Thank you very much for the sweet reviews. We're about to reach another milestone number, and I almost can't believe it. I have the best readers ever. =)

I also have the best beta ever. MelissaMargaret fixes my funny goofs to make this pretty.

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

Carlisle POV

"Six...Seven...Eight...Nine...Ten. Ready or not, here I come."

From the giggles coming from behind the couch and beside the recliner, I knew this round wouldn't be very difficult.

The kids were getting better at this game, though. They could all consistently count past ten, and they were good "seekers." It had taken a couple weeks to get to this point, but at least they didn't immediately run out and tell me where they were hiding as soon as I finished counting.

"I wonder where they are," I pondered in an exaggerated voice as I circled the middle of the room. The giggles increased, but I was very proud of them for not moving from their spots.

Hide-and-seek had become a favorite game to play on "Daddy day." As my one constant free day of the week, Monday had become a special time for me to spend with the kids while Esme took the day to do something for herself. Day after day of dealing with three small children while being pregnant was tough for her. The pregnancy alone threatened to zap all of her energy, but Esme was incredible and managed to keep everything running as smoothly as it had months ago.

"Daddy day" was a day everyone looked forward to. Esme had her time while I bonded with the kids, something we needed since my work schedule was so hectic.

One of my favorite things about this day was that I was able to spend time with Rosalie. We were still making up for lost time and building our relationship, and the relationship seemed to grow stronger every time I was alone with her, or at least as "alone" as we could be with two boys running around.

It was difficult for me to remember last year, when Rosalie was afraid of me. Now, she rarely left my side. She still loved her mommy and wanted to spend time with her, but the whole family could see that I was becoming her favorite. The change wasn't overnight, but it was happening quickly. I simply stopped doubting and enjoyed it. I finally had my girl, and she was more than worth the wait.

Being able to spend time with all three of my children without hesitance was great, too. We could have fun together without anxiety or fear, and every moment was special to me.

Today's "Daddy day" had been spent outside for the most part. The early April weather was surprisingly nice after breakfast, so after Esme left to meet Charlotte, I took the kids out to play. They ran around all morning without stopping until it was time to eat lunch. After lunch, I convinced them to stay inside, and we started playing hide-and-seek. I had a feeling this third round was going to be the end of our playtime, though. I was exhausted and hoped they were too.

I exaggerated my movements for a few more minutes as I looked in different places and acted like I didn't know where they were. Once I felt like I had dragged it out long enough, I crept to the couch and quickly jumped behind it. Emmett and Jasper squealed in surprise, and I knelt down to pull them into my arms.

"I've got you, you little rascals," I cheered playfully as I tickled them.

"Daddy, you found us!" Emmett shrieked between giggles. "How you do that so fast?"

"I was fast, huh?"

"Yeah, Daddy," Jasper agreed as he threw his arms around my neck. "You wins da game!"

"I haven't won yet," I said. "I still have to find your sister."

"But I hafta potty," Emmett whined.

I laughed and immediately stopped tickling him, releasing him from my arms. "Please don't let me stop you from taking care of that, son. You and Jasper go potty, and when you get back, we'll do something else."

They ran off together toward the bathroom, and I breathed a sigh of relief. We usually managed to avoid accidents because the kids were good at telling us when they need to go to the bathroom. With boys, though, it could be unpredictable. When Emmett yelled out that he had made it, I knew for sure we were in the clear.

I stood from my crouched position, and slowly made my way around the couch and over to the recliner. Rosalie wasn't giggling anymore, but her purple hair bow was visible over the arm of the chair.

My charade continued as I walked closer and voiced my thoughts.

"Hmm…I think I've found my baby girl." I flopped into the recliner which made her head pop up as she giggled. I reached over and pulled her into my lap, hugging her tightly.

"Hi, Daddy," she said, still giggling as she hugged me. After a minute, she pulled back and placed her hands on my face. "Love you, Daddy."

That was another new part of our relationship.

Rosalie loved me.

It wasn't that I thought she didn't love me, but she had finally started confirming it aloud. Not a day went by without her telling me at least once, and she seemed to love saying it. I definitely wasn't going to discourage her, even if she wanted to tell me two hundred times a day.

"I love you, too, sweetheart," I said with a smile.

"Love you to the moon. How much you love me?" she asked.

I pretended to think about it, placing my finger against my chin and tapping it a couple times. "Hmmm…I love you to the moon…and back."

Her eyes grew wide, as did her smile.

"You love me that much too?" I asked as I kissed her forehead.

She nodded, but the short forehead kiss wasn't good enough for her. She continued holding my face, pressing both sides together to make my lips pucker. When she had me how she wanted me, she placed a quick kiss on my lips and then made me make a "fish face." I gladly did it just to hear her laugh, but I stopped as soon as the boys returned. If they saw, I would be making faces all day.

"Daddy, I needa sit down," Emmett said as he promptly dropped to the floor.

"Mmhmm. I tired," Jasper added and joined his brother.

"Can we watch a movie?" Emmett asked.

I thought about it and nodded. "All right," I said, standing with Rosalie and bouncing her on my hip. "We can watch a movie, but you have to lie down and not move, got it?"

I knew once they were still, they would fall asleep. We all needed a nap after playing hard all morning and afternoon.

"We got it, Daddy!" Emmett said happily. He and Jasper immediately scooted over to the couch and each grabbed one of the decorative pillows before placing them on the floor and getting comfortable.

I stepped around them and went to the cabinet where the DVDs were. I wanted something they had seen before so they wouldn't try to stay awake to see what would happen.

"What do you think?" I asked Rosalie. "Anything look good?"

She shook her head as she laid it against me. I rubbed her back lightly and went back to trying to choose a movie. Rosalie was obviously ready for her nap, so I needed to choose one quickly. My eyes finally landed on Finding Nemo, and it seemed as good of a choice as any other movie.

"Nemo okay?" I asked as I inserted the disk into the player and turned the on the TV. Emmett and Jasper both nodded, so I stepped around them once more to head over to the couch. I sat Rosalie down so I could grab a blanket off of the back of the couch and cover the boys with it.

"Daddy," Jasper said in a yawn, "I like fishies."

I chuckled as I placed the blanket over them. "I know you do, buddy. We'll see about going to the aquarium next week, okay? Then you can see all the fish you want."

He smiled at my suggestion while nodding quickly.

I went back to the couch and sat down only to have Rosalie quickly crawl into my lap. I wanted her to be comfortable too, but I could tell she wasn't going to leave my side. Instead of trying to convince her to lie down on the couch beside me, I placed several pillows against the arm of the couch and stretched out on my back with my head against them. It wasn't the most comfortable position for my neck, but it allowed Rosalie to lie on my chest and still be able to see the movie.

I pulled another blanket down from the back of the couch and covered us with it. Rosalie snuggled against me, and we watched the movie in silence.

I could tell the boys were already asleep before we were even five minutes into the movie, but Rosalie was still awake. Her fingers were threaded through the hair at the base of my neck, and she was content as she swirled the strands around. I kissed her head and let her be, hoping that she would nap soon.

My eyelids became heavy, but I wasn't ready to give in. I managed to see a few more minutes of the movie, but as Rosalie's breathing gradually slowed, mine did as well, and I couldn't stop my eyes from closing.

In what seemed like just seconds, my eyes popped open as I heard someone enter the house. I rubbed my face roughly and waited. When Esme looked into the room, I smiled.

"I didn't mean to wake you," she whispered as she entered the room. "Go back to sleep."

"It's okay, sweetheart. I don't think I wanted to sleep this long." I looked over at the TV and saw that the screen was frozen on the DVD menu. "We've been asleep for at least two hours, I would guess."

"Did they wear you out?" she asked.

I motioned for her to come closer and puckered my lips playfully so she would know I wanted a kiss. She giggled but indulged me with several.

"They did wear me out," I answered once I had properly welcomed her home. "But how was your day? What kind of trouble did you and Charlotte get into?"

"Oh, you know. Just the normal lunch and spa kind of trouble," she said as she carefully sat down on the other end of the couch. "We thought about going to see a movie, but my bladder won't exactly let me sit through a whole movie. But I did get my nails polished and my hair trimmed."

"You look beautiful, beautiful," I said with a wink. She really did. Every Monday, she returned looking well rested and relaxed, and today was no different except there was an extra glow about her. I always encouraged her to do the little things for herself because it left her feeling happy and confident.

"Well, thank you, handsome," she said with a chuckle. "You look nice yourself with a baby girl sleeping on your chest."

I moved my head to the side so I could see Rosalie's face. She was still sleeping peacefully with no sign of waking. I kissed her head and rubbed her back softly, not wanting to disturb her.

"I think this might be one of my favorite things," I confessed quietly.

"It's one of her favorites, too. And one of mine."

I didn't miss the slight longing in Esme's voice. It was probably a subconscious thought, but I had the same longing. We had been apart all day, and I needed to hold my wife.

As carefully as I could, I scooted over and slid Rosalie off of my chest to lie on the couch. She let out a deep sigh but didn't move as I made sure she was comfortable before standing and going over to sit beside Esme.

"Hi," I said innocently as I pulled her closer to me.

"Hi. I thought you were comfortable there."

I kissed her temple and hummed. "I was, but I missed you and my Pumpkin. How are you both feeling?"

"We're feeling just fine today. Pumpkin's been a busy bee, though." She took my hand and placed it on the side of her abdomen. Her hand pressed against mine, and together, we felt our baby kick.

"Pumpkin's strong," I mumbled. "Has it been hurting today?" As the baby grew, the movements were becoming more forceful. I loved being able to feel them from the outside now, but I hated the thoughts of Esme hurting. Thankfully, she shook her head.

"No, it's been fine. He or she is taking it easy on me today."

I leaned down and lifted Esme's shirt so I could place a kiss directly on her soft skin. "Thank you for being nice to Mommy, sweet baby. I love you." After one more kiss, I pulled the shirt back down, smoothing it as well as I could, and sat up so I could kiss Esme.

We sat for a while longer as I told Esme all about our day and heard the specifics about hers, but she eventually became restless.

"Want to go upstairs?" she asked, and I immediately agreed. I knew the kids were going to wake up soon so we couldn't have our first choice of fun, but I had a feeling Esme had something else in mind.

I helped her up from the couch, and we quietly walked upstairs together. I followed her down the hallway, past our room and into the room that now belonged to Pumpkin.

Esme had already worked her magic on the room, making it go from an empty, colorless space to the perfect room for our little one.

Since we didn't know if the baby was a boy or a girl, Esme wanted to chose a neutral theme. She researched and shopped until she found exactly what she wanted. To me, yellow and green were the obviously color choices, but my wife didn't share my opinion. She wanted brown and cream, so brown was what she received. She insisted on painting the walls herself, and even with my suggestion of frequent rests, she finished quickly.

I loved watching Esme while she was in her element. Decorating was her passion. I knew she wanted to be at home right now with the kids, but I also knew that she missed working to some degree. Decorating Pumpkin's room gave her a chance to put her mommy and her designing skills to work.

When the painting was finished a couple of weeks ago, we gradually began filling the room. The furniture we ordered was made of sturdy, dark wood, and was the safest we could find. The bedding came next, and the cream colored bedding with brown sheep Esme found was perfect. I didn't know how she did it, but everything went together. I was in awe.

Other small details were slowly added, like the curtains Carmen made and the wall art, lamp, and new rocking chair. Esme had about ten weeks left of her pregnancy, but the room was mostly ready. Looking in it reminded us how close we were.

"We're almost ready, huh?" I asked as I slipped my arms around Esme and pulled her back to my chest. My hands rested on her rather large baby bump, and she placed hers on top of mine.

"Almost," she agreed. "But we still need so much."

"Won't the family be getting some things? I know you don't want a baby shower, but won't they want to give gifts?"

She nodded. "I've talked to Carmen and Kate about it, or rather they've talked to me about it. I've been informed that they will be taking care of all the little stuff. I think they must shop everyday or something."

This was news to me. "They've already been shopping?"

"Oh, yes," she huffed. I couldn't decide if she was amused or annoyed. Possibly a mixture of both. "Carmen has a whole guest room full of shopping bags, and I can only imagine what Kate will soon be shipping down here. And Chelsea's been busy shopping, too. I think we only really need to buy big stuff right now."

"And that would include…what, exactly? I know we need a car seat."

"Yes, we need a car seat soon," she agreed. "Definitely a swing or a bouncy seat. Those saved my life when Emmett was a baby. Maybe a stroller if you want to get one, but we don't necessarily need one. I don't want to get too much…"

"Esme," I interrupted, turning her in my arms until she was looking at me. "Sweetheart, honestly, there is no such thing as too much when it comes to this baby. I don't know much about everything newborns need, but I completely trust you. If you think we need it, we'll get it, no matter what it is. Okay?"

"Okay," she sighed, her lips curving into a small smile. "I just don't want to buy anything that's unnecessary.

"We're talking about buying a stroller, not a…pony or something like that." I shook my head as I chuckled. "We'll get whatever we need and want, and we should probably do it soon. When would you like to go?"

She thought about it for a second. "We could go this weekend maybe? You're not working or on call, and we could take the kids. I think they would like to be involved."

"Perfect idea," I said, smiling. "We can all go out to breakfast Saturday and spend the morning shopping."

"Now that's a perfect idea," she repeated with a wink.

I laughed as I quickly sat down in the chair, pulling Esme with me. We laughed together until we calmed and then sat quietly. It was almost difficult to believe that in less than three months, Pumpkin would be here. We would be holding our baby in this room, rocking in this chair.

I tilted Esme's face toward mine and kissed her tenderly, thinking of how blessed we really were.

The kids' excitement for our shopping trip was both a blessing and a curse. The idea of finding things for Pumpkin provided enough excitement on its own. The sugar-filled pancake breakfast we ate Saturday morning just added to it.

"Daddy, we shoppin' for Pumpkin now?"

"We sure are, buddy," I answered Jasper as I pulled him out of his car seat and into my arms. "We have to make sure we have everything Pumpkin needs."

He nodded. "Cause it gonna come outta dere, huh?"

"You are exactly right, Jasper," I said with a smile. "Baby Pumpkin will be out of there really soon."

I repeated the same process with Rosalie, and as soon as Esme had Emmett out and holding her hand, we headed to the store entrance.

"Let's remember the rules, guys," Esme reminded them. "Use your inside voice and always stay with Mommy and Daddy, okay?"

They all agreed, and together, we stepped through the automatic doors.

Rosalie's first reaction to the new place was to hide her face in my neck, but I was expecting it. She and Jasper were doing better with going out in public. As long as there wasn't a large crowd, they were fine. It was always the first few minutes at a new place that were the most tense for them.

We found the shopping carts, and I placed Jasper into the cart. He immediately sat down like he knew he was supposed to and slowly began to look around the large store. Emmett was placed in the cart next to his brother, Esme lifting him before I had a chance to help. I frowned, not liking her to do any sort of lifting, but she rolled her eyes and hooked her arm through mine.

"I'm fine," she assured me. "Soon I won't be able to lift any of them and then I'll almost always have a baby in my arms. I know my limits, so let me enjoy this. Please?"

I kissed her temple and rested my head against hers. When she said things like that, I had to go along with her. I wanted to give her the world, especially such a simple request as to hold her children. I just couldn't help the part of me that worried. At this point in her pregnancy, there was a low risk of something serious happening since the baby was now viable. But as much as I reminded myself of that fact, I still wanted to protect both Esme and Pumpkin from anything and everything.

After I coaxed Rosalie to sit in the cart seat, we began our journey through the store. As we browsed different sections, Rosalie relaxed gradually relaxed until she was looking around just as excitedly as the boys were.

We spent a few minutes in the baby clothes even though we didn't plan on buying any today. I wasn't sure if we would ever need to buy any. At our weekly family dinner, Carmen showed me her growing stash of baby items. Even though Esme had mentioned it, I wasn't prepared for exactly how many bags were stored in their guest room. Pumpkin probably wouldn't need any more clothes for at least a year.

The kids did pick out a couple of onesies they wanted Pumpkin to have, and we immediately placed them in the cart. They might not have been needed for the baby, but they were needed for our other children. If they wanted to be involved, we encouraged them in any way.

From the clothing, we headed to the section with all the car seats. The large area was almost overwhelming even though we had researched seats beforehand. There were so many models, styles, and colors, but Esme knew exactly what we were looking for.

"We need the rear facing seats," she explained, taking the front of the cart and leading us over to the appropriate area. "Like these." She pointed out the ones we could choose from, and there were still quite a few.

"What color?" I asked, hoping that was a good place to start.

"Pink," Rosalie immediately answered.

I turned to look at her, returning the bright smile she was giving me. "Pink, huh?" I asked, tickling her quickly. "Well what if Pumpkin is a boy? Should a boy baby have a pink car seat?"

She laughed but nodded. "Yahuh, Daddy. Pink is good," she said, as if that explained everything.

"What do you think, boys?" I asked Emmett and Jasper.

"I think Pumpkin needs…blue," Emmett said, nodding in agreement with himself.

"Yeah, and green," Jasper said.

"Okay, so we have pink or blue and green. What do you think, Mommy?"

She hummed, breaking out of her thoughts. "I think brown," she said as she scanned the different seats. "Neutral, like everything else."

As the kids debated pink and blue and green, I started paying closer attention to what Esme was doing. There had to be at least fifteen different car seats for us to choose from, and many of them did include brown. We slowly walked down the aisle until Esme stopped and gasped.

"Carlisle, look," she said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me closer. I placed my chin on her shoulder and looked to where she was pointing. "Do you see the name of this pattern?"

I glanced over the piece of paper that listed all the information, and smiled when I saw what this particular print was called.

"How about that," I mused as we studied the car seat. The "Carlisle" design was mostly brown with sections that had a blue, white, and tan print. "So you think Pumpkin needs a car seat that's named after me?"

She nodded. "Of course. I think it's a sign that this is the perfect one. The company knows I love my husband and would want a design with the same name. I have to love it too."

I laughed at her logic, but I didn't want to disagree. "Okay, sweetheart. But what if Pumpkin is a girl? This one isn't very neutral."

Her shoulders slumped, and I immediately regretted pointing out the possibility that a little girl couldn't use a blue car seat.

"Or we could get it anyway. I'm sure a little girl won't really care about sitting in a seat with blue on it. Blue is…pretty, right? And it does have brown. Brown is good."

As her shoulders started shaking, I knew I wasn't making this better.

"Oh, sweetheart. Don't cry. It's okay."

She finally released a breath, but the sound that came out with it wasn't what I was expecting. Esme wasn't crying at all. She was laughing.

"Carlisle, you can…stop now," she gasped out between her loud laughter. "You…didn't upset me." Her laughter was deep, shaking her whole body, and I felt myself smiling along with her.

When she calmed, she turned around and placed her arms around my waist. "I love you. You know that?"

I nodded and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"I love you, and you are the most thoughtful man in the world," she continued. "You're very right about it not being neutral, but we can always keep looking. There's just something about this one."

I agreed, but we decided to keep looking. Thankfully, the kids hadn't gotten into any trouble while our backs were turned, and after peacefully resolving their color debate, we turned their attention back to the seats.

We went through all of the other options, but we couldn't stop going back to the "Carlisle" seat. The neutral seats that were in stock held no appeal, but buying a blue seat still didn't feel exactly right.

"Why don't we just get this one?" I asked as we looked at it for the fourth time.

Esme sighed, reaching up to rub the fabric. She loved it – that much was obvious – but wouldn't commit to it.

"Or," I added, suddenly thinking of a solution, "we could just buy two different car seats."

"Two?"

I nodded. "We can get this one and a pink one, wait until the baby is born, and then return whichever one we don't use."

She thought for a second before smiling and turning to the kids. "Guys, your daddy is a very smart man. You need to all grow up and be smart like him, okay?"

They agreed, and she faced me once more. "Now half of our problem is solved, but now we have more shopping to do."

"Don't worry, sweetheart," I said confidently. "We'll take care of this quickly."

I held my arms out for Rosalie, and she smiled as she held her arms up and leaned toward me. I lifted her into my arms and carried her over to the small section of pink.

"Okay, baby girl. Pink is good, right? Pick out which pink is your favorite."

Her eyes lit up as she smiled at me, but her expression quickly turned serious as she studied the options. I looked back at Esme and found that she was giggling to herself as she entertained the boys. Letting a three-year-old choose something like this was a bit funny, but I was still confident with my idea. Rosalie had a good eye, just like her mother.

"This one, Daddy," she said after a few minutes, pointing to the one she meant. "The poke-the-dots one."

"Are you sure, sweetheart?" The polka dot one she picked was right next to one with flowers, and I had figured she would like that one better.

She nodded quickly. "Yahuh. Pink poke-the-dots are good. They petty."

"All right then." I turned back to Esme and motioned for her to come closer. She brought the cart over, and I pointed out the seat Rosalie chose.

"This one is called 'Ally'," she said as she read the information card. "Is this the one we want to get?"

Rosalie nodded again, and I just shrugged.

"Interesting choice, isn't it?" Esme mumbled to me, and I chuckled in agreement.

This design did have plenty of pink, but there was also just as much gray and white. It definitely didn't match my understanding of "girly," but it was nice and one of the safest models we had researched. If Rosalie liked this one, I didn't see any reason why we couldn't get it.

"What do you think about this one, boys?" I asked.

Emmett and Jasper looked up long enough to agree before going back to playing with the action figures Esme had magically produced from her purse.

"Well, all right then. It looks like we're getting two car seats…for one baby."

"I'm sure Pumpkin will love them too," Esme said as she rubbed her protruding middle. "Pumpkin's a very lucky baby to have brothers and a sister who pick out such nice things."

Rosalie smiled proudly as Esme kissed her cheek, and I knew this was worth it. If we had to buy two of everything to make sure all the kids were involved, we would. Money didn't matter nearly as much as making sure all the changes in our life were positive ones.

Esme thanked Emmett and Jasper with kisses as well, and after telling a sales associate to have both a "Carlisle" seat and an "Ally" seat waiting for us at the register, we finished the rest of our shopping.

The car seat was the most difficult decision of the day, and everything else was picked with ease. We found both a swing and a bouncy seat with a matching design. The design was neutral and featured lambs, and we felt we were meant to buy them simply based on the fact that they would match the nursery.

Instead of a stroller, Esme decided to start with a sling. It didn't look like it would be very comfortable for the baby, but she assured me that it would be fine since she used one with Emmett. She had needed a way to keep him closer while keeping her hands free for working, so it had been her best option. Hearing stories about her time with newborn Emmett was both amazing and saddening. I hated that she had been alone, but she was so strong throughout every challenge. This time, things would be easier for her, and I couldn't wait to do everything I could for her and the baby.

We skipped shopping for the small things – as we had planned – except for a few thin blankets because Esme assured me we could never have enough. We also bought several boxes of diapers and wipes since we could never have enough of those either.

The shopping trip was definitely expensive but worth every penny. I had a happy wife and happy children who were excited about the preparations for their brother or sister. That was priceless.

Once we returned home, Esme corralled the kids into the house and attempted to put them down for a nap while I unloaded the boxes. The job could have been faster with help, but I managed by myself. In between taking the boxes upstairs, I helped Esme chase the kids around until they finally lay down. By the time they were asleep and the boxes were in the nursery, we were both exhausted and ready to crash.

"So much for a day off," I mumbled as Esme and I curled up on top of the bed together.

She nodded and drowsily draped her arm across my waist. "No shopping next Saturday, okay? Next Saturday is nap day."

"Nap day?" I asked with a chuckle. "I think I like that idea."

I liked her idea so much that I spent three days planning how to make it a reality. With a little help from Carmen, a solid plan was formed, and I couldn't wait to surprise Esme.

Unfortunately, hiding something from Esme was nearly impossible.

"What are you planning?" she asked Wednesday evening when I came home from work.

I had already greeted the kids and sent them to the family room to wait for me so I could have a few minutes alone with Esme. Of course, I should have known that when she studied my eyes, she would figure something out.

"It seems you've caught me," I said as I captured her lips in another kiss that quickly became heated.

She was the strong one who finally ended the kiss and stepped back but not without giving me a suspicious look, raised eyebrows and all. "Nice try. Distracting me with my hormones will not work this time, though. Now spill."

I laughed and hugged her lightly. "Oh, sweetheart. I love you so much, but you can wait a little while to know what I have planned. I promise it's a good thing. Trust me?"

She really had no choice but to huff and agree, but that didn't stop her from asking me several times over the next two days.

On Friday afternoon, I finally answered her when she asked me as soon as I came home.

"Tomorrow is nap day," I murmured as I trailed kisses down her jaw line and around to behind her ear.

"What was that?" she forced out, shivering from the sensations.

"Nap day," I said softly, switching to the other side. "You, me, close to eighteen hours in our bed. Sound good?"

"Oh, yes," she sighed. "Starting now?"

I shook my head slowly, letting my lips drag over her skin. "Not quite. Starting as soon as we send the kids to have a sleepover with Nana and Pops, and as soon as we get some dinner."

Carmen was more than ready to have the kids over, so as soon as Esme and I packed them up and kissed them goodbye, they were gone. Spending the night at their grandparents' house no longer caused any anxiety for any of the kids. Carmen's cookie baking and the fact that they had a trampoline in their back yard might have had something to do with that, but they really did love staying with them.

Esme started to change into a dress, but I thought she looked more than beautiful in her shorts and tank top. She could make the simplest of outfits look incredibly sexy, and besides that, I wanted her to be comfortable. Since we were going to a casual restaurant, I changed out of my scrubs and into my own shorts and a t-shirt.

I had vaguely remembered Esme mentioning a diner she visited with Charlotte during one of their Christmas shopping trips. I knew that she wanted to take the kids to eat there, but the pregnancy had distracted us from every fulfilling those plans. After asking Charlotte for the details, I found the diner and programmed the information into the GPS in preparation for tonight.

Esme's excitement over my choice was unmistakable, and we both enjoyed our light sandwiches. Since she had been doing so well with her diet, I convinced her to order some French fries as a treat. Based on the noises she made, the fries were delicious, but I was almost ready to attack her. Esme realized what she was doing, and her hungry eyes met mine. A silent agreement passed between us, and we finished eating quickly before rushing to the car.

Surprisingly, the car ride home wasn't filled with tension as I had expected it to be. The air conditioning seemed to cool us down a bit, and by the time we were back home, the urge to attack wasn't as great. It was definitely still there, but I was able to send Esme upstairs for a nice bath as I prepared everything we would need for the rest of the night.

I filled two glasses of milk for us to have with the chocolate chip cookies we brought home from the diner and placed them in the refrigerator for later. I then grabbed a bottle of water for Esme and headed upstairs to find her.

"Feeling good?" I asked with a smirk as I leaned against the bathroom doorway.

Esme cracked one eye open just enough to see me before closing it again and smiling. "I'm feeling wonderful," she mumbled. "But I would feel better with you in here with me."

I crossed the room and knelt beside the bathtub. "This bath is for you, sweetheart. I want you to be relaxed as possible."

"I am," she assured me. "So you can get in here now. I'll make room."

"Or I could stay right here and keep you company." I chuckled as she pouted and leaned over to kiss her temple. "How about I wash your hair and then we crawl into bed?"

"Mmm…that's an amazing idea." She sat up and tilted her head back, silently giving me permission to start.

I considered myself an exert hair-washer now, thanks to recent bath times. Esme couldn't kneel by the tub comfortably for long periods of time, so I gladly took over most nights when I wasn't working.

I grabbed Esme's shampoo bottle and squeezed some into my palm. After rubbing my palms together, I began massaging it into her scalp. I hummed as I worked, smiling to myself as Esme relaxed further. The stress seemed to melt off of her as my hands moved through her hair. I must have been doing a good job because her noises returned, and hearing those pleasurable moans for the second time further diminished my self-control. Reminding myself that this was about her relaxation, I took a deep breath and focused on completing my task.

Once her hair was rinsed, I kissed her forehead and left her to finish her bath. I quickly changed into my pajamas in the kids' bathroom and returned to wait for Esme.

Only a few minutes later, she entered the bedroom wrapped in a large towel and carrying her hairbrush and favorite lotion. I smiled and patted the spot on the end of the bed beside me, and as she sat I took both items from her.

"Hair first?" I asked softly, and she nodded.

Gently, I brushed her hair, loving how soft the strands felt even while wet.

I look my time as I brushed. I didn't want anything about this night to be rushed no matter how badly we wanted to move on to other actives. Sometimes our whole life felt like it was programmed to fast-forward with my hectic schedule and our active kids. Most of the alone time Esme and I spent together took place right before we went to sleep or the occasional ten minutes in the morning before a little body joined us in bed. But tonight, and tomorrow, would be different.

"Finished," I whispered. "Lotion now?"

"Yes, please."

I placed the brush on the bed and grabbed the bottle of cocoa butter lotion. Esme wasn't too worried about stretch marks, and honestly, I loved them. Those little pink lines were beautiful proof of her body growing to protect our little one. Keeping her skin moisturized was still important, though, and I loved helping.

I knelt on the floor and started with her feet, making sure to not miss an inch of skin. Esme contentedly sighed and hummed, and even giggled when I tickled her feet accidentally. Once both of her legs were finished, she automatically removed her towel and lay back to make it easier for me.

With more lotion on my hands, I stood and lovingly rubbed her abdomen. I made sure to cover the entire area thoroughly and then went back to try to tease the baby. Unfortunately, I didn't feel any little feet kicking me even when I used slight pressure.

"Pumpkin's sleeping," Esme murmured. "Has been since the bath."

"Good. I don't think we need an audience." I slid my hands down to her hips and leaned down to place a kiss right above her heart.

With Pumpkin between us, we didn't fit together exactly as we used to, but it was okay. Esme could still feel the evidence of how her beauty affected me and how much I wanted her.

"Skip the lotion," she groaned. She ran her hands through my hair as I kissed her chest. "We've teased enough for one night."

I had to agree with her, but I also loved what I was doing. Her breasts were now even more sensitive. Even the softest brush of my lips elicited an amazing response.

"Please," she added.

Well, I can't resist when you ask so nicely, sweetheart."

I stepped back to rid myself of my t-shirt and pajama pants. Esme threw her towel off the bed and kicked the hair brush and lotion into the floor as well. I watched her closely as she moved on the bed. I always let her chose the position based on whichever was the most comfortable for her. Most nights, we were creative and tried to find any new comfortable positions we could. Tonight, however, it seemed Esme was going for one of our favorites.

"Let me help you, sweetheart," I said as she attempted to place the pillows under her body to support her abdomen and breasts.

Before the pregnancy, Esme had no issues supporting herself with her hands and knees, but now, we found it easier for her to use pillows to support her entire torso.

When she was comfortable, I stood and admired her for a moment before crawling onto the bed behind her.

"You are stunning, my darling," I said as I ran my hands over her body. Her hips and bottom were so soft and full now. Most of the weight she had gained was strictly the baby, but I definitely appreciated the couple extra in the back. "Absolutely stunning."

She moaned and arched back, pressing herself closer to me, but I wasn't finished worshiping her. My hands caressed every bit of skin I could reach as I placed kiss after kiss along her spine until I reached her neck. I moved her hair to the side and made a path from behind her ear to her lips.

"Are you ready for me?" I asked against her.

"Always," she breathed.

She reached up to rest her palm on my face as she kissed me while one of my hands slipped around her to see exactly how beyond ready she was.

I ended the kiss with one final peck before sitting up and moving into position. As I guided us together, Esme watched me with heavy-lidded eyes. I had to pause for a few seconds to regain control. She was so beautiful and the position was so deep. Everything was just too good.

I shifted my focus to her as I finally began to move, watching her face as I changed the angle of my thrusts. I knew exactly how to hit the spots that made her gasp and her eyes roll back, but rediscovering them was always fun.

"There," Esme gasped as I hit a particularly good spot. "So good, Carlisle."

For me, every movement felt incredible. Being with Esme was amazing, and every time was better than the last – always pleasing and powerful because we were perfect together.

I copied the movement that was her favorite, and she fisted the covers as her moans increased in volume.

With her sounds added to the sensations I was experiencing, I knew I wouldn't last much longer. She was right there with me though, and only a few seconds later, her body stiffened and relaxed as she reached her release. I followed right after but didn't feel bad about how quickly the round had lasted.

After all the teasing and build-up, we couldn't stop it. We had a whole night ahead of us for making love slowly.

We caught our breath, and as Esme lay sated with a smile on her face, I rearranged the pillows so we could lie in a normal position on the bed.

"So good," she said with a sigh as I held her in my arms. "Always so good. I don't ever want to move."

I chuckled and kissed her. "Well, that's a good thing, sweetheart. We're having a nap day so I don't want you to leave this bed."

"Mmm…I love you," she mumbled in response. Her eyes closed once more, staying closed this time, and I pulled the sheet up to cover us.

I needed to clean up before bed, but I didn't want to disturb Esme. I wasn't tired yet, so I lay quietly with her, kissing her brow or stroking her hair.

She napped for about an hour and then went to the bathroom to change for bed. I put my pajamas on once more and picked up the mess we made. When the room was clean, I headed downstairs and returned with our cookies, milk, my laptop, and an assortment of DVDs.

Esme smiled brightly as I set everything up, and I was proud of myself for thinking of this plan that she was obviously enjoying.

We ate our snack and watched one of her favorite chick-flicks. The movie didn't hold my attention, though. Those honors went to my wife. She could practically quote the entire movie, but she still smiled, laughed, and cried at all the right times. She was simply amazing.

"I love that movie," she commented as we slipped under the covers together. The bed had been cleared and the lights turned off, but it wasn't quite time for sleep.

"Would you want our story to be like that?" I asked curiously. Falling in love with someone you hated at first seemed so weird to me. With Esme, our connection had been instant, and I had always enjoyed my time with her as friends and more.

"Oh, no. I want our love story to be exactly how it is," she said, and I smiled as I heard the confidence in her voice.

"It's a pretty good one, huh?"

"The best."

Her mouth joined mine, and soon, our clothes were shed and my body joined hers. This time, we made love slowly, wearing each other out until we were both fully satisfied and ready for sleep.

In the morning, our pattern continued. We made love, slept, ate, and watched movies. We didn't get dressed of leave the bed for longer than it took to use the bathroom or to fix something simple to eat.

While in bed, we also talked. With so many children in the house, we rarely had a serious conversation for any long length of time without being interrupted. The quiet was strange, but it was a welcome strange. We were able to discuss the baby, including options for names as well as how my work schedule would be changing. I promised her I would be at home for at least the first two months after Pumpkin's birth, if not more.

Peter and I had a solid plan we were ready to put into action. The timing would be a challenge, but it was very possible for us to be in a private practice by fall if everything worked out perfectly. We had both been praying about it, and as we did, God opened doors for us which led us to believe that we needed to act now, and everything would work out. I certainly hoped it would because even though things would be busy at first, I would still have plenty of time to spend at home and opportunities to be with Esme and the kids.

Esme and I also discussed lighter topics like our plans for the following week and what we wanted to eat for dinner. Just being able to talk to each other was great no matter the topic.

By early afternoon, we were lying unmoving under the covers, me on my back and Esme on her side next to me as we stared at the ceiling fan. We needed to get dressed soon to go pick up the kids, but I knew neither of us really wanted to move.

"Carlisle?" Esme said softly.

I rolled to my side to face her. "Yeah, sweetheart?"

"I'm going to miss this."

"Miss what?"

"Us together. In bed alone like this." She sniffled as tears filled her eyes and slowly trailed down her beautiful face. "I'm horrible, right? We've wanted this baby for so long and now I'm complaining."

"Esme, no," I said as I reached over to wipe her tears away. "You're not horrible in any way. What if I told you that I've had similar feelings?"

"You have?" she asked, sniffling again.

I nodded. "I have, and it's okay. I think I have a plan."

She smiled and let out a short giggle as she snuggled closer to me. "Well, I've loved this plan. Tell me your new one."

I smiled back and kissed her forehead. This plan had been a good one, even though her naked skin against mine was proving to be a distraction.

"Well to start with, I was thinking that we could steal as many moments as possible when we're at home with all the kids. You know, when the big ones are playing and little Pumpkin is napping. I'll…whisk you away to another room and kiss you senseless until someone calls for Mommy or Daddy."

"Kiss me senseless, huh?" she asked, mirth clear in her eyes.

"Sure. Or maybe just hug you tightly." I shrugged. "Whatever you need, I'll give you. And whatever I'll need, you'll give me. Like a little pick-me-up to make it through the day."

"I like it so far," she said as she snuggled closer. "Is there more?"

"Of course there's more!" I said as I chuckled and kissed her forehead. "The next part is controlled by you. Whenever you feel comfortable to leave Pumpkin, whether for a few hours or for a night, you let me know, and we'll do something. We'll go to dinner or stay at a hotel. Or maybe send the kids off and stay here like we are now."

"I'm still on board with this," she said but then frowned. "But what if I'm not comfortable leaving Pumpkin for a long time? What if it takes longer than six weeks? I just…I have no idea what it will be like, you know? This is so different than with Emmett, and I don't know how different the different will be."

"Sweetheart, that's okay," I said, pulling her as close as possible. "Six weeks, a year…the specific time doesn't matter. What matters is that we make an effort to have time by ourselves. We just can't forget that we need it even if we're busy. You and I have to come first."

Esme snorted.

I scooted back slightly so I could see her face. "What was that, sweetheart?"

She looked at me, blushed, and tried to return her head to my chest so I couldn't see her.

"No, tell me, please." She rarely blushed around me so I knew this was going to be good.

"You said 'you and I come first,' and I was confused," she said softly. "Do you come first or do I? Or do we come at the same time because that's fun too. See? I was just confused."

It took a few seconds for my mind to register what she said, but as soon as I did, I couldn't stop my loud laughter. Esme eventually started laughing with me, and we continued until we were breathless.

"Is my wife being saucy today?" I teased. "Here I was trying to be serious, and you seem to have something completely different on your mind."

"Hey, it's not entirely my fault," she protested with a grin. "You know how crazy my hormones are. And you're the one poking me so don't tell me you're not thinking about it too."

"Of course I am. My beautiful wife who I love is naked and pressed against me. There's no way I could not think about it." I cupped her face in my hand and ran my thumb over her cheek. "But you wanted to hear my plan, so I had to share before we move on to other things."

"I love your plan, Carlisle," she said with a smile. "I understand what you're saying, and you're right. We have to focus on our relationship even with everything else. We'll be okay."

"Yes, we will," I said as I kissed her quickly. "Now that we have that out of the way, we can figure out whether you or I come first. Or maybe together since that's so fun."

She giggled and wasted no time before straddling me. I smiled, loving her in this position because I could see her face, her chest, and her beautiful baby bump. Everything about her was beautiful, really.

I knew we would be okay no matter what happened in the future. Our relationship had only grown stronger while raising three kids, and it could only get better with the fourth. And besides, making an effort to be together wouldn't be a bad thing by any means.

From my current perspective of my beautiful Esme on top of me, the effort was much more than worth it and so much more than pleasant.

Together, we were amazing.

A/N: Carlisle and Rosalie were sorta quoting Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. And the movie Carlisle and Esme watched was 27 Dresses, in case anyone was wondering. James Marsden is delicious. Also, the names of the car seat patterns are indeed the real names. Pics are on my profile.

Get ready for slow(er) updates because school starts for me in 10 days. But I promise not to leave you hanging for too long since there's an important event we're all looking forward to. ;)

In happier news, besides Rosalie coming in second place for best kid, PL also received several honorable mentions in the Hopeless Romantic Awards. I can't thank you guys or say how awesome you are enough. I love that you love the story.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Review and you'll receive a teaser. =)