The Last Stand

Today was finally my birthday. I couldn’t believe it. I was seventeen and a mother…and about to get fucking married! It seemed like ever since the Cullens entered my life, everything has been put on fast forward. “So,” Alice said, bounding into my room and plopping down on the bed.

“So,” I mimicked, leaning against my vanity, Emalie on my hip.

“What do you want to do for your birthday?” She asked, practically bouncing in her seat. I shrugged.

“I don’t really want to do anything for my birthday,” I said honestly, hoisting Emalie up a little bit farther. Alice pouted.

“Please let me throw you a party,” she begged. I shook my head.

“No.”

“Please?”

“No?”

“Please?”

“Damnit Alice, no.”

“Damnit!” We both froze. Emalie just said her first word.

And it was damnit.

I’m a terrible mother.

“Oh my God!” Alice shouted, taking Emalie from my arms while I was in a shocked state; frozen.

“What’s wrong?” Jasper said, appearing next to me.

“Emalie just said her first word,” Alice announced happily.

“What was it?” Emmett asked, walking into the room with everyone else. Alice looked over at me with a sheepish expression. I sighed.

“Damnit.”

“What?” Rosalie asked, confused.

“Her first word was damnit,” I sighed.

“Damnit!”

Emmett roared with laughter as my daughter said it again, her voice high pitched and melody like. She laughed along with him, clapping her tiny hands together in happiness. I wanted to kick myself in the head for even cursing around her.

“Did Emalie just say what I think she said?” Paul said, walking into the room. He kissed my cheek, and then took Emalie from Alice with a smile brightening his face. “Oh, Happy Birthday, baby,” he finally said, smiling at me. I smiled back.

“Thank you, Paul.”

“So, why did our daughter say damnit,” he added quietly, moving her away from him even though she had perfect hearing.

“Damnit!”

I sighed. “It’s my fault. I said it, and she copied.” He smiled and shook his head, and then looked at Emalie.

“Can you say, dad?” He asked, cooing at her. She frowned at him, and scrunched her tiny eyebrows together in what looked like concentration. All of us froze and leaned forward, waiting to see if she said it. Her hazel eyes gazed around at all of us and then she squared her little shoulders and took a deep breath.

“D-” She paused and I held my breath. “D-a-d,” she said and then smiled toothlessly at us. Paul laughed and hugged her to his chest.

“That’s my girl,” he announced proudly. I smiled brightly at the pair. My daughter and fiancée, well, tomorrow it would be husband.

“Oh, Dylan?” A loud voice called out from the front of the house. Hayley. I sighed and walked past everyone to the front door where Hayley, Jordan, Jessa, and Emerald were all standing, large grins on their faces.

“Happy Birthday, twin!” Jessa yelled out, hugging me, her dark hair tumbling over her shoulders.

“Happy Birthday, twin,” I mimicked, hugging her back tightly.

“How has your day been?” Emerald asked, also giving me a hug.

“Well, Emalie said her first word,” I said. Hayley’s eyes widened.

“So did Olivia,” she said.

“What did she say?” We both asked at the same time.

“Damnit.”

“Shit.”

We both looked at each other and laughed. “Our daughters are gonna be cursing like sailors by the time their two,” she said. I nodded in agreement. It was true. “Oh, before I forget, Jordan, Emerald, and I are taking you and Jessa out to lunch for both of your birthdays. After that we’re meeting everyone for the rehearsal for the wedding and then the rehearsal dinner after,” she said. I took a deep breath.

“Busy day, huh?” I muttered. “By the way, where’s Olivia?” I asked.

“With Embry,” she said. “I feel weird leaving her alone with him though,” she admitted.

“I feel the same way when I leave her with Paul. I think it’s the whole separation thing. I don’t think any new mothers like leaving their kids with someone else. Even if the baby’s with the father.”

“Make sense,” she agreed, nodding. We laughed, and linked arms walking back to the front door. “Okay, we’re all going up to your room to get outfits,” she said. I frowned.

“Why mine?”

“You have the best,” Jessa said with a grin. I smiled.

“Aw, thanks.”

*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*

About an hour later, Hayley, Jessa, Emerald, Jordan, and I were all ready for dinner.

“Bye mom, bye dad!” Jessa and I called out in unison and then smiled brightly at each other.

“Bye, dears, have fun,” mom called back. All of us walked back down the stairs, of all our heels clacking on the steps, and our voices merging into a melodic hum, which was broken by a girlish snort from Hayley when Emerald said something to make her laugh.

“I can’t believe I just snorted,” she laughed from behind her hand. I grinned over at her and shook my head.

“Dude, I can’t believe you did, either.”

About twenty minutes, we were all seated at a round table at a nice restaurant in Port Angeles. It went me, Hayley, Emerald, Jordan, and then Jessa on my other side. The night flew by, and Hayley looked at her phone, and told us all that it was time to go. We grabbed our purses, and since everyone paid for dinner, Jessa and I split paying a very good tip for our waitress who was a total sweetheart to us.

I was with Hayley in her car while everyone else drove with Emerald in Sam’s new truck. As a thank you for not killing us for kidnapping his daughter for three months, Hayley and I bought him a new truck. It was fucking huge. It was a dark green, four door Dodge Ram.

I started messing with the radio when You Look Better When I’m Drunk” from White Tie Affair came on.

You look better when I'm drunk
You look better,
You look better when I'm drunk
You look better

It's the right night
To make the wrong moves gotta
Bad case and nothing to lose
When the
Lights out we have an excuse,
Is this romance
Or is it the juice?

I might be crazy but I think
Tonight has only begun (gun, gun)
Your not my normal type
But we can make an exception (on, on)

A little less thinkin' and a lot more drikin
That'll work for me tonight (oh, oh)
When the room starts spinnin'
And we start sinnin'
I begin to realize

You look better when I'm drunk
You look better when I'm drunk
You look better when I'm drunk
You look better when I'm drunk
You look better when I'm drunk
You look better... drunk,
You look better... drunk,
You look better when I'm
Drunk-drunk-drunk-drunk

It's a-bout time I learn my lesson but this
Lesson is under my skin it's a
New night a new location so I
Wait for the buzz to kick in

I might be crazy but I think
Tonight has already done (done, done)
Your not my normal type
But we can make an exception (on, on)

A little less thinkin' and a lot more drikin
That'll work for me tonight (oh, oh)
When the room starts spinnin'
And we start sinnin'
I begin to realize

You look better when I'm drunk
You look better when I'm drunk
You look better when I'm drunk
You look better when I'm drunk
You look better when I'm drunk
You look better... drunk,
You look better... drunk,
You look better when I'm
Drunk-drunk-drunk-drunk

Hey DJ spin the soundtrack
To bad decisions
And these drinks, make me,
Lose my self control
Hey DJ spin the soundtrack
To bad decisions
And these drinks, make me,
Lose my self control

(That's why)

You look better when I'm drunk
You look better when I'm drunk
You look better when I'm drunk
You look better when I'm drunk
You look better when I'm drunk
You look better... drunk,
You look better... drunk,
You look better when I'm
Drunk-drunk-drunk-drunk

When it was over, we couldn’t stop laughing and gained the attention from other people in other cars. We just waved happily and then sped past them. After about ten more minutes were pulling up the driveway and I noticed all the lights were off. I stared at Hayley. “What the hell did Alice con you into?” I asked. She looked at me with a surprised expression on her beautifully tan face.

“Why would you just assume that Alice conned me into anything?” I gave her a look. “Seriously, she didn’t con me into anything,” she said and I could read the honesty in it. I sighed.

“Maybe the all left or something then,” I guessed, and we hopped out the car. Emerald pulled up next to us and they piled out and we all walked towards the house together. I didn't even notice that everyone but Jessa and I hung out behind us until it was too late.

I opened the door and a light blinded me.

“SURPRISE!” I looked around and saw everyone from La Push and all the Cullens there. I turned to look at Hayley who was grinning at me.

“What?” She asked.

“I thought you said Alice didn't con you into anything?”

“She didn't. This was all dad.”