A/N: Thank you so much for all the sweet reviews. I'm not completely fail this time, and hopefully things will continue to slow down so the updates will speed up.
I hope you enjoy the chapter! =)
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or these characters.
Carlisle POV
"Daddy, hep me. Peas."
I looked down and found that Jasper definitely needed help.
"Sure thing, buddy," I said with a slight laugh. "Let's get this thing straight."
It was Halloween, and we were getting ready to take the kids over to Carmen and Eleazar's neighborhood. Esme was dressing the kids while I took a quick shower and changed after work. Jasper had wandered into the bathroom just as I was finishing getting dressed, but I was happy to help him.
The boys had decided to dress as animals this year, and Jasper's lion costume was adorable. Unfortunately, the hood seemed to be falling into his face, and he couldn't fix it on his own.
"There you go, bud," I said as I righted the hood and fastened it under his chin, making sure the mane was sitting as it was supposed to be. "How's that?"
He stood on his tip-toes, trying to see his reflection. I quickly scooped him up to save him the effort and placed him on the counter top.
He watched his reflection for a few seconds before a grin appeared on his face and he giggled. "Daddy, I lion. Scaaary."
I laughed again as I scooped him up to carry him back to Esme. There was nothing scary about him, but I was happy to let him believe that he was a ferocious lion.
The excitement level was very high in our house, and it had been all week. Rosalie and Jasper had no idea what Halloween was, but Emmett remembered. We didn't really celebrate it like some people did, with decorations and parties. But it was a fun night for the kids to dress up and get candy and for the adults to enjoy seeing all the happy smiles.
Jasper bounced on my hip as he giggled some more about being a scary lion. There was no way to prevent myself from smiling. It was a blessing to see him be so happy.
Our happy trip down the hallway was quickly interrupted by yet another animal.
"Raaaaaawr," Emmett growled as he jumped out of the doorway to his room. "I'm a scary tiger, Daddy. I'm gonna eat you."
"Oh no!" I gasped and moved to the side to shield Jasper. "Please don't eat me, scary tiger."
Emmett held up his arms and made his hands like claws as he "attacked" us. Jasper giggled when I moved and shielded him again, and after a few rounds of this, Emmett was also giggling and holding his arms up for me to hold him. I gladly lifted him to my other side and took a good luck at my two boys.
"My boys are such scary animals tonight," I chuckled. "I think Mommy and I have a zoo instead of a house."
"But Daddy, Rosie's not a aminal," Emmett corrected me.
"Well, what is she then?" I asked, even though I knew the answer.
"She a princess," Jasper spoke up.
Emmett nodded in agreement. "Yeah. She a pinkprincess." He wrinkled his nose as he said the word "pink." It was another thing he had picked up from Riley and Corin. Apparently, pink was a girl color and blue was a boy color, and since he was a boy, he was required to stay away from pink. Esme and I didn't encourage or discourage him because it honestly wasn't the worst thing for him to pick up from his older cousins.
"A pink princess, huh? You two are going to protect the princess, aren't you? You can scare away bad guys, right?"
I looked to Emmett, and his eyes lit up as he nodded. I then turned my attention to Jasper, and he was nodding as well.
"Good boys," I praised. It was never too early to teach my boys some chivalry, and it would be their job later to protect their sister. "Or I guess I should say, good tiger and lion."
They giggled again, and I gave them each a kiss before placing them back on the floor. I didn't know if Esme was downstairs yet, but I decided to check Rosalie's room first. It was smart thinking on my part because that was exactly where I found both my wife and my daughter.
"Good evening, ladies," I said, announcing my presence.
"Hi, Daddy," Esme said as she looked up from her current task of fixing Rosalie's hair. "We're almost ready. We just have to get this hair bow in and put the tiara on."
I chuckled softly and shook my head. It really didn't surprise me that Rosalie had to have two different hair accessories in her hair at once. From my limited understanding of princesses, I knew they had to have a crown of some sort. And from my near complete understanding of Rosalie, I knew she had to have a bow in her hair at all times. When the two were put together, it was obvious that both were needed.
"Annnnd we're done," Esme announced as she secured the little tiara in Rosalie's hair. "Show Daddy your dress, sugar," she said as she held Rosalie's hand.
Rosalie looked over at me with a shy smile, but I smiled and nodded in encouragement. She slowly began turning in a circle for me to see her whole dress. She really did look like a princess in her little pink dress. I had already been corrected while costume shopping that she was not Cinderella. She was Sleeping Beauty, and I was pretty dumb for not knowing already. Either way, my little princess certainly looked like a princess, and I was glad she was comfortable enough to let me see her dress.
"You look beautiful, sweetheart," I said once she had finished her turn. "Did the animals help you make your dress?" I wasn't sure if that was the correct movie either, but when she started giggling, I knew my answer wasn't horribly wrong.
"Well, those animals that are your brothers are downstairs if you want to go down, too," I continued. "Mommy and I will be down in a minute, and then we can leave, okay?"
"Kay," she nodded and released Esme's hand before running out the door.
I really just wanted to steal a few minutes with my wife, but her sly smile showed that she saw right through me.
"Hello, my darling husband," she said as she walked into my arms.
I hugged her tightly and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Hello, precious wife. How was your day?"
"Mmm...long. Well, at least for the little guys. Emmett was still telling Rose and Jasper all about Halloween, and they couldn't wait for you to get home so they could put on their costumes."
"You mean you didn't let them wear them all day?" I asked with a chuckle.
"Nope," she giggled. "As much as they wanted to, I had to draw the line somewhere."
"I guess we shouldn't keep them waiting then."
She wrapped her arms around her neck and shook her head. "But I'm enjoying time with you. Did you have a nice day at work?"
I shrugged. "It was good, but I'd rather be here."
"We'd rather have you here, too," she said softly. She stood up on her tip-toes and kissed me, and I quickly responded. Yeah, right here was a good place to be.
After our kiss ended, I placed another quick peck on her nose which made her giggle as she stepped back. When she stepped back, I finally got a good look at her. She was dressed casually in a pair of dark skinny jeans and a gray sweater, but she looked beautiful. Her outfit also explained why I was wearing dark jeans and a gray striped sweater. I loved when she picked out matching outfits for us. It might have been corny, but it worked for us.
Her hair was pulled back in a pony tail for the night which was a rare occurrence. Esme would do anything for her children, including leaving her hair down for their comfort. It was one of the many selfless acts she did every day. With her hair up, she looked impossibly younger, and I was reminded of our high school days. Those had been good times, but we were somehow even happier now.
"You look beautiful tonight," I said with a smile, and then laughed as she rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head.
"These are comfortable," she said as she pointed to her sweater and jeans. "It's nothing fancy."
"Comfortable is a good look for you," I said with a wink, squeezing her bottom for emphasis.
"You are a doctor," she conceded, her eyes twinkling. "I guess I'll have to trust your assessment."
"Believe it, sweetheart. You look amazing." I placed one more kiss on her lips, wishing it could be longer, but it wasn't smart to leave three little ones unattended for too long.
Esme also knew this, and she smiled regretfully as she stepped away and returned to Mommy-mode. She picked up a few things that were in the floor from where she had dressed the kids, and then rummaged through one of Rosalie's drawers before pulling out something white.
"Leggings," she explained, noticing my curious expression. "They're thicker than tights, but thinner than pants. Rose's dress is short, and I don't want her to get cold."
I nodded, understanding a little more after her explanation. Apparently I still had a lot to learn about the world of little girls.
Once everything was in order in Rosalie's room, Esme turned the light off, and I took her hand. We walked downstairs together, and thankfully found everyone in one place. The family room appeared to be destruction free which was another thing to be thankful for.
"All right, you guys. It's shoe time, and then we can go to Nana's," I announced as I rounded the boys up and led them over to the shoe basket.
Jasper was up first, and he was very cooperative as he helped me fasten the velcro straps on his light-up sneakers. When we finished, he bounced over to Esme who was coaxing Rosalie into her leggings. She wasn't excited about wearing them, but the lights on Jasper's shoes helped distract her. She giggled along with her brother and became more willing to do as Esme asked.
Emmett was next, and he was also cooperative even though his excess energy made it difficult for him to stay still long enough to get his feet into his shoes.
"Daddy, I'm gonna gets lots of candy," Emmett said confidently, placing his hands on my shoulder to help him stay balanced as I helped him into his shoes.
"You are, huh?"
He nodded. "Uh huh. And I'm gonna get the mostest."
"But you have to share," Esme interrupted. "You, Rosalie, and Jasper are going to share all the candy. Does everyone understand?"
We had been trying to teach the kids about sharing, not that they really had any issues with it. Rosalie and Jasper had been sharing all their lives, so it wasn't a new concept for them. Even Emmett did well usually, but he had a problem with it sometimes. Tonight appeared to be one of those time.
"But I wants to eat my candy," he said with a pout. He released my shoulder and crossed his arms in front of his body.
"Hey now, buddy," I said as I remained kneeling beside him so I could make eye contact. "We're going to have fun tonight, and I don't think you're going to have much fun if you're angry."
"Mmmhmm," he nodded, his pout deepening.
I shook my head. "I don't think so. But I think you will have fun sharing your candy with Rosalie and Jasper. They'll be sharing their candy, too, and then you can all eat it together. Doesn't that sound like a better plan?"
His face finally began to relax. "But I wants mine," he said softly.
"I know you do, buddy," I said before kissing his forehead and ruffling his hair as I stood up. "But this way, they'll be three times as much candy. Do you know how much that is?"
He looked up at me in wonder and slowly shook his head. "No, Daddy. How much?"
"Well, instead of one bag of candy, you guys will have three bags of candy," I said, holding out three fingers for emphasis.
"And we gets to eat it?"
I chuckled at his excitement. He was nearly jumping at the prospect of more candy. "Sure thing, dude. You'll get your fill of the candy. And so will Rosalie and Jasper because all three of you will share, right?"
Emmett held eye contact with me for a few moments before he seemed to finally come to a conclusion. He nodded but didn't appear to be entirely convinced. That was okay though. I knew Carmen and Eleazar's neighbors were generous and there was no way that we would be able to eat all the candy that would be received. Emmett would be able to see that, and I was confident that there would be no complaints.
I then looked over at Jasper. He had been listening closely, and I was curious to know what he answer would be.
"What about you, bud?" I asked him. "Are you gonna share tonight, too?"
He immediately came over to me, raising his arms for me to hold him. I smiled as I complied and lifted him to perch on my side.
"I share, Daddy," he assured me while nodding quickly.
I smiled and kissed his cheek. "Good for you, buddy."
Esme had also helped Rosalie with her own light-up, sparkly, pink shoes and was holding her as they listened to me. I turned my head to look at them, and Esme smiled proudly at me. She was obviously happy with how this conversation had gone, as was I. Having to talk Emmett out of pouting wasn't an unusual occurrence, but it was nice to be able to turn this into a lesson for all the kids. Sharing was important, especially in a house with many siblings.
"What about you, sweetheart?" I asked Rosalie. :Are you going to share with your brothers?"
She nodded and gave me a small before quickly hiding her face on Esme's shoulder. Esme looked at me apologetically, but I simply chuckled and shook my head. Rosalie's bashfulness really was adorable.
Since we were all ready to go, we didn't waste any more time before loading into the van. Esme and I went over the rules for the night with them as I drove. Most of them weren't really necessary with our children, but we still felt it was important to go over them.
"Okay. So stay with Mommy, Daddy, Nana, or Pops the whole time. No running away, and no going up to a house unless one of us says it's okay."
Esme seemed to have everything under control, so I stayed quiet as she continued.
"And there's nothing to be afraid of, but it's okay if you need me or Daddy. And don't eat any of your candy until we get back to Nana's house. You don't want to get your costume messy."
"No messes," Rosalie chimed in, and I looked back in the mirror and saw that she was shaking her head which made me chuckle.
"That's right, baby girl," Esme said with a smile. "You don't want to make a mess all over your fun costumes. If they stay clean, you can wear them again when we play dress-up."
The prospect of wearing their costumes again set off a rather loud conversation among the kids. This idea seemed to be a winning one.
"Did I cover everything?" Esme asked me as she reached over to hold my hand.
I nodded. "I think so, sweetheart. I don't think we have much to worry about though. They're good kids."
She smiled and nodded, and we stayed quiet for the rest of the drive, enjoying all the happy talk from the backseat.
Carmen was waiting for us in the driveway when we pulled up, and it was easy to see how excited she was. This experience was new for Rosalie and Jasper, and we were all ready to share it with them. It was time to create another good memory for them, hopefully making up for the tragic ones.
Once the kids were unloaded and herded into the house, we sat down together to eat a quick dinner. It was one of the loudest and definitely the fastest dinner we had ever shared. We were only eating soup and sandwiches, but the kids inhaled them as if they were starving. Esme and I finally had to send them into the den to wait for us so we could finish eating in peace.
"They're so excited," Carmen said with a happy sigh. "I love seeing my grandbabies so happy."
"Then you should have been with them today," Esme scoffed, but her joking wasn't fooling us. She loved being at home, even when the kids were crazy.
"Did they give you a hard time, dear?" Carmen asked. "I'm sure they'll calm down tomorrow, although Emmett's birthday is Sunday. That day will be exciting as well."
Carmen was right. This night was exciting, but we had a whole lot more to be excited about over the weekend. If we survived trick-or-treating, we had a birthday party to prepare for.
A few minutes later, we also finished dinner. Eleazar cleaned the table while Esme and I made sure nothing had been destroyed here. Other than a few toys that had been brought out, everything seemed to be in order. We had the kids clean up, and then Esme took Emmett and Rosalie to the bathroom while I changed Jasper's diaper.
Everyone was soon finished with their different tasks, and we were all waiting in the den except for Carmen. She had disappeared, and none of us knew where she was. Eleazar was about to go look for her when she came rushing into the room.
"Sorry it took so long," she said quickly as she sat in the floor beside the kids. "I have gifts for my darlings."
She immediately had their attention after mentioning gifts, and Esme and I both smiled as we saw what they were. Carmen had sewn candy bags for the kids. They each had one made out of a perfect fabric for them, and the bags had their first initials stitched on the front. And it was easy to see that the kids thought they were perfect as well. Jasper loved his bag which had all kinds of cars, planes, and trains on it, and Emmett loved his that was covered with bugs of all varieties. Rosalie's pink princess bag was just as big of a hit, and I had to chuckle as she hugged and rocked the bag like her baby doll. A memory had already been made for them, and we hadn't even been outside yet.
"The bags are wonderful, Carmen," Esme said. "I had no idea you were making them."
Carmen shrugged. "They were just a side project, but I am really happy with how they turned out. They're much better than those cheap plastic ones you can buy, that's for sure."
We all agreed with her; these bags were definitely better, and they could be reused.
"So what's the plan for the evening?" Eleazar asked.
"I was thinking we would just go to houses that you know," I answered with a shrug. We really didn't have any definite plan for the night other than making sure the kids had fun. "You can show off the kids, and they'll get some candy."
"And," Carmen interrupted, "you and Ezzie can sneak some lovin' behind our backs."
Esme closed her eyes and buried her face against my shoulder in embarrassment as Carmen and Eleazar laughed at us. It seemed that we weren't as sneaky with our affection as we had thought, not that it really mattered. I knew my aunt and uncle enjoyed seeing us together, especially because of our past. And while I didn't have a problem with their good-natured teasing, I didn't want Esme to be embarrassed. I kissed her temple and held her close to me until she came out of hiding, mumbling something about "too much PDA." This, of course, set off another round of laughter.
"Daddy, can we go now? Please? Please, please, please, please, pleeeaaase?"
"Yes, please, Daddy," Esme begged along with Emmett. "We're ready to go trick-or-treating and stop laughing at Mommy."
I chuckled and nodded. "Yes, we're going now," I said as I stood up, hoping that if I moved, everyone else would follow.
Thankfully, they did, and we were all able to make it out of the house in one piece. Carmen and Eleazar led the way down the sidewalk since they knew where they wanted to go first. Emmett and Jasper were each holding one of Eleazar's hands, and Rosalie held one of Carmen's as she walked beside Emmett. Esme and I chose to walk behind them, leaving enough distance for us to observe. And sneak that "lovin'" that Carmen mentioned.
I placed my arm around Esme's shoulder, and she wrapped her arms around my waist as we walked and watched.
I loved seeing all the kids together and observing their interaction. Rosalie and Jasper had and always would have a strong bond. They were twins, but beyond that, they had been through so much together. The two of them had also grown close to Emmett, and their new trio seemed to work effortlessly. Rosalie and Emmett could be silly while Jasper was more serious, and Emmett and Jasper did all things "boy" while Rosalie was a little princess. It was a perfect mix, and I didn't think it would have been possible for us to blend more seamlessly.
When we made it to the first house, Rosalie practically jumped into Carmen's arms, and Jasper did the same to Eleazar. Thankfully, the door was answered by a woman so the kids were a bit more at ease about taking candy from her. They went through the usual "trick-or-treat" routine along with Carmen and Eleazar's proud grandparent routine. They were indeed very proud, and it was easy to see how much they loved their grandchildren.
The first stop went off without a hitch, and the kids were very excited to have a few pieces of candy in their bags. After doing the same thing two more times, Jasper finally started walking on his own and ringing the doorbells with Emmett. Seeing him having fun definitely made me smile.
In the month and a half since our anniversary trip, Jasper had made tremendous progress. He still had his hesitant moments and liked to stay close to us, but overall, his improvements were amazing.
We were finally able to convince him to sleep in the bed with Emmett most of the time, if only for half the night. The transition wasn't easy, but after talking with Siobhan and working out a plan, we had managed. Jasper didn't like the idea at first, and we were afraid he would see it as punishment. Instead, we tried to get him to be a big boy and convince him that he missed sleeping in his usual bed. The first few attempts didn't go very well, but during the last week, it had been a lot better. He still crawled into bed with us later in the night, but we could deal with that.
That small change somehow made everyone so much happier. Emmett was so excited to have his buddy back at night, and Esme and I were glad to have our alone time back. Cuddling with my wife on the couch was one of our favorite parts of the day that we had been missing. We hadn't known just how much we missed it until we got it back, and having our special time once more definitely improved our moods. Since we were happier, the kids were happier, and it finally felt like everything was completely falling into place in our life.
Esme and I continued to observe as the trick-or-treating went on for another hour and a half. We smiled when the little ones smiled, laughed when they laughed, and just had a good time as a family. Esme hadn't forgotten her camera, and she was able to get plenty of pictures of all of us enjoying our night together.
Once we had circled around and visited all of Carmen and Eleazar's good friends, we decided to head back to the house. Eleazar had stopped to talk for a while, so that left me, Esme, and Carmen with the kids. They were entertaining themselves by lifting each other's candy bags and trying to decide which one was the heaviest all while giggling and jumping around.
"This is adorable, but I really need to use the bathroom," Esme commented as she turned her camera off.
"Why don't you head on back, sweetheart?" I suggested. "I'll stay here with them for a few minutes and then follow. And you and Carmen can hand out some candy while you're at it."
Esme agreed and started walking back with Carmen. The kids didn't even notice that they were gone, and I let them play a few more minutes before deciding it was time to go.
"Okay, guys. Let's head on back to Nana's. We can look at your candy there."
That caught their attention, and they quickly began walking. I almost had to run to keep up, so when we were finally within view of the house, I let the boys run through the grass.
Jasper and Emmett took off, running with their candy bags and racing each other to the finish line. They were staying on the grass so I wasn't too worried. I knew they wouldn't run out into the street, and the neighborhood didn't allow cars to drive past a certain point while there were children trick-or-treating, so there weren't any cars anyway.
I could tell Rosalie wanted to follow them, but she was having problems holding her candy bag. The neighbors had gone a little over-board with the candy this year, and the bags were all full and heavy.
"Here, baby," I said as I reached out for her bag. "Let me carry it, and you can follow them."
She looked up at me quickly before nodding and handing over her candy. I chuckled as she ran off after her brothers. She surprised me by how fast she could actually run, and I was worried about her falling since she was running on the sidewalk.
"Slow down or run in the grass, Rosalie, okay?" I called. She immediately turned to run over in the grass, and I smiled as she obeyed me. Even if she didn't interact with me as much as she did with Esme, it was nice to see that she listened to me. Through everything, she acknowledged me as her daddy, and it was a wonderful feeling.
I was about to praise her for listening, but as she turned to run in the grass, her foot got caught on something and she tumbled to the sidewalk, exactly what I had wanted to avoid. I was already rushing over to her as she fell, and I cringed as she hit the ground on her hands and knees. By the time I got to her, she was already crying, but I didn't know if she was actually hurt or just startled.
I knelt down on one knee and swiftly pulled her up to sit on my leg. She didn't fight me or try to move which I was thankful for.
"You're okay, sweetheart," I said calmly as I began checking her over for injuries. I checked her knees first since she had landed on them, but they were protected by her leggings. My wife's smart thinking had definitely come in handy. I brushed the dirt and fine gravel from the front her dress and leggings before moving to her hands.
"Daddy needs to check your hands now, okay? Can I see them?" She hadn't stopped crying, but she did hold her hands out for me to get a good look. "Good girl," I praised as I gently took one of her hands in mine. I gently brushed it off and was relieved to find only some scratches. After brushing the other one off, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. This tumble had been very minor considering that she wasn't even bleeding. The scratches on her hands were definitely angry, but some Neosporin would fix everything.
"All right, baby girl. You're fine," I said as I lightly rubbed her back. "Let's head back to the house, and we'll make it all better."
"Mommy," she cried. "I want...my...Mooommmy. Mommy hold me nooooow."
"I know you want Mommy, but it's okay. She's at Nana's house, so we have to go find her there. Do you want me to carry you?" She quickly shook her head, not that I expected anything different. The fact that she was sitting on my leg was shocking in and of itself. I had a feeling that shock came into play with that and she didn't really realize what she was doing.
"How about you hold my hand?" I suggested, trying to sound as nonthreatening as possible so I would gain her trust. "You can walk like a big girl with me."
She finally started to calm down and looked at me cautiously before giving me an almost imperceptible nod.
"Okay, sweetheart," I said with a smile before carefully helping her stand. I brushed off her dress one last time and made sure her balance was fine. The tears were still flowing silently down her face, but they were slowing. Her loud cries had also been replaced with hiccups and the occasional whimper. Definitely an improvement.
I rose to my feet and offered her my hand. She looked at it for a moment before slowly grasping my index and middle fingers. I smiled and lightly ran my thumb over her knuckles. I was so proud of her for being brave and actually trusting me for once. This progress was amazing.
I began walking slowly toward the house, making sure Rosalie could keep up in case her knees were sore. She walked beside me without any hesitance and didn't seem to be having any issues. Her hands seemed to be bothering her the most, so I made sure her hold remained light on my fingers as to not aggravate the scratches.
Her tears had almost dried, but she did try to wipe her eyes with her free hand. When the salty fluid hit the scratches, she whimpered once more as her lower lip trembled.
"Shh...you're okay, sweet girl," I soothed. "We'll put some cream on your hands as soon as we get in the house, and it won't hurt any more, okay?"
She sniffled and looked up at me. "Daddy make better?" she asked in a quiet voice.
I had to fight to keep the tears from gathering in my eyes. She wasasking a question, but somehow I could tell in her eyes that she already knew the answer. Rosalie really did trust me to "make it better," and I couldn't wait to prove to her that her trust wasn't misplaced.
"You bet, baby," I said. "You'll be good as new in no time."
She nodded, and we continued walking in silence. Once we were in Carmen and Eleazar's driveway, I started to worry because I didn't see the boys. I glanced around quickly and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that Eleazar had them both as he continued to speak with one of the neighbors. We had had enough excitement for one evening, and I didn't want to add missing children to our fun.
The boys didn't notice us as we passed, and I was glad. The kids were always so sensitive toward each other, and I knew it would upset the boys to see their sister in pain. And since this little mishap could be treated quickly and painlessly, I didn't see the need to worry anyone else.
I helped Rosalie slowly climb the steps and enter the kitchen, and we found Carmen and Esme chatting over by the counter. As soon as they heard us, they both looked over, and I wanted to laugh as their eyes went wide upon seeing Rosalie holding my hand. But she only held my hand for a second longer before letting go and running over to Esme. As Esme lifted her into her arms, she started crying again, though much softer this time. Esme shushed her quietly and swayed back and forth as she looked to me in silent question.
"What happened?" Carmen asked as she walked toward me.
"Just a little spill," I explained. "She has a few scratches but isn't bleeding. She's okay, really."
"I think she's more than 'okay,'" my aunt whispered as she pulled me into a hug. "That baby girl was holding your hand." I nodded and she stepped back.
"Yeah, she was," I said with a shrug, not trying to conceal my smile. "She didn't want me to carry her, but she walked beside me so we could find Mommy." I looked over at Esme and found that she was also smiling with unshed tears in her eyes. Rosalie had calmed down once more and was resting her head against Esme's shoulder as she watched me. "You were a big girl for Daddy, weren't you?" I asked her.
She sniffled and nodded before pressing her face closer to Esme's neck. Her hands had made their way to Esme's ponytail, and she was alternating between holding and releasing the hair. I could tell it wasn't comfortable for her hands, so I knew it was time to be Doctor Daddy.
"Can I borrow your Neosporin?" I asked my aunt.
"Of course, dear," she replied with a smile. "It's in the master bathroom, but I can get it for you."
"Please," I nodded. "And Es, can you help Rosalie wash her hands? We're going to get those hands feeling better right now."
While Esme took Rosalie to the bathroom, I washed my own hands at the kitchen sink. Once they were clean and dry, I headed into the den and sat down on the couch to wait for everyone to return. Carmen made it back first and handed me the tube of cream. Thankfully, it was the kind with pain relief so I knew it really was going to help her feel better plus prevent an infection.
A few minutes later, Esme returned with Rosalie who was looking much better. Her face was tear free and not as distressed as it had been. She was still holding on to Esme tightly, and when Esme sat down beside me, I could tell that she was nervous. I didn't want her to fear me though, so I knew I needed to put her at ease and do it quickly.
"Let's look at Daddy, sugar," Esme said softly as she turned Rosalie to face me.
"We'll get this over real fast, I promise," I said, trying to reassure her. Rosalie looked doubtful, but had yet to protest.
"Okay, baby. This stuff is going to make your hands feel so much better." I held the tube close to her so she could see, and she watched as i unscrewed the cap. I squeezed a tiny amount on my finger, but instead of reaching for Rosalie's hand, I held Esme's. Esme seemed confused, but I winked at her to let her know that I had a plan. "See?" I asked as I rubbed the cream into Esme's palm. "It won't hurt you, and your owwies will be all better."
Rosalie carefully watched my every movement which was what I was hoping for. She was scared, but she needed to know that I wouldn't hurt her. She had trust me so far, and I didn't want to blow it.
"Can I see your hand now?" I asked softly. She hesitated for just a moment before slowly reaching her hand out toward me. Esme kissed her head in encouragement, and I squeezed out some more cream on my finger before carefully holding her little hand in mine.
Rosalie watched me once more with rapt attention as I applied the Neosporin to her scratches. I applied just enough pressure to rub it in without causing any unnecessary pain. Once I was finished with the first one, she didn't hesitate to offer the other one to me. I smiled in response and quickly finished before replacing the cap in the tube and wiping my finger off with a baby wipe Carmen had provided.
"Well, you're all finished!" I cheered as I clapped my hands softly. Esme and Carmen clapped along with me because something truly incredible hadjust happened.
"You did so good, sweet girl," Esme said as she hugged Rosalie tightly. "I'm so proud of you."
Rosalie smiled shyly before staring at her hands. I had no idea what was going through her mind, but as long as she wasn't upset, everything was fine.
Eleazar came in with the boys a few minutes later, and they both appeared to be very tired. Rosalie was beginning to snuggle with Esme so it was clear that she was ready to sleep, too.
We couldn't ignore the candy though, as Emmett quickly reminded us. All seven of us sat in the floor as we poured out the three bags of candy. The neighbors had been overly generous as I had expected, and we were given more candy than would even be possible for us to eat. Once the candy was in view, there were no issues with sharing. Even Emmett couldn't believe how much there was. The kids all ate a piece of their choosing, and that was enough for the night.
We decided to split the candy and leave over half of it with Carmen and Eleazar. It was more likely to be eaten at their house because they were the grandparents. It was an unspoken rule that grandparents indulged their grandkids more so than the parents. Carmen and Eleazar also had a sweet tooth, and Esme and I didn't eat candy that often. Leaving the candy seemed like the best plan, but we did take some of it for the kids to eat later.
After the candy was taken care of, it was time for us to go home. Rosalie was already asleep thanks to her traumatic night. Jasper and Emmett were very close to dropping as well, so it was time to get them into bed. Esme had thought ahead and brought a bag with their pajamas. Carmen and I changed Emmett and Jasper while Esme took care of Rosalie, and then we loaded them into the van.
All three of them were asleep by the time we pulled into our driveway. Since they were already in their pajamas, all we had to do was tuck them into bed. They were probably going to be awake at sunrise, but having them in bed early did give Esme and me plenty of time together.
We took a quick shower to freshen up before heading downstairs to cuddle on the couch with mugs of hot chocolate. The day had been fun but very tiring, and relaxing was just what we needed.
Our mugs were soon drained along with our energy levels, so I lay down on the couch and pulled Esme to lie on top of me. I covered us with a blanket, and we sat in comfortable silence as we relaxed.
"Rosalie let you touch her tonight," Esme stated after a few minutes of silence.
"Mmhmm," I hummed as I placed a kiss on the top of her head. "She did. Several times."
She sat up slightly, placing her elbows against my chest to support herself. "And you're not excited right now?"
I chuckled at her confused expression and reached up to hold her face in my hands.
"Sweetheart, if I had enough energy to be jumping for joy, I would be. Tonight has been so much more than I ever thought it would be."
She smiled and nodded. "That baby loves you. And she already trusts you."
"Daddy made it better," I mumbled as I lifted my head to kiss her lips. We kissed softly for a while until Esme laid her head against my chest sleepily.
"Rosalie's a smart girl," she said thoughtfully. "She'll remember this. I think we'll be seeing some changes soon."
I hummed in response, not wanting to disturb our quiet, thoughtful moment. I hoped Rosalie would remember and realize that I would never hurt her. It had taken six months for me to be able to hold her hand for a few minutes, but I wasn't discouraged. I had waited eight years for my Esme to return to me, and our life together was now filled with so much joy. I could only hope that my patience would be rewarded again with my baby girl.
For now, I was more than content knowing that the night had been a success. I wrapped my arms around Esme, letting one of my hands dip under her nightgown to trace her spine. She shivered and sighed before allowing her body to relax further. It was probably time for me to carry her up to bed, but I was too comfortable exactly where I was, not knowing when we would have a moment to ourselves exactly like this.
Chelsea and Alec would be here in less than a week. We were excited, of course, but it signaled the start of a very busy holiday season. Esme and I were going to do everything possible to ensure that more good memories were made, not that it would take much effort. Our children were healthy and happy, so good memories were made every day.
As we lay together, Esme's statement stuck in my mind. Would we see changes in Rosalie now? She, Jasper, and Emmett were learning and growing each day. But would there be changes in the way she acted around me? I couldn't help but hope for some changes, but as long as she was happy, I would be happy, too.
A/N: Once again, I hope that was worth the wait! Links to the pictures of the costumes can be found on my profile page.
I'm happy to say that my 4.0 GPA survived yet another rough semester, and now I'm finished for the summer. Hopefully I'll be able to update a bit faster now.
Perfect Love has been nominated for several more Sunflower Awards. Voting starts in a few days, so be sure to check out the link on my profile page if you want to vote. Thanks again to those who nominated me. I'm still very amazed.
Reviewers will get a teaser once again, so be sure to let me know what you think! =)