Shattered [JACOB AND RENESMEE]

30

Another day, another night. Or so I thought.

I had another argument with Hannah. I was sick enough to deal with her teenage rebellion. She was already fourteen. She was supposed to grow out of that childish behavior.

I had been feeling mentally exhausted those days. And tonight was another night I was going to attempt to sleep soundly, to try to forget about my problems.

Or not?

In sudden, I heard the door open slowly. Someone was about to come in. But who? Probably just Carlisle to check up on me.

But the smaller footsteps prompted me that it had to be a woman. Perhaps it was my mother. Or grandma Esme. Maybe even aunt Rosalie or aunt Alice.

It wasn't until I heard the supposed woman's voice that I recognized her.

"Mom?"

Hannah.

What was she doing here? I thought she was mad at me. She always was.

She approached me slowly and spoke. "I'm sorry."

I kept quiet. I didn't know what to tell her. I wanted to be mad at her. Alas I couldn't. She was my daughter.

Sniffling was heard. She was crying. My child was crying. I hadn't heard her cry since she was a little girl. A decade ago, or so.

The cries became harder. "Mom, please forgive me! I don't want you to die!"

To die? Why did she think I was going to die? I was recovering. I ate. Just not everything. Had she heard that from Carlisle? Did he believe I was going to die? Had aunt Alice had a vision?

"Hannah," I tried to speak, but it came out more like groaning. I wanted to turn around, to stroke her face, to wipe away her tears.

She cried harder and at that moment I wished I could tell her to come to me. To sit next to me in the bed. I tried gesturing her. She seemed to understand, because in the matter of seconds, she was already in my arms, crying her little heart out.

"Grandpa told me everything. I didn't know that anorexia was so dangerous," she whispered in the darkness, cuddled against my chest, like in her toddler days.

"Shh," I leaned in to kiss her head. She didn't even tense in my arms, as expected to.

We talked for a little. Hannah told me that she had found new friends. I remembered the accident at her 13th birthday and how she was bullied at school even more for having a sick mother.

She even had a crush on a boy. I encouraged her to go ahead and introduce herself.

We spend almost the whole evening together, talking under the blanket. But I could feel us both getting sleepy. If we fell asleep, then the next day would come and we wouldn't be tired. And a new day meant a new beginning.

I knew that on the next day me and Hannah would be on better terms. And that was what was the most important.

I felt like we were both ready for a new start.

My eyes drifted into the darkness.

THE END