Chapter 2: The Meeting
"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
-Mark Twain
Edward Cullen sat comfortably in a rocking chair near the fire, watching wet little snowflakes fall to the ground. He had a toddler settled on his lap, her cheek pressed to his chest as she slept quietly.
Adam Cullen, his eldest, came running into the house and dodged into the kitchen.
"Mama!" He called, running through the house.
Edward adjusted the sleeping child on his lap and turned to look at his son. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," he shrugged, his curly copper hair falling in his eyes.
"Then why are you calling for her?" Edward asked.
"Because I saw Uncle Carlisle in town after before he went into the general store and he said that Esther is going to come over later today, so I thought Mama would want to know," the twelve-year-old replied simply.
Edward nodded and smiled at his son. "Your mother is outside, gathering the laundry."
"Ok," Adam replied, running out the back door.
It slammed closed and Edward flinched. The baby on his lap twitched and then she started to cry.
He lifted her up and rested her against his shoulder, "No, Honey, it's ok. Marie, sweetheart, don't cry."
"Papa," she sniffled, "Scawy noise."
"I know, little one, it was just Adam."
"Adam?" She squealed, her cute little baby voice cooing.
Edward chuckled and patted her back—he enjoyed watching the bond grow between his eldest and his baby. There was a ten year age-gap, and Edward was afraid that they wouldn't get along—perhaps Adam would be upset that he was no longer the baby of the family, the only child. But he seemed to be enjoying big-brotherhood.
"Let's go find Adam; you can play with him until Esther comes over," he said standing and resting the child on his hip.
"Es'er?" She asked, looking up at her father with solemn brown eyes.
"That's right, Esther," he said to the two-year-old. She snuggled up against him as he walked out back to find Adam and Bella.
"Mama!" The little girl cried upon seeing her mother. Bella smiled and took Marie from Edward's arms and peppered her face with kisses.
Adam and Edward started to chop several logs for the fire as Bella and Marie folded the linens.
"Uncle Edward?" A youthful voice called from the front of the house.
"We're out back, Esther," Edward called, setting up another log to split.
Esther flounced around back, a special spring in her step as she did so.
She went up to Bella and they kissed each other's cheeks. "You look lovely, Esther." Bella commented.
Esther blushed lightly, casting her eyes downward.
"Why are you blushing, Esther?" Adam asked, walking past her with his arms laden with firewood.
"I'm not blushing," she mumbled.
Bella laughed, "Yes you are, what happened?"
Esther smiled and shook her head; she took another load of firewood and brought it to the stack that Adam was forming. "Nothing happened, Aunt Bella! I promise!"
"Yeah right," Bella mumbled, she picked Marie up and then folded the linens over her arm and walked into the house. Esther followed her and started to play with her young cousin.
"I got to see Baby Sarah today," Esther said, handing Marie a carrot stick.
"Oh, how is she?" Bella asked, "I'm assuming Tia and Benjamin are fine, as well?"
Esther giggled, "They're both fine, the baby smiles a lot and Uncle Benny and Aunt Tia were very tired."
"I'm sure they are," Bella chuckled.
Esther smiled and leaned forward on her elbows her fingers laced in front of her mouth to contain her smile. "I met someone," she whispered to her aunt.
Bella dropped the spoon she was holding and stared at her eldest niece. Her eyes were wide and Bella couldn't help but allow her thoughts to grow ominous. How would Carlisle react to this? His eldest daughter had 'met someone'. This was pure disaster.
"Who?" Bella croaked out and Esther's girlish smile faded.
Esther's cheeks inflamed, "Don't get mad, Aunt Bella!"
Bella came over to her niece and pulled the girl into her arms, "I'm not mad, Esther, I'm just worried about how your father is going to take this."
"Forget my father!" The girl said in a sudden outburst. "Why does he always smother me?! I'm an adult now! He can't have me locked in that stupid cabin forever!" She fumed.
Bella patted her shoulder, "Your father loves you, he's just trying to do what he thinks is best for you."
"Why is he so over-protective?" She cried, slamming her fists against the countertop.
"He has his reasons," Bella sighed.
"They're not good reasons," she muttered.
"He's just a typical father—exactly how my father was when Edward and I wanted to be married, exactly how Edward will be when Marie starts getting suitors."
Esther rolled her eyes, as per the typical teenaged reaction when faced with a rather good argument against her point. "But Aunt Bella, Papa's going to want to kill him!"
"Your father may want to kill him, but he won't kill him. Now," Bella patted her hand, "tell me about this young man that has so stolen your heart."
Esther smiled slightly, a bright blush colouring her cheeks. "His name is Seth."
"Seth?" Bella asked, "And where did you meet this Seth?"
"When I was walking here. He was driving his wagon into town. He asked me my name and when I told him he said he remembered when my uncles kidnapped you all up to the cabin."
"Seth, Seth Clearwater?" Bella exclaimed her eyes wide.
Esther nodded her eyes downcast.
Bella planted her fists on her hips and leveled her niece with a hard stare, "He's too old for you!"
"No he's not, Aunt Bella!"
"How old is he?" Bella shot back.
"He's twenty-five," she muttered.
Bella nodded, "And how old are you?"
"I'm sixteen," Esther replied with an exasperated sigh. She drew herself up and glared at her aunt, "He's only nine years older than I am! That's not much!"
"I don't care!" Bella replied, "Your father will have a heart-attack if he hears you've been off gallivanting with Seth Clearwater."
"I know he comes over here for dinner sometimes, Adam told me so, please Aunt Bella just tell me about him!" She clasped her hands in front of her as she begged, "Please! Please! I promise, I'll get these silly notions out of my head if you'll just tell me about him!"
Bella snorted, "If I tell you about him, you'll get more silly notions in your head!"
"No I won't, Aunt Bella!" Esther pleaded.
Bella sighed. After she and Edward had married she had reconciled her friendship with Jacob Black. Whenever Jacob came to their house he was followed by Seth Clearwater. The boy seemed oddly mature for his age and he chased after Jacob like a lost puppy.
Bella had to admit to herself he was a nice young man, he had an established job and had just built himself a homestead at the base of the mountain, not too far from Tia and Benjamin's cabin.
Bella sighed and repeated, "He's too old for you."
"Oh, no he's not!" Esther said dejectedly.
"Esther it wouldn't be so bad if you were older, but you're just a teenager, and he's a man."
"So?" Esther shot back, "We'll wait until I'm older."
"Are you even sure he feels the same way?" Bella asked warily.
Esther stared at the tops of her boots, her eyes misting with tears. "Well, no. But he was just so nice to me, I thought…" Her voice trailed off, her throat to thick to speak.
"Oh, Esther," Bella said empathetically. She went to the young woman and wrapped her arms around her comfortingly.
Edward came in the back door and looked at them with a quizzical expression. "What's going on?"
"We're just dealing with a broken heart right now, nothing to worry about," Bella replied trying to convey with her eyes that he was to go find something else to occupy his time while Bella dealt with the minor drama happening in the kitchen.
Edward didn't get her subliminal messaging. "Who broke whose heart?!"
"Nothing," Esther said, her voice cracking, "I just got stupid for a second there."
"Who lead you on, Sweetie, Adam and I will go take care of them," he replied, cracking his knuckles.
Esther gave her uncle a watery smile, "No one led me on; I was just fantasizing. Nothing to worry about, Uncle Edward."
Edward sighed and nodded. He didn't entirely believe her, but he knew better then to ask a crying woman for answers. "Alright, well if you need us the children and I will be in the parlor."
"Good, entertain the children; Esther and I will have dinner ready soon," Bella smiled for her husband and went back to consoling her niece.
"There will be other young men, Esther. I promise you that." She reasoned.
"I know—but I just got it in my head that we were meant to be together," she sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve.
"I promise you, Esther, with a face as pretty as yours you will be able to have any boy you want. Just wait a little while longer so the rest of us can stay sane. Especially your father, I don't think he's ready to let go of his little girl just yet."
Esther nodded. But she didn't want to have just any boy. Nor did she particularly want to wait.
But that was another argument for another time.
No one guessed it was Seth.... I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING, he's too old. I thought that over and over and over again, but I ask you, did I ever determine Seth's age in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers? No, I don't think I did. And even if I did, please tell me so I can go back and change it. For the purposes of this sequel, Seth was 9 in 7B47B. I don't think a 9 year age difference is that much. Right now it seems bad because Esther's still a teen. But please, don't hate me for the coupling just yet. You never know it may turn out alright.
I've decided to update every Tuesday and Thursday. Considering that's what everyone requested....
Anyways, here's a list of all the children and their ages:
Carlisle and Esme's kids: Benjamin and Tia's kid:
+Esther- 16 years of age
+Elena- 9 years of age
+Eve- 16 months of age
+Sarah- 4 months of age
Edward and Bella's kids:
+Adam- 12 years of age
+Marie- 2 years of age
PLEASE REVIEW!
Next time on 7F47F:
Carlisle walked out behind her, groaning under his breath. Esther slammed the door and Adam flinched.
"Uncle Carlisle, is Esther alright?" He asked.
Carlisle shook his head, "I don't know, Adam. I just don't know."