Golden Hour: A Team Jacob Twilight FanFic

Emergent

"Happy Birthday, Bells," Charlie said, placing a plate of hot pancakes in front of me. A couple of them were burnt, but the strawberries and syrup drizzled on top masked the darker bits enough. "Nineteen, wow. I can't believe it."

"Neither can I."

And it was true. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that I was spending my birthday still very much human, in Charlie's kitchen.

"I hope they taste okay. I followed some recipe online."

I picked up my fork, cut into the stack, and ate over the plate, ensuring not to drip any syrup in my lap.

Charlie sat down across from me, waiting for my feedback.

Aside from the occasional chunks of flour and burnt pieces, they tasted decent.

"They're great, Dad. Thank you, really."

He couldn't hold back a smile, his eyes scrunching up with satisfaction.

"I know they don't look all that pretty, so that's good to hear. Do you want your present now?"

"Come on, you didn't have to get me anything," I protested, mid-chew.

"Course I did. I'll get it set up for you."

"Set up?!"

He smirked and got out of the seat. The keys in his uniform pocket rattled as he jogged out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

The dread I usually felt on my birthday didn't hit me yet. Maybe it was because I honestly forgot what day it was until Charlie reminded me. Really, it just felt like another day.

I dragged a forkful of pancake through the syrup, ensuring each bite included some strawberries, which acted as a refresher from the artificial sweetness.

"Bells! Come up!"

After devouring the rest of my breakfast, I clumsily got up to place the sticky dish in the sink.

I wasn't sure why he couldn't just bring the gift down here, but I didn't want him to be any later to work, so I quickly made my way up the stairs. I found him in my room, sitting on my bed, smiling even bigger than before.

My eyes didn't spot it until he pointed to my dresser. Atop it was a brightly lit, medium-sized fish tank.

"Fish?!"

I crossed over to level myself with the tank to get a closer look.

The multicolored, iridescent fish that waded through the water looked like living flowers with how their fins moved.

"What kind are they?"

"Siamese fighting fish, bettas."

"They're amazing," I said in awe.

"And aggressive. I had to make sure there were enough hiding spots for them. Otherwise, they go crazy and fight each other."

On top of the black pebbles sat a few different aquarium ornaments. A big purple castle was in the center, a desert scene in the corner with cacti and bull skulls, and a little black cat with glasses reading a book toward the back.

I looked back at Charlie while pointing at the tank. "You picked those out?"

"Yeah, that's what they'll hide in. I got the desert cause of, well, Phoenix. The castle cause it looked like one of them romance castles, and I know you like those books. And if you were an animal, I think you'd be a cat."

Tears welled up in my eyes. I peered back down to see the fish swimming in and out of the castle as if they were already used to it.

"How long have you had them?"