Chapter 2: Friends

Carlisle was sitting in the park with his kids, looking over his medical books. He had several books sitting around him, he had a highlighter in his hand and his pen in his mouth. "Well this isn't this a good study plan," a voice commented. Carlisle did a double take, seeing Esme there. He took the pen from his mouth.

"Esme hi," he greeted.

"Hi," she answered, laughing.

He let out a sigh. "Balancing medical school with kids, not an easy task," he commented.

"I suppose not," she answered.

He smiled slightly as she sat down next to him. "Wow…talk about studying," she commented as she looked at the title of some of his textbooks.

"Yep, I have to redo my thesis because Alice had dumped chocolate milk all over it this morning," he answered.

"Oh no," she murmured.

"Yep, poor Alice she was so upset, but at least the thesis isn't due for another week so I have time to do it over," he answered.

"And you work too?" She asked.

"Yeah, at least today is my day off so I can catch up on everything," he answered.

Esme pushed her hair out of her eyes. "How do you do it?" She asked.

"What?" He asked.

"Balance medical school, kids, and a job?" She asked.

Carlisle shrugged slightly. "I've been juggling school, job, and kids since I was sixteen," he replied.

"Sixteen?" She asked.

He nodded, gesturing over to Alice. "When she was born, her mom left the hospital and never came back. I was living with my sister, her husband, and the boys at the time. The thing is, I had helped with high school, but then she and her husband died and they left the boys to me. I had to try different things to be able to get everything done," he explained. He glanced at the playground to see Emmett trying to grab Edward off the monkey bars. "Emmett knock it off!" he called to him. Esme was quiet for a minute.

"Has to be hard, raising three kids by yourself," she commented.

Carlisle shrugged. "While other medical students are out drinking and partying, I'm at home reading bedtime stories. I'd choose my kids over anything else any day. Some days are harder than others, because it was easier when Olivia was alive," he answered. He looked over at her. "What about you?" He asked. Esme shrugged.

"Rosalie and Jasper are my adopted kids. I got them when I was nineteen when my best friend, David, and his wife Rachel died, they were going to put the kids into foster care but I wouldn't have it. Took a lot of convincing, but Rosalie and Jasper became mine," she explained.

"So you and I are basically in the same boat," he answered.

Esme smiled slightly. "Yeah well, I don't have the same willpower as you, I dropped out of college," she admitted. Carlisle sighed as he looked over at the three kids that were just having the time of their lives.

"I want what's best for my kids. My dad thinks I can't do it, have to prove him wrong that I can become a doctor and be a father at the same time," he answered.

Esme reached over and placed her hand over his. "You've done a great job so far," she commented.

"Could say the same for you," he answered.

She smiled softly. They both looked up just as someone pushed Alice off a swing. "HEY!" Carlisle shouted, standing up. Before Carlisle could do anything, Emmett and Edward were standing in front of Alice, both cornering the kid who pushed her. "Okay boys, no fighting," he told them, walking over to them. He picked a sniffling Alice up from the ground. "Are you hurt?" he asked. Alice showed him the scrape on her elbow. Carlisle looked at the boy. "Where are your parents?" he asked.

"None of your business," the boy snapped before running off when Emmett took a step forward.

"Yeah you better run!" Emmett called to the kid.

"Okay down Sparky," Carlisle answered, patting Emmett's head.

Emmett smiled proudly. "You guys go play and be nice," he instructed. Edward and Emmett nodded and ran off to play some more while Carlisle carried Alice back over to where he and Esme were sitting.

They sat down and Esme reached into her purse. "Having kids you should bring a first aid kit," she commented.

"I usually do, but they were dragging me out the door," he chuckled.

Esme had Alice lift her arm and cleaned the cut on her elbow. They looked up when Jasper ran over. "I picked this for you," Jasper told Alice, holding up a daisy.

"Jasper that's very nice," Esme told him.

"Thank you" Alice answered, beaming as she took the daisy.

Esme took the flower for a second. "Here, how about we put it just like this?" She suggested, putting the daisy in her hair. Alice's smile was getting bigger and bigger.

"Wanna play in the jungle gym?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah!" Alice replied, jumping up from Carlisle's lap.

"Alice don't go too high," Carlisle told her.

"Okay daddy!" She answered as she ran with Jasper to the jungle gym.

Esme laughed. "Well there's a couple in the making right there," she quipped.

"Please don't even mention about my daughter dating someday," Carlisle answered with a small grin as he looked back into his text book.

"Don't like that fact?" She asked.

"I'll buy a gun just so I can show it to the boy who would come pick her up for a date," he answered.

"Now Carlisle you do that I can guarantee she's going to be a mother of four before she's twenty," she teased.

He chuckled slightly and looked down when her cell phone went off. "Sorry," she murmured. Esme picked her phone up. "Hello? Oh hi…" she said into the phone getting up and moving away from him.

After a few minutes, Esme came back. "I have to go," she said quietly.

"Who was that?" He asked curiously.

"That was…Charles…my boyfriend," she answered.

Carlisle felt his heart sink. "Oh alright…" he murmured.

"I had a fun time, good luck on your thesis paper," she answered as she got Jasper and Rosalie before leaving.