Carlisle sat across from David in David's office and the two of them went over their notes from the interview.
"Hell, I think the kid has potential," David said with a shrug. "He's got to start somewhere, and he seems willing to learn."
Carlisle nodded, "I'm sure with some experience he'll end up being just fine. He seems to have a real passion for it."
"I'll help him along in the beginning."
"Just like you did with me," Carlisle reminded him with a grin.
David chuckled. "And now I look at ya - I don't want to see you go." He stood up and placed his hands on the desk. "What do you think? What does your gut say?"
He thought for a moment and then nodded, "He has a great basic knowledge and he seemed very willing to learn." Carlisle looked at his friend, "I think with your mentoring he'll do just fine."
David breathed in through his nose and nodded. "Do you want to make the call or should I?"
Carlisle shrugged. "I can if you'd like. It doesn't make much of a difference to me really... unless you'd like to speak with him personally seeing as though you'll be working with him."
David paused and ran his hand over his white moustache. "I'll give the kid a call... see when he can start."
He nodded. "Alright."
The two of them stared at one another and David finally held out his hand. "Well then I suppose this is the end of an era."
"Unfortunately," Carlisle regretfully agreed. "It's been a pleasure to work with you, and I'm grateful for everything you've helped me with over the years."
"You're a very good doctor, Carlisle. Where ever it is you end up will be lucky to have you." He smiled, "And you're a good man. I know what you did for Martha and her husband."
He shrugged, and then the two men exchanged a hug.
"When will your last day be?" David asked him.
"Whenever the kid can start."
He nodded and sighed. "I'll talk to him tonight and give you a call. Will you be home?"
Carlisle wanted to rush back to the hotel, but figured this was part of the 'first step of forever'. "Yes, you can reach me at the house. I have to pack up some last minute things that I have laying around still."
"I won't call late. Maybe an hour or so from now."
"Of course."
David smiled and patted him on the back once more. "Thank you, Carlisle."
"Thank you."
The two of them parted ways and Carlisle rode back to his house. Being there felt a little surreal and he stared around at the walls, the living room, the kitchen. He wished that he and Esme didn't have to start over - that they could live there and make it their own. They already had made a string of good memories in the place, and Carlisle felt a little sad that he wouldn't be calling the place home anymore. It was the only home he ever knew; the only home he ever had. Since his birth he'd lived in the house and now there was a good chance he would never see the interior of it again.
At least it's going to Martha and Thomas, he thought. The image of the two of them raising a family there gave him peace of mind, and it even made him a bit happy. He couldn't think of anyone better to take over the deed of the home.
He sighed and wandered down the hallway. The last thing Carlisle had thought about was packing his clothes, but he supposed now was as good a time as ever. He would leave the furniture and all of the little odds and ends he didn't need. Throughout the course of the hour he managed to get all of his clothes in bags into the car. His collection of books were a challenge but he managed to gather all of them and other essential items, and he would have loved to keep his desk but he knew he would be able to start fresh with everything, including furniture.
Carlisle sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed. The closet was empty and there was a damp feeling in the air as the world around him grew darker with the close of the afternoon and the welcome of the evening hours. His hand traced a pattern on the quilt and he decided that would be the last thing he would take from the house.
When the phone finally rang, David's message to him was bittersweet. He knew the young man would take the job and he assumed from his first impression that he would be good at it. Everyone in the office would move on, and David would go on to retire a year later. Carlisle felt a little sad at the thought that he might easily be forgotten in the town he called home.
Upon the conclusion of the phone call, however, he set it back down on the tabletop and pictured Esme's face; pictured her voice, her touch and the way he felt alive each time she greeted him with a kiss. He imagined what their child might look like, and what their future entailed. He envisioned a home, maybe near the ocean, where they would grow old together and live happily ever after. It was the sweet part of the bitter, and it made the sacrifice to go worth it. If Carlisle had Esme he was home. It didn't matter if they were in Wisconsin or California or Texas or in another country for that matter. If they were together things made sense, he was happy and she was safe.
Carlisle sighed and looked around his nearly empty house once more. He picked up the phone to make a final call from the line and informed Martha and Thomas that they could move into the place whenever they were ready. With that, he shut the lights, looked around and locked the door.
Before he made his way to the car he lifted the mat by the front door and slipped the key beneath it. The house belonged to Martha and Thomas now.