Christy
It was several hours later that morning. Wonderful smells drifted up from the kitchen.
"Melissa, Christy," Esme called up the stairs; "breakfast."
Esme? What was she doing here?
I lifted my head and then the events of last night hit me.
The Cullens, Melissa and I had all had a glass of wine before Melissa and I went to sleep. I actually slept fairly well. The Cullens, it appeared, never slept.
I immediately went into panic mode.
I stood up, put on my robe and went downstairs into the kitchen.
"Morning, Christy," Esme said, looking up.
She had a pitcher of orange juice in her hand. There was a bowl of apples on the rectangular island in front of her and another on the round wooden kitchen table.
"Orange juice? Milk? Coffee?" she asked, smiling.
"Where's Mom?" I asked.
"Oh, she's upstairs. In her bed."
"Oh."
"Carlisle gave her something."
"Not wine I hope. And not pills."
"No, something else."
"Oh."
I looked around the room, which smelled of waffles and bacon. There were several tall glasses lined up on the island in front of Esme. The coffeemaker was bubbling.
"Or would you like some tea?" Alice asked from her spot in the living room.
"How did you...when did you...have time to..." I asked in amazement.
"Oh, early this morning. Alice and Rosalie helped."
"Oh."
Melissa came into the kitchen.
"Hey ready to go?" she asked me.
"Um, no. It'll be a few minutes," I replied.
"Oh, hi Mrs. Cullen," Melissa said when she saw her.
Esme smiled; "you can call me Esme dear."
"Oh."
"Don't you have time for breakfast?"
"Usually I drive Christy and I to school. Sometimes we'll get a muffin or something on the way."
"Oh wow," Rosalie said.
"Come, sit down," Esme said.
Melissa and I sat down at the kitchen table.
"What can we get you?" Carlisle asked, coming into the room.
"Um I'll have a waffle," Melissa said.
"Me too," I said.
Carlisle went over to his wife and took her at the waist toward him, kissing the top of her head.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi dear."
Alice came over to us. Rosalie stayed where she was.
"Rosalie seems kind of hostile," I mumbled to Melissa.
"Yes she was like that when she first met Bella," Esme recalled.
"Bella?" I asked.
"Edward's wife."
"No I know who she is I just didn't know they were married. Aren't they a bit...young?"
"Oh we don't age the same way you do," Carlisle explained.
"Oh."
"You don't look a day over 40," I told Esme.
"Oh well aren't you sweet! Thank you!"
"So where are you guys from?" Alice asked.
"Well we were born in Paris but then moved to New York and then here."
"Oh."
"Oh, Paris. We loved Paris," Esme said.
"It's a beautiful city," Rosalie put in.
"How'd you sleep?" Carlisle asked.
"Fairly well actually."
It had been nice to have someone else in the house to worry about Mom. Safe. Warm. Comforting.