Thank you so much for the lovely reviews. You guys are the best. =)
And thank you to MelissaMargaret for making this pretty and to anhanninen for prereading.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or these characters.
Esme POV
I never thought I would be overjoyed to be awake at three in the morning, but I was. As I sat in the glider rocker, rocking my Edward, I knew there was nowhere else I would rather be. We had waited so long for this, and I wasn't going to take any of it for granted, including the middle of the night feedings.
Having a newborn again was both the same and completely different from what I remembered. Edward went through the usual eat, poop, sleep routine just as Emmett had, but that was where the similarities ended. Their personalities were completely different.
Whereas Emmett loved to be awake, moving and making noise even as a newborn, Edward loved sleep and was a very quiet and still baby. As long as his environment was to his liking, he was happy and content.
Carlisle and I had already figured out how Pumpkin wanted things. He liked to have a fully belly, a dry diaper, and be wrapped in a blanket or held in someone's arms. So far, he could sleep through as much noise as the kids could make as long as those conditions were met.
We were finally settling in to life with four kids, but the first week at home was anything but perfect. The first couple of days were spent with Pumpkin latched to my breasts almost constantly. The lack of sleep and inability to do anything but sit with him wouldn't have been a problem if my other three children hadn't been vying for my attention. Carlisle took care of their basic needs, but they still needed me to be at my best. That just wasn't possible with only a few sporadic minutes of sleep every night.
After a couple of days, the rest of my milk came in which filled Pumpkin's belly for longer than an hour. The first night of getting three straight hours of sleep seemed like a miracle. Once this pattern was established, everything started to mellow out. The kids were happier now that I was happier and better rested, and Carlisle was happy to see our happiness. We didn't have a perfect routine yet, but we were getting much closer.
The biggest difference for me this time around was having the support that Carlisle offered. Since he wasn't working, he was always at home to help me with anything and everything. He kept a smile on my face with his sweet words of encouragement and constant presence.
Carlisle's desire to be involved with every part of caring for Edward was an added bonus. He hadn't missed a single feeding yet, which was why he was now sitting up in bed, watching us with a sleepy smile on his face.
"Finished, sweetheart?" he asked, yawning as he rolled out of bed and came toward us.
"He just went back to sleep," I said as I kissed Pumpkin's sweet little head. I'd yet to find any part of him that wasn't sweet.
Carlisle smiled and held his arms out. "I'll get him cleaned up, and you take a minute, all right?"
I nodded, grateful for the chance to have a few minutes to myself. Private time was now even more of a rarity. Gently, I passed baby Edward to his daddy, being careful not to wake him. Carlisle held him in one arm and helped me up with the other before going back over to the bed to start their routine.
The only thing I could do for Edward that Carlisle couldn't was feed him, and since that was so demanding, Carlisle took it upon himself to be awake for diaper and re-swaddling duty. There were no words for how much I loved the man.
My five minutes alone in the bathroom felt like heaven, and even though I was sure I could have as much time as I wanted, I was beyond exhausted and ready to crawl into bed for another two or three hours of sleep.
Carlisle was waiting for me in bed, and I didn't waste any time before crawling into his arms.
"I love you," he whispered as he kissed my forehead and then my lips.
I sighed as I snuggled against him. "Love you too. Is he settled okay?"
We both sat up and turned to look over at the bassinette that set conveniently next to the bed. I had been afraid to co-sleep with Edward in the bed next to us, so this was the best solution. He was close enough for us to reach him as soon as he woke, but not in any danger of us rolling over on him.
"He seems pretty settled to me."
I hummed in agreement. With his blanket wrapped around him just right as he lay on his side, Pumpkin was snoozing away without a peep.
Carlisle moved us back down in bed and pulled the sheet up. Slowly, my body began to relax but the pressure to go to sleep quickly was ironically preventing me from drifting off to sleep. I shifted and let out a frustrated sigh.
"Can't go back to sleep?" Carlisle asked softly, and I shook my head against him.
"No, and I know we'll be awake again by seven. Tomorrow will be exhausting."
"Why don't you sleep in this morning?" he suggested. I was about to interrupt, but he continued. "I know you'll have to nurse Pumpkin in a few hours, but then stay in bed. I can handle everyone until time to go to Carmen's. Please rest."
The energy to argue wasn't in me – even if I'd wanted it to be – but his idea did sound appealing.
"Are you sure?" I asked. "All four of them?"
"Positive." He rubbed my back as he kissed the top of my head. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I can handle it, and you can get some sleep. We do have a long day ahead of us."
Long day wasn't an accurate description. Any party at Carmen and Eleazar's house always became an all day affair, even with just our family, and since Fourth of July fireworks didn't happen until evening, we wouldn't be home until bedtime. Carlisle's idea was sounding better and better.
"Okay," I finally agreed. "Just wake me if you need me."
After another kiss, I cuddled closer and let my brain follow my body's lead and rest.
My sleep was so deep for once that I barely woke enough for Pumpkin's next feeding. If Carlisle hadn't been helping, we would have had a very unhappy baby on our hands because I was out of it. The first fully conscious thought I had was that it was very bright in the room and that there was a little bouncing body next to me. Slowly, I stretched and opened my eyes, smiling as I saw Emmett's happy face.
"I'm sposed to be quiet, Mommy," he whispered. "Daddy said you's sleeping but I could sit on the bed if I'm quiet. Did I do good?"
"You did so good, baby. Come give me some morning love." I held my arms out, and he bounced over to me, throwing his arms around my neck.
"I misseded you, Mommy," he said as he hugged me tightly. "You sleep a loooong time – you didn't even eat breakfast!"
I hugged him back just as tightly and kissed his forehead. "I guess I was really tired. Pumpkin likes to wake me up in the middle of the night."
"That's so silly, Mommy," he said, giggling. "Dark time is for sleeping. Me and Jasper stay in bed til Mr. Sun comes up, right?"
"You are so right, Em. But you and Jasper are big boys, and Pumpkin's a baby. He has to wake up and eat, and you can wait for breakfast. What did Daddy fix for you this morning?"
"'Skits from a can and purple jelly. It was soo yummy in my tummy."
Carlisle's cooking skills hadn't advanced much beyond the occasional French toast, so the canned breakfast didn't surprise me. Honestly, I was impressed that he didn't just give them cereal.
"Yummy in your tummy, huh?" I reached down and tickled his belly, making him squeal and roll around as he laughed.
"Mommy, mooommy, stop. Pleeeease."
I let him pull my hands away, and he rolled toward me, still giggling sporadically as he caught his breath.
I kissed the top of his head then followed it with a second kiss. The moments between me and just one of my children had been rare for a while, but were now starting to become more frequent. I was learning to find little ways to get them by themselves. Wake Jasper up early from a nap he didn't need, get Rosalie to help me pick out Pumpkin's clothes, steal a few cuddles with Emmett after lunch. Carlisle had his own system too, and together with mine it was doing wonders in making sure no one felt left out because of the new baby.
After a few more minutes of cuddling, I couldn't spare any more time before feeding Pumpkin. I made a quick trip to the bathroom then returned to lift Emmett into my arms and carry him downstairs. I heeded Dr. Banner's advice and only did what was comfortable for me, but carrying my babies around the house wasn't a problem. It was something we all needed.
The living room seemed abnormally quiet, almost as if everyone was sleeping. Instead, I found that Carlisle had put in a DVD for them to watch as they all sat on the couch.
Rosalie noticed us first and immediately sat up straighter in Carlisle's lap and waved. "Hi, Mommy! You sleep a lot and we watching Tales. It's the blueberry, see?"
"I see that, sweet girl," I said with a smile as I crossed the room. I gave out my good morning kisses, sat Emmett beside Jasper, and then took my spot on Carlisle's free side. He passed Edward to me, and I quickly got him settled to nurse just as his eyes began to open.
"Perfect timing," Carlisle said, smiling as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "How were your extra sleep hours?"
I sighed, relaxing again just thinking about them. "Perfect. Maybe beyond perfect. Thank you so much."
"It was no problem at all. We had breakfast and played until they wanted to watch a movie. Oh, and your breakfast should be hot and ready in just a few minutes."
"Mmm…I love you." There was really no other way to respond. Carlisle was too good to me.
As I watched the movie with the kids, Edward nursed without any issues. Carlisle fixed me a plate of hot biscuits and jelly, just like he promised, and once Pumpkin and I were both finished eating, everyone seemed to scatter.
I changed Pumpkin's diaper then put him in a clean onesie. Since we were going to be outside for most of the day, I didn't see any need to put him in pants or anything heavier. While I took care of the baby, Carlisle attempted to dress the kids in their swim suits. The boys' pirate swim trunks were no problem, but the straps on Rosalie's suit gave him trouble. Mommy saved the day, though, and after Carlisle and I took a few minutes to get dressed, we were ready to head over to Carmen's.
Traveling with an infant was another big change. With the older kids being potty trained already, I wasn't used to carrying a diaper bag just to go over to Carmen and Eleazar's house. But with Edward, I carried a large bag with every item we could possibly need. Carlisle laughed at me, but I couldn't help the need to be prepared.
Unloading them from the van wasn't easy anymore either, but thankfully Carmen rushed out to steal whichever kids she could get her hands on first. Today, it was Emmett and Jasper who gladly took her hands and headed toward the house.
"Lunch is almost ready so as soon as you get inside, we can say the blessing and eat," Carmen called, not even turning around to look at us.
Carlisle shrugged as he finished unbuckling Pumpkin from his car seat. "I guess we better get inside before everyone starves, not that we're important or anything."
I laughed at his sarcasm and bumped my shoulder against his as Rosalie climbed into my arms.
"Daddy, you very 'portant," Rosalie protested. "I love you to the moon."
Carlisle immediately relaxed as all joking disappeared and as soon as Pumpkin was settled in his arms, he turned to give Rosalie a kiss. "You're very important too, baby girl. And I love you to the moon and back."
She giggled as I sniffled softly. My hormones had leveled out, but these two were too adorable. Rosalie soon distracted me by telling me all about her green swimsuit with watermelons on it that her Aunt Sea had given to her. That brought on more sniffles, though, because I still missed Chelsea and Alec after saying goodbye to them last week. We talked every day but it wasn't the same as having them here.
Once we entered the house, all sad thoughts disappeared thanks to the loud laughter and talking that were always present at my in-laws' house. As soon as Eleazar blessed the food, plates were filled and we ate the delicious hamburgers and hotdogs like we wouldn't be able to eat again for days.
Ice cream followed the main course and no longer than five minutes after finishing that, the kids and the men were in the swimming pool. Carmen insisted that she could clean up without any help, so I carried Pumpkin outside to sit at the deck table in the shade.
After getting comfortable in a cushioned chair, I held my sleeping Pumpkin in front of me until he decided to wake up and demand some food with a few angry grunts and gurgles. I got him settled right away and relaxed again as I watched the kids laugh and play in the water.
A few minutes later, I heard the door open behind me so I turned around, smiling as I saw who it was.
"How's it going today?" Kate asked, softly rubbing my shoulder as she sat beside me. "We didn't have a chance to talk during the whirlwind that was lunch."
"Everything's good," I said, smiling as she placed a fresh glass of lemonade in front of me. "Carlisle let me sleep in and fixed breakfast."
She nodded in approval. "Good man. You deserve some rest. Did Pumpkin sleep any longer than usual?"
"Not that I could tell." I shrugged. "We're at about three and a half hours at night but only two or three during the day. The little sweetheart loves my breasts." I gestured toward myself where Pumpkin was attached once again.
Kate laughed. "Of course he does. It felt like Riley stayed attached to me for the first six months of his life."
"He's so content so I really don't mind. It feels like he's been here much longer than two weeks, though."
"I think we all feel that way," she replied with another nod. "Pumpkin has fit into the family perfectly and at the perfect time too. Could you imagine doing this last year?"
I shook my head because I really couldn't. Last summer had been completely different, filled with its own challenges. And even though adding a baby to the family was a big change for us, the transition had been so smooth. We'd yet to have any serious issues.
"I mean, look at how much things have changed," Kate said, gesturing to the swimming pool where our husbands and children were playing. "Last Fourth of July was fun, but it was a different environment." She took a sip of her lemonade, sighing in contentment. "Now we can relax."
"Sometimes I can't believe how different things are," I pondered softly.
It wasn't just the addition of Pumpkin.
Emmett was learning every day, amazing me by how much he knew and how perceptive he was. He was still a silly boy but also sweet and giving.
Jasper was happy and talking up a storm which was very different from last summer. Out of the three older kids, he was the most likely to give affection for no reason other than because he wanted to. Nothing had set him back, including the crazy two days after Pumpkin's birth. Since then, he'd shown only love for his brother and no signs of any potential break down. After consulting with Siobhan, we were watching him but not too closely. If something was going to happen, the chances were diminishing as we settled, and at this point, I felt very optimistic that Jasper would be completely fine.
And Rosalie...there were no words for how far she'd come. Last year, she'd been afraid – afraid of being away from me, afraid of men including her daddy, and just generally not trusting the world. The world was something we were still working on, but I was positive that a bigger daddy's girl couldn't be found. She was Pops' princess too, now being completely comfortable with him.
She also loved her baby brother to pieces, even if she'd wanted a sister more than I'd even realized. When Carlisle told me that she'd asked him to get her a pink baby, I cried for ten minutes, letting my hormones get the best of me. He soothed me and pointed out how much Rosalie loved Edward, and I knew without a doubt that he was right. Besides that, she was only three after all and speaking her mind like we always hoped she would.
There was also a new development just four days ago – one I still couldn't believe.
"Look at his face," Kate said, smiling wistfully as she watched her husband. "I think he's ready to trade one of our girls for Rosalie, just so you know."
I chuckled but was in agreement. After church on Sunday, Garrett and Carlisle took the kids outside to play while lunch was being prepared. Carlisle had some of them at the swing set while Garrett jumped on the trampoline. When Rosalie decided she wanted to jump, Garrett started to get off, knowing that there was no way for them to avoid contact while bouncing and falling everywhere. Rose had other ideas, though, and not only had him help her onto the trampoline but then wouldn't let go of his hands as they jumped around.
As with her acceptance of Eleazar, we tried not to make a big deal of it. Tried was the key because Garrett was practically giddy and hugged Rosalie every chance he had. We didn't hold it against him in anyway because we completely understood. Everyone in the family had been in the same situation when Rosalie finally accepted them.
The best part was that family time was even more carefree. Last year's hesitance was completely gone, and we could be a loud, loving family without any fear of upsetting anyone. It was perfect.
"I don't think she'd even let Carlisle do that," I said to Kate, gesturing to the pool. Garrett was throwing the kids into the water, letting either Eleazar or Carlisle catch them. Everyone seemed to be enjoying it as they took turns, including Rosalie. It was her turn now, and I could see the large grin on her face as she squealed and flew through the air, landing safely in front of her daddy.
"That's because Carlisle wouldn't do that," Kate responded with a laugh. "Look at his worried face."
My poor husband was being extra vigilant during their game, no doubt worrying about someone slipping or landing in the wrong way.
"He can't help it. He's seen too many young drowning victims. That's why our kids are quizzed on pool safety all the time and already know how to swim."
"Quizzed?" she questioned, but I could tell it was rhetorical. "That's a very Carlisle thing to do. And you gotta love him."
"I do very much," I said with a smile.
After a while, the shade became a bit too warm for both me and Pumpkin so I picked up my lemonade and headed inside. Kate followed, and we settled in the den with Carmen. We chatted about inconsequential things until Kate let it slip that she and Garrett had an announcement for after dinner tonight. I had my own suspicious that it was one of two things, and since I saw her drink wine with her dinner a few days ago, I was leaning toward the second option. Judging from Carmen's wide smile, I could tell she was leaning in the same direction.
We didn't have much time to hound Kate for details before there was a stampede of children running into the house. I was surprised that they weren't staying out longer, but as soon as Rosalie tried to climb up beside me, I knew why.
"Sweetheart, go with Daddy to change clothes and then I'll hold you, okay? Let's not get Nana's couch wet."
She shook her head. "No, Mommy," she whined. "I wanna sit with you now."
"Change first, baby," I repeated, not giving in to her mood. It was obviously nap time.
She whined some more and started crying, so I passed Edward to Carmen and took her to get changed and dried off. I barely managed to get her into a pair of panties and her American flag sundress before her head was bobbing as she fell asleep.
It seemed that the other kids – minus Jasper – were the same way, and Kate and I settled them all in their beds for a much needed nap.
By the time we went back to the den, Eleazar, Carlisle, and Garrett had finished changing and were waiting for us. We curled up next to our husbands, and I let Carmen keep Edward so I could snuggle with Jasper. It had been a while since he'd napped during the day, and his cheerful mood showed that he didn't need it as much as the others. He gifted me with kisses and hugs instead of whining, so I was more than happy to hold him in my lap as he rested.
The conversation between the adults flowed easily and through many topics until we revisited the subject of the announcement. Carmen and I pressured Kate and Garrett until they were finally ready to relent.
"Okay, okay," Garrett sighed. "I guess this is as good of a time as after dinner." He looked over at Kate, and she nodded. "So we've thought and prayed a lot about this for a while, and we've been doing some planning during this visit. It wasn't something we could just get up and do for various reasons, but it's time now."
Carmen and I were almost bouncing in our seats, realizing that our suspicious were true. I passed Jasper over to Carlisle, just to be safe, but he and Eleazar looked completely clueless.
Carlisle cleared his throat. "So what you're saying is…what? What are you saying?"
"What we're saying," Kate said, smirking, "is that we're leaving Alaska and coming here to Seattle for good."
Carmen and I squealed at the same time and jumped up to go hug Kate and Garrett. Carlisle and Eleazar followed once the shock wore off, and we all celebrated.
"Finally my family will all be together," Carmen said, letting some happy tears fall. Eleazar was also over-the-moon about having his "little girl" and grandchildren living close to home again.
When we sat back down and stopped squealing, Garrett and Kate shared all the details. They'd already found some land in the perfect location close to our house. It would have been easier to buy one of the many homes for sale, but they wanted this one to be the one they'd stay permanently. And with the possibility of having more kids, they wanted a large enough space with personal touches.
Garrett had also already found a job in Seattle working for the same people who helped with our house. Kate planned to work in Carlisle and Peter's office, if they'd have her. Carlisle was more than happy to promise her a job, and I knew Peter and Charlotte would agree too.
The house construction was expected to start at the beginning of August which meant that they wouldn't be going back to Alaska for any long period of time. That thrilled Carmen even more, and I was almost afraid that she would pass out from all the excitement.
The kids started filtering in the room a few minutes later, our commotion probably shortening their nap. Corin was the first to wander into the den and went straight over to steal Edward from her nana. Not surprisingly, he slept through the excitement and didn't stir when Carmen placed him in his cousin's arms. At seven, she was the only one we trusted to hold him without assistance and only while sitting down. These conditions were more than agreeable to her, and she took every opportunity to love on the baby.
Emmett and Riley were next and came right over to take Jasper to go play with them. I didn't let them go before getting a few kisses in, but they gave them freely.
I expected Rosalie and Jane to join us right after the boys, but thankfully, they slept a while longer. Rosalie needed as much sleep as possible to guarantee that she would be in a good mood. I'd hate for her to spend part of her holiday in time-out.
When Rosalie and Jane did make their appearance, they were both happy and smiling, and I soon had my lap full of giggling girls. It was much preferred to whining.
Kate and Garrett made their announcement to the kids, though they had already told their kids the basics before their vacation. Ours, however, were very surprised and had no issue understanding that their cousins would always be around now. Their joy rivaled that of Carmen, and I was excited for them. Carlisle and I had talked about the kids having playmates other than each other, and this was a great solution.
Eventually, the celebration died down a bit as the kids ran off to play and the adults busied themselves with dinner preparations. We were just having leftovers from lunch with the addition of watermelon and a cake made to look like the America flag with strawberries and blueberries.
Thanks to some rather large bibs Carmen had made out of towels, the kids' special Fourth of July outfits remained clean enough for us to take a family picture. It was the first holiday with Pumpkin, making this picture extra special. He slept through it, not that I expected anything different. I could only hope that he'd be more alert during our next scheduled family pictures in September. We had the basics done right after we came home from the hospital, but I wanted to wait a little while before doing more.
The kids begged to get back in the pool, but since they were wearing clothes and we didn't want to change them again, Carlisle and Kate came up with a better idea. Apparently when they were younger, they had family soccer games. To me, it seemed like a disaster waiting to happen; however, they were confident it would be a lot of fun without causing any injuries.
Eleazar and I were the only ones to sit out. He took the opportunity to spend some time with his smallest grandson while I watched the kids like a hawk. My mind kept flashing back to last year when Rosalie had her first asthma attack. The conditions were difference – the weather being a bit cooler and Rosalie being well-hydrated – but it didn't stop my worry.
After a few minutes of sitting on the edge of my seat, Eleazar wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him.
"They're okay, Ezzie," he reminded me gently and without a hint of condescension. "Look at those smiles."
Their smiles and laughter were infections. I sighed as I relaxed and laid my head against E's shoulder. "I know they're having fun. I just…"
"Worry," he finished for me, squeezing my shoulder. "It never goes away, you know. I still think about Katie and Carlisle even now that they're grown and have their own little ones to worry about. But they have you and Garrett to help keep them safe, and right now, the little ones have ample protection."
I took a deep breath and nodded, knowing he was right. Kate, Garrett, Carlisle, and Carmen wouldn't let anything happen to any of the kids. Nothing would happen. And besides that, I had Rosalie's inhaler in the pocket of my skirt and knew exactly where the first aid kit was.
"This won't be like last year," Eleazar assured me, somehow knowing what I was remembering. "Rosie's doing so well, and look." He pointed across the yard to where Rosalie was running next to Jane. Kate was directly behind them, keeping a close eye on their every move. "It's easier to handle when you spread the worry around."
"Thanks, E," I said, turning to look up at him. He winked and kissed the top of my head.
It was easier to watch the soccer game after relaxing and letting go of some of the worry. In the end, all six of the kids made it out without even a scratch of grass stain. The best part was that they were once again tired, so Carmen and I spread out some blankets so they could lie in the grass as we waited for the sun to set.
Carlisle pulled me down into his lap on one of the blankets, and after stealing Pumpkin from Eleazar, he cradled him to his chest and placed the blanket over his head.
"For the fireworks," he explained. "Pumpkin's used to our loud house, but I think the fireworks might be a bit of a shock."
"Good thinking," I said, giving him a kiss. "What about Rose and Jasper?"
"Let's ask them."
We called the kids over and waited until they were all close.
"Do you guys remember the fireworks from last year?" I asked, looking at each one of them for recognition.
Emmett nodded and bounced on his bottom. "Uh huh, Mommy. They're pretty lights that go boom in the sky, right?"
"You are exactly right, Monk," I praised with a smile.
"They loud, right Mommy?" Rosalie asked.
"We cover ears," Jasper added, placing his hands over his ears.
"They are loud," I confirmed. "And we did cover your ears last year."
"Do you need us to cover them tonight?" Carlisle asked. "It's okay if you need us to, but they really aren't scary, are they?"
Emmett shook his head. "A'course they're not scary. Can I go sit with Riley now?"
I chuckled as I nodded, and he scooted over to lay by his cousin.
Jasper climbed up into my lap, obviously not too sure how he felt. Rosalie, on the other hand, had her thinking face on.
"They loud but not scary…?" We nodded, and she nodded to herself. "Kay. But I sit here…just in case."
Carlisle laughed and agreed as I moved from his lap and made room in between us for Rosalie.
Jasper looked up at me, eyebrows scrunched. "Me too in case?"
"Of course, sweet boy," I said, smiling as I kissed his forehead. "You can always sit with me."
He returned the smile and turned back around, settling into my arms.
The fireworks started a few minutes later, and the bright colors filling the sky entranced everyone. Rosalie was fine but kept one hand covering one ear the whole time. I didn't see how that helped, but as long as she was smiling and enjoying the experience, she could do what she wanted. Jasper wanted my arms around him the whole time which I was more than happy to do. Having him in my lap gave me a front row seat to his awe over the fireworks, and I loved being able to experience it with him.
The only member of the family who wasn't fond of the show was Pumpkin. He jumped in Carlisle's arms after every loud boom. By the end, he was wide awake, lips pursed and nose wrinkled as if to ask why we were torturing him. He never cried, though, but was more than ready to eat when we headed inside.
Sitting on the couch, I fed baby Edward as everyone said their goodbyes to each other and then to me. Each goodbye would be so much easier now since not only was the summer not over, but also because Kate, Garrett, and family would be back to stay for good. This Fourth of July was exponentially better than the last one.
Somehow the kids were still wide awake when we drove home, so I talked them into taking a bath. They'd been playing hard outside and went swimming. The reasons seemed solid in my mind, but the deal was only sealed for them once I promised that they could play for a while.
With Edward full and content, I was free to supervise bath time and let Carlisle handle the little one. The kids played and splashed to their hearts' content, effectively soaking me and part of the bathroom floor. I managed to get them clean but not without great effort. Dressing them was another story altogether, but eventually we were all in our pajamas and ready to start the bedtime routine.
"Whose turn to pick the book?" I asked them.
They looked at each other as Rosalie raised her hand. "Me, Mommy! My turn!"
"No princesses, Rosie," Emmett said, pouting.
She started to argue but nodded after thinking for a second. I couldn't help but smile, happy to see them working out their disagreements without fighting. And we had been reading princess books every time it was Rosalie's turn to pick for the past month.
"But I don't know what do pick, Em," she protested. "I don't wanna read bout heroes no more."
"I help you Rosie," Jasper said and walked over to her. She smiled and threw her arms around his neck.
"Thank you, J. Come on!" She ended the hug and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the room. Not to be left out, Emmett followed them, and I could hear all three of them giggling as they ran downstairs.
Grateful for the moment of peace, I cleaned up a bit of the mess and put our used towels in the hamper. Walking into the bedroom, I spotted Carlisle rocking Pumpkin in my chair. I smiled as I walked over to them and gave each of them a kiss.
"Everyone all clean and ready for bed?" he asked with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes. "Everyone and half of the bathroom. Are you reading tonight or is it time for a chat?" Carlisle continued his daily chats with Pumpkin, usually before we crawled into bed for the night. Seeing them never failed to bring tears to my eyes, no matter how settled my hormones were.
"I think we'll go downstairs to chat so you can read in bed and we won't disturb you." He stood up slowly, cradling Pumpkin to his chest. "And Pumpkin can help me answer some emails before we come upstairs for the night."
"Sounds good," I said, nodding. "Wanna go make sure they aren't throwing books at each other?"
He laughed and pulled me in for a kiss. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll stop them from killing each other."
As he headed downstairs, I pulled the quilt down on the bed and moved some of the pillows around so we'd be more comfortable. Reading in "the big bed" was a treat. I couldn't wait to see their faces.
Soon enough, three pairs of little feet came running into the room.
"Mommy," Em exclaimed, slightly out of breath, "Daddy said we're readin' in the big bed."
"Daddy is very right." I patted the bed. "Come on up and get comfortable."
They cheered and ran over, letting me help them into bed. I turned off the over head light then climbed in to join them. It took a few minutes to situate ourselves into a position where everyone was happy and comfortable. Rosalie didn't want to sit on the end, Emmett didn't want to sit on the side by the lamp, and Jasper wanted to be beside me. Once we found a position that worked, I quickly distracted them by opening the book and starting to read.
Per Emmett's request, it wasn't a princess book, and Rosalie was happy that there weren't any superheroes. Dr. Seuss was always a winner in my opinion, so I didn't mind reading Horton Hatches the Egg. I also didn't mind that it only took seven pages before I had three sleeping children beside me.
Jasper was completely in my lap, and most of Emmett and Rosalie were on me too. Since there was no way for me to take them to bed without help, I enjoyed the few extra minutes of cuddling with my babies.
The quiet moments at the end of the day were some of my favorites. It was a time of reflection and unwinding, knowing that we'd survived another day of our crazy life – a life I wouldn't trade for the world.
The only thing interrupting the moment was my aching breasts, and I wondered why Carlisle hadn't brought an unhappy baby to me yet. As if he could read my mind, he appeared in the doorway just moments later and brought Pumpkin over to me. I smiled as I took my squirming baby and adjusted my pajama top so he could latch on.
Carlisle carried each of the kids to bed and tucked them in before returning to our room. He changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed to snuggle beside me as he waited for Pumpkin to finish eating. Once he'd had his fill, Carlisle laid him on the bed to change his diaper and dress him in a clean onesie while I finished my nightly routine in the bathroom.
Pumpkin was already asleep in his bassinet when I crawled back into bed. Carlisle turned the lamp off and pulled the covers over us as we snuggled together to enjoy the first alone time we'd had all day.
"Hi," he whispered, reaching over to brush a stray hair from my forehead.
"Hi. How was your day?"
"Great. How was yours?"
I chuckled softly. "My day was great too. My amazing and awesome husband let me sleep in this morning so I was well rested for the rest of the day."
"I'm glad it helped, sweetheart," he said, smiling. "You know I'll do anything I can for you."
"I know. I feel bad for other women whose husbands have to go back to work after two weeks. You're here for as long as I need you."
He nodded. "Well, at least until September third. Peter emailed me today and…"
"And that's your first day?" I asked, too excited to care that I interrupted. "Really?"
"Yes, that's our first day," he said, chuckling at me. "It's a Tuesday and we'll mostly be making appointments and taking walk-ins. But we have a lot to do before then. Next month will be busy."
"We can do it," I assured him. "Charlotte and I can help with whatever you and Peter need us to, and I'm sure half the church will be eager to help too. Two months will be plenty of time."
He smiled and gave me a quick kiss. "Thank you, sweetheart. I couldn't do this without you. Sometimes I can't believe this is really happening." He shook his head in disbelief.
"It's been your dream for so long, so believe it."
"I guess all of our dreams are coming true," he mused, glancing over at Pumpkin's sleeping form. He pulled me closer and ran his hand down my arm, ending on my hip where his thumb began rubbing circles under the edge of my shirt. "What should we dream up next?"
His touch sent the best chills up my spine and created the best ache inside my belly. "For the next four weeks to go by faster," I said. It was the first thing that popped into my mind. The worst part of feeling so good just two weeks after giving birth was that we still had to wait another four weeks before we could partake in any "funny business." But I wanted the funny business now.
Carlisle snorted and quickly laid his head against my shoulder. I felt the laughter shaking through his body as he tried to remain quiet as to not wake the baby. Realizing how funny it actually was, I bit my lip to try to hold in my own laughter. A little giggle escaped which soon turned into another louder one followed by even more. Carlisle pulled the covers over our heads, and I pushed my head into his chest as we both laughed uncontrollably.
We laughed until we cried, and when we peaked out heads out from under the covers, Pumpkin hadn't moved at all.
"Esme, I love you so much," Carlisle said, sighing as he rolled to his back and gently pulled me to lie against him. "We'll make it through these weeks, and then we'll make it special, okay? Anywhere and anything you want to do."
"I love you too," I said softly. "And I think I'd like to just stay here but alone." I had no doubt that Carlisle could make even the simplest night into something amazing. He'd already done it time and time again.
"That sounds perfect," he agreed. "Until then, we can have a little bit of fun."
I sat up slightly and arched my eyebrow playfully. "A little bit of fun, huh? What do you have in mind?"
He shrugged. "Oh, just a little of this."
His lips met mine, softly at first but then became more demanding. After a couple of seconds of surprise, I demanded right back. It had been a while since we kissed like this, letting everything else fade away as we enjoyed each other. I'd missed him – the way his lips moved against mine, the way his fingers threaded through my hair, and the way his hand on the small of my back insistently pulled me closer. He made me feel beautiful even though I probably looked like a mess.
When we finally stopped to fully catch our breath, I wasn't sure if I felt better or worse. But I definitely knew that I wanted more of that in the next four weeks.
We had plenty of things to keep us busy until then, starting with Pumpkin next meal which was coming in less than two hours.
Besides our busy daily schedule, summer was starting to wind down and we planned to squeeze in as many activities as possible during the nice weather. And since we didn't have to worry about sad goodbyes interrupting our time, we'd have even more fun than usual.
Now, there was also the opening of Carlisle and Peter's private practice. We had all worked so hard to get it started up, and with the date finally set, it felt like everything was worth it. I had a feeling it would feel even better after they saw their first patient.
Having a baby hadn't slowed us down at all, and even though it'd only been two weeks, I was confident we could handle whatever the end of summer had to throw our way.
A/N: The movie the kids were watching was Veggie Tales Madame Blueberry. It's my favorite ;). Also, there are some new pictures on my profile for you to check out.
Thanks being so patient with me. RL has been crazy with finals and Christmas, but I'm proud to say that my 4.0 GPA and I survived the semester. Hopefully I can get another chapter written before school starts back. =)
I hope everyone who celebrates has a very Merry Christmas. I'll be spending mine with the other crazy people at Disney World.
Thanks for reading, and reviewers will receive a teaser!