Lili Anne Cullen was not expected, but her parents and family loved her all the same. The observant tame half to Renesmee's unhinged, wild personality, Lili compliments her sister perfectly. Like her twin, she inherited gifts similar to that of he...
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Snow started to fall at the end of November, but it hadn't stuck to the ground yet. Ness would jump so high to catch the tiny little flakes, it was almost as if she was floating midair. While Jake joined her catching snow on his wolf tongue, I'd sit from above comfortably in a tree with my little sketch pad and a mechanical pencil sketching everything in sight. It was relaxing and tranquil, quiet with the distant soothing echo of Ness's voice and the occasional snort or bark from Jake.
Rose would climb up my favorite tree to check in on me and watch me draw. At first she made me self conscious, though I preferred her company to her loud partner when he came barreling, swinging from trees like a hollering gorilla. Not that I had anything against Emmett. The tree I claimed as my own had become a sacred space for me to have to myself, vacant of others' thoughts. It was one of the only places I could go to for clarity.
When the snow started to stick to the ground, Emmett took it upon himself to teach Ness and I how to build snowmen. He gathered a carrot from the fridge, two sticks from the fallen branches on the ground and a handful of rocks found next to the stream that swirled back towards the ocean that bordered the state. Emmett rolled the first and biggest sphere of snow intended to be the base of the snowman. He gave us a chance to replicate what he did, though he stopped us before our rolled snow became too big. Emmett placed our work on top of his own before we helped decorate with the intended items he presented. Our finished snowman had a comically large orange nose and a big derpy smile.
We ran back inside the house with wet boots, dragging everyone outside to have a snowman competition. Ness deemed herself and I the judges of said contest. Everyone grouped up into pairs while Ness and I started on our own snowmen to pass the time. Ours would not be a part of the judging as it would have resulted in a lopsided win. Our family was very competitive.The pairings were as follows: Mom and Alice, Pop-Pop and Dad, Jasper and Emmett, and Nana and Rosalie.
To keep whose snowman was whose a mystery, Ness and I made our snowmen on the other side of the house, though, of course I'd know instantly when we came across their pieces. I could only block out the thoughts of one person at a time. I yelled over to the adults, "Are you done yet?!" Pop-Pop replied almost immediately, "No, almost. We will let you know when to come over." Emmett and Jasper were supposedly the last to finish their snowman. After around five minutes passed, Nana yelled, "Ready!" Ness ran over to the snowmen dispersed across the yard with me in tow.
The first one we came to was a sleek, clean looking snowman with a top hat and gloves on its stick arms. Ness agreed to keeping her thoughts to herself so I could write down our judgments. Dad chuckled at our serious approach. We could feel all of their eyes on us as we walked between all of the snowmen in complete silence. When we came across a snowman with carved abs, an oddly placed red scarf, and flexing biceps, I struggled to contain my snickers. I knew instantly that it was the one Emmett and Jasper made when Emmett's mind boomed, "Finally!" He was probably the most competitive out of us all next to Ness and Rose.
