Thanks for forty reviews! I also was asked to put more detail into this story, I will do my best to do so. Happy reading :)
Rose POV
I like looking out the window while Carlisle drives. When I lived with my mom and dad I used to spend hours looking out the window at the forest behind our house. I tried many times to draw a picture of the pretty scenery, but I wasn't great at art...even if I spent hours on one picture, it never turned out nearly as nice as the real thing.
Sometimes I missed my room. It was my favourite place in the whole house. My parents let me spend lots of time in it. When they worked, I often spent the whole day sitting on the window seat in my room; flipping through textbooks my tutor had given me that I struggled to read. It was lonely at times, but I found the solitude comforting. My mother told me that before I was born the bedroom was intended to be a library; when their friends started to have kids they moved out the shelves and put them in the basement, they redecorated the room but never got around to removing the window seat...so they just left it there. The old books were still in the basement; on days where I got super bored I would spend hours flipping through them looking for anything moderately exciting. I didn't ever have the nice books with pictures that Carlisle and Esme read to me.
Emmett and Jasper chatter excitedly about school tomorrow, while Edward grumbles and Samantha (or Sammie, which she said I'm allowed to call her) laughs at his pouting. Alice tells me the story about the last time she went to a movie theatre-which happened to be for her birthday party and also was the last time she had ice cream cake. I told her I'd never had ice cream cake before; and she declared to Esme that we had to buy some as soon as possible for me to try.
When we pull up to the restaurant everyone begins to pile out of the impressive black SUV. Edward tucks his hands into the pockets of his SeaHawks sweater as a strong gust of wind blows through the air. I'm grateful Esme made sure I had a warm jacket and mittens on before we left.
Today Esme braided my hair, and I tug on it nervously as we slide into a booth. When I agreed to let Esme do my hair I paid super close attention to everything she did so I could do the hairstyle on my own next time. Usually I did a very good job at looking after myself, but I decided that for the one time it was okay to let Esme help me.
The last time I had let myself depend on another person, it had ended poorly. When I was a baby I used to have a nanny I called , she used to be my favourite person in the whole world. She used to tell me stories-but not the kind you read out of a book (she used to call them legends.) My parents fired her when I turned five because I got too old and I had to start looking after myself. My mom and dad were furious I had become so dependent on , they always treated her terribly, but I would never forget the rude things they had said to her when they fired her once and for all. When my nanny left she took her cool stories and pretty smile with her. I was sure that without her I would have never properly learned how to look after myself.
I sit in between Jasper and Carlisle, while Esme sits across from me with Emmett and Alice. Edward and Melanie sit at a small table for two people next to the booth, they both seem thrilled to get their own spot.
Carlisle helps me pull my purple jacket off so I don't overheat, but keeps his distance when he kindly asks Jasper to do the same with his own coat. I notice the way Jasper is careful to keep his sleeves down over his arms, and I wonder if he is as broken as I am. Just maybe better at hiding it. I don't pry. None of the Cullen's were forcing me to talk about what happened to me, so the least I could do was give them the same courtesy. I like Jasper, and I don't want to upset him. I like Emmett, and Edward, and Alice too. I liked them all, and I think that anyone who has siblings should be very grateful for them. Especially if all siblings were like mine.
The waitress comes to our table and gives us all menus. She doesn't make me directly talk to her but she seems nice and even brings kids menus that have colouring activities on them and crayons for us to use.
My parents have never taken me to a restaurant that has colouring before.
The restaurants I had been to previously were the kind that you had to dress up fancy for, be extra proper, and keep your 'serviette' on your lap during the meal.
I had tried my best to look nice today. I'd worn a sparkly shirt of Alice's that she said I could borrow, and leggings with tall boots that Esme bought for me. She hadn't gotten me too many clothes yet, she said that she wanted me to come with her so I could pick out things I liked. The outfit was nowhere near as fancy as what I regularly would wear when going out-my mother would probably faint if she saw me out in public in anything but a dress-but I felt comfortable, and the few other customers in the restaurant didn't seem to be overly dressed up either.
Carlisle had suggested we go for a early lunch so we could beat rush hour and see the early showtime for the movie. All I knew about it was that it involved animals, but Alice seemed very excited so I was sure I'd like it. I had liked all the movies I had watched so far. I was glad for the small amount of customers in the restaurant, and that no one seemed to be paying much attention to me.
It was strange, that to these people I was just an ordinary little girl.
The restaurant was called Stacey's. Carlisle helped me pick out chicken fingers and fries, Jasper and I both thought the picture on the menu looked good. Alice chose macaroni and cheese, and we all laughed at Esme flabbergasted expression.
"I cook homemade meals everyday, we go out for lunch and you get macaroni and cheese!?" Esme exclaims but she's grinning so it's clear she isn't really angry.
Carlisle orders for everyone and I'm thankful I don't have to speak. The thought of saying even two words around someone unknown to me was enough to send panic racing through me like wildfire.
While we wait for our food Emmett teaches me how to play tic-tac-toe. Me and him play four rounds and I win twice, he tells me I'm really good for a beginner. Although I think he may have been taking it easy on me he seems to have enjoyed himself too. I like playing tic-tac-toe and ask Jasper if he wants to play. I have to really think about where I put my 'X's when I play Jasper, he's really good and I only end up winning against him once, I still have a really fun time.
The food is good. Like really good. We don't use a fork and knife to eat the chicken fingers, and Jasper tells me it's because it's 'finger-food.' I decide chicken fingers and fries is one of my new favourite things to eat.
I'm not able to finish everything that's on my plate (even though it's the kids portion.) But I shocked myself by eating anything, this morning I'd been completely frozen with fear at the thought of even going in public-let alone eating anything at all around strangers I don't know.
Esme takes a picture of me and Jasper. For once, I'm happy to have my picture taken. Esme tells us we can make goofy faces or pose in whatever way we want. When pictures were taken of me and my family it was always by a professional photographer. I used to model occasionally and I hated it with a passion. I decided I didn't mind taking photos that were 'just for fun' though. I actually kind of liked it.
We leave the restaurant before the lunch hour traffic arrives. Our waitress waves at us as we leave the restaurant and I even manage to wave back. After only one hour of being out I'm already filled with more happiness than I ever thought was possible.
Carlisle POV
I'm overjoyed at the small smile on Rosalie's face. I have to force myself to remember that Rosalie's placement with us was only temporary, although I want nothing more then to make her a permanent part of our family.
The line to buy tickets at the movie theatre is short. Rosalie looks at the couple in line in front of us and nervously grabs my hand. I pull her into the side of my jacket so she can be comforted by our closeness. Rosalie was surprisingly very tactile when it came to those she trusted. The closer she was to a loved one, the safer she felt.
We buy the tickets to Zootopia and I Esme takes the kids to get seats in the theatre. Rosalie stubbornly holds onto my leg so I take her with me to buy the popcorn. The lines are small as there isn't many people watching movies at 11:30 on a Sunday.
I let Rosalie pick out a bag of candy for her and the kids to share, she picks out gummy bears (which I know are also a favourite of Sammie's.) Before we head in to take our seat Rosalie goes bathroom, it's a one person bathroom so I close the door and tell her I'll wait right outside.
I check my texts and a man I'd noticed in the line earlier walks towards me, causing me to look up with a friendly smile and tuck my phone back into my jacket pocket.
"If you don't mind me asking, is that your daughter that just went in there?" He asks gesturing towards the bathroom.
I give the man a once over. He's probably in his thirties but he's a Latino so I know he's not Rosalie's dad.
"Yes. She is my daughter. Why do you know her?" I answer. My voice doesn't shake under the weight of the lie, I thought of Rosalie as my own child so the words were easy to say.
"No man. She just looked familiar that's all. I must have been mistaken." He says backing away. Those his eyes look unsure.
"Oh. Where did you think you knew her from?" I ask attempting to keep my voice light.
"Whatever man, I got mixed up. You're real lucky to have her. Have a good day." He says goodbye and walks away before I have the chance to ask him more questions.
I want to call him back but Rosalie steps out of the bathroom and I keep my mouth shut, not wanting to ruin the happy day.
"Is everything okay?" Rosalie questions, her eyes suddenly look scared.
"Everything's fine. Let's go watch the movie!" I answer, pushing away her worries.
She smiles at me and we join the rest of our family in the theatre. Sammie hugs Rosalie when she sees she's picked out gummy bears.
"You're the best!" She exclaims. Although Rosalie tenses up she handles the contact fairly well and it's over before she can worry about the physical contact too much.
Unfortunately I'm unable to shake the thought of the man asking me about Rosalie. Who was he? How did he know my little girl?
Until next time! Hope you enjoyed.