Chapter 5

Esme's POV

Each of the kids hugged me, Renesmee clinging for just a little longer. I wrapped my arms around each of my children; that is what they all are. They are my children and Renesmee is the granddaughter I had resigned to never having. Even Jacob hugged me before returning to Renesmee's side. "I love all of you." The camera was watching and I had already given the children the rules for the swap. "And you. I want you to plan an excursion to Isle Esme for two weeks after I get back from the swap."

"Yes ma'am," Carlisle kissed me and I smiled. "I love you."

"I love you more," I hummed against his lips then pulled away when Emmett started singing, "Carlisle and Esme sitting in a-"

"Say one more word and you and Rose will be put into different rooms so you can't K-I-S-S-I-N-G," I warned and Emmett shut up, pretending to hide his six foot five muscled frame behind Rosalie's five-foot-nine inches. They really did act like children sometimes. I was kind of happy about that. Emmett and Jacob's antics got a little old, but they made me feel like a real mom, and I hadn't felt like such a mom before the wolves. I could cook for them like any normal Mom might. I do admit I wasn't such a fan of the smell, but I liked being the person I could have been only with a more amazing family.

"I love you Mom," Emmett sucked up and hugged me.

"I love you too Emmett," I hugged him back and each of the children hugged me a second time.

"You have to go. You'll miss your plane if you don't go," Tina, the camerawoman who was supposed to follow me, said.

"Okay," I agreed and kissed Carlisle one more time. I walked to the car and everyone came from the house doing their best to remember to walk human speed, Alice having the worst trouble with it as she was used to just jumping off the stairs or over the railing too fast for human's to even completely discern. She slowed her pace by holding fast to Jasper's hand and letting him set a human pace for her.

I got into the cab and waved at my family as the cab set off towards Portland. I'd get on a plane from Portland to Oklahoma City, then another flight from Oklahoma City to Texas. I had gotten hats and wraps so my skin wouldn't show. That was the thing I was most angry at the boys about this. They hadn't thought of my being sent to one of the sunniest states in the US.

I was a little uncomfortable on the plane, but not for long once I got used to the proximity of so many humans. I stared from the window and listened to the people around me snore, listened to their conversations until I began feeling guilty, and simply stared out the window the rest of the duration of the flight.

When we touched ground I was swept up in airport traffic and tried my best to breathe as little as possible. I enjoyed being around humans from time to time; they interested me, but it was hard. I had hunted with Carlisle before leaving, but I was worried about letting myself smell so many humans in such a chaotic place that for me to do anything might not even be noticed until security cameras were looked at.

I hurried to the luggage carousel, keeping a human place as best I could. Breathing helped me keep pace because I matched my steps and breathing. It took me a moment to remember that there was a cameraman following me from a distance. I hadn't been thinking of that to be honest. They had put him several rows behind me on the plane and now as I got my luggage he grew closer. I began breathing slowly, knowing if I didn't I would look suspicious.

"Ma'am, I'll show you where to go," Joseph, the cameraman, said and I nodded.

I followed Joseph to the waiting black car. I got in the backseat after putting my luggage in the trunk and was thankful I had worn long-sleeves, an ankle-length skirt, and a wide hate that covered all of my skin. It scared me that I'd been sent to Texas, of all places. During the summer, nonetheless, so my wearing so many clothes would seem even odder.

"How do you feel about this swap?"

"This is going to be a shock I'm sure. I'm so accustomed to the cold, but maybe Texas will be good for me. I am very cold-natured, so I'll probably be the only person in long-sleeves and pants all the time." I looked out the window and saw a beautiful square; courthouse, huge Victorian-style buildings and such. "These are beautiful," I whispered.

He prompted me to tell him about my career. "At the moment I only do odd jobs for family friends, but I refurbish antiques and do architecture which if my daughter's boyfriend shows you, you can see I built his house. These buildings are amazing architecture. I adore how beautiful this courthouse is, and a church on every corner. My son Jasper is from Texas," I said and smiled softly remembering the stories Jasper had told me about it. He had always said even back then it was beautiful; rolling plains and prairies in one part and desert in another, just a couple miles away.

Things change so much over time, and I honestly love it, yet miss some of the old. I miss being human sometimes, but that is very seldom. So much less often since Renesmee was born; I got to have my grandchild.

As we drove we finally drove up to a house surrounded by a small field. It was wood, painted white, and above the door was a sign that said, 'Welcome, May God watch over you,'.

"The house looks normal from here. It's a little boring, but it feels homey enough so far." I continued to look around talking to the camera that followed me. "Wow. They have a whole book shelf full of Bibles. That's impressive. My husband enjoys reading the Bible every so often, but we have multiple different religions portrayed throughout our house. I don't want to say anything about this, but I just get the feeling it's a bit oppressed here." I don't know why I kept talking. I should have stopped, but I could honestly feel the oppressed feelings that marinated within that house.

I found a room that was filled with trophies and began reading what they were for. "I don't know how many children there are, but there are karate, dance, cheer, gymnastics, soccer, football, and academic trophies here. It's rather amazing." I just wondered whether they got to do anything else. Did they get to have fun and have free time?

"I wonder if they do anything but these activities?" I pondered. "However maybe they enjoy doing these things. Accomplishment is a good thing."

I walked to the kitchen and sat down in front of the manual the other mom had written.

I read it aloud, "Welcome to the McErin household. May God bless you. My husband is a pastor at Jeffrey Baptist Church, and I am the choir director. I do not work separately of that due to my frequent headaches, but my husband does charity work separate from the church and through the church. We have two children, one girl and one boy, Maysen and Bradley. Maysen does dance, gymnastics, and cheerleading, and Bradley does soccer and karate at this time of year, but he plays football at other times of the year.

"We believe it is the woman's job to do the household work, but due to my health problems I sleep until eight, letting Maysen prepare Bradley for school, then drive them. After I drop them off I return home and sleep for a few hours, or relax. I begin cooking at noon for my husband who is seldom home during the day. All our meals are home cooked and you need to be very aware of that. I left several recipes for you, so you should prepare out of those. Maysen does the housework after school and Bradley practices soccer or karate, then I drive them to their practices, whichever those are on that day. You have to drop Bradley off first, so you can stay with Maysen. If she doesn't do perfectly at Nationals which are approaching she will have her designated one hour a week free time taken away; she knows this, but you need to remind her. On weekends Maysen practices in front of a camera for several hours before I review it. For every mistake she gets free time deducted." This seemed a little overbearing. One hour of free time, and that was taken away when she didn't do things perfectly. It amazed me a little bit.

"Bradley will wait outside for you at the karate studio and he will work one-on-one with his soccer coach during the extra time of Maysen's practices until we get there to pick him up," I continued to read from the manual. I read the rest and sat there to absorb the differences of this family and what I was accustomed to.

"I find this is going to be a culture shock more so than I believed. I understand she has frequent headaches, but I don't understand having her daughter do all the work. I know I for one don't agree it is the woman's job to do all the work." I did remember when that was a belief that everyone agreed on, but it wasn't anymore and while I enjoyed cleaning every once in a while if I asked Carlisle would gladly do it. I liked knowing he would do anything that would make me happy, even if it was something that wasn't very fun. "And I think it's amazing she's there for her daughter, but I feel like her or the dad should at least be there for the son sometimes."

"You need to go to the living room and wait for the family now," the cameraman told me.

I walked into the living room and sat down. I listened and heard as the car pulled into the driveway, then heard the three footsteps up the front steps. The door opened and a teenage girl walked in, followed by a small boy. He couldn't be more than five or so. Behind them was a tall man, as tall as Emmett, but a little less brawny.

"Hello," I said and shook each of their hands before sitting back down as they did. Maysen and Bradley sat on the couch beside me and the man sat down in a large recliner.

"I'm James," the man said.

"Esme. What's your name?" I asked the child I knew was Bradley.

"Bradley. I'm five." He held up his fingers to show me his age and I smiled at him. That was something I didn't have. Renesmee was never mentally five, so maybe I would be thankful the boys were giving me a chance to have this for two weeks.

"Well. It's nice to meet you Bradley. And you're Maysen?" I asked.

"Yes," Maysen said and her father cleared his throat. "Ma'am. Yes ma'am."

"How old are you?" I asked her.

"I'm about to turn seventeen, right after Nationals." I guess everything did revolve around their sports, even when their birthdays were revolved around sports. "We have the day off today. I did a quick makeup workout during school," Maysen said quickly like she was used to explaining herself.

This was going to be an interesting week.