Chapter 3
Carlisle took a long, much-needed shower and swore he could almost feel the warmth of the water that was beating down on him. He had aided Rosalie in her recovery upon giving birth, though Caleb shortened the process by a lot with his ability. The rest of the family had trickled in little by little, and everyone was thoroughly enjoying the welcoming of the newest addition.
He inhaled deeply through his nose, then let the air back out again, slicking back his hair as it continued to fall close to his eyes against his forehead. Downstairs he could hear Esme gushing over the adorable baby and Alice's faux-angry tone as she jokingly scolded Rosalie for pretending she wasn't experiencing pain. While Alice could fully see the birth of the child, she didn't know the exact date when it would arrive and by Rosalie's persistent claims that she was fine, Alice had left with Jasper for the Valentine's Day evening as just about everyone else had.
"You made me miss the birth of my niece," she joked, and Rosalie laughed shortly after.
Carlisle smiled to himself and killed the water, sending a single 'thump' sound into the air as the knob fell into the off position. He pulled the curtain back and reached for the towel that he'd placed just outside the tub and dried himself off before wrapping it around his waist. As he passed by the linen closet, he reached for another smaller towel and rain it through his hair before slicking it back with just his hands for the time being.
The birth of Rosalie's baby was something that left him feeling worthy, in a professional sense. It had only been since the beginning of the new year that he hadn't actually practiced medicine, not that he hadn't been reading and continuing to study-up on certain topics; but he felt like he was back in the scene of using his human-toned gifts to help people. Carlisle felt greatly blessed for the years he was able to work as a doctor. There was a part of him that missed it dearly, though he knew where his priorities would lie and that was with his family's wishes. They had always relocated, more so for him than anyone else, or so that was how he saw it. He wanted to stay in Forks because it was what his wife and children and now extended family called home.
He crossed through the room and made sure the door was shut before throwing on a pair of gray sweatpants and socks. Although the attire didn't matter much, there was something about sweats that made him feel relaxed and at home. It was his intention to remain indoors for the rest of the day unless something came up.
Esme opened the door and Carlisle spun around as she smiled and closed it again.
"For some reason I'm reminded of Fifty Shades of Gray right now," she said with a laugh, "Tall, blond, handsome, shirtless and in a pair of pajama pants..."
He laughed, knowing the context of the story, "I wasn't aware that you read that."
Esme laughed back with him, "Some afternoons while you were at work."
"Rosalie's recommendation?"
She giggled again, "Alice, actually."
He nodded and snickered, "How's she doing?"
"The baby or Rose?"
"Both," Carlisle said, "Have they picked out a name? I didn't even ask."
Esme nodded and smiled, "They're both doing well. And yes, Mackenzie. It was kind of a tribute to Emmett's family name; McCarty."
He gave a half smile, "Sounds perfect for them."
"Mmm..." she smiled and sighed, placing a hand over her necklace. Carlisle could see that her eyes were far away in a little daydream.
"What are you thinking?" he asked, still grinning slightly.
"She's going to grow up to beautiful," Esme told him, "A mini-Rosalie. She's so precious. Emmett has already turned to goo over her."
Carlisle pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead, "I'm afraid our family may overpopulate the world." A laugh escaped his mouth and he locked his fingers together on the base of Esme's back. "I'm glad they had a girl."
"Me too," she agreed, "Rosalie wants to thank you whenever you're ready to come down."
He nodded and sighed, "Okay."
"I still have your presents here, but I'll give them to you tonight after everything settles down." She placed her hands lightly on his chest, then moved them up around the back of his neck.
Carlisle gave another closed-mouth grin, "Okay," he repeated.
Esme pushed herself up onto her toes and kissed him once, "I want to shower, but we should have a talk in a little while."
He gave her an inquisitive look, "About what?"
She looked down, then back up again, "You."
Carlisle appeared confused and his eyes squinted slightly.
"Your profession..." she went on, "You miss it already."
He grinned and shook his head, "Esme-"
"If you want to continue to work we should have another sit down about it. I could see it in your eyes and in your movements when you were in the process of delivering the baby. You're a great doctor with a real gift and I think it's something worth discussing."
Carlisle stared at her with a serious expression for a moment, knowing she was right, but not wanting to be selfish all the same. "I've had the ability to practice for centuries. No one else can say that. I've done more than my share. It's time to let your dreams, and everyone else's dreams come first."
Esme admired him greatly for his unselfishness, not that it came as any bit of a surprise. She was married to him for so long and he hadn't changed in that respect one bit. Carlisle was always thinking of others above himself, and she could see that he even felt bad for pursuing his career for the length of time that he had.
"I just think that everyone else gets to use their gifts," she told him, "You deserve to use yours, too. You love it. You should continue doing it."
"I love you more," he told her, "And the kids and everyone else."
"I know." Esme smiled and nodded, "But that doesn't meant you can't have it all."
"You love teaching and designing homes," Carlisle told her, running a hand up and down her back slowly.
"And I've designed homes since I've met you," she told him with a smile, "And now I'm able to teach our children about our culture. Our location won't stop me from doing either, especially now that I have Mackenzie to work with. She'll catch up to Caleb in age soon and they'll be the next generation I can teach."
He grinned at the glowing expression on her face and traced her jawline with his thumb on one side before tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear.
"Oh, my hair is a mess," Esme told him, scrunching her nose, "That's why I have to shower. We can have this talk a little later, okay?"
Carlisle sighed and nodded, "Alright."
Esme kissed him again. "Go meet the little one and hang out with Rosalie for a bit. Caleb's gushing over her, too." A smile lingered on her face and Carlisle laughed.
"Alright," he repeated.
She smiled and perked her lips up so he would kiss her once more before crossing the room. She opened one of the drawers in his dresser and threw him a gray sweatshirt that matched his pants before heading into the bathroom to take a shower.
Carlisle smiled to himself, glad to see her happy demeanor as a result of Mackenzie, and headed downstairs to give his official 'hello's" to the newly born vampire.
