Chapter Twenty Five

Bella

I knew Jasper was worried about me but I was really looking forward to the Christmas Fair and he was wildly outnumbered so was forced to kiss me goodbye and watch as I drove away with the girls back to the city again. I was tired, but then I had done so much since he rescued me from the streets. I wanted this evening out to say thank you to all the girls who had pitched in to help Jasper make my Christmas special by helping others in need. I did wonder exactly what they would do as a lot of the stalls catered and vampires didn't eat or drink like we did. I soon found out though that they loved all the aroma's and as Alice explained,

"Our senses are far more acute than your's Bella so the smells of spiced wine and cinnamon, nutmeg and oranges are even more wonderful. This time, we can buy all these things and enjoy the smells while you get to eat, great idea eh?"

I noticed that they also bought food and drinks which they then gave away to some of the homeless who came to rummage in the bins, the closest they would get to Christmas food this year.

We had settled down to listen to the singers, all dressed in Victorian clothes and holding candle lanterns when Esme's head snapped round.

"I'll be back in a moment."

She disappeared into the darkness that surrounded the market and Alice moved along a place to take her vacated seat beside me. Next to me on the other side was Charlotte. Rose had been here but had decided it was too cold for Charity and taken her back home.

"Is there a problem?"

"Esme will be back in a few minutes and she'll tell us. For now, just enjoy the songs. I love singing along."

"As long as you don't want me to, I have a voice that can shatter glass."

She thought that was highly amusing, but I thought she might change her mind after hearing me sing, especially with super vampire hearing!

In the event, it was more than twenty minutes before Esme reappeared and she wasn't alone. She had in tow two small children both holding huge Christmas cookies and looking rather puzzled. She motioned for us to join her and luckily there was a short intermission for the singers to get a drink so we were able to leave without disrupting anything. Once away from the crowds Esme introduced us.

"This is Lily, she's four and Zac who is six. I found them in the street crying, they said they were lost. They'd run away because mummy and daddy were yelling at each other and couldn't find their way back. They were cold so I got them a hot drink and promised we would take them home and see if we could find out why their parents were so cross with each other."

The little boy tried to look adult,

"Lily was scared, I just wanted to find somewhere for her to hide so she couldn't hear the yelling."

After a little coaxing, he told us their address and with Lily holding Esme's hand tightly we walked them back home which wasn't very far, but too far for such young children at this time of night. We were almost there when we heard shouting, the parents were frantically searching for their missing children and when they saw them relief flooded both faces. The children were hugged and scolded at the same time then the mother took them both inside to warm up while their father stayed outside to speak to us. He was trying to thank Esme, but she was more interested in finding out why the children had run away and somehow the man found himself telling her. It was like he couldn't help himself and the story was an old familiar one.

"I guess we shouldn't get so angry in front of the kids. It's just...well, we're separated, I work shifts and do long hours and when I finally got here to see the kids they weren't ready. It's my night with them and she had told them I'd take them to the fair like I didn't have something already planned. The kids were all excited and I got annoyed with them too, she just can't handle them. Let's them run around screaming like little savages."

"Perhaps she's tired and having little children isn't easy especially this time of year when they are all excited and I'm guessing she works too so she's tired as well. Have you thought of sitting down and discussing it with her? Rather than losing your temper and just yelling?"

"Are you a social worker? You sure sound like one."

"No, just a mother who understands its hard to deal with young children sometimes, especially when circumstances are difficult but I do know the best thing for the children is to have both parents and not fighting and yelling."

He sighed and ran a hand through his thick dark hair,

"I guess so, Martha works at the school as a cleaner and does a couple of evenings as a cashier at a store. We were both tired, but hell, no one ever pointed it out like that before."

"Then maybe it's not too late to sort things out, at least for the children's sake. It's easy to see how much they love you both."

"Yeah, I love them too. Maybe we should talk without the kids around. Might be able to work something out. I don't know how we got to this point anyhow. One minute we were arguing about something stupid and the next I was living on my brother's couch."

Esme smiled,

"Talk to her, listen to what she has to say then tell her how you feel. Don't give up yet, there's always hope you can find the love you had for each other, I doubt it really died, it just got smothered a little by life."

By the time we left Esme had agreed to come back the following evening and sit with the children while he and his wife talked without interruption. No one thought this was an end to their troubles, but it was a start, something that could be built on and possibly save a family from more heartache. As we left we saw the children with their noses pressed up against the bedroom window waving and they were smiling. I really hoped those smiles would stay with them and Esme told me she knew a guidance counselor who would help out if asked and wouldn't accept a fee.

"Let's just say she owes me one. I'll ring her and give them her card tomorrow but for now, I think we should get you back home before Jasper comes looking for us."

I hadn't realized it was so late and, sure enough, he was there at the window waiting and as soon as we parked up he came flying down the steps to greet me.

Luckily Esme and the others explained everything to Jasper as I warmed up by the fire. The temperature was certainly dropping and I wondered just for a second if we might get my dream white Christmas after all although I knew Jasper would make it happen one way or another. Even if it meant a trip to the Antarctic on Christmas Day. I actually felt a little guilty at asking for anything for myself, he had already given me so much, as had the others. I had no right to ask for more and I would be sure to tell him so later when we were alone. Of course, later on, when we were alone we both had other things on our mind and I forgot all about it in his arms. As I finally dozed off in the early hours I gave a final thought for the children, Lily, and Zac and hoped they would have a lovely Christmas, a peaceful one with no yelling, even if they didn't spend it with mom and dad together.