Chapter 51

Carlisle had gathered a bunch of supplies from the garage to clean his car upon returning home from their trip. Half of the family had made their way back inside, or to their separate houses, while some stayed out in the driveway in the partial sunlight.

Mud clung to the tires of the Mercedes and had splattered about the exterior from driving through the grass and unconditioned roads on the reservation. Unlike Emmett's Jeep that was made for wear and tear, and even appeared a bit "cool" with mud everywhere, he preferred his car to remain shiny and clean.

Emmett unraveled the house they had on the side of the house and brought it around as Carlisle soaped up a bucket.

Esme and Rosalie stood chatting by the front step, not paying an overabundance of attention to their husbands.

Carlisle did his part, soaping up the vehicle, while Emmett placed the hose down next to him upon turning it on.

"Want me to get the passenger side?" he asked.

Carlisle shrugged, "If you want to."

Emmett grabbed another big sponge that was in the bucket and made his way around to the other side.

"Thanks," Carlisle added, standing up for a moment from the way he was crouched.

"No prob," he responded back.

The two of them worked on the car for several minutes before Carlisle picked up the hose. He began to spray the car on his side, before Emmett indicated he needed it. He was about to hand it over, but looked over his shoulder toward where Esme and Rosalie still talked. A smirk crossed his face and he held up one finger, telling Emmett to wait a minute.

Immediately, he was on the same page and mouthed the words, "Do it."

Esme's back was to them, and Rosalie was positioned so her profile was facing the two of them. The women looked as if they were deep in conversation

Emmett waved his hand in his direction and tried not to laugh as Carlisle turned toward them and squeezed the trigger, sending a hard stream of water in their direction. He couldn't help but smile as Esme jumped when the water soaked her, then Rosalie followed with a similar motion.

Marshall, who Carlisle couldn't tell at the time was in Esme's arms, began to cry upon getting some backlash from some splashes off of Rosalie.

Both of their faces looked shocked, and Rosalie's initially hardened expression from being startled quickly turned more carefree and lighthearted.

Emmett began to laugh, but Carlisle tried holding back his smile with little success as the baby continued to cry.

"I'm sorry," he told Esme with a laugh he couldn't contain. "I really am. I didn't see you were holding him." He reached his arms out to take their son.

Esme's mouth still hung open partway as she cradled Marshall to her chest. She then smiled at him and shook her head in the process.

"I'm sorry," he laughed again, accepting him from Esme's reluctant arms.

"Here, go to your mean Daddy," she told Marshall, looking at Carlisle as she said it.

Rosalie looked down at her attire, then glanced at Emmett accusingly.

"Hey, don't look at me babe," he said, putting his hands up.

"I know you had something to do with it," she said, putting her hands on her hips.

"No, no," he did the sign of the cross, "That was all Carlisle."

Rosalie and Carlisle exchanged a glance and they both smiled.

"Shh..." he tried to calm his son's cries and used a towel he'd brought out to dry his lightly splashed face.

"Look what you started." Rosalie continued to shake her head.

Esme nodded in agreement and wrung out the back of the tank top she was wearing.

Carlisle leaned down to try to kiss her, but she laughed and pushed him back.

"Nope," she said, shaking her head as she continued to laugh, "You've started a war."

"Ohhh..." Rosalie taunted him, "I like the sound of this." She turned toward Emmett and was about to send some lighthearted trash talk his way, but he'd found his way to the hose and sprayed her before she could.

Carlisle turned, with his hand cradled around Marshall's head, as he still gave a hearty, baby wail from the first time around. He laughed lightly again as Rosalie stormed after him. It didn't stop Emmett from continuing to spray her until she eventually wrestled it out of his hand and began to get him back.

"Carlisle," Esme said lightly.

He turned around, meeting her hand with the side of his face as she left a muddy print on the side of his face and across his ear and short sideburn.

A smile crossed his face immediately at the sight of her smile from her little prank to get back at him for spraying her with water. She then kissed him once and put her muddy hand back against his cheek. "Now, make Marshall happy."

Carlisle began to laugh, feeling it pick up in his chest as Esme allowed him to give her a few more kisses. In the process, the mud she'd left on him crept onto her face slightly and he lightly rubbed it in with his thumb.

"That's a good look for you," he teased.

"I could say the same." A big smile lingered on her face and she kissed him once more before Carlisle made his way in the opposite direction of Rosalie and Emmett who was in a power struggle for the hose.

He watched as Esme yanked the bucket from the ground next to the car and dumped the entire thing over Emmett's head, leaving Rosalie with the victory. She sprayed him in the face and the two of them laughed wildly as he eventually gave up.

Marshall's crying died down, as Carlisle coaxed him out of his minor tantrum with soothing words and some bobbing up and down. He then laid his head down on the highest part of his chest and laid there contently.

"That's not fair," Rosalie said, turning her attention away from her soapy, soaked husband to look at Carlisle. "I can't get you back when you have Marshall."

He smiled and looked down, then shrugged.

Esme approached them and began to talk sweetly to her baby, before bringing his tiny body into her arms where he quickly clung to her and rested just as easy.

Carlisle nodded, giving Esme a closed-mouth smile.

"He doesn't have Marshall anymore," she said to Rosalie.

He put up his hands and began to laugh lightly.

"Sold out by your wife, Carlisle," Emmett said, "How's it feel?"

"Hey," Esme said defensively, "He started it." She pointed to the dampness of her shirt.

Carlisle eyed the second bucket of water next to the car that Esme hadn't taken to ambush Emmett. Rosalie's eyes followed his and they smiled at the same time as he made a run for it while she began to spray him with the hose.

Esme looked on, unable to hide her laughter, though kept her distance so Marshall wouldn't get anymore backlash.

Caleb and Delilah emerged from the front door upon hearing the ruckus, with Alice, Jasper and Nicole just behind them. Alexandra had since leaned out the window and was smiling as she fed details of the water fight to Michael and Mackenzie. Edward and Bella, too, made their way outside, and everyone seemed amused as Emmett stood, now shirtless, watching the ongoing war between Rosalie and Carlisle, who were equally wet from head to toe.

Esme glanced back at everyone and smiled, making eye contact with Alice, who looked eager to join in.

Emmett took the opportunity to involve a few others when Rosalie dropped the hose momentarily. He grabbed it and sent a spray of water in the direction of Caleb and Alice, getting the five of them in one shot. He made sure he kept his distance from where Esme stood so the baby wouldn't become upset again.

Alice was the first to leap over the rest of them, heading in her brother's direction while he continued to soak her.

"Come on." Alex leapt out of the window and soon everyone had become involved in one way or another.

Esme smiled and watched, being accompanied by Rosalie soon after while the rest of them carried on. She wrung out her shirt and fiddled with her hair, then nudged Esme and kissed Marshall lightly on top of the head.

"That was fun," she said, sounding out of breath with a laugh.

Esme nodded in agreement and smiled. "Yeah."

The two of them sat down together on the front step and gratefully enjoyed the lighthearted nature of their family fun.