A/N- This chapter was retroactively Beta'd by the lovely Dollybigmomma, go check out her work. Any grammatical and formatting errors are choices I have made in spite of her warning so direct your rotting tomatoes towards me.

Bella and Edward were as close friends as any two six-year-olds could be. They had spent the day together, playing with Edward's other siblings at the Cullen household, which had always seemed like a kid's paradise for Bella. There was a jungle gym, snacks, toys, and an endless forest to play pretend. The two quieter children had snuck off to the house's top floor, exhausted even at their young age by the energy of other youth.

Edward grinned, remembering what he had been practicing for the young girl across from him. His parents were always wowed by his playing, as he had yet to have a lesson. Instead, Edward spent countless hours plinking the keys alone, piecing together simple songs from his memory. His mother said he played by ear, but he would eventually need lessons to cover what his ears could not. Edward didn't really know what that meant, but he was excited at the prospect of creating music out of nothing. For the past few days, he had been creating something entirely different. Instead of recreating "Mary Had a Little Lamb" or another nursery song, he played and replayed a melody no one had written before. His first composition.

"Bella, I want to show you something. Will you sit with me?" Edward asked, trying to mimic the confidence he had always heard in his louder siblings.

And so, the two sat together.

The sounds of a piano emitted from the top floor of the Cullen household, little fingers bouncing across keys far too big for them. Two pairs of feet dangled from the piano bench, one pair swinging to a rhythm that didn't quite exist.

Far below, Edward's parents managed to hear the melody they had since become accustomed to, over the sounds of their other children yelling from outdoors. They smiled at each other, endlessly proud and impressed by their curious and musical child.

Upstairs, Bella tucked her lips between her uneven teeth, holding back the comment that wanted to burst from her. Edward was focused on the keys and the tune in his head, and Bella had long since learned to not interrupt him, as he would get upset and not play for her again without much prompting.

As the piece came to a shaky end, Edward took a moment and looked up from the keys, a shy smile spreading across his face. The young girl beside him started clapping, proud of her friend for his accomplishment.

"Edward, that sounded really pretty! What song is it?"

Her compliment made him blush, and he said, "I don't know, I made it up." This impressed, but it didn't surprise the young girl. Her friend was so smart and talented. She truly believed he could do anything he wanted to, and she was just happy to be along for the journey.

"Well, it's my favorite!" She smiled at him, and he grinned a smile that was missing a tooth.

"Well, then I'll name it after you," he promised, and they started planning names for it back and forth, happy just to be in each other's company.