His World

Epilogue (27)

Time passed for the Cullens. They moved every four years or so to keep from being suspicious. In each new town, Elsie was enrolled at the local school and the rest of the Cullens, with the exception of Lily and Carlisle, attended the high school. Sometimes they would go on trips or attend a college close by. Lily became a pediatrician, working hours that were more stable than a surgeon's so she could be home with her children in the evenings. She had a select few patients and had the tendency to work with teenagers more than small children. Her kind heart and new vampire abilities helped her to connect and prompted the teens to trust her more than they likely would've otherwise.

Michael grew quickly, just as Renesmee had, and appeared to be seventeen only seven years after his birth. Elsie had trouble with that until she was older and could understand what had happened. She always knew something was different about her family, but didn't know the truth until Lily felt she was old enough to keep the secret. When she was sixteen, Embry sat down with her and told her about the imprint and what it meant. Leah had told Michael much earlier, due to his rapid development.

Renesmee and Jacob eventually married, and Quil followed Claire to Seattle for college. Seth had found a nice girl in La Push to settle down with, but didn't tell anyone he'd imprinted until they announced their engagement. He had split from the pack for a short while and claimed that he needed to spend more time with his mother. Jacob hadn't protested. He'd grown into his role as Alpha, but still didn't enjoy giving alpha commands unless there was no choice.

"Momma?" Elsie asked. She stood in the doorway to the office Lily and Carlisle shared. They were currently living in Rochester.

Lily looked up from her charts. "Yeah, sweetie?"

Elsie stepped into the room almost hesitantly. "Can we talk?"

"Of course," Lily said. "Are you okay?"

The girl said nothing. She walked over to her mother's desk and sat across from the vampire. Lily was tempted to use some kind of power to see what was troubling her daughter, but resisted and tried to wait patiently. Elsie finally spoke, choosing her words carefully and staring at the desk. "I graduate soon. I mean, officially. I've been looking at schools and I think I found one I like..."

"Where?" Lily asked, true curiosity in her voice.

"Texas," Elsie whispered. She bunched the end of her sleeves in her hands and looked at her lap.

"Texas?" Lily asked. "Have you talked to anyone else about this?"

The girl shook her head. "No. Papa and I talked last week about colleges, and he said he wants me to find one that I like and where I'll be happy."

"And you chose Texas?" Lily asked again. "Any particular reason?"

"It's a great school," Elsie defended. "And you know I need more vitamin D. Those supplements won't help me forever."

"Are you taking them correctly?" Lily asked. She stood, organizing her patient charts. "They should be working. Perhaps we need to change the dosage."

"Mom, it's not the pills!" Elsie exploded. "I just need to get away from the supernatural for a while. I want to live a normal life, just for a minute. Is that so hard to believe?"

Lily blinked. "Oh."

"Momma, I'm sorry..." Elsie said instantly.

"No, I understand," Lily said. Her voice was distant. "I left my sweater of the office and was planning to wear it tonight. I'll be home soon."

"Mom," Elsie called after her mother. She hadn't meant to shout at the woman, but she was so tired of this supernatural life of constantly moving and never having a say in where they went. Even Embry didn't seem to understand, and Claire was so head over heels for Quil that she wouldn't ever want her life to be different.

Lily left the house without a word, leaving her daughter standing in the office.