“Happy birthday, sweetheart!” I said as I leaned over my daughter’s sleeping body and gave her a little kiss on her soft, pink cheek. Her tiny heart fluttering at my touch.
As I took in her sweet aroma, the memories of when she was born a year ago flooded my mind; most notably seeing my little nudger for the first time through my new vampire eyes.
She rolled over and looked up at me with those beautiful chocolate brown eyes, eyes she had inherited from me. With a huge smile on her face that can light up any room, she reached out her hand from under her blankets and lightly touched my face. I closed my eyes with her warm touch, as she showed me her pictured memories, she reminded me of the first time she saw me after she was born, and how she felt the very first time I held her when I came back from my first hunt.
When she let go of my face, I opened my eyes and gazed at her with as much love as a mother can possess. I couldn’t help but smile at my daughter and laugh a little on the inside. She was so perfect and beautiful. And her gift was so unique and always a surprise to me.
“Good morning, momma!” she cried as she leapt into my arms and gave me a big bear hug. “Happy birthday to you too!”
“Thanks baby! Now, lets get you up and dressed. Your father is making you some breakfast!” Giving her a kiss on her forehead, I got up and headed into her oversized (and overstuffed) closet, courtesy of Alice.
In the kitchen, Edward was making scrambled eggs and hash browns. He was becoming a master at cooking.
As we walked in and sat down at the dining room table, he put the food on a plate and set it in front of Renesmee. Giving her a one-armed hug and a little kiss on the top of her head he said aloud, “Happy birthday, Nessie! I love you!”
“Thanks dad, I love you too!” she sang as she returned his hug and kissed his cheek.
When he sat down next to me, he leaned over and gave me a soft, passionate kiss and whispered, “Happy birthday, love!” From the corner of my eye I saw Renesmee watching us and then quickly look down at her food with embarrassment, as she shoved a fork full of hash browns into her mouth. I could hear Edward chuckle to himself, of course from something Renesmee was thinking.
I looked at him, curiosity plainly written all over my face, ready to ask what he just heard, but he quickly put a finger to my lips and said, “Later, love. Jacob’s almost here.”
As soon as he said this, I could smell Jacob’s rusty, animal scent and could hear the rapid beating of his heart through the open windows of our cottage.
I got up and went to the door to let him inside. Opening the door before he could knock on it.
“Oh!” he exclaimed, surprised to see me in the doorway. Usually Edward is the first to answer the door. “Good morning, Bella! And happy birthday!”
With a wide grin on his face, he held up a single pink rose or me.
“Thank you, Jacob! But you really shouldn’t have.” I said, I could feel my face heat up as if it wanted to blush. I took the rose form his outstretched hand.
“Please, come in. There’s actually some things we need to talk to you about.”
Turning form the doorway, I led him into the dining room where Edward sat content in watching Renesmee eat her breakfast. He looked up at me and smiled as I put the rose up to my nose, allowing the sweet scent to tingle my senses.
Renesmee was just finishing her eggs when she caught sight of Jacob. I saw her face light up as Jacob entered the room and stood next to her, holding out a bouquet of a dozen red, thorn less roses for her, “Happy first birthday, Nessie!”
She took the roses and held them up to her face, blushing the same brilliant shade of red. “Thank you so much, Jacob! They are so beautiful!” she exclaimed as she jumped up into his arms and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Before she could do or say anymore, Edward got up out of his chair clearing his throat to interrupt, “Good morning, Jacob. You’re just in time for some breakfast. Would you like something to eat?” I knew from the tone in his voice that he didn’t approve of whatever Jacob was thinking, and I knew that it had something to do with Renesmee.
Jacob looked up from Renesmee to Edward and answered with a sly grin on his face, “Did you really have to ask? Of course, I would love some. I always love your cooking, Edward!”
With that, Edward went into the kitchen to get another plate of food. I followed with Renesmee’s bouquet to put in into a vase, along with mine.
I’ve been practicing everyday, since the confrontation with the Volturi last December, to pull back my shield and to let Edward read my mind. I’ve actually managed to do it without having to touch him, and with less focus each time. I can actually do it now by just thinking about it.
Walking into the kitchen behind him I felt the elastic shield recoil and I knew my mind was free. What was that about, back there?
Edward stopped in his tracks, I took him by surprise every time I did this. I couldn’t help but smile at my bewildered husband.
He turned around to look at me, shock covering his face. “I know Jacob is in no hurry for Nessie to grow up, but she’s still growing everyday,” he confessed, “I keep getting mixed thoughts from him, whether he realizes he’s thinking them or not. I can’t tell what he’s really thinking when he looks at her. It’s the same with Nessie’s thoughts too, she knows that her body and mind are aging faster, but she’s still our baby. She’s only a year old.”
I walked the few steps between us and took his hand in mine, looking into his wonderful topaz eyes. I knew that my shield was still down, so I continued to talk to him through my thoughts. I know that you are worried about her, but she is very smart for her age. She knows that she is still a baby, our baby. I can tell when I see them together, that those feeling that you are reading from them are only a part of the imprinting. Its natural. They know that they belong together, they were made for each other. Those feelings come from that. I encouraged him as best I could. I could see my words sinking in as he thought them over.
Finally, after a few seconds, he spoke. “How do you know that that’s what it is?” he questioned me, curiosity covering his entire face. I couldn’t help but smile at him smugly, knowing something that he didn’t know.
I’ve been watching the way Quill and Claire are together, and I’ve been asking him questions about it too, out of curiosity. The way he looks at her and the way she responds to him in return, its nothing but the love between them growing stronger. Even though they’re just at a friendship stage right now, that deeper love is still there. I see that same thing between Renesmee and Jacob. She’s the size of an Elementary school student with the mind of a College graduate. Jake’s not just her babysitter anymore, they are best friends. I thought all this as I put the roses in a vase and filled Jacob’s plate while Edward stood frozen, in the middle of the kitchen, lost deep in thought.
Since Quill joined Jacob's pack, he’d been around us a lot more. Every once in a while he would bring Claire with him because he can’t stand to be away from he for too long, and so that she can play with Renesmee also. It has also been good for Renesmee to have a playmate that’s roughly about the her same age, physically, only if it is for a short time.
I guess, you could also call it a mothers’ intuition about her daughter! I thought as I turned and smiled at my bewildered husband, kissing him as I walked back into the kitchen with the plate in one hand and the vases of roses in the other, letting my shield snap snuggly back into place.
