Carlisle's Diary

Funeral

Dear Diary: October 1, 2013

          This last week has been probably one of the most morbid in the Cullen household in a while if ever. Last I left off we were in New York City after getting the devastating news that Bella's mom was killed by a subway train and pushed in front of it no less than by her own husband who it was discovered to have a benign tumor in his brain. On top of the usual process of grieving, Bella also had to deal with the fact that Phil was pretty much an adult orphan who was now very mentally unstable due to the accident.

          That was what we had to deal with that very first night. The next day two things had to get done. The attorney from California was flying in and we were all going to go over Renee's Last Will & Testament. Usually it's just the family present when attorneys review these documents but Bella wanted Edward, Esme, Rogue, and I to be present with her and Charlie. Secondly, we were allowed to go the Medical Examiner's office to view Renee. Because of the sheer impact of the subway train hitting her, we knew the probability of Renee not being in good shape was high; but according to Rogue, that's why the medical examiner took an extra day to make her presentable if you will for viewing. He didn't want Bella and Charlie to see her all mangled by the train.

          The meeting with the attorney was held first. He got himself a room in the same hotel as the rest of us; he had requested a small conference room from the hotel in order to fit us all. His flight landed at 1pm and our appointment with him was at 2:30pm sharp. The conference room was on the 2nd floor of the hotel and we arrived there at exactly the appointment time and entered the room. At the desk sat a man in his mid-50s with brown hair and very sharp features. His name was John Simms. He stood up as soon as he saw us enter and came around to shake hands and offer condolences. Once we were all seated with Bella and Charlie nearest to him, he revealed a large white envelope and took out what was the Last Will & Testament of Renee Dwyer.

          Bella shuddered looking at it as Edward rubbed her back soothingly. We all took a deep breath as Mr. Simms began to explain:

"I will spare you all of the legal overtures, Mrs. Cullen. I think you've had enough to deal with. When I drew up the original Will Mrs. Dwyer had not yet remarried and had just divorced from Mr. Swan at the time so she wanted to be cremated. She came back to me once she was remarried to Mr. Dwyer and asked to have the will changed. I'm not sure if you remember your grandmother, Marie Higginbotham but she and your mother were never particularly close. That all changed just before Ms. Higginbotham passed away."

"No.....no.....I remember my grandmother. She was always very nice and sweet to me but I do recall there being some sort of strain between the two of them. I was just a child so I never understood why." Bella said as she concentrated very hard on the remnants of her human childhood. As vampires it's hard for us to remember our human lives directly after being turned, let alone to when we were human children; so the fact that Bella even remembered that much was astounding.  The attorney nodded and continued:

"So at the end of Ms. Higginbotham's life she and your mother reconciled. Your grandmother realized how wrong she'd been about how she treated her daughter, apologized, told her how proud she was of her, and told her she loved her. Your mother was moved to tears as she had never once heard your grandmother utter those words to her before. I was in the room as I was your grandmother's attorney as well. That night she left us peacefully, in her sleep holding your mother's hand."

          We were all deeply moved by what the attorney had just told us; Esme, Bella, Charlie, and even Rogue had tears in their eyes. How much must it have meant to Renee to hear all the things she never heard in her life from her mother at the very end. I could tell Bella staring off into the distance. Mr. Simms let everyone digest that part before continuing once he knew Bella's attention was once again refocused on him.