Falling To The Sun | B. Swan + E. Cullen

soixante-trois

You learn to see things differently as a parent, as a mother. You learn to pay attention to the details, the little moments, that might not be important then, at that second, but was important later, when you got the chance to look back and watch as they slept.

They were so peaceful, beautiful cherubic faces, angelic children that lay still like mini gods in beds tucked away into a shared room -- both still so small, still young enough at mind to enjoy sharing, to enjoy sleeping in the same bed when their parents didn't have the heart to separate them.

Romulus was clingy, he was always clingy. He liked to know that someone was there, liked to feel another touch even in sleep, and Renesmee was always, and will always, be the sort that sought physical comfort. It was her preferred manner of communication, after all, and sometimes, just sometimes, she was able to share her dreams if she was close enough.

There were many times that her son had woken to her with silly, eager tales of the things that his sister showed to him, of the colourful things she put together in her mind. 

It was subconscious, the little twist of her power that only came while asleep. 

Sometimes, Roman would sit with them through the night while Edward and Bella researched, she would press her daughter's palm to her cheek and watch the flutter and fading of her dreams. She would sit and listen to them, the twin hummingbird beat of their hearts a familiar song that she could listen to for hours. 

You learn what it takes to be a parent early on, and you learn that every moment is precious. 

She knew that every moment was precious, that time wasn't her enemy in this as it was for humans. Because her children would always be there no matter what Edward and Carlisle, and Bella and Jacob, and everyone, continued to believe. 

It was perhaps why she let herself finally relax after Sue's visit and with every visit from her and Charlie that came after. Roman would ask more time to hunt, would find herself pressed to various surface the moment she got one of her mates alone -- and if not her, it would be them pressed down as she pressed herself to them ravenously. 

She was fine with things a little more than she was before. It was easier to breathe again, easier to see time for what it was, even with the panic around her, because there was no enemy, there was no rival or prey for her to fight there. 

Her enemies lied elsewhere, with the Volturi and the ominous message that they had sent -- late weddings presents, a necklace and a matching set of earrings -- that told her that they officially knew of her existence in a way that she wasn't certain of before. 

They wouldn't be happy of Edward having two mates, of Carlisle's coven getting bigger so quickly, all at once, and they wouldn't be happy when they learnt of her gift either. 

Demetri of the Volturi was said to have the most powerful tracking ability that anyone had ever seen. He would lock onto the essence of a person's mind, their flavour, and then you would never be able to escape him. He would follow you everywhere, anywhere, once he had gotten close enough to get a sense of you just once. 

It was something that made her incredibly eager, despite herself. She wanted to see how well he would fare against him, how she ranked against the best tracker to ever exist because she was more than a tracker, Roman was a hunter, a predator, and losing to him would be her biggest defeat and greatest honour. 

She worked so differently from him. She followed trails that she put together, followed paths set out far and wide based on what it was that she wanted most, what she needed and was searching for. Roman just found was she was looking for, she always had and always will.