Forget Me Not | ✓

34 | A Prideful Ride

  
  
34
Breaking Dawn  [Pt.1]
A   P r i d e f u l   R i d e
   
    
    

    
THE MORNING AFTER the big wedding was lovely – the paved road in front of the house glittered in the sunlight and the air was crisp with the arrival of Autumn. The sweet smell of baked apple crisp that Esme just took out of the oven in the kitchen downstairs wafted all the way to her bedroom and awoke her.

After making her bed, she dressed into a pair of dark skinny jeans, a V-neck top, and heels of course. She quickly played her hair into a braid before she walked down the hall to Max's room. Her daughter's bed was already made and she was no where to be found. Her ears perked up when she heard Esme and Max in the kitchen downstairs and sped all the way down. When she walked in, Esme was cutting a piece of the apple crisp for her.

"Thank you, Grandma." Max looked hungrily at the generous piece and.grabbed her fork. Esme smiled, delighted at her new title. It was the first time she had ever been called grandma and she loved it.

"You're very welcome." Esme signed and Max gave her a thumbs up.

"Thank you, Esme." Adele smiled and kissed the top of Max's head. "I'll do the dishes."

"Are you sure?"

"Seeing as all I have to do is put them in the dishwasher we never use, yes, I'm sure." She laughed and began to transfer the dishes from the sink to the dishwasher. Esme kissed the top of Max's head and left the room to find Carlisle. Adele smiled at Max. "Good morning, little miss."

"Good morning." She was halfway through with the piece of crisp.

Adele, Rosalie thought from outside as she pulled into the driveway in her car. I've brought something for Max from a special someone.

"I think Aunt Rosalie has a surprise for you."

"You bet I do." Rosalie entered the house, walked down the hall, and entered the kitchen with a mischevious smile.

"Really?!" Her eyes lit up.

"Yep." She nodded and winked at Adele. You'll never guess who I saw today. "When you finish eating you can go see it."

Adele furrowed her eyebrows at her. Dawn – drove all the way out to Forks border – new bicycle – your sister – Madeline – a gift for her – she says hello. It put a smile on her face. The women didn't realize that Max practically scarfed down her breakfast until she dropped her dish in the dishwasher and said, "Done!"

"Damn." Adele muttered. "Did Daddy teach you how to eat like that?"

Max shrugged, took Adele's hand, and pulled her along after Rosalie. They walked out onto the deck where a small purple bicycle with training wheels stood glittering in the sunlight.

"Surprise!" Rosalie beamed as Max's mouth dropped. "A princess bike for a little princess!"

"It's mine?!"

"Well, I would hope so." She giggled. "I can't fit on it. Mommy can't fit on it."

"Even Aunt Alice can't fit on it." Adele added with a laugh.

"Thank you!" Max squealed as she marveled the white whicker basket and rainbow tassles.

"Do you want me to teach you how to ride it?"

Carlisle and Alice had come out onto the deck just then. "If I recall correctly, the last time I tried to teach you how to ride a bike, you fell.... May I also add that you were three centuries old at the time."

"Ha ha. Very funny. " She rolled her eyes and held her hand out to Max. "Let's go." She picked up the bike with one hand and brought it onto the pavement. No cars ever came around this way anyway so she'd be safe. As she helped Max onto the bicycle, Rose tossed Adele a purple helmet to match and she placed it on her head.

"Now Max, when you ride a bike, you always have to wear a helmet."

"Okay." She nodded eagerly and placed her hands on the handle bars with her feet on the ground. "I'm ready, mommy!"

"Okay. All you have to do is push these pedals forward over and over, like this. When you want to stop, you pedal back just a little." She showed her with her hands and the bike moved a little. "Just hold on and pedal. I won't let go until you tell me to. I promise." She looked back and gave her father an accusatory look – he said the exact same thing to her when he taught her, but let go anyway – and the women, understanding this,  smacked him for it.

"Okay."

     Max slowly started to pedal and got used to the force of it. When she got the hang of it, she went a little faster as Adele held on to her. She stopped a few times and struggled to start again, but soon she was riding at walking pace.

"Can I let go?"

She shook her head. "Not yet."

Max began to pedal faster and when she saw that she was doing well, a goofy smile which revealed her baby teeth formed on her face.

"Can I let go now?"

After a second, she replied. "Yes!"

With a heavy heart, she let her go and Max pedaled faster and faster until she was riding at a normal pace down the empty road. She wobbled here and there, but she was doing great and an overwhelming pride swelled within Adele.

"YES!" She cheered, throwing her hands up. "YOU'RE DOING IT, MAX!"

"I'm doing it!" Max shrieked happily.

"YES!" Adele whooped and then turned to Rosalie, Carlisle, Esme, and Alice, who was video taping. "DO YOU SEE THAT?! THAT IS MY DAUGHTER RIGHT THERE!" In her excitement, her old English lilt peeked out and Carlisle noticed. She didn't care. She turnes back to Max as she continued on. They all laughed happily. It couldn't get any better than this.

Max used her feet to help her turn around and then began riding back towards them. Emmett and Jasper came out to see what the commotion was all about and once they saw it, they started to argue about who would teacher her soccer next.

Esme put her hand on Adele's shoulder and smiled at her as she watched her child ride a bike for the first time. She saw the pride and sheer happiness on her face – it was something she had never seen to the fullest extent for her own eyes before. Only Carlisle had really ever seen what Adele's pure happiness looked like from when she was little and when she was with Jace. They all understood why he was always stayed so close of Adele – because he was the only one who lived to see her happiness come and go. That happiness returned to Adele in those very moments as she watched Maxine. That light within her which was snuffed out so long ago was re-ignited upon meeting Paul, and now with her daughter, it was a blazing fire.

Once Max came to a stop, Rosalie helped her take her helmet off and she got off of her bike. Then her little girl ran right for Adele. "Mommy, I did it! I did it! Did you see?"

"I saw every bit of it!" She beamed at her and then, whispered to herself. "That's my daughter right there." She bent down to engulf Max in the oncoming hug and hoped that, once she was in her arms, it would last forever.