[BamaFan121s]

I had barely been able to contain myself when the wheels of the plane touched the runway in Seattle. Alice had threatened to have Jasper calm me down, but Edward had waved him off. He’d muttered something about it being endearing…I’m not sure, my focus and thoughts were elsewhere.



The conveyor belt had moved at a snail's pace as we waited to collect our luggage. I bounced on the balls of my feet, unable to stand still, much like Alice when she really wanted something and couldn’t contain her eagerness and excitement—something that normally resulted with me in a dress, looking like a porcelain doll. The entire time, Edward kept throwing me amused glances, chuckling and shaking his head. He’d given up on any attempts at conversation with me—I was past the point of being able to concentrate long enough to communicate with any coherence. My mind was already racing ahead to the big white house in the woods and the reunion that lay ahead.



After what seemed like ages, we’d hauled our suitcases through the revolving doors and out to the parking garage of the airport. We loaded our things into Edward’s shiny silver Volvo that Rosalie and Emmett had dropped off the night before. We were on the interstate heading in the direction of Forks in a matter of minutes.



The landscape flashing past my window should have served as indication enough that we were traveling at a fairly high rate of speed—typical when Edward was behind the wheel. Nevertheless, I couldn’t stop myself from looking over to check the speedometer every few minutes. Each time I repeated the nervous habit, Edward repressed a grin, pulling his mouth into a very tight line, warring with the urge to laugh.



“Can’t you drive a little faster?” I asked, my impatience finally spilling over. I’d fully come to terms with the Cullen style of driving since my transformation.



“Bella, I’m doing one-twenty. Relax. I am just as eager as you are.” He reached across to cradle my face in his hand, gently tracing my cheek with his thumb reassuringly, smiling my favorite crooked smile.



I glanced to the back seat to Jasper and Alice, hoping for some reinforcements, but to no avail. They were busy staring adoringly into each other’s eyes, silently, as they so often did. I’d grown accustomed to this—their own method of conveying their commitment and affection to one another. Clearly, they were not going to offer any assistance in that particular matter. As I often did, I felt as if I’d intruded on a very intimate, private moment between the two of them. I quickly turned my attention back to the front of the car.



I was truly happy to see Alice so within her element and carefree again. The time spent in Hanover had been good for her. Prior to our departure, the seemingly constant presence of Jacob and frequent visits from other members of the pack had really interfered with her sense of normalcy. She’d discovered long ago that their presence rendered her visions of the future useless. Much to her dismay, Renesmee seemed to have the same effect on her. As we are highly dependant on all our senses, I can only imagine the feelings of frustration and panic suddenly losing one of them would ignite.



I sighed and turned back to cast another glance at the speedometer, willing it to show a higher number than the last time I’d taken inventory, and resigned to turning to gaze out the window again. I exerted every effort I could muster to finding a way to occupy my mind during the journey. I took to counting the raindrops on the window as they slid past me being pushed in unpredictable patters by the rushing wind as it found them.



3,428 raindrops later, the pavement turned to gravel beneath our car. My gaze flashed from the passenger window forward and peered up the long, twisting driveway that led to the Cullen home… my home. My daughter. My family. The enormity the thought was so overwhelming that I still fought to wrap my mind around the concept.



At long last, unable to hide his own excitement and impatience any longer, Edward pulled the car up and stopped in front of the stairs, not bothering to take the time to park it in the massive garage. As quick as I was, Edward was quicker, he was on the passenger side of the car opening my door and extending a hand down towards me before I’d even reached the handle. I allowed him to pull me from the car, his own eager smile and excitement mirroring my own. Hand in hand, we turned together and flashed up the stairs of the porch and through the front doors, followed by Jasper and Alice.



We were met in the foyer by Esme and Rosalie. Esme, warm and welcoming as ever, quickly walked forward, embracing both Alice and myself in her motherly embrace, kissing us both on the cheek in turn. She then repeated the gesture with Edward and Jasper as Rosalie stepped forward to greet Alice and myself. She did not exude the same warmth as Esme, but the genuineness of her happiness in this moment could not be denied.



Esme stepped back and peered into each of our faces in turn for the slightest fraction of a second, “I’m so happy to have you all home at last,” she quietly spoke. Esme was happiest when her entire family was together. No doubt, she had been looking forward to this reunion every bit as much as we had. One did not need to possess Jasper’s special talents to sense the pure love radiating from her. But as touched as I was to be welcomed back by Esme, and Rosalie, there was another’s face I longed to see even more, whose embrace was the only remedy for the painful aching that burned within my depths.



“Where’s Renesmee?” I asked turning to Rosalie, who would undoubtedly know. “Is she here? Is she with Jacob?” I added, remembering Alice’s earlier prediction.



“Oh, they’re both here alright,” Edward responded, a smile playing in his voice. I turned to examine his expression as he struggled to stifle his amusement, laughter threatening to claim his refinement at any moment. I didn’t have time to question the reason—my thoughts were interrupted by the sound I’d been longing to hear for months.



An angelic squeal of delight pierced through the house, “Mommy!”