Bella's Little Sister

Chapter 58

I was not entirely sure what exactly had happened, having been too wrapped up in my anger to fully understand what it was that I had done to Jacob. Carlisle and Jasper had immediately questioned me on it, though I could only state that I didn't know any more than they did. Carlisle then assured me that we would look into it, but for the time being, there was something that he and the others needed to do. Jacob was currently asleep on the couch by the fireplace, an icepack resting over one arm. Edward and I were standing by the windows overlooking the forest as Renesmee slept soundly in my arms.

"It had to be our daughter," I shook my head, sighing in annoyance.

With one hand still wrapped tightly around my waist, his other moved up and down my arm in a comforting manner. "I'm not happy about it either, love. Trust me, if there was a way to change it, I would."

It was at that point that Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Jasper and Alice emerged from the forest. Edward had absolutely refused to tell me where they had disappeared to, only smirking at my persistence. As they entered the house, Rosalie crossed the room to take Renesmee from my arms.

"My turn," she stated with an excited smile lighting up her face.

"Where does she sleep?" I questioned as I carefully transitioned Renesmee into Rosalie's gentle grasp.

"In my arms," Rosalie responded, still smiling widely. "Or Edward's or Esme's."

The back door opened and Alice skipped to my side, smiling brightly. "Happy birthday."

I gave her a withering expression. "I stopped aging three days ago."

She only returned the look. "Well, we're celebrating anyway, so suck it up." Before I could say anything in response to her words, she held out an old-fashioned silver key.

"I still hate surprises," I muttered darkly as Alice led Edward and I down a path through the forest. "That hasn't changed."

Alice's smug response piqued my curiosity ever further. "You'll love this one." After a moment, she moved to stand behind me, her hands reaching up to temporarily blind me, much to my annoyance. At my protest, she shushed me. Another minute or so passed in silence as we walked before Alice finally removed her hands. "Welcome home!"

We were standing before a cottage, nestled perfectly into the surrounding trees and foliage. Lanterns lit the pathway that led up to the door, and a warm yellow glow was emanating out from one of the windows. I turned to glance at Alice as a faint smile crept across my features.

"We thought you guys might like a place of your own," she told me, a grin of her own lighting her face.

I pressed my lips together as I took in the scene, suddenly overcome with emotion. It was seemingly straight out of a fairytale book. Edward was watching me closely, grinning widely as he questioned what I thought of it. I took a deep breath, shaking my head as I smiled again. "I think it's perfect."

"Go inside," Alice urged us.

If I liked the way the exterior of the cottage looked, then I very much loved the interior. The first thing I noticed as we opened the door and stepped inside was a stone fireplace, flames dancing wildly and crackling comfortingly in the hearth. A gray sofa was placed before it, with two red chairs on either side of the fireplace. A bookshelf was built into one wall, with a multitude of novels already lining one wall. I already knew that I would be spending lots of time enveloping myself within the pages of each book. Paintings and photos adorned the walls, and the light fixtures that also hung upon them gave off a warm glow around the room.

Edward once again turned his gaze to my face, studying my expression before he took my hand and led me down the hallway to our left. He opened a door leading into a furnished bedroom. Below the window sat a small dresser and a chair. There was a crib along one wall and a small couch along the other. "This will be Renesmee's room," he told me.