Thank you all so much for continuing to read and review. It means the world. =)
And thank you to anhanninen for prereading and writing with me and to MelissaMargaret for making this pretty.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or these characters.
Esme POV
As much as I enjoyed the Christmas season, I loved when it was over. It took a few days, but after adjusting back to a routine, I was finally able to recover from the exhaustion. Every year it was worth seeing the kids' enjoyment and spending the time with family, but I still loved the rest.
Pumpkin was now sleeping seven hours a night and that helped as well. He grew and changed every day, and while I loved watching him begin to explore the world, I knew the baby stage would go by too fast. Soon, Pumpkin would be ready for his first day of school, just like Emmett was today.
For once, Emmett was awake before seven in the morning, beating both Jasper and Rosalie downstairs. As I made his favorite breakfast, he kept me company, bouncing around the kitchen.
"Mommy, today is the first day of school, right?"
"Right. You're going to big boy school today."
He grinned up at me. "I get to play with kids and learn?"
"You sure do," I confirmed. I stopped whisking the pancake batter and knelt beside him, pulling him in for a hug. "You get to spend the morning there and be in Miss Angela's class, and then Daddy and I will pick you up before lunch."
It was killing me a little to let him go, but he was ready so I had to be ready too. My hormones were all over the place this week anyway, making it hard not to burst into tears at any given moment. I was trying though and so far succeeding.
Emmett giggled as he nodded. "I'm so excited, Mommy! Then I can come home and tell you and Daddy and Rosie and Jasper and baby Pumpkin about school." He placed his hands on my face and gave me a kiss. "Love you, Mommy. This is so cool!"
I gave him another kiss and a quick hug before letting him continue with his excitement. Sniffling softly, I returned to the pancake batter. Today would be hard, yes, but worth it for Emmett.
Listening to him ramble about school and all the fun he would be having melted most of my sadness away as I prepared breakfast. It was impossible not to smile and laugh around that little boy. I let him help me flip a couple of the pancakes, which brought out more smiles and giggles, and by the time I sent him upstairs to wake everyone, I felt nothing but happy.
Carlisle was the first downstairs, carrying Pumpkin and his laptop. He was already awake when I came down to fix breakfast. Once he knew Emmett would be keeping me company while I prepared the pancakes and bacon, he opted to answer emails and lie in bed with Pumpkin instead of coming down.
He greeted me with a kiss then buckled Pumpkin into his high chair.
"Anything important going on today?" I asked as he set up the laptop on the counter, facing the table.
"Not much," he said, shaking his head. "Just proofing some superbills, but I sent them to Maggie." He chuckled. "She might yell at me, but she's better with the paperwork anyway."
I laughed with him. "You know, I'll have to call her tonight. If she's going to yell, I want to witness it."
Maggie's temper did live up to her red hair, but I doubted she would be mad. She could play the part, but it wouldn't be serious. Everyone at the office loved their jobs. They didn't mind helping each other out.
"Sweetheart," he sighed, surprising me by putting his arms around my waist and pulling me back to him. "You're wounding me. You wantto see Maggie yell at me?"
"Mmhmm." I turned, brushing my lips against his neck. I continued turning so I could kiss my way up to his ear. "Sorry to wound you," I whispered. "Can I make it up to you with pancakes?"
Placing his hand on my cheek, he leaned in to kiss me. Just a few quick pecks, but in the end, we were both smiling. "Your pancakes are definitely worth it." So quickly I barely had time to react, he smacked my bottom and walked back to the counter. I playfully glared, but that just earned me a wink.
Our teasing fun ended just in time for the kitchen to be stampeded. Three little voices were all speaking to me at once, and with Pumpkin's squealing added in, I had no idea what was even said.
"Guys," Carlisle said, slightly louder than normal. "Talk to Mommy one at a time, and if it's not super important, come sit at the table with me."
Apparently Emmett and Jasper didn't have anything important to say because they went and climbed into their chairs. Carlisle helped them roll up their sleeves and put napkins down their shirts to catch any syrup.
Rosalie stayed beside me, quietly hanging on to my leg as I plated the pancakes, bacon, and sliced fruit. When I finished, Carlisle took them to the table, and I started mixing Pumpkin's cereal. Rosalie still didn't say anything, so I ran my free hand through her hair until she looked up at me.
"Did you need something, baby girl?"
She nodded against my leg. "Mommy, what are we doing today?"
"Well first we're going to eat breakfast," I said, lifting her on to my hip. "Then we're going to get dressed and take Emmett to his first day of school."
"What do I do then?" she asked, placing her head against my neck.
"I'm not sure yet. Daddy and I need to find something fun for you and Jasper to do, don't' we?"
She nodded. "Uh huh. We should go shopping."
I looked over at Carlisle. He was silently laughing as he poured the milk and juice, exactly as I expected him to be. Rosalie had discovered the love of shopping during the Christmas holiday and she wanted to go as many times as I'd take her. Carlisle thought it was hilarious, but I warned him that this wouldn't be as funny when she became a teenager.
I nudged her head off my neck and kissed her cheek. "Me and you will go shopping later this week, okay?" I whispered so only she would hear. "We'll have girls day."
Her eyes lit up as she threw her arms around my neck and hugged me. "Okay, Mommy. I like that."
I chuckled. "I figured you would, baby. Now go sit in your seat so we can eat breakfast."
She slid to the floor and skipped over to the table, letting Carlisle help her into her seat. I carried the two remaining glasses and Pumpkin's bowl to the table, and once we were all seated and Emmett prayed, we all dug in.
Emmett's excitement about school dominated the conversation. He tried to name everything he wanted to do at school, and though I wasn't sure he'd be able to meet a dinosaur, most of the items on his list sounded plausible.
Rosalie and Jasper seemed to hang on to his every word. I was worried about how they would handle their brother leaving, but this was probably good for them too. If Emmett enjoyed school, they'd be more likely to enjoy it as well. Carlisle and I planned to send them in the fall so they could be in Angela's class, so I hoped Emmett's experience would help them warm up to the idea.
Toward the end of breakfast, I looked at the clock and realized it was time for the next part of making Emmett's day special. Carlisle carried Pumpkin upstairs for a much needed diaper change, so I could get everything set up.
With the computer already in place, it didn't take me long to get everything with the webcam set up and get Chelsea on the screen.
"Hey, Chels," I said with a wave. "You're just in time for breakfast." I moved out of the way so the kids could see the screen.
"Hey, guys," she said, waving to them. "Are you having a good breakfast?"
"Aunt Sea!" they all squealed, waving wildly to her.
"Aunt Sea, we're having my favorite breakfast ever!" Emmett exclaimed. "Because I go to school today."
"Oh, wow," Chelsea gasped. "You're such a big boy going to school today. Way to go, dude! Good luck, okay? Make lots of friends and have lots of fun."
Emmett nodded and giggled as he went back to shoving bacon into his mouth.
Chelsea then asked Rosalie and Jasper what they had been up to, and even though we had talked to her and Alec on Christmas, they had many things to tell her. They were still talking when Carlisle returned with a sweet smelling Pumpkin.
"Morning, Chelsea," he said as he sat back in his spot. "How are things there?"
"Things are good here," she answered. "Alec hates that he had to be at work early this morning, but we'll probably call again tonight so he can talk to Emmett."
"Does Uncle Alec know I'm going to school?" Emmett asked, and Chelsea nodded.
"He sure does, and he's proud of you too. We'll talk to you tonight, okay?"
Emmett agreed, and the attention turned to Pumpkin. He loved the webcam and being able to see himself and any other moving figures on the screen. Chelsea made funny faces for him, making him giggle and clap.
Eventually, it was time for us to end the call so we could go get ready for the day.
"Thanks for the chat, Chels" I said, blowing a kiss to the camera. "Love you, and I'll talk to you tonight."
"Love you too, Es," she said with a smile, blowing a kiss back. "We'll talk then. Have a great day, Em. Bye, guys!"
They all waved to the camera, and then Carlisle shut down the computer.
Together, Carlisle and I took care of cleaning faces and hands and sent the kids upstairs.
I started to help clear the table, but Carlisle stopped me.
"I'll do this and watch Pumpkin. Go spend some extra time helping Emmett," he said, kissing my temple. "I know you need to."
I nodded. He knew exactly what I needed. After thanking him, I headed upstairs and found Jasper and Rosalie playing in her room. Emmett, however, was focused on the two outfits I had laid out for him to choose from.
"Which one do you think you want to wear, Monkey?"
He looked at the choices, going back and forth and touching each one. "Umm…that one," he said, pointing to the pair of jeans and one of his big brother shirts with his name on it.
"Good choice," I said, giving him a high five. "Go potty and brush your teeth. Then you can dress yourself, okay?"
He nodded and ran off to the bathroom. As he took care of business, I gathered Jasper's clothes for the day and made sure everything in Em's backpack was ready. The school required that he have an extra pair of clothes and underwear just in case, and the only school supply needed was a pack of crayons. Everything else would be provided which took a lot of stress off of us. Finding good school supplies in January wasn't easy.
Jasper came into the room before Emmett returned. Carlisle had helped him brush his teeth and potty, so I gave him his clothes and made sure he got everything on okay.
"I did it, Mommy," he said proudly once his shirt was pulled down. "I cans dress myself!"
"Yes, you can." I swung him into my arms, kissing his face several times. "You're my big boy, too. I guess Pumpkin's the only baby I have now."
"I be your baby, Mommy." He puckered his lips for a kiss which I gave him. "I can do it forever, okay?"
I rubbed his back, trying to fight off the hormonal tears. "Okay, baby. You'll be Mommy's baby forever."
He smiled and agreed, kissing me again before running off, yelling for Rosalie who was calling for me.
"Just a minute," I told her as Emmett returned from the bathroom.
"Mommy, I put my underwears on the right way on the first try. The first try, Mommy."
"Wow, Em. That's awesome," I said with a nod. It really was. We struggled with putting underwear on the right way, and most days, if he put them on backwards, I didn't correct him. Today, though, I was glad he got it right.
Emmett dressed himself without help just as Jasper had. When his hair was brushed, I handed him his backpack which he put on with the biggest smile I had seen all morning.
"Ready?" I asked, and he nodded.
"Ready."
"Okay, let's go downstairs and you can watch some TV while Daddy and I get ready too."
He followed me down, and once I set him up with a video, I headed back up to find Rosalie. She was in her room still, but Carlisle had her dressed and was in the process of brushing her hair. Pumpkin was sitting in the floor, cheering them on, but I knew right away why she called me.
Holding out her hair bow to me, she frowned. "Mommy, Daddy did it and did it and did it but it's not right."
Carlisle shrugged and stepped back. "I think I have some more learning to do."
"It's okay, Daddy," Rosalie said. "But I want Mommy to do it."
I took the bow from her and in less than a minute, I had it where she wanted it. She thanked me with a kiss, and took Jasper's hand to walk downstairs.
"You did a good job dressing her," I told Carlisle, hoping to cheer him up. "Those leggings match the dress perfectly." I wrapped my arms around him. "Hair will just never be a daddy job."
"I know," he sighed, a hint of a smile finally showing up on his lips. "I still thought I would try. I had it really close a couple of times."
I giggled. "I'm sure you did. You'll just have to play beauty shop with the little girls more often. They'll make you a pro in no time."
He snorted at that, but I knew I had succeeded in cheering him up.
With the kids all taken care of, I picked up Pumpkin and started the task of reading him and myself. Carlisle took the bathroom first while I dressed Pumpkin, and then we swapped. I dressed quickly, trying to keep us on schedule. It was all too easy to get behind with so many people involved, but a spare look at the clock told me that we were still okay.
Once I was ready, Carlisle, Pumpkin, and I headed downstairs, and we started the task of bundling everyone up and getting them buckled into the car. When we finally pulled out of the driveway, I felt like I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Emmett talked nonstop during the drive and would have bounced out of his booster seat if it weren't for the buckles. We had taken him on a tour of the school last week, so he recognized the building as soon as he saw it.
It was torture for him to stand by the van as I situated Pumpkin in his wrap, but once everything was secure, I took Rosalie's hand, Carlisle took the boys' hands, and we walked toward the door.
"Rosie, Jasper, this is my school," Emmett told them, pointing to the door. "And this is the hallway and classrooms and the water fountain."
He continued point everything out as we walked toward Miss Angela's classroom. Rosalie stayed close to me since there were other people in the hallway. It was a tight space, and I was proud of her for not panicking. Jasper was doing well too, especially when Carlisle picked him up. I had a feeling Rosalie would be in his arms before we left.
Angela was waiting by the door to her room, and it seemed as if Emmett was one of the first students to arrive. She waved to us when she saw us and crouched down to talk to Emmett. "Good morning, Emmett. How are you this morning?"
"Hey, Miss Angela! It's school today!"
She laughed and nodded. "Yes, sir, it is. Are you excited about your first day of school?"
"Yes, ma'am, and I's telling Rosie and Jasper all about what I'm gonna do today."
Carlisle and I shared a proud smile at Emmett's manners, and both knelt down beside Emmett so Rosalie and Jasper could meet Angela.
"Can you say hi to Miss Angela?" Carlisle asked Jasper.
He nodded shyly and whispered, "Hi."
"What about you, baby girl?" I asked Rosalie, and she did the same. "Miss Angela is going to have a little baby soon," I told her, and that had her attention.
She grinned and looked over to Emmett's teacher. "I like babies," she said. "Like my brother, Pumpkin." She patted Pumpkin's back and leaned over to kiss his head.
Angela giggled. "I like babies too, and your brother is a cutie."
Rosalie kept her grin as she hid her face against my neck, but really, that was more interaction than I could have hoped for a first meeting.
Emmett lost interest in our conversation and started inching into the classroom. Angela noticed right away and stood up, taking his hand.
"Why don't you say goodbye to your mommy and daddy and we'll go find your desk," she suggested.
Emmett nodded and ran back over to us, throwing himself against Carlisle. "Bye, Daddy. Love you. Be good."
Carlisle laughed loudly as he hugged him. "I love you too, little man. You be good too, okay?"
He agreed and then came over to me. I held him against my side, not wanting to let him go even though I knew I had to. "Bye, baby. Have a good time. We'll be back soon."
"Kay, Mommy. I'll tell you bout it later."
"Of course you will, and we'll all be ready to listen." I kissed the top of his head, his cheeks, and his little puckered lips.
I couldn't believe that my baby would be in school today. Memories assaulted me – memories of his birth, learning to walk and talk, birthdays, Christmases. Every milestone he had ever met, but none of them compared to this day. This was the real start of his independence.
He quickly grew bored of my prolonged hug, so I released him, wiping my tears as he ran back to Angela.
"I'll take good care of him today," she promised, giving me an understanding smile. "We'll see you at eleven-thirty."
Carlisle took my hand as I stood. He hugged me, kissing the top of my head. "He'll be fine," he whispered, rubbing my back. "We'll be fine. Three hours is nothing."
I nodded against him, sniffling back the rest of my tears. "I know. Let's go before I embarrass myself."
He chuckled softly. "Sweetheart, you are nowhere near the first mommy to cry on a first day of school. I promise. But we do need to go so we can find something cool to do."
"I wanna do cool stuff," Jasper said quietly, and just like that, I knew how I'd get through the morning. Rosalie, Jasper, and Edward needed my attention now.
Leaving the school was easier than I thought it would be, thanks to Jasper and Rosalie's commentary. Jasper was excited about what we would be doing this morning, and Rosalie couldn't stop talking about Angela. No one would have known from the short exchange they had, but Angela left a big impression on Rose – and a good impression at that.
We eventually decided to take them to a children's museum. Because of the cold weather, we needed an inside activity. The museum was the best option, having something for everyone. Rosalie and Jasper loved running around, and there were even things for Pumpkin to touch and feel. He had such a good time that he fell asleep in the middle of nursing. I woke him up so he could finish, but then he just went right back to sleep.
Rosalie and Jasper played until they were tired as well. After eating a quick snack and taking a potty break, I was amazed that it was already almost eleven. Other than hoping that he was having a good time, I hadn't even thought about Emmett or how much I missed him. I knew every day wouldn't be as busy as this one, but I still felt more confident about how I was going to handle this change.
The drive back had me almost bouncing in my seat as Emmett had this morning. We were early, but the ten minute wait wasn't bad. At eleven-twenty-eight, I was ready to go.
"I'll wait in the car with the boys," Carlisle said, nodding toward the back seat. Pumpkin was still asleep, and Jasper was playing with one of his toy trucks.
"I want to go inside," Rosalie said. "Please, Mommy."
I nodded to Carlisle. "Sounds good. Rose can go with me."
After helping her out of her seat, we quickly walked into the building to escape the freezing drizzle of rain that had started. I let Rosalie lead us since she remembered exactly where she was going. We weren't the only ones waiting, so I introduced myself to the other parents. For most of them, this was the second part of the school year, so they were used to this. They were all very friendly, though, and I hoped to get to know some of them better if Emmett happened to make some good friends.
At eleven thirty five, Angela finally opened the door, and the kids seemed to flock out. It was easy to spot the ones who had been coming for a while because they went right to their parents. Only Emmett and another child stood next to Angela, but as soon as he saw me, he came running.
"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" he called. I opened my arms and scooped him up, covering his face with kisses. "Mommy," he giggled, "I had so much fun!"
"Did you? That's wonderful, baby. I'm so proud of you."
He continued telling me all about his day. They had animal crackers for snack, learned about shapes, played with legos, and started spelling their names. But he already knew how to spell his name so that was really easy. I loved hearing everything he had to tell me, every little detail included, but I knew Carlisle would want to hear as well.
Placing him back on the ground, I held both his and Rosalie's hand as I went to speak to Angela.
"We had a great day," she assured me after I asked. "Emmett was very well-behaved and is a great little student. We're excited for Wednesday, right Emmett?"
Emmett agreed, so after saying our goodbyes that included Rosalie's shy wave, I led them back to the car.
"There's my boy," Carlisle said as soon as Emmett jumped into the van. "How was school?"
"Daddy, it was so much fun!" he squealed as he leaned over the center console to give Carlisle a kiss. "And I get to go back on Wednesday and play with everybody."
"That's awesome! Go buckle up and then tell me all about it, okay?"
Emmett agreed, happy for the chance to tell his stories again.
I smiled during the entire drive, and Carlisle held my hand as he did the same. How could I be sad about something that made Emmett so happy? If I'd had any doubts about him being ready for school, they were all erased now.
Carlisle drove to the predetermined diner where we were meeting Carmen and Eleazar for lunch. As soon as we parked, Carmen was at the door, ready to give out hugs and kisses to her grandbabies. Eleazar greeted Carlisle and I first, but as soon as school was mentioned, no one was able to talk except Emmett. Telling his stories for the third time seemed almost as exciting for him as the first and second times.
Later in the afternoon, Chelsea and Alec called, and Emmett started all over again. Carlisle and I were honestly a little tired of the same thing on repeat, but after the kids were tucked in bed, we could bask in it.
"You know, I'm proud of Emmett, but I'm proud of you too," Carlisle murmured as he pulled me down into my lap. "I know today wasn't easy, but you were fantastic."
I hummed as I leaned my head back against his shoulder. "I cried, though. I hoped I wouldn't."
"But you didn't break down," he pointed out. "You're such a strong mama."
"Thank you," I whispered, kissing his cheek. "You were perfect today too. I couldn't have done that without you."
"Will you be okay Wednesday?" he asked, worry clear in his voice.
Wednesday I would be on my own for the drop-off. Carlisle would be home to help me get the kids ready and get us out the door, but then he had to head to work. Getting Emmett into school would be all on me.
I grabbed his hand, squeezing tightly. "I think so. It's just the first time I was worried about. And if I start to think I can't, I'll just call Carmen. We'll be fine."
"Good. I love you."
"I love you too," I said, my lips meeting his as we headed upstairs to celebrate the success of the day.
…
Wednesday was much easier, emotion wise. With Carlisle's help, it was easy to get out the door. Herding four kids into the building with one of them wanting to run ahead was a challenge, but we managed to drop Emmett off at his classroom without any major mishaps.
My hormones were a bit more balanced which also helped. It was much easier to see that sending Emmett to school didn't have to be a sad thing. He was beyond happy about going, as evidenced by his excitement and wide smile. Since he was happy, I could be happy for him and not dread something he enjoyed.
Every school day became a little easier, even to the point where Carlisle could take Emmett on Mondays while I stayed home.
The happiness didn't apply to everyone though. After a couple of weeks, I could tell that Rosalie and Jasper missed Emmett. He might have only been gone for three hours, three times a week, but that was time that they were used to spending together. Emmett had new school friends to play with, but the same couldn't be said for his brother and sister.
Carmen came up with the perfect idea one day as we were eating lunch.
"Why don't you bring Rosalie and Jasper over here when Emmett goes to school?" she suggested. "We can have our own little 'school.' I can see if Jane can come over as well."
The idea was intriguing. "Almost like homeschooling?" I asked.
"I guess a little." She shrugged. "It wouldn't be anything formal. But we could do some work book pages, read a little, and you know how I love crafts. It will just keep them from missing their brother. And give you a little down time as well. Maybe do some grocery shopping or just relax."
"This is sounding better and better," I admitted with a laugh. "You talk to Kate and I'll talk to Carlisle."
Neither Kate nor Carlisle had a problem with the arrangement. Both were completely on board.
So the next school day after dropping Emmett off, I drove to Carmen's house.
"Mommy, this is Nana's house," Rosalie pointed out as she climbed out of the van. "What are we doing here?"
After getting Pumpkin out of his seat and helping Jasper out of his, I closed the door and nudged them toward the house. "Nana wanted you and Jasper to come over today," I answered her. "Jane is coming too, and Nana is going to have school just for you three."
Jasper looked up at me, eyes bright. "We goin' to school too? Like Em?"
"You are," I confirmed. "You'll have so much fun with Nana. She has all kinds of fun things planned for you to do."
Carmen opened the door before we even made it to the porch, and Rosalie and Jasper ran right to her.
"Nana, are we having school today?" Rosalie asked after getting her hug and kiss.
Carmen nodded as she hugged and kissed Jasper. "Yes, ma'am. Are you excited?"
She nodded, as did Jasper, and they wasted no time in shedding their coats and running off to the den.
"What are your plans for today, darling?" Carmen asked me as I stepped inside.
"Grocery shopping," I said with a smile. "It hasn't been just me going in a while. Well, this is me and Pumpkin, but still. He's low maintenance."
Pumpkin babbled and lightly tugged on my hair, giving me a wide gummy smile.
"Yes, you're Mommy's sweet boy, aren't you?" I nuzzled my nose against his and kissed his cheek, earning me more happy sounds.
"That sounds wonderful," Carmen said, giving me a quick hug. "We'll be fine, so unless you think you need more hugs and kisses, you can go enjoy yourself."
I thought for a second but decided I didn't needto go hunt down Rosalie and Jasper for goodbye hugs and kisses. I would have liked them, of course, but if they were having fun, I didn't need to bother them. And I was only leaving them at Carmen's house. Even though they would be having their own version of school, it wasn't the same as actually sending them off to school.
Grocery shopping with just Pumpkin was a new experience. Usually, if I didn't have all the children with me, I at least had one other. Shopping was one of the special errands where one of them got to go with me. While I missed the chattering company, grocery shopping alone was almost relaxing. I didn't have to stop grabby hands or call out reminders to sit on bottoms, and, wrapped to my chest, Pumpkin was perfectly content to babble to himself and hold my hair.
I finished the shopping in record time, and once everything was unloaded and put away at home, I wasn't sure what to do with myself.
"What should we do this morning?" I asked Pumpkin as he nursed. His eventual answer was to take his morning nap, so I used my time to do some laundry and straighten the family room.
Although I was a bit restless, I had a feeling that I would grow to really appreciate these mornings of free time.
There were many possibilities of how to use the time, and Carlisle and I took advantage.
On his birthday, we took full advantage. I couldn't remember the last time we had a nooner, but that was exactly what we did. I was just excited about Carlisle coming home to eat lunch with me. I didn't plan on eating lunch naked and christening the new rug in front of the fire, but sometimes reality was better than any plans.
It wasn't as if we were the only ones benefitting. Jasper, Rosalie, and Jane loved "Nana school," as they called it. She was teaching them much more than they would have learned in any three year old class, and because she went at their speed, they really understood.
Instead of just Emmett telling us all about his day and what he learned, all three of our children had stories to share. They were learning to listen to each other, and their patience had increased too. There wasn't a single negative thing to come out of the arrangement.
It even made finding time to spend alone with each child easier.
Since Rosalie and I needed a day to ourselves, Carmen volunteered to watch Pumpkin and pick up Emmett from school while we went out.
I wasn't sure who was more excited, me or Rosalie. I thought about inviting Charlotte and Sarah but decided to do something with them another time. I needed this day with just my daughter.
Over the past seven months, Rosalie had adjusted better than I ever could have imagined. I'd tried to give her as much time with me as possible, but I knew I was falling short. Rosalie had almost had all of my attention for a year and a half. For almost a year, I was the sole provider of her care. Everything had changed when Pumpkin came into our family.
Carlisle and I tried our best to make sure none of the children felt left out, and I thought we were succeeding. There were just some changes that couldn't be helped.
Rosalie was an amazing big sister, always offering to help me with Pumpkin, but I knew she missed the time we used to spend together, just the two of us.
So this day was special and important to me and her.
Our first stop was the nail salon, and as soon as we walked in, Rosalie knew exactly where we were.
"Mommy!" she gasped. "This is where you get your nails painted so pretty."
"It is! And today, you're getting your nails painted so pretty too."
She giggled and smiled, lifting her arms for me to pick her up. I did as she requested and went to sign us in. Since it was fairly early, we were called back right away.
The ladies working accommodated us perfectly. Rosalie was allowed to stay in my lap the whole time as we received manicures and pedicures. She was on her best behavior and did exactly as she was told so the polish wouldn't be smudged.
I let Rosalie pick the color for her toe nails, and I wasn't surprised when she chose hot pink. Deciding to match her, I asked the esthetician to paint mine the same. I would have done the same even with a color I didn't like just to see the smile on her face.
For my finger nails, I chose a simple French tip. Somehow, they managed to paint the same on Rosalie's tiny nails and gave her a couple of crystals for free.
The women received the largest tip I'd ever given, and it was worth every penny. Rosalie's smile was priceless, as were all the hugs and kisses I received.
"Mommy, this is the best day ever!" she exclaimed as I drove to our next stop. "What are we gonna do now?"
I smiled as I answered. "Well, I was thinking we should…go shopping. What do you think?"
She squealed and nodded quickly, making her curls fly. "Yes, Mommy, yes! I wanna go shopping with you!"
After I parked and helped her out of the van, we skipped into the mall. We went into all of my favorite boutiques where I usually shopped for her clothes. They quickly became her favorites as well, and we managed to find her several dresses that were on sale, along with matching hair bows. We picked out a few things for the boys as well, and Rosalie seemed to like shopping for Pumpkin as much as for herself. With all of the cute baby clothes in stores, it was easy to understand.
Though shopping was one of her new favorite things, Rosalie still had the attention span of an almost four year old, so we ended our shopping in favor of lunch. I kept things simple by just going to the food court. Rosalie didn't care where we went; she was just happy to spend time with me.
I was having just as much fun, especially when she decided to eat lunch from my lap. It had been so long since I could just hold her like this and not worry about someone else fighting to sit with me.
After lunch, we bought a few cookies for the road, but on our way home, Rosalie had another suggestion.
"Can we go see Daddy?" she asked, mouth ringed with chocolate from her chocolate chip cookie. "I wanna show him my pretty dresses."
The office was on the way, so there was no reason for me to not agree. It was close to Carlisle's lunch break, so I didn't send him a message until after we were already parked by the door. His answer came quickly, saying he was on his lunch break already and would love to see us.
"We're going to surprise Daddy," I explained to Rosalie as I picked her and her bags up and headed toward the door. "He didn't think we'd be here this fast."
"Like a secret?" she whispered.
"Mmm…almost. Let's be really quiet and we'll sneak up on him, okay? He's in his office."
"I know where that is," she said proudly. "I'll find him."
Maggie saw us as soon as we walked in the door, but I put my finger in front of my lips. She understood and let us through the inside door without a word. Rosalie and I gave her quick hugs and then I set Rosalie down so she could find Carlisle.
She ran right to his office and didn't bother knocking before opening the door.
"Daddy, I'm here!" she said, running over to him.
Surprise clear on his face, he wasted no time in pulling her into his lap and kissing her head. "Hey, baby girl. I didn't expect you here so soon."
"It's a kinda secret, Daddy," she explained. "I was quiet."
"We thought we'd surprise you," I said as I crossed the room.
He stood and held his other arm out for me, greeting me with a kiss when I reached him. "And what a lovely surprise it was. How are my girls? Did you have a good day?" He grabbed his lunch and carried it over to the couch where we could all sit together.
"Daddy, my nails are painted so pretty." She held up her hands, spreading her fingers so he could see. "They match Mommy." I did the same with my hands, and Carlisle nodded in approval.
"So pretty, baby. You and Mommy are beautiful."
"Our toes match too," I told him. "We'll show you those later."
Rosalie took over telling him about the rest of our time together, pulling out all of her dresses and hair bows for him to see. Carlisle oohed and ahhed appropriately, and I knew that made everything even better. That girl lived for her daddy's approval.
"Hey, Rosalie, you know who else would love to hear about your day with Mommy?" he asked, and she shook her head. "I bet Maggie, Charlotte, and Aunt Kate would love to know and see all of your new dresses."
She smiled and nodded. "Okay! I'll go find them." I condensed everything into one shopping bag so she could carry it easier, and she wasted no time before dragging it out the door to go find her audience.
Carlisle chuckled as we watched her go and placed his arm around me. "Sounds like you two had a good morning."
"It was great," I agreed, relaxing into him. "I didn't realize how much I missed spending time with just her. We had so much fun."
He kissed my forehead and fed me a little bite of his sandwich. I wasn't hungry but I definitely couldn't resist him. "You'll just have to have days like this more often. And I'm sure it'll be even better as she gets older. You two will be doing all kinds of things that I won't be able to understand."
I laughed and patted his chest. "Oh, we'll keep you in the loop. Don't worry."
There was nothing I could do to stop my babies from growing up, even if I wanted to. But after this day with Rosalie, I realized that there would be more happy than sad.
Rosalie might not always need me to rock her to sleep at night, but we could go shopping together. Emmett wouldn't always need me to read him bedtime stories, but he could read to me. Jasper wouldn't mispronounce words for much longer, but his sweet voice would always melt my heart. And baby Edward wouldn't depend on me forever, but he would always be my baby.
My children wouldn't be little forever, but they would always be mine. That alone was enough to make all the sadness melt away.
A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! I'll try to have the next one posted in less than three weeks.
Also, to my A Family for Alice readers, I'm hoping to have an outtake posted next week.
Thanks so much for reading, and reviewers will receive teasers. =)