave the familiar pang as he entered their bedroom; it had never been the same without her. He left the floral quilt on the bed, along with the fluffy cushions of all shapes and sizes—all the feminine touches because she had done the decorating. He still had not been able to part with her clothes, having shoved them into a corner of their huge walk-in closet. Edward hadn't the heart to change anything, trying to keep her memory alive for Nessie's sake.

In his rush, he almost strode past Renesmee's room, but a large poster board on her desk beside the window caught his attention. He wasn't aware that she had any upcoming school projects, and curiosity drew him toward the pink-ness that was his daughter's personal living space.

The large rectangle sat vertical, out of place among the shades of mauve on the walls, the book shelf, the dresser, the canopied bed. With furrowed brows, he found the title decorated in squiggly lettering. "MY VISION BOARD" Images of Mickey Mouse and the beach and a cruise ship, and a pink laptop covered the white of the poster board, but that wasn't the most disturbing thing. At the top, he noticed a picture of his face—an old photo from their trip to see Grandma Masen an hour away—had been cut out. A big red heart was colored in between his picture and another photo of an attractive woman in her 20's or early 30's. Her chocolate brown eyes matched the shade of long, straight hair that framed the delicate cheekbones of her face. The magnetic quality of her eyes captured his attention, while the heart-shaped lips bewitched him with her smile.

And just who the hell was this? More importantly, why was this woman placed beside Edward at the top? He was going to have to talk to Alice about this. This wasn't the first time Renesmee mentioned "manifesting" a new mother and wife for him, but now Nessie had a clear image of what she wanted. And who she wanted for them.

This was always a delicate topic for them. Edward tried to impress upon her that he was very happy with their little family unit, and she hadn't tried to push it.

No. This was not okay. He couldn't allow her to keep doing this because in the end, he didn't want to disappoint his daughter any more. He simply didn't have the capacity to allow another woman into his life—no matter how lovely she was.

He exhaled a breath, taking one last glance at that haunting face and rushed down the stairs. He didn't have time for this right now. He was going to have to deal with this vision board later. But for now, he had to get his head on straight. And he needed to speak to Miss Allen about the brat that was bothering his daughter. No matter how busy he was. He'd made a promise to Rose that Nessie would be his first priority. His job as a tax attorney paid the bills, but it didn't trump the day to day with his daughter. Fortunately, his assistant was able to squeeze a quick conference with her teacher, and then he'd have to run back to work before meeting his next client. Edward just hoped that this Leelee child wouldn't be giving his daughter any more grief until that time.

Alice pulled alongside the curb and smiled at Nessie, asking if she had the amazonite.

Renesmee opened her palm to reveal the irregularly shaped crystal with striped shades of blue and green.

Edward had asked her not to interfere, but surely holding a stone couldn't hurt. Besides, whether it really held any power or influence was not important. Nessie just needed to feel brave and confident in herself and not allow others to overpower her.

"Thank you, Alice," Nessie said. "Love and light to you."

Alice's heart burst with the love for this precious child. Did her father truly understand how unique she was? "Love and light to you, sweetie. Remember, speak from your heart, and love is on your side."

They exchanged goodbyes, and she pulled away from the curb as Nessie passed through the gates.

A/N: Follow for more, please say hi, and I'd love to hear from you! More to come.