Red Dawn - Book 6

Chapter 16

The remainder of the night Sophia slept in our bedroom, between her father and I. Though, neither Nic nor myself slept a wink. Until I knew more about the thing I had seen in Sophia's room that night, I didn't want to get my family in the middle. My father would be disappointed if he knew I kept this from him this long.

As the sun began to rise Sophia's eyes fluttered and then opened. She stared up at the ceiling for a few moments and then turned her head to look at me. Almost immediately a smile played on her lips.

"Mommy." She said in her tiny voice before sitting up. She turned to look at Nic who had fallen asleep just an hour prior and spoke. "Daddy." She said.

Nic was unresponsive in his slumber which Sophia didn't like. She moved out from under the blankets and climbed on top of his chest and forced his eyes open with her fingers.

"Daddy!" She called again as she moved her eyes close to his.

Nic startled, blinking his eyes open, in which Sophia had released. For a split second he was shocked but that quickly disappeared once she said 'daddy' again.

"My angel." Nic said as he wrapped his arms around Sophia and gathered to his feet. "I think her growing has halted." He added as he looked to me.

I stared at Sophia's limbs as Nic held her in his arms. She looked the same as she did yesterday, only her hair was slightly longer, but barely noticeable by me.

"It seems it has." I rose from the bed and walked around to Nic's side where I took Sophia from him and set her to her feet. "It is time for a morning bath and then to get dressed. Then, we will go see Grandma Esme who will help with the learning of your vocabulary."

"Vocabulary?" Nic repeated as he followed me into our ensuite bathroom.

"Yes, she will learn sentences. Esme has experience in teaching young children."

"But you could teach Sophia yourself."

"It is so Esme and Sophia can bond while I speak with my parents about what has happened. That is all." I reassured him as I turned on the bath waters.

This bathtub was bigger than the one I had back at the lakehouse. It was also a half a foot deeper which is why I felt more at ease taking a bath with Sophia. The water would go to her neck.

Once the tub had filled with water I stripped both Sophia and myself of our clothes and we climbed into the tub together. I smiled as I watched my daughter playing with the bubbles. It reminded me of my time in the bath with my mother after we had gone ice skating in the meadow my parents loved.

I still couldn't believe how terrified I was of becoming a mother. It was the most natural thing I had done my entire life, apart from marrying Nic. I loved every second I was blessed with and was excited that I was lucky enough to have an eternity. Not to mention that I would be able to have children for as long as I lived because I was half human.

"Sophia," I began.

She glanced up at me almost immediately and smiled sweetly. "Yes, mother." she responded in such mannerism.

My breath caught in my throat when she spoke. I inhaled deeply and then released before I continued. "What would you like to eat for breakfast?" I asked her.

I didn't expect her to say much since I presumed her vocabulary was very limited so what happened next caught me completely off guard.

"I like food. The yummy kind." She responded. "But, I think I just want milk."

"You speak.... you speak..." I couldn't find the proper words to finish my sentence.

"Of course I speak, mother." She replied as she looked me in the eye.

"Why now? Why do you only speak now?"

Her forehead scrunched up and I easily recognized this emotion as confusion. "I have spoken before. You remember, don't you?" She asked.

I nodded my head. "Certainly, dear, but I mean to say, you do not talk much, yet you know how too efficiently. Where did you learn to?"

A smile crossed my daughters face as she began to speak. "I listened. When we were on our way home, everyone talked a lot. I just listened and I learned, quickly."

"Then why do you not talk all the time?" I asked her.

Sophia frowned for a brief second. "I thought that talking was only to respond." She blushed, and I knew that to be because she was feeling embarrassed. "I am still learning," she said as she allowed her eyes to connect with mine.

I felt my heart might break as I experienced the part of motherhood that was watching my daughter grow. Just days ago I had birthed her and before that I carried her inside of me. Now she was the size of an 8 year old child and speaking with such smarts. Sophia knew more than I thought she did.

Sophia knew more than I thought she did!

This meant that she possibly understood who or what the unknown figure was.

"Sophia... Do you remember that white figure you were staring at outside when you were in your playroom yesterday?" I asked her.

She stopped playing with the bubbles again and looked up at me. "Of course I do, mother."

"Can you tell me what it is?"

She stared at me expressionless for a few second before she slowly shook her head. "I cannot tell you just yet."

"Why?"

"It told me not to."

I bit my lip. She talks to it or it talks to her. Either way it has been close enough to communicate. That makes me very uneasy.

"Sweetheart, what does 'it' want from us?" I pressed, desperately.

A sweet smile played upon her lips. "Nothing, it wants nothing from you. Just me."

I forced myself to not cry out in distress. I felt tightness in my stomach, my throat. I felt as if I was drowning. I took several deep breaths, focusing on making them even. After ten full breaths I had managed to calm myself enough to speak in an even tone.

"Sweetie," I touched her shoulder lightly, "what is it that they want from you?"

The look my daughter gave me was severe. "That I cannot tell you. No worries, they mean me no harm." Sophia paused. Then her voice lowered to a whisper. "If I don't upset them."

Sophia gave her attention back to the bubbles and I knew that our conversation was over. I did my best to push the upsetting details of our conversation from my mind long enough to finish bathing Sophia and myself. I wasn't going to push it from my mind permanently, just until we met with my family. They would know how to handle this. After all, we've done this before.

After we finished our bath I dressed myself and then tended to Sophia. I braided her hair into two braids and dressed her in a brown sweater dress, grey cowl scarf, black leggings and brown riding boots.

When she was snug in her jacket we climbed my Benz and made our way to my grandparents house. While Sophia and I were in the bath Nic called the family and told them about the situation. They then agreed to meet us at Carlisle and Esme's estate which was also located on Bain Bridge Island.

It was a short ten minute drive. The second we pulled up into their gated drive way Carlisle and Esme were there waiting for us. Luckily, today was overcast so they didn't sparkle. Even if they did, though, they didn't have neighbors within a two mile radius.

"Nana." I greeted, as Esme pulled me into a hug.

"Renesmee." She smiled back and moved me to arms length. "You look healthy and beautiful like always." She gently cupped my face in her hands.

"Thank you, Nana." I blushed.

I looked to my left where Sophia had been just seconds ago and she was gone. "Sophia, love," I called.

She moved half an inch the right, just enough to peer around me. She was hiding.

"Yes, mother." She said in the tiniest voice.

I moved her to stand in front of me. "Say hello to your Nene, sweetheart, it is polite."

She looked up at Esme and gave a shy smile. "Good morning, Nene."

Esme made a sound of adoration before opening her arms, wanting to give Sophia a hug.

Sophia leaned into me, hesitant, then spoke. "Are you my mother's grandma?" She asked her.

Esme's smile grew larger as she nodded her head. Then Sophia rushed forward and wrapped her small arms around her torso.

"Then that means that I will love you like my mother loves you." Sophia added just before she took a step back.

"Oh, Renesmee, she is the sweetest thing!" Esme exclaimed.

I felt my face blush from her compliment.

Just then I heard the engine that belonged to my parent's volvo. When I turned around my mother and father were quickly crossing the drive to us.

"Renesmee." My parents greeted simultaneously.

"Are you okay?" My mother asked.

I nodded. "I'm fine, I'm just worried... that's all."

"We will get to the bottom of this, love, I promise." My father reassured me. He then looked to Esme and said, "The others are on their way."

The others. This would be the very first time that the rest of my family would get to meet our daughter. I was nervous to how she would react around them.

"I should tell her, Sophia, about meeting the rest of the family." I mentioned and started to turn away.

"I will tell her, you visit with your parents." Nic cut in before pressing a kiss to my cheek.

I watched as Nic took Sophia's hand into his own and the two walked inside. When the door closed I turned back to my parents.

"Sophia said it talks to her and that she couldn't tell me who or what it was. She also mentioned that it means no harm as long as she doesn't upset it." I confided to them. I crossed my arms tightly at my waist. "What am I supposed to do?"

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