A/N: Thank you so much for all of the reviews. They really make my day!

I hope you enjoy the chapter!

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

Esme POV

Bright summer sunlight filled the bedroom, but I didn't want to wake up. I was entirely too comfortable against Carlisle's chest to even consider moving. All of my muscles were over-worked, yet somehow felt relaxed at the same time. Since it appeared that Carlisle hadn't moved during the night either, I guessed that he was feeling the same way.

I lifted my head slightly, just enough to see Carlisle's peaceful face. His lips were curled up as he continued sleeping, so I gently laid my head back down so I wouldn't disturb him. We both needed to get as much uninterrupted sleep while we could; it was just too bad that I was now wide awake.

Being able to lie in bed without a child between us was very different from how we were used to sleeping. Being able to lie in bed without any clothes on was something we had never done, or at least not all night. I shifted my body ever so slightly and sighed in contentment upon feeling our skin-on-skin contact.

My whole body tingled as I tried to lie still, but I finally couldn't take it anymore. Our legs were tangled together, and I slowly moved one of mine so I could run my foot up and down Carlisle's leg. I also rubbed my hand gently over his light dusting of chest hair in sync with my foot as I waited for him to wake. After a few minutes with no results, I began kissing any part of him that I could reach, and I smiled against him when his breathing finally became shallower.

I continued my teasing but then gasped when he rolled to his side suddenly and pulled me closer to him. He kicked his leg over to hold both of mine in place which made it impossible for me to move, not that I wanted to.

"And what might you be doing, sweetheart?" he mumbled without even opening his eyes.

"I didn't want to be awake by myself," I said softly as I attempted to hold in the giggles I could feel trying to come out. "Good morning."

He chuckled softly before slowly opening his eyes. I was immediately captured by those eyes, my favorite gray ones. They were so clear even in the early morning and seemed to sparkle with happiness. I hoped my eyes reflected the same back to him because I was so very happy.

"It is a good morning," he said with a smile.

He brought one of his hands up to cup my chin before slowly pressing his lips to mine. I followed his lead and kissed him back slowly until he released me when we needed air. As we caught our breath, I rested my head against his arm and let the joy wash over me once more. Our night together had been exactly what we needed and left us with a feeling of contentment and renewal. It was amazing how one night could make our already strong relationship that much more secure.

As much as I was enjoying relaxing with Carlisle, I knew we needed to get up. Three months ago, I wouldn't have thought twice about staying in bed all morning and letting Emmett spend extra time with Nana and Pops. But now, we had Rosalie and Jasper to think of, and I was a bit anxious to find out how their night had gone. It had been their first time being away from us for the night since before we even brought them home from the hospital. They had always had at least one of us, and I just hoped that everything had been okay. Siobhan had encouraged Carlisle and me to take the extra time for ourselves, and she didn't think that Rosalie and Jasper's progress would be impaired by it. Our biggest fear was losing the wonderful progress we had worked to make.

With a sigh, I sat up slowly, and Carlisle followed me.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he rubbed my lower back and peppered my shoulder with soft kisses.

His touch was very distracting, but I tried to concentrate on answering him so he wouldn't think something was terribly wrong.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just worried."

"About what?" His kisses continued as he moved across my shoulders. I couldn't help but giggle when he nuzzled his cheek against the back of my neck. He chuckled softly, too, and I knew he did it on purpose since I had told him before that his hairy face always tickled me.

"Carlisle," I giggled, "I can't concentrate when you're doing that."

I turned the upper part of my body so I could face him, and he immediately captured my lips in another kiss. Yeah, he was definitely as happy as me this morning.

"Sorry," he whispered against me, but he didn't sound very apologetic at all.

Once we released each other, he scooted back to sit against the headboard and pulled me to sit directly beside him. He wrapped his arms around me, and we both relaxed against the pillows.

"Okay, sweetheart. I'm listening," he said before kissing the top of my head. "Please tell me why you're worried."

I smiled as I placed my hands on top of his which were resting against my stomach. I loved Carlisle's teasing and affection, but I loved him listening to me, too. It was always nice to see how well we communicated.

"It's nothing that serious. I'm just worried about Rosalie and Jasper, especially Rose," I confessed quietly. "It was their first time away from home, and I'm ready to see them to make sure they're okay."

"I'm sure they're having a good time, though," he said. "Have you checked your phone to see if there were any messages?"

I hated to leave Carlisle's side, but I had to scoot to the other side of the bed to be able to reach my bedside table. Once I grabbed my phone, I returned to snuggle against him as I checked for messages. Fortunately, or unfortunately, there weren't any. It was reassuring to see that Carmen didn't have to call us, but at the same time, I felt the need to know how they were.

"See, they're okay," Carlisle said as he gestured toward the phone. "But we can leave as soon as you want to go get them, all right?"

I nodded and turned my head to kiss his cheek. "I love you," I whispered into his ear. "Thank you for the wonderful evening and night together."

He smiled brightly and pulled my legs into his lap before hugging me tightly. "I love you, too," he whispered back. "And you're very welcome. Hopefully we'll have another night with just us soon."

I nodded against his shoulder, but was surprised again when he placed one arm under my knees and quickly stood up. Thankfully, I had my arms wrapped around his neck already so I knew I wasn't in any danger of falling.

"But for now," he continued as he walked toward the bathroom, "we still have a few minutes of just the two of us, and I intend to take advantage of it."

According to Carlisle, we didn't utilize our shower together enough either, which was a shame considering that it was just as much fun as our bathtub. After our shower activities, we washed each other quickly before getting out to dry off and get dressed.

I didn't really care what I looked like since I was in such a hurry. I grabbed the first pair of shorts I could find as well as a t-shirt and threw them on before pulling my hair into a messy bun without even drying it. Carlisle dressed similarly, and it didn't take long for us to be ready to leave.

I felt bad that I didn't make us any breakfast, but Carlisle seemed to want to get over there as quickly as I did. Our alone time was almost over- at least until the little ones' bed time- but we both missed them. It was definitely time for them to come home.

Carlisle drove as quickly as possible to Carmen and Eleazar's house, and we both jumped out as soon as he turned the van off. We did manage to walk to the door at a reasonable place while holding hands as we enjoyed the last few seconds of our time together.

We skipped knocking on the door and walked right in since they had left the door unlocked for us. Unexpected silence met us, and I looked to Carlisle in confusion. He shrugged his shoulders and slowly led us toward the den. It was almost unnerving to not hear all the children being noisy like that had been the day before when we left.

As soon as we entered the den, a smile stretched across my face. Carmen was in Eleazar's favorite recliner, rocking slowly with Rosalie in her arms. Rosalie appeared to be sleeping, and I felt like I was finally able to breathe again after seeing that she was at least physically okay. Carlisle and I immediately entered the room and sat down on the couch with me as close to the edge as possible.

"Good morning," Carmen whispered. "Did you have a good night?"

I felt myself blush but nodded anyway. "It was wonderful. Thank you for watching them. How were they?"

"How about I tell you later?" Carmen suggested. "For now, I know you want to hold your girl."

I nodded once more and stood up. Carmen rose as well and carefully passed Rosalie to me. I cradled her in my arms and sat down in Carmen's abandoned spot before shifting around slightly so we could both be comfortable. Rosalie began stirring slightly so I stopped moving in hopes that she wouldn't wake up. Her eyes fluttered open though, and I could tell she saw me.

"Mommy…hold me," she mumbled before her eyes slowly closed again.

My eyes were wide as I took in what she said. I held my breath, not knowing if I heard right or not. I turned to look over at Carmen, and from Carlisle's shocked face and her knowing smile, I knew that I had heard correctly.

"Carmen," I gasped softly. "Did she just…?"

"Yes," she said and nodded. "She started saying it yesterday evening. I went along with it, not sure if she actually meant you or not. But then I showed her a picture, and she identified you as 'Mommy,' so I knew that she was talking about you."

I closed my eyes tightly as I felt the tears leaking out, and I tried not to let my body rack with sobs. Rosalie had given me the best gift ever- the gift of being her mommy. I hadn't expected it to happen so soon but even more time wouldn't have been able to prepare me for the magnitude of the feeling that grew in me from hearing one simple word.

My heart felt like it was full to capacity with love for the amazing little girl in my arms. She had chosen me to be her mommy, a position in her life that another woman once held. But where she failed, I was going to succeed. I would protect Rosalie with everything in me, and she would stay safe.

After a few moments, I felt gentle fingers wiping away the tears that were steadily streaming down my face. I opened my eyes and looked up at Carlisle. His eyes were also filled with tears, but his smile said everything. Love, joy, surprise. We were feeling it all.

"I love you, Mommy," Carlisle whispered as he leaned down to kiss my forehead. I let out a shaky laugh and grabbed his hand before he could return to the couch.

"I love you, too, Daddy," I said softly. I looked up at him and tried to silently communicate to him that his time was coming. As much as I wanted to be 'Mommy,' he wanted to be 'Daddy.' I knew it would happen soon though, and I expected it to happen with Jasper first. Of course, Rosalie's declaration had proved that our children didn't always do what was expected.

Carlisle nodded and squeezed my hand. His bright smile hadn't faded, so I could tell that he did understand. He was already a master at remaining patient, and that fact hadn't changed.

After placing a kiss on Rosalie's temple, he turned to sit back down, and I noticed that Carmen was no longer there. I glanced around quickly and saw that she was standing in the doorway.

"I'm just going to clean up the breakfast mess in the kitchen," she explained. "There are coffee and donuts in there if you're hungry."

Carlisle looked at me and raised his eye brow in question. My stomach did feel a little empty so I nodded.

"Okay, sweetheart. Be right back," he said before following Carmen into the kitchen.

The room returned to silence, and I wondered once more where the rest of the kids were and Eleazar for that matter. It just seemed so weird for it to be so quiet, but if Carmen wasn't worried, then I figured I didn't have to be either. Instead of questioning it further, I decided to enjoy my time with Rosalie as she slept peacefully in my arms.

A few minutes later, Carlisle returned with cups of coffee for us and two donuts. We ate quickly, and it seemed we were hungrier than we realized. After polishing off one donut each, he returned to the kitchen to get a couple more.

While he was gone, Emmett came dragging into the room, rubbing his eyes as he went. He didn't say anything as he climbed into my lap next to Rosalie and snuggled against me. I wrapped my arm around him and rocked slowly as I waited for him to wake up more.

"Hi, Mommy," he yawned as he sat up.

I chuckled before giving him a kiss. "Hi, Monkey. Were you sleeping?"

"Mmhmm," he nodded. "Everbody's sleepin."

"Everybody? Even Pops?"

He nodded again. "Pops is sleepin in Nana's big bed wif Jasper and Riley."

I was starting to get a little confused. Emmett and Rosalie were both still in their pajamas, but they had apparently eaten breakfast already so they had been awake at some point in the morning. It was earlier than they normally napped in the mornings, but I still had no idea what they did last night. I was sure there was some explanation for why they were napping.

"Well, good morning, buddy," Carlisle said cheerfully as he entered the room. He brought me my second donut and then sat down on the couch with his arms open for Emmett. Emmett immediately slid out of my lap and went to sit with him.

Carlisle asked Emmett what they had been doing, and he gave us an ear-full. We heard all about ice cream, swimming, spaghetti, forts, and camping. He talked so fast that I couldn't understand the little details, but I could tell that he had had a good time.

"Did Jasper have fun, too?" Carlisle asked once Emmett stopped to take a breath.

"Uh huh!" Emmett nodded quickly. "Daddy, can we go get him? Please?"

Carlisle didn't really have a chance to say no as Emmett took his hand and started dragging him toward the bedroom. I laughed quietly, trying not to disturb Rosalie. It probably didn't matter since she hadn't stirred from Emmett's loud talking, but I didn't want her to wake up when she needed sleep.

I finished eating my donut, and Carmen soon returned with a cup of coffee for herself.

"So how were they?" I asked once more.

"They were just fine, of course," she insisted as she took a sip of her coffee and leaned her head back against the couch and closed her eyes.

"You look tired." She chuckled at my observation, but didn't deny it. "Did they keep you up all night?"

"Not all night," she said with a smile. "E had some crazy idea about them camping out in here. They made a fort out of blankets and chairs and put an air mattress on the floor to sleep on."

I looked around the room and saw the remnants of the fort. The chairs had been moved apparently, but the blankets were still laying around everywhere along with some random toys. It definitely cleared up Emmett's explanation of what they did.

"Who all stayed in this 'fort'?" I asked. It seemed like a fun idea in theory, but I couldn't imagine all of the kids sleeping there. I was positive that Rosalie had slept somewhere else.

"Well, five of them started out in there while Rosalie and I were smart and slept in the bed. But by this morning, I had Rosalie, Jasper, and Corin with me."

"Did Rosalie have any nightmares?" I asked hesitantly. She usually only woke up once every night at home, and I was always able to get her back to sleep quickly just by humming. I wasn't sure how sleeping in a new place would affect her.

Carmen opened her eyes and slowly nodded. "She had one," she said cautiously. "But we rocked for a little while, and she went back to sleep. Everything was fine."

"Did she ask for me?" It seemed I was a glutton for punishment. I hated the thoughts of Rosalie needing me when I wasn't there, but I wanted to know.

"She did," Carmen said with a small smile. "She went back and forth from wanting 'May' to wanting 'Mommy,' so I'm not sure how she'll address you now. There were a few tears shed, but I promise she was okay. I would have called you if it was serious."

I nodded in understanding, but I still felt a little guilty. I hated knowing that my baby had wanted me and I wasn't there for her. I trusted Carmen's assessment though, and I was excited to hear what Rosalie would call me.

"They were all up by 5:30," she continued. "That's why they're taking a nap. I wasn't about to have little cranky britches running around here or send any home with you."

"Thanks for that," I laughed. "Emmett woke up and he seems to be in a good mood. No whining yet."

"Good," she said, clearly proud of her idea. "You shouldn't have any trouble from Jasper anyway. He's such a sweet boy."

I definitely agreed. Jasper didn't say much, but it was easy to see his enjoyment of life and love in his clear, blue eyes. He was still shy, but the summer with the family had done wonders for him. He laughed and interacted more, often leaving us dumbfounded as to how he could recover so well. Siobhan warned us that repressed emotions could come flooding out at any point, but we were enjoying his happiness while we could.

Carmen and I continued to talk quietly about how our dinner was. Kate and Garrett were taking their time at the hotel, but I was able to assure Carmen that we had lovely time together. She also informed me of the rest of their shenanigans while we were gone. It seemed that we had missed a lot of loud fun, but our quiet alone time was just as enjoyable.

I stopped Carmen in the middle of telling me about Corin's latest dress-up adventure when Rosalie began to move around in my lap. I pushed the curls out of her face and slowly stroked her hair as she sighed and stretched until her eyes opened. My hand lightly cupped her cheek, and she looked up at me, her eyes growing wide and bright with recognition.

"Good morning, baby girl," I said cheerfully. "I missed you so much."

She continued to look up at me in awe, and I bit my lip to keep from laughing. How she was looking at me was too adorable, like she couldn't believe I was there.

"Hi, Mommy," she whispered before pulling the pacifier out of her mouth and puckering her lips.

Tears filled my eyes, and I let out a shaky laugh as I quickly pulled her up so we could share our usual morning kisses. I didn't stop at one, two, or even three. I continued placing kisses all over her face until she was giggling and pushing me away. She left her hands on either side of my face and stared at me some more.

"Oh, I love you, baby. Did you miss us?" I asked as I smiled at her. She nodded and wrapped her arms around my neck while her head rested on my shoulder. I placed my arms around her and held her tightly as I rocked her back and forth.

A huge weight was lifted off my shoulder after seeing that she was okay. I had worried that she would be upset upon seeing us or be angry that we had left her. Her exuberant reaction made the idea leaving her with a baby sitter every once and a while seem a whole lot brighter, especially if the same reaction happened again.

All of a sudden, our sweet moment was interrupted by a loud noise coming down the stairs.

"Oh my word," Carmen mumbled. "Brace yourself for the stampede."

I knew she was being playful yet serious at the same time so I kept my arms around Rosalie, and she turned her head to watch as we waited for the noise to reach us. A few seconds later, I was assaulted by many little bodies who were all trying to talk to me at once. There were three wanting to talk to 'Aunt Esme' and one trying to address 'Mommy,' but I had my eyes on my baby in Carlisle's arms. He had his arms out for me, so I quickly greeted all the little ones with a few kisses until they seemed satisfied and ran off to other activities. I had no idea how Carmen and Eleazar had keep up with all six of them; three was hard enough for us to keep up with.

Once the room was quiet again, Carlisle placed Jasper in my lap, and I showered him with kisses and hugs as I had with Rosalie and Emmett. I didn't need his words to know that he had missed us, too. I could easily tell by the way he smiled and tightly gripped my neck without wanting to let go.

Eventually, Emmett returned to the den and climbed into my lap alongside his siblings. We were used to him being territorial, and we all shifted around so he would fit. It was a little crowded, but I loved it. Nothing was better than having all three of them in my arms, especially when they were being cuddly and not pushing and shoving.

"Well, Ezzie," Eleazar sighed from his place on the couch next to his wife, "I have to commend you. I don't see how you and Katie do this on a daily basis. I'm dead tired."

"I know you had fun, E," I teased as we laughed at his statement.

He winked at me and nodded. Our life was a busy one, and Carlisle and I were exhausted at the end of the day more times than not. But we were incredibly thankful that we had been given this life, no matter how tired we were. I knew Carmen and Eleazar felt the same way and loved spending time with their grandchildren, even if they were now ready to sleep for a while.

We didn't have to wait much longer for Kate and Garrett to come home. They walked into the house their arms around each other, both looking as relaxed and happy as Carlisle and I were. The room became loud once more when Corin, Riley, and Jane greeted their parents, but they didn't seem to mind the noise. We spent a few minutes visiting with them before Carlisle and I both felt like going home. We would be back for dinner, but we really needed some quiet family time with just us.

I didn't even bother dressing the kids, deciding instead that we could all spend the day lounging around comfortable. Carlisle and I rounded up all of their things and said our goodbyes before heading out to the van. After we were all loaded in, everything felt right. The five of us were together again, and I couldn't have been happier.

Things mostly returned to normal after the 'sleepover.' Rosalie was clingier than usually for a few days but was fine after that. It seemed that our night apart had made our bond stronger instead of causing a set-back like I had feared. Rosalie and Jasper were able to see that every time we left, we would come back for them no matter how long we were gone.

Siobhan was very happy with how things were progressing for us when we talked to her at our next meeting. She was also ecstatic to hear that Rosalie started calling me Mommy. It was still sporadic, but she used the title at least four or five times a day which was more than enough for me. Siobhan advised us to continue what we were doing, and she didn't think it would be too much longer before we had both of them calling us Mommy and Daddy.

It was no surprise that she was right. About a week after Rosalie started calling me Mommy, Jasper referred to Carlisle as Daddy for the first time. He had been playing outside with Emmett and got a splinter stuck in his finger. It actually wasn't that bad, but it was enough for him to use his words so we listened. His cry for Daddy to fix it was unexpected and amazing, and I couldn't stop myself from crying happy tears. Carlisle barely managed to stop his own tears long enough to help Jasper with his owwie. He seemed to be almost floating in happiness after that, and I was right there with him. Jasper didn't have to say it every day; it was enough to know that he saw Carlisle as his daddy.

The rest of June flew by which brought us close to the end of Garrett and Kate's visit. It had been such a fun month, and we were all sad to see them go. In true Carmen fashion, she decided that she wanted to end the visit on a high note and roped us into helping her plan a Fourth of July party.

The party wasn't very difficult to plan since it mostly involved dividing up food duties between Carmen, Kate, and me. The guest list was short; only including our family. Peter had to work every day he could to get ready to take time off for the baby, and Charlotte was at the stage of being uncomfortable all the time and didn't want to come without her husband. Maggie and Ben were out of town as were Liam and Siobhan, so there really wasn't any one else to invite. Keeping it simple seemed like the best plan anyway to insure that Rosalie and Jasper would have a good time, too. We were making progress, but large gatherings were still out of their comfort zone and probably would be for some time.

The first week of July brought a heat wave unlike any I had ever experienced in the Seattle area. We were all thankful for Carmen and Eleazar's pool which was where we spent most of our days. When we weren't swimming, we tried to stay anywhere with good air conditioning, but that didn't provide much relief. Rosalie and Jasper spent a majority of the time wearing only their diapers, and no one blamed them. Even though Jane was already potty trained, she rarely wore more than her little character panties.

The heat didn't deter Carmen though, and she didn't let her plans get changed. Thus, the men were left to slave away in front of the grill even in the late afternoon heat.

"I don't see how they're doing that," Kate commented as we watched our husbands. "I'm dying out here, and we're sitting in the shade."

"I know," I sighed and wiped the sweat off my forehead. "I'm so tempted to jump back in the pool even if we'll be eating soon."

She nodded in agreement, and we turned our attention to the kids who were running around the yard. The sun and heat were very draining, and they had just woken up from their second nap of the day. Several of them were still in swim suits and seemed almost oblivious to the heat that their mothers were roasting in.

Their game of tag seemed to be almost never ending since none of them could remember who was "it," so my attention drifted to the rest of the backyard. Carmen and Eleazar had about as much land as we did, but they had a lot more play equipment than us. Of course, we had many more birthdays and Christmases to come which provided opportunities to add to our collection.

As I was glancing around the yard, I suddenly felt like something was wrong. Everything seemed fine with the men so I quickly focused on the kids. They were still running around, but then I noticed that Rosalie was lagging behind and looked…off. I couldn't really tell what was wrong from a distance, but I knew she needed me.

I jumped out of my chair and ran over to her as quickly as possible. When I made it to her, I knelt in front of her and pulled her into my arms. Her eyes were wide and panicked as she coughed and gasped for air and tried to cry, but she seemed relieved that I was there.

I had never anything like this before, but I had a feeling I knew what it was. Peter's words ran through my head, "calm her down quickly…she has asthma," and I knew I was right. This was an asthma attack.

"Shh. You're okay, baby. Can you calm down for me?" I moved the hair from her face, but my words didn't seem to help much. I wasn't sure what to do. I knew that crying was only making it worse, but it was hard to keep her from panicking when I was doing the same. I yelled for Carlisle, and he was beside us in seconds.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked frantically as he assessed the situation.

"I think it's an asthma attack. What do we do? She doesn't have medicine or anything!" I didn't notice the tears streaming down my face until Carlisle reached over and held my face in his hands. I looked into his eyes, and he nodded, silently telling me that everything would be okay. I took a deep breath and chose to believe him.

His face quickly shifted from concerned father to doctor, and it somehow made me feel even better to know that he was totally in control.

"Rosalie, baby," he said slowly. "Look at Daddy."

Surprising, she listened right away and turned her wide, scared eyes to him.

"You're okay. Just listen to what I tell you, okay?" His reassuring smile seemed to relax her ever so slightly which he noticed.

"Esme, sit her in your lap and put her back to your chest," he instructed me, and I immediately did as he said. "Good. Now, place one of your hands on her chest and hold her firmly against you. Not too tight. That's perfect."

The adrenaline pumping in my blood made it easier to do everything he asked without question. Rosalie was still gasping for air as her fingers tried to grip my thighs, but Carlisle seemed to put us both at ease with the way he was taking control of the situation.

He scooted closer to us until he was sitting directly in front of me. Not too close to upset Rosalie even more, but close enough so that she could only pay attention to him.

"Rosalie, I want you to breathe with Mommy. Make the air go in and out just like Mommy does. Esme, I need you to breathe slowly. In for three seconds and out for four, just like when someone hyperventilates."

I nodded, remembering how he had helped me when I had hyperventilated. I started breathing as he asked, and I could tell that Rosalie had understood and was trying to match our breathing. I closed my eyes and prayed silently as we continued, taking breaks to praise Rosalie for doing such a good job. Carlisle reached over and grabbed my free hand and slowly rubbed circles into my palm as he talked quietly.

"The bronchioles in her lungs are constricting and cutting off her airways," he explained. "If she had a rescue inhaler, the drugs would work to open up the airways again. But since she doesn't have one, we're trying to calm her down and basically force the air in."

The gently cadence of his voice was working to calm me down more than anything. I didn't need to know the specifics of what was going on. My baby couldn't breathe, and that was all I needed to know.

Carlisle continued talking to us, alternating addressing me and Rosalie. She had calmed down considerable and was no longer crying. Her gasping had also lessened as she worked to get air into her lungs. After a few minutes, her chest was moving at the same rate as mine and she was no longer gasping at all. She still wheezed with every breath, but I wasn't nearly as panicked since she was at least getting oxygen in.

"Mommy…" she whimpered, placing her hands against mine that was still resting on her chest.

"You're okay, baby girl. You're doing such a good job listening. Just keep breathing."

She nodded, and I kissed the top of her head. Since everything was under control, Carlisle headed inside to let everyone else know what was going on. The backyard was now empty except for the two of us, and I was grateful that the family had kept their distance so Rosalie wouldn't be overwhelmed.

Carlisle soon returned with a cool, wet rag and a sippy cup with some water. Rosalie was breathing well enough for me to remove my hand from her chest so I could wipe her face off and she could take a drink.

"She's okay now," he assured me. "But I don't think it would hurt to take her to the ER for Peter to check her over and give us a prescription so we don't have to go through this again."

"That sounds like a good idea. Should we go now?"

He nodded. "You go change her, and I'll let the family know what we're doing so they can watch Emmett and Jasper. I'll call Peter, too, so he'll be waiting on us."

I turned Rosalie around so I could stand with Carlisle's help. She rested her head on my shoulder as we headed into the house. I could tell she was exhausted from her struggle, but at least she was breathing better.

When we made it inside, I took Rosalie directly to one of the bedrooms where I had put our bag of extra clothes. I quickly changed her diaper and then dressed her in a clean t-shirt and a pair of shorts so she would be comfortable. Her hair was a mess, but she made me laugh by insisting a put a bow back in it. She was tired, but her personality hadn't changed at all.

Once I grabbed the diaper bag, I carried Rosalie to find Carlisle. He was in the kitchen talking to everyone, and they all seemed a bit shaken up. We encouraged them to go ahead and eat without us since we didn't know how long we would be gone. After telling them all goodbye and making sure Emmett and Jasper were okay with us leaving, we headed to the hospital.

Three hours and a breathing treatment later, we made it back to Carmen and Eleazar's house. Since Peter had known we were coming in, he tried to get us in and out as quickly as possible. I appreciated his efforts because the visit definitely wasn't fun for any of us.

Rosalie had not liked the idea of being at the hospital at all, and she let us know repeatedly and loudly. I knew she hated it, but it was our job to make sure she was taken care of, including things that weren't pleasant.

If Peter hadn't been there, it would have been worse. We didn't get lucky enough to have Charlotte, but the nurse he had assist him was very sweet and patient with Rosalie. Peter only did what was necessary including listening to her breathing, checking her air flow, and measuring how much oxygen she was getting into her blood. The levels were at a safe level, but her chest was still tight when we got there which led us to a breathing treatment before being allowed to go home with a prescription for an inhaler.

Rosalie fell asleep on the way home, so I carefully lifted her out of her car seat and carried her to the door. Carmen met us there with open arms and a worried look.

"How is she?" she asked as she hugged me.

"She's okay," I said softly. "She had a breathing treatment, and she's breathing well now."

"Did Peter know what caused it?"

"He thinks it was a combination of the heat and the physical activity," Carlisle answered. "As long as she takes it easy for a couple of days and stays hydrated, it shouldn't happen again."

Carmen seemed relieved as did the rest of the family when we told them how the doctor visit had gone.

Carlisle and I were both feeling sticky from sweat, so Carmen offered to take Rosalie while we went to wash off. I was hesitant to let her out of my sight, but a shower was sounding better and better. I finally convinced myself that she would be okay for a few minutes and passed her to Carmen.

While Carlisle started the shower in one of the downstairs bathrooms, I grabbed us some fresh clothes and went to join him. We shed our clothes and stepped under the warm spray together. I needed contact so I immediately molded myself to Carlisle's body. There wasn't anything sexual about our shower; just the two of us finding comfort after such a stressful experience.

"I was so scared," I confessed into his chest.

"I know, but she's fine." He ran his fingers through my hair and held me close.

"But what if we had been too late to help her? She couldn't breathe! We could have lost her…"

My voice broke, but Carlisle lips were suddenly attached to mine as he swallowed my cries. He shushed me softly in between kisses, and I felt my body slowly relaxing as it let off all the tension I had been feeling in the past few hours.

Once he released me, he rested his forehead against mine, and we stood beneath the water without saying anything else. When we finally moved, we washed each other off before turning the water off and stepping out. We dried off and dressed quickly before I hugged him again.

"Losing a child is a parent's worst nightmare," he mumbled into my hair. "But we didn't. Rosalie is fine and is sleeping downstairs. We haven't dwelled on the 'what ifs?' before, and we can't do that now."

I nodded and stepped back. "You were great, you know? It's because of you that's she's okay right now."

"We made a good team," he amended. "I was just glad that Rosalie listened to me. She was such a brave girl."

"You referred to yourself as 'Daddy' to her. Did you notice that?" I asked with a smile.

He shook his head and returned my smile. "I guess I'm just used to it with the boys. She didn't protest though, did she?"

"No she didn't. See, we made more progress. You're going to be hugging that baby before you know it!"

He immediately picked me up, and I laughed as he spun me around in a circle. Even through the bad, we had found a little piece of good.

After he put me down, we headed back downstairs to join the rest of the family. I held Rosalie once more, needing to feel her safe and breathing in my arms. The adults sat in the dining room with us and talked while we ate. The hamburgers and hot dogs were still delicious even after having to wait a few hours to eat them. Rosalie woke up while we were eating, and Carmen fixed her a plate with a hot dog and some chips and fruit. She ate it all, and I was very happy to see that her appetite had not been affected.

With our stomachs all full, we went to sit outside on the grass to watch the fireworks that the neighbors were setting off. It was a lot cooler since the sun had gone down and we were all able to stretch out comfortably. The kids were all mesmerized by the fireworks, and the adult were all amazed by how still they were sitting. Rosalie and Jasper didn't like the loud noise the fireworks made, but after Carlisle and I placed her hands over their ears, they were able to enjoy them, too. The calm evening was definitely a good way to balance out our stressful afternoon.

In the days that followed, I couldn't stop myself from hovering over Rosalie. The image of her gasping for air wouldn't leave my mind, but my constant watching wasn't helping anything. She even started to notice that I was acting differently, so I tried to back off. Carlisle and Siobhan both tried to help me realize that she was okay, and even though we couldn't change what happened, we now had a way to deal with any future attacks. Being prepared did offer some relief for my over-working mind.

When the day came for Kate, Garrett, and crew to leave, saying goodbye was just as hard as it always was. We hated to see them go back to Alaska, but it was inevitable. They would be back for Thanksgiving, but that was still over four months away.

After having a month together, it was very different to go back to only having three kids in the house at one time. Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie definitely missed their cousins and brought out pouts several time to try to convince us to let them come back. Carlisle and I couldn't do anything else but laugh about it later; they just didn't understand that what they were asking for wasn't possible no matter how much they pouted.

We tried to go back to our normal routine, but it took a few days since they had forgotten what it was like to actually have a routine. The routine was very important since Carlisle planned to go back to work soon, and I knew it would be so much easier for me to handle the kids alone if we plan for every day.

Unfortunately, the routine was interrupted again only a few days later.

Carlisle and I had gone to bed early, but were soon woken up by his cell phone going off. He had left it on in case the hospital needed him, but this was just a text message. He laughed when he read it, so I was immediately curious.

"Who is it from?" I mumbled as I cuddled to his side.

"Peter. Charlotte's in labor."

"Oh!" I gasped as I sat up, only to have Carlisle pull me right back down.

"Relax, sweetheart," he said and kissed my temple. "The message also says to not let you come to the hospital until tomorrow. You don't need to wait around with them all night when you have your own babies to take care of here."

I looked over at the phone, and sure enough, he had said to make me stay home. I playfully slapped Carlisle's chest for laughing, but it just made him laugh again before curling up around me and going back to sleep.

The next morning was spent with me waiting anxiously for any news from Peter. The phone call finally came right after lunch time. Baby and Mommy were both healthy which was all I need to know before asking when we be a good time to visit. Peter assured me that Charlotte was ready to see me whenever I could get over there, so I immediately called Carmen and asked if she could watch the kids while we went to the hospital. She readily agreed, and we were soon on our way.

When we made it to the hospital, Carlisle called Peter to ask where they were. Peter was actually down in the cafeteria getting some food, so Carlisle went to meet him while I went to Charlotte's room. I had never been to the maternity wing of the hospital, but I had no problems finding it or the right room. I knocked softly and Charlotte called out for me to enter.

I was buzzing with excitement as I entered the room but stopped when I saw that Charlotte was nursing the baby.

"No, come in," Charlotte laughed. "If my best friend gets a glimpse of my boobs, I'm sure I'll live. It seems like half of this hospital has already seen more of me than I would normally offer."

I laughed with her and went over to the bed. I kissed her forehead before gently touching the baby's head.

"When was this beautiful girl born?"

She looked up at the clock and scrunched her eyebrows. "Wow. Four hours ago, I guess? It seems like it's only been a few minutes."

"It will slow down," I assured her after I saw tears gathering in her eyes. "It's just always busy right after they're born."

She nodded and sniffled. "I know. I'm not sure why I'm crying, but I've been like this all morning. Pregnancy hormones don't go away when you're no longer pregnant."

"You're perfectly normal," I assured her with a smile before sitting down in the chair next to her bed. I sat quietly as she finished feeding and burping the baby. I could tell she was hesitant with her movements, but she seemed to already be a wonderful mother.

"So what's her name?" I asked once she was settled again.

Charlotte smiled and held the baby out for me. "Aunt Esme, I'd like you to meet Miss Sarah Elizabeth Reaves."

I stood up and happily took the baby and cradled her in my arms. She was so small, all swaddled in a blanket, and I missed Emmett being this small. I didn't miss being awake at all hours of the night though, so I was going to enjoy being an 'aunt' and getting my sleep.

"She's so tiny," I murmured as my finger stroked her little cheek.

"Six pounds, five ounces," Charlotte said proudly. "My doctor said she was small enough to slip right out. I disagree."

I had to laugh again; Charlotte's sweet spirit always made her so much fun to be around. Baby Sarah was definitely blessed to have her as a Mommy.

"Are you just going to call her 'Sarah' or are you adding the middle name?" I asked curiously.

"We're not sure yet. Peter likes 'Sarah Beth,' but there's no telling what she'll wind up being called."

"Sarah Beth," I mused softly as I swayed back and forth. "A pretty name for a pretty little girl." I gently pushed the pink cap off of her head just far enough for me to see her hair. There wasn't much but what was there was dark brown just like her parents. She was definitely going to be a beauty.

After getting a few kisses in, I passed Sarah to her mother so they could have some more bonding time. I sat back down in the chair and Charlotte and I continued to talk about how she was feeling and how her labor had gone. From what she said, it seemed to have gone very smoothly and relatively quick for a first baby. The labor was a lot faster than when I had Emmett.

Soon, there was another knock on the door, and this time Peter and Carlisle entered. Peter smiled at me as he crossed the room to give Charlotte the juice he had brought back for her. Carlisle also came into the room once he saw it was safe and went to the bed to kiss Charlotte on the cheek.

"Congratulations!" he smiled. "How are you?"

"I'm absolutely amazing," Charlotte sighed and turned to look at Peter. He smiled back, and even though they were both tired, it was easy to see how happy they were.

"That's good. Now, I'm ready to meet this baby!"

"Well, here you go Uncle Carlisle," she said cheerfully as she passed him the baby. "It's your turn to meet little Sarah."

"Hi, Sarah," he whispered as he cradled her carefully in his arms.

"Sarah Elizabeth," I clarified with a wink.

Carlisle looked back to Charlotte and smiled before explaining. "Elizabeth was my mother's name."

"Well then I'm sure you two are going to get along just fine."

I giggled and reached over to hold Charlotte's hand. We watched as Carlisle slowly walked around the room with Sarah, and I was amazed at how natural he looked. I had never seen him hold a newborn baby before, and I started feeling a little disappointed that it wasn't our baby that was the first newborn baby he held for any great length of time.

"You're time will come," Charlotte whispered as she squeezed my hand.

I turned to her and tried to show that I wasn't jealous or mad in any way. They deserved this baby, and I had three little ones at home. We both had very blessed lives. But it still didn't stop me from wanting a baby baby.

"Soon," she whispered as she nodded.

I returned her nod, but I still had my doubts. Plus, 'soon' probably wasn't the best time frame for us to work with. Even though Rosalie and Jasper were progressing beautifully, we still had a long way to go. They needed Carlisle and me constantly and adding a newborn baby into the mix wouldn't be the best thing to do.

For now, we would be content to wait. God's timing was perfect so if, or when, a baby came, it would be the right time for our family. The waiting wouldn't be so bad since we had the opportunity to share in Peter and Charlotte's joy and spend every day with our own precious children. They had brought us so much happiness to us already, and I knew there would be more to come.

A/N: Well, there was a baby in this chapter…Maybe not one that everyone wants to see, but just stay patient! ;)

The next chapter will include a meeting with Mrs. Cope about the trial and the adoption plus Esme's birthday. It should be posted sometime next weekend! :)

Thanks so much for reading!