Happy Friday! Thanks for stopping by!
myheroin1 and jakbranton helped me with this. muchas gracias!
The world of Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. What happens to her characters here is my fabrication.
Here is Dr. Edward Masen.
"Edward! Caleb! I'm so glad that you're here! Come on in!"
I let Caleb down on the hardwood floor of Carlisle and Esme's foyer and grabbed him up by his overalls before he could run away.
"Shoes off, little man. And give Auntie Mimi a kiss before you run off. You must always be a gentleman," I admonished with a grin. Caleb stopped and kicked off his Crocs that he lived in, and then wrapped his arms around Esme's legs, kissing her knees. He then turned his green eyes upward to my mother's best friend and turned on the charm.
"Hi, Mimi! Where Unca C? Where Jimbo?"
"Well, they are both in the kitchen, Caleb. I think Uncle C is feeding that Chihuahua bacon again. You better go tell him to stop."
Caleb was halfway to the kitchen before we heard him call, "I will!"
"How are you, Esme?" I asked as I leaned to kiss her cheek. "Sorry about Little C's running. I asked Mom if I was as rambunctious as him when I was three and she just laughed."
"From what I hear, three years old is when parents start looking for the 'off' button on little boys. Alice was pretty docile until she met Bella when she was five. After that, the two of them were into everything."
"I cannot believe you just used the word 'docile' to describe Alice." My 'cousin' was anything but docile when I spent time with her growing up.
"Well, don't tell her that! She, Jasper and Tommy should be here later on today. They closed early on their place in Spokane, so they didn't want to wait to get here. She wants to be here for Bella. From what I understand, she's still struggling at times." Esme linked her arm in mine as we walked to the kitchen at the rear of the house.
"It'll be good to see her and Jasper again. How is he holding up? How are his parents?" I asked. Everyone knew about the tragedy that befell the Whitlocks in June. Caleb and I had only been here for about a month when Rose came in to work, devastated. My heart went out to the new bride. Rose mentioned that Bella Whitlock was paralyzed with guilt over what was simply an unfortunate accident. To compound the pain of losing her husband, Bella discovered that she was pregnant at virtually the same moment.
"I suppose as well as can be expected. Jasper will be joining her in the practice, and his parents will be moving here to Forks before the year is out. With all the family here, they thought it would be best, especially as Bella approaches delivery. Plus, JT is going to lend a hand with the renovations that Peter and Bella had planned."
"So, they are a pretty close family?" I asked as we entered Esme's kitchen, my eyes unconsciously searching for my son as a matter of habit. Carlisle and Caleb were standing side by side at the island, Caleb having found the special step stool that Esme kept just for the little ones who frequented her kitchen. Our conversation was put on hold as we looked to the chefs.
"Look, Da! Unca C and I made pantates and bacon! And Auntie Mimi 'membered the whipped cream! This is going to be so good! And Auntie Mimi? Unca C only gived Jimbo little bacons since he's a little doggie."
"Caleb, my man! First 'Man Rule' is that you don't dime out the other guys to the ladies!" Carlisle said in mock exasperation to Caleb, who wore a bit if a frown.
"But Unca C? I don't have any dimes or pennies or anything. Da has all of the monies," he replied with his serious voice.
Esme laughed loudly and we all sat at the table for our breakfast. We chatted about work, my parents, Alice and Jasper's move, and the house that Caleb and I rented from Mrs. Cope. She watched Caleb on occasion when Esme couldn't while I worked. I was truly fortunate to have my adoptive aunt and uncle nearby and available to watch my son when I couldn't be there. It was truly the detail that helped me to make the move here in the first place.
"I made a flood when I brusheded my teeth this morning, Auntie Mimi. Now Da and I hafta go to the store and get tools and pumbling parts," Caleb shared, waving his bacon excitedly. Jimbo watched earnestly with his large Chihuahua eyes.
"Plumbing parts, buddy, not pumbling parts. And please put your bacon down. Jimbo is looking like he might try to steal it from you," I said with a laugh. Upon seeing the crispy goodness disappear, Jimbo seemed to sigh, but didn't move far from Caleb's side. Obviously, the dog had learned the value of sticking close by if children were at the table.
We finished breakfast, loaded the dishwasher, and took Caleb out back to the over-the-top playset that Carlisle had insisted upon putting in once Alice and Jasper's son began walking. Never mind the fact that he has just now, a year later, learned to climb the ladder.
The adults settled in at the table close to the playset while Caleb ran around, climbing and jumping. Our house was close to the elementary school, so we had ample opportunity to play at the playground. It was Caleb's favorite thing to do. After a sip of her tea, Esme picked up our conversation from before.
"To continue what I was saying before breakfast, the Whitlocks are indeed a close family. It is one of the few things about Bella's situation for which I am grateful. Bella is a very strong person, but also very reluctant to ask for help. Barb and JT have a quiet way of helping and doing what needs to be done, without making it seem like they are forcing the issue. They were a huge help when Alice broke her ankle during her pregnancy."
"Auntie Mimi! Can you push me, please? I can't make the swing go!" my son called from his perch on the plastic seat.
"He's got you wrapped around his finger, Esme," I said, shaking my head. Caleb was a sweet boy, and was learning how to use that to his advantage.
Esme began pushing Caleb, his giggles filling the back yard. "She loves having the children around. Bella asked Alice and Esme for help when the baby comes and she has to return to work. Esme joked with Bella, saying that she was offended that she even had to ask. It was good seeing Bella smile again," Carlisle said.
"Speaking of Bella, I need to do a bit of shop talk with you regarding a referral. Is there a good grief counselor you can recommend? She mentioned yesterday at her appointment that she would like to see someone about her guilt and anxiety. She had been having nightmares and her weight isn't where I would like to see it."
"Of course. I can email that to you sometime today. I'm glad that she has reached out like that. It's a big step for her. She likes to be pretty independent. If you don't mind me asking, has any of Bella's situation brought back any guilty or anxious feelings for you? I can't help but note some of the similarities in your situations," he said in a gentle tone.
I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. Carlisle and Esme were a big help when Siobhan was murdered. Together with my parents, they helped me to see that my ability to handle the guilt and anxiety had a direct effect on my son, even though he was only 7 weeks old at the time. I was so lost in my head that I was barely functioning outside of basic activities. In the weeks following her funeral, I was a mess, trying to figure out how to take on all of the responsibilities of a single parent, as well as the legal mess, since Siobhan and I weren't married and we had yet to amend wills and such. It took so many months, but her financial and business obligations with her bakeshop became sorted, along with the trial for her murderer and I was able to return to work, but only after Carlisle practically forced me into therapy to deal with the path that my life had taken. For almost two years, Caleb and I lived with my parents as I finished my residency and began practicing in the suburbs of Chicago.
"You know, I look at Bella's situation and I really want to share my story with her, but I can't help but feel that it would be stepping over a line somehow. I know how it feels to be consumed with guilt, to wish that you could have made just one little decision differently. I remember feeling crushed, empty, and alone, but not really alone, because I had Caleb. It took a while for me to see the little blessings around me after such a devastating loss. So do I feel any of those emotions now? Yes. I think I will always hurt over the stupid argument Siobhan and I had that night, but the acute pain and guilt are gone."
I looked at my empty coffee cup and at Carlisle, who wore a sad smile.
"You've come a long way from the new dad with the infant in his arms we found in Chicago, Edward. I am sure that Siobhan is proud of you. Caleb is a wonderful child who brings happiness to everyone he meets. Every compliment someone gives your son is also a compliment on the job you are doing as his father. As for whether or not to tell Bella your story? That is up to you. I think it could be a great example for her to see that her feelings don't have to overwhelm her and that, eventually, a new normal can be reached." Carlisle reached over and put his hand on my arm. "Trust your gut. See how things unfold for her."
I nodded and looked to my boy, who was pushing Esme on the swing, telling her all about his big muscles. His smile was so much like his mother's.
"It hasn't been easy, but I can truly say that I feel content with where I am right now. I'm glad that I have had your support, Carlisle. You and Esme have welcomed Caleb and me without a hesitation. In fact, I think the only reason Mom let me leave Chicago was because I was coming here to you guys."
"Yes, well, your mom requires weekly reports on how her boys are doing. When do you think Elizabeth will be here again? I think Esme is itching for some girl time, especially since Alice is returning," said Carlisle. We stood and made our way to Caleb and Esme, who were playing cars in the sandbox.
"Time to go, Little C. We still have to fix the sink, remember?"
Caleb jumped up and ran to Carlisle and me. "Oh, wow, Unca C, we get to use TOOLS, and FLASHLIGHTS! That will be so awesome! Da says I'm a good fixer, just like him. Are you a fixer, too?"
"Yes, I am, but I usually use different tools that are made to work on people. Sometimes when I work on things around the house, Auntie Mimi thinks that I'm not a good fixer. I do my fixing at the hospital. It's the secret to a happy marriage." Esme playfully nudged her husband while Caleb pondered what Carlisle said. He shrugged and turned to me.
"I have to go pee, Da. Can I use Auntie Mimi's potty? I won't pee on the seat, I promise," my son said as he began to dance a bit.
Esme laughed and reached for Caleb's hand. "I'll help you, handsome. And don't worry about sprinkling on the seat. Uncle C does that all the time."
"Hey! I do not! Don't believe her, Caleb. Bros before-"
"CARLISLE! Stop trying to be hip, especially with that phrase! I'm never letting you watch reality TV again." With that admonishment, Esme and Caleb disappeared into the house. I laughed my ass off.
After Caleb's much celebrated potty effort, he and I left and headed to the hardware store for the things we needed to fix the leaky sink. As I looked in the mirror at my son, I smiled. The heartbreaking pain of losing Siobhan had dissipated over the years since she was murdered, and from time to time, I still had flare ups of hurt, but Carlisle was right. Caleb and I had come a long way from those dark days, weeks, months after his mother died, but with the fantastic support of family and friends, along with a good therapist, I was able to put the feelings of guilt and anxiety behind me and make a good life for us. I was confident that one day, the same could be possible for Bella Whitlock.
I am a complete and utter failure at review replies. I hope to rectify that soon. Please know that each one thrills me beyond words!
See y'all on Monday.