11. Kindness

Spring Break was full of more laughs and more memories. I quickly filled up my box with photos of happy things, and I started on the second box. Esme tutored me through Spring Break until I could read as well as Alice. Alice and I made a list of all the things we wanted to do before we moved to Alaska, and we created a schedule so we could do them all.

As soon as April started, Carlisle was visibly more stressed. He gave us recipe cards to read to him, and then he would have to diagnose the patient. Esme laughed when we learned how to say phrases like severed humorous, ruptured pulmonary artery, and fractured pelvis. She said that we would be the best readers soon with our new medical vocabulary.

The night before Carlisle's big test, we went walking along Time Square. Carlisle said that his head needed rest before the test.

When we passed by a jewelry store, Alice instantly ran inside.

"... My dad needs an adoption ring for mom"

"An adoption ring?" The sales associate sounded confused

"Alice!" Carlisle said, annoyed

"What? You said that you give Esme an adoption ring this summer"

"No I didn't! Alice, I'm sorry but it's too soon to get her one"

"But whyyyyyy?" Alice signed as she stretched out her question, "You love Esme, and she loves you. You said that we would be a family when Edward and me were adopted, and now it's time to include Esme in that"

I looked at the pretty rings when they continued to argue. Some of them were too big, like the one she had when she was married to Mr. Everson. Big jewelry looked weird on her small fingers.

I saw one that was grey, like my adoption ring. The middle stone was white, and on each side there were other white stones.

"That one" I said to Carlisle and Alice, "I think if you gave Esme that one she would agree to being our mom"

"Edward," Carlisle said, rolling his eyes, "Esme loves both you and your sister very much and she is still a part of our family, even if she has a different last name then us. For her to change her last name, we would have to get married"

"Weddings are adoption ceremonies for old people" Alice said, crossing her arms, "And Esme wants to be in a family with us"

"Esme wants to be in a family with you two" he signed, not making eye contact with either of us, "But I don't know if she wants to be in a family with me"

"She does. Why are all adults so stupid? She loves you, and you love her, and you both love us. So you should give her an adoption ring"

"And she would like that one?" Carlisle said wryly, looking at me

Alice came over to inspect it. She looked at it in all directions in the little case. "Yep. That's the one. You will ask her after your graduation ceremony and she will be surprised and she will say yes to you. You need to ask her parents if she can join our family and you need to invite them when you ask her. They will be upset if you don't"

The sales associate kneeled on the floor and talked to Alice and I.

"You are pretty intuitive, aren't you?"

"Yes," Alice said blakely.

"It's dumb," Alice continued, "Our parents died in nine eleven, so Carlisle took us home. And now he's our new dad. Esme is our new mom, but Carlisle won't ask her to marry him cause he's scared"

The sales associate looked at us cautiously, "You both are orphans"

"No" I said, "We have new parents. But the ones we used to have are gone"

"I'm so sorry for them" Carlisle explained, "They are both very young and they don't understand"

"I think they understand perfectly," the associate said, "I gather from the girl that you are in school and you adopted these two?"

"Yes?"

"And now you're in love with someone who they think should be their mom?"

"Yes"

The associate smiled, "I have owned this store for 20 years, and I am sure these two are correct. I would like to give you the ring your son picked out as a thank you from New York. The world needs more people like you; people who are compassionate enough to take care of people who need care"

Carlisle looked at him like he was crazy, "But… But this ring has to be worth more than my tuition this term… I can't possibly-"

"Yes you probably have spent more money taking care of these two than the ring is worth"

"T-thank you" Carlisle stuttered, "I really don't know what else to say…"

"There is nothing else to say", the sales associate smiled as he placed the ring and box into Carlisle's hand.