Okay, so I simply cannot part with these characters for long. Here's another flashback chapter! Sydney is about four in this chapter. It's a little bit on the short side, but I like it.

EsPOV

Sydney and I were in the kitchen when the older kids came home from school.

"Rosie!" She said excitedly. "Look what me and Momma got for you!"

Rosalie laughed and followed as Sydney took her hand and led her to the table. There was a vase full of roses from the garden. I had cut off the thorns and let Sydney put them into the vase.

"You got these for me?" Rosalie smiled.

"Momma said that they're called roses." She said. "And we call you 'Rose', sometimes. So I decided to give them to you."

"Well, that was very sweet of you, Sydney."

She smiled and hugged Rosalie's leg. Her attention quickly turned to everyone else that was coming in the door. She showed the same amount of excitement for every person that came into the kitchen.

"So, how was school?" I asked.

"It was good." "Okay" "Nothing happened."

They left to go do their homework while Sydney and I were left in the kitchen. I sat with her as she colored at the table. I helped her write her name in blue crayon.

"Momma?" She asked.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"What's your name?"

"Esme."

"But that's what everyone else calls you." She said, looking slightly perplexed.

At that moment, Carlisle came in."

"Daddy!"

"Hey there, sweet girl." He said, picking her up.

"Daddy, Momma isn't Momma."

"What do you mean, baby?"

"Momma's Esme." She said as he sat down with her in his lap. "Does that mean that you're not Daddy?"

"I'm still Daddy." He said. "But some people call me Carlisle, or at work they call me Dr. Cullen."

"But you're not their Daddy."

"Right." He said. "I'm your Daddy, so you call me Daddy. Just like Momma is your Momma, so you call her Momma."

I smiled at his explanation.

"But, you're Alice and Jasper and Edward and Bella and Rosalie and Emmett and Nessie's Momma and Daddy."

"Well, no." I said, gently. "Bella and Edward are Nessie's momma and daddy."

"So is Nessie not my sissy?"

"No, Nessie is your cousin."

"But Edward and Bella are you're children. So that would mean that you're Nessie's Grandma and Grandpa."

"That's right."

"But Edward and Bella are both your children, then wouldn't they be brother and sister?"

"Well, Bella isn't our child, but we treat her like she is." Carlisle explained. "Bella has another momma and daddy."

"But Alice and Jasper and Rosalie and Emmett are your children, so aren't they all brothers and sisters?" She asked. "How come they don't call you Momma and Daddy if you're their Momma and Daddy."

Oh boy. I didn't know how to explain this to a four year old, and I wasn't sure if Carlisle did either.

"Well, you're brothers and sisters aren't really our children. We love them like our children, but they also had mommas and daddies before they became vampires and met us." Carlisle said, making sure to choose the right words. "So, it's okay for them to be married like they are. But, for people that really are brothers and sisters, it's not okay."

She pondered this for a moment. Alice came down then.

"Hey Esme, Carlisle," She said. "Would it be okay if I went over to the library to meet with someone from school to work on a project?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Okay, thanks."

"Momma?"

"Yes dear?" I said, trying not to sound as exasperated as I felt.

"How come we never have people at our house?"

"Because, we aren't like other people."

"But, aren't all people different?"

"Well, yes, But, we're different in a different way."

"You know that we're vampires, right?" Carlisle said.

"Right."

"Well, not a lot of other people are vampires." He said. "There are other people who are vampires. But, a lot of people are humans."

"Oh." She seemed like she was still confused, but decided to let it go. She went back to coloring while Carlisle and I went to the bedroom to talk.

He sat at the foot of the bed and I leaned against the door after I closed it. He took of his shoes and untucked his shirt and rubbed his face.

"What are we going to do?" He asked. I sat in his lap and he wrapped his arms around me.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You know she's smart." He sighed. "What are we gonna do if she asks us if we're her real parents."

"Say yes?"

"We can't do that.

" Why not?"

"Mommy! Daddy!" Sydney knocked on the door.

"Yes, baby?" I sighed.

She opened the door(not without difficulty; Carlisle predicted that she would be below average height.) and came in.

"What's wrong?" She said. "Did I say something bad?"

"No, sweetie." I said. She came over and climbed up on the bed and into my lap.

"Then what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." She wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her face in my chest. I stroked her hair and rested my head on Carlisle's shoulder, hoping that she wouldn't ask any more questions.