Disclaimer: I own nothing Twilight related.
Here is another chapter with a couple of main characters. Hope you enjoy!
December 15, 2011
Esme's POV
"Carmen and Eleazar are going to be joining us for Christmas." I said to Carlisle as he walked into the kitchen.
"That will be nice." He said as he kissed my cheek and then headed for the coffee pot.
Since Carlisle and I never had any children and don't have any family, the holidays are usually just the two of us. So we don't do anything big for Christmas. I decorate like mad, and cook a huge Christmas dinner, but it's usually just Carlisle and I. We have left over's for days.
Carmen and Eleazar have been our best friends for years, and when they don't visit family for the holidays, we all celebrate together.
Not having children wasn't entirely our decision. We tried for a long time and then thought about adoption. I ended up getting pretty sick, and with treatments and seeing specialists, our dream of children got put aside. We haven't completely forgotten about adoption now that I am better, but nobody really wants to go to their child's graduation at seventy years old.
We are still discussing it and going over our options. But it has always been a dream of mine to have a huge holiday family dinner. All the noise, all the love, it's a dream.
"I don't have to work today." Carlisle stated as he sat at the table next to me. "What are our plans?"
I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off by the door bell. I sat at the table finishing my breakfast as Carlisle went to answer the door.
"Who was it?" I asked as Carlisle, who looked confused, came back into the kitchen.
"It was no one." He said. "There was just this envelope."
He held it up and I immediately recognized the red bow on the outside of the envelope. I got excited and clapped my hands saying, "It's from Santa! Open it, what does it say?"
I, personally, had never gotten anything from Santa. Being one of the wealthier families in Forks, there was nothing that we needed. Carlisle and I enjoyed watching our friends and neighbors around Forks getting the miracles they needed.
Carlisle opened the envelope and said, "We get a dinner."
"A dinner?" I asked.
Carlisle sat next to me and I read the paper that was in his hand.
Carlisle and Esme,
It is hard to not have any family, especially around the holidays.
But, even people without family deserve a big family dinner. The people of Forks, myself included, consider you family, and we would love to join you for a family dinner. The main room in Forks Town Hall is all yours this Friday and Saturday. Tables and chairs have been provided along with a clean up crew. All you have to do is set up and decorate how ever you would like and celebrate with all of your friends.
I have also included an invitation that has been sent to everyone you know in Forks and La Push. Enjoy your pre-Christmas party and have a Merry Christmas!
Santa
P.S. Esme, I was going to have it catered, but I knew you would want to cook, after all, that is part of the joy of having a dinner.
"We are going to have a huge dinner!" I exclaimed wrapping my arms around Carlisle's arm.
"I'm glad." Carlisle said. "This is a nice surprise. Here's the invitation." Carlisle pulled out the card. It was a nice Christmas scene on the front and then written on in the inside.
Christmas is a time for friends and family to celebrate and rejoice. There is no better way to show your love to your friends and family like celebrating and just being together.
Carlisle and Esme Cullen would love to have you join them for a Pre-Christmas dinner.
Under that, there was the information of time and place.
"This is going out to everybody?" I asked stunned.
"That's what it said." Carlisle answered.
"Wow." I said as I stood from the table and put my dishes in the sink. "We only have a couple days. We need to get busy. Looks like we are going shopping."
"You know? When I asked what out plans were I was thinking cuddle on the couch and watch a movie. Not shopping." Carlisle laughed.
"Sorry, buddy." I giggled. "Not today."
"Do I have to help you cook?" He asked making a face.
"No." I groaned. "I have eaten your cooking. I wouldn't subject anybody to that."
Carlisle threw a dish towel at me as I ran out of the room laughing.
I was dressed and pushing Carlisle out the door in record time. We went into Port Angeles and hit the mall first. Carlisle was a lot less whiney then I expected him to be. We bought table clothes and candles, napkins, placemats, dishes, wine glasses, center pieces. Everything we would need to make our dinner, a slightly fancy event.
Most of the people in Forks were going through a rough time. So, I was using my gift, to give them a gift. A nice fancy night out without having to worry about anything.
After we left the mall, we headed for the grocery store. I filled two shopping carts with stuff I would need. Carlisle kept making jokes about feeding an army, but if everyone came then yes, we would be feeding an army.
The next day I cooked up a storm. Everything that didn't need to be served hot, or could be reheated, I cooked the day before. I was making more food than even I had ever seen before. My goal was to give any buffet restaurant a run for their money.
"It smells good in here." Carlisle said as he came in from work. "I talked to some of the doctors; they all got invitations and are coming tomorrow."
"That's great." I smiled. "Bella and Alice called earlier and asked what they needed to bring, I told them just themselves, but you know them girls." I laughed.
"Yeah, Edward said that Bella started baking pies as soon as she opened the invitation." Carlisle said.
"There should be plenty of food." I said as I looked into the oven.
"As soon as you are done, we can head over there and set up so that we don't have to do it tomorrow." Carlisle said.
"That's a great idea."
After the pies in the over were done, I left them on the counter and Carlisle and I headed to the town hall. The main room was more of a huge ballroom.
I gasped as we entered the room. The whole room had been decorated. There were wreaths and other decorations along the walls, green and red seat covers covering all of the chairs, and a giant Christmas tree in the corner fully decorated.
In the center of the room there were three long rows of tables with about ten tables to a row. I wasn't sure how many people would actually be coming, but we would have enough room no matter how many people came.
"This is great." I gushed. "And this tree is gorgeous."
After Carlisle agreed and we finished admiring the room, we got busy with our own decorating. We covered the tables with table clothes, set out the place mats, and set the dishes. We placed the center pieces, and candles.
Along one wall there was a long row of tables set up with hot plates and Bunsen burners to keep food warm. There were about twenty tables in the row. Whoever Santa was, he had high expectations that a lot of people would show up.
Carlisle and I admired our work and then danced for a few minutes in front of the Christmas tree to imaginary music before we headed home for the night.
~*~*~*CM*~*~*~
"We should have rented a u-haul." Carlisle joked as we loaded all of the food into the back of the cars. We had to make a few trips with both of our vehicles to get it all there.
We brought in the last of the food and set it on the tables. I looked everything over and everything looked perfect. I walked over to the tree when something caught my eye.
"What is all this?" I asked pointing to the large amount of presents that were under the tree.
"I don't know." Carlisle said as he bent down in front of the tree. "They look they are for all the kids that are coming. These weren't here the last time we were here."
"Why didn't I think of that?" I said. "I should have gotten everybody something."
"This whole dinner is for you and I, Esme." Carlisle said. "You did a lot more than you even needed to. So just relax and enjoy the day."
I took a deep breath and told Carlisle, "You're right. This is our gift from Santa. We need to just enjoy it."
I turned around at the sound of Emmett's booming voice. "I'm here, the party can start."
Carlisle and I rushed over to help them as Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, Edward and Bella all came in the hall, their arms all full with dishes of food.
"I told you, you didn't have to bring anything." I told Bella.
"Yeah, I know." She said. "But I use any excuse I can to bake." She laughed.
Within the next hour the hall was full, just about everybody in Forks were there. Most of the people here also brought a dish. We would all have left over to take home.
"Charlie, Sue." I greeted. "Billy. New chair? That's nice."
"Yeah, a gift from Santa himself." Billy smiled as he patted the arm rest of his wheelchair. "You should see the new ramp on the house."
"Oh, I did hear about that." I said. "I have been meaning to come down and visit you and be nosy and check it out."
"It's not being nosey when you have an open invitation." Billy smiled.
"That's enough hitting on my wife." Carlisle joked.
"Keep an eye on her." Billy laughed as he moved into the room.
Next to come in were Jacob and Leah.
"Look, at you!" I said. "You look like you are about to pop."
"The doctor says any day now." She sighed as she rubbed her stomach.
"Are you all ready for the baby to come?" I asked.
"We are getting there." Jake answered; I noticed his slight hesitation before he answered.
"You need to sit." Carlisle said. "You are supposed to be getting rest."
"Oh trust me I have been." Leah laughed. "Jake hasn't let me do anything in a couple weeks now. I'm surprised he let me walk in here."
"Just trying to help you out." Jake said. "Now, let's get you a seat."
"I guess my standing time is up." Leah laughed.
After a couple hours everyone was sitting around the tables talking and having a good time.
"Hey, Samantha." Carlisle called, stopping Tanya's little girl as she ran by with a group of other children. "You see all those presents under that tree over there?"
Samantha looked towards the tree and said, "Yes."
"I believe those presents are for you guys. Why don't you round up all the kids and have everyone look for a present with their name on it."
Her face lit as she said, "Alright." And then she ran off to gather all the kids.
"This was such a good idea." Carmen said as she sat down next to me.
"It really was." Bella added. "We should do this every year."
"I agree. Plus it saved a fortune on stamps. I handed out all of my Christmas cards and didn't have to mail any." Rose laughed.
"I think everybody had that idea." I chuckled as I held up the large pile of Christmas cards Carlisle and I had been given.
Carlisle pulled me into his side as we sat back and took in the view of everybody laughing and talking. There were probably about eighty people in this room, all enjoying themselves.
"We really do have a large family." I sighed, smiling as I looked around at all of our friends.
"We really do." Carlisle said. "Family isn't always flesh and blood."
"This was the most perfect gift we could get." I said.
"Yes it was." Carlisle said as he kissed my temple. "Perfect."
A/N: I hope you all liked this chapter.
Reviews are a great Christmas present, so leave me a present and I will see you tomorrow!