Morning! It's an interesting time to be in New Jersey. We had the remnants of Ida last night, and the whole state has catastrophic flooding. We're all okay, but I still have to attend my virtual workshops from my classroom. Wish me luck since all the roads leading to my school are closed with detours everywhere. I mean, if the workshops are all virtual anyway, then why can't we do them virtually from home since we're under a State of Emergency? I digress.
My apologies about yesterday's mix up. Hopefully all should be fixed! Thanks to everyone for making this possible!
"Hope his nap yesterday was worth it," Esme teases under her breath in my ear the next morning as we watch Edward bend onto the frozen earth to inspect the trunk of a Christmas tree Esme has expressed interest in. Like all family traditions, this is one in the Cullen family that will not be forgotten, and despite the curses that escape from Edward's mouth this early in the morning, we will be leaving today with a freshly cut tree tied to the top of Edward's jeep.
"Everything is worth this," I whisper back to Esme as we watch on. "Look at him."
Oh, we do exactly that, trying to hold back our laughter as we sip warm coffee from mugs while Edward is lying on his back on the frozen ground, inspecting the curves of tree trunks at a god-awful early hour of the morning.
Just like Edward had predicted, Esme had set the coffee pot to begin brewing before the sun had come up, the smell bringing both Edward and me into the kitchen before we were truly awake. Edward had given me the spare room, and he had behaved himself and slept on the pull-out couch in the living room. It wasn't easy, sleeping in the room next to him, knowing what awaited me on the other side, but I respected Esme too much to sneak around under her roof.
Because the thoughts I've been harboring for her son are a far cry from respectable.
"Is that branch actually stuck to his head?" Esme asks casually, bringing the steaming mug up to her lips as Edward grunts on the ground.
"It's gotta be," I say, squinting so I can see what is actually happening on his head beneath the trees. "The sap is like glue."
"I don't even like that one," Esme laughs with a sigh before pointing over to another row of trees. "What do you think of this one?"
I spy the third tree in the row, a crisp wind blowing the hair across my face. "For the corner next to your television? It's perfect," I say.
"I think so, too." She pats my arm, holding it there for a moment, and I close my eyes at the maternal love I feel flowing from her blood to mine. "Edward?"
We hear a fuck from his mouth before he struggles to answer. "Yeah, Ma?" He asks, sliding back out from beneath the tree. He's covered in pine needles and sap and other things from the earth, and I have to bring my cup up to my mouth, so he doesn't see me laughing.
"I think I like this one better," she replies and heads over to where she had been pointing.
"Of course, you do," Edward mutters under his breath but grabs the small handsaw anyway and goes to follow her. "Where now?"
"Follow me," I say, offering an arm to him for his troubles.
"Anywhere," he answers, and instead of taking my arm to guide him to the tree, he pulls me forward and presses his lips to mine in the cold, late November air.
Suddenly I'm not cold any longer.
See you tomorrow!