They stood circled around the freshly turned soil. The rays of light seemed centered on to the gathering, illuminating their mournful faces. Only the brightest flowers had been chosen for the occasion, contrasting the deep black shades everyone had chosen to wear.

The priest voice rang out precise and clear, yet no one seemed to fully grasp exactly what he was saying.

No one knew she had the disease, her death was so sudden, they'd say.

I'm so sorry we loved her so much, but God gained another angel and that is what matters, they'd offer in murmured condolences.

He's taking it the hardest. I heard he hadn't eaten in days. I heard he hasn't said a word to anyone, they'd think in sympathetic tones.

The priest asked for everyone to bow their heads in joined prayer, but I had never lifted mine the entire time.

You didn't have to take her. You didn't need another angel.

Charlie remained the strong one until this moment. The immense sunlight, the sadness, and those bright, vivid flowers: they each seemed to mock the ceremony. They made the moment all too real. His shoulders slumped and the darkened bags under his eyes only exemplified his exhaustion. In a matter of minutes, he had aged years.

You didn't have to take her. He needs her.

Renee was in hysterics. Phil's attempts to calm her failed miserably. Her anguished cries filled the empty air, but everyone turned a deafened ear.

You didn't have to take her. She needs her.

Carlisle and Esme stood close behind me. Carlisle kept a firm hand on my shoulder the entire time, while Esme constantly dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. Rosalie remained wide eyed at the entire scene, incapable of realizing the extent of the final lines being read.

Emmett was no longer the dimpled-smiling character, as he now clasped his hands behind his back in respect. Alice, for once, wasn't in utter perfection and organization. Jasper had turned to stone.

You didn't have to take her. They all need her.

The little girl clutching my hand kept me bound to the earth. Her deep brown eyes reflected powerful sorrow, far beyond her age. Tears streamed down her rosy cheeks, but she never cried aloud. For a while, I thought she looked to me for comfort, but soon realized she gave me strength.

You didn't have to take her. She needs her

The amen chimed courteously, but the worst part was yet to come.

Every face of every person that had ever known or heard of her had shown up. More than the entire population of Forks was in attendance. Every eye in the crowd turned to me, waiting expectantly for the words I had yet to find. A thousand lines filled me at one moment so entirely, but a deep nausea from the lowest pit of my heart constricted them. Carlisle spoke instead, saying what should have been said in such a soothing manner that everyone smiled the tiniest bit.

Please forgive me for whatever sin I committed that punished her. Please allow her eternal peace and rest. She needs someone to take care of her, but sometimes she can be stubborn and not realize that. I was stupid, and I let you take her, so now she's your responsibility. Please love her.

Each of the close family trudged forward in trepidation, offering a burning rose to rest on the bed as it lowered slightly. I was the last to approach cowardly, not wanting to face the music.

Don't do this.

I clutched the rose so tightly it may have disintegrated had I not more careful.

Don't let this be it.

Murmurs rose from everyone; they pretended to understand why I stood there so still.

I couldn't do this.

She promised me eternity.

This would be the final act of losing her. This would make it real.

I need her.

The thought shook me; I no longer had her. She was gone, and I had no control in the matter. There was nothing I could do about it. She wasn't coming back.

No longer would I see her smooth creamy skin, or a blush rise to her heated cheeks. There wouldn't be another hopeless night filled with her sleeping antics. The life I had once considered held no faith.

The little girl tugged to be picked up and I complied. Her face buried into my neck, whispering low enough so that even in the great silence, no one could hear her meek voice. "Let go, Daddy."

I closed my eyes and lifted my head towards the sky. The wind picked up to a little breeze, and for a second I was sure I smelled her lovely scent, and her erratic heartbeat, and the soft sigh of her name against my lips. And for a second, it seemed bearable to release the rose to fall against her casket in closure.

The rest of the afternoon remained a blur. The little girl never once left my side, her full and undivided attention set on me. Eventually, the time came to where the crowd had thinned away to Charlie's house, where most of the family had left to help as well.

Esme, weary in condolences, comforted me in solitude outside of the grave. She tried to take Nessie home to put her in bed, but the little girl flat-out refused. She had decided she wasn't leaving until I did. Esme soon retired to the collation.

We sat under the cool shade of an oak tree, away from the harsh light. I had requested specifically that the incandescent flowers be taken elsewhere for now. Nessie sat in my lap, her head resting in the crook of my shoulder. Although there was a gaping hole on one side of my chest, the other side was filled to the maximum with love.

Her bronze curls framed her face delicately, but her eyes- oh, her eyes belonged to her mother. It tore me apart in shreds to see her eyes brimming with tears. My little girl purposely held them back, trying so hard to be strong.

"Let it out, sweetheart. It will only hurt more if you try to keep it in," I murmured. Her arms wrapped around my neck tightly as she sobbed. Every image from the pregnancy tore through me from Renesmee's eyes. The time from when she processed thought, to when she came out of the womb exemplified such innocent happiness. The child may have been small, but the love she held for her mother, and even me, was magnificent and great.

When her tears subsided, she pulled back and looked at me with serious intentions. "Do you think Mommy really is an angel?"

"I do, with every fiber of my being, I do."

"So you think she's going to be okay?"

"I do, I believe she is in very good hands now."

"Do you think she will think about me?"

"I do. She is going to think about you every second of every day. You may or may not know this, but she loves you more than anything else in the world. She loves you more than life. And she always will. Never, ever doubt that."

Nessie smiled, relief spreading across her face. Her smile could have lit up the darkest cave. Her light couldn't compare to the harsh sun. "I won't."

The inquisitive child was only appeased for a few moments. "What about you, Daddy?"

"What about me?"

"Are you going to be okay?"

She caught me by surprise. Often, it was hard to remember her age didn't reflect her intellect.

"I don't know," I answered honestly, my voice hoarse. There wasn't anything getting past her.

Renesmee pressed her lips against my cheek and her hand rested on my face. "I think you'll be okay one day. I think we'll be okay one day too. Mommy is going to watch over us, isn't she?"

Instead of answering, I only found the willpower to nod my head. The day had been long, and the summer evening was slowly fading into dusk. Nessie had fought sleep for a long time and only now had she finally given in. I kissed each of eyelids as they fluttered into dreamland, a place I longed to possess.

Before leaving, I turned once to capture the still shot of life around me. The casket gleamed brilliantly in the low light. The deepest breath allowed me to turn away in the direction of home.

You didn't have to take Isabella. Amen.

So I am in the process of editing this entire story, but I will still be updating regularly. There are many issues throughout the story I need to fix before I get too far ahead of myself. I hope you enjoy this new prologue as well as the upcoming chapters. Much love to everyone who reads, reviews, and sticks around. Reviews motivate me, and I respond to each of them. Thanks to the old and new readers!

-Tayler