Disclaimer: Original characters and part of the plot belong to Stephanie Meyer

Chapter 10 – Christmas Eve

"…my stomach demanded attention."

I felt my empty stomach grumble for food. Both Renée and I heard it and chuckled at the same time.

"Looks like it's time for us to have dinner," Renée said just as Phil called from the kitchen, "Dinner's ready!"

He hadn't interrupted our time together, instead preparing dinner for us. I smiled gratefully at him as we entered the kitchen.

Renée sniffed and said, "What's for dinner?"

"Chicken pot pie."

"Smells delicious," I said as I took out the plates to serve. Phil beat me to it, quickly dividing the pie into pieces and serving into three plates.

I sat opposite to Renée and Phil, taking a piece of the pie into my mouth. It was even better than what I made. "Tastes delicious too!"

"Thank you," Phil said, neatly performing a gentleman's bow.

"So did Renée treat you to her cooking skills yet?" I asked teasingly.

"That she did. I took over the kitchen after that," Phil said with a martyred expression.

All of us burst out laughing. It was the first time I felt light in a long while.

Something was off. I looked around, trying to find out what it was, until my eyes landed on the huge fir tree standing in the mantle place. It was empty. I groaned.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Renée asked.

"I forgot to decorate the Christmas tree!" I exclaimed. "I don't even remember when we put it up."

"Why don't we do it tonight?" came a voice from her left.

I sharply turned my head. "Do what?"

"Decorate the tree?"

"Today?" I was surprised.

"Yeah. Now's a better time than tomorrow." Phil said. And then, to lighten the atmosphere, he added, "Unless you want to have Santa deliver your gifts at the foot of your bed?"

"Let's do it, then, shall we?" Renée voice was energetic. Her child-like enthusiasm was infectious. She still hadn't changed in an entire year.

"Let me go search for the baubles. And some Christmas lights, if we are lucky. I have no idea if those things are even working anymore," I said as I got up from the table.

"Actually," Phil said, his smile getting impossibly bigger, "we already have Christmas lights with us." He went to their room and brought a big bunch of wires and bulbs.

"I wonder why I even bothered to protest about your marriage to Renée…"

Three hours, forty-six minutes and twenty-eight seconds, we finally managed to decorate the tree and, after trying seventeen times, put the Star on top. All of us kept our presents under the tree, each waiting to open theirs the next day.

"So that's that. Anybody you plan on calling, Bella?" Renée said after regaining her breath.

"Not particularly. But I can call the Blacks if you want."

I was still slightly hesitant to see Jacob again for a few reasons, not the least of which were, forgive me, his disgusting smell and the fact that he might find out that I was becoming a vampire, leading to the knowledge of the pack and ultimately resulting in my death. I knew Jacob might not allow it to happen but still Sam was the Alpha, not him. I might have been upset at his departure but I was in no hurry to end my life. All my hopes of not having them for Christmas crashed at her next words.

"Good idea. Billy did mention that he and Jacob will be alone for Christmas."

Nodding, I strode over to the telephone and dialled the number.

"All right. I'm going to bed now. I'm real tired. Must be my age catching up to me." Phil said. I'd never realised how much of a joker he could be.

"Must be," Renée teased him back while I chuckled softly.

"Hello, Black residence speaking," came a deep voice from the other end of the telephone.

"Hey, Billy? This is Bella here."

"Oh, Bella. How are you now?"

"As well as you'd expect. Do you and Jake want to come over here for Christmas?"

"Not a bad idea. Let me ask Jake." I heard him yell in the background and, thanks to my superior hearing, Jacob's reply. He was way too excited for my comfort. "Yep, we definitely are coming," came Billy's voice a second late.

"All right. Don't be late unless you want us to open the gifts without you. I got something for you guys as well"

"We won't be."

"Okay. Good night."

"Good night to you too."

I hung up a moment later.

Just as I was about to tell Renée and Phil about Billy and Jake, I heard a gasp and a small mumbled "Oops!" A delicious smell filled my nostrils and I lost all restraint.

I turned as fast as lightning, about to lunge at my prey when my eyes fell on my mother. It was her. She had got a paper cut accidentally. My hand flew to my mouth and I stopped breathing. I was appalled at what I was about to do. If I couldn't keep my own mother safe from myself, how was I supposed to not kill the other townsfolk?

"Don't worry. Just a paper cut. I'll go and put on a band-aid." She must have mistaken my terrified expression as a sign of worry about her. Just how wrong she was.

I nodded silently, allowing myself to carry on the charade. She could definitely understand my reluctance to breath was a way to stop myself from fainting.

I quickly cleaned up the blood with a disposable tissue, all the time breathing through my mouth. Yet every breath sent a fiery burn down my throat. I placed the tissue under running water, letting it completely break down and wash away the fibre.

"Are you okay, Mom?" I called out. My voice was still a bit choked.

"Yeah, completely fine," she said while re-entering the kitchen. I eyed her finger warily.

"You okay, Bella?"

"I'm good."

"I think you should be getting to bed. You have dark circles underneath your eyes, deep ones," she said as she slowly traced the underside of my eyes.

I nodded. It was the easiest way to escape for now. "Yeah, I should get going. Good night, Mom."

"Good night, honey."

I embraced my vampirism for the first time that night.