All Grown Up: The Story of Jacob and Renesmee Part I

Grandma

Renesmee

"They are mostly human you know, they can get hurt, Uncle Emmett!" I shouted. "I don't know if I like this thing," I whispered to Jacob.

Uncle Emmett was bouncing on the new trampoline in the backyard of the big house, with my two youngest in his arms. They were having the time of their lives.

"Aw, don't be so overprotective. This is my best idea ever! They are fine, right you two? Tell Mama you're fine," Uncle Emmett said.

"We're fine!" they both called in their tiny little voices. He threw both of them up in the air, then bounced up to capture them in his arms again as they were on their way down. They nearly screamed themselves hoarse and laughed until they cried.

Anthony had already had his turn, Jacob showed him how to do a flip. Once he learned how we could hardly get him off that thing. I offered to go on with Swan, she eyeballed it and declined. She had fun watching everybody else on it though.

She'd had a dream last night about my mom coming to the big house today. I started keeping track of them in a little journal. We were trying to figure out if she had the normal dreams everybody else had, or only her "special dreams." So far, everything she had seen, had happened. "Grandma's coming to the big house!" She'd told me this morning. Once again today she'd been right, here we were with my mom, at the big house.

"Lunch time!" Nanna called from inside of the house.

"Oooh lunch," Anthony said. He was Jacob's kid all right. We headed inside and sat around the huge dining room table. We were the only ones eating of course, but everybody sat with us anyway. Everyone was there because after lunch we were all going to go out to the field to play baseball. Seth was working over at the little souvenir shop in La Push and would be meeting us later in the field. Jacob and I were looking forward to seeing what Mollie and Xandra thought of it. They were both interested in sports. Grandpa Charlie and Billy had come over on a recent Sunday to watch some football game I had no interest in with Jacob. Anthony wandered in and out, Swan didn't watch the game but enjoyed playing at Jacob's feet. Mollie and Xandra actually watched the whole thing.

Nanna had quite a spread set out for us on the dining room table. "This here is lamb, and this is turkey, and this is roast beef," she explained to the kids. "Take whatever you want, and put it here in your pita." Swan was very interested, she'd just heard three of her favorite words, "whatever you want."

"Just make sure you use the serving spoons," I reminded them. Oddly, my son was my child who had the best table manners. I made a pocket for Xandra, and Jake put one together for Mollie.

Mollie and Xandra dumped their pockets out right away to inspect the contents. "You like this?" Xandra asked Mollie, pointing at the cheese her on sisters plate.

Mollie picked up a few shreds with her fingers and tasted it, she then answered, "Uh huh."

Mollie pointed to the lettuce on Xandra's plate. "Like this?" Xandra tried a piece and said, "Uh huh." They went back and forth like that. At the rate they were going it would take them all day to eat. That's all right, we aren't going anywhere, I thought to myself.

"I don't think I've ever had fries like this, Esme. They are amazing," Jacob said, dunking one in ketchup. "What kind are they?"

"What do you mean, 'what kind are they,' I made them!" she said in a teasing tone.

"From potatoes?" he asked.

I had to laugh. "That's where french fries come from, dear. They were potatoes first," I said.

"I know!" he insisted, trying to poke me in the side but I dodged him. "I don't think I've ever had homemade fries before though."

"Well, I'm glad you enjoy them," Nana said. She loved to cook for my family, and my family loved to eat. It was a perfect match.