Bella

The air was charged as she looked out at the crowd in front of her, shoving away the butterflies that warred in her stomach. Heat spilled down from the spotlights above, and she took a breath as the applause died down. Speaking in front of large groups of people wasn't quite as horrific as it used to be, but it was still not her comfort zone. The format was typical: she delivered her speech with accompanying slides that appeared on each of the screens on either side of her as well as opposite corners of the room. It was a full house, and bodies filled every chair in the auditorium. She was used to this—her calling and all it entailed. It only took a few moments to settle in once she got started, and the energy around her and the message channeled through her.

Bella stopped worrying about people's opinions of her long ago. Many thought she was woo woo, that she was giving people permission to be selfish, that she was attacking organized religion...to name a few things she'd been accused of. In fact, her mission had been to free people from themselves and their own harmful egos. And if it hadn't resonated with the masses, she wouldn't be here. She had to remind herself of that.

The first 90 minutes passed quickly, and she delivered the closing of the final message, ready to open it up to questions. This part she enjoyed, and there hadn't been one person able to stump her yet.

Hands shot up throughout the auditorium, and she glanced around, waiting for the nudge—that little internal guidance that told her which person to choose. That was when her eyes focused on a child—a girl seated way in the back, and Bella smiled in amusement. This was not her typical audience. The figure of a man stood beside her, shifting his weight as the assistant handed them the microphone.

"Hi there," Bella said to the young girl. She was quite pretty, and her long auburn locks had the most charming curls.

"Hi, Bella Swan! I'm so excited to be here!"

The audience laughed in response, charmed by her presence and enthusiasm.

Bella nodded to her. "Thank you for coming. What's your name?"

"Renesmee," she answered.

That was unusual, but it fit her. There didn't seem to be anything ordinary about this child or anyone her age who would choose to attend this sort of event.

"Renesmee, you're a lot younger than most people who come to see me," she said. "What can I answer for you?"

Bella waited as the man took her small hand in his, charmed by the idea that a father would bring his daughter to her seminar.

"Not that I agree," she began, taking her hand and pointing to the man beside her. "But my dad here thinks that what you're saying is harmful."

Bella laughed. Well it wouldn't be the first time she'd heard that. "How exactly?" She turned her attention to the man at her side, who tilted his head. He obviously hadn't expected his daughter to call him out that way, nevertheless, he took the microphone from her.

"Uh…hi," he said, his eyes darting around as now, the audience's focus turned to him, and he was faced with the judgment of those around him. "I just think it's your tendency to blame parents for everything. I mean, we're all adults, and we have to accept that we are the way we are because we choose to be, no matter what happened in our childhood."

"That's a valid point," she replied. "It's not my intention to play the blame game, uh…what's your name?"

"Edward. Yes, but you make entire videos about how whatever upbringing you have is often due to some aspect of how you were raised."

This man was not a happy camper, and the way his daughter was tugging on him at that moment made her heart go out to her.

"Entirely true. There's no such thing as a perfect parent. There never will be because we're human. We're not here to be perfect, we're here to be ourselves and do our best. Oftentimes, we get so invested in what's going on around us, we forget that, and childhood traumas are a result. So you see, Edward, I'm not here to harp on you or your parents or anybody who fills that role. I'm here to bring awareness of how the behavior affects others and how to change our thinking to be able to live a more peaceful existence."

A heavyset woman in the row in front of them stood and turned to Edward and though she didn't have a microphone, her voice still echoed throughout the auditorium. "Bella Swan helps a lot of people! How dare you criticize?"

A ring of yeah's and boo's surrounded him.

"Now, wait a minute," Bella said. "Let's let him speak. He has a right to his feelings like everybody else. Edward, do you ever find yourself saying things your dad used to say to you? And then you catch yourself, recognizing where that came from?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Of course! Everybody does. We can't help it. But that doesn't mean I'm traumatized from it."

"Aren't you though?"

"No! I'm fine. I'm more emotionally healthy than anybody in this room!"

Renesmee stood by him, shaking her head, and a roar of laughter erupted from the audience as her reaction played on the screens on either side of her.

"Well, it appears your daughter disagrees."

He glared down at Renesmee and the audience continued their laughter.

"Now, now. We're expressing, which is healthy. Edward here is under the impression that he is emotionally healthy and his daughter disagrees. I think this is a great place to open up a conversation about that, don't you?" The audience cheered. "Tell you what. I'd like to invite you both after the show backstage to discuss this further, Edward, if you and your daughter are willing."

The girl was elbowing him, and he crossed his arms. "Sure thing." He didn't seem too pleased about it, but maybe this form of back and forth was more harmful. She wanted the girl to have a more open relationship with her father—one that was better than the one she'd had with her own. Starting from an early age was the best case scenario. Bella nodded to the stage manager, who pressed the earpiece to her ear, already setting it up.

"Thanks so much to you both," Bella said, placing her palms together and bowing. "I'll take the next question."

Renesmee and Edward were escorted backstage to a room, and Bella signed her new book for a crowd of people who engaged her for hugs, thanked her, and shared their personal stories. Bella enjoyed the personal connections and was always deeply touched when she was told that she helped someone. Though, she also knew some people just didn't want to be helped. She wondered as she made her way backstage to the room if Edward was one of those people.

Edward

His knee bounced in the seat as they waited. And waited. "This is ridiculous," he told Nessie. "We've been waiting for her for over half an hour."

"But, Da-ddddddyyyy, please? You know how amazing it is that Bella Swan is going to talk to us?"

Oh…she had these people brainwashed, for sure. This Bella Swan had a huge flock of sheep that hung on her every word, as evidenced by the crowd they'd just sat with. No doubt she had a compelling way about her. It was an almost dangerous quality. Had these people completely forgotten how to think for themselves? She went on and on about being conscious and interconnectedness and how things happened for a reason. Edward knew better. He had a lifetime of events that should have landed him in the madhouse, but instead, he picked himself up after his wife's death, he chose not to wallow in his grief and dedicate his attention to their daughter, and live his day to day all without faulting his parents, without cursing his life, without trying to make sense of something that never would.

He glanced at his watch. "She's got 5 minutes and then we're leaving."

The door opened just then, and she entered, smiling, as though she hadn't kept them waiting.

The light shone around her as if she had her own personal spotlight illuminating her figure. "Thank you for waiting for me, Edward and Renesmee." She approached, and the red of her dress brought out the pale skin and deep brown color of her hair.

Renesmee ran toward her before Edward could stop her and flew into the woman's arms.

"Thank you," Bella said, hugging her back enthusiastically. "Hugs are my favorite things."

She looked to Edward as if extending the offer to him. He refused to buy into this. Who did she think she was anyway? After embarrassing him in front of an entire audience to be shown at a later time, did she really think he was going to hug her?

Still, it tugged at his heart to see the desperation in the way his daughter latched onto this woman. They'd agreed that Nessie would stop manifesting a relationship, but Edward wondered if his daughter didn't allow that desire to kindle despite his insistence.

"Thank you both for joining me backstage," Bella said. Her eyes glinted, as though she'd invited them back for tea.

Edward had no intention to listen to any more of her so-called spiritual psycho babble. He only had one reason for being here—to have her explain to Nessie that they simply would never be together…and to let her down easily.

"Yes, I appreciate that, Miss Swan."

"Call me Bella, and if you don't mind, I'm going to take off my shoes." She peeled the black sandals off her feet, and sighed when the soles met the carpet. "So much better for grounding."

Grounding?

"Yeah. To the earth," Renesmee said.

"Exactly. Feel free to remove your shoes if you wish." Right away, Nessie peeled off her ballet slippers.

"I…prefer to leave mine on."

"Suit yourself," she said as she headed toward a mini fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. "Can I offer you something to drink? Some iced tea? Some seltzer?"

"I'm fine," Edward said. "Now, Miss Swan…"

"Bella," she corrected, taking a big gulp from her water bottle. "I always get so thirsty after a show."

"A show," Edward said. "That's what it was."

"Well, no, but a seminar sounds so formal, and a talk is way too casual."

He shook his head, getting himself back on track. "Bella…" he paused as her name rolled off his tongue, and the way she looked at him just then, as if she was seeing him for the first time. He cleared his throat as her eyes met his, the lethal brown boring into his. "The reason we're here…"

She, in turn, shook her head. "Right. Yes. We're continuing the conversation. If I remember correctly, you maintain that you are emotionally healthy, but your daughter disagrees."

"No…I mean…"

"Yes, Daddy," Nessie said.

"That's not why I wanted to talk to you."

"It's okay, Edward," she said, and the way she said his name threw him off. "We're all friends here. This is a safe place to speak, isn't it, Renesmee?"

His daughter gave one stern nod. "I feel safe."

"Okay. So, let's talk about your relationship with your parents then. Or maybe how things are going with Renesmee's mom."

Edward had no intention of doing either of those things…especially not with this woman. "Actually, I prefer not to."

"The words unspoken are the ones that fester," she said.

"See, Daddy? Her throat chakra is wide open," Renesmee said.

"It wasn't always. It took me a long time to find my voice," Bella told her. "So, let's see what we can do about helping your daddy find his."

This was preposterous! Edward was a lawyer, for god's sake. He debated for a living! "No…this is not about me. Why we're here…" He was fumbling for words like an idiot. "Can you and I speak privately?"

Bella's gaze darted to his daughter. "Of course. Will you excuse us, Renesmee?"

Renesmee looked up at him suspiciously, and her lips fell into a frown. "Fine." But she whispered in his ear first, "Don't blow this!"

His mouth fell open as Bella directed her to another room that had an assortment of snacks. Once his daughter collected her shoes and left the room, he met Bella's gaze, bewitched by the smile that sat on her lips.

"How can I help you?"

"I need you to tell my daughter that you and I are not going to be together." He didn't know how else to word it.

A look of understanding crossed her features, but she remained composed. "Oh. Of course not. That would be ridiculous," she said.

Ridiculous? What? Was he not attractive enough? Now, he was getting off topic. "Yes. And she's manifesting this relationship, and I told her to stop, but she's very compelled by you. So, if you can tell her whatever it is you need to tell her, then we can be out of your hair."

The skin between her brows wrinkled. "I'm flattered, actually. I've always wanted a child."

"Be that as it may, like you said, it's ridiculous."

She didn't reply as she opened the door and called Renesmee back in.

"Did you have a good talk?" Nessie asked, and the hope lit her face like a Christmas tree.

"Can I ask you something, Renesmee?" Bella asked.

"Anything."

"Okay, how many of my videos have you watched?"

"All of them."

Phew. Edward had scrolled the vast library of video after video posted.

"Alright then, you must know about how the law of attraction works."

Nessie spun around, glaring at Edward. "You told her about the vision board?" Tears flooded her eyes.

Bella's eyes widened. "No, he didn't. I just wanted to ask you if you remember that sometimes the ego wants something very badly, but the higher mind knows better, doesn't it?"

"I'm not following," Edward said.

A look of defeat fell on her small features as she spoke, "She's saying that it's my ego mind who wants her, and if I stop being so specific that the universe will give me someone even better."

"Exactly," Bella said.

That was amazingly well said, he thought. Not that he understood any of it. His daughter seemed to, which was most important.

"There is no one better," Renesmee insisted.

"Oh, you'd be surprised," Bella told her. "And you believe that the universe loves and supports you, yes?"

"Yes."

"I have no doubt that your dad will find exactly who is the right fit for him and for you."

"But…"

"Insistence is resistance. What happens if you keep telling the universe that you insist it be a certain way?"

She hung her head. "I push it away."

"Exactly. Now, when you go back to your manifesting, imagine the feel of her holding you, the love between you and her and your dad. And trust the knowing that when the time is right, your manifestation will come true…without any insistence from you."

Renesmee hugged her again, and he didn't know how to react to all this. But, this reverted back to his initial feeling.

This woman practically told her that she would have a new mother. What the hell was she thinking? All he'd asked was for her to discourage Renesmee. Had he not made that clear?

"Miss Swan?"

"Bella," she insisted.

"Bella, I don't think it's wise that you tell her she's going to get a new mother."

"I didn't."

"Yes, you did. Not in so many words, but that's still the impression you're leaving her with. And that's just not feasible."

"The universe knows best," Bella said.

He pulled her to the side, whispering. "No, you can't just leave it like that."

"What would you have me tell her?"

"I don't know. That you are not interested. That…that… you are into women…that you…are married…whatever. But leading her on is not in anybody's best interest."

"On the contrary, Edward. I didn't lead her on, if you were listening."

"I heard every word."

"Daddy! Will you please stop arguing with her? You don't know what you're talking about," she said, pounding her small fist into her other palm in a motion that reminded him eerily of himself.

Edward had never been so taken aback. "I don't know what I'm talking about? That's it. We're getting out of here." He huffed, grabbed his daughter's hand, and led her to the door.

"Thanks for coming to see me," Bella said.

"Bye," Renesmee said, turning back.

"Yeah, yeah. We're out."

He slammed the door behind them, and he hoped that he would never see that dangerously influential woman again.

A/N: So what do you think of this Bella Swan? (She is loosely based on a speaker on Youtube named Teal Swan, who is very interesting to listen to!) Looks like Edward has got his hands full. I will do my best to update weekly, but I can't promise which day yet, so I hope the alerts come back up soon! Thanks for reading, and I would love to hear from you!