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THE WISTFUL WIFE

"Have a nice day, thank you for choosing Esme's Sweet Delights."

The entrance bell rang again as more people came and went from the small quaint bakery located downtown in the small city of New Hope, New York.

Esme waved at her customers like the very proud owner she was, and then went back to the kitchen. Even though she had enough staff, Esme enjoyed helping making the sweet pastries that her shop sold every day, in and out. With a smile on her face and anticipation coursing through her veins, Esme tried to keep her mind occupied with the task at hand, even though she kept an ear open for the bells out front. She couldn't seem to stop fidgeting. Several of her employees had teased her about it, but it was all good-natured. After all, they all knew who was coming and what today meant for her.

Esme started whipping some cream for some chocolate éclairs, her husband's favorite pastry. She imagined how her night would play out and thought that perhaps she should take some home for him.

Unless he couldn't make it, and then they would just go to waste.

Esme suddenly stopped what she was doing and slowly put the bowl down on the counter. Taking a deep breath, she decided to leave the doubt out of her mind right there. Her husband was a man of his word, after all, and he'd promised time and time again that he'd be home today and that they' have two weeks for themselves, totally alone, before they flew out back to the city to visit.

With a sharp nod, she shook off her worry and happily went back to her task of whipping cream for the éclairs, which she would be taking home.

Esme sighed as she thought of the man she loved so dearly. She had been waiting for exactly two years for him to finally settle down, and in just a few hours, she would finally see his beautiful sapphire blue eyes. The anxiety to have him back in her arms overwhelmed her, making her feel tired and too impatient to wait anymore.

She had missed him so much, but their jobs had kept them apart the last couple of years. Even though he had asked her to take extended vacations and also hire an extra manager to run the shop in her absence, Esme had remained home. She was a very independent woman, and she found joy in taking care of her small bakery by herself. Of course, he had understood her wishes, and they had settled for short trips and long weekends for the past two years. Until today.

From this day forward, Esme would no longer have to wait for long periods of time to see him again. They'd finally be able to rest and enjoy their time together at leisure. Today, the love of her life was coming home to her permanently, and she couldn't wait another minute to see him again.

She had so much to tell him… and with that last thought, her anxiety rose another notch.

He will be happy, right?

Esme had been wondering the same thing since she'd received the news last week from her doctor. She'd chosen to tell him the news in person so she could judge her husband's reaction by his facial expressions. He already had two children from his previous marriage, and both were grown up and independent now. She was afraid he would feel too old to raise another child, especially when they had so many plans to travel around the world together, just the two of them.

Are we too old for this?

Esme wasn't sure about that, but one thing she was certain of was that she could be a good mother. She wished - no, she was determined to be a good mother. Maybe that way she would be able to erase all the damage her mother had caused. Her childhood had been so… neglected was the only word she could come up with. Esme knew that if it wasn't for her new family, she wouldn't be where she was today. She owed them everything, but now the question was whether her husband was willing to try one more time.

"Esme, your cell phone is ringing," one of her chefs alerted her.

"Oh my!" she squealed, making her employees laugh, "Thank you, Peter."

Esme quickly cleaned her flour-covered hands on her apron and rushed to answer her cell phone. She spotted it next to the cash register and quickly answered without checking the caller ID. She already knew.

"Hi, baby!"

"Hello, my love," answered a low soft voice on the other side of the line.

Esme's heart warmed at the sound of his voice.

"Carlisle…" she sighed. "How far are you, my dear husband?"

"Oh, Esme…" he whimpered from across the line, making her heart clench at the sound of his voice.

"Carlisle, what's wrong? Where are you? Tell me, baby."

"I'm still in Manhattan, sweetheart," he sobbed.

Esme heart broke at the sound of her husband's grief, wishing she could be with him to comfort him.

"Tell me, baby, what happened?" she asked again once she heard her love finally calming down and taking deep breaths.

"Esme, there was an accident."

"Was anyone hurt?" His whispered answer devastated her, and she immediately gasped, "I'm coming, honey. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"I'll be waiting, my love."

Esme disconnected the call and started praying for everything to be alright. With that thought, she quickly let her staff know that she was leaving and made her way home. Her husband and stepchildren needed her, and that was all that mattered right now.

As soon as she was home, she made all the necessary arrangements to fly out to the city. She packed her bags, adding a couple of pictures at the last minute, and took a cab to the airport, hoping that whatever was waiting for her didn't end in sorrow. She prayed all the way to the airport, and with a determined step, she walked inside the terminal, readying herself to be her family's pillar of strength.