XXVI. Midlife crisis.

Me and Edward were sitting outside on the second-floor balcony, enjoying the rare afternoon sun that barely peaked through the clouds. Delia was inside, getting fussed over by Rosalie and Esme.

Edward was visibly in his own world as he held my hand, his thumb brushing over my skin. I watched him silently for a moment, noting how he stared down at our hands. Do you miss it? I asked him, my voice echoing through his mind.

Edward's gaze drifted towards me as his eyebrows furrowed. Miss what? He asked, his voice echoing softly in my head.

I frowned a little, pursing my lips tightly as I lowered my gaze onto our hands. All of it, the warmth, the soft skin.... I'm not losing anything at all, and I just wondered if it was a little bit sad for you that you were. I explained.

Edward shifted in his chair to face me completely, his hand refusing to let go of mine. "It would be hard to find someone less sad than I am now." He informed me and a small smile tugged at my lips. "Impossible. I'd venture." he corrected and I laughed softly. "Not many people get every single thing they want, plus all the things they didn't think to ask for, in the same day."

I smiled softly at him. "Are you avoiding the question?" I mused as I raised my eyebrows at him.

Edward snorted softly, playfully rolling his eyes at my persistence. He leaned closer to me, letting go of my hand in favor of cradling my cheek. "You are warm," he whispered before pressing a soft kiss to my lips. "You are soft," he added before giving me another soft kiss.

"Not like I used to be," I murmured against his lips as I gave a small shake of my head.

"To me, it's the same," Edward argued softly as he looked at me, barely a hair's length away from my face. "So the answer is no. I am purely full of joy. Because I am missing nothing. No one has more than I do now." He assured before giving me another kiss which I couldn't help but smile into.

When we pulled away from the kiss, my attention was drawn to Jasper, emerging from the forest down below. I'd rarely seen much of him since I woke up, and when I did, he seemed to be in a brooding mood. Even now as he stalked out of the tree line, his brows were furrowed, his lips pulled into a tight frown.

I reached out and took Edward's hand, wanting a private conversation with all the sharp ears around the house. Is Jasper okay? I asked him.

He's rethinking life. Edward's voice echoed through my head as his gaze turned to Jasper. Or well, newborns. He corrected and I silently raised my eyebrows. He thinks he's been wrong all along, seeing as you're so tamed and not blood-crazed. He explained and I silently nodded as my brows furrowed. I think he might be having a midlife crisis.

I continued to frown, my lips pouting out. I shared a look with Edward and he nodded in understanding, knowing what I wanted. I stood up and kissed Edward's cheek before heading into the house. I checked on my daughter before looking for Jasper.

I found Jasper sitting on the steps of the front porch, staring blankly down at the ground. "Jasper, can we talk?" I asked softly as I slowly approached him.

Jasper looked up at me and nodded his head. "Of course, Ana." he agreed, and I sat down next to him on the steps. We were silent for a second before Jasper cleared his throat. "I am truly sorry for how I have treated you in regards to Delia." he apologized sincerely.

"Don't be," I replied as I shook my head, my brows furrowing. "I'm happy to know she's protected," I told him softly, although, in honesty, I was a bit hurt by the actions taken against me, even if I knew they came from a place of love. I silently stared at Jasper for a moment and I could see the inner turmoil in his eyes. "I'm really sorry." I apologized softly for what he was feeling.

"I always thought it was hard...I thought I knew everything." Jasper muttered softly as he lowered his head, staring down at the ground.

"I still think you know everything," I argued as I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm a bad example if you want to prove the norm of something. My half-vampire daughter is proof of that." I joked with a small grin.

"Maybe it's me. Maybe I've been wrong." Jasper argued as he frowned deeply.

"You have years and years of experience that prove otherwise," I told him firmly as I shook my head. "One person rare doesn't change the thousands that are the same," I added.

Jasper was silent for a moment before looking at me, his frown deepening. "What if you're wrong?" he asked me as his eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm not," I assured him as I shook my head. I reached out and took his arm in my hand, pulling up the sleeve of his shirt. A few of his crescent moon scars peeked out. "All these are proof of what you know. Don't you think?" I asked softly.

"I suppose you are right," Jasper mumbled as he stared down at the scars, his eyes drifting towards my own scar on my hand for a second. I pulled away and Jasper turned to me with a small smile. "Thank you for saying this, Ana."

"It's only the truth," I told him as I pumped his shoulder with my own and a small smile tugged at his lips.

I went back into the house and as I went up the stairs where I could hear Edward with Delia, Alice stepped in front of me. She gave me a small smile. "Thank you for talking to him," she told me as she nodded her head in the direction of the front door. I brushed her off with a smile, not thinking I needed a thank you for that. "I also want to say sorry," she told me.

"For what?" I asked softly as my brows furrowed and my head tilted to the side.

"Not being there for you when you needed me," Alice replied softly as she reached out, taking my hands into hers.

I gave her a look, frowning as I shook my head. "Alice, I can't even imagine how it must have felt for you," I told her softly, squeezing her hands. "I know your headaches were getting bad," I added softly. "I don't blame you."

"Still, I'm sorry." Alice insisted as she frowned deeply, looking sad and disappointed. "I wish I could have been there for you like Rosalie," she muttered softly.

"I know," I whispered as I pulled her into a comforting hug.

Alice's arms wrapped around me, hugging me back as her head rested on my shoulder. "I love you, my sister," she whispered.

"I love you too, my sister," I replied softly as I patted her back. I felt a weight lift off my shoulders, knowing my and Alice's relationship had been mended again.

The following day came and I was sitting with Edward in the living room. Delia was in my arms, sleeping soundly. I was still in awe of my baby. She continued to grow faster than we could understand, and Carlisle had estimated, by her growth, that she was already around four to five months old. It was a bit terrifying and if my body could produce tears, I'd be crying most days.

I ran my fingers across her cheek. Her skin was as warm as a human's but as hard as a vampire's. "She's so much human, but so much vampire," I mumbled softly, and although I was talking to Edward, I couldn't bring myself to divert my gaze from Delia. "I can't figure her out."

"We'll figure it out, Ana," Edward assured as he shifted to sit beside me, resting his hand on my thigh. I didn't answer him and instead just stared down at Delia as she stirred a little, a telltale sign that she'd wake any moment now. "When Carlisle changed me, I never thought I'd ever be able to see this," Edward whispered.

Finally, I dragged my eyes away from Delia and looked up at Edward, my brows furrowing a little. "See what?" I asked softly as my head tilted to the side.

"The love of my life, holding our child in her arms," he explained softly as his hand left my thigh and reached for my cheek, cradling it gently. "When you didn't wake up after...I thought I was too late. I was so scared that you were gone. I could never live with that pain." he whispered as he shook his head.

My eyebrows furrowed a little more and I shook my head. "You don't have to," I assured him softly. "I'm...well kind of alive." I mused softly as I smiled a little but Edward frowned, not finding me funny. I sighed softly, leaning into his touch on my cheek."I'm alright, Edward." I assured him.

Delia gave a soft whine as her eyes opened and she stretched her little body. And immediately Rosalie was walking into the living room. "Finally. My turn." She said excitedly as she approached. I kissed Delia on the cheek before handing her to Rosalie. "Come to Auntie Rose." Rosalie cooed as she took the baby and walked away.

A little later that day I walked out of the house, drawn by the smell that I could now identify as Jacob. Sure enough, he was sitting on the steps of the front porch. I hesitated a little before approaching him. "Jacob." I greeted him as I sat down beside him. "Haven't seen you around much here," I mumbled softly. I hadn't seen him since the day after I woke up.

"Wanted to give you your space," Jacob explained softly as he fiddled around with his fingers. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he raised his eyebrows. He avoided looking at me, really looking at me. And I couldn't truly blame him for it.

"Well, the haze is making all of this easier," I explained softly as I rested my chin on the palm of my hand.

"What is that anyway?" Jacob asked as his eyebrows furrowed, a frown tugging at his lips.

"We don't know yet," I admitted as I shook my head, letting out a deep sigh. "Carlisle has been searching but he can't really find much. Wikipedia doesn't have that much on vampire powers." I explained.

After a second second of hesitance, Jacob looked over at me. "How's Delia?" he asked softly, and a second later, his gaze quickly diverted.

"She's good," I replied, nodding my head as a small smile tugged at my lips. My little girl always managed to put a smile on my face. "She's such an easy baby." I mused softly.

"Man, I can't believe you're a mom now," Jacob confessed in a light-hearted tone as he looked at me. And this time he really looked at me. I offered him a small smile and he returned it.

"Yeah me neither," I admitted as I shook my head. "This definitely wasn't what I had in my mind for my new life in Forks." I laughed as I tugged a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"So I guess this is it then, huh?" Jacob asked softly as he lowered his head, pursing his lips tightly.

I looked at him, my eyebrows furrowing as a frown tugged at my lips. "What?" I asked softly, an old familiar feeling of dread settling into the pit of my stomach.

"It's him after all," Jacob explained and my face fell as he looked over at me. "I'm not trying to start anything," he assured me as he quickly shook his head, and I slowly nodded in understanding. "I've accepted it...I'm moving on," he assured.

"Will you still be around?" I asked him softly as I raised my eyebrows.

Jacob smiled softly as he looked at me. "Well, who else are you going to complain to about married life?" he asked playfully as he bumped my shoulder with his own, and I smiled a little bigger.

A bit later I was sitting inside the house, watching TV with Jasper and Emmett. Edward and Alice stepped into the house and came into the living room. "Ana, there you are," Alice called out in a cheery voice as she smiled.

"Here I am." I mused as I raised my eyebrows. I turned my gaze to my husband and my eyebrows raised even more. "Where's Lia?" I asked him.

"With Rose, of course." He mused as a smile tugged at his lips and his head tilted to the side.

"We have a surprise for you," Alice informed me as she stepped closer and took my hand, yanking me up onto my feet.

"Oh?" I questioned curiously as Alice dragged me out of the living room and Edward followed after us with a small smile on his face.

"Come on, you're going to love it," Alice assured as she dragged me out of the house and I felt a bit excited as I followed her. I followed her and Edward through the woods until we came onto a small stone path.

At the beginning of the stone path stood Esme with a big smile, and at the end of the stone path was a beautiful dark cottage surrounded by the forest. My lips parted and my eyes widened as I looked at the beautiful house. There were white and light pink flowers lining up the stone path and a little garden on the right side of the front door, making a beautiful contrast to the dark gray bricks of the house. There were also lighter flowers running up parts of the walls. In the garden was a white glass patio table with chairs.

"Esme's been working on it since you gave birth," Alice explained as she stood beside Esme and clapped her hands together. "Welcome home!" she cheered.

My eyes widened even more. This beautiful home was ours. My small family's home. I looked over at Esme and she gave me a big smile. "We thought you guys might like a place of your own," she explained.

"What do you think?" Edward asked softly as he came up behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders.

"I think it's perfect," I admitted as I nodded my head. I pulled away from Edward and engulfed Esme into a big hug and she laughed softly as she accepted the hug. "Esme, thank you," I whispered and she squeezed me a little tighter before letting go.

"Go inside," Alice demanded, almost more excited than I was for me to see the inside of the house.

I walked down the short stone path and turned to look at my husband over my shoulder. I raised my eyebrows and nodded my head towards the door. "Come on." I urged, barely able to contain my excitement and Edward chuckled as he approached.