"My love, my life." Carlisle said as he walked into the living area, he took my hands in his and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. I smiled at him and returned to the book I was reading. "I have been thinking, and I do think you have done so well that maybe you would be able to mix into human society."
"Really, you think I can handle it?" I asked unsure of myself.
"I do love." I stood up again and wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his jaw. "I will come with you for the first time, although we do have to try not to draw attention to ourselves."
"Where would go?" I asked, eager to leave the house and not just wander round the surrounding forests.
"There is a small, relatively un-known market tomorrow. I have been given an un-needed day off from the hospital and I thought we could go together."
"And depending on how I do, I'll be aloud out on my own?" I asked, making it sound like he was my father, but I knew it was all to protect us.
"Of course love."
The next day was wet and rainy and vey dark, Carlisle and I dressed in long coats, he wore a hat and I carried an umbrella. We walked slow, or what felt very slow for us, arm in arm around little stalls. There was stalls of every kind you can imagine, for such a small market. There were stalls selling home baked foods, fabrics, clothing, books and lots more. Carlisle went for the book stalls first, he searched through and through picking any medical related book out that he could and handing them to the lady behind the stall. I was waiting for Carlisle to finish purchasing his second lot of medical books when something on the stall opposite caught my eye. It was a white sofa, with an ivory wood finish around the edges. It had carved wooden legs from the bottom that led up the arms in swirls. I wandered over and began tracing my hands across the wood, around all the swirls. It felt rough in places like some of it was breaking away. "How much?" I called out to the man behind the stall, I obviously startled him, he hadn't seen my approach.
"S…sorry love?" he stuttered.
"How much for the sofa?" I asked, as I looked up at him a saw his eyed widen, I was holding my umbrella by my side and my face was in full view.
"Err… Err, for you fifty five dollars love." He said resting a hand on the back of the couch. I felt a hand on my shoulder, I looked up at Carlisle and he gave me a look that asked me to explain.
"I really like it, I hope you don't mind." I said staring up at his face. "I don't mean to try and change things." Carlisle smiled and put his hand into his pocket, pulling out a wad of notes. There was obviously more there than the man had asked for but he handed them over to the man anyway.
"Why thank you sir." The man said, not looking at Carlisle but thumbing through the notes and counting his generous tip.
"I will be back to collect it in a short while." Carlisle said addressing the man again.
"Yeah um hmm." The man muttered and continued counting.
Carlisle and I walked around a few of the other stalls, purchasing items here and there, mainly Carlisle purchasing things for me. It was just before we left the market that I spotted a book that seemed like it may interest me. It was book on the 'modern woman and her home', the cover was tattered and stained, obviously some women had tried the book and found in un-successful, but I thought I would give it a try.
A couple of hours later Carlisle walked into the living area carrying the sofa, Edward walking behind. Edward had gone back to the market with Carlisle to collect the sofa, putting on a perfect human ruse pretending that the sofa had been heavy to them (as it should have been) they carried it away from the market between the pair of them. "Where would you like it?" he asked still standing with the couch above his head.
"My room please." I said smiling, and following Carlisle up the stairs. As he placed it down in the centre of my room I walked to my closet and took out a load of the things we had bought at the market.
I worked in my room for about 3 full days, hardly leaving it. Edward and Carlisle didn't disturb me. Edward was studying or hunting, which was his routine now, all he seemed to do. Carlisle had been working back to back shifts at the hospital, claiming he needed the extra money so they would let him, and pretending to sleep in the hospital. I exited my room and headed down the stairs. The living room was empty, they were both out. I went back to my room and tried what I thought was the impossible. I lifted the couch above my head easily, I walked down the stairs with it and into the living room. I rearranged the furniture so that my new couch was the centre piece, and so it was close to the piano.
The door behind me opened and Carlisle entered the room. "Esme my sweet!" he said sounding amazed. He stood beside me with his arm around my waist, looking at my creation. The couch was now covered in a white satin, along with matching cushions that I had fashioned my self. The wooden edging that had once been rough and callous with the paint peeling of was now smooth and re-painted. Carlisle left my side and began to run his hand long the smooth wood that surrounded the couch. The light that was coming from the fire glinted in the sheen of the satin, casting orange dancing shadows all over it.
"It is perfect, it matched with the piano so well."
"That was my inspiration." I laughed.
"You must finish the job you have started." He said moving towards one of the chairs and dragging out of arrangement.