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And thank you anhanninen for prereading and MelissaMargaret for making the story pretty. You guys are awesome.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or these characters.
Esme POV
"Mommy, can I go to school?"
Emmett's question caught me off guard, but thankfully we were stopped at a red light. I glanced in the rearview mirror and couldn't help but smile at the sight of Em's large grin.
"You want to go to school?" I asked, hoping he'd elaborate before I jumped to any conclusions.
"Yahuh. Riley and Corin go to school, and Riley says it's really fun. And Corin says I hafta go when I'm a whole hand, and Daddy says I'm almost that. So I needa go to school, right?"
I should have known that we'd be having this conversation soon, but it didn't stop me from tearing up. I didn't want to think about my first baby being old enough to go to school, but Emmett did have a point. He was almost five and would be required to go to school very soon. With everything going on in our life, Carlisle and I hadn't talked about preschool. It seemed it was time for that conversation too.
I sniffled softly as the light turned green, not wanting the kids to see me upset because I really wasn't. Knowing Emmett was excited made this so much easier, but I knew there would always be a small part of me that would want my babies to stay babies forever. But this was good. All of our kids were learning and growing everyday and thriving in our crazy life. We had so much to be thankful for.
"Daddy and I will talk about it, okay, Em? You will be going to school, but I'm not sure when." I hoped that would be enough to appease him for now, and when he let out a happy cheer, I knew I had successfully bought some time.
"Mommy?" Rosalie called a few minutes later. "Do J and me go to school too?" Her tone was much more hesitant that Emmett's which I expected. While she and Jasper were becoming more and more comfortable with people, they weren't at their brother's level of wanting to socialize. It just wasn't in their personalities.
After I pulled into a parking spot, I turned around in my seat so I could fully assess her mood. I was relieved to see that she appeared more curious than afraid.
"You and Jasper will go to school too," I confirmed. "But maybe not at the same time as Emmett. Daddy and I will talk soon, so no one has to worry."
Rosalie nodded, but Jasper tilted his head, still curious. "Mommy, what you do dere? Is it fun?"
I smiled and nodded. "It is lots of fun. You'll get to play with other kids, read stories, and learn all kinds of stuff. Would you want to do that?"
He giggled. "Mommy, that sound like Nana's house."
"Is Nana's house school?" Rosalie asked, giggling along with him. Emmett soon joined in even though he was playing with one of his trucks and not paying attention to what we were talking about.
I laughed softly and went around to start unloading everyone. Jasper did have a point, though. Whenever Carmen watched any of the kids, she always kept them busy and worked in as many fun ways to learn as possible. Kate and I laughed about her never being able to escape her inner teacher, but right now, I was grateful. Hopefully this would make the eventually transition to school an easy one.
After helping Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett out of the van, I started to secure Pumpkin in his sling, only to be gifted with some happy grunts as he filled his diaper. Keeping the kids beside the van as I pulled out the changing pad, diaper, and wipes was a challenge, but I managed to clean up the baby without any of them running off to play in traffic.
"You're lucky I love you, stinky boy," I cooed as I rubbed Pumpkin's belly. He gave me a gummy smile and gurgled, his own little language melting my heart.
Once I finally managed to get us both comfortable with the sling, I grabbed the diaper bag and offered my hand to the first two to take it. This time, it was Rosalie and Jasper, and Emmett immediately took Jasper's hand without complaint. Herding four children safely from place to place by myself was difficult, but so far, I had been successful. Now that Carlisle would be working during the week, it was a mandatory skill.
"Mommy, this is where Daddy works," Rosalie informed me as we approached the door. "Are we gettin' to see him?"
"We sure are," I said with a smile. "We brought lunch for him and everyone else here."
"Mommy, I so essited!" Jasper squealed, trying to tug my hand so we could go faster, partially because Emmett was pulling on him.
"Hold on, guys. We don't need run in the parking lot." I tried not to chuckle while being serious, but I loved their excitement. Carlisle would love it too.
When we made it to the entrance, I let go of their hands to open the door, and all three of them took off. Apparently the four hours that had passed since Carlisle left this morning had been much too long for them, and I had to agree. We'd had Carlisle for almost three straight months, and it wouldn't be an easy adjustment to give him back to work. But knowing he would have consistent hours and be home three days of the week without ever being on-call made it so much easier. These changes were very welcome, not to mention how proud I was of Carlisle for achieving one of his biggest dreams.
Walking into the waiting room, I could easily hear the kids greeting everyone and loving on their daddy. I decided to give them their time together while I admired this finished product.
I had jumped at the chance to help design Carlisle and Peter's new office, both because I missed working to some degree and because I wanted to be part of the dream in any way I could. Being a mommy would always win over design, and while I knew I couldn't do both all the time, this project had been a fun challenge.
I wanted to make sure they had the best possible set-up for them and for their patients. I left it to the doctors do design their exam rooms since they were the experts, but careful considerations were made in regards to the waiting room, their personal offices, and the front desk.
Carlisle was amazed by how something as simple as window placement and lighting could change the mood of the room and how the arrangement of seating could either invite people in or make them want to turn away. I tried to teach him as I worked until the perfect waiting room was achieved, complete with comfortable seating and warm, neutral colors. And since they were targeting a large population of pediatrics patients, I had the kids help me paint a mural on one of the walls. It was a lot of fun for us and made the office seem not as scary.
The front desk had been a joint project for Maggie and I since she would be the one in charge of it. Carlisle had surprised her last month by offering her a job. He was prepared to beg her, but that wasn't necessary. She and Ben had been ready to move on for a while, something she'd confessed to me during one of our lunch dates. The apartment complex held many a memory, but I understood their need to go somewhere else and make new memories. They moved into a new apartment last week, and tomorrow would be her first day here along with everyone else.
New starts were all around us.
As I continued to look around, Maggie appeared at the desk and waved. "Hey, Esme. Did you lose some little ones?" she teased. "I think we found them back here."
I laughed and shook my head. "Hi, Maggie. They ran away from me in favor of their daddy. Pumpkin and I have no hold on them."
Edward gurgled in agreement, and Maggie's smile grew as she realized that he was awake.
"I have to get my hands on that baby," she said as she reached for him. I unwrapped the sling and passed him over before setting the fabric and the diaper bag in one of the empty chairs.
With Maggie entertaining Pumpkin, I was free to find the rest of my family. I followed the voices through the open door to the rest of the office until a little one collided with my legs. I scooped her up before she could fall and immediately began a kissing assault.
"Why did my Sarah Beth run into me, hmm?" I asked between kisses. "You're just too fast, sweet girl." She shook her head and giggled as she threw her arms around my neck.
"Eh-may, bye," she squealed, squeezing me tightly. "Bye-bye."
"You're going bye-bye, huh? What does Mommy have to say about that?"
"Mommy says no bye-byes right now," Charlotte huffed as she came around the corner. "It's time for lunch and naps."
"Fun morning?" I teased. We all thought Sarah would walk early, but she surprised everyone by running early instead. She was always on the go and provided whoever was watching her with a workout.
Charlotte rolled her eyes as she pulled me in for a quick hug. "One of us has been chasing her all morning, but I'm hoping she'll crash soon. I've been begging Kate to trade with me. She's been trying to keep Jane awake 'til lunch, but she just wants to nap. Why can't I have that kid?"
"Because this one is perfect for you," I said simply as I passed Sarah to her. Sarah gave her a slobbery kiss on the nose and giggled as her mama gave her a raspberry right back.
As Charlotte took Sarah to Maggie in hopes that she could keep her occupied, I ventured deeper into the office. Somehow, I acquired a cranky Jane along the way as Kate headed out to our van to grab the lunch I had made.
Finally, I found everyone else in Carlisle's office. Peter had the boys in the desk chair, spinning them around as the laughed and asked to go faster. Rosalie was in Carlisle's arms, not that I expected her to be anywhere else, as she showed him her favorite part of the office for the third or fourth time.
I kept Carlisle's office simple like he wanted - simple colors, simple lines…not too much fanfare. But the wall across from his desk was full of framed pictures and drawings of our family from all the different stages of our life. Around the outside of all the frames, the kids had placed their hand prints in the color of their choosing. I planned for them to add one every year.
This year, Rosalie's were made with pink glitter paint, and she loved to point them out every time she came into the room. Carlisle humored her, of course, and never stopped her from showing off. It was his way of helping everyone adjust. If the kids loved where Daddy worked, maybe they wouldn't be as upset when he started leaving every morning.
As soon as Carlisle noticed that I was in the room, his smile grew even wider. He kissed Rosalie's temple and sent her over to Peter and the boys before coming over to kiss me. It was awkward with Jane between us, but she was mostly asleep so I didn't have a problem with Carlisle being a bit more amorous with the kiss than he normally would with any of the kids around.
"Hi, sweetheart," he whispered as he released my lips. "How's your morning so far?"
"It's even better now," I said, and he chuckled. "We've had a good morning, though. How's yours?"
"Busy," he sighed. "But exciting. The kids are a nice stress relief. Where's my boy?"
"With Maggie. Kate went to get the food, so if you want to go get him and have him while we eat, you might want to do that now."
Holding Pumpkin was almost a competition among our family and friends. If anyone wanted time with him, they had to stake their claim.
Carlisle laughed and headed out the door, so I rounded up everyone else to go wash hands and get ready to eat.
With Charlotte helping me, little hands were washed and dried, and we even managed to get them all seated and quiet at the long table in the break room. The miraculous quiet only lasted long enough for Carlisle to say a quick prayer. As soon as plates were filled, the happy chatter returned with a few sporadic whines and disagreements.
We could never completely escape the whining and disagreements, with so many little ones around. And now that Kate and Garrett were here to stay, we had large gathering like this more often than not. At least four meals a week were in a large group.
Looking around the table, I smiled because I simply had to. I loved my large - and rather loud - family. Only six years ago, I didn't have any of this, but little by little, my family grew to what it was now. We weren't all bonded by blood or law, but we were by love.
Everyone felt at home together, which made this new adventure even more exciting. Carlisle and Peter's practice was a family business of sorts. We had all been involved in one way or another, and with all of the support, I knew this would be a success for the community.
"What has you smiling so much, sweetheart?" Carlisle whispered, kissing my temple as he passed Pumpkin to me. I knew exactly what Pumpkin wanted, so I quickly pulled a blanket out of the diaper bag and got him settled with his own lunch before answering.
"I'm just happy. So happy and excited." I turned to him and gave him a quick kiss. "I love our family."
He smiled and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me and my chair a little closer. "I love our family too. I don't know what I'd do without this support. It's almost unbelievable at times."
"Well, you'll always have it," I said, not doubting the truth of my words.
Lunch passed smoothly, and Kate, Charlotte, and Maggie volunteered to clean up both the table and the kids so Carlisle and Peter could give me the official tour.
The general layout was familiar to me since I helped design it, but that didn't stop me from being impressed by the finished product. They had used the last few days to organize and stock all the exam rooms, and Maggie had organized all the charts they had so far.
In the hospital, Carlisle mainly worked in the ED or in hospital medicine, but he was also certified in family medicine and already had patients wanting to come to him. Peter had his fair share of patients he was bringing over as well, and together, they would be able to reach out to a fairly wide demographic. Based on the number of appointments that had already been made, many people were excited about the new practice.
Tomorrow was a big day for all of us, and I could only hope that the kids would understand after being used to having Daddy around all day, every day.
We spent another hour at the office, but then I decided it was time for the kids and me to head back home. There was still some work to be done, and having kids underfoot wasn't helping matters. I offered to take Jane or Sarah Beth with me since they were both finally sleeping, but Kate and Charlotte turned down my offer. They were hoping the remaining work wouldn't take long – hopefully being completed before nap time was over.
After saying our goodbyes to everyone, I loaded the kids back into the van and drove home. It was a lot of work just for a few hours, but it was worth it to be able to spend some extra time together and see the office. With cold and flu season approaching, we wouldn't all be visiting Carlisle at work for a while.
Once home, I set the kids up with a movie so I could attempt to catch up with laundry. It was never ending with a family of our size, but when everyone but Jasper fell asleep, I was able to put a dent into the pile and finish most of the folding. Jasper helped me put everything away, and we then went to the kitchen to start dinner.
"What do you think, sweet boy?" I asked him as I set the baby monitor on the counter. Pumpkin was only in the next room, sleeping in his swing, but I didn't think I could be too careful.
Jasper shrugged and held his arms up for me, so I lifted him to sit on the counter. "I no know, Mommy. I like lotsa stuff."
"Hmm…how about…broccoli?" I teased, knowing that it wasn't one of his favorites.
He immediately scrunched his nose and shook his head. "Nooo, Mommy. Dat's ewww."
"Really? You sure you don't want lots of delicious broccoli? Maybe I can pour salsa on it just for you." I tickled him before he could protest again, loving his happy laughter. I stopped before he could squirm off the counter and wrapped my arms around him.
"Mommy, peas no salsa brocli," he breathed. "Peas. Love you."
I leaned back and cupped his face in my hands. "How can I go against pleading like that?" I said as I kissed his nose. "I love you too, baby. Even if you don't want to eat my broccoli."
He shook his head once more. "No, thhhank you, Mommy." He held up his hand for a high-five, and I gave it to him along with another kiss. His pronunciation was taking some work, but we made it fun, and he loved receiving the praise for getting the sounds right.
"What do you think about spaghetti then?" I asked, revealing my real dinner choice.
"I loooove sketti!" he squealed. "I help you make dat right now, okay? And yummy bread and green stuff. So yummy in my tummy."
I took his enthusiasm and ran with it, letting him help me with as much as possible. All of the kids loved helping me in the kitchen, but Jasper was starting to especially enjoy it. His eyes lit up with every little task I gave him, and my mind drifted to the future and what could happen if he discovered cooking as one of his talents and passions.
Just as I was about to send Jasper to wake everyone to wash hands, Carlisle walked in the door.
The rest of the evening became a blur.
The kids were so happy to see Carlisle, and their excitement kept the energy level high throughout dinner. As expected with spaghetti, a big mess was made, and Carlisle took the little ones upstairs for a bath once we were finished eating while I took care of the kitchen. Pumpkin had a quick bath in his little tub, just to even the score, and then I nursed him while listening to the sounds of Carlisle trying to wrestle Emmett and Jasper into their pajamas.
I was nearly exhausted by the time the kids came running down the stairs, and when Carlisle followed them a few minutes later, he looked as ready for bed as I was. Unfortunately for us, we had a crowd demanding our attention.
Somehow we entertained them for two more hours, letting them burn through most of their energy before tucking them in bed. I had a feeling it would be one of those nights where we found them all asleep in the boys' floor or crowded in Rosalie's bed by the time we went to bed, but I didn't care. I was tired and just wanted to sit with my husband.
After we both showered and I nursed Pumpkin once more, we went back downstairs. Carlisle grabbed a blanket and lay down on our couch, patting the space beside him. With Pumpkin content in his swing, I knew we would have about three hours of peace, so I gladly snuggled into his embrace.
For the longest time, we said nothing as we simply enjoyed being beside each other. Carlisle smelled so good, and I couldn't resist rubbing my nose against his chest just breathing him in. He was doing the same with my hair, so I didn't feel guilty at all.
I was close to falling asleep with his magic fingers running through my hair and down my back until his lips met mine. Slowly, our lips brushed, back and forth and with only a hint of pressure. It was the sweetest feeling, Carlisle's lips re-learning mine after a fast-paced and full day. This was something I knew I would be receiving every evening now that Carlisle would be gone for most of the day. The reconnecting was one of my favorite parts of our relationship.
"I love you," Carlisle whispered after his lips had re-learned mine as well as most of my neck and throat.
"Mmm…love you too," I mumbled, deliciously relaxed thanks to his skill. "How was your day?"
"Good. Getting everything ready was exciting, and I'm ready for tomorrow…but the highlight was seeing you." He held me closer to him and turned us so that my head could rest on his chest. "I miss not seeing you and the kids all day."
"We miss you too," I said, opening my drowsy eyes so he could see how sincere I was. "But I'm so proud of you. You know that, right? I love that your dream is coming true."
He smiled softly and kissed my forehead. "I know, sweetheart. It means more than anything to know that you're here supporting me and waiting for me to come home every day. Everything is easier."
I sighed and snuggled closer, loving his assurances. At times, I wondered if I truly did enough for Carlisle my husband instead of just Carlisle the daddy. My insecurities were irrational, and I knew that, but only he could relieve them. And relieve them he did. I had no doubts that I was being everything he needed.
"So how was your day?" Carlisle asked. "Have any crazy moments?"
"It was good and mostly sane," I said, but then remembered what I needed to mention. "Until we got in the car and Emmett asked me about school."
His eyes widened. "School? But he's only –"
"I know," I sighed. "But his birthday is in two months. Two months and my baby will be five."
"I guess we couldn't avoid this forever, huh?"
I shook my head sadly. "No, but I had no idea he'd be the one to bring it up first. I can't decide if this is good or bad."
Carlisle stayed quiet for a few moments before answering. "I think it's a good thing. I mean, at least we know he's excited about this, right? Where did he get this idea anyway?"
"Guess," I said, not bothering to hide my snort.
He chuckled softly. "Corin and Riley? That's where most of their off-the-wall questions come from. And bad habits….that they've learned from school. We can't send our sweet Emmett there."
"So I see we're on the same page," I said, smiling. "He's so excited, though. I told him we would talk about it, but I think we should look into it soon. Maybe get him into a preschool class after Christmas? I think he'll be ready for kindergarten next fall, but I don't want to think that far ahead right now."
"Not kindergarten," he groaned, shaking his head. "Where did our baby go? The baby who liked to cuddle and watch Melmo – when did he get so…old?"
"Who knows," I sighed. "You'll hold me while I cry the day he won't let me kiss him in public, won't you?"
"Of course." He kissed me softly. "Let's not think about that, though. We can handle preschool. Maybe Carmen knows which ones are the best in the area."
I agreed and hoped Carmen would help us find the perfect place for our Emmett. Since she retired from teaching, the odds were in our favor that she would know how to help us. Sending Emmett to school was inevitable, but it would be much easier if we were confident in the place he would go.
After we had the school issue settled, Carlisle and I lay on the couch until Pumpkin started to want attention. Going upstairs, we checked on the kids – who were miraculously asleep in their own beds – and then headed to crawl into our bed. We had an early morning and long day ahead of us, and I just prayed the excitement wouldn't keep us awake all night.
Six am came too early, especially since I knew I wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon. Carlisle had been spoiling me every day, letting me sleep in a few hours while he watched the kids once they woke up.
But now that he would have to be at work at eight, there would be no sleeping in.
Being up early with Carlisle wasn't all bad though. As Edward nursed, we had a short devotion time together. It was easy to get out of the habit, but we were commuted to do this every morning, keeping our relationships with God and each other strong. We were also able to talk about our plans for the day so we would be on the same page.
The other good part was that I could cook breakfast for my wonderful husband.
"You really don't have to," Carlisle insisted as I passed Edward to him and crawled out of bed. "I'd be happy with cereal."
"I know you would," I replied, smiling as I walked to the other side of the bed to give him a kiss. "Which is exactly why I want to do something special today. And it's your first day of living your dream."
"I live my dream every day," he corrected. "Having you and the kids is worth more than anything."
I knew he meant every word which was just another reason why I was happy to cook a nice breakfast for him.
After another kiss and a quick trip to the bathroom, I made my way downstairs. Deciding to try out one of my birthday presents, I quickly mixed up the batter for waffles.
Because the last month had been so busy, we didn't make a big deal of my birthday. It was a big gathering by default with such a large family, but it was more like a family dinner than a party, just with the addition of cake. The presents couldn't be avoided either, no matter how many times I said I didn't need anything.
I did have to admit that Carlisle's gift of a waffle maker was perfect. We'd had one before, but this one could make four waffles at once and in several different shapes. For today's breakfast, I chose to make regular ones for Carlisle and me and Mickey Mouse ones for the kids. They needed an extra reason to smile, just in case they didn't handle their daddy going to work very well.
As the last batch of waffles finished cooking, I pulled out the plates and glasses as well as all the fresh fruit we had in the refrigerator, some cool whip, butter, and the regular maple syrup. I hoped the topping options would be diverse enough to suit everyone.
Just as I placed the last waffle on the plate, the downstairs silence ended and was replaced with chatter which meant someone other than Carlisle was awake now. I entered the room and found Jasper and Rosalie were awake and sitting on the couch, holding Pumpkin with Carlisle's supervision. After giving them all good morning love, I took it upon myself to go upstairs to wake Emmett.
Simply nudging him did nothing to wake my sleepy boy, so I climbed into bed beside him and pulled him to me, covering his face with kisses. Even that didn't wake him at first, but slowly, a smile spread on his face.
"Mommy, you're waking me with kisses, huh?" he mumbled, eyes still closed.
"I am. Is it working?"
He giggled and shook his head. "No, I'm still sleeping." He attempted to fake snore a couple of times until the giggles completely took over, and his eyes popped open. "Hi, Mommy."
"Hi, monkey," I said, laughing with him. "Are you ready for breakfast?"
He nodded and placed his arms around my neck. I didn't even think of denying him as I carried him out of the room. After our talk about school and Emmett growing up last night, I planned to cherish as much time as I had of him still wanting to be babied a bit.
The family room was empty once we made it downstairs, but in the kitchen, Carlisle had everything set up ready for us to eat breakfast. After getting Emmett settled, we prayed together and enjoyed our meal. For being so early, the kids were very talkative and ate well too. I loved seeing all the smiles and giggles as we spent time together.
When Carlisle had to go upstairs to get dressed, I placed Pumpkin in his sling and let the kids help me clean up. We were slowly but surely introducing chores other than cleaning up toys into the daily routine now that they had an interest in helping out. With a house so big and so many people living in it, I would definitely need help in the future and now as the best time to make it a habit.
Once everything was cleaned up, the kids went to play, and I made a quick lunch for Carlisle before going upstairs to check on him and get myself ready for the day. Before I could get to our room, I passed Carlisle on the stairs.
"Perfect timing." He smiled and kissed me, then held out his arms for Pumpkin. "I'm going to spend some time with the kids. Maybe talk to them. Do you think that would help?"
I nodded and passed the baby. "I definitely don't think it would hurt. Just make sure they know you'll be back before dinner. We're out of the routine, but they remember what it's like when you go to work."
He took a deep breath and nodded before going downstairs. I understood his worry. Carlisle loved his job before and was even more excited about this one, but when three little ones were begging you to stay home, it was tough to want to leave. Even though we'd been talking to them through the whole process and explaining that Daddy was going back to work, they were bound to be sad.
Getting dressed for the day didn't take long, and when I joined everyone downstairs, I nearly laughed at the scene in front of me. Pumpkin was in his bouncy seat, oblivious to anything but the toys above him, but the other kids were all on Carlisle's lap, displeasure clear on every face. Carlisle looked over at me and shrugged, clearly asking for help.
I held in my laughter and sat down on the couch beside them, and Rosalie immediately crawled over and climbed into my lap.
"Mommy, Daddy's going to work today," she said, sticking her bottom lip out in a pout.
"Daddy has to go to work today, baby," I explained. "He has a new office with Peter, remember? Isn't his office cool?"
"Yeah, but he needs to stay here and play with me."
"He does, huh? Well, how will he make people better if he stays here all day?"
That seemed to have her stumped, but her pout didn't lessen. Emmett and Jasper were in agreement with their sister, with Emmett also pouting and Jasper close to tears, so it was time for us to get serious.
"Okay, guys," Carlisle said softly as we situated them on the couch between us. "I have to go to work today so Peter and I can help the sick people, but I'll be home before dinner. And in three days, I'll be home to play with you all day."
Emmett jumped up and went over to grab the big calendar we'd been using since we told them about having a baby. Emmett loved knowing what day of the week it was, and now it seemed as if we'd have something else to count down.
"What day, Daddy?" he asked as he climbed back on the couch. "Show me when it's play time."
Carlisle pulled a pen out of his pocket and circled Saturday along with drawing a smiley face and writing "play with Daddy day."
"See? We can cross off each day," I suggested. "And it won't be long before you'll have Daddy all to yourselves for a whole day. Saturday can be your Daddy day and our family day." I was all for implementing our old "rules" for Saturdays: sleeping late and doing whatever the kids wanted to do. They deserved the time after this bothered them so much.
My suggestion calmed everyone down enough so that we didn't have any tantrums when Carlisle had to leave.
Jasper was upset, though, and just wanted me to hold him for a while. I didn't mind in the least. I had a feeling that the fear of abandonment was still present in his mind and might always be. We didn't usually have any issues when we had to leave him for any length of time, but I knew not to just push this under the rug. If he needed the assurance, I'd gladly give it.
After a while, Jasper's mood returned to normal, and he happily played with Emmett and Rosalie while I fed Pumpkin. It was then time for them to get dressed, so I brought their clothes downstairs so they'd have room to dress themselves as I supervised. They had all mastered putting on shirts, but shorts sometimes gave them issues. Even that was happening less and less – another sign that they were all growing up.
Once shoes were on and Pumpkin was in a clean diaper and outfit, I packed the diaper bag and loaded the kids into the van. The weather was actually fairly clear, and there was no reason to sit inside all day and not take advantage of it.
A trip to the park put smiles on everyone's faces, and they burned off a lot of energy which led to a quick nap as I drove us to our next destination. I knew Garrett planned to be at their house site today with the kids because he had gone ahead and assembled their play area. The house wouldn't be finished until next month, but there was no reason to keep the kids waiting.
We spent a couple hours watching the kids play together, and then Garrett gave me a quick tour of the progress. It was so close to being a completely house and was only lacking some of the finer details. I was still over-the-moon about them living here now. Having my brother-in-law and sister-in-law live five minutes away was going to be amazing.
I had to drag the kids away to feed them lunch, but when Carlisle surprised us with a call on his break, all the smiles were back. The rest of the afternoon passed quickly after Carlisle's encouragement, but even that didn't stop the kids from wanting to wait by the door for him.
"Mommy," Rosalie exclaimed, jumping up and down in front of me. "Mommy, Daddy is gonna be home soon, right? And he'll play with us, right?"
"Yeah, Rosie," Emmett answered for me as he took her hand and pulled her closer to the door. "We can play with Daddy now, and he'll eat dinner with us too!"
The three of them continued jumping around, so I grabbed the camera and started recording them. I knew Carlisle wouldn't want to miss this.
When they heard the car, they all squealed, and Jasper ran over to hug my legs.
"What's going on, buddy?" I asked him as I filmed.
"Daddy's home," he said with a big grin. "He comed home from work, Mommy! He did!"
"Are you excited to see him?"
His quick nod was an understatement. They were all beyond excited, except Pumpkin. He wasn't bothered by the loud squeals, but I could tell he didn't know what to think of them either. I made sure to film him though, and tickled his belly to get him to smile. This video would have everyone smiling.
As soon as the door opened and Carlisle entered the squeals started up again.
"Hey, guys," Carlisle said over them as he knelt down. "I missed you today." The three of them ran into his arms, hugging and kissing him like they hadn't seen him in days instead of hours.
"I think it's safe to say that they missed you," I told him with a laugh. "We all did."
After giving Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie all the hugs and kisses they wanted, Carlisle asked them to go to the family room, assuring them that he'd be there in a few minutes. His arms opened for me next, and after turning the camera off, I melted into his arms.
"I missed you the most, sweetheart," he whispered, kissing my temple. "But I'm glad to be home now."
I hummed and leaned back slightly to kiss his lips. "I'm glad you're home too. And now you have to tell me about your day. Did you enjoy it?"
His face lit up as he nodded. "It was unbelievable, but first, I have something for you in the car." He quickly turned and went out the door, leaving me slightly confused.
"Your daddy is silly sometimes," I told Pumpkin and kissed his forehead. "You're probably used to it already, aren't you?" He cooed for a few seconds, and I assumed he was agreeing.
When Carlisle came back into the room, he was holding a bouquet of wild flowers in a variety of colors.
"Oh, Carlisle," I breathed as he handed them to me. "They're beautiful! You didn't have to do that."
"But I wanted to." He pulled me in for another hug, this time attaching his lips to mine in the best inappropriate-for-children way. The kiss made my toes curl and left me breathless – simply perfect. "You made breakfast for me and lunch," he murmured, slightly breathless as we stepped away from each other. "This is the least I can do to say thank you."
"Waffles and leftover chicken salad earn me flowers and being kissed senseless?"
He winked and nodded. "Sure do. And more activities later tonight."
I grinned, loving his good mood and the promise of our favorite nighttime activities. "I think I love this deal. And I know I love you. So much. Welcome home."
"I love you too," he said, kissing me quickly one last time. "So you want to hear about my day?"
I nodded. "Yes, please. Just let me put these in some water."
Carlisle pulled Edward out of his sling, cuddled him to his chest, and went to sit at the table as I found a vase for the flowers and filled it with water.
"So did you see a lot of patients today?" I asked, hoping it was a good place to get him started.
"I had no idea we would have that many!" he exclaimed. "We had a few appointments lined up a head of time, but the walk-in's…there were so many wanting to specifically see either me or Peter. I didn't know we'd have that much community support."
I hadn't had any doubt that Carlisle and Peter would have plenty of support. They were both good doctors who offered good care to patients. I had heard that the whole hospital had been talking about their practice opening, so it didn't surprise me that they were busy. I kept my opinions to myself though, and let Carlisle continue.
"And we helped so many people who I know wouldn't have normally gone to the doctor. Kate and Charlotte gave so many vaccines today to kids and adults who wouldn't have normally been able to go to the doctor. It just felt so great, and everyone had a good day."
"I'm so proud of you," I said as I crossed the room and settled myself into his lap. "You're using your gifts to help people and live your dream at the same time. You're amazing, Carlisle."
He smiled and held me a little tighter. "I couldn't do it without you, sweetheart. Thank you."
Listening to him describe his day made me even more sure of our decisions up until this point. We had followed the path we thought God was leading us down, and now we were in such a great place in life. I didn't think we could be happier.
A/N: Well, it's been a long time, hasn't it? Sorry about that. My schedule has been even crazier this past month, and I honestly doubted I would even be able to update before April - as some of you may have read in the note on my profile. But you can thank anhanninen for writing with me and providing the motivation to get this finished.
I have no idea if I'll be able to update before finals, but I'll try to let you know via my profile so feel free to check every so often. Hopefully these last few clinicals and tests won't kill me. ;)
Thanks again for being so patient with me, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Reviewers will receive teasers. =)