One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that word is love" - Sophocles
Stephenie Meyer owns everything Twilight related
CHAPTER 5
The drive to the Cullens was filled with winding roads, the rain started to pick up as they crossed the Fremont Bridge above the Willamette River. The bridge has an orange blue color scheme and has a rainbow arch to it. The roads were congested with the 5 o'clock rush hour, making the drive longer than it should have been.
Her family could have gotten there by foot, but Bella's family always tries to do things as normal as possible. Bella was apprehensive, to meet the Cullens, though she was doing her best to keep her composure. They rounded a sharp corner and saw a medium sized gate
"That's it" Bella whispered
Her father pulled up to the gate and it automatically opened, as they passed the gate they were met with a long narrow road lined with trees. They drove down for what it felt like an eternity, when they finally came up to the home Bella saw in Esme's memory.
"This is it" Bella stated
"It's beautiful, immensely secluded" Her mother voiced
The home was surrounded by large trees, adding a sense of security and privacy to the residence.
"Futuristic design" Her father said, admiring the homes architecture
"It's a home, let's get out" Uncle Henry said bored of the conversation, unlike his brother he wasn't one to care about building designs.
They walked up a couple cement steps to get to the front entrance, which was lined with glass. The front door was glass as well framed with wood. When the Swans got closer to the front doorway, the man they met in the forest, Carlisle Cullen, opened the door to greet them.
"Hello, come in please" He said, stepping away to let them in. The interior of their home was spacious and open, with high ceilings and plenty of natural light. The home was filled with a neutral color palette and simple clean lines.
"Hello, welcome to our home" the woman they learned was Esme, Carlisles wife, "please this way" she extended her arm to the left where there was a large hallway. "You can hang up your coats here" She said pointing to a little alcove area. After she ushered them to an even larger room with more windows and natural light, probably their living room Bella thought.
That's where the rest of their family was waiting, the young girl with spiky black hair and a petite stature walked toward the Swans and spoke first
"Hi! I'm Alice" she said in a bubbly, uplifting tone, "We are going to be best of friends" she added, looking at Bella and stepping closer to her. Bella's mother slightly pulled Bella closer to her, a habit she had when the family met vampires of their kind. Alice noticed the small movement and stepped back a bit to give them more room.
"Sorry" Alice said with a small smile on her face, how did she know Bella and her would be best friends. Rather a weird thing to say to someone you've never met before. As weird as it was, there was something about Alice that was kind and energetic. Her mother gave Alice a small smile, Bella could feel her mother was overwhelmed
the Cullens outnumbered them.
Alice walked over to a man with honey blonde hair and grabbed his hand, "This is Jasper".
"Hello, nice to meet you all" He said with a bit of a struggle
"Jasper is the newest to our family and our diet" Carlisle said as he walked over to where Esme was standing. Her mother went rigid, Bella still had blood coursing through her veins.
"You won't hurt her" Alice said in his ear
"Maybe this wasn't a good idea" Renee said and pulled Bella
"Please stay, your family is in no danger" Carlisle said with all sincerity "Please have a seat" he ushered them to the seating area. The Swans continued to stay close together and sat down, trying to be as cordial and open as possible. This was the most intimate meeting they have had with their kind, except Uncle Henry he knew many vampires.
"That's Emmett and Rosalie" Carlisle nodded his head in the direction where a huge vampire stood with brunett hair, his arm around a beautiful blonde woman. She remembered them in the cafeteria, Emmett looked intimidating but he had the biggest dimples when he smiled. "And this is Edward," Carlisle added to the boy with bronze reddish hair on the farthest side of the room.
"Hello" He said making eye contact with Bella, with a small smile on his lips
"I'm Charlie, this is my wife Renee, our daughter Bella and my brother Henry" Bella's father said, going down the line, "sorry, we tend to keep to ourselves" Charlie said, hoping to explain the reason for his family being on edge.
"Of course" Esme said, "Thank you for coming"
Bella was starting to not feel well, her hands were clammy and she was getting a little hot.
"I'm sure you have some questions" Bella's father said going straight to the point
"Yes, well is Bella your biological child?" Esme asked
"She is," Renee answered, "I was human when I gave birth to her, and shortly after I was changed" she explained. Bella doesn't like when her parents talk about her birth, Bella almost killed her mother.
"Fascinating" Carlisle said with shock on his face
"You've never met anyone like me" Bella spoke up looking at him
"No we haven't" he responded
"Bella is half human half vampire, she shares similar characteristics that we do, but she still has a human body" Her mother explained
"Charlie and I had just gotten married, when I found out I was pregnant, we were terrified. We didn't think it was possible, the pregnancy progressed rather quickly and the labor was severe. Charlie changed me right after" She concluded. "Henry took care of Bella for a couple of months, while Charlie was helping me as a newborn." she added "It didn't take long before we were all back together".
"They stayed hidden, we didn't want others to think she was an immortal child, she grew fast and even after she stopped growing they chose to stay hidden" her Uncle chimed in
"What changed your mind about meeting with us" Carlisle asked
"We can't seclude ourselves forever" Bella's mother answered
Bella eyed her mother, she wondered how much her mother was going to say about her family. Bella took a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed. Her Uncle looked at her with concern and she looked away from him sitting up straighter.
"Sweetheart" her mother said turning her head to Bella "Are you alright" she asked concerned
"Umm I just need some fresh air" She stated getting up and heading for the front door
"I'll come with you" her mother stated
"No I'm okay I'll just be a moment" Bella said
"Don't go far Bella" her mother said after her
"She'll be okay" she heard her father say to her mother
Bella beelined it to the front doot and grabbed her coat from the alcove. She headed outside and walked down the stairs to her dads car. She took out a cigarette and lit it, hoping this would calm her nerves. The chill of the air felt incredible on her skin. She sat down on a rock right outside the edge of the forest with her ankles crossed. She took deep breaths and instantly felt so much better, she started counting trees as a way to help clear her head.
She heard footsteps behind, thinking it was her Uncle, "I'll be inside in a second" she said not turning around
"That's a bad habit" she heard Edwards buttery smooth voice
Bella turned around and stood up "are you trying to lecture me" she asked with smirk
"No" He said simply "Are you doing okay" he asked concern in his voice
"Oh yea I just needed to come outside for a bit" she said and dugged the cigarette on the sole of her boots and grabbed a piece of gum from her pocket.
"That won't mask the scent" he said rubbing his hand on the back of his neck in a boyish way
"I know," she said simply. Bella walked further into the forest, the only sound was the crunch of the leaves under her boots.
"I'm sorry If I scared you in Anatomy, when we met" he said taking a hand through his unruly hair, "you're not easy to read" he added
"Really? My mother says I'm an open book" Bella replied with a slight laugh
"Not to me" He said meeting her eyes, "I was hoping we could be friends" he said
Bella blinked, "Um sure yes we can be friends" she answered him turning her head and looking into the forest, her heart felt like it was going to burst. "My parents probably want me to come back in," she said, breaking the comfortable silence between them. Bella stepped foreward and together they walked up to the front door.
He opened the door for her and helped take off her coat, slightly touching her, which made her blush. They entered the living room where their families were and sat down in their respectable spots. Uncle Henry and her father intensely stared at Edward, obviously not happy they were outside together, alone.
"Are you feeling better?" her mother asked her
"Yes" She responded, linking her arm with her mothers, and leaning her head on her mothers shoulders
"You have a beautiful home Mr. and Mrs. Cullen" Bella spoke
"Thank you, Bella, that's very sweet of you" Esme said, "I create blueprints for the all houses we live in" she added
"My father is an architect" Bella said looking at her father
"I work for a private firm, it's always been a passion of mine" her father said
"That's lovely" Esme responded
"What is your profession, Carlisle? Her father asked
"I'm an Emergency physician at Providence Portland hospital" he replied
"That takes a lot of control" He father commented
"I have had many many years of practice, over 300 years" Carlisle said with a smile on his face
Bella's mouth fell open, "You were born in the 1600s?" Bella asked astonished
"Yes" Carlisle responded with a chuckle, "Around 1640" he added
Bella knows vampires are immortal but she has never met a vampire as old as him, her father and her Uncle were born in the 1890s and that always shocks her.
"Umm yea that's cool" Bella finally said, which earns a chuckle from the room
All of sudden the room got silent, Bella look over at Alice who looked as though she was in a trance and then she giggled
"Are you okay?" Bella asked Alice
"Oh yes, sorry I got a bit distracted" she replied, Bella was intrigued and felt the urge to look into her memories, but stopped herself. It didn't feel right, she didn't want to invade her privacy. She noticed Edward attentively looking at Alice though.
"Would you like a tour of our home" Esme asked, trying to fill the silence
"Yes, please" Bella responded as she and her family stood up to follow Esme, she gave a thorough detailed tour of their home. Bella found their home warm, inviting and beautifully decorated. Some of their decorations even made her giggle, they had a wall full of high school graduation caps displayed on a frame.
Then they came across a beautiful black Steinway & Sons Piano, Bella gasped and stepped forward toward the piano
"Do you play?" Esme asked
"Yes" Bella responded "It's one of my favorite instruments, do you play?" she asked Esme
"Oh no, this is Edwards piano" she answered looking over at Edward
"You're more than welcome to play" Edward said quietly looking down at his shoes, Bella was a little reluctant, she didn't want the spotlight on her.
"What about a piano duet" Bella asked Edward, he looked up and nodded at her
"Okay" he whispered, they sat together on the bench
"My fathers favorite is Clair de lun" she said "do you know that one?" she asked
"It's one of my favorites" he responded smiling at her
"I'll follow your lead" Bella said and within moments they were playing together, Edward was definitely more fluid then Bella, he probably has more experience than her though. Both families gathered in the room and listened. While they were playing, a peaceful veil had fallen over the room. The nervousness Bella had come to the Cullens house with was no more.
After the song was over, Edward looked over at her "you play exceptionally well" he praised
"Oh whatever, you stole the show" Bella said and rolled her eyes "your fluidity is extraordinary" she added.
"You both played beautifully" Esme said with a big smile on her face "What other instruments do you play Bella?"
"I dabble with the violin from time to time" she answered, "Uncle Henry taught me how to play the piano and my mother is teaching me how to play the violin" she added. Music is a big part of her life, she would like to learn more instruments. After some more light hearted conversation, it started to get rather late.
"Well we must get going" Bella's mother said standing up
"Of course, you are more than welcome to come by anytime" Esme responded
"It was nice meeting all of you" Bella's father said
As they made their way out of the home, Bella couldn't help but to feel a pull to stay. A feeling she didn't quite understand, and that she tried to shake off. As their families were saying goodbye to each other, Edward walked over to Bella
"Have a good night Bella, will I see you tomorrow at school?" he asked
"Yea I should be there" she responded, "Bye" she waved and met her family by their car. Her Uncle opened her door and helped her in the SUV and then at full speed got in at the other side. In no time, they headed down the narrow road to the main road. Nobody said anything at first, taking in the events that just happened and forming an opinion. Bella leaned her head against the cool window and watched the trees as they ran past her sight.
"They seem like a genuine, kind family" her mother commented
"I'm still not fully on board with this" her Uncle Henry threw into the conversation
"We'll just see where this goes" Her father said as he grabbed Renees hand and gave it a peck
"What conversation did I miss when I stepped outside?" Bella asked
"We were just comparing the things we did that were similar with our families" her mother replied
"What did you and Edward talk about outside?" her Uncle asked nonchalantly
"He was just apologizing for how he came off in Anatomy" Bella said shrugging her shoulders
"Remember Bella, you're not allowed to date" her father chimed in
"We are just friends" Bella stated
Uncle Henry chuckled and rolled his eyes
love is friendship that has caught on fire her mothers words rang through her head, Bella caught her mothers gaze in the rear view mirror, her mother winked and smiled at her.
Once they pulled into their driveway, Bella made her way upstairs to get ready for dinner, she decided to take a bath and then changed into her green silky pajamas. By the time she was done her mother already had her dinner waiting at the dinner table.
The Swans sat together at the table having small talk and watching Bella eat. When she was done with her food, her Uncle had set up the living room for their movie night. Bella's movie choice tonight was the Wizard of Oz, one of her favorite childhood movies.
The family gathered on the couch and peacefully watched the film together. Moments like this with her family hold a special place in Bella's heart. As the film played, Bella couldn't help but think of the Cullens and how sweet and kind they were.
She also thought about Edward, her heart skipped a beat every time he looked at her. She couldn't describe it but a part of her felt that being friends didn't feel quite right. Maybe she does have a crush on Edward, deep down Bella is excited to see what happens next.
The Swans have officially meant the Cullens
How do you feel about their encounter?
Until next time!