A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews! I'm actually on-time with this update, so yay me! I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, these characters, or the song lyrics.
Song for chapter: A Mother's Love by Dianna Ross
A mother's love is forever
A mother's love is free
It doesn't matter if you're good or bad
She's there for whatever you need
Esme POV
As we left the hospital, I felt as if I was leaving half of my heart behind. The feeling almost scared me; I didn't want to think about what would happen to my heart if things didn't work out the way we wanted them to. It would probably be just as difficult for Rosalie and Jasper. So far, neither one of them had asked for their mother, but I was sure they had some kind of bond with her. It was also obvious that they already seemed to have a strong bond with Carlisle and me. If they lost so many people in such a short time, it would more than likely be detrimental to their long-term recovery.
My mind was swimming with so many "what ifs" along with the long list of things I needed to do. Carlisle broke the silence of the car and the torrent of my thoughts with a reminder that one of us needed to call Carmen to see if we needed to pick Emmett up or if she was going to bring him home later. I quickly placed the call to my cheerful mother-in-law, and she volunteered to bring Emmett home later since he was still eating breakfast and wasn't dressed yet. I glanced at the clock to see that it was still midmorning. Our past few hours had been so full that I hadn't realized that it was still so early.
Carlisle drove straight home since we didn't have to pick up Emmett. My thoughts consumed me once more, and I didn't even notice that we were home until Carlisle was opening the car door for me. I smiled apologetically, but he didn't seem to be offended. He knew me well enough to know that I was always quiet and unobservant when something was on my mind.
We walked hand-in-hand into the house, but instead of letting go, Carlisle began leading me toward the family room.
"What are you doing, Carlisle?" I asked. "There's so much that needs to be done right now."
He shook his head and didn't let go until we were both sitting on the couch.
"The only thing that we need to do right now is sit on this couch," he said as he lifted my legs into his lap, and I scooted over closer to him, almost to the point where I was sitting in his lap.
"I missed you last night," he confessed into my hair. As I leaned over to rest my head against his shoulder, it registered in my head and heart how much I had missed him, too. Carlisle wrapped his arms around me and held me in a comfortable grip, and I settled against him blissfully. My husband had once again known what we needed, and I couldn't have been more thankful for his intuition.
"I missed you, too," I hummed. "Good morning."
"Good morning," he chuckled. "I guess I forgot to tell you earlier."
"That's alright. It was a bit…hectic this morning."
"I know. Are you okay?" he asked me in a serious tone. "I know it had to be difficult for you to watch Rosalie be afraid and not be able to comfort her right away."
"I'm okay." I patted his chest in reassurance. "It's Rosalie who I'm worried about."
It had taken everything in my power to sit back while the nurses restrained her to change her diaper. I knew she didn't like having her diaper changed and part of that was due to fear, but it was mostly because it made her uncomfortable. The nurses could have been compassionate when dealing with her instead of terrifying her even more. I was glad Peter said something to them otherwise I would have, but I knew for a fact that they got off a lot easier with Peter. No one would want to deal with me after messing with one of my children.
"I know what it's like to live in a near-constant state of fear," I continued. "But I was an adult. I have no idea what it's like for a child, and I just hope those nurses didn't set back her recovery. She and Jasper need to feel safe again."
"I think we're doing okay with restoring their feeling of safety," Carlisle said, and I lifted my head to find that he was smiling. "Rosalie seems to be very comfortable with you, and I think Jasper is fine with both of us."
"Oh, but you're Jasper's favorite," I teased with my own smile on my face. "I wish you could see him like I do. When he's with you, he lights up."
"But he likes spending time with you, too."
"I know, but I think he would prefer you to me right now. How did your night go with him?"
Carlisle sighed, but I could tell it wasn't an annoyed sigh. The longer I looked at him, the more I could see how tired he looked.
"Well, it was definitely long," he said with a bit of humor in his voice. "Jasper woke up every couple of hours. Peter seems to think that he was checking to make sure I was still there."
"See. I told you that you were his favorite," I said smugly.
"And I guess you're right as usual," he laughed. "So how was your night with Rosalie?"
"It was pretty calm," I said with a shrug. "I honestly expected her to wake up several times, but a nurse gave her a small dose of pain medicine which probably helped her sleep. She only woke up once, and even then she was much calmer than I expected.
She shed a few tears but was fine after I picked her up."
"Peter also thinks that they need contact," Carlisle interrupted. "He thinks they have been needing contact for quite a while now, and I agree. They seem to eat up the affection we give them."
"I'm glad we're able to help them," I said, turning serious again. "Carlisle, do you think we have a good chance of being able to bring them home with us?"
"I think we have as good of a chance as anyone else," he said thoughtfully. "We have the room and the time, and we're financially stable. We've also been through the adoption process before so we have the contacts we need."
"And, we've already started the process again," I said, becoming hopeful. "The only thing we have left is the home study, right?"
Carlisle nodded, and I could tell he was hoping right along with me.
"So I would say that's pretty close to being as qualified as we need to be. And we already have a bond with the kids. Who else could be a better choice?"
My voice rose with every thought, and by this time, Carlisle was laughing at my enthusiasm. I couldn't stop, though. We had hoped to bring one child into our family from an unfortunate situation to nurture and love. The prospect of bringing two home, two precious children that I already loved, was amazing to think about. My heart ached to help them, to show them that the world didn't have to be scary when a family was behind you.
"I do believe we are a good choice," Carlisle nodded. "We also have enough references if we need them. But there's not a whole lot we can do until tomorrow. I was planning to call Liam and Mary Randall this afternoon just to give them a heads up and see if they have any advice."
"That sounds like a good plan," I agreed. "What time do you have to be at the hospital today?"
"Three. I work until eleven, but then I go in at eight tomorrow morning." He punctuated his statement with a yawn, and I brought my hand up to gently cup his cheek.
"You're tired," I said softly as my thumb softly caressed the darker than usual space under his eyes. "You should take a nap before lunch. You really should be alert for work."
He turned his head to kiss my palm. "I've survived on less sleep than this during my residency," he murmered against my skin.
"I know." I leaned over to meet his lips with mine. Our kiss was short but ever so sweet and made my heart flutter the same way it did every time Carlisle touched me.
"But that was when you didn't have me to take care of you," I said once we had pulled away from each other. "You're tired and there's nothing for you to do right now. Please rest."
"Okay, sweetheart," he chuckled. "I'll go lie down."
I swung my legs off of him so he could stand, but he pulled me up with him. He held me to him tightly, and I understood his meaning. He wasn't ready to give up contact with me yet, but I felt the same way. It was pretty much a given that we would be spending the night apart again which made our short time together even more important.
"I love you. Thank you for taking care of me," he said and leaned down to kiss me. One kiss led to a second and a third, and I finally pulled away after the fourth.
"I love you, too," I laughed. "But you should probably go to sleep before Emmett gets home. I can't promise to be able to keep him away from you if you're awake."
Carlisle agreed reluctantly and let me go so he could head upstairs. As much as I wanted to nap with him, I actually had some things to catch up on. Easter weekend had been a little hectic, and housework had taken a backseat. The house was still presentable, but I wanted to make sure everything was in order while I had time.
I started a load of laundry and then went upstairs. Emmett's room didn't take very long to straighten up, and when I was finished there, I wandered into one of the empty bedrooms. I tried to plan out in my mind which room could be Jasper's and which one could be Rosalie's. I also wondered if they would want to stay together. They obviously had a strong bond, and I knew it was possible for them to be calming influences for each other. Being in a strange place was always easier with someone you knew.
All of the extra bedrooms were empty at this point, though. Furniture would definitely be needed for them as well as clothing and toys. Thinking about the prospect of adding pink and girly things to the house was very exciting, and I hoped Rosalie liked those kinds of things. If she didn't, that would be perfectly fine; we already had enough "boy" items scattered around the house.
Once the upstairs met my standards, I quickly looked in the bedroom to check on Carlisle. He was asleep, just like I hoped he would be, and his soft snores and lack of movement indicated that he was sleeping soundly.
I closed the door softly so I wouldn't disturb him and went back downstairs. The kitchen was the next thing to take care of on my mental list. I made sure the counters were cleaned off and the floor was swept. I also checked the refrigerator and pantry to make sure we had enough to eat, but they were both well stocked since we had bought groceries earlier in the week.
After the kitchen came the family room. It was the one that needed the most work since that was the room we were in most of the time. Emmett's toys were scattered around the floor even though we had special shelves and bins for them along one of the walls. I shook my head to myself as I picked them up, but I couldn't help but smile at the irony. We had the organization unit included to cut down on the clutter, but unfortunately, it didn't help any if no one put the toys away. I knew Emmett was going to be learning to pick up after himself very soon, and hopefully he would have a couple of helpers.
I was so absorbed in straightening the room that I didn't notice the time until I heard a door open and a pair of little feet running toward me.
"Mommy!" Emmett squealed as he ran into the room. I stopped what I was doing to kneel down and catch him as he flung himself at me.
"I missed you," he said and hugged me tightly with his arms around my neck. He leaned forward to kiss me, which I gladly reciprocated. I held him tightly as well before standing up and positioning him on my hip.
"I missed you, too, Monkey. Did you have fun with Nana?" I looked over to see that Carmen had entered the room, smiling as she watch Emmett and me together.
"Uh huh," he nodded and placed both hands on my face to pull it back so I could only focus on him. I tried not to chuckle at him wanting to have my full and undivided attention.
"Mommy, I sleeped in my bed, not Riley's. And Pops readed me a story bouts some aminals, and Nana played bubbles with me. And we didn't swim in the swimmy pool cause Pops said it too cold, but we had bacon for breakfast!"
I loved how verbal Emmett was. His innocent view of the world was always so wonderful to get a glimpse of.
"That sounds like a lot of fun!" I said with a large smile.
He started to talk again but stopped to look around. "Where Daddy?" he asked, still looking around the room.
"Daddy's sleeping so we have to stay down here and be quiet."
"But I miss him," he whined and jutted his bottom lip out in a pout that looked very similar to Corin's.
"I think you've been around Corin too much," I chuckled and acted like I was going to nibble on his lip. He finally laughed even though I could tell he didn't want to, and I placed him back on the floor so I could take his jacket and shoes off.
"Please, Mommy," he begged as he held his arms still so his jacket was easier to remove. "I be quiet."
"Will you be really quiet?" I asked him seriously, and he nodded. "You can't wake up Daddy because he has to work today, okay? You can go lie down with him, but don't disturb him, got it?"
"I gots it!" he said rather loudly, and I placed my index finger over my lips in a reminder. He copied me and nodded before slipping his shoes off and running upstairs.
Carmen was laughing silently at Emmett's antics, and I just shook my head with a smile as I put his things away.
"You can't keep that boy from his daddy," Carmen chuckled as she sat down on the couch.
"I know. But it was worth a shot," I said and sat down beside her. "Carlisle didn't get much sleep last night so he really needs the nap."
"How was your night at the hospital?" she asked. I could tell she wasn't trying to pry, but she was interested to know more about the situation we had placed ourselves in, especially after we had only given her an abbreviated version before we left.
"My night was fairly quiet, and I think Carlisle's was as well for the most part. Oh, Carmen," I smiled, "you are going to absolutely love Rosalie and Jasper."
I proceeded to tell her more about them, at least parts that I knew. We really had no reason not to share with our family since Carlisle and I had every intention of adding the children to the family. It would also be difficult to go from one child to three, but I knew Carmen would be around to help any time I needed her.
Some parts about Rosalie and Jasper's lives were difficult for Carmen to hear and difficult for me to talk about. I still couldn't understand how a monster could be so cruel to such innocent babies. I just hoped that the horrible and painful parts of their lives would soon be drowned out by the love we were giving them. Carmen, of course, was near ecstatic to hear about the bond we had already formed with the children.
"So do you think I might have two new grandbabies coming home soon?" she asked hopefully once I was finished.
"I think it's a good possibility," I said, not even trying to conceal my happiness. "They might even be discharged tomorrow depending on how things go with the social worker. Peter is only keeping them admitted until he knows for sure that they have somewhere to go."
"Those kids are very fortunate to have Peter as their doctor," she commented. "Very fortunate."
I nodded in agreement. Not all pediatricians would invest so much time into making sure their patients felt safe in and out of the hospital. We were also fortunate to have Peter as a friend. He was doing an incredible thing trying to find Rosalie and Jasper a home they needed while also giving us exactly what we needed in our lives at the same time.
"Just remember," Carmen said and held one of my hands between her. "Eleazar and I are here for you and Carlisle. We'll do anything to help you, darling. Just say the word, and we'll be right over."
"I know. I think we might actually need you this afternoon," I said, an idea coming to mind.
"Carlisle said something about letting Emmett come up to the hospital to play with the kids in his office. I'll have to talk to him first, but we might need you to bring Emmett as well as watch him until Carlisle gets off work since I don't get the feeling that he's staying at the hospital again tonight. We hate for both of us to be away from Emmett for very long."
"I'll be happy help," she said with a smile. "You can call me when you know for sure, and if you need us to watch Emmett for the whole night, we can, but I understand about being with him. His life might be about to change forever."
I sighed as I thought about the effects this would have on Emmett. We had already talked to him about bringing another child into our family, but it was all very hypothetical. He was agreeable to the idea, but it wasn't the same as it actually happening. Rosalie and Jasper would need so much attention, but I hoped Emmett would never feel like he was left out.
"We talked to Emmett a while back after we had started the process, but I just hope this won't be something negative in his life. It just feels like we're meant to do this, but I don't want to hurt him."
"You'll figure it out," she said and patted my hand. "Emmett knows that you love him, and he loves you very much. I'm sure the balance will come in time, as it does any time a new baby is born. We'll definitely continue praying for you, but I'm sure everything will be fine."
I was very relieved after our talk. It felt good to just be able to get out some of my fears and be met with unconditional love and support, the kind that only came with family. Our family was full of good listeners, a trait I considered invaluable.
Carmen left a few minutes later to allow me to get back to my cleaning. I finished up the family room and then headed upstairs to check on my men. I hadn't heard anything from my position downstairs, but I wanted to make sure Carlisle was still able to sleep.
When I made it to our bedroom door, I found it to be halfway open but everything seemed to be quiet inside. I silently entered and walked closer to the bed to get a better look. Carlisle was still asleep, and it didn't look like he had moved at all except to put his arm around Emmett who was snuggled against him, also sleeping peacefully. I smiled as I observed them for a few moments, but then left before my presence disturbed them. I planned to let them to sleep until lunch time unless one of them woke up before.
The rest of my morning was spent finishing the laundry. I did stop once to put some frozen potato soup in a pot to heat up for lunch, but other than that one break, my work was continuous. It was amazing how much laundry accumulated with our family of three, and I could only imagine what it would be like for a family of five.
I made it through all of the piles before starting on Emmett's. As I folded his pajamas, another idea came to me. Rosalie and Jasper had been stuck wearing the flimsy hospital gowns since they had been admitted. Different pajamas would definitely be more comfortable for them, and I wanted to do anything to make their stay at the hospital easier. I knew for a fact that there were a couple of old pairs of Emmett's pajamas pushed in the back of his drawer. They were still in good shape, but they didn't fit him anymore. I was glad that I hadn't had a chance to get rid of them yet since they would probably fit Jasper.
The only issue with my idea was that I didn't have any pajamas on hand for little girls, nor did I have time to go buy any. I thought about it for a minute and then decided to call Carmen to see if she happened to have any leftover from when Corin was little or any that Jane could wear now. Carmen proved once again that she was the best mother-in-law and Nana ever when she told me that she did in fact have a pair of pajamas that she had just bought for Jane. Not only did she offer to let me have them, she also informed me that she was about to go to the mall to get a few things for Rosalie and Jasper. I tried to tell her that the pajamas were enough for now, but she asserted her right to spoil her grandbabies. She ended the call with an "I love you," and promptly hung up before I could argue any more.
Her rapid ending of the conversation didn't offend me, and I shook my head while laughing as I went back to folding. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door, but when it opened without my answering it, I knew it was Carmen. She only stayed a couple of minutes, just long enough to drop off a bag before heading off on her mini-shopping spree.
Inside the bag was a pair of little pajamas that looked like they would be perfect for Rosalie. The bottoms were light pink with darker pink lady bugs on them, and the top was also pink with one big lady bug in the center. Ruffles lined the bottom of the top as well as both pant legs which made them look even more adorable. They smelled like laundry detergent, so I could tell that they had already been washed which was one less thing that I had to do.
I left the pajamas on the couch so they wouldn't get mixed up with the other laundry which I carried upstairs. It was almost time for lunch, and I planned to wake Carlisle and Emmett up after I finished putting everything away.
I saved the clothing that went in our room for last to give them as much time to sleep as I could. However, when I opened the door, I found that Emmett was already awake. He wasn't moving around, but he was singing softly to himself. My entrance didn't stop him, though, and he smiled at me before continuing his made-up song about Daddy, Emmett, ice cream, and babies. I stood and listened for a few seconds before realizing that he was singing to Carlisle who was still sleeping. He would pat Carlisle's arm every few seconds as he sang his little lullaby, and the sight almost brought tears to my eyes.
I quickly put our clothes away in the closet and went back to stand by the bed. Emmett stopped singing and sat up.
"Mommy, Daddy wake up now?" he asked hopefully.
"How about we wake him with kisses?" I suggested with a wink. Carlisle always liked to wake me up that way which I loved, and I knew he would probably appreciate it as well.
Emmett agreed, and we started placing light kisses on both sides of his face. Emmett's kisses quickly turned into slobbery raspberries, and those combined with his loud giggle roused Carlisle in no time.
"I'm awake, I'm awake," Carlisle mumbled as he smiled. He sat up slightly and rubbed his eyes before opening them. "Is that what it feels like when I wake you up?"
I laughed. "It's probably close, minus all of the moisture." I grabbed a tissue from the nightstand and reached over to wipe away the mess Emmett had left on his cheek.
Emmett crawled up into Carlisle lap and hugged him. "Hi, Daddy!" he said cheerfully. "I be quiet like Mommy said, but I miss you. We taked a nap."
"I missed you, too, buddy," he said and hugged Emmett tightly. "Thank you for taking a nap with me. Did you have fun with Nana and Pops?"
"Lunch is just about ready to eat. Come downstairs when you're ready," I whispered into Carlisle's ear as Emmett began telling him all about the fun he had with his grandparents.
Carlisle nodded and kissed me before turning his attention to Emmett, and it took that as my cue to head back downstairs. The soup was almost ready as I had predicted, and after I stirred it, I started making some toasted sandwiches to go with it.
I had most of the sandwiches finished an on a plate when Carlisle joined me in the kitchen carrying a still chattering Emmett. He looked a lot better after his nap, and I was glad I had convinced him to sleep. The nap also didn't hurt Emmett any even though he was now incredibly hyper.
As soon as I had everything ready, we sat down at the table to eat. In Carlisle's prayer to bless the food, he included being thankful for our little angels and asked God to continue to watch over them. I squeezed his hand letting him know that I understood who he meant. We now had three little ones to be thankful for and also worry about.
After lunch, Carlisle and I were able to spend some time playing with Emmett in the family room. We played until Carlisle had to start getting ready for work, and when he went upstairs, I had Emmett help me put the toys away. He was much more enthusiastic about helping that I had anticipated, and we were finished in no time.
Emmett and I joined Carlisle in the bedroom, and I let him roll around on the bed while Carlisle and I snuck in a quick conversation. I asked him how he felt about my idea for Carmen to bring Emmett up to the hospital to play for a while this afternoon. He liked my idea and also confirmed my suspicion that he was going to spend the night at home so Emmett could have some normalcy.
While Carlisle finished getting ready, I took a very fast shower and went to pack another bag for the night. I found the pajamas in Emmett's drawer that I had been thinking about, and I smiled as I thought how cute Jasper would be in the plaid, fleece pants and the green long-sleeved shirt with puppies on it. The fleece would also be good for the cold hospital rooms.
After both pairs of pajamas were packed in the bag, I added two clean sippy cups. Rosalie and Jasper could both drink from straws very well, but having a cup with a lid would make it easier for them to recline and drink at the same time, not to mention cutting down on potential messes.
Since he was leaving after his shift, Carlisle wanted to make sure I had a car at the hospital even though I didn't plan on going anywhere. So when we were ready to leave, we loaded up in separate cars. Carlisle drove straight to the hospital, and I took Emmett over to Carmen and Eleazar's house.
Carmen was not home from shopping yet when we got there, but Eleazar said that he had just talked to her and she would be home soon. The fact that she was still out shopping made me a little nervous, but I had to trust that she wouldn't go overboard. I didn't get to talk to Eleazar long because I was ready to head to the hospital, but he assured me that he understood and would talk to me later.
During this drive to the hospital, I felt no trace of anxiety about visiting with the kids. The only think I could think of was how excited I was to see them again even though we had only been gone for a couple of hours.
As soon as I found a parking spot in the deck, I made my way as quickly as possible to the pediatric floor. I walked down to Rosalie's room but was surprised to find it was empty. Completely empty. Both beds had even been stripped of their linens. I checked the number on the wall twice, but it was the right one. I was puzzled so I headed down to Jasper room only to find that it was empty as well.
I tried to remind myself not to worry, but I had no clue where they were. I hurried down to the nurses' desk and was about to ask one of them if she knew where the kids were, but then someone walked around the corner.
I let out a sigh of relief as Charlotte walked toward me. She was carrying Rosalie in one arm and pushing the IV pole with her other. Rosalie was obviously very anxious about being out among other people, and her posture reflected her feelings as she held on to Charlotte tightly and hid her face against her shoulder.
Charlotte smile when she saw me and nudged Rosalie to get her to look over toward me. When she finally brought her face out of hiding to look in my direction, her eyes lit up and she reached for me.
I was by their side in no time and had Rosalie in my arms. We hugged each other tightly for a few moments before she settled comfortable against me with her face hiding in my neck.
"I missed you, sweet girl," I said as I rubbed her back and leaned my head lightly against hers.
"She definitely missed you, too," Charlotte chuckled. "She's been asking 'Where May? Where May?' all day since you left. It was absolutely precious."
"She knows my name?" I was shocked that she actually knew. I assumed that she had only heard it said a couple times, but that didn't seem like enough for her to learn it.
"There's no question that she does," Charlotte assured me. "Jasper does as well even if he doesn't say it."
"Where is Jasper?" I asked as I realized that he wasn't with them.
Charlotte didn't answer at first. Instead, she motioned for me to follow her down the hallway she came from. I followed without hesitation, keeping close since she still had the IV pole, and I didn't want to risk pulling on Rosalie's IV.
"Jasper was with us, but then Carlisle got here," she finally said with a grin as we walked slowly. "It was like I didn't even exist once he saw Carlisle, and I'm not even sure where they are now."
I smiled along with her, and I hoped that Carlisle had learned that what I said had been true. Even though Jasper had been around Charlotte for days before he met him, Carlisle was still who he preferred.
As we continued walking, Charlotte explained that Peter had found a room large enough for Rosalie and Jasper to share, and they were already much happier with the new set up. Since they were feeling better, they were both getting restless after staying in the same room all day which was why Charlotte had decided to take them for a walk.
"Are you ready to go to the room?" Charlotte asked a few minutes later, and I nodded. "Okay. I need to c-h-a-n-g-e her d-i-a-p-e-r, and you can help me since I don't plan to ever ask any other nurses to assist me."
I agreed with Charlotte's idea. Even if Rosalie was still upset, it would have to be better without all the extra bodies in the room. I could tell she was nervous around a lot of people, especially ones that invaded her person space like the nurses during the morning.
When we made it to the room, I took a moment to look around as Charlotte gathered the supplies she needed. The space was much larger and included two cribs and a regular hospital bed. There was also a rocking chair which I knew would definitely be getting some use. I placed my bag down in the seat, but then remembered what I had in it.
"Oh Charlotte, I brought some pajamas for them. Would it be alright if I changed her after you're finished?"
"That's a wonderful idea. I'm sure she'll love to wear some more comfortable jammies," Charlotte said happily. She already her gloves on and everything was laid out and ready on the big bed. She patted a spot on the side where I assumed she wanted me to lay Rosalie, and I took a deep breath to prepare myself before walking over.
I started to lay her down, and as soon as her back touched the mattress, the crying began. I softly shushed her as I tried to pry her hands from where they had gripped my shirt. Once I was finally free, she continued to reach for me and her worried cries had already turned to sobs. I quickly walked to the other side of the bed and crawled over to lie beside her.
"You're okay sweetheart. You're okay," I chanted over her loud sobbing. It was heartbreaking to listen to, but it still wasn't nearly as bad as the sound of her screaming.
Charlotte got to work quickly, and I encouraged Rosalie to turn her head so she could look at me. Once she was looking, I placed my arm over her to try to make her feel safe but also keep her from moving too much which would make her fall off the bed.
My soothing words didn't appear to be as soothing to her as I had hoped, so I switched to singing. She had calmed earlier when I sang, and I was hoping it would work again. I picked the first song that popped into my head, which happened to be Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, and began singing softly. I purposely didn't try to sing over her, and my plan worked when she started to lower the volume of her cries so she could hear me.
I only made it through the song once before Charlotte stepped away from the bed. As she threw all of the used items away, I stayed where I was and continued to sing. When Rosalie's cries had finally dissolved to whimpers, I began placing soft kisses on her forehead and the tip of her nose.
After a few moments, she raised her head and realized the Charlotte was finished.
"Done?" she whispered and then rolled toward me.
"Mmhmm. You're all done, baby," I said and held her close. "You did so good."
I sat up once she was completely calm, and Charlotte came back over holding the pair of pink pajamas she had found in the bag. Rosalie was hesitant at first as we started changing her, but once the hospital gown had been traded for the soft pajamas, her happiness couldn't be mistaken.
I wrapped Rosalie in her fleece blanket and moved to the rocking chair, moving the bag so I could sit down. Charlotte made sure everything was still connected correctly on the IV, and then took one of the clean sippy cups to get her something to drink.
I wondered why Rosalie still needed an IV when Jasper's had already been removed. When Charlotte came back, I asked her.
"Jasper only had a saline drip," she explained as she handed the cup of cold juice to Rosalie who began drinking with vigor. "He didn't need it anymore since he's drinking enough to stay hydrated. Rosalie is on broad spectrum antibiotics right now to try to prevent her from getting an infection. We also use a special ointment on her cuts every time we change her diaper."
Rosalie tensed and stopped drinking when Charlotte said "diaper" which clued me in as to why she spelled it earlier. I kissed her head and ran my fingers through her hair to assure her that she was okay, and it didn't take long for her relax again.
Charlotte showed me the little tube of ointment and further explained that she would be sent home with some as well as a prescription for an oral antibiotic that she would continue to take for a few days. To me, this was just another good reason for the children to come home with us. I knew for a fact that Carlisle and I didn't mind dealing with any medications that might be needed, and I hoped the social worker would find it reassuring that Carlisle was a doctor.
Charlotte had to leave a few minutes later since she technically had other patients she had to help with even though she spent most of her time with Rosalie and Jasper. I still didn't know where Carlisle had taken Jasper, but I knew they had to be back soon since Carlisle was supposed to be working.
I started reading a book to Rosalie as we waited, and it was amazing to witness the signs that showed how much better she felt. As I read, she pointing out different pictures on the pages to either tell me what they were or ask me to explain. Her little voice was so sweet which matched her disposition. I quickly discovered that when she wasn't afraid, she liked to talk, not quite as much as Emmett, but still more than Jasper. Her giggle was also precious, and I hated that Carlisle didn't get to see the relaxed side of her.
Our reading was interrupted when Jasper came into the room, followed by Carlisle. He walked right to me and I helped him into my lap before hugging and showering him with kisses.
"I missed you, buddy. Where have you two been?" I asked, turning my attention to Carlisle.
"We were down in my office," he explained. "We would have been back sooner, but Carmen called while we were still there. Your cell phone was turned off, and she wanted to know if it was okay to bring Emmett in about an hour. I told her that was fine, so we should probably head back down there soon."
"Okay," I nodded. "But I need to change Jasper first. I have some pajamas for him, too."
Carlisle smiled as he looked at Rosalie and noticed what she was not wearing. "Oh, did you get new pajamas, sweetheart?" he asked her.
She had already gone back to being silent and pressing herself as close to me as she could, so it didn't surprise me when she didn't answer him. I was pleasantly surprised to see that she wasn't panicking even though Carlisle was within a few feet of us.
"Yes she did," I answered for her. "And Jasper's are in the bag if you want to help get him changed."
Carlisle went to look in the bag and didn't have any trouble finding the pajamas. He picked Jasper up out of my lap and took him over to the bed. I laughed to myself as I listened to Carlisle's one-sided conversation as he changed him. He was obviously trying to encourage Jasper to speak, and even though it wasn't working, it was still very cute.
A few minutes later, Jasper matched his sister- wearing his new pajamas and being bundled in his blanket. I stood up carefully with Rosalie, making sure to keep her comfortable and not tangle all of the tubing. Once I was situated, I followed Carlisle as we headed down to his office.
We made a stop along the way so he could fill a sippy cup for Jasper and then resumed our leisurely pace. Rosalie surprised me once again when she began staring at Carlisle. He would turn to smile at her every few minutes, but she never stopped staring. It was as if she was trying to somehow figure him out, but it didn't bother either one of us as long as she wasn't upset. I wanted my theory would be correct about it helping her to see that Jasper liked Carlisle, and it was a prime opportunity for her to observe since Jasper was very happy to be snuggled in Carlisle's arms.
When we made it to Carlisle's office, I sat on the sofa with Rosalie in my lap, and Carlisle placed Jasper beside me. Carlisle had already brought down a bin of toys from the playroom, and we soon moved into the floor to check them out.
As we played quietly in the floor, Carlisle worked on some paperwork at his desk. I was glad he had found a loophole to allow him to still work while spending time with us. Rosalie and Jasper played very well together and had no problem sharing. I could only imagine what would happen when Emmett was thrown into the mix. I hoped it would work out smoothly, but there was always the possibility that it wouldn't. Either way, we were about to find out.
A/N: So when I said that their lives were about to get busy, I meant it. This chapter was originally going to include playtime with Emmett and part of the next day. But I already have part of the next chapter finished now since I ended it here, so you might get an extra update for the week.
I'll try my best, but if not, I'll definitely be able to update next weekend! :)