Chapter 3

"Maybe we should start having a sort of school, or classes, for these children," Esme said, sitting across from Carlisle on their back porch. She looked down at Alexandra and stroked her peach fuzz hair.

Carlisle sat back in a semi reclined position with his legs outstretched and his hands behind his head. The last sunrays of the day were slowly creeping behind the trees, though a faint sparkle lingered on his skin, "That's a good idea. I want Masen to go to school."

"Could we get him into a college?"

Carlisle smiled, "I'm sure we could. I was just thinking if he could get a medical degree, all he would have to do to heal people was give them a quick handshake. It would be unbelievable. Then again, he could probably get a job doing anything in the hospital and have similar effect."

Esme nodded, "I'd love to teach little classes for these guys, and William and Maddy... others in the future."

"Do it," he said nonchalantly.

"I mean Masen didn't even know what the Lion King was. There are so many modern and pop culture things that just fly right over their heads because they age so quickly."

"There's just been so much that has happened over the last couple of years," he shook his head, "They do need to be educated more properly. Maybe you should try to do some type of schooling to catch them all up on... life."

"Pretty soon she'll be walking around, talking, and be at William's age... " Esme shook her head.

Carlisle checked his watch, "The game's about to start. I hope they haven't had any trouble with the sun. It stayed in most of the day but it's been out for the last half hour."

"They know how to avoid it," Esme told him. She stood up and the two of them headed inside. Carlisle flipped on the television and changed the station to watch the Mariner's game. The two of them sat comfortably on the couch with Alexandra still in Esme's arms.

William hurried in upon hearing the announcers and joined them.

"They should have invited you," Esme whispered, overhearing the conversation in the driveway from earlier.

"Pshhh I know," he said and put his chin in his hands as he sat forward on the couch next to her.

Carlisle laughed quietly to himself and looked over at Esme with a smile.

"I feel bad for Jacob," she said in a voice just about a whisper.

Bella had taken Renesme out after she'd returned a little calmer than she'd left earlier in the day. She still hadn't spoken to Jacob since their spat and he'd spent most of his day down at the reservation.

"They'll be fine," Carlisle assured her, "These things happen. Everyone has their share of arguments."

"I know, but.. I don't know, I feel bad for Nessy too."

He pulled her to him and kissed her temple, "They will work it out."

Edward entered the room and purposely squeezed himself in between them with a smile, putting an arm around each of them, "You'll go through this girly stuff with this little one some day," he snatched Alexandra from Esme's arms, "Bella's finally getting over her fear of that horrible pregnancy. Maybe we'll try for another one. She's been ga-ga over Alexandara." He looked over at William who still sat on the edge of his seat on the couch and laughed, reading his thoughts.

"You're hoping for a boy this time," William stated, "Named Edward, like you." His words came out as a combination of a question and a statement. He turned and looked at Edward, who stared back at him.

"What?"

"Isn't that what you just said?"

Confusion poured out of Edward's expression, "I didn't say that."

Carlisle and Esme looked at each other, also confused.

"But you weren't sure if Bella would still want to name him Edward Jacob or if she'd like Edward Jr."

Edward stared at him with his mouth hung open partway, "How'd you know that?"

William stared back at him, "I thought you said it."

He shook his head, "I was thinking it. I never said it out loud.. to anybody. Not even Bella."

"Hmm..." William's face looked a little thoughtful before he focused back on the game.

"Have you ever done that before? Can you read what Esme's thinking?"

William looked slightly bothered that they were interrupting the game for him. He looked momentarily at Esme, then back to Edward, "No."

"Anyone else?"

He looked over toward Carlisle and Alexandra, "Nope."

"What am I thinking right now?" Edward asked.

"If you know what I'm thinking right now, you'd... be quiet."

All three of them were shocked at his response. A smile escaped Edward's lips.

"Yes, I guess that is my mom's side rubbing off on me," William said in an unmistakable tone.

Edward laughed, "So you can only read my thoughts?"

Rosalie interrupted them and stormed in, grabbing William by the arm, "You have been fresh all day. Let's go. Game's over."

He started to fight back before Emmett's voice boomed from down the hall, "William!"

His body language changed immediately and he allowed Rosalie to pull him out of the room. "You do not be rude to your Uncle Edward like that," she scolded him.

Esme finally let a laugh leave her mouth, though tried to keep it as quiet as possible.

"He's definitely Rosalie's son," Edward laughed.

"Shhh," Carlisle said, trying to hold back a smile, "Don't get anything else started."

"What just happened?" Esme asked Edward.

Edward shook his head, still baffled, "I don't know. He was reading my thoughts as I was reading his. I don't know. He said he couldn't read what you two were thinking."

"Are you sure that's what he was doing?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes. Everything he said I was thinking. I never said any of that out loud in the past or to anyone. And then the last thing he said back to me about his mom's side rubbing off on him, that's exactly what I said to myself in my mind."

"But he's never done it before," Esme said, "And he couldn't do it to either of us." She looked at Carlisle.

He had a thoughtful expression on his face, "Do you think he can possess someone else's gift if they're using it on him?"

Edward and Esme exchanged glances. They both seemed to be thinking hard.

"I suppose so," Edward told him, "We should test the theory." He turned his head around to where Rosalie pulled him out of the room, "Rosalie!"

"I'm intrigued," she called back, "But it's going to have to wait." Her voice was full of anger as William continued to give her trouble behind closed doors.

Emmett continually intervened until his words indicated that William wouldn't be allowed to watch baseball for the next week. A short whine rung through the house that echoed from William's vocal chords. If this was any indication of how the week would go, it was going to be a high strung one.