This was actually my very first fanfiction that I wrote a few months ago. Obviously, the first chapter of Breaking dawn wasn't out yet, so I couldn't know how Renée would react. This was my take on her reaction and views on marriage.
The whole story, like all my others, is already posted on another website, so if you've read it, you now know why.
Enjoy, and remember - This was my very first )
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"Bella!"
My mother squealed in delight as she saw me. I was picking her up from the airport with Edward, and immediately wished I had turned him down when he'd insisted on coming with me. This was going to be embarrassing.
Renée took me in a tight hug as soon as she got to where we were standing.
"I've missed you so much! Thanks for picking us up."
She turned over to glance quickly at Edward. I could only imagine what she thought of him now… the fiancé of her teenage daughter planning to damn her to a lifetime of misery. Ugh. Little did she know that he was going to damn me to something far worse…
No. Stop. No need to think about that now.
"I've missed you too, mom. I'm so glad you came."
By now Phil had caught up with Renée and stood awkwardly behind her. He nodded once to acknowledge my presence and then shifted his eyes to Edward. I saw his jaw drop. But I couldn't blame him.
Edward was just as perfect as always, smiling politely and shaking hands with Mom. His chestnut hair, his dazzling eyes and muscular body were more than enough to intimidate any normal human-being.
"Nice to see you again, Renée."
His angelic voice only made Phil's jaw drop further, the shock plain in his eyes. I suppressed a chuckle.
"Well, are you ready for the ride home?" I asked, hoping to snap Phil back to reality. It worked.
"Um, sure."
Edward carried the luggage to his Volvo and got in the car. He was going to drive. Though I knew how slowly he could drive if he wanted to, I tried imagining my mother's face if she saw the way Edward really drove when he was alone with me or his family, well above the legal speed limit. I suppressed a chuckle again.
I got in the front seat, Renée and Phil in the back. It was silent for a while, and realizing that nobody would have the courage to say anything, I let my thoughts wander. I thought about the phone call which had caused my mother to take the first plane to Seattle.
"Hello?"
"Hey, mom. It's me, Bella."
"Bella! How are you? You haven't answered my e-mail… I was starting to get worried! Where have you been?"
"Mom, I only just wrote you back last week. I was shopping with Alice this weekend and spent the night at her place. No need to panic."
"Shopping with Alice? Since when do you like shopping?"
"I don't."
It had been quiet for a while then, me thinking of how to break the news and Renée wondering why I was so hesitant.
"Bella? Is something wrong?"
"No, no. Nothing's wrong. Not at all. Actually, everything is more than wonderful."
Silence.
"Bella?"
"Mom, there's something I need to tell you."
I heard her intake of breath.
"Yes?"
"Well… you know how much I love Edward, right?"
"Why? Did you break up with him?"
"No! But you know you can trust me, right?"
"Bella, spit it out! You're making me nervous."
I took a deep breath.
"Edward proposed to me.."
Renée fell silent.
"And… I accepted."
"No. Bella. Listen."
"Mom… please. We're getting married."
"Bella, you're 18! You can't possibly get married yet! Remember what happened to me when I married Charlie? I ruined my life! I never went to college, never got to see the world! I'm not letting that happen to you, too! Oh Bella, please listen…"
She was screaming now. I had to hold the phone away from my ear.
"MOM!"
"I always thought you were the responsible one, the mature one…"
"And I am! I'm not you, mom. And Edward is definitely not Charlie! I am not going to get knocked up and end up like you!!"
"Bella, I'm taking the next flight to Seattle. I'll call you with details later, so you can pick me up from the airport if you want to."
"That's ridiculous, mom. I'm sure we can sort this out over the phone…"
And she hung up on me.
Edward parked the Volvo on one of the only three parking spots in front of Forks' only motel. The house looked a little shabby from the outside, but Charlie had assured me it was fine once you got inside. And there hadn't been much of a choice, really. There was no way we could have all fitted in Charlie's house. And they were not going to stay at the Cullens'. That would have been a disaster.
Phil looked at the motel skeptically but didn't say anything. He had obviously heard my mum's horror stories about Forks and had expected something like this.
After carrying the luggage up to Renée's and Phil's room, Edward excused himself, saying I should spend some time with my mother alone. I frowned. Being alone with Mom was the last thing I wanted right now.
When she thought I wasn't looking, Renée motioned to Phil to go out of the room. Mumbling something about seeing the town, he walked out the door, closing it behind him. Now it was just us.
We both stayed silent at first. I knew what Renée wanted to talk to me about, and she knew how reluctant I was about that particular subject. But if we wanted to get anywhere, someone had to start. That might as well be me.
"So… has Forks changed a lot since you were here last?"
"No, it hasn't. It's exactly the same as last time… That was after Edward left you, I recall."
Forcing the images out of my mind, I sighed. I knew what she was getting at.
"He won't do that again, mom."
"You never know."
"I do know, mom. If that's the only reason you don't want me to marry him, relax. He won't leave me again."
Renée frowned.
"That's not the only reason. You know that, Bella. I still think you're too young. Why not wait? You barely know this guy. I know you like him now, but what about in 5 years? When you've been in college, met new people… Who knows, you might meet someone you like even better. He might meet someone he likes better. That happens a lot, you know. After high school friends just… drift apart. Live separate lives. Gain perspective."
Yes, I knew that was true. She would have been completely right if this was just some brief high school romance we were talking about.
"What I and Edward have is something more than that, mom. It's love. And we aren't going to drift apart, ever. We love each other too much for that."
I took a deep breath. I knew Renée was still skeptical, but at least she wasn't screaming at me like she had on the phone. But it was going to take more than a few words to convince her. Much, much more.
I was up for a long week.