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stack　I'd　removed　in　preparation　for　today。　

J　wrote　the　price　down　on　the　bottom　of　the　legal　pad。　

I　nodded　calmly。　I　had　more　than　that　with　me。　I　unclasped　my　bag　again　and　counted　out　the　right　
amount—I　had　it　all　paperclipped　into　fivethousanddollar　increments；　so　it　took　no　time　at　all。　

〃There。〃　

〃Ah；　Bella；　you　don't　really　have　to　give　me　the　entire　sum　now。　It's　customary　for　you　to　save　half　to　
ensure　delivery。〃　

I　smiled　wanly　at　the　nervous　man。　〃But　I　trust　you；　J。　Besides；　I'll　give　you　a　bonus—the　same　again　
when　I　get　the　documents。〃　

〃That's　not　necessary；　I　assure　you。〃　

〃Don't　worry　about　it。〃　It　wasn't　like　I　could　take　it　with　me。　〃So　HI　meet　you　here　next　week　at　the　
same　time？〃　

He　gave　me　a　pained　look。　〃Actually；　I　prefer　to　make　such　transactions　in　places　unrelated　to　my　
various　businesses。〃　

〃Of　course。　I'm　sure　I'm　not　doing　this　the　way　you　expect。〃　

〃I'm　used　to　having　no　expectations　when　it　es　to　the　Cullen　family。〃　He　grimaced　and　then　quickly　
posed　his　face　again。　〃Shall　we　meet　at　eight　o'clock　a　week　from　tonight　at　The　Pacifico？　It's　on　
Union　Lake；　and　the　food　is　exquisite。〃　

〃Perfect。〃　Not　that　I　would　be　joining　him　for　dinner。　He　actually　wouldn't　like　it　much　if　I　did。　

I　rose　and　shook　his　hand　again。　This　time　he　didn't　flinch。　But　he　did　seem　to　have　some　new　worry　on　
his　mind。　His　mouth　was　pinched　up；　his　back　tense。　

〃Will　you　have　trouble　with　that　deadline？〃　I　asked。　

〃What？〃　He　looked　up；　taken　off　guard　by　my　question。　〃The　deadline？　Oh；　no。　No　worries　at　all。　I　will　
certainly　have　your　documents　done　on　time。〃　

It　would　have　been　nice　to　have　Edward　here；　so　that　I　would　know　what　J's　real　worries　were。　I　
sighed。　Keeping　secrets　from　Edward　was　bad　enough；　having　to　be　away　from　him　was　almost　too　
much。　

〃Then　HI　see　you　in　one　week。〃　

34。　DECLARED　



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I　heard　the　music　before　I　was　out　of　the　car。　Edward　hadn't　touched　his　piano　since　the　night　Alice　left。　
Now；　as　I　shut　the　car　door；　I　heard　the　song　morph　through　a　bridge　and　change　into　my　lullaby。　
Edward　was　weling　me　home。　

I　moved　slowly　as　I　pulled　Renesmee—fast　asleep；　we'd　been　gone　all　day—from　the　car。　We'd　left　
Jacob　at　Charlie's—he'd　said　he　was　going　to　catch　a　ride　home　with　Sue。　I　wondered　if　he　was　trying　to　
fill　his　head　with　enough　trivia　to　crowd　out　the　image　of　the　way　my　face　had　looked　when　I'd　walked　
through　Charlie's　door。　

As　I　walked　slowly　to　the　Cullen　house　now；　I　recognized　that　the　hope　and　uplift　that　seemed　almost　a　
visible　aura　around　the　big　white　house　had　been　mine　this　morning；　too。　It　felt　alien　to　me　now。　

I　wanted　to　cry　again；　hearing　Edward　play　for　me。　But　I　pulled　it　together。　I　didn't　want　him　to　be　
suspicious。　I　would　leave　no　clues　in　his　mind　for　Aro　if　I　could　help　it。　

Edward　turned　his　head　and　smiled　when　I　came　in　the　door；　but　kept　playing。　

〃Wele　home；〃　he　said；　as　if　this　was　just　any　normal　day。　As　if　there　weren't　twelve　other　vampires　
in　the　room　involved　in　various　pursuits；　and　a　dozen　more　scattered　around　somewhere。　〃Did　you　have　a　
good　time　with　Charlie　today？〃　

〃Yes。　Sorry　I　was　gone　so　long。　I　stepped　out　to　do　a　little　Christmas　shopping　for　Renesmee。　I　know　it　
won't　be　much　of　an　event；　but。。。〃　I　shrugged。　

Edward's　lips　turned　down。　He　quit　playing　and　spun　around　on　the　bench　so　that　his　whole　body　was　
facing　me。　He　put　one　hand　on　my　waist　and　pulled　me　closer。　〃I　hadn't　thought　much　about　it。　If　you　
want　to　make　an　event　of　it—〃　

〃No；〃　I　interrupted　him。　I　flinched　internally　at　the　idea　of　trying　to　fake　more　enthusiasm　than　the　bare　
minimum。　〃I　just　didn't　want　to　let　it　pass　without　giving　her　something。〃　

〃Do　I　get　to　see？〃　

〃If　you　want。　It's　only　a　little　thing。〃　

Renesmee　was　pletely　unconscious；　snoring　delicately　against　my　neck。　I　envied　her。　It　would　have　
been　nice　to　escape　reality；　even　for　just　a　few　hours。　

Carefully；　I　fished　the　little　velvet　jewelry　bag　from　my　clutch　without　opening　the　purse　enough　for　
Edward　to　see　the　cash　I　was　still　carrying。　

〃It　caught　my　eye　from　the　window　of　an　antique　store　while　I　was　driving　by。〃　

I　shook　the　little　golden　locket　into　his　palm。　It　was　round　with　a　slender　vine　border　carved　around　the　
outside　edge　of　the　circle。　Edward　popped　the　tiny　catch　and　looked　inside。　There　was　space　for　a　small　
picture　and；　on　the　opposite　side；　an　inscription　in　French。　

〃Do　you　know　what　this　says？〃　he　asked　in　a　different　tone；　more　subdued　than　before。　

〃The　shopkeeper　told　me　it　said　something　along　the　lines　of　'more　than　my　own　life。'　Is　that　right？〃　



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〃Yes；　he　had　it　right。〃　

He　looked　up　at　me；　his　topaz　eyes　probing。　I　met　his　gaze　for　a　moment；　then　pretended　to　be　
distracted　by　the　television。　

〃I　hope　she　likes　it；〃　I　muttered。　

〃Of　course　she　will；〃　he　said　lightly；　casually；　and　I　was　sure　in　that　second　that　he　knew　I　was　keeping　
something　from　him。　I　was　also　sure　that　he　had　no　idea　of　the　specifics。　

〃Let's　take　her　home；〃　he　suggested；　standing　and　putting　his　arm　around　my　shoulders。　

I　hesitated。　

〃What？〃　he　demanded。　

〃I　wanted　to　practice　with　Emmett　a　little___〃　I'd　lost　the　whole　day　to　my　vital　errand；　it　made　me　feel　
behind。　

Emmett—on　the　sofa　with　Rose　and　holding　the　remote；　of　course—looked　up　and　grinned　in　
anticipation。　〃Excellent。　The　forest　needs　thinning。〃　

Edward　frowned　at　Emmett　and　then　at　me。　

〃There's　plenty　of　time　for　that　tomorrow；〃　he　said。　

〃Don't　be　ridiculous；〃　I　plained。　〃There's　no　such　thing　as　plenty　of　time　anymore。　That　concept　
does　not　exist。　I　have　a　lot　to　learn　and—〃　

He　cut　me　off。　〃Tomorrow。〃　

And　his　expression　was　such　that　not　even　Emmett　argued。　

i　was　surprised　at　how　hard　it　was　to　go　back　to　a　routine　that　was；　after　all；　brand　new。　But　stripping　
away　even　that　little　bit　of　hope　I'd　been　fostering　made　everything　seem　impossible。　

I　tried　to　focus　on　the　positives。　There　was　a　good　chance　that　my　daughter　was　going　to　survive　what　
was　

ing；　and　Jacob；　too。　If　they　had　a　future；　then　that　was　a　kind　of　victory；　wasn't　it？　Our　little　band　
must　be　going　to　hold　their　own　if　Jacob　and　Renesmee　were　going　to　have　the　opportunity　to　run　in　the　
first　place。　Yes；　Alice's　strategy　only　made　sense　if　we　were　going　to　put　up　a　really　good　fight。　So；　a　
kind　of　victory　there；　too；　considering　that　the　Volturi　had　never　been　seriously　challenged　in　millennia。　

It　was　not　going　to　be　the　end　of　the　world。　Just　the　end　of　the　Cullens。　The　end　of　Edward；　the　end　of　
me。　

I　preferred　it　that　way—the　last　part　anyway。　I　would　not　live　without　Edward　again；　if　he　was　leaving　
this　world；　then　I　would　be　right　behind　him。　




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I　wondered　idly　now　and　then　if　there　would　be　anything　for　us　on　the　other　side。　I　knew　Edward　didn't　
really　believe　so；　but　Carlisle　did。　I　couldn't　imagine　it　myself。　On　the　other　hand；　I　couldn't　imagine　
Edward　not　existing　somehow；　somewhere。　If　we　could　be　together　in　any　place；　then　that　was　a　happy　
ending。　

And　so　the　pattern　of　my　days　continued；　just　that　much　harder　than　before。　

We　went　to　see　Charlie　on　Christmas　Day；　Edward；　Renesmee；　Jacob；　and　I。　All　of　Jacob's　pack　were　
there；　plus　Sam；　Emily；　and　Sue。　It　was　a　big　help　to　have　them　there　in　Charlie's　little　rooms；　their　huge；　
warm　bodies　wedged　into　corners　around　his　sparsely　decorated　tree—you　could　see　exactly　where　he'd　
gotten　bored　and　quit—and　overflowing　his　furniture。　You　could　always　count　on　werewolves　to　be　
buzzed　about　a　ing　fight；　no　matter　how　suicidal。　The　electricity　of　their　excitement　provided　a　nice　
current　that　disguised　my　utter　lack　of　spirit。　Edward　was；　as　always；　a　better　actor　than　I　was。　

Renesmee　wore　the　locket　I'd　given　her　at　dawn；　and　in　her　jacket　pocket　was　the　MP3　player　Edward　
had　given　her—a