A/N: Thank you so much for continuing to read and review! I have 82(?) reviews now, and I never would have imagined that response!
Enjoy the next chapter! (It's kinda long! :D)
Disclaimer: I still don't own these characters.
Song for chapter: When You Say Nothing At All by Alison Krauss
It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word you can light up the dark
Try as I may I could never explain
What I hear when you don't say a thing
The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all
Esme POV
I woke up early than I expected to. Emmett was still sleeping, and my brain was almost in overdrive. I was not looking forward to Carlisle going back to work. I knew it was impossible, but I couldn't help but think it would be nice to have him stay home all the time. The prospect of spending time without him almost seemed unbearable, but I was excited to be able to spend some more time with Carmen.
Our dinner with Carlisle's aunt and uncle was wonderful. I was so happy to see them, and they were just as happy to see me. I blended back into the family seamlessly. There was no awkwardness, and it didn't feel like I had been gone eight years.
I also couldn't be happier about their acceptance of Emmett. Carmen was already calling him her "grandbaby," and Emmett truly seemed to like being around her and Eleazar. They didn't judge me for having a baby even though I didn't tell them my story. I knew I wanted to tell them soon so everything would be clear between us.
Emmett started waking up which distracted me from my thoughts. I rolled out of bed and remade it before checking on him. He was trying to roll around like he usually did in his crib, but there wasn't anywhere for him to go. I leaned down to rub his back, and he turned to smile at me.
"Good morning, baby boy," I said softly. "Are you ready to get up?" He reached up for me, and I lifted him with my good arm. He needed to be changed, but I couldn't do it by myself, so I went to Carlisle's room.
The door to his room was open, but his bathroom door was closed. I could hear him getting ready, so I sat down on the bed to wait for him. Emmett moved out of my hold to explore the bed. I held his hand as he jumped and fell down repeatedly. He started giggling, which Carlisle must have heard because he opened the bathroom door. He was already dressed for the day in his blue scrubs, and I could tell his face was freshly shaven.
"Who's jumping on my bed?" he asked playfully. Emmett continued his play, and Carlisle came over and picked him up.
"Is Emmett jumping on my bed?" he asked as he threw him into the air and caught him. Emmett laughed and laughed as Carlisle played with him.
As Emmett calmed down, Carlisle kissed me good morning before I went into the kitchen to start breakfast and he went to change a diaper.
After breakfast, I unfortunately had to let Carlisle leave for work. He tried to reassure me, telling me it would only be until the afternoon. I knew I was acting ridiculous, but I still couldn't get over the gnawing feeling in my stomach. This would be the first time since finding each other again that we would be apart for longer than a couple of hours. I didn't want to make Carlisle feel guilty about going to a job he loved, so I collected myself enough to see him off with a smile on my face. Eventually, I would have to get used to him leaving during the week. Thankfully, his hours were not too bad and he generally worked the same shift all week. I reminded myself that we would have the evening together, which was my favorite time of the day anyway.
I was also worried about watching Emmett by myself. I was afraid he would need something I couldn't give him, or something would happen that I couldn't help with. I didn't worry for long though since Carmen showed up a few minutes after Carlisle left.
She helped me tremendously with Emmett: watching him while I got dressed, helping me dress him, and playing with him. We spent both spent the morning smiling and giggling with my precious boy until I put him down for a nap.
I knew it was the most opportune time to talk to Carmen, and she had waiting patiently, never pressuring me at all. We sat down on the couch together and she held my hand in both of hers. I think she could tell I was preparing myself for what I was about to say so she stayed silent until I was ready to begin.
I told Carmen the exact same story I told Carlisle in the hospital, not leaving out any details. It was different this time though, in that I actually broke down while telling my story. I had not allowed my emotions to take over before, and it felt really good. I never realized how tiresome it was to hold in my feelings until I didn't have to anymore.
Carmen proved to be a great support. She stayed silent the whole time I was talking, calmly stroking my hand with her thumb. I could tell when she was upset by either the angry expression on her face or the tears in her eyes, but she never interrupted. When I got to the happy part about Emmett and then Carlisle, she smiled with me and I was glad she found it as uplifting as I did.
Once I was finished, she pulled me into a long hug and told me how proud she was of me for staying strong in order to protect myself and my baby. I told her she could tell Eleazar if he wanted to know, and I was sure he did. As good as it felt to let go, I still didn't feel like going through the rollercoaster ride every day.
Carmen also assured me that Liam was an excellent lawyer and a very nice, respectable man. I had trusted Carlisle when he told me the same thing, but hearing it from someone else was nice. Carmen assured me that Liam would have everything worked out in no time. I could only hope and pray that this would be resolved quickly.
When Emmett woke up from his nap, I enjoyed some snuggle time with him while Carmen fixed lunch. We ate lunch together then went back to playtime. I could tell Emmett liked having the attention of more than one adult now.
Time went by quickly and before I knew it, I was standing at the door with Emmett, waiting for Carlisle to come home. As soon as Carlisle stepped through the door, Emmett squealed and reached for him. Carlisle dropped everything he was holding to swing Emmett into one arm and wrap the other one around me. He kissed us both repeatedly and I reveled in the feeling of having him back here again.
Carmen left shortly after Carlisle came home, promising she would be back the next day. I was glad we would be spending more days to come together. Not only was she good company and a great distraction for me, but she was also great with Emmett.
After she left, we sat down together on the couch. Carlisle held me against his side with Emmett in his lap. Emmett was soon bored with this position, so he got down in the floor to play some more. I asked Carlisle about his day, and he told me about it as he held me. He seemed to need the same contact from me that I needed from him.
I finally left his side to fix dinner. After we ate, Carlisle and I gave Emmett a bath and put him to bed. He had only had one nap, so I knew it wouldn't take long for him to fall asleep. Once we were sure he was asleep, Carlisle and I both changed into our pajamas and met up in the living room.
Carlisle pulled me down onto the couch with him and covered us with a blanket. He had fixed us a bowl of chips as well as some drinks to enjoy while we relaxed.
"So how was your day?" he asked as he turned the TV on to a random channel with the volume turned down.
"It was alright," I answered honestly.
"I missed you," he said while trailing kisses along my jaw.
"I missed you, too," I giggled. I loved it when he was playful.
"Did you enjoy spending time with Carmen?"
"I did. I told her everything, and she was very supportive like you said she would be." He smiled at me, and I continued. "I told her she could tell Eleazar. I'm just ready for everyone to know so we can move on."
"I know, sweetheart, and it will happen very soon. I promise."
Carlisle turned the TV volume up slightly and found us a movie to watch. I felt like we were high school students again. We often watched movies together on the couch at his house while we were teenagers. Doing this again felt normal, but it also felt long overdue. We remained silent, enjoying the movie and each other, both needing the time to unwind.
"Esme," Carlisle began softly, breaking our silence. "I hope you don't feel like a prisoner here."
I turned to look at him with a confused expression. I had no clue what he was talking about.
"It's just that I don't want you to think Carmen is babysitting you or anything while I'm at work."
I shook my head and smiled. "Don't worry, Carlisle. I enjoy her company. I haven't felt at all like she is just watching me while you aren't here. She is also a great help with Emmett."
"Okay good," he sighed in relief. "Feel free to let me know if you ever feel that way. I don't want to keep you locked away. I'll take you anywhere you want to go, and I'm sure Carmen will, too."
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind, but right now, I'm really fine with just relaxing around here."
"I'm glad you're happy here," he said as he kissed me. "I was thinking we can go pack up the rest of your stuff one afternoon this week. I'm sure Carmen and Eleazar will help us. Also, I heard how interested Carmen was with your work. Maybe she would like to help you shop for the apartment?"
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," I said with a smile. "We can look at some catalogues together to decide how I want to give this place a facelift."
Carlisle chuckled softly at me, and we continued to watch TV until the movie went off. We parted for bed as we always did, and I couldn't help but wish we had more time together.
The next couple of days followed the same pattern. I would get up and cook breakfast for us before Carlisle left for work. Carmen would arrive shortly after Carlisle left, and we would spend the morning playing with Emmett.
Carlisle was right about Carmen. She seemed to really enjoying looking with me for ideas on exactly how I wanted to decorate the apartment. We spent Emmett's nap time looking at catalogues and on the internet. We made plans to go shopping the next week to see if we could find any of the things I liked in stores.
The evening continued to remain my favorite time of the day. I loved the time I got to spend with Emmett and Carlisle, but I also loved our alone time after Emmett was in bed. I felt like we both needed the time to just hold each other in our arms. It grounded us to the present, and was a reminder of how far we had come in such a short time.
On Friday, Carmen and Eleazar treated Emmett and I to a lunch at a nice little diner. It was the first time I had seen Eleazar since he knew what had happened to me. He hugged me like he never wanted to let go, and a few tears were shed, but overall it felt good. I was glad we were all on a united front now, ready for whatever was to come in the future.
After our lunch, we headed over to my old apartment to begin packing. Carmen and Eleazar were only able to meet Maggie because Ben was working. Carmen and Maggie hit it off with each other immediately. I expected it with their matching exuberant personalities.
Emmett was happy to see Maggie and his toys we had left. We had enough people helping that we were able to keep him entertained while work still got done. Carlisle joined us we he got off work, and by dinner time, we had almost everything packed up and ready to go. Eleazar offered to bring his truck over the next day to help load up everything up and take it home. I mostly had boxes to take since the apartment had come fully furnished. The only big pieces were things I had bought for Emmett like his crib, high chair, changing table, and rocking chair.
That night, Carlisle and I were both tired from our full day, but we still sat together on the couch after Emmett was asleep. We curled up together, and Carlisle turned the TV on. I didn't realize I had drifted off to sleep until I felt Carlisle gently rubbing my shoulder. I looked at the clock and it was after midnight. Apparently we had both fallen asleep, so we headed off to bed.
Thankfully, Carlisle didn't have to work on Saturday because we both slept in later than we ever had. I was only woken up by Emmett jumping on me. He had lived up to his monkey nickname once more. His pack-and-play was positioned up against my bed, and he had managed to climb out and onto the bed.
It surprised me that Carlisle hadn't heard Emmett wake up since we both kept our doors open at night. But when I walked to his room, he was still soundly sleeping. I placed Emmett on the bed with him, and went to make breakfast.
Carlisle soon joined me in the kitchen. He was empty handed, but I heard Emmett playing in the other room.
"I woke up to someone jumping on me," he yawned as he pulled me in for a hug and kiss."
"I did, too," I laughed and went back to my breakfast making. "We must have been really tired to sleep this late." Carlisle agreed and started fixing Emmett a drink.
We had to hurry through breakfast since we were running late, but we still managed to make it to my apartment before Carmen and Eleazar. Everything was in order from the day before, so when they did arrive with the truck, it didn't take long to load everything up. Maggie seemed sad to have us leave for good, but I promised to still bring Emmett by and for us to go to lunch sometime.
At home, it didn't take long for them to unload everything. Eleazar and Carlisle set up the furniture in Emmett's room while I told them where I wanted everything. After that, Eleazar and I just stood back as Carlisle and Carmen got to work. I quickly figured out where Carlisle learned his organizational techniques; Carmen was just as bad as him.
When they were hanging my clothes in the closet, I didn't miss the look Carmen gave her nephew. He just nodded and they went back to work. I didn't really have that many clothes. Most of what I did have didn't fit well because I had bought it when I was pregnant. Before, I didn't matter since I didn't leave my apartment very often, but now I that I was able to get out, I probably needed some new clothes.
By late afternoon, everything was unpacked and organized the best it could be. There wasn't really any place for Emmett's clothes, so I added "dresser for Emmett" on my list of things I needed to shop for. After Carmen and Eleazar left, I silently roamed through the apartment. My things were effortlessly blended with Carlisle's and it truly felt like our home. There were touches of me in every room, and if it were possible, I would have loved Carlisle more for making me feel like I belonged with him in what used to be his space.
The rest of our Saturday was pretty low-key. Emmett was being his usual ball of energy. I liked to sit back and just observe him as he played by himself of with Carlisle. He was learning so much every day, and I found it hard to believe that I had only had him for almost 19 months now.
That evening, I was able to rock Emmett in the rocking chair now in his room. His new trend was now to skip his afternoon nap, so he was always ready to sleep when it was his bedtime. I almost rocked myself to sleep as well, but Carlisle affectively woke me up with a kiss. He placed Emmett in his crib, and he seemed to sigh at the familiarity. I knew it had to be more comfortable than what he had been sleeping in for a week. After making sure the nightlight was on, we turned out the light and quietly left the room.
As Carlisle and I sat together, our topic of conversation focused on the next day. Emmett and I were going to church with Carlisle for the first time. I was very excited about going, especially since I couldn't remember the last time I had been able to go to church. Charles rarely let me out of the house, and I wasn't allowed to have friends, so that ruined any chances of me finding a place to worship while I was in Ohio.
Carlisle assured me that I would fit in with the congregation, and that they would be happy to have me. It helped that Carmen and Eleazar would both be there which meant that I would know someone other than Carlisle. He also assured me that his friends would love me and Emmett.
I was a bit worried about how Emmett would behave. I had never taken him any place where he had to be quiet, and so I didn't know how he would react. Carlisle promised he would be fine, and if he wasn't, one of us or Carmen could take him outside.
I went to bed the second night in a row without taking one of my prescription pain pills. Over-the-counter pills provided enough relief for me now because I wasn't in that much pain anymore. Carlisle was confident that my ribs were healing well, and most of my bruises had faded or at least started to fade. I was also recovering the use of my fingers on my left hand again. I had an appointment on Monday morning with an orthopedic doctor, and I couldn't wait to find out what his medical opinion was on how long I would have to wear this cumbersome cast.
Sunday morning I woke up after a full night's rest. I looked over to the spot where Emmett had been sleeping, and was almost surprised to find nothing there. It would take some time for me to get used to him not sleeping in the same room as me. In my old apartment, there was only one bedroom so he was even with me then.
After I made the bed, I walked down the hall to Emmett's room. I hadn't heard him any during the night, so I assumed he had slept well back in his own bed. I was a bit surprised to find his crib empty. I was afraid he knew how to climb out, but nothing looked to be out of place in his room. If he had gotten out, I figured his first stop would be his basket of toys.
I headed back down the hall to look for him. When I passed Carlisle room, I saw that his bed, too, was empty. This relieved me; at least they were hopefully together.
I walked into the living room, and the sight before me made my heart melt. Carlisle was sitting in the recliner holding Emmett, who was drinking his morning cup of milk. The TV was on, and Emmett was happily watching Sesame Street with his free hand wound tightly in Carlisle's hair.
Carlisle turned to me and smiled when he noticed my presence.
"Good morning, Mommy," he said as I leaned over to kiss him.
"Good morning, Daddy," I whispered into his ear which made his lips turn up in an impossibly large smile. Carmen had started referring to him as "Daddy" around Emmett. I felt kind of silly for not thinking of that before. Of course Emmett would never say the word if he never heard it used in relation to anyone. Carlisle and I had talked about it, and we both wanted the same thing: for him to be Emmett's father. He already was in all the most important ways, so we were just waiting for Emmett to confirm it.
Carlisle put his arm around my waist and pulled me around and onto his lap next to Emmett. Luckily, his recliner was a bit oversized, so we managed to fit without anyone falling out.
"Mama," Emmett said happily as he leaned over to give me a sloppy kiss on my nose.
"Good morning, baby. What are you doing?" I asked him sweetly.
"Melmo!" he replied, using his sippy cup to point to the TV.
"I see you're watching Elmo," I commented as Carlisle rocked us all slowly.
"Milk!" Emmett was shaking his cup up and down showing me what he was drinking, and I was grateful the cup was spill proof. If it hadn't been, we would have had a big mess to clean up.
I sat with my favorite men for a few more minutes before I regretfully had to get up to head to the kitchen.
"Where are you going?" Carlisle asked me with a smirk. "You're going to miss 'Melmo.'"
"As much as I would love to watch another episode of that red, furry monster, I need to start on breakfast. What would you like?"
"Anything you want to fix is fine with me. Just don't forget we need to leave in about an hour and a half."
I nodded and headed to the kitchen. I went through the list of things I could fix in my head. I didn't want to cook anything too messy since we wouldn't have time to give Emmett a bath, and I really wanted him to be clean for his first trip to church.
I grabbed a bag of bagels and decided that would be my best bet. I toasted a couple of them plain, and a couple of them with butter and cinnamon sugar. I pulled out the cream cheese from the refrigerator and also some fruit spread. After everything was placed on the table, we were ready to eat.
Carlisle brought Emmett in and strapped him into his high chair. He whined at first, which I knew was because he had gotten used to eating in our laps, but he quickly calmed down once I placed some cut up bagel on the tray.
After we finished eating, Carlisle thanked me for breakfast and then started clearing the table and cleaning up Emmett. I went to start getting ready since it would take me the longest.
I took a quick shower and then dried my hair. I was getting better at styling it one handed. It still didn't look as good as it did when I used a curling iron, but it would have to do until my cast came off or until Carlisle leaned to style hair. I wasn't too sure that would ever happen, but he would probably try if I asked him.
My clothes for the day had been picked out the night before, so I quickly slipped on the green and white print sleeveless cotton dress with matching green cardigan over it. The neckline scooped slightly and the dress went to my knees. It was the only other dress I owned besides the one I wore to Carmen and Eleazar's for dinner, and I loved it. I was still a little bit self-conscious about my post baby body, but I didn't notice any visible bumps or bulges, so I decided I looked presentable. After slipping on my faux pearl necklace and earring set, I went to Emmett's room to make sure his clothing was laid out.
I knew exactly what I wanted Emmett to wear. In my opinion, the outfit was adorable: a white shirt and light blue check short-alls which had Noah's ark along with giraffes and elephants on it in smocking. Maggie and I had found the outfit at a consignment shop. I fell in love with it even though I didn't know if he would ever have a chance to wear it. I felt it was perfect for this outing.
Carlisle brought Emmett into his room when he heard me rummaging around. When he saw me, he told me how beautiful he thought I looked, and his comment put me at ease. We dressed Emmett together, and then Carlisle went to get himself dressed.
After Carlisle finished dressing in his khaki pants and blue shirt, which matched Emmett's outfit, we all put shoes on, grabbed Bibles and bags, and left the apartment. The church was close to Carmen and Eleazar's house, so the drive took a while. We had left on time, so I wasn't worried about us being late.
The church was fairly small, but that made the people much more welcoming. Strangers told me good morning and that they were glad I could be there, which made me feel like I belonged. Carlisle introduced me to a pair of his closest friends. Peter Reaves actually worked at the same hospital as Carlisle in pediatrics, and his wife Charlotte, worked as a nurse. They joked about her shadowing Carlisle often, just to keep some of the flirtatious nurses at bay. Peter and Charlotte obviously knew who I was, and I found out that Carlisle mentioned had mentioned me quite a few times to say the least.
We sat on the same pew as Carmen, with me in between her and Carlisle. She sat with her arm around my shoulder, and the dominant emotion on her face was hard for me to decipher at first. I finally decided it was pride. She was proud to have me beside her, which positively thrilled me. She even introduced me as her future daughter-in-law, and Emmett as her future grandson.
It felt so good to be back in church again. I had missed it so much while Charles kept me locked away from the world. It also felt good to be back by Carlisle's side in a place like where we had met. The first thing we ever bonded over was our faith, and it continued to be the cornerstone in our ever blossoming relationship.
Emmett was well behaved through the first half of the service. He enjoyed swaying to the music, some of it he more than likely recognized from DVDs and CDs we had. Once we had to stay seated for the second half of the service, Emmett started to become restless. We tried getting him to play with a few of his silent toys, but nothing worked. After stopping him from scaling the pew in front of us for the umpteenth time, Carlisle finally placed him in his lap and held him there. I was afraid the tantrum would begin soon, but it never came. Carlisle pulled one of the cups of juice I had prepared out of the diaper bag and gave it to Emmett while cradling him in his arms. A few minutes of gentle rocking left Emmett fast asleep against Carlisle's chest. I was continually amazed at how well he could handle my son.
Our son. He was not just mine anymore, and I loved it.
After the service, we went out to lunch with Carmen and Eleazar. Carlisle picked a small Italian restaurant for us to go to and the food was delicious. Emmett napped throughout the meal in Carmen's arms, but she had no complaints. We ordered a small portion of pasta for Emmett to eat whenever he woke up, and then paid the bill.
As we walked outside, Carlisle was talking softly with Carmen. After a few moments, Carmen smiled and nodded, and then Carlisle went to his car and removed Emmett's car seat. He took it to Eleazar, and I really wanted to know what was going on.
"Carlisle, what are you doing?" I asked as he secured the seat in his aunt and uncle's car.
He finished making sure the seat was in safely and turned to face me with a smile. "Well, I figured Carmen and Eleazar could take Emmett for the afternoon while we spend some time just the two of us."
I couldn't help but grin at the idea of spending time alone with Carlisle. We did spend every evening together, but it was nice being able to get out of the house and do something different.
"So where are we going?" I asked, not even trying to hide the excitement in my voice.
"I was thinking we could head to the mall for a little while. What do you say?"
"I say that sounds wonderful," I said while nodding my head enthusiastically. But then I looked over at Emmett and frowned.
"But what about Emmett?" I asked. I felt bad for leaving him while he was sleeping. I would hate for him to be afraid when he woke up in a strange place.
"Don't worry about him, darling," Carmen said. "We can call you if anything happens, but I promise we can handle it. Now shoo! Mommy and Daddy need alone time and Emmett here needs bonding time with Nana and Pops."
I agreed, knowing she was right. I never doubted their ability to watch after Emmett. They had raised two kids, so Carmen could probably teach me lots of things about motherhood. We made sure to give them Emmett's lunch and his diaper bag, then we went in our separate directions.
Carlisle drove to the nearest shopping mall, and I was practically giddy with excitement at just the prospect of window shopping with him by my side. After we went to the first store, I realized he had other plans.
We started out just looking around. This quickly turned into Carlisle picking things out and asking me if I liked them or not. That quickly turned into me trying these items on. I only did it to appease Carlisle, who seemed to be having a good time. Thankfully, he picked things that were easy to put on with my cast, and they were really comfortable. I modeled each outfit for him with ridiculous poses, and it felt good to act our age for a while. We were still young, even with a baby at home, and it was nice to be able to laugh and act silly together.
Carlisle of course approved of every outfit, and the next thing I knew, he was at the counter paying for everything.
"Carlisle, please. You can't buy me this much," I pleaded. "I can't ask you to spend this much money on me." I had no idea how much everything would cost. He made me promise not to look at the price tags, which I thought was because we were just having fun. I knew the store was not in my price range.
"Esme, this is really not that much," he explained while he paid. "I would buy the world for you if I could, and I still have many birthdays and Christmases to make up for."
After he finished paying, he took the bag off the counter, turned to me and smiled.
"Happy seventeenth birthday," he whispered as he kissed me.
I sighed and rested my forehead against his. I didn't really feel right accepting so much from him. He had already given me so much more than I could hope for, without even counting the material things. But he had once again made an impossibly sweet gesture, and I could never refuse.
"You too perfect," I mumbled.
He pulled back from me, his eyes sparkling. "Oh, I'm far from perfect," he said while shaking his head. "I'm just trying to be what I can for you. And I will mess up. But I've been planning things to do with you and for you in my head for many years. Now I get to make them real. So I'm not perfect; I'm just prepared."
He kissed me once more, and then took my hand. I knew we didn't want to cause a scene in the store, and not everyone would appreciate our very public mushy moment.
The rest of the afternoon went along the same lines. Carlisle and I would pick out clothes and I would try them on before he paid for what we both liked. I had to remind myself that he was doing it because he wanted to, not because I asked him, and I really did have a good time.
We made it to my twentieth birthday before we stopped to take a break. Carlisle got us come chocolate chip cookies to munch on with an extra to take home to Emmett.
Right before we left the mall, we went into a children's store to get a few things for Emmett. Carlisle explained that he had holidays to make up with him as well, and I just let him since it made him so happy. I couldn't help but notice Carlisle staring longingly at the girl section of the store. After his gaze went over there for the fourth time, I took his hand and led him to look at the little pink dresses.
He looked at each one with a smile on his face.
"I've always wanted a little girl, too," I said softly.
"Don't' get me wrong. I love Emmett with all my heart," He explained. "But there's just something appealing about having a 'Daddy's girl'."
"Someday," I promised. "Someday we'll have one."
He pulled me in for a kiss and held me tightly. I had a feeling the mall might kick us out soon for public displays of affection, but our love was so strong, palpable, that we couldn't help but give in.
"I don't think I can settle for one. Maybe two? Or three?"
I laughed at his idea, but couldn't disagree. A house full of kids sounded like was an excellent idea.
We finally left the mall much later than anticipated. When we went to pick up Emmett, Eleazar had already left for the evening service at church.
"Sorry we took so long," I apologized to Carmen as we walked in the door.
"Don't worry about. E is sorry he had to leave before seeing you, but you'll be back tomorrow." Carmen had already planned for us to have dinner with them every Monday night.
Emmett was very happy we were back, and ran to greet us with hugs and kisses.
"How was he?" Carlisle asked as he helped Carmen gather up Emmett's things.
"He was a good boy, of course. He even ate all of his lunch. We've just been playing and exploring most of the afternoon."
"You ate all your lunch, Monkey?" I asked him while he sat on my lap. "Thank you for being so sweet for Nana and Pops. We have something special for you when we get home." I was glad Emmett was well behaved, and he definitely deserved the cookie we brought him.
Carlisle and I thanked Carmen once more and then loaded up the car to go home. Once we were home, Emmett ate his cookie which gave him a sugar rush so Carlisle chased him around the apartment while I put away all of my new things.
The clothes filled up my closet nicely. I still thought it was a bit too much, but it was good that I had things to wear now that fit and were a bit more stylish than I was used to. I was making sure all the bags were empty when I found a small box in the bottom of one of them. I didn't remember seeing it before, so I carefully opened the lid. Inside the box was a pair of small white gold hoop earrings lined with tiny diamonds. They were beautiful and I couldn't help but gasp. I was about to go find Carlisle, but when I looked up, he was already standing in the doorway.
"I'm guessing by that expression on your face you found them?" he asked with a small smile.
"Their gorgeous, Carlisle, but you didn't need to get me anything else."
He just shook his head as he crossed the room. "Would you like me to help you put them on?"
I could only nod in response. He carefully removed the pearl earrings I had been wearing and placed them on the dresser. His face was priceless as he concentrated on putting the new ones in my ears.
After he succeeded with his task, he walked me over to the mirror and pulled me in front of him with his arms wrapped around my waist. He placed his chin against my shoulder, and we both smiled at our reflection.
"Merry Christmas 2005?" he said quietly, phrasing it as a question. I had a feeling he wouldn't keep up with the dates for long. I nodded and he placed a soft kiss on my shoulder and then one on my neck.
I turned to face him and then crashed my lips to his. We kissed chastely for a while, as we had previously, but then something changed. Carlisle tentatively ran his tongue across my lower lip. I immediately answered his silent request by opening my mouth slightly to him. This man consumed my every thought. I don't know if I ever could refuse anything he asked of me.
Carlisle remained careful as he slowly deepened our kiss. I had a feeling he didn't want to remind me of Charles, but this was nothing like I had ever experienced with that monster. When Charles had kissed me, it was always done hungrily and for dominance. Carlisle's kiss was full of passion and devotion, and as he cupped my face in his hands, I knew he cherished me.
His tongue gently explored my mouth and met mine. Together they danced, a slow intimate dance. He tasted like spearmint, with a hint of chocolate, I assumed from the cookies. I kissed him with fervor, like I could never get enough, and it was as if he felt the exact same way. We finally had to break apart to catch our breaths, and Carlisle wrapped me in his arms. We stood silently together, enjoying the closeness while staring into each other's eyes. I could see all the love Carlisle had for me in his eyes, and I hoped I was conveying my love for him in mine. We didn't need words. We never needed words to understand the feelings we had for each other.
We stayed in our bubble until we were brought back to reality with Emmett running into the room. Carlisle and I both laughed at the happy little boy who ran straight into our legs. He tried to hug us this way, but instead, Carlisle lifted him and placed him in one of his arms. The other he wrapped around me, and I placed my right arm around him. We remained in our embrace for as long as Emmett would allow with the love in such a small space almost reaching unbearable amounts.