Carlisle:
It's been six days since Edward left, and I can't help but feel a little…emptier than I used to. Esme is dealing with it better this time, but her eyes have a sadness and loss in them that even I cannot heal. I got home from work today to find her staring absently out the back window, watching the light glitter off a hidden corner of the stream that passed behind the house. She heard my bag thud softly on the carpet behind her, but did not turn.
"You're back early," she said. It was true; I had asked Dr Snow to cover my shift so I could come back.
"You need me more than they do," I replied. This was also true: Forks hospital had a multitude of doctors who, though not having had three hundred years experience, were by no means lacking in determination or skill to help their patients. Esme, however, was alone a lot. She honestly didn't mind, she liked the silence and the peace, but if she was feeling as empty as I was – and she was likely faring worse – she was more than alone. Esme did not object as I put my arms around her waist.
"I miss him," she sighed. "I wish he would come back." I shut my eyes as I breathed her soothing scent and kissed her hair.
"Have faith, love. He'll return."
"But when? When we move? When the girl dies? I want my son back, Carlisle…" She turned in my arms and I gently kissed her. She responded surprisingly strongly, and I was glad to see some spirit in her after the somewhat numbing effects of Edward's sudden departure. I strengthened my kiss too, feeling heat shiver down my spine. I stepped backwards to avoid forcing Esme through the window and ended up stumbling over my bag, pulling Esme over with me as I crashed to the floor. We laughed as we stood, and I ran some more kissed down Esme's neck as it jumped because of her giggling. Just then, the doorbell rang, and Alice flung it open a moment later.
"Sorry, I just didn't want to burst in on anything…" she said, eyes flicking between Esme and I who were now standing at opposite sides of the room, shocked into jumping apart. "But I thought I should tell you: Edward's coming home."
Esme's face lit up like a beacon.
"When?" she asked.
"Tonight," Alice replied. "He'll be back come midnight." Esme danced over to me, pulled me away from the wall and into a waltz. She spun under the arm I lifted, laughing, all traces of the ghostly Esme of a few minutes having disappeared. Jasper jumped off the tree into the kitchen a moment later, beaming.
"Much better," he remarked cheerfully. Esme fell back over one of my arms, and I kept her there with a kiss.
"Whoo! All right! Go Carlisle!" Emmett cheered, jumping through the kitchen with much less discretion than Jasper had. I let Esme up, embarrassed but smiling, as Rosalie made a disgusted noise from the doorway.
"Isn't grossing everyone out our job?" she asked, tracing a circle on Emmett's chest with a finger.
Then she laughed.
Right on cue, my black Mercedes rolled into the drive. I stood in the doorway, waiting to see the manner of my son's return. The rest of the family congregated on the pavement between the door and the car. Esme sprang on Edward the minute he emerged, having been waiting at the front of the group.
"I knew you'd be back!" she cried happily, letting herself drop back to the pavement, though still bubbling with happiness as she stepped aside to let the others greet their brother.
"Edward!" Alice cried cheerfully. Jasper reflected his partner's already infectious mood to Edward, and his grim face lifted a little.
"Welcome back, bro," Emmett greeted, grinning like a dog and slapping his brother cheerfully on the back. The family group parted, leaving a clear passage between Edward and I. He half-smiled at me, and I mirrored him. Welcome home, son, I greeted warmly, reinforcing the thought with warmth and love and welcome. He smiled ruefully at my use of the word 'son,' but stepped forward and let me hug him. Such an open show of affection was unusual between us, having become used to my side of the conversation being silent, but this occasion needed it.
"Sorry," he muttered.
"There's nothing to forgive," I replied, but deep down there was: he may not have meant it, but did he know how much he hurt Esme? I'm being ridiculous, I amended, observing the drop in Edward's face, look at her now. Esme was literally purring with happiness as snow began swirling around her.
"That's because of you," Edward said, so quickly and quietly only I could hear him. "If I hadn't gone, she'd still be happy. Just for six days longer." He stalked away before I could object – clearly his trip hadn't helped as much as I had hoped – and I found him sitting on the stairs out the back of the house. A snowball splattered on the stairs beside him, courtesy of Emmett, and he jumped slightly and forced a laugh. I thought about consoling him, but now was not the time for talking. Maybe he would join in…
As if to appease me, Edward stood and tossed a snowball in Jasper's direction. Jasper easily dodged it, but Edward sat back down, not even flinching as the return fire shattered against his shoulder.
Behind me, Esme laughed, and I felt my heart instantly lifted. Something wet hit me on the back, and I turned to find Esme grinning mischievously, another snowball in her raised arm. I was fast enough to dodge it – it hit the window Edward was sitting in front of – and she chased me outside, laughing merrily.
Eventually, the sun rose and the family returned inside, dried off and changed. I was bent over the spilt contents of my medical bag, examining the syringes to make sure none were broken. Esme stood beside me, a bandage roll trailing absently across the floor as she had let it drop, looking at Edward, who still hadn't moved.
"Yay, school," Alice tried to encourage Edward, wandering onto the porch.
"I have biology today. Again," he replied neutrally. "With Bella."
"Don't worry, bro, we've got your back," Emmett replied, tossing his damp shirt to Esme, who raised a hand and caught it without taking her concerned eyes off Edward, as he dug through one of the bags Alice had arrived home with from an early morning shopping spree. He pulled on a new shirt and joined the others on the porch.
"You could stay home," Jasper suggested, worried for his brother but also the slightest bit smug that it wasn't him this time. "I mean, nobody knows you're back, right?"
"No, I can go. I'll just have to be careful."
"Rule we live by," Rosalie muttered, emptying one of Alice's bags onto the bench and searching through the clothes.
At last, the time came to leave. The air went from casual to tense, every one of us anticipating what could happen today though we all hid our concern from Edward.
"Do be careful," Esme reminded him softly as they left. He nodded and pried her hands off his cheeks. He turned away, steeled himself and got into his car.
"Don't fuss, dear…If Edward weren't confident about going back, he wouldn't."
"I'm not worried about the girl," she said. She turned around, her eyes pleading me for something I couldn't comprehend. "You should have seen your face when I slipped. You were so frightened, Carlisle, so forgiving and yet so…self-loathing. I don't want you to feel that again, and I don't want Edward to feel it either. I want my son to be happy, to have what we have. Maybe Bella is his match."
"Oh, Esme," I said, pecking her on the nose and picking up my bag. "You do so love your happy endings."