Reading Breaking Dawn: Chapter 24 (Surprise)

The song for this chapter is The World Should Revolve Around Me by Little Jackie (suggested by A.J.)

I’ve always wondered what would happen when Bella’s next birthday came around. Vampire birthdays must be something akin to those leap-year babies who are born on February 29, where you probably DO celebrate your birthday every year even though it isn’t TECHNICALLY your birthday. Does this mean that when Bella is 100 years old she will still celebrate her 18th birthday? Or will she prompt the local doctors to put her in the nearest padded room when a by-all-appearances 19 year old girl claims to actually be 100 (this is completely disregarding the fact she claims to be a vampire, of course).

And oh Renesmee: how quickly you have everyone wrapped around your finger. I think everyone there has different reasons to spoil that little child: from Rosalie, who probably thinks the baby is a reincarnation of the child she never had, to Edward, who’s just in awe, and Jacob, who didn’t hesitate a second when it came to imprinting. The little child will pretty much get anything she wants from anyone:

Alice shrugged. “In Rose’s arms. Or Jacob’s. Or Esme’s. You get the picture. [Renesmee] has never been set down in her entire life. She’s going to be the most spoiled half-vampire in existence.

I feel a book idea coming on:

Obviously a bestseller

Opening presents is awkward business, so I can sympathize with Bella. It’s one of those things where you’re sitting on the floor, surrounded by things people have given you, and ripping off the wrapping paper like a beast to see what’s inside. Then what do you do? I never quite got that one down. I mean, of course you’re surprised and grateful, but then there comes the point where you really must be moving on, as there’s other gifts to attend to. Then there’s that whole part where 10-20 people are staring at you while you uncover this year’s spoils. For some reason, I always wished I never had to open my presents while the guests were still there, because I felt bad that I was getting all this cool stuff and all they got was some baked bread covered in icing.

However, I don’t think I would honestly care what any of them thought if I got a cottage for my birthday, complete with a garden, columns and ‘a few extra thousand square feet’. Oh, if only I had a few extra thousand square feet to throw around, you know, on a whim. I might fill those extra thousand square feet with a few Aston Martin Vanquishes.

I don’t know why, but from the description of Bella’s cottage I can’t help but imagine it somewhat akin to Jack Skellington’s house from Nightmare Before Christmas:

But of course, with thousands of feet more of room and less books about Christmas.

It still strikes me as a bit odd that everything seems to have worked out so perfectly for Bella. I mean, she’s got Edward and Jacob, and the awkwardness and hatred is gone, as well as the war and the feuding and pretty much every trouble she had before she became a vampire. Now she has a nice car and a cottage, and is surrounded by people who want nothing more than to take care of her children while she and Edward spend nice, lonnnng nights in their cottage.

“Not many people get every single thing they want, plus all the things they didn’t think to ask for, in the same day.” - Edward, pg. 483

It’s all like a fabulous dream for Bella now. But how long will it actually last? She’s got forever ahead of her, and things are never quite as perfect as they seem. Is there a war brewing that we don’t know about? Something has to be happening that could threaten this beautiful world that Bella has finally found herself in. I just hope she doesn’t get too comfortable there before it happens.

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