Bella P.O.V
Christmas Eve was here and Esme was all over the place getting everything ready for tonight's dinner. Alice and Rosalie were just as excited for tonight. There was going to be a big family dinner that included Rosalie's family and Jacob's too. It was something they did as a tradition.
I found it that him coming over was a big turn down for my own excitement. Since the ball, it was clear to everyone in the family that Edward and I were a couple but it also meant that Jacob was not happy about it. He came once in a while for the soccer practice but it hurt Edward that his best friend was being distant but he knew why and so did I.
I walk up to Edward, who sits on his bed with his head between his hands. I sit behind him, begging him from behind and kiss his temple.
"Hey," I said as I kissed down to his cheek.
"Hi," he whispered back, taking my hand in his. He sighed before turning his face to mine and kiss me.
With my free hand, I caress his hair, pulling away from his face. "Are you okay?" I asked. It surprised me to ask but I did. Something seemed to bother him.
"I'm fine. Are you okay?"
"I'm good. You're mother is going crazy about dinner," I point out.
He nodded. "Yeah, she usually does. Didn't yours?" He asked.
"I hears you were going out," I change the subject. I'm way into a good mood to talk about her. "Where are you going?"
"Turkey hunting," he answered with a smile. "There's this farm my dad always takes us ever since we were children."
I smile. "Sounds like fun. Only boys?" He nodded. "Make sure you get the biggest one."
Suddenly, he flips me over until I'm under him and he's on top of me. I laugh with him as I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. He smiles at me, leans over and kisses me once before pulling away just to the point where our noses touch.
"Are you going to miss me while you're off hunting turkeys?" I asked.
He smiled. "Of course I am. Are you while you're here dealing with my crazy mother?"
He has no idea, I've deal with worse.
"I am," I answer before pulling him into a kiss. I pull away and smile at him.
He smiles back, pulling my hair away from my face. There was a look in his eyes, something that said something I just couldn't understand what it meant. Even when I didn't know what it meant, I still liked that he looked at me that way. It made me feel special, something no one has ever made me feel before.
His eyes made my heart pump faster and faster and his arms around me made me feel warmer, I loved how it felt. I'm sure he loved it, too. We laid there in silence just looking at each other for a while until it was time for him to go.
Once he left, I was alone with Esme, Alice and Rosalie. Esme asked us to help her out in the kitchen to start preparing dinner. I accepted since this was technically my first Christmas.
All the other Christmases that I spent with Elizabeth were horrible, well, not actually horrible but they just never happened. As a little girl I would write to Santa Clause and when I woke up Christmas Morning there was no tree and no toys. The cookies remained untouched and when I asked, I was told to grow up.
There was no Christmas tree, no decorations, no Christmas carols, no magic, no love. I don't remember a single Christmas where I was actually happy, except... For one. It's a faint memory, it happened so long ago.
I was in a room, it wasn't my room but it was nicer than mine. The bed was bigger, comfortable, even warm. I remember there was noises coming from out the door and when I sat up on my bed, there was like a rainbow from under the door.
I remember stepping out of the bed and walking out of the stranger room. I wasn't in my house, I was somewhere else but I can't remember where. In the living room was a man dressed in red with black belt and boots. He had a long white beard and wore a red had.
I remember I recognized him as Santa Clause and that he held an empty sack from which he pulled a baby doll from and handed it to me. The only other thing I remember from that night is that he said something was stuck with me since that night.
"There is someone who is watching over you and will protect you no matter what."
It was the only Christmas I ever got something but I wish I knew who was the man in the suit. I wish I could ask him who was that person who was watching over me because no matter what, I've never been protecting from Elizabeth.
We spent most of the day cooking dinner. Esme helped me with most of it. It was something I just never did and what made it different was Esme herself. It was interesting to watch her move around the kitchen, have Christmas music on, sing along and cook. Something I've never seen in Elizabeth before.
After dinner was all ready, Esme told us to wait before we started getting ready.
"Now, I don't know about you, Bella, but we open our gifts Christmas Morning but I thought I might give you girls something before dinner." She took out three small boxes from a cabinet and handed one to each one of us.
"Go open them in your room," she hurried us.
I stood there as Rosalie and Alice left with my box in hand. I never received a present before, this is a first. Esme walks up to me and says, "Do you want to see what it is?" She grabbed the small box from me and opened it.
Inside it laid a beautiful diamond necklace and it looked very old but the age of it didn't matter, it was beautiful.
"It was my mother's," Esme said. "I figured a beautiful girl like you deserved a beautiful diamond."
I shook my head. Why is she giving me this?
"Esme, I can't take this."
"Of course you can, you deserve it!" She smiled, pulling my hair behind my ear.
Something inside me, that nasty voice inside my head told me to take it. Take it and get as much money out of it to get out of here but a softer voice told me not to, that nothing that I ever done since I got here made me deserve this.
Esme took my hand. "Here, how about you let me help you get ready for tonight."
She guided me back to my room and sat down on my bed. She took out all my make up and placed it next to us and she began putting it on me.
"You're beautiful with and without your makeup, but I think we all can use help," she said as she started. "You know, my mother always told me how observant I was. I didn't believe her but I did believe that I saw the world with different eyes than the rest. I didn't believe I was observant so I just told her she was crazy. That made her mad."
She kept on talking as she did my makeup, something that made me annoyed but with her, it was different.
"I didn't understand what she meant until my children came into my life and how easily they were for me to read," she continued. "I knew when they were sad, angry, happy, scared. I even knew how to read my own husband," she laughed.
I chuckled.
"Now, pretty girl." She pinched my chin. "Why don't you think you deserve the necklace?"
I freeze when she asked me that question. I clear my throat and say, "Because I've only been here less than a month, I'm nothing in particular to what your other children are."
She sighed. "Darling, you're no different from my children. You're one of them. I love you just like I love Edward and Emmett and Alice. A mother's love is unconditional, the most realist love someone could ever feel."
I wished that was true but I realize how naive Esme is, how she thinks every mother in the world is the same but no. She has no idea what I had to go through, how I never felt the love of my own mother but I hide my anger and I realize I have to go sooner than expected. I can't grow too attached to them, at least not to all of them.
I will try to enjoy tonight and I have to look for James tomorrow.
Later that night, Edward and the rest came back home. I felt excited as we waited for them to arrive. The first people to enter were Jacob's family. Shortly after were Rosalie's family. They all gathered around, talked to each other with familiarity.
Jacob approached me when he saw me standing on my own.
"Hello, Bella."
"Jacob."
"You look beautiful tonight."
I smile at him. "Thank you."
Just then, the door opened and the first person to enter the room was Edward. The room went quiet but I was the first one to move. I left Jacob and ran to Edward, wrapping my arms around him and kissed him. He smiled between our kiss and wrap his arms around me.
"Did you miss me?" He asked.
I nodded.
"I hope you all don't mind," Carlisle said as he entered the room. "But we brought a extra guest with us."
And just after Emmett entered the room, James did and his expression when he saw me wrapped around Edward wasn't happy.
Author's Note:
Alright, this story has still a long way to go but I'd like to hear how are you liking it so far?
Most of my stories are near their end so I posted two previews for two stories I'm working on and most likely will be publishing. So if you want the description from either preview let me know and I'll give it to you next update.
Both stories will he published, I jsy want to know which one you guys would like to read first.
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~Joan0324