Thank you so much for the sweet reviews. I love reading them, and I'm glad most of you are very happy.
A bazillion thanks to my beta MelissaMargaret for making this pretty and giving fun comments in the process.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or these characters.
Carlisle POV
"I think we might be insane."
"Oh, come on. You know navigating an unfamiliar airport with three toddlers is exactly what you've always wanted to do," Esme said, nudging my shoulder with her own.
"Is humor your way of coping with this?" I asked with a grin. "I guess I should try that."
She nodded. "You should. And just remember…we don't have to do this again until next Friday."
"Not helping, sweetheart," I groaned.
We had just made our way through the last security check after our arrival at Anchorage. While the three and a half hour flight wasn't bad in and of itself, our time in the airports before and now after wasn't a walk in the park.
The airport in Seattle had been very crowded, not that we were surprised since it was so close to New Years. Because of the crowds, Esme and I each had a little body holding on to us for dear life. Added to the fact that the majority of security personnel were male, I was surprised no one had panicked yet.
I was so proud of Rosalie and Jasper for trying to stay calm. They were shaken and afraid, but no tears had been shed yet. Since we were now finally finished with security, I hoped the tears would be avoided altogether.
Carmen and Eleazar were great about helping us with Emmett and with anything else while we were focusing on Rosalie and Jasper. There was no way we could have done it without them, especially because they were familiar with this trip.
After collecting all of our bags, we needed to find somewhere to go while Eleazar went to the rental car place to get our van. There was no way for Garrett and Kate to pick all of us up, so renting had been the best option. And since Carmen and Eleazar were familiar with the company, they had been able negotiate a special deal that included new car seats. Esme and I didn't feel safe with putting the kids in old, used seats, so we hoped this plan would work out well.
"Let's go sit over there." Esme motioned with her head toward some seats, and we rushed over before anyone could take them. This airport wasn't quite as crowded as the one in Seattle, but it wasn't close to empty either.
"E should be back soon," Carmen assured us as she sat and pulled Emmett down beside her. "He confirmed everything before we left this morning."
As we sat, we were all able to breathe a sigh of relief. Even with the crowds and our nervous children, the trip had gone very smoothly. Now that we were here, we only had to worry about getting to Kate and Garrett's house.
A few minutes passed and Jasper began squirming in my lap.
"Daddy," he whispered, patting my arm to get my attention.
"Yeah, buddy? Do you need something?"
"I needa potty," he whined, and I was immediately on alert. He had been doing well with potty training, but when he asked to go, you had to listen.
"All right, bud. I'll take you," I said as I started to stand, but Jasper shook his head forcefully.
"No, I wanna go wif Mommy."
I looked over at Esme, and she seemed to be about as lost as me.
"I can't take both of them with me," she whispered, glancing quickly toward her abdomen.
Jasper's squirming increased, and I knew we needed to figure this out fast.
"Can you sit with Nana?" Esme asked Rosalie, but she shook her head. "Please, baby girl, just for a few minutes? I'll be right back."
Rosalie was just as conflicted as us but did nod in agreement after a few moments.
Once Esme got Rosalie set up with Carmen, she quickly carried Jasper off to find a restroom.
Everything remained calm until a business man took the free seat beside Carmen. He didn't look threatening at all, but his proximity was enough to make Rosalie tense and whimper. Carmen noticed almost as soon as I did, so she turned as far as she could, trying to make Rosalie feel safe. Unfortunately it didn't work, and I could tell she was becoming more and more agitated, which made panic imminent.
"Hey, baby," I called, quickly catching her attention. "Can you come sit beside me?" I motioned to the seat beside me and hoped she would take my offer. The seat was next to the wall, so no one could possibly sit beside her. The only possible downside was that it was directly beside me, and I didn't know how she would feel about that. We had made amazing strides in our relationship in the past week, but that didn't mean she was ready for much more.
To my surprise, she only seemed to consider it for a second before she hopped out of Carmen's lap and ran over to me. She jumped into the empty seat and scooted close, not quite touching me but sitting closer than she usually did.
I took a risk and wrapped my arm around her body, and to my even greater shock, she didn't reject me.
"You're okay, sweetheart," I whispered. "Nothing can hurt you when you're with me, okay?"
She nodded and took a deep breath before releasing it in a sigh. One of her hands went to her mouth, covering her pacifier as she always did when she was afraid. We hadn't seen the pacifier around the house lately, but I was very thankful we had brought it on this trip. It was a life saver.
Even though Rosalie had calmed slightly, it wasn't enough. She needed a distraction, and I had to quickly think of one. Since the airport was bustling with activity, my task wasn't very difficult.
"Sweetheart, look over there," I said, motioning toward another set of seats across the room. "Do you see that baby?"
I knew I had her attention when she sat up straighter and craned her neck around to see what I was talking about.
"See how little he is?" The baby in question looked to be a few months old, and his mother had taken it out of his car seat.
"Blue…boy?" she whispered, looking up at me for confirmation.
I nodded. "I think he is a boy because he's wearing that blue outfit. But you're wearing blue, too, and you aren't a boy, are you?"
She looked down at her blue dress in question and shook her head. When she looked back up at me, I could see the beginnings of a smile behind her pacifier, giving me hope that I was doing something right.
"More, Daddy?"
I nodded once more at her soft whisper. People watching with my daughter was my new favorite activity.
We looked around the room together, and I was able to find many interesting people. A girl dancing to her MP3 player made Rosalie giggle, and a little boy who was crying definitely earned her sympathy. The elderly men reading the newspaper made her think of Pops which was a highlight for me since I knew I would be using that to my advantage against my uncle.
The only negative part of our little game was when Rosalie saw any young woman who reminded her of Esme. She wanted her mommy, and she wanted her now. I was still able to keep her calm, though, with quick distractions.
As I was scanning the area for anyone interesting, Carmen caught my attention. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was gaping, but I had no idea why.
"Is something wrong, Carmen?" I asked worriedly. "Do you need something?"
"No, I don't need anything," she said, shaking her head slowly as if in a daze. "Are you aware that your daughter is sitting directly next to you?"
"Oh, I'm very aware." I couldn't help but smile, knowing that Rosalie was sitting next to me without any fear. At least not any fear of me.
"And you're sure the first time she hugged you was four days ago?"
"Very sure," I said with a chuckle. "And she hasn't since, but that's more than okay considering what I'm getting right now."
I looked down at Rosalie who was still secure under my arm. At this moment, she was distracted by Emmett. He had decided to play with his shoes for some reason, and I wasn't even going to try to figure out why. As long as he was happy and occupied, there was no reason to stop him. We had sanitary wipes in one of the bags, so there was nothing to worry about.
Carmen's look of shock then turned into a wide smile. "Well, all right then, dear," she said in a light tone I didn't understand. "As long as you know what's going on."
I nodded, ignoring Carmen's mysterious tone, and turned my attention back to my baby girl.
We only had to find a couple more interesting people before Esme returned, much to Rosalie's relief.
"Sorry that took so long," she said in a huff as she sat beside me. "We had to find the bathroom and then there was a line. But Jasper made it!"
"Good job, buddy," I said and offered him my hand for a high-five. He slapped his hand against mine and crawled over into my lap.
"So where's Rosalie?" Esme asked, looking over toward Carmen.
"She's right here—"
"Mommy, come hold me, peeeaaaasss." Rosalie's lip quivered as she begged and reached her arms out for her mother, but it wasn't really needed. Esme was out of her seat before she even finished her plea.
Once Rosalie was safe in her mother's lap away from any strangers, I was able to relax as I basked in the pride I felt. I had protected Rosalie and made her feel better when she was uncomfortable. It was something all fathers did for their children, but I had only been able to do it for Rosalie a handful of times. Each time was special, but this incident seemed even more meaningful because she had chosen me over Carmen. This was the first time I had ever witness something like that happening, and as I whispered the story to Esme, her eyes filled with tears.
"She sat here with you the whole time and people watched?" she whispered in disbelieve.
"She did. She has a good eye, too."
Esme let out a watery chuckle and reached up to wipe her eyes. "That's so wonderful and sweet…but not quite cry worthy. I'm not sure why this is happening."
"Hormones?" I suggested. "You're very fortunate to not have other symptoms, so maybe this is all you'll have to live with. And I have no qualms about comforting you every day."
Esme's pregnancy had been easy so far which we blamed for us not noticing. We both had a feeling that if she had had morning sickness or some other clear sign, we would have figured it out sooner. But so far, the only big symptom was fatigue which Esme was used to dealing with by now.
"I'm so glad I don't have any morning sickness this time," she confessed. "There's no way I could deal with that too."
"So how are you feeling today? Was everything okay on the flight?" I resisted the urge to reach out to touch Baby Cullen. Carmen was already suspicious enough as she watched our whispered conversation, and I didn't want to give her any other reason to confront us before we were ready to share the news.
"It was fine, and I'm fine. I didn't notice feeling any different. I've never flown while in this condition before. Should I feel different?"
I shook my head. "I don't think so. As long as you feel okay, everything should be fine. Dr. Banner didn't have any concerns with you flying."
Almost as soon as we were home from Esme's appointment, we had an important question. I knew flying was safe during pregnancy up to a certain point, but having the doctor's approval put us both at ease.
"I'm fine," she assured me once more. "Just hungry. Hopefully E will be back soon so we can get some lunch. Carmen, do you know how much longer it will be?"
Carmen smiled at being included in our conversation again. I felt guilty about keeping the pregnancy news away from her, but we already had a plan.
"He should be, darling. But if you need a snack, you can go right over there." She pointed over to one of the snack bars, and there actually wasn't a line.
Esme thought about it for a second and then nodded. "I'll think I'll go get some bottles of water and some juice and crackers for the kids. Anyone else need anything else?"
Carmen and I both shook our heads, so Esme headed over with Rosalie to get the snacks. When she returned, we set the kids up with sippy cups and their little snacks as we continued waiting.
Just when the kids finished eating, Eleazar returned, waving the car keys proudly.
"Everything is all set. The van is only a couple of years old, and the car seats are all new and installed safely. I double-checked just to make sure, but I think we are good to go."
We all sighed in relief and followed Eleazar out to the van that was ours for a week. I helped him to quickly load all of our luggage in the back as Esme and Carmen buckled the kids in, and our group effort had us ready to start our drive after only a few minutes.
The trip to Kate and Garrett's wasn't too long. They lived outside of the city, but still close enough for the drive to not be an inconvenient distance.
As Eleazar drove, we were able to check out the scenery which was very different from what we were used to in Seattle. At home, it rained most of the time, but here, there was a different kind of precipitation. Snow covered the ground, and not just a light dusting of snow. This was thicker snow than I had ever seen before.
The mountains were also a new sight. They seemed to surround the city and were amazing with their snow-capped peaks. Esme had never seen mountains like this either, and I smiled at the thought of us sharing another first, especially since this first involved her grasping my hand tightly as she looked out the window in wonder. She was absolutely gorgeous, even more so when she was enthralled.
We were all very thankful to finally arrive at our destination. After spending the morning in two different airports and dealing with all the drama that was entailed, we needed some lunch and a nap – some of us more so than others.
Rosalie and Jasper were doing okay, but Emmett was restless and hungry, and he was letting us know exactly how he felt.
"Mommy, Daddy…I neeeeeds out of this car. I neeeeeds it, pah-lease!"
"Well, we're here now, buddy," I explained calmly. "We'll get you out of here as soon as possible."
I didn't let myself get frustrated with his whining because honestly, we all felt the same way. After being confined all morning, we needed to escape.
Getting the kids out of the van was a challenge with the weather. They weren't bundled up even though they had new winter coats which Carmen and Eleazar had given them. The coats were nice and thick, but when worn, there was no way the kids would fit in the car seats. Our winning strategy consisted of carrying the kids to the door one at a time while covering them with a thick blanket. It took a few trips to get everyone and everything inside, but once it was finished, the real fun began.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're finally here!" Kate squealed as she pulled Esme into a big hug. Carmen was next to hug her daughter while the men exchanged handshakes.
Once everyone was thoroughly greeted, we headed to their den and sat down together. It seemed like I heard a collective sigh of relief from all of us who had been traveling. It felt so good to finally be in a warm home.
"So, how was the trip?" Garrett asked. "Everything go smoothly?"
"As smoothly as it could have, I think," I said, glancing at Carmen and Eleazar to make sure. They were nodding so I must have had a good assessment.
"Well, I'm very glad you didn't have any problems. Now, does anyone need anything?"
Esme answered Kate by dropping her head to her shoulder. "A bed sounds good. Can we have one of those, please?"
"Of course you can," she said, wrapping her arm around Esme's shoulders. "We also have lunch in the kitchen if you want to eat first. The kids already ate, but we waited on you."
"Where are my babies?" Carmen asked, no doubt wanting to get her hands on them as soon as possible.
"Yeah, I wanna play with Riley!" Emmett agreed, his mood much improved from the car.
"I'm afraid they just went down about half an hour ago," Kate said apologetically. "They usually sleep for a couple of hours. Corin doesn't always nap, though, so she might be available for some play time."
"It's fine, Kate. We all need to take a nap after lunch." I stressed that everyone was going to nap so the kids wouldn't think they were escaping. We wouldn't make it the rest of the day without some sleep.
As we headed into the kitchen, I noticed how quiet Rosalie and Jasper were. But when they ate all of their soup and sandwiches at lunch, I decided it was just because they were in a new place. I hoped that they would relax within the next few days so they would really enjoy their time here.
After eating and complimenting Kate on the delicious lunch, we were led to our rooms. Carmen and Eleazar were staying in their guest room, and Esme and I were given another one.
Esme apologized for us going to nap so soon after we arrived, but Kate shrugged it off and promised a tour of the house once we were awake. The only thing I could think about was the queen sized bed in front of me, which looked like heaven.
Before we could lie down, we had to find a place for the kids to nap. The boys would be staying in Riley's room while Rosalie stayed with Corin and Jane, but since they were already asleep, we didn't want to possibly disturb them. Kate offered her last extra bedroom for Emmett and Jasper, and we quickly got them tucked in and convinced they needed a nap. Kate then took Rosalie off to the master bedroom and volunteered to stay wither until she went to sleep. We took her up on her offer since Rose was comfortable with her aunt, and Esme and I were really ready for a nap.
When everyone was settled, I was finally able to fall into bed, and it felt just as perfect as I thought it would. I pulled Esme down beside me which made it even better.
"Tonight or tomorrow?" Esme mumbled through a yawn as she cuddled against me.
I knew immediately what she meant. "That depends on how long you think we can keep this a secret."
"I think we can last until tomorrow," she said as confidently as her tired voice would allow. "Then we'll be settled and maybe…not as…busy…"
"Go to sleep, sweetheart," I said with a chuckle. "Tomorrow sounds fine, but right now, we need a nap."
Somehow, the nap was better than any I had ever had, almost to the point where I hated waking up. But waking up to Esme placing playful kisses down my neck made being awake seem pretty good too.
After freshening up, we joined the rest of the family. We had slept the longest, so when we made it to the den, everything was a bit chaotic.
The kids were all very happy to see each other, and their constant chatter was fun to listen to even though it was a bit loud. Kate finally sent them to the kids' playroom which gave the adults a chance to talk and walk around in peace.
We were all taken on a tour, but the two different tours weren't the same. Kate and Carmen took Esme around the inside of the house, showing her all of the details in the décor. Esme loved it and approved of basically everything Kate had done. The "manly" tour was different and mostly consisted of a trip outside to see the exterior of the large house. Garrett had planned and built it himself, of course, so he knew all of the specific details and special features and gladly shared them.
After our tours, we lounged around for the rest of the day. Even though we hadn't changed time zones, there was somehow a feeling of jet lag or maybe just the tiredness that came with every trip.
Since we were all nearly exhausted, we ate an early dinner and went to bed soon after. It was already dark outside which made it seem even later than it was, so I knew there was no way I would be able to stay awake.
Esme and I tucked the kids into their beds, but not before making sure Jasper knew the way to our room and that Rosalie knew she could climb into bed with Corin or Jane if she was afraid. Esme wouldn't be much help to her since she was in bed with me, so we hoped being with the other girls would help if she was afraid. I wasn't too worried, though, since Rosalie usually slept through the night.
Crawling into bed for the night with Esme was somehow even better than the nap we had taken only a few hours prior. I wasn't completely sure how I felt about making love in the guest room of my almost sister's house, but I also wasn't sure if Esme and I could go a week without each other. The prospect of that happening was slim to none. But nothing was stopping me from my now daily chat with Baby Cullen.
"Hi, baby," I whispered as I settled myself right next to Esme's abdomen. She chuckled at me and began running her fingers through my hair but didn't try to stop me.
"I hope you're having a nice time in there, baby. Tomorrow we're going to tell the family all about you. There's your Nana, Pops, Aunt Kate, and Uncle Garrett. They're going to be so excited about you. We're at your Aunt Kate and Uncle Garrett's house now, and if they still live here, we'll definitely bring you here when you're older so you can see all the snow. I bet you'll love playing in the snow.
"I think that's all for tonight, sweet baby. I love you very much, and your Mommy loves you very much, too, but you already know that. You can feel it with every beat of her heart. So, goodnight, baby. I'm sure the rest of the crazy family will be talking to you tomorrow so you need your rest."
I rubbed the slight bump one last time and placed a few kisses around the area until Esme was giggling because I was tickling her.
I crawled back up beside her, pulling her into my arms. "Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you so much."
"I love you, too, Carlisle," she sniffled. "Goodnight."
Even after less than a week, I knew these were happy tears she was shedding. Hearing Esme cry anything but happy tears always caused me near physical pain, but since I knew why she was crying now, I stayed silent while holding her tightly in support.
Once the lamp was turned off, it didn't take long for me to drift off to sleep.
The night was surprisingly restful even though we were in an unfamiliar bed. But when I woke, I was slightly disorientated mostly due to the heavy weight on my chest.
I slowly opened my eyes to see what was on top of me and smiled when I saw the familiar blond head just below my chin. I closed my eyes again and rubbed Jasper's back lightly with one hand as I reached the other toward the side to find Esme. Instead of finding her, all I could feel was the slightly warm bed, so she hadn't been up for long.
"I think Daddy's awake now," I heard whispered rather loudly, and my eyes popped open once more.
"Hi, Daddy," Esme whispered as she bounced a smiling Rosalie on her hip. They were both still in their pajamas, and I hoped that meant I hadn't overslept.
"Good morning, ladies." My voice was slightly scratchy so I cleared my throat before continuing. "What have I missed this morning?"
Esme shook her head with a shrug. "I just crawled out of bed a few minutes ago because someone was poking me," she said as she tickled Rosalie.
"And what about this one?" I asked, pointing at the little body on top of me.
"No idea. He was there when I woke up. Did you not help him into the bed?"
"Not that I remember," I said with a difficult yawn. "But I'm not sure how or if I was able to breathe all night with him like this."
Jasper hadn't woken during a conversation, so I rubbed his back some more. He finally began stirring and stretched before propping himself up on his arms as his eyes slowly blinked open.
"Daddy," he whispered with a big smile.
"Hey, buddy," I said with a smile in return. "Are you ready to get up and get some food?"
He nodded, and I kissed his forehead before scooting out of bed. After a trip to the bathroom, we ventured to the kitchen where everyone else was already finishing their breakfast. They all remained at the table as we ate, and once we had our fill, the whole family scattered to get dressed for the day.
Since we needed a day to recover from the travel, we had decided to stay around the house and be lazy. With my wife in my arms and a cup of hot chocolate in my hand, I was more than happy to sit around and watch movies with the family.
The morning passed slowly and comfortably, and after lunch had been eaten, we bundled up ourselves and the kids so we could go outside.
Both Esme and Kate brought cameras out with them, and I was glad they had thought of it. Seeing Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett's first real reaction to the snow was priceless. The three sets of wide eyes and open mouths made us laugh, but their wonder really was amazing to see.
As their cousins ran around and played, our three remained motionless, as if they were too afraid to move.
"Come on, guys," I said, walking out into the snow and kneeling down. "Reach down and grab some." They watched me closely as my hands met the ground, and I slowly made a snowball. "See? Hey, Em…catch!"
"Daddy!" Emmett gasped as the snowball I threw landed right by his feet. A moment passed before he gradually lowered himself to a crouch and allowed one finger to touch the show. I smiled as he squealed in delight. "Daddy, it's sooooo cold!"
"I know, buddy," I said with a chuckle. "That's why you're wearing gloves. Rosalie, Jasper…do you want to touch it, too?"
Rosalie lingered against Esme's legs, but Jasper nodded and made his way toward me. He went slowly, getting used to the new terrain as he went, but he relaxed when he was in the circle of my arms. Apparently he didn't want to touch the snow without me.
I reached down and gathered a handful of snow, holding it up so he could reach. "Here, buddy. Do you want to play?"
He hesitated for a second before putting his hand in mine, giggling as he smashed the snow. "Daddy, I do it!"
"I see that, bud. How about we throw some at your brother?"
He gave me a quick nod, and I helped him gather a small pile which he threw at Emmett. It didn't get anywhere close to him, but Emmett and Jasper laughed and laughed as if it had. They began playing together so I quietly excused myself to join my wife.
Esme, Carmen, and Kate seemed to be doing a similar tutorial with Rosalie, but she wasn't enjoying it nearly as much as the boys. Cold and wet didn't seem to be her favorite things, but I had an idea that would hopefully make the snow seem more fun.
"Hey, baby girl," I said as I knelt beside her and Esme. "Do you want to help me make a snowman?"
As I said the word "snowman," her eyes lit up. "Like Frossy?" she whispered hopefully.
I nodded. "Exactly like Frosty. I bet Aunt Kate even has a scarf and hat we can use."
Rosalie quickly glanced over at Kate who was already standing and brushing the snow from her knees.
"I'll be right back with all the snowman stuff you need, sweet girl," Kate said as she headed into the house.
While she was gone, I went ahead and started building a snowman with help from my girls. I had never built a snowman before which meant my technique wasn't the best, but Esme had experience from when she was a little girl. With her guidance, our creation actually looked like the pictures of snowmen I had seen.
By the time Kate returned, everyone had caught on to what we were doing and had started building their own snowmen. Each little team of an adult and one or two children created a snow person, filling the yard with a snow family. And with the supplies Kate brought out, the whole snow family soon had faces, arms, scarves, and hats.
Esme and Kate took many pictures of everyone standing proudly by their snowmen, and I couldn't wait to get a printed copy of the picture of Rosalie and me. It was definitely getting framed so it could sit on my desk for me to see every day. This was the first time Rosalie and I had ever really done anything together, and I wanted to always remember it.
"Daddy, it like Frossy, huh? We make a Frossy here!" Rosalie's excitement was very catching as she tried to jump up and down in front of our snowman. She almost fell a couple of times because of her thick snow gear, but I didn't have the heart to stop her.
"We sure did, sweetheart. Good job!" I held out my hand, and she didn't waste any time before giving me a high-five. Based on Esme's quiet sniffling I heard, I knew she saw our moment. It was another picture I couldn't wait to display.
After everyone admired all the hard work, we went inside to warm up before it was too dark. The shortened daylight hours was something we weren't used to, but the adjustment wasn't that bad since the weather didn't encourage us staying out for very long.
We spent our evening talking and laughing as we played games together or just watched the kids play. The young cousins really did have a close bond as did the rest of us. Finally being together brought a sense of contentment and tranquility that was much needed at the end of the hectic holiday season.
Dinner was a loud and happy affair as was bath time and story time. One day was all the kids needed to completely recover from our trip which was both good and bad. We were glad they had the energy to have fun with their cousins, but Esme, Carmen, Eleazar, and I weren't quite at one-hundred-percent yet. Chasing them around was a challenge.
Putting the kids to bed was also a challenge. With the shared rooms, there was more chattering and giggling going on than actually sleeping. As long as they didn't get out of bed, we left them alone, and eventually everything was quiet.
When we were sure the kids were asleep, Esme and I excused ourselves so we could make a quick trip to our room. We had a plan, and it was finally time to enact it.
"Are you ready?" I asked Esme as she grabbed the two wrapped gifts we had brought.
"I think so," she said softly, her smile hesitant. "Are you ready?"
"I think so." She elbowed me as I repeated her words, but I simply pulled her into my arms and brought my lips to hers. We kissed slowly and tenderly before pulling apart, letting any lingering anxiety melt away. "Now I'm ready," I said with a wink. "Everyone is going to be all over you so I needed to do that while I still could."
"There's always later tonight."
I chuckled at her coy statement and nodded. "Of course, sweetheart. Believe me, we'll have some fun later. But for now, let's go introduce the family to Baby Cullen."
I quickly snuck in a rub to the bump before taking Esme's hand and walking to the den.
Eleazar and Garrett were talking while Carmen and Kate seemed to be debating about what movie we were going to watch, but everyone stopped what they were doing once they saw us in the doorway.
"We have one more Christmas present for you," Esme announced as she passed one gift to Carmen and the other to Kate. "We were afraid to ship them, so we just decided to bring them."
I tried not to smile too much, knowing that the statement was only partially true. We would have been afraid to ship the gifts if they had even been ready before Christmas.
"Oh, darling, you didn't have to get us anything else," Carmen scoffed.
"It's really not anything new," Esme explained as we sat together on the couch. "I give you framed pictures of the kids every year. That's all this is."
I pulled Esme into my arms and held her tightly, placing a kiss on her hair to hide my smile. This was really one of our best plans, one I was sure would catch Carmen off-guard. She was the one who normally figured things out, so being able to outsmart her really was an accomplishment - one that didn't happen often in our family.
"Well, thank you guys," Kate said, scooting over toward Garrett. "We always love the picture you give us. These will definitely be going on the wall."
Everyone nodded in agreement before starting to unwrap their gifts.
Esme and I sat back and watched, letting the anxiety creep in once more as we waited to see who would notice first. From the way they were unwrapping them, I figured Kate would see first, and when she gasped, I knew I was right.
"Esme, what…what is this?" Kate quickly tore the rest of the paper off and lifted the frame up to show us what she found, as if we didn't know what was already there.
After leaving the doctor's appointment, we had taken the sonogram printouts to make copies for the family and our friends. Esme had thought of this idea for telling the family while we were there, so we also bought picture frames. She had explained that it was a collage, and the four frames together were perfect for holding pictures of each other our children. The pictures of Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper wouldn't be a surprise, but that fourth black and white photo of a perfect little profile would be.
"What do you mean, Kate?" Esme replied in a near broken voice.
She pointed to the bottom corner picture. "This. Does this mean…are you…?"
Before Esme could nod or answer in anyway, Carmen's discovery was made known by a muffled cry as she quickly stood up and rushed over to us.
"Oh, Esme," she cried, kneeling down and placing her hands on either side of Esme's face. "Are you expecting? Is this real?"
"Very real," I answered along with Esme's teary nod.
Carmen immediately pulled Esme into a hug, rocking her back and forth as they cried together. My hand never left Esme's back throughout the moment because I wanted her to know I was there.
Carmen's reaction was very similar to mine, including the incoherent ramblings. Soon, the whole family was in a group hug, and the moment was perfect.
When the hugging and mumbling died down, I cleared my throat and smiled once I had their attention.
"Esme and I are beyond thrilled, of course. But we really can't do this without you."
Esme nodded and took my hand. "He's right. I'm practically exhausted every day, and even though my energy level should be coming up soon, the kids are just going to be more active."
"Of course, Esme!" Carmen exclaimed. "You know we'll be there to help every step of the way but still respect your space. E and I will be glad to take the kids for a day or help around the house…just tell us what you need."
"Thank you," Esme said with a relieved smile. "This is so sudden that we just haven't had a chance to prepare."
"Exactly how sudden?" Kate asked as she and Garrett returned to their original spots. "This sonogram is pretty defined."
As Esme and I filled them in on what was going on, the room became silent. By the time we were finished, jaws had dropped, and everyone seemed to be at a loss for words. Of course Carmen was the first to find hers.
"So you're fifteen weeks pregnant but you didn't suspect anything until Sunday?"
Esme shook her head. "Not a thing. I still can't believe I didn't know."
"And the baby is okay even though you didn't know, right?" Kate asked.
"The baby is perfectly fine as far as we can tell. The doctor didn't have any concerns," I assured her as I placed my hand on my favorite spot. It was so nice to finally be able to do this around everyone else. Hiding it for this many days hadn't been easy.
"Aww…look at them, E," Carmen gushed as if we weren't right in front of her. "They're so happy. Praise God for this miracle."
After another round of congratulations, we talked about the baby, being sure to let them know that we hadn't told the kids yet. We were going to wait until we were settled at home again so they would be in a comfortable and safe environment. We had no idea how they were going to react to the news or if they would even understand, but we couldn't put it off for much longer. As soon as Esme began to show, questions would be asked.
We stayed up a while longer, talking happily together as we continued celebrating. Kate and Carmen each took several turns talking to and placing their hands over the baby even though nothing could be felt yet.
Before we separated for the night, Eleazar prayed with all of us, thanking God for our miracle and asking him to keep Esme and the baby safe. Knowing we had so much support provided a further sense of peace about everything and the confidence that everything would be all right.
That peace, plus a satisfying round of nighttime activities, provided for another restful night which was exactly what we needed to finish recovering from the trip so we could enjoy our time together.
As always, our visit seemed to pass too quickly.
The whole family attended Kate and Garrett's church on Sunday, and everyone was very welcoming. We were very proud of Rosalie and Jasper especially for staying calm and knowing they were safe with us. Venturing into public was still a new thing for them, but they were doing well with the little steps we were making.
On Monday evening, Kate and Garrett hosted a party, inviting their closest friends to help ring in the New Year. There was good food and fun for all involved, and I made sure I was able to kiss Esme at midnight. The next year would hold many new changes for us, and I couldn't wait to experience them all with my wife and kids by my side.
The remaining days of our visit were spent doing some of the tourist type activities. Kate and Garrett showed us around the city of Anchorage and took us to several museums and interesting landmarks. Since they were still entertaining the idea of moving to Washington, we tried to see as much as possible while we had the opportunity.
We also spent more time outside having snowball fights and trying to teach the kids how to make snow angels. Emmett and Jasper loved being able to roll around in the snow, but Rosalie remained wary. Though with some encouragement from Corin and Jane, she was soon rolling around with all the others, and Esme made sure to thoroughly document it with many pictures.
At the end of our visit, we were sad about leaving but ready at the same time. We had made many memories together, but it was time to get back to reality.
A weight had been lifted off of our shoulders when we shared our news, but there were other decisions to be made. We needed to tell the kids, and their reactions would decide how we proceeded with them. This would change their lives, and making sure they continued feeling comfortable and safe was a huge priority.
We also had big decisions to make about my job. Things couldn't return to what they'd been, but moving forward would now have added challenges.
My immediate focus was on Esme and giving her all the support she needed to make this pregnancy a smooth one. I hadn't been able to be a part of her pregnancy with Emmett, but I was going to make sure I didn't miss anything this time. I couldn't wait to experience it all.
A/N: So I'm not quite as fail this week which is a very good thing. I am finally home, and even though I miss the kids, I love the peace and quiet. I'm going to try to get back to regular updates for the rest of the summer, so we'll just see how that goes.
If you didn't see it, I posted a short PL outtake earlier this week. I know I promised outtakes a looong time ago, and they will be written even if they're out of order.
Also, PL has been nominated for a Shimmer Award for Best All Human story, so thank you to whoever nominated me. I am absolutely thrilled! The link to the nominations is on my profile if you'd like to check it out.
Thanks so much for reading and remember that reviewers will receive teasers! =)