Forever Young

Chapter 6

I stepped closer, but still felt awkward. After a few more seconds of not knowing what to do, I walked across the room to kneel next to Renesmee. Picking up one of the dolls, I stared at it. Even if I wasn't too interested in the little wooden doll with yarn hair, it was easier to look at the toy than to look at another real person.

After watching Renesmee and I fiddle with the toys for a few moments, Bella spoke again. "Alright, girl," she said, drawing our attention back to her. "You have your new room. New beds, new toys. I expect you both to take care of your things, share, and be responsible. That means you are both in charge of making sure this room stays tidy. Agreed?"

I nodded, while Renesmee chirped a happy, "Yes, ma'am", before turning back to the toys. She was going through the stuffed animals now, picking up each one to feel it before hugging it to her chest and then setting it down. The pile that she was creating was slowly growing larger and larger, and I waited for Bella to rebuke her.

She didn't. With a pointed finger, she warned Renesmee that she needed to clean up her mess before doing anything else. As Bella turned to leave the room, she stopped, seeming to remember something. "And show her around the house, Ness. Stay with her and help her if she needs it".

I bristled at the assumption that I may need help, but Renesmee nodded happily. Bella turned and walked down the hallway, leaving the bedroom door open. 

Waiting until her footsteps faded down the stairs, I turned to Renesmee. "Are you called Renesmee, Nessie, or Ness? People keep calling you different things".

She glanced up at me, pulling her attention away from the spinning top she was playing with. "Well, I go by all of them. Renesmee is usually if I'm being introduced... or in trouble." She smiled, chagrin. "Ness and Nessie are what people usually call me."

"But... I said something wrong," I acknowledged quietly. "When they asked me what my name was. I told them all of the things that I'm called, and they weren't my names. Why is it okay for you to go by the names you're called, but I can't go by the names that I'm called?"

Renesmee hesitated now, setting down the toys completely as she turned to face me. "Well... it's just that you said... pet names, I guess. 'Love' and 'Honey' and 'Sweetie' aren't really names. Just like 'girl' isn't really a name. I mean, anything can be a name I guess, but..." She trailed off, not sure of how to finish. 

We sat in silence for a few minutes. Renesmee knew that I didn't understand, and I knew that she didn't have the words to explain what she was trying to say.

I decided that the best thing to do would be change the subject. "Can we switch beds?" I asked. "So I can be closer to the window? I want to look out of it." And try to run away, even if I wasn't sure exactly how to without setting off the alarm.

Again, Renesmee didn't answer. 

"Please?" I tacked on, hoping it would prompt the response that I wanted. They seems to really like manners around here.

She looked down, picking up a doll and moving it around nervously in her hands. "I would say yes," she said slowly. "But Daddy- my Dad, I mean. Edward. He talked to Grandp- Carlisle. And they sort of are the ones who decided I need to sleep closest to the window. Sorry."

Seeing the look on my face, Renesmee rushed to defend her family. "But it's just because they want to help you! You're new to living here, so when they check on us at nighttime, they want you closest to the door so they can see that you're sleeping okay, and not awake and upset. And also so if you wake up and get scared, you can get to them without having to walk past me and maybe wake me up".

"And so I would have to climb over your bed to get to the window, so you would wake up if I tried to sneak out?" My voice was low, losing the friendly tone I usually used with Renesmee.