“Carlisle,” Esme called from further in the house, “they’re on their way over.” Her words weren’t raised, they didn’t have to be – he’d hear her even if she whispered.

The ghost next to me chuckled. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She poked me hard in the side. “I thought seeing your family would please you?”

I tore my gaze from the woman I thought of as a mother. “Why would I want to be reminded of what I am no longer a part of?”

“My, aren’t you daft. You could be a part of this again, stupid. All you have to do is show up. They’d welcome you back with open arms.”

Carlisle walked human slow down the stairs and swung the door open just as Emmett was about to knock.

“Told you he was gonna get the door,” Alice chirped, tapping her head knowingly. She pushed past everyone, her arms full of gifts expertly wrapped. “Merry Christmas!”

 The rest filed in – Jasper, Rose, Emmett…and my stomach dropped. Bella, no longer human, walked in hand and hand with Jacob Black. They each carried a bag of presents which they handed to Carlisle before crossing the floor only inches from where I stood and embraced Esme.

Hell, I could even smell her delicious scent, though it was slightly different now that she’d been transformed.

“Well, well, well. Now I see what all the fuss is about,” the ghost snickered. She tossed her coat aside and sat down on the arm of the couch, a plate of glazed ham with pineapples and cherries perched on her lap. “She’s a looker. You’re even dumber than I thought.” She shook her head then shoved a forkful of ham into her mouth, chewing loudly. Reminded me of the cafeteria at Forks. Human eating habits are utterly repulsive.

I ignored her as best I could and instead drank in the sight of my love. She’d never appreciated her beauty as a human, but surely now when she looked in the mirror she had to see what had always been so painfully apparent to me – that she was stunning.

Jacob leaned in and kissed her softly against her temple while tucking a wayward strand of her hair behind her ear. She smiled warmly up at him.