The Adventures of Emmett and Rosalie – Letting Go
T to be safe
I wish I owned Emmett; he's been in my head all day after all lol. But Stephenie Meyer owns him and everything else, lucky bugger.
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When I pulled the car into the garage, Esme and Carlisle were waiting in the front yard for me. Esme had her hands at her chin and looked upset, as if she could cry at any moment. Carlisle had his arms folded tightly across his chest and looked angrier than I had ever seen him. I was in for it this time. "Mom, dad."
"Hello, dear. Welcome home." Esme pulled me into a warm hug, which felt better than any she had ever given me. Carlisle nodded and patted my shoulder.
"Come inside and we can talk." I followed them in and saw Carlisle headed for the study. "Rosalie?"
"Please, not there? Can't we just talk here in the living room? Are the boys home yet?" I knew there was no way they had beaten me home, even with the stop at the gas station I had made to use the telephone.
"No, they aren't home yet. Yes Carlisle, let's talk with her here." Esme smiled at both of us and sat on the couch. "Carlisle tells me he is considering allowing Emmett to court you. That's good news."
"Considering?" I took a seat and looked at the both of them in confusion. "I was told that it would not be considered. It would be allowed. That was the condition I came home on. Carlisle?" I was growing upset at this point. I feared he had lied to me just to get me to come home, then I would be trapped and grounded until I was a hundred years old.
"She's right, Esme. I did allow it. We decided to discuss what was proper once she came home."
"Yes, that sounds more like it. What do you think is proper behavior for courting, Carlisle? Let's begin there. You and I have different ideas of what that means. We come from different ages and time periods." I was certain he and I would not agree. Esme had decided to remain silent for most of our talk. I hoped if she interjected, it would be on my behalf.
"Well, if he wants to spend time alone with you, he will have to ask one of us first. Unlike before, Edward will not be involved." I was relieved to hear that. He was an awful chaperone. "A time frame will have to be set. A curfew, I suppose you could call it. Ten o'clock? Does that seem fair?"
I nodded. "Yes, that seems reasonable. Anything else?"
"During family times, that is just what we are. A family. Your courtship with him does not exist in public. To the outside world, he is your brother and nothing more." This clause in the deal made me feel a bit disappointed at first, but it made sense. Even though this was Appalachia, seeing a brother kiss a sister in public would cause more than a stir. "The same goes for family time at home."
"At home?"
"Yes. When normal couples are courting, the boy goes home eventually. Emmett cannot, as he lives here. What I am trying to ask is that when…" He was beginning to struggle for the right words.
Esme spoke up for him. "I think what Carlisle is trying to say, is that this is not a twenty-four hour a day courtship, Rosalie. Take time away from each other now and then. Don't become so caught up in each other that you forget this is a five-person household. Give each other personal space when you aren't alone out of respect to the rest of us." I understood. She had said it much better than I ever could. All she meant was that we should keep any displays of affection we might have to ourselves.
"Alright. That makes sense to me. I think we have the same ideas of courtship, Carlisle. I will do my part to be sure Emmett does not cross any lines. I won't allow him to disrespect me, you know that." Carlisle was quite aware of my personal space issues, but he did not know that I had thrown those issues out the window where Emmett had been involved. "The boys are home. I hear them in the garage. My I go to my room and change?"
"Yes, dear."
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Edward was admiring the shiny red car, which was now parked beside the older pick-up truck. "This is a Ford Phaeton, Emmett. I wonder where it came from? Do you know anything about this?"
"Oh! Yankee Doodle went to town, just to ride a pony! He is a Yankee Doodle boy! Second verse, same as the first…" I began to sing the song in my head once again. He knew I knew something about this car. I had been staring at it from the moment the garage light switched on with a fond, rather goofy smile on my face. "No. It is a beautiful car, though. Let's go ask Carlisle?" I turned and ran for it. He was going to know everything if I couldn't think of something better than Yankee Doodle.
"Emmett! Wait! What's going on?" I could hear him running into the house behind me, trying to grab my arms and take me down. "AH! Got you! What do you know? Tell me!" I thudded to the kitchen floor and turned to pull him into a headlock.
"I don't know anything! I swear!" He reversed the move on me and had my arm pinned to my back. It was so painful I thought he would tear it from my body any second. He was sitting on my legs and I couldn't get away. "I don't know!"
"Edward Cullen! Get off of your brother this instant!" Esme rushed in and pulled him away from me. "What has gotten into you boys? I've told you about wrestling in the house! And look! You've gotten mud absolutely everywhere!"
"Sorry, Esme." We both said in unison with our heads hung low. "Esme, whose car is in the garage?" Edward asked first.
"Oh, that?" She had gotten a mop and started cleaning immediately. "Carlisle bought it for Rosalie."
"Rosalie? Rosalie has a Ford Phaeton? Why does she have one? What's she ever done to deserve that?"
"Watch your tone, Edward. That is between Rosalie and Carlisle. Speaking of what's between Rosalie and Carlisle, Emmett? He'd like to speak with you in the living room. Take your boots off first! Boys! You will drive me to an early grave, I swear."
I stuck my tongue out at Edward and laughed before going to see Carlisle. I hoped she hadn't said anything to get me into trouble, or dig herself a deeper hole. She had become an expert at that lately. Soon she would reach the center of the earth. "Carlisle? Did you want to see me?"
"Have a seat, Emmett. I need to speak to you about Rosalie. Do you know what happened here while you were away?" I tried my hardest not to think of anything incriminating while Edward was just one room to the right.
"No sir. I understand you bought her a car. And a nice car it is. Phaeton's are the best out there."
"Yes, that was one thing that happened. Rosalie ran away from home. She's all right, up in her room resting, but she did give Esme and I a rather nasty scare." He was scanning a medical book and keeping his full attention on it while he spoke to me. "The only way I could get her to come home was to revoke one of my rules."
"Which one might that be, sir?" I was feeling a sudden sense of hope. If it was the rule I wanted it to be, the world was about to become a much happier place.
"I have decided that you may…court my daughter, Emmett." He looked at me over the top of his book for a split second to read my expression, and then looked down once again. I was elated. "There are limitations, however. Rosalie can explain those to you. One of those is a ten o'clock curfew. As it is…" He looked at his wristwatch, then back to the book again. "Nine fifteen, I suggest you get a move on this evening if you would like to speak with her on the back porch."
"Yes, sir. Thank you so much, sir. You have no idea how happy this makes me. Makes us, Rosalie and I." I shook his hand and smiled brightly. I wanted to hug him, but that would be crossing the line.
"Yes, well, she's sitting at the top of the stairs listening right now. No need to call her down." He looked toward the stairs as Rosalie crept into view wearing a blue sundress with a matching ribbon in her hair. She looked incredible. "Forty five minutes, Rosalie. Then I come looking for you. No hunting. Stay in the yard tonight."
"Yes, dad. Thank you. Come on, Emmett. I want to show you my car." She gave me a wink and walked beside me out to the garage. The instant we were on the porch, I had grabbed her up in my arms.
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"Oh, Emmett! This is wonderful!"
"I missed you. I'm so happy, Rose. How did you get him to change his mind?" I missed him too. His smell, his arms, his incredible smile; it was all mine now and Carlisle couldn't take anything back.
"I just explained my priorities to him. There were things I could live with and things I couldn't and that rule I just could not live with. Was I supposed to live here with them for an endless number of years and never go on a date?" I pulled Emmett into the garage for some privacy and flipped on the light. "Edward? What are you doing in here?"
"Just looking at your brand new car, Rose. Awfully generous of Carlisle to let you have it like that. Did you drive it far when you ran away from home? The counter says six hundred and fifty miles. That is quite far for a weekend away from home, don't you think?"
"I drove in circles for two days. The miles add up." I didn't like his accusing tone. Had Emmett let something slip? He promised me he would do his best to not let Edward find out. "Please leave? I'd like to be alone with Emmett. I can do that now."
"Where exactly did you go, Rose? I hear there's a state park three hundred miles east or so that's lovely this time of year."
"Can you just shake hands and get along for one night? Please, Edward? Rosalie? I hate to see you fighting like this." It was nice of Emmett to try and diffuse the situation, but now was not the time.
"You don't know how many miles were on that truck when he gave it to me, Edward. There is no way you could ever know that. I may have driven it ten miles to a hotel or three hundred out and back to Evans Park for all you know." He had never said what park he was going to exactly, but it wasn't that one. He had gone to Burgess Falls Park. "Is that where you went? You never said which park. How am I supposed to even know what park you went to?"
"Fine. I will find out what you're hiding, Rosalie." He growled.
"How does it feel, Edward? Having someone keep things from you?" I kept my eyes on his as he left the garage and slammed the door behind himself. "He's beyond words sometimes."
Once he was gone, Emmett had lifted me easily and sat me on the front of my car like a hood ornament. "Forget him. We only have ten minutes left because of that. Did you pick anything up on your way home today?" Emmett smiled innocently at me and held out his hand palm up.
"Possibly. Let me see what I have in my dress pockets. Oh! What's this little blue box doing there?" I placed it in his hand and waited. "Aren't you going to look at it? It's Tiffany's."
"I recognize the box. And it says 'Tiffany's' across the lid. I can read it, you know." He peeked into the box then closed it and placed it into his own pocket. "It's nice, but it will never sparkle like you do, my Angel." He kissed me sweetly and I went beyond sparkling. I was glowing.
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The end!
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