Chapter 14

"I think Emmett wants to go first," Carlisle said, smiling.

Emmett was indeed sporting a pleading look on his face, silently begging his two companions to free him from his suffering. Esme chuckled.

"He usually does."

She nudged her brother's arm affectionately. Emmett cracked a grin.

"What can I say, I'm an impatient man."

Esme laughed again.

"It is true that forbearance has never been your strength."

They all sat on the couch (Emmett had folded the blanket and put it as well as the pillow away ; Esme would have to retrieve the sheets and the pillowcase to wash them). Feathers had settled on the arm of the couch next to Esme and she stroked the feathers of her back. Her pet was rather shy, and, even though she knew both Carlisle and Emmett quite well, she'd kept to herself since they'd arrived to stay at her house for Christmas. She'd told Esme she liked that she enjoyed their presence here, keeping her owner company, but that she preferred watching and listening to them all together rather than partaking in their conversations.

Carlisle and Esme both retrieved Emmett's presents from the heap of boxes in disarray. Carlisle went first and handed the bag in which the cashier had packed the shirt when they'd told her it was a gift.

"An Arsenal FC shirt ! Thanks so much !"

He smothered Carlisle into a hug. Carlisle awkwardly patted his back.

"Esme had the idea."

"Thank you both !"

Laughing before his enthusiasm, Esme gave him the presents that came from her. The first one was two new controllers for his Switch (he'd complained that the orange one bugged sometimes and the joystick on the blue one was kind of broken – though it hadn't bothered them the day before, as he had two others and the orange one could work very well when it wanted to). Emmett was delighted. The second one was a photo album she'd filled with diverse pictures from their childhood she'd rediscovered in a crate in the attic. He opened the album and sifted quickly through the pages, an amazed look on his face as he tried to recall the context in which the photos that caught his attention had been taken, and remember the ages of the various persons in it.

"Wow," he finally said when he'd reached the end.

He looked back at Esme, eyes shining.

"Thanks a lot, Es. This is brilliant, I love it !"

Esme beamed.

"I'm glad you do."

She hugged him and kissed his cheek. Carlisle was watching them from the other side of the couch, a fascinated look in his eye. She smiled at him and he smiled back.

"Your turn, now, Esme," he said.

He and Emmett retrieved her presents and Emmett put down a large box in front of her. The shape already allowed her a fairly good guess of what it was. She carefully took off the several bits of tape that held the paper wrapped around it in place. Her first impression had been right : it was a new cage for Feathers.

"You've been using the same one ever since you bought Feathers, and it wasn't even new back then, so I thought I'd get you another one."

"It was a very good idea."

"Yes, thank you," Feathers added.

"Do you want to try it out now or do you want to stay on the couch ?" Esme asked.

"I think I'd like to try it, please."

Esme nodded.

The opening of this cage worked differently than the one she was used to, and they had to read the instructions to figure out how it worked. Finally, they succeeded in installing Feathers in her new home.

"Is it all right ?" Emmett asked.

"Yes, thank you for the present !" Feathers answered.

"You're welcome !"

He handed Esme her second present from him. It consisted of several books that she'd told him about and that she wanted to read.

"Thanks, Em," she said warmly.

"It was a pleasure, sis," he dismissed with a grin.

She hugged him again. She was pulling away when his phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID ; Esme sneaked a peek and saw the contact was named 'Rose ️'. Rosalie, no doubt, she thought with a smile. Emmett blushed and he told Carlisle and her :

"Sorry, I have to take this call."

"Sure, you can go in my room if you want privacy," she suggested with a grin that signified she knew who it was.

He smiled back, thanked her, and hurried away. Left alone together, Esme looked at Carlisle, who wore a puzzled expression.

"It's Rose," she explained with a smirk.

"Ah," he chuckled. "Should I give you the presents that are from me now ?"

She gave him a smile.

"Sure."

He handed her an envelope first. It was blank except for the words 'Merry Christmas, Esme', carefully scripted in his, unlike what they said about doctors, quite legible handwriting. She opened it ; it contained a note and a card. She got the card out to observe it more closely : it was a Tesco loyalty card. 'Clubcard : the power to lower prices', it read proudly. A laugh escaped her. She read his note ; he'd written Hope you'll let me benefit from it ;).

"Of course I will," she said, looking up and meeting his gaze. "I'd never dream of going to a Tesco without you."

He grinned.

"It would feel weird, wouldn't it ?"

"Yeah," she agreed with a laugh.

He chuckled with her.

"Thanks ! I have a feeling it'll be useful," she told him with a wink.

"I think so, too," he replied, before giving her a paper bag.

She looked inside and took out a bottle of shower gel, another of shampoo and a bar of soap.

"They're all supposed to smell like orange blossoms. I bought them because you told me you liked that perfume. I also thought you'd like the colour of the soap."

"You were right, it's lovely."

She smiled at him. He smiled back and passed her her last present from him. It was rectangular, not very thick, and wrapped in a pretty yellow paper decorated with white outlines of flowers. Had he remembered it was her favourite colour and done it on purpose ? She looked at him, moved, and his lips curved upwards into a slightly proud, magnificent beam. He seemed slightly nervous, though, certainly awaiting her judgement of his last gift. She gave him a reassuring grin (he shouldn't distress himself so much over unimportant matters) and focused back on the object in her hands. She delicately took the wrapping off (she would definitely add it to the collection she kept of the ones she liked) and her mouth fell open at the sight of what it hid. It was a painting, depicting a luxuriant jungle. The main subject was a macaw perched on a branch. There were slight differences (the beak was slightly bigger, the green of its feathers slightly too bright) but other than that, it was the spitting image of Feathers.

"Oh, Carlisle !"

"There's an artist who has a workshop near the hospital, and he puts some of his works or works of his colleagues on display. I walk past it everyday, and I enjoy stopping by and looking at what he's got. A few weeks ago, I saw this painting and, well… I just had to buy it for you."

"It's beautiful. I love it. I love everything you got me. Thank you so much ! You're very sweet and wonderful."

Carlisle blushed. She put her hands on his shoulders and kissed his cheek.

"You're welcome, it was a pleasure. I'm glad you like them."

He was smiling ear to ear, and so was she. She hugged him briefly before pulling away and saying enthusiastically :

"Your turn now !"

She practically ran to the tree and brought him his presents.

"Here."

He took the smallest one first, because it was on top of the pile. It was a little box. He took off the lid, uncovering two keys attached together by a metal ring.

"The smaller one opens the firewood shed in the garden," Esme explained with a jerk of her head in the direction of the shed. "The other one is a second key to my house."

He looked at her, speechless. After a while, he managed to articulate :

"For me ?"

She nodded shyly.

"You don't have to use it, of course, I just thought – in case you ever need something and I'm – I don't know – sick or something –"

"I feel – kind of honoured."

He grinned, and added :

"Thank you for giving it to me."

He had two keys to his house, maybe he should give her the second one. He had no need for it anyway. But would she want it ? There wasn't anything useful or that she might need in his house. Just moldy cereals (he really needed to throw those away) and an empty fireplace as only means of warming oneself up. He himself didn't spend much time there nowadays. He would ask her if she wanted the key, he decided.

She flashed him a smile and gave him his second present. Sandwiches. There were six, among which four were the usual Carlisle ate during his lunch break and two were the same brand but filled with smoked salmon.

"These look good," Carlisle commented.

"I thought so, too. Better than the basic ones you eat all the time, at least in my opinion. But I bought you your usual too, I noticed you've got only one left."

"That's true, I wanted to buy some yesterday while we were at the Tesco but I forgot."

"Well, now you have them."

"I do. Thanks."

He smiled at her, putting the sandwiches aside and she handed him two packed rectangular objects. He took the wrapping off the first one and his eyes fell upon a portrait of a teenage boy he recognized instantly : his little brother. He looked at Esme and breathed :

"You drew this ?"

She nodded.

"How…?"

"Thanks to the photos you showed me of him. Look at the second one," she suggested shyly.

He did as she said and discovered a magnificent drawing of himself and Edward. Carlisle was affectionately ruffling his brother's bronze hair. Edward was laughing. He had his eyes closed because of that and he was trying to defend himself. Carlisle was grinning down at him. The real-life Carlisle gazed back up at Esme. She was wringing her hands in her lap.

"Do – do you like them ?" she asked nervously. "Maybe I shouldn't have –"

Putting both works down on the small table in front of the couch, Carlisle hugged her wordlessly, and kissed her hair.

"They're both beautiful. You're very talented. I – thank you."

She rubbed his back and kissed his cheek. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Emmett came back into the living room, causing them to draw apart hastily.

"What did I miss ?"

They showed him the various presents they'd opened in his absence.

"Is that your brother ?" he asked when he saw the painting Esme had given Carlisle.

"Yes. He's – he's dead."

"Oh. I'm sorry for your loss."

He looked truly pained, and Carlisle gave him a small smile.

"Thank you," he said with feeling.

Emmett patted his back, a sad expression on his face.

"Let's talk about something else," Carlisle suggested.

Once again, he was dampening the mood when they should've been perfectly happy.

"I've got a present for you," Emmett said.

He went to the foot of the Christmas tree and picked up a rectangular present that looked like it contained a book. Carlisle's suspicions proved right : it was the second volume of the book he'd borrowed from Esme when he was sick. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Oh, thanks ! I wanted to know what happens next, and Esme too," he said. "I'll lend it to you if you want," he told her.

"Please."

They exchanged a smile, and he noticed (once again) that she had beautiful eyes. He had to look away from her enchanting face, though, and he did so with a pang of regret.

"Should we start preparing lunch ?" he asked after a look at the clock that indicated that it was a few minutes past 12 p.m.

"Yes, we probably should," Esme agreed. "At what time do you want to leave ?' she asked Emmett.

"I was thinking around 1:30 or 2 p.m."

"Okay. Well, let's get to work," she said with a smile, and they went into the kitchen.

Lunch was over, and Emmett was gathering his things in the living room. He would soon leave. Carlisle sensed he should let him say his goodbyes to his sister in private. He'd already imposed enough as it was.

"I need to go back to my house for a moment," he said quietly to Esme while Emmett was still busy with his suitcase.

"Okay. Please, will you –"

"Of course I'll come back after."

A smile bloomed on her lips and his mouth mirrored hers. He was happy that his guess had been right and overjoyed that she still wanted him around. He wanted to kiss her.

At that moment, though, Emmett joined them in the kitchen and Carlisle stepped away from Esme to stand before him.

"I have to make a quick trip back to my house, I think you'll be gone when I come back."

Emmett nodded and extended his hand. Carlisle shook it.

"It was a pleasure meeting you," he declared.

Emmett grinned.

"You too. Glad to know my sister's in good hands."

Esme rolled her eyes but smiled and Carlisle chuckled. It was rather ironic. It was Carlisle who was in good hands, not the opposite. Carlisle needed to be taken care of, and Esme assumed that role with infinite kindness. He wanted no one other than her.

"I don't know if you'll be able to, but we would be very happy if you came back on New Year's Day."

He looked back at Esme.

"Maybe at my house this time ?"

Emmett hesitated.

"Like you said, I'm not sure if I'll be free, but if I can, sure, I'd love to !"

Carlisle beamed.

"Wonderful. Well, see you, and have a nice evening tonight with Rosalie."

Emmett blushed.

"Thank you. You two have a good time together too !"

He winked. Both his sister and Carlisle reddened. Carlisle got closer to her and promised :

"I'll be back."

He took her hand in his and quickly squeezed it, giving her a smile which she returned, and, after wishing once again that he could kiss her, he let go and walked out of the house.

"Well," Esme said when they heard the door closing behind Carlisle, "what do you think of him ?"

Emmett grinned.

"You have my permission to date him."

"Emmett !" she exclaimed with a laugh.

"Seriously, though, I like him. He's nice and all, he's got a steady income, and he's very obviously head over heels for you."

"Stop talking nonsense."

"I mean, come on, Es, you guys touch each other all the time, you sleep in the same bed, and you're not sure he likes you ?"

"Well, I do know he likes me, but I'm not sure if it's in a romantic way. He's been alone for the last few years, drowning himself in work to try and get over the death of his brother. He needs company, and a constant reminder that someone's here for him. I do think he enjoys my company in particular, and that he wants me to stay with him. But that may be entirely platonic."

Emmett rolled his eyes.

"Es ! He's got little hearts in his eyes when he looks at you !"

Esme laughed. If only that were true…

"You're my brother, Em, you're bound to be biased."

"I don't think that's the case here."

She sighed.

"Anyway, let's talk about something else. Speculating won't get me anywhere."

"True," he admitted.

"This is for Rose, give it to her when you see her, please, Em," she requested, changing subjects abruptly.

"Sure."

He took the present from the hand she was extending and put it away in his suitcase.

"Tell her I miss her."

"I will."

"Tell her I'll call her soon."

"I will."

"Tell her you have a crush on her."

"I w – Esme !"

"What ?" she asked innocently.

He laughed.

"Nothing. But if I tell Rose, then you have to tell Carlisle."

She groaned and he laughed again.

"I'll think about it. I'll get back to you."

He grinned.

"Sounds like a deal."

"By the way, how did your phone call go ?

He blushed.

"Good. She — she told me she missed me and she's impatient to see me tonight.

Esme raised her eyebrows.

"You go, bro.

He laughed. There was a short pause, and he said he really had to go. She hugged him tight.

"It was wonderful having you here. I'll miss you a lot."

"Oh, Esme, I'll miss you too."

He kissed her cheek and they separated.

"Keep safe and in good health, okay ?"

"Will do."

"And come back for New Year's Day."

"I'll try to, I promise."

"Goodbye, Em. Have a nice evening."

"See you, Esme. Have a nice evening too. Call me tomorrow, okay ?"

"I will, and you better tell me everything."

"You too !"

One last hug, and he seized the handle of his suitcase and walked out of his sister's house.