• A toddler pelted across the clearing on sturdy, fat, brown legs. His sweet childish laughter filled the air as he gave chase. Always just out of reach was a massive russet colored wolf, he looped around the young boy and nudged him in the back, sending him sprawling in the dust. He chortled, pushing himself up and grabbing fistfuls of warm brown fur.

    As the brother held the beast captive, a little girl, roughly the same age, darted out of the bushes and launched herself onto his back. Her brother clambered onto the broad back behind her and the giant wolf pranced around his front yard proudly, head and tail high, with his children perched on his back, egging him on.

    Twins, both alike and different as only they can be. The boy was the spitting image of his father. Cinnamon skin, eyes so dark they were black, and a mope of black hair curling around his ears. He had the size of his father as well, only two and already big for his age. His sister on the hand had her mothers coloring. Ivory skin, a cascade of ink black hair just like her brother, and brilliant green eyes inherited from her grandfather. They had fierce personalities. Where one went the other would follow and they were always getting into trouble. Either that or trouble followed them, it was something they must have gotten from their parents.

    Watching from the porch my heart swelled with pride. Two years ago I hadn't believed it was possible for us to live a normal life, with children that aged relatively normally, thanks in large part to my husbands genes. When I had found out I was pregnant shortly after our, long awaited, wedding, suffice to say I was terrified. Still am, but for many other reasons. I couldn't go to a hospital as my body was definitely not human and going there would involve a lot of testing and who knows what would have happened to me or my children. So the hospital was out. My grandfather who would have helped me throughout the pregnancy and probably belayed much of my fears was gone. Everyone did what they could for me, but we were left to wait and see. It was all we really could do. These children of ours with the mixed genes of vampire, werewolf, and human. God knows what they'll grow up into. I can only hope and wait.

    I was pregnant for six month and to our astonishment it wasn't one baby, it was two. Kaylin Carlisle Black and Serene Rosalie Black. So different and so alike.

    They aged relatively normally, they were advanced for their years, but their growth was nothing compared to mine. It had been two years since their birth and they aged accordingly. Something I was immensely grateful for. I wanted them to have a normal and happy life. Don't all parents wish the same?

    Kaylin hit the ground with a solid thud, sturdy like his father he simply pushed himself up, and yelled at his sister, the one who had caused the fall. Unconcerned I watched them, this was a normal occurrence. The pair bickered and fought constantly. But, when they got into trouble their stories were always one and the same. Neither would rat out the other. Like both parents their bodies had incredibly healing abilities.

    They shared much with their parents. A preference for meat and blood, along with the ability to consume human food. Their skin was tougher than a humans and even if cut healed quickly. This they took for granted and because of it took great risks at times. They hadn't shifted into wolves but we theorized if they did it wouldn't be until they were older. Other than that they were the same as any other two year old, a very intelligent two year old. They formed coherent sentences and could hold conversations with you, ones that actually made sense. They, unsurprisingly, had their own private language in which they would chatter nonstop. When Kaylin hit the ground it was in this language that he scolded his sister. She only laughed.

    My kids utterly amazed me and I counted myself among the luckiest people alive to have them. To have my life at all. I understood how precious it was and reveled in every second of it. After the horror of losing nearly my entire family twenty years ago, I knew.

    As I aged and inevitably locked into my immortal form, I doubted my ability to have children. I had a fertility cycle, but I had come to believe it worked much like an animals. I would go into heat, more or less. There were periods during the year where I was able to conceive. I now know it is once a year during fall. As I only got my period once a year, knowing the horror of it I am very happy its just once a year. It lasts for two weeks and its the worst time of the year, for everyone. I don't hide my discomfort. Jacob was kind enough to baby me throughout it.

    "Mama!" my heart still warms hearing the word, although they've been able to say it since four months old. Kaylin ran towards me, hands outstretched and filled with scraggly blossoms, many of them weeds. I took the bouquet and took an obvious whiff, he smiled, white teeth flashing in his brown face. He would be a heart-breaker one day. "I picked those for you mama."

    "They are gorgeous darling, thank you." He beamed anew and ran back to his father, now in human form. Serene was hanging off his arm, flowers grasped in her hand. As the group approached me she thrust them at me. Adding her handful to the flowers her brother had picked.

    "For you mama!" They were so proud of themselves, especially as I thanked them, little chests thrust out, and fairly strutting into the house. They could be so adorable sometimes. They could also be little monsters, mainly when hungry. That they got from their father.

    We still lived in the cottage, it was wholly ours now, remodeled for two children. They shared a room now, but they would want their own when they were older. We were always going over to the main house where Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper lived. They invited us to all live there, but understood that we wanted to live together as a family. How my life had changed in twenty years since my family died. We didn't talk about it anymore, not the whys and wherefores. We spoke of them as they lived and all the happy times we shared, even if for me it wasn't many.

    Life had taken on a lovely routine. We wanted to eventually put our kids into school when they were old enough and understood how to safeguard our secret. It was still a debate but I believe we've settled on La Push. It's just easier and there are more children there who are special like them. Plus Sam and Emily's daughter was now a teacher there. It would help a lot.

    Our life was normal, as normal as a werewolf and a half human vampire with two children, can be. We lived, laughed, loved, and played together. We adored each other and I went to bed each night thanking my lucky stars that I was able to live and find something so precious.

    I had found my ever after.