Carlisle had spent several hours hunting. He had to blow some steam that stemmed from his own grief. The grief lingered around Esme's and Edward's, as well as his own self-loathing for being the one to make them capable of such an act.

A big part of him was ready to return home, while a smaller fraction of him didn't think he could bear the sight of Esme feeling so low. All in all, he knew he had to be there for her, no matter how terrible it made him feel to see her in ruins.

Carlisle hightailed it back to the house, rushing at full speed. He needed to be with Esme. He suddenly regretted staying out in the forest for so long. She needed him more than ever, despite what her body language indicated. It was the little details he envisioned that fueled him; her hand on his when he comforted her after cleaning the human blood from he body; her eyes as she told him to be careful just before he left; the soft kiss she had left on his lips that was filled with a tender anguish...

The house came into view not long after his thoughts continued to cloud his mind. He took it as a good sign when he noticed the light in Esme's bedroom was on, as well as a pleather of others around the house.

Carlisle stopped his full-out run just a few feet before entering the front door. He calmly clicked it open and looked around the room, not immediately seeing anyone.

"Shift it to the left a little," Esme's voice came out from the living room. "That's good, I think. Set it and then come stand where I am."

He continued on his journey into the next room and noticed Edward first, as he positioned a small pine tree in the far left corner. Next he saw Esme standing with her arms folded across her chest as she studied his movements and how he was positioning the tree.

Carlisle couldn't hide the shock on his face from her change in demeanor, but he wasn't about to complain. It was as if someone had come in and pulled the curtain at a play, reopening it in time for a new scene to begin.

Esme turned and looked at Carlisle with a convicted stare. She looked remorseful, but gave him a genuine half-smile. When he returned it, she walked slowly up to him and gave him a hug, drawing one hand across the back of his neck.

Carlisle felt relief wash over him. Esme's body was no longer tense and guilt-ridden. She was far more relaxed and at least halfway content.

When she pulled back to kiss him, he was taken off-guard but did not by any means object. Their embrace was brief, yet passion-filled and Esme was smiling when she finally managed to pull away. She then hugged him again before he could say a word, and Carlisle met the eye of Edward.

He felt a slight hint of bashfulness wave over him, but Edward just smirked as if he knew something Carlisle didn't.

You're both okay? Carlisle asked him silently.

Edward nodded.

He nodded back, beginning to feel pride creep in on him upon knowing that he couldn't make Esme feel better while Edward seemed to have found the remedy. Immediately, Carlisle pushed the thought from his mind and held Esme closely to his body.

He silently thanked Edward and found a new, genuine comfort in the bond that Edward and Esme had. What they held was something special, and he was grateful that they, too, had each other.

"So, we were just putting up a Christmas tree," Edward said, "I don't know what took us so long to begin with."

Esme separated her body from Carlisle's, but kept her hands placed firmly on his shoulders as he continued to lock his hands around her waist.

"Do you guys have anything to put on it?" she asked him.

Carlisle smiled wide, seeing the returned hope in Esme's eyes. He would have brushed he hair out of her face and kissed her again if Edward hadn't been standing there, but he refrained. "No... but we could always run out and get some."

"I will," Edward volunteered, but Carlisle put a hand up.

"I'll go," he said, noting that it was Edward who had brought Esme back into the good mood she was in. He didn't want to break or discourage that and feared that if he was left alone with he that she would try to explain herself and the conversation could easily become heavy.

Esme looked at Carlisle with eyes as if to say, no don't go. This was confirmed just a few seconds later when Edward made a joking comment of, "Gee, thanks a lot Esme."

She turned to him and put her hand over her mouth. "Edward, I didn't mean-"

He began to laugh, "I'm kidding."

Carlisle looked at Edward, continuing to speak to him through his mind. Stay here with Esme. You've gotten her back to feeling good about everything again. If I stay and you go, I'm afraid our conversation could turn heavy and bring her back to feeling all that grief. I'll get some decorations. Stay and... continue to do what you've been doing. Please.

Edward was again reminded of Carlisle's selflessness. It was no secret that Carlisle would have loved some extra alone time with Esme. What he wanted more was her happiness, and Edward could see where his thought patterns made sense. He could also see in Esme's thoughts that she was already thinking, I can't wait until he comes back home, and Carlisle hadn't even left yet. Her anticipation of his return would add to the uplifting feeling she was already given through starting to decorate for Christmas.

Esme's eyes shifted between the two of them, and she smiled when she saw they were both smiling.

"I'll be right back," Carlisle told them. He kept Esme close and took her by the hand toward the door, out of the sight of Edward for just a moment.

"Why'd you volunteer to go?" she whispered, knowing Edward could probably hear her anyway.

He tilted her chin up and kissed her lips without immediately responding. His hands drifted down her body toward her waist again and he pulled her against him, keeping his lips locked with hers.

Esme suppressed a satisfied sigh that she wanted to let out as she felt Carlisle's arousal getting the best of him while her hips still pressed against his.

Carlisle pulled himself back slowly, leaving his lips to be the last thing that left her body. He didn't completely try to hide what her touch did to him physically, though attempted to keep her eyes up and locked on his. "I'll be back soon," he whispered, "I'm glad you're feeling better."

Esme looked into his eyes and the two of them shared another, quick kiss before he winked and headed toward the door.

She stood for a moment as the door closed shut, fighting to compose herself. Her thoughts were pulled in three different directions; one - she still felt guilty for enjoying her life knowing she had taken someone else's away; two - she felt bad for wishing Edward away at the drop of a hat after he had gone out of his way to break her from her mood; three - she was indeed enjoying her life for the first time since the incident and she wasn't quite sure what to make of it, though her feelings revolved around Edward's revelations and all the pre-marital bliss that was brought on by Carlisle.

Esme's mind drifted back to the way Carlisle had just kissed her. It gave her hope and reassurance that he wouldn't leave her. The feel of him up against her allowed her to visually travel down new avenues of her mind that she hadn't completely tapped into yet. It made her want to persuade him into a whole other realm of intimacy that she was beginning to contemplate more and more every day.

Edward, she thought.

Esme rounded the corner and re-entered the room.

Edward hand a slightly closed fist over his mouth, hiding his smile, though his eyes did all the smiling that Esme needed to confirm that he had seen what had just taken place in the kitchen.

"Why don't you and I play a little game of checkers before Carlisle gets back," he said, fully letting his grin show.

"Sounds... great."

"Great."

Esme let out the decompressing sigh she had been holding in and took a seat at the kitchen table while Edward brought out the board. She looked at him as he was about to let her choose which color she preferred.

"Thank you, Edward," she said sincerely.

"For what?" he asked, looking back at her.

"For everything. I love you." Esme was shocked by her words, but they just filtered out of her mouth. She meant them whole-heatedly.

He was almost as shocked by her words, but he knew she felt the same type of bond that he did. Without more hesitation, he said the words back. "I love you too... Mom."

Esme smiled and wanted to smother him with hugs and a collection of kisses on his cheek, but he held his hands out with the pieces of the game.

"Red or black?"