Kiss Me by Moonlight - The Love Story of Renesmee and Jacob

Chapter II: The Wish Finder

Chapter II: The Wish Finder

"Wish on everything. Pink cars are good, especially old ones. And stars of course, first stars and shooting stars. Planes will do if they are the first light in the sky and look like stars. Wish in tunnels, holding your breath and lifting your feet off the ground. Birthday candles. Baby teeth."

—Francesca Lia Block

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Set when Renesmee is physically around fifteen.

Renesmee Cullen's fifth birthday was a quiet affair. Her family friends had a small party at the Cullen house, and really – it was quite perfect.

They sat in the dining room, which got a considerable amount of use seeing as no one who lived there actively ate, and bequeathed presents and ate delicious food late into the night.

Looking back on the night now, Renesmee could remember only one thing with absolute clarity: The birthday wish she got, and how it came to be in her possession.

Alice had brought out a large cake with a single red candle in the middle. "I'm never sure of how many candles to use – you're hardly five – so one is good." She stared at Nessie, who didn't move. "Well, come on. Make a wish!"

"I – umn – okay." She thought about it, really thought about it, and came to the conclusion that there was only one thing in the world she truly wanted. But it involved a certain werewolf and she was acutely aware of her mindreading father.

So eventually she just blew out the candles wishless, and hugged her aunt, and thanked her. She caught Jacob looking at her then, really, really looking, in a way that ignited her insides.

She loved that birthday, and it was the simpleness of it all that made it so amazing. But, thinking back, she realised it wasn't the birthday itself that made the day such a warm memory. It was the part that followed.

When it was reaching about midnight, Jacob came up to her, just as she was finished talking with her uncle, and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to him, and his smile was so warm.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked her.

She was kind of in the middle of being festive and doing birthday things, but going for a walk sounded wonderful.

"Now?" It was pitch black outside.

"Sure."

She cast a glance at her mother, who seemed to have no objections.

"Okay," she said to Jacob. He offered her his hand and she took it gladly.

As they slipped out the back door, Renesmee could feel every pair of eyes trained on her back, but she didn't dare turn around. The chilly September air nipped at her instantly, and she inhaled a cool breath.

"You cold?" Jacob asked her.

"Kind of," she said, so Jacob wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and she could feel his heat like a furnace. He led them towards the forest, and the moonlight was sparse when it could no longer shine through the trees. It was dark and cold and, to anyone else, unbelievably scary, but Renesmee felt perfectly at ease in the company of a werewolf.

"So, where are we going?" she asked when they'd travelled about a mile from the house. They were holding hands now.

"I don't really know," he said, and he looked a little sheepish. "I just couldn't talk to you for a minute in there. I wanted to say Happy Birthday. So . . . Happy Birthday."