A New Cullen Sister

Chapter 27

Half an hour later, Carlisle found himself standing outside the music room listening to his youngest daughter practicing. She was now well into the fourth movement of the New World Symphony. Taking an unneeded deep breath, he opened up the door and walked inside. He stood behind Amelia for a while, wondering how to approach his daughter.

"Are you going to stare at me all day, Dad?" asked Amelia mildly, continuing with her practising.

"I didn't realise you had heard me come in. You seemed so absorbed in your music," replied Carlisle.

"There is nothing quite like a vampire staring at you to make you realise that you aren't alone. What brings you here? Is it safe for me to return to my bedroom?" said Amelia, deadpan.

"Yes, it's safe," said Carlisle, clearing his throat awkwardly. Amelia smiled as she continued to play, the music soaring around them and filling the room with sound. He could hear the rest of his children laughing at the two of them.

"Excellent. I shall return when I am done with this piece of music."

"I wanted to apologise for earlier, Amelia."

"Don't apologise to me, Dad. Apologise to Mom, she's the one who has been hurt," she responded mildly, effortlessly playing her violin and holding a conversation. Neither of her efforts was affected.

"I already did, but you are owed an apology too."

"Dad, it's okay, I promise. It's in the past. Let us move on."

There was a sense of peace in the room as Carlisle sat down in reflective silence, listening to his daughter play the final notes of the piece. In his mind, and no doubt in Amelia's as well, he could hear the rest of the orchestra playing that final, glorious crescendo that ended the entire symphony. The last few notes echoed around the room briefly. Carlisle glanced up at Amelia who stood with her eyes closed, frozen in place, as if waiting for the conductor to signal that they could relax. After a beat, she did so, and put her violin down on top of the cover of the piano.

"That was marvellous, Amelia," he said proudly.

"Thanks Dad."

"Are you going to go tomorrow?" he said gently. Amelia sighed softly and came to sit next to him.

"What if something happens?" she said in concern, biting down on her lower lip thoughtfully.

"Alice says that nothing will go wrong."

"Is there a plan of action for tomorrow?" she queried, a reference to an earlier conversation wherein all tasks involving Amelia and anywhere that was not the Cullen household was dubbed 'Plan of Action for Amelia'. She was less than thrilled at Jasper's naming of it, but he preferred to do things in military fashion. Emmett had proposed 'Operation Oxygen', which had seen Amelia throwing a cushion at his head.

"We have all decided to go up to Port Angeles, so you can drive with whomever you wish. We'll meet up with your friends at the cinema as agreed with Caroline Westsmythe, and Esme and Caroline will go for coffee. The rest of us will split up and do our own thing, although we'd really prefer it if one of us went with you to the cinema. When the movie is over, we can assess how you are feeling and if you are up to a walk around the mall and getting lunch with your friends, then we do so. If not, then we come home."

"Ok, I guess I'll drive with you and Mom then. I'd also feel more at ease with someone nearby, so whoever wants to see the movie is more than welcome to gate crash, so to speak."

"That is settled then. Nessie wants to see it, so I think Bella and Edward might go with her, as well as Jacob, Leah and Seth. They have promised to sit far enough away so as not to feel like they are intruding on your social time with your friends, but close enough that they can be there immediately if something happens."