𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐥𝐲

Chapter 18

Ever since she was born, Renesmee Cullen knew she was unique. She grew and advanced rapidly. It was almost like her own biological clock realized that she was constantly in danger and needed to mature faster to survive in this world. She loved her family dearly and they were her entire world. Literally, her entire world. For her own safety she wasn't allowed to mingle with other vampires and she couldn't attend school for obvious reasons. While she truly treasured her family, she was starting to feel lonely. Everything she did, one of her family members had already done or was doing at the moment. Nessie felt that there was nothing she could do that was hers. She was walking around Grandpa Charlie's house when she saw a photo of her mum and a woman who looked almost identical. It was how she came to discover Charlotte Swan, her mum's deceased twin. Nessie couldn't even begin to explain why but she felt a connection to the deceased woman...maybe because she saw so much of herself in the smiling woman's face or from the many stories Grandpa Charlie told her about Charlotte. It made Nessie quite upset that she would never get to meet the woman who was such a large part of the Swan household.

It was also one afternoon in the Swan household that Nessie discovered a well-loved cookbook. She delicately took the book in her hands and flipped through the pages. She noticed that there was writing in the margins of some of the pages with some steps in the recipes having been crossed out and replaced with other directions. Out of curiosity, Nessie turned to the first page and started reading the recipe – how to bake a chocolate cake. She scurried to the pantry and saw that somehow, she had all the ingredients but self-raising flour and cocoa powder. She figured she could substitute those ingredients for others. It was safe to say that her first baking attempt didn't go so well but it was that moment that created her love for baking. When Grandpa Charlie walked in and saw her baking, she vividly remembered how his eyes filled with tears but he was so happy at the same time. Nessie made it a weekly occurrence that she would visit Grandpa Charlie and they would explore a new baking recipe together. Even when the threat of the Volturi loomed overhead and other vampires came to stay with her family, baking with her Grandpa became her escape. It also made her feel close to the Aunt she would never know. Her hand-written notes filled with such knowledge and wisdom would sometimes make Nessie mourn over the loss of the relationship she never had with her Aunt.

However, that all changed during the confrontation with the Volturi. Her mother's twin was alive. She was a vampire and one that Nessie had met before but looked vastly different from the blonde-haired vampire she presented herself as. In the back of Nessie's mind, it made sense to her though. When she met the mysterious vampire, something told her that the vampire wouldn't hurt her. Nessie didn't know how at the time she knew this but she did. Now it made sense, her vampire side somehow recognized this woman, despite her disguise, to be family. Unlike the rest of her family, Nessie was beyond excited at the revelation that her Aunt was alive! That was until her mum became consumed by anger and hurt. Before she could even properly meet her Aunt, she was whisked away by her family. The first few days after the confrontation with the Volturi, her mother refused to speak on the topic and was in denial about everything. Despite Nessie wanting to be involved, her family shielded her from everything. It wasn't until one day that Nessie by chance overheard her families plan to travel to Italy that Nessie pleaded she come along. Her parents shot her request down multiple times and as Nessie was unable to talk to Grandpa Charlie about the situation (after a very long conversation with her parents about why it was kinder for Grandpa Charlie not to know that Lottie was alive), Nessie began to feel isolated with no one to turn too. Her beloved Jake also sided with her parents on this topic further making Nessie feel alone. It was only after much begging and a very, very long discussion with the entire family that they finally agreed to take her along – with Jake coming too of course.