A/N: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I'm glad you're all still interested in the story!

Sorry I'm so late (again), but I finally finished the chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or these characters.

Carlisle POV

The morning came too early once again, but I couldn't help but be excited for another day with our new family. Our first day had been laid back, and everyone seemed to be adjusting well. I just hoped it would continue.

I rolled to my side and opened my eyes. A smile came to my lips as I watched my beautiful wife sleeping soundly beside me. Her breaths were quiet and deep, so I knew she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. Her lips were curled into a small smile which showed that even in sleep she was happy, and I couldn't deny that I felt the same way.

I then looked to the little body that was sandwiched between us. Jasper had yet to sleep through the night, but I didn't really expect him to after all of the changes to his life, especially being in a new place. The tour Esme and Emmett gave was definitely a good idea and enabled Jasper to find his way into our room when he woke up in the middle of the night. He was so quiet that I didn't wake until I felt him trying to crawl onto the bed. Once I was awake, I pulled him over me and let him snuggle under the covers. I hated seeing the fearful expression on his face from waking up, but it was nice to know that he was comforted easily by being near us.

The second disturbance of the night came from Rosalie. The sound of her whimpers came through the baby monitor and woke me up, but Esme was way ahead of me. It was as if she was already attuned to Rosalie and knew when she needed her. While she tended to Rosalie, I listened to her soothing words through the monitor. It was always an incredible blessing to see, or in this case hear, Esme with our children. Being a mother was as natural as breathing to her, like she was always meant for that role. Carmen was like that as well which was why she was now the best nana, but there seemed to be something a little different in Esme. Her love was able to touch everyone she came in contact with, and I had a feeling her love was what would help Rosalie and Jasper heal.

Once Esme succeeded in getting Rosalie back to sleep, she came back to bed and cuddled close to Jasper. It seemed like they hadn't moved at all during the night, and I hoped it meant they were sleeping well. With Esme's arm around him, Jasper looked more peaceful than I had ever seen him. Apparently, all it took for him to sleep through the night was to be in between us.

As much as I wanted to lie in bed and watch them sleep, I knew I needed to get up and take a shower while I had a chance. Alone time and privacy were definitely going to be sparse for Esme and me which made taking advantage of this time vitally important.

I slipped out of bed slowly, careful not to disturb Jasper. Thankfully he didn't stir, and I made sure he was covered up before quietly leaving the room. I went across the hall to check on Emmett. He was also still sleeping, stretched out with his arms above his head just like he always had. The only difference was that two years ago he would have had us awake when the sun was up, but he was slowly losing his early bird ways. And now instead of having a chance to enjoy sleeping late, we had Jasper to wake us up every morning.

I smiled to myself, thinking about what Esme said the day before. It was like we were starting all over again with pacifiers, diapers, feeding, and sleeping. I had been honest in telling her I was more than ready for it all. Having to wake up early was a reminder that Rosalie and Jasper were home with us, and I would gladly give up sleep if it meant they were here for good.

After leaving Emmett's room, I went down the hall to check on Rosalie. She was always so vigilant when she was awake, and it was nice to see her at peace when she was sleeping. I gently moved her hair back from her face and leaned down to kiss her forehead. I wanted her to know how much I loved her even if she wouldn't consciously let me near her. The progress she was making was slow but still incredible to witness all the same. I knew one day I would gain her trust, and I couldn't wait for the day to come when I could show her exactly how a daddy, or any man for that matter, should treat her. Until then, I was going to save up my affection to shower her with later.

I stayed for a few more minutes, watching her sleep as she hugged her baby doll, before heading back to the bedroom. After grabbing some clean clothes, I went into the bathroom to start getting ready for the day. My shower was quick but still helped to rid me of the last bit of drowsiness. Once I brushed my teeth and shaved, I slipped on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt since I knew we weren't planning on going anywhere. I straightened the bathroom when I was finished to save Esme some work and then walked back into the bedroom.

I found Esme exactly as I had left her, but Jasper was now awake. He was sitting up as he rubbed his eyes, and Esme's arm remained partially around him. He didn't seem to be afraid, so I sighed in relief. Fear had no place in our house, and I always wanted our children to feel safe and secure.

"Good morning, buddy," I whispered to get his attention. His head immediately turned to look at me, and he smiled brightly. I smiled back and walked to the side of the bed. I held my arms out for him, and he wasted no time in crawling over so I could hold him. He wrapped his arms around my neck and laid his head against my shoulder as I rubbed his back.

"Did you sleep good?" I asked. He nodded and lifted his head, and I was overjoyed to see his happy smile still in place. I kissed his cheek and his forehead before he lazily laid his head against me once more.

I looked back to Esme and saw that she had turned to her side after Jasper was no longer beside her. She sighed and her breathing quickened so I knew she was about to wake up. I sat down on the bed with Jasper and scooted over next to her. The bed shifted slightly with the extra weight which caused her to stir further.

I leaned over and lightly kissed the corner of her mouth, and her small smile confirmed that she was awake.

"Mmm…you smell good," she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

"Thank you, sweetheart. You smell good, too," I chuckled as I nuzzled her neck. I kissed her once more, this time on her lips, and she readily responded. When I sat up, she opened her eyes and smiled.

"Good morning," I said, matching her smile. "How did you sleep?"

She closed her eyes again and stretched. "Good," she yawned. "I definitely missed our bed. It feels so good. How was your night?"

"Much better, even with our little visitor last night," I said as I kissed Jasper's temple. He turned in my lap so he was facing Esme and then reached for her.

"C'mere," she said and pulled him on top of her. "Time to give my baby some morning love."

She held Jasper's face in her hands as she kissed him and talked quietly with him. Jasper smiled and nodded as he ate up the attention. I loved watching them together and witnessing how easy it seemed to be. Jasper was opening up before our eyes, gradually becoming more and more comfortable with us. And Esme had no problem with spreading her love around to all three of our children. Nothing had every felt so right before.

"I think I'm going to take Jasper downstairs. Emmett and Rosalie are still sleeping, so you could probably stay in bed for a while longer," I suggested. Esme was busy non-stop all day, and I wanted her to get as much rest as possible.

"I can't go back to sleep," she said, shaking her head. "I think I'll just go lay with Rosalie until she wakes up. You don't mind waiting for breakfast do you?"

"Of course not, sweetheart." I leaned over to kiss her once more before standing up. "I'll go ahead and start the coffee, but you don't have to rush."

I walked to the other side of the bed and held my arms out for Jasper. Esme gave him one more kiss before letting him come to me. I carried Jasper into Emmett's room to change him so Esme would have a few moments of privacy. Emmett sleeping in the same position, but we didn't stay long enough to risk waking him. As soon as Jasper had a fresh diaper, we headed downstairs.

I went directly to the kitchen and started the coffee like I said I would. Caffeine was now a must to keep us going all day with three toddlers. After that was finished, I pulled three sippy cups out of the cabinet to fix the kids their morning drinks. I smiled as I looked at the new pink one. Buying the new cups was a spur of the moment decision, but I was glad I did. I hoped it would a little something to bring a smile to Rosalie's face, and I knew it would be an incredible feeling to know the smile was because of me.

After I set the cups on the counter, I went to the refrigerator to get the juice. Jasper had been watching my movements rather closely, so I decided to take a small chance.

"What do you want to drink, buddy?" I asked, not really expecting an answer. I had been trying to get him to speak more, but apart from a few random, single words, he had been quiet.

I stood with the refrigerator open as I waited to see if he would say anything. He appeared to be thinking, and I remained patient as his little mind went to work. I was about to close the door and assume he wanted juice when he decided to surprise me.

"Milk," he said proudly as he pointed toward the jug of white liquid. He grinned at me as if he knew I would be excited about him saying what he wanted, and I definitely was.

"Well, milk it is then, buddy," I chuckled as I hugged him tightly. "Good job using your words."

He continued to wear a proud smile on his face as I poured the drinks. I already knew that Emmett preferred juice in the morning, and Rosalie seemed to as well. I placed their cups in the refrigerator to wait for them and gave Jasper his milk before going to the family room.

I sat on the couch and placed Jasper on the floor so he could play with the toys that had been left out. He went straight for his stuffed dog, but instead of playing in the floor, he climbed into my lap. I had no issues continuing to snuggle with him, and we sat for a while in silence as he drank his milk and I ran my fingers through his curls.

After a few minutes, I noticed my laptop sitting on the table beside the couch. It seemed like a good idea to get some things done while the house was calm, so I sat it in my lap beside Jasper. He watched intently as I checked my e-mail, but since it was the weekend, my inbox was fairly empty.

Once I checked everything I needed to, I started browsing for cars. A new vehicle was on the top of the list of things we needed to have, but I wasn't sure which kind to get. Our cars were luxury vehicles, but safety was my main focus. I wanted whatever would keep my loved ones the safest no matter how much it cost.

I had narrowed the list down to a few choices to show Esme when I heard someone knocking at the front door. I glanced at the clock on the computer screen and saw that it was only a few minutes past nine. While it was late for us, it was still a little early for anyone to be visiting. No one had planned to visit us that I knew of, but I didn't want to ignore whoever it was in case it was important. I pushed the computer off my lap and on to the couch before standing up with Jasper and heading to the door.

When I opened the door, I immediately smiled upon seeing that it was my aunt. My smile fell, however, when I noticed what she was wearing. Her nice dress and high heels clued me in on what day of the week it was.

"Oh, Carmen," I gasped. "I completely forgot it was Sunday. I'm sorry, but I don't think we'll make it to church today."

She chuckled and shook her head. "Don't worry about it, dear. We never expected you to be there anyway."

I stepped aside so she could come in the house and closed the door behind her.

"I just wanted to drop by real quick instead of calling. I wasn't sure if the little ones would be awake," she explained.

"Jasper's the only one up for now," I said with a smile. "They let us sleep in a bit longer today."

"Is Jasper your early bird?" she asked as she held her arms out for him. I nodded and passed Jasper to her without any complaints from him.

I knew Rosalie and Jasper weren't comfortable being around strangers, and I was glad they had both accepted Carmen. I hoped that if we gradually introduced the other family members to their lives that they would slowly lose their fears. I had no idea if it would work, but at least they were all right with Nana's attention.

I stayed quiet as Carmen hugged and kissed Jasper. It was easy to see that she was on top of the world about having two new grandchildren. It was easy to see that we were all ecstatic about our new editions.

"So the reason I came by was to invite you for lunch," she said while bouncing Jasper on her hip. "Well, I would make lunch and bring it here. E can't wait to meet these two, and I thought it might be better if they could stay in a familiar environment. Is that okay?"

"That's sounds great," I nodded. "But I hate for you to have to go to all that trouble. I'm sure we can make something here or…"

"Nonsense!" she interrupted. "Now you know I take care of my babies when they have babies. Rosalie and Jasper might not be newborns, but I know it's still stressful. I'm going to help Esme the same way I help Kate. In fact, I'm actually doing less, so don't keep me from doing something I love, Carlisle."

I nodded and hung my head, feeling thoroughly chastised. My actions made her laugh, and she pulled me in for a hug.

"Dear, don't act like I just punished you. You get a good meal out of this, you know. Just say 'thank you' and get over it."

"Thank you," I chuckled as I hugged her. "I really appreciate everything you're doing for us, and I'm sure Esme does, too."

She stepped back and shrugged. "I love the opportunity. When I retired, I wanted to have the extra time for my grandchildren. I just never thought I would have some ten minutes away. Now I can love on them whenever I want." She kissed Jasper's forehead, but he was too busy playing with her earrings to notice.

Just then, the pitter patter of little feet filled the room, and I turned around to find Emmett heading toward us. When he made it over to me, I scooped him up and gave him a good morning kiss before he laid his head against me.

"Hi, little man," I said as I patted his back.

"Hi, Daddy," he yawned without lifting his head from its new position. He made no other effort at communication, but Carmen didn't seem to be offended.

"I guess I'll leave you boys to it," she said with a smile as she passed Jasper back to me. "I'll call you to let you know what time we'll be bringing over lunch."

I nodded, and we said our goodbyes. After she left, I returned to the kitchen to get Emmett's juice. Juggling both of the boys was a bit difficult, but somehow I managed to make it back to the family room without dropping them.

Emmett asked for Elmo, so I turned the TV on for them to watch. I pulled a blanket down from the back of the couch and placed over us as we snuggled together. Nothing could be any better than the feeling of contentment I had as I held my boys. Seeing the two of them together was also great. Emmett would laugh at something on the TV which would then cause Jasper to giggle along with him. They were so happy together, and I hoped it stayed that way. This was so different for Emmett who was used to having us all to himself, and I was just waiting for when the jealousy and possessiveness would begin full-force.

A few minutes later, Esme joined us with Rosalie. Rosalie had her head on Esme's shoulder, and Esme was cooing softly to her as she wiped tears from her cheeks. From my wife's guilty expression and Rosalie's pink nose, I could tell that she had just changed her. I hated that Rosalie still had to suffer even now that she was safe, and I hated that Esme hurt because of it. It hurt me as well, but Esme dealt with it firsthand. I was dying to wrap both of them in my arms to comfort them, but I knew it wasn't possible. Not yet, anyway.

Esme sat down on the couch beside me, leaving a small distance between us. I was able to place my arm around her, and she hummed in contentment when I began lightly massaging the space between her shoulder and neck. It was my own way of showing her without words that I understood how she was feeling and that I was there to support her. She turned to give me a tender smile, and I knew she understood my intent.

"How are my girls this morning?" I asked cheerfully. I wanted to lighten the mood because it was a happy day. Any day we got to spend together as a family was amazing.

"I think we're doing just fine," Esme responded as she kissed Rosalie's head. "Miss Rosalie here likes to sleep late, and I'm a-okay with that."

I chuckled and smiled at Rosalie. "Well you can sleep as long as you want, sweet girl, but I'm happy to see you. There's some juice waiting for you in the kitchen."

Rosalie studied my face carefully, as had been her routine. It felt like she was searching for any clue which showed I was a bad guy. I tried to let my expression show my all my love for her, and so far it seemed to help reassure her. After studying me, she looked up to Esme who was also smiling. Esme nodded to show her it was okay, and Rosalie finally conceded to going and getting the juice.

They headed to the kitchen and returned a few minutes later. Rosalie was making an ugly face as she drank her juice, and I looked to Esme in question.

"Apparently the medicine is not any good, huh baby?" she said as she sat down once more. Rosalie continued making faces, and I chuckled before praising her for being so good. She was definitely the most resilient little girl I knew.

We sat and watched Sesame Street as a family, and it made me want to stay home every day. I loved my job, but nothing compared to family time. We were all relaxed and at ease, exactly how I hoped we would be. Emmett did start to stake his claim by switching laps several times. He wasn't being rude, but he did make sure he had our attention. I wondered if we needed to speak with someone and get specific help. I didn't want to risk the relationship we had with any of them, but the situation had to be handled delicately. It was definitely something Esme and I needed to discuss.

"A minivan?" Esme whispered as we watched the program, bringing up yet another thing we needed to talk about.

I turned toward her and saw that she was looking at my laptop. I had completely forgotten about what I had been doing before Carmen dropped by, but I was glad Esme had reminded me.

"Would you want a minivan?" I asked curiously. I knew she preferred to drive something simple, but a vehicle with a large capacity was now a must.

"I hadn't really thought about it before," she said softly and then shrugged. "I don't know. It could be nice. It's very 'soccer-mom.'"

I could see in her eyes that the prospect actually thrilled her. Her dream of having a large family was finally coming true, and needing to drive a larger vehicle made it more real.

"Maybe we can go tomorrow to look at a dealership," I suggested. "The ones I was looking at had good safety ratings, but test driving might be a good idea."

"That sounds good," she said as she nodded. "But what will we do with the kids?"

"I bet Carmen would love to watch them. Oh and speaking of Carmen, she's bringing lunch over today after they get out of church."

Esme's look of surprise showed that she hadn't realized what day it was either.

"And she won't take 'no' for an answer," I added.

Esme shook her head, but smiled again. There really was no use in arguing with Carmen. She won every time.

By this time, Elmo was over and all of our stomachs were growling. We went into the kitchen, and I helped Esme make some oatmeal for breakfast while the kids played in the floor. Esme didn't really need help, but I always enjoyed our interaction when we did things together. Even if I wasn't very useful in the kitchen, it still made me feel useful to stand beside my wife as she told me what to do.

Breakfast was very similar to the day before. We had been blessed so far with good eaters, and Esme's cinnamon oatmeal received no complaints. Esme and I had to feed Jasper and Rosalie, but I didn't mind and I didn't think she did either. I loved their age. They were independent in some areas, but still had to rely on us in others. The prospect of watching Rosalie and Jasper learn and grow as we had with Emmett was exciting.

After breakfast, it was time to get dressed. Since I had helped Emmett the day before, Esme dressed him and Rosalie while I took care of Jasper. The boys had another identical outfit with Rosalie coordinating. I could tell Esme loved seeing them all together, and I did, too. Their matching clothes further demonstrated their new relationship as brothers and sister.

Once Esme was dressed, we went back downstairs for more playtime. Rosalie and Jasper had much more energy since they slept better here than at the hospital. Jasper was almost keeping up with Emmett, and that was an accomplishment considering how active Em was. Rosalie interacted more, too, as long as she was with Esme.

Our fun was paused when Carmen called to tell us that she and Eleazar were going to be coming over soon. I had Emmett and Jasper help me pick up the toys, and then we all helped Esme set the table. It was nice to see our table fully prepared for once since we normally went over to Carmen and Eleazar's when we ate together. But even then, it was never this full. The tiny changes in our life were just as special to me as the more noticeable ones.

When there was a knock at the door for the second time of the day, I couldn't help but be nervous. I had no idea how Rosalie and Jasper would react to meeting Eleazar, but I could only pray that everything would be all right.

Esme sensed my worry and grabbed my hand. "Don't worry," she said as she squeezed my hand in hers. "Everything will be all right."

I chuckled at her repeating my words, but she did make me feel better. I took a deep breath before going to the door with Emmett and Jasper following me. Emmett was excited to see his grandparents even though it hadn't been long since he last saw them. He was practically jumping up and down when I finally opened the door.

"Nana!" he squealed as he ran into Carmen and hugged her legs. "I misseded you!"

I pulled him back slightly so she could get in the door with the food she was carrying, but she was laughing at Emmett's actions.

"Well, someone is a bit more awake now," she chuckled. "I missed you, too Emmett. And so did Pops."

Emmett's grin widened, and I had to hold him back from running out the door. Thankfully, Eleazar entered right after Carmen so I didn't have to control Emmett for long. As Emmett received hugs and kisses from his Pops, Carmen said hello to Jasper before going to the kitchen to put the food down.

Emmett was talking up a storm as he told Eleazar all about his new brother and sister, but I was ecstatic to know that he was happy with the change. Eleazar listened attentively for a few minutes before turning to me.

"Hey, E." I held out my hand which he shook before pulling me in for a hug.

"Hey, Carlisle," he said as he stepped back. "How is everything going?"

"So far, so good," I smiled. "I think we're doing really well."

I reached down to ruffle Jasper's hair only to find that he was hiding behind my legs. He clearly felt threatened by Eleazar's presence, so I knelt down to try to reassure him. As soon as I was at his level, his arms went around my neck as he hid his face against me.

"It's okay, buddy," I said softly as I rubbed his back. "He won't hurt you."

I stood up slowly, taking him with me. He held on to me tighter, and was almost shaking. It was almost hard to believe that he could be so comfortable with Esme and me but not with anyone else. I hated that he was so scared, but at the same time, it felt good to know that we were different.

"Hey. I've got you, Jasper. I won't let anything happen to you." I continued soothing him, and Eleazar went back to listening to Emmett. I could tell he felt bad for scaring Jasper, but I tried to convey with my eyes that it wasn't his fault. This was just one of the many things that they would have to adjust to.

After a few minutes, Jasper finally calmed down enough to lift his head from hiding. I kissed his temple as he tentatively looked at Eleazar.

"Hey, buddy," Eleazar said softly as he waved and smile. "I won't hurt you."

"Yeah!" Emmett said proudly. "This Pops. He no hurt you, Jasper."

Emmett's reassurance seemed to work even better than Eleazar's as Jasper slowly relaxed in my arms. He made no move to get down, but it was still much better than him panicking. I was proud of Emmett for being so helpful, and I hoped he would continue to be a good example for Rosalie and Jasper.

Eleazar had to go back outside to get the rest of the food, so I took Jasper and Emmett to the kitchen to see what was going on. When we walked in, Esme and Carmen were standing by the table and talking. The food Carmen had brought in was already waiting on the table, and it smelled amazing.

"There are my boys," Carmen said once she noticed us. "Now I can get my hugs."

She knelt down and held her arms out. Emmett immediately walked into her embrace. Jasper was hesitant at first and didn't want me to put him down, but he was okay once he was in Carmen's arms.

"Is he okay?" Esme whispered to me.

I nodded. "He was just a little afraid of Eleazar at first. I think he'll be fine now."

Esme nodded and held Rosalie tighter. I knew she was afraid of what Rosalie's reaction would be, and I was nervous as well. It wasn't Rosalie I was worried about so much as Eleazar. She was strong, but I didn't ever want him to feel like he couldn't be around us. He already loved Rosalie and Jasper as much as the rest of us, and he didn't deserve to be left out.

When Eleazar came back, I helped him put the rest of the food on the table. Jasper remained with Carmen, and I breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that he was still calm even though Eleazar was in the room. Rosalie, on the other hand, was tense in Esme's arms and was hiding her face in Esme's neck. I had to smile upon seeing how alike Jasper and Rosalie were. They even had the same way of coping with their fears.

Esme continued what she was doing while humming softly to Rosalie. I was glad she wasn't panicking, and Esme seemed to have the situation under control.

Carmen helped the boys wash their hands, and then after the drinks were poured, we all sat down for lunch. Eleazar sat on the end opposite of me, and Carmen sat to his side next to Esme. Other than Jasper sitting a little closer to me than he normally did, everything went smoothly.

Carmen's food was delicious. Everyone loved her baked lemon pepper chicken and mashed potatoes. The broccoli casserole was also hit with the adults. Emmett had never really liked broccoli, but he ate the little bit that was put on his plate, albeit with a pout on his face. Jasper also didn't care for it, but I was able to feed him a couple of bites.

When Esme was able to coax Rosalie out of hiding, she ate well. Esme had to keep her arm around her protectively the whole time we were eating, but it seemed to be the position she felt the safest in. In my mind, it made sense. With Esme's arm around her, no one could take her away or hurt her.

After we finished eating, Carmen shooed us out of the kitchen and insisted on cleaning up. Esme stayed to talk with her, but the guys all headed into the family room. Emmett had Pops down on the floor playing with him as soon as he made it in the room. Eleazar was a good sport of course, and I sat down beside them with Jasper. Together, we built a fort out of blocks, and as we were playing, Jasper gradually became even more relaxed. Before long, he was interacting with Eleazar, and I could tell Eleazar was thrilled.

A little while later, Carmen, Esme and Rosalie joined us. They sat on the couch, and Esme pulled out the laptop for them to look at some of the things she wanted to get for Jasper's and Rosalie's rooms. I was glad that even though Esme wasn't working, she still had a chance to decorate like she enjoyed doing. Being a mommy came first with her, but there was absolutely nothing wrong with doing the other things she enjoyed. I supported her no matter what.

Rosalie remained wary of Eleazar's presence. She didn't try to move from her position between Esme and Carmen, but I saw her glance in his direction several times. I could tell she was trying to figure him out as she had been doing with me. She didn't stare at me as much anymore, but I still caught her doing occasionally. I hoped that seeing him with Jasper and Emmett would help Rosalie accept that Eleazar didn't want to hurt her.

After finishing our block fort, Emmett took joy in destroying it. I chuckled and shook my head at him but let him do what he wanted. As Emmett enjoyed his destruction, Eleazar got out of the floor and sat in the recliner. Jasper left Emmett alone, too, and came over to sit in my lap. He was rubbing his eyes, so I thought maybe a nap was in order.

"Are you tired, buddy?" I asked softly as I kissed his head. Instead of answering, he snuggled closer to me and yawned.

"Let's read a book," I suggested, hoping he would fall asleep while I was reading. Jasper nodded, so I took him over to the shelf which contained all of the picture books. I pulled a few out and let Jasper's pick out which one he wanted.

I was about to go sit on the couch with him when I had a better idea.

"Do you want to read the book with Pops?" I asked softly so only Jasper could hear me. He furrowed his eyes brows as he thought about it but nodded.

I smiled and kissed his cheek. He was making amazing progress in such a short time, and I couldn't' have been more proud. I carried Jasper back over to where we had been and placed him on the floor.

"Go tell him," I said as I handed him the book.

Jasper looked at me, and I nodded in encouragement. He finally started walking toward Eleazar and didn't stop until he was right in front of him. Eleazar seemed almost frozen with Jasper approaching him, but I could see the smile forming on his face.

"Book," Jasper said as he placed the book on Eleazar's lap. He started trying to climb into the chair, and Eleazar quickly recovered from his shock to gently lift Jasper into his lap. It took a few minutes for Jasper to get comfortable, but he did finally relax in Eleazar's arms.

I sat on the couch beside Esme, close enough that I could hold her hand. She looked at me with glassy eyes and nodded before going back to her conversation with Carmen. I followed her lead and sat quietly while letting Eleazar spend time with his newest grandson.

It didn't take long for Emmett to notice what was going on, and he climbed up to join Jasper in Eleazar's lap. Eleazar was over the moon of course, but continued reading and rocking slowly. Jasper was asleep in a matter of minutes which confirmed my suspicions that he needed a nap. By the end of the book, Emmett was also asleep which left the room very quiet.

I felt like the day had been a complete success. Eleazar earned the trust of Jasper, and Rosalie also began losing some of her fear. They would eventually have to get used to having more people in their lives, and starting with Eleazar was a good idea. He was a man and a stranger, but seeing the acceptance showed that healing wouldn't be impossible. Rosalie and Jasper still had a long way to go, but this was definitely a good start.

Before Carmen and Eleazar left, we talked to them about our plans for the next day. Carmen readily agreed like I thought she would, and Eleazar said that he would be home, too. Esme then took Carmen with her to change Rosalie's diaper so she would know what to do just in case. When they returned, Carmen was holding Rosalie tightly as tears streamed down her face. Rosalie actually seemed calmer than usual, but Carmen had taken it really hard. It was one thing to hear a story of abuse, but another to see it firsthand. The mood was lightened by Rosalie when she started patting Carmen's back. We all had to smile at seeing her be the one offering comfort. It was just another example of her amazing strength.

When Carmen and Eleazar did have to go back home, we put the boys on the couch to continue their nap. I took E's place in the recliner and read the Sunday newspaper while Esme tried to get Rosalie to nap along with her brothers. It was boring but so very perfect at the same time. We needed the time to put worries aside and just enjoy being.

I didn't notice that Esme's quiet singing had stopped until I looked up and saw her standing in front of me.

"Would you like to hold her for a while?" she whispered with a small smile. Rosalie was cradled in her arms, sleeping soundly.

I almost couldn't believe it at first. I hadn't even imagined being able to hold Rosalie for quite a while, probably months. The thought hadn't crossed my mind that I could hold her while she was sleeping. Esme was offering me an incredible opportunity to feel close to my daughter. Once I realized that, I nodded emphatically. Esme chuckled at my large grin, but I could tell she knew how much this meant to me.

My newspaper was immediately forgotten as I held my arms out. Esme gently passed her to me, and I held her the same way to keep her comfortable. I held my breath, hoping she wouldn't wake up, but after a few seconds of settling down, she snuggled against me and went back to her peaceful slumber.

I couldn't even name all of the emotions surging through me. I felt everything from joy to sadness to contentment…just everything. For once, Rosalie was trying to be closer to me, not farther away. My arms were the ones protecting her this time. I reverently held her little hand in mine as I kissed her fingers and savored every moment I had with her.

Esme watched us, her eyes filling with tears. But they were happy tears for once which were refreshing to see. After watching us for a few minutes, she continued with her online shopping since it was easier without having her arms full.

A couple of hours later, I did have to pass Rosalie back to Esme as she was waking up, but the joy I had felt never left. It remained all through our afternoon fun, dinner, and bed time as we sat on the couch together and read a book.

By the time we tucked our sleeping children in bed, Esme was laughing at the grin that seemed to be permanently stuck to my face.

"What's so funny?" I asked as I pulled Esme down to sit beside me on our small couch. She cuddled against me, and it was nice to have our old routine back.

"It's not really funny, per say," she said with a smile. "It's just that the simplest things make you so happy, and that's one of the many reasons I love you, Carlisle."

She sighed and cuddled closer, so I placed her legs in my lap. Her head lay against my shoulder, and I leaned my head over against hers as we sat in silence.

"You know, Rosalie's very lucky to have you for a daddy," she whispered. "You're exactly what she needs."

"I'm trying to be patient. I just hope it's enough."

"It's more than enough," she insisted. "I can tell she already loves you. Today was more than enough proof that you're even different from other men. She never completely relaxed while E was here, but she's fine being in the same room as you."

I had noticed the differences in Rosalie, but it felt good to have someone else acknowledge it.

"I that's one of the reasons I love you," I said as I kissed her head. "You always know the right things to say."

"But I learned that from you," she argued. "We just make a good team."

"We surely do." I kissed her head again, and we sat in silence once more until I remembered what I had been thinking about this morning.

"So do you think that we should talk to someone?"

"Like who?" Esme asked curiously.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I just want to make sure we're doing everything we can to help everyone adjust. There could be other things we needed to do differently or continue doing. Maybe Siobhan would be good to talk to?"

She thought about it for a few minutes before nodding. "I think that's an excellent idea. She works with women and children who are hurting every day, and she would probably have good advice as far for helping Rosalie and Jasper. I hadn't even thought about getting them any kind of help."

"Well, I'm not sure how much she can help them directly," I said thoughtfully. "They're so young. But I don't know. I guess it wouldn't hurt to go talk to her. We should call tomorrow."

Esme agreed, and that was the end of our nighttime conversation. We were both exhausted as we dragged ourselves upstairs. After checking on the kids one last time, we made our way to our bedroom to change into our pajamas.

I sat on the edge of the bed and waited for Esme to crawl under the covers. Once she was all set, I turned out the light and lay down to pull her to my side.

"Do you think we'll have another visitor tonight?" she whispered as she placed her head against my shoulder.

"I don't know sweetheart. Does it bother you? I can always put him back in bed with Emmett."

"Oh, no. It's fine," she assured me. "It's nice to snuggle first thing in the morning, and at least he doesn't kick or steal the covers."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." I couldn't keep myself from yawning, and my body relaxed further.

Going from one toddler to three was definitely exhausting, but so very rewarding. I loved our life before, but now it was even better. Knowing that Esme felt the same way added to the feeling of contentment. We had a full week ahead of us, but I couldn't wait to experience each new thing.

A/N: Okay so I guess I have good news and bad news. That bad news is that this chapter was two days late. The good news is that my semester is officially over, and my 4.0 GPA survived! Now I don't have anything school related to worry about (well, at least until Jan. 6!)

So in theory, I should have more writing time, but this time of the year is soo busy. I'll try to have another chapter ready by this weekend, but if I don't just be patient and it will be ready eventually!

See you next time! :)