Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! It came down to either replying to them or posting the chapter, so I hope no one minds the choice I made. I still appreciate every one of them.
And thank you to anhanninen for prereading and to MelissaMargaret for making this pretty.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or these characters.
Carlisle POV
"Daddy, why can't we go with you?"
"Yeah, why, Daddy?"
Emmett and Jasper were killing me with their matching pouts. All I needed was for Rosalie to join them. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to resist all three, but thankfully, Esme had Rosalie occupied.
"C'mere, guys," I sighed, leading them over to the couch. I sat first, then pulled them both into my lap. "I know you want to go with us tonight, but Mommy and I are going to grown-up dinner. Nana and Pops are excited about you eating dinner at their house."
Emmett crossed his arms in front of him, deepening his pout. "But, Daddy! We never get to go nighttime restaurants! We go to the lunch ones, but not nighttime. When can we do that?"
He did have a point. I couldn't remember the last time we ate dinner out with the kids. It had been a while since Esme and I last went out but even longer since it was a family occasion. Now that Pumpkin was older, it would be easier to accomplish.
"I'll tell you what, Em. You turn off the pouting, and we'll try to go next week. Deal?" I kissed his cheek and surprised him by tickling his sides. He laughed and laughed, squirming until I stopped.
"Deal," he laughed. "Deal, Daddy. I won't pout."
I nodded in approval and turned to Jasper. "What about you, buddy? Do I need to tickle the pout out of you too?"
He giggled and shook his head. "No, Daddy. But I miss you."
My smile softened as I gave him a kiss and rubbed his back. "I know, Jasper. But Mommy and I will pick you up after breakfast tomorrow."
"Who's gonna read the bedtime book?" he asked.
"I'm sure Pops would love to do it. Why don't you go pick out a few choices for him to read?"
My suggestion was met with his approval, and he hopped off my lap. Emmett followed him, and together they searched through the book shelf.
I relaxed back against the couch. I had no idea a Valentine's Day date with my wife would be this traumatic for the kids. We'd been busy with the holidays with the start of school following directly after, so this was the first opportunity Esme and I had for a real date night in months. We'd had little ones, late nights with movies and quick dinners alone, but months had passed without us putting in the extra effort to dress up and go somewhere nice.
It had been even longer since we stayed away from home in a hotel, but that was exactly what we were doing tonight. Our reservations for dinner were booked, as was our room, and I couldn't wait to get our night started.
I knew the boys would be fine once we dropped them off. We rarely dealt with any serious separation anxiety issues – definitely nothing Pops couldn't fix.
Rosalie skipped downstairs a few minutes later, and though I prepared myself to deal with her pouting, she was all smiles.
"Daddy," she said with a smile as she jumped into my lap. She placed her hands on my face, making sure she had my full attention. "Mommy looks so pretty! You needs to kiss her a lot, okay?"
I chuckled. "I do, huh? Do you think she wants to kiss me?"
She nodded, very sure of herself. "Uh huh. You do that allll the time. Because you love Mommy."
"I do love Mommy. Very, very much. And I love my baby girl too."
"I know, Daddy," she said with a giggle. "And it's Valemtimes Day, and that's about love. Nana told us in Nana school today."
Carmen was doing an amazing job with the kids, teaching them things they probably wouldn't have learned at three years old in a preschool class. Rosalie and Jasper had already told us all about Valentine's Day and gave us all homemade cards. Esme and I had ours proudly displayed on the refrigerator.
"I know she did. Thank you for the cards, baby." I kissed her cheek, ending it with a raspberry. "They were the best Valentine's ever."
She giggled again, smiling proudly. "Thank you, Daddy. Can we go now? Nana's gonna fix my hair so pretty."
I laughed, loving how different she was than her brothers. They each had a distinct personality, all amazing in their own way.
"We can go as soon as Mommy is ready. Do you think she's ready now?"
She thought for a few seconds and nodded. "Almost. You should go help." Jumping off my lap and standing between my legs, she leaned forward to give me another kiss and a hug. "Love you."
I patted her back. "I love you too, baby girl. Go play with the boys, and I'll go help Mommy."
She skipped off, and I headed upstairs, a bright smile on my face. In the bedroom, Esme wasn't in sight, but Pumpkin was. He was jumping away in his jumperoo, babbling the whole time.
"Are you calling me, Pumpkin?"
He turned when he heard his name and gave me a happy smile. "Dada dadadada."
I chuckled and walked over to sit in the floor beside him. "Yes, that's me. Dada. What else do you have to say?"
His babbling continued, going through almost all of the other consonant sounds he knew how to make.
"I'd give it a month," Esme said, coming out of the bathroom. Her head was turned as she fastened an earring, but once it was in place, she turned to me with a smile. "Then he'll know exactly what he's saying."
I kissed Pumpkin's head and stood, pulling her into my arms. "Maybe he already knows what he's saying," I proposed. "You heard that 'dada,' and I know I heard a 'mama' this afternoon."
She smiled, rolling her eyes. "I know you want to believe it, but considering he called my left breast 'dada' this morning, I kind of doubt it."
I snorted out a laugh before kissing her. I knew Pumpkin really didn't know what he was saying, but I loved the teasing. Esme's sense of humor complemented mine perfectly.
"You look beautiful by the way," I whispered, gliding my lips over her cheek and to her ear. The navy blue dress hugged her every curve in the best ways, and her pearl necklace and earrings looked beautiful against her skin. "Are you ready to go?" I nibbled lightly, holding her tighter as her knees slightly buckled.
"Mmhmm," she mumbled. "Let me just get my…ohh…my purse and the diaper bag."
I placed one last kiss behind her ear and pulled back slightly, making sure she had her balance. She was fine, though, and straightened my shirt collar for me before gathering her things.
I grabbed Pumpkin, and after I checked to make sure he had a dry diaper, Esme and I headed downstairs together. Our bag and the kids' bags for the night were already loaded into the van, so after coats and shoes were in place, we were ready to go.
The kids talked non-stop during the drive to Carmen and Eleazar's, the boys problems seemingly forgotten. They were even the first ones to race into the house after getting out of the van. Rosalie wanted to carry her own bag, so after helping her, she beat us inside too.
"We're like their pack mules," Esme joked as she carried Pumpkin and his bag.
I nodded in agreement, grabbing Emmett's and Jasper's as I closed the back of the van. "Don't worry, sweetheart. We'll put them to work when they're big enough. They can carry our bags for us."
She laughed at my plan but didn't disagree. But with the amount of toys the kids wanted to take with them everywhere, they'd need to start carrying their own things soon.
Carmen greeted us with hugs and kisses, and as Esme gave her the instructions for the night, I carried the bags to the room where the boys slept. Riley's bag was already there, so I placed Emmett and Jasper's beside his. Peeking into the girls' room, I saw that Corin and Jane's were in place as well.
Esme and I were willing to work with Kate and Garrett to trade off date nights so Carmen and Eleazar could have one of their own, but they assured us that this was what they wanted on Valentine's Day. Carmen was adamant that they had enough nights alone together and wanted this night with all seven of the grandkids. We didn't argue for long.
Walking toward the kitchen, I could hear Esme going over Pumpkin's entire schedule. Carmen probably already knew it by heart, but humored Esme and let her go through the whole thing. It was the first time we were leaving him overnight, nearly eight months after his birth. We'd considered it many times but waited until we truly felt like it was time. Now that he went longer between nursing and recognized Nana and Pops, the time felt right.
"So he'll eat around eight and then again around eleven," Esme informed Carmen. "And he should be good to sleep through the night, but I packed enough milk in case he wakes up. Then he usually wakes up around six-thirty and can have some rice cereal after his bottle."
"And you'll be back before the next feeding," Carmen said, confirming that she knew our schedule. "I'll put the list up where I can see it, and I promise we'll be fine. You enjoy your night out."
Esme let out a heavy sigh, nodding as Carmen hugged her. "Call us if you need us for anything."
"I will, darling. We'll call you to say good night, all right?"
"Sounds good," I said, giving my aunt a hug.
Esme kissed Pumpkin and let me do the same before passing him to Carmen. I kept my arm around her as we said goodbye to the kids, supporting her the best I could.
Back in the car, I didn't let go of her hand, instead keeping it firmly in mine. As I drove, I placed kisses on her knuckles. My lips never left her skin.
By the time I opened her door for her at the restaurant, she had a wide smile on her face without a hint of indecision or sadness. She wrapped her arms around my waist, and I placed one of mine around her shoulders as we walked in together.
Our wait was a short ten minutes before we were shown to our table. Esme sat beside me instead of across from me, exactly as I expected her to. We looked through the menu together, deciding to split two different entrees and a dessert.
While we waited for our food, we talked about everything and nothing. The kids were a common topic of conversation, but always combined with laughter and mirth. I didn't need to worry about Esme being sad because we were both happy for this time to spend together, as rare as it was.
Our Italian dinner was delicious and the fact that neither of us cooked or cleaned made it even better. For dessert, we took turns feeding each other. The triple chocolate tiramisu was rick and all too filling, leaving us with more than a few bites to eat later.
Even after we finished eating, we remained at the table, just talking, laughing, and enjoying each other.
"I guess we should leave soon," Esme said regretfully, taking one last sip of her water. "This has been so wonderful. Thank you, Carlisle."
I held her close, kissing her temple. "You're welcome, sweetheart. But, you know, we still have a hotel room to enjoy."
"Oh, I know. But we always enjoy private time. Sometimes I like to show you off."
"Show me off?" I laughed, kissing her lips this time. "Who did you show me off to?"
"Everyone here. People see you, see how your attention is only on me. Every woman wants that, but so few really find it."
"Where else would my attention be? I love you." My explanation was simple, but it was the truth. Nothing else in this restaurant deserved my attention.
"I love you too. So much." She kissed me, keeping it too short for my liking before standing. "Now, I must repay this attention in the hotel room." Her eyes sparkled, mischief sneaking in. "And you have some payback coming your way for making me weak in the knees while I was getting ready."
I couldn't pay the bill fast enough.
.
Esme and I made love most of the night and into the early morning. After all, it was Valentine's Day, and though I knew it was mostly a card-company holiday, I was more than happy to celebrate the way we did. Hotels always allowed us to be uninhibited, a rare treat that we took full advantage of.
Our celebration of the love holiday was very thorough.
The only melancholy note to the night came during the breaks Esme took to pump. We both missed our smiling baby, but we managed to make it through the night, even sleeping past eight in the morning.
After one last romp in the shower, we dressed and repacked our bag, both ready to see the kids.
"I hope Pumpkin didn't learn anything while we were gone. You don't think he could have started walking, do you? He's so close to pulling up now, and I just don't know. It would kill me to miss that."
I hid my silently laughter as I drove and Esme rambled. Pumpkin was ahead on many developmental tasks, but I seriously doubted he would start walking any time soon.
"Es, I don't think we missed anything important," I soothed, reaching over to rub her thigh. "We've got a couple of months to worry about walking and talking."
"You're right," she said, and I could tell she was trying to convince herself. "You're right. We didn't miss anything. They're all going to be happy to see us, right?"
"Of course. And we'll go home and play for the rest of the day – just like a regular Saturday."
My assurances calmed her, but it didn't hurt that we arrived at Carmen's only a few minutes later.
The kids were nowhere in sight when we first walked in the door. We found them in the den, a Veggie Tales movie holding their focus. It was amazing how some talking vegetables could make six kids sit calmly in silence.
Taking a seat between Jane and Jasper, I smiled as Esme picked up Pumpkin from Eleazar's lap. She kissed him, cuddling him close before heading toward the bedrooms. It was clear that she wanted some privacy to reconnect as she nursed him, and I was fine with staying with the kids.
When she returned, the movie was over, and the kids were restless again. Kate and Garrett hadn't planned to be back until lunch, but our three were ready to head home now. Passing Pumpkin to me, Esme took the kids to get their bags ready to go.
I left the now-loud den and stood in the hall to wait for them to finish. Smiling, I bounced Pumpkin in my arms, happy to see him.
"Hey, buddy. I missed you last night."
He squealed and babbled as he leaned his head against my shoulder. I kissed the top of his head and swayed in place.
"I guess you missed me and Mommy too, huh?" He babbled in response, ending with a wide yawn as he rubbed his eyes. "I think it's nap time for Edward." He definitely wasn't fighting it, instead nuzzling closer and placing his hand on my neck. I hummed softly to him, patting his back as he drifted off.
"I wondered what he was waiting for," Esme said softly, coming over to stand beside me. "He was ready to fall asleep but something was stopping him. He wanted to fall asleep on Daddy."
"Well, I don't have any problem with that," I said, leaning over to give her a kiss.
"Me either. The kids are ready to go now if you are."
I nodded, and we headed to say our goodbyes and thanks to Carmen and Eleazar. Once we were home, our day turned into any other Saturday. It was one of my favorite days of the week – one with plenty of time to spend together as a family. I had been right about not missing any major milestones while being gone, but we still cherished every moment.
With my work schedule and the kids' school keeping us busy, time seemed to fly. Rosalie and Jasper's birthday was soon only days away, and it was hard to believe that they were already four years old.
Chelsea and Alec were flying in for the occasion and were going to be able to stay a week with us. We all hated that they hadn't been able to come for Christmas, but this would work out well because they also had vacation time in the summer. No official plans were made yet, but we knew we'd be taking a family vacation with them – our first family vacation.
But before we could think of summer, we had two very opinionated almost four-year-olds to deal with.
"Daddy, I don't like that one," Rosalie said, shaking her head as I pointed out a butterfly birthday theme.
"Okay," I said slowly. "What about this one?" I pointed to a princess theme, similar to the one she had last year, but that earned me another head shake.
"No, I want something different."
I chuckled softly as I placed her on the ground and took her hand. "Well, you lead the way baby. Show me which one you like."
She smiled up at me before dragging me over to another wall of party decorations. I quickly looked back at Esme, seeing that she was letting Jasper lead her too. They seemed to be making as much progress as us.
"This one, Daddy." I turned back to Rosalie, looking to where she was pointing. It looked a lot like a princess theme, but she quickly set me straight. "It's Rapunzel and I wanna wear her purple dress at my party. Okay, Daddy?"
"Sure, baby girl." At this point, I was ready to agree to anything. Thirty minutes at a party store was too long for me. "Let's go tell Mommy what you decided."
Esme wasn't having as much luck with Jasper. He still couldn't decide so Esme took Rosalie and the shopping cart over to get her items while I helped Jasper. He continued going back and forth on the aisle, eventually throwing himself into my arms.
"Can't decide, buddy?" I asked as I rubbed his back.
He shook his head against me. "Daddy, I want a cowboy Woody party, but dey don't have dat. Dey only haves Buzz too like Em's birday."
I looked over at the Toy Story supplies, and most of them did have Buzz Lightyear bigger than the other characters. Jasper obviously didn't want to copy Emmett, but this was the theme he wanted.
"We'll ask Mommy for help." That was the best solution I could think of, and Jasper agreed.
Esme and Rosalie were mostly finished, so as Rosalie hugged a pack of plates, I filled Esme in on our dilemma. Brilliant woman that she is, she came up with a solution within seconds.
"Let's get these cowboy party supplies to go with the Toy Story ones. Then everyone will know what you like. How does that sound?"
Jasper immediately smiled and nodded. "Kay, Mommy. I like dat idea. And I can wear my cowboy hat!"
With the biggest hurdle crossed, we were able to load the rest of the supplies into the cart and pay for everything. Thankfully, I wasn't needed for the rest of the planning. As Esme talked with the other ladies in the family about cake decorating, I occupied the kids. It was definitely a job more suited to my specialties.
Chelsea and Alec flew in the night before the party, arriving too late for the kids to see them before bed. They planned to surprise them at breakfast instead of waking them up. Getting them back to bed after something like that would have been impossible, so we all agreed that it would be better to wait.
In the morning, I was the first one down to the kitchen. Rosalie and Jasper's breakfast of choice was cinnamon rolls. It was much easier to make than Emmett's pancakes, and even something that I could do without help. Esme was in charge of turning the white icing purple and green for them, but I had the baking under control while she nursed Pumpkin.
As I placed the two pans into the oven, Chelsea and Alec joined me in the kitchen. I poured coffee for the three of us and carried it over to the table.
"Thank you, Carlisle," Chelsea said with a yawn. "This is exactly what I need."
I chuckled as I took a seat. "Not used to being up so early?" It was only seven, and since this was like a vacation for them, I expected them to sleep a little later.
"Not on vacation," Alec answered, voicing my thoughts. "But we wanted to be up before the kids. They still wake up early, don't they?"
"Most of the time," I said, nodding. "Edward and Jasper are still our early risers. Rosalie usually wakes up early too, and Emmett will get up if he knows it's a school day. He just doesn't know he isn't going to school today."
"Is he going to be disappointed?" Chelsea asked with a worried expression, but I shook my head.
"I highly doubt it. He's been just as excited as Rosalie and Jasper about you coming. He'll be happy about spending the day with you."
"Okay good." She relaxed again, taking a sip of her coffee. "So what time is the party? I hate that we got here so late and couldn't help."
"One this afternoon. We're having a spaghetti lunch here."
"Spaghetti?" Alec chuckled. "That's…an interesting choice for a birthday party."
I shrugged. "What those two want, they get, and the request was spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, and lots of cheese. I doubt we'll have many complaints about that…" I paused, hearing a noise on the stairs followed by the sound of Rosalie singing to herself. "…menu, and I believe the birthday girl is about to join us."
Chelsea smiled, and she and Alec stayed quiet as I headed to the doorway.
Rosalie smiled when she saw me and ran over for me to pick her up. "Daddy! It's my birthday!"
"It is your birthday! Happy birthday, baby girl. How old are you?"
She held up four fingers proudly. "I'm four! And so is J. And we're havin' cinmin rolls for breakfast! I'm so excited, Daddy!"
"I know you are, sweetheart," I said, kissing her cheek. "And guess what? We have company."
She tilted her head. "Who is it? Can I see?"
I nodded, carrying her further into the kitchen. I had to turn slightly so she could see, but as soon as she did, she squealed.
"Aunt Sea! You here for my birthday!"
Chelsea smiled and held her arms out. "I am, I am! Come give me some love!"
I put Rosalie down, and she didn't hesitate before running over to Chelsea for a big hug. After the hug, Chelsea pulled Rosalie into her lap, holding her close as she kissed her head.
Rosalie giggled, loving the attention.
"Daddy, look!" she called to me as I checked on breakfast. "My Aunt Sea is here! Right now, Daddy! And so is Uncle Alec!" She turned to him, smiling as she waved. "Hi, Uncle Alec! It's my birthday!"
I chuckled to myself as Alec's soft smile morphed to an expression of shock. He definitely wasn't expecting her to speak to him, but I had a feeling he'd be getting more than that this week. He was the last male in our family who hadn't experienced contact with Rosalie, only because he hadn't visited since the previous June.
"H-hi, Rosalie," he stammered, quickly collecting himself. "Happy birthday. I'm excited about your party."
"It's gonna be sooo fun!" Rosalie exclaimed and turned back to me. "Daddy, please I have some juice?"
I nodded and poured her a glass of apple juice, filling two more for Jasper and Emmett. I carried all three over to the table, giving Rosalie's to her in exchange for a kiss. With her satisfied for the time being, I headed back to the counter to prepare some fruit to go with the cinnamon rolls. Rosalie had requested bananas, and Jasper wanted strawberries, so both would be on the table for everyone to choose from.
Just as I was about to take the pans out of the oven, Esme entered the kitchen carrying both Pumpkin and Jasper.
"Good morning," she said, announcing her presence. "I see the birthday girl is already here."
"Mommy, hi!" Rosalie waved, and Esme went over to give her some kisses. "It's your day too, J!"
Jasper nodded and gave his sister a hug. Esme simply deposited him into Chelsea lap since Rose didn't want to let him go. I could tell he was being shy this morning, but I knew it wouldn't take him long to warm up.
Esme walked over to me, leaning her head on my shoulder.
"Breakfast is just about ready," I said as I kissed the top of her head. "Is Em awake?"
She shook her head. "Sound asleep. I'll send Alec up to get him."
Alec was more than willing to wake Emmett, and when he returned, Esme and I had breakfast ready on the table. Normally, Emmett wouldn't be excited about being woken up, but with his aunt and uncle here plus the good smelling breakfast, he was all smiles.
After we prayed, Esme and I fixed the kids' plates. I didn't know how she did it, but the once white icing was now purple and green. She'd offered to leave some white for the adults, but we all liked playing along. There was something fun about eating colored food; even adults could appreciate that.
During breakfast, Rosalie and Emmett kept the conversation going, as did Jasper as his shyness slowly melted away. By the time plates were cleaned and juice and coffee was gone, Jasper was going between Chelsea and Alec's laps, giggling and chatting like he saw him every day. Rosalie and Emmett were doing the same, and with Pumpkin being passed around as well, breakfast had turned into one big game of musical chairs.
"What can we do now?" Jasper asked. "Is it party time?"
"Not yet, baby," Esme answered, shaking her head. "But…I bet Aunt Sea and Uncle Alec will take you to the park for a little while. How does that sound?"
"I like dat, Mommy," he said with a grin, and Rosalie and Emmett agreed right away. He then tilted his head back so he could see his uncle. "Uncle Alec, you like dat too? You take us to play?"
Alec smiled and nodded. "Sure, buddy. But I think we need to get dressed first."
The kids took off up the stairs right away, leaving us laughing at the table.
"Their outfits are on their beds," Esme said with a shrug. "They can figure it out."
Esme and I stayed in the kitchen to clean up as Chelsea and Alec returned to the guest room to get dressed. Instead of the basic clean-up we usually did, Esme had me scrubbing since our kitchen would be full of guests at lunch. I just did what she told me with a smile, which earned me several breaks for kissing. I'd gladly clean the kitchen every day for that kind of reward.
Pumpkin watched us from his exersaucer as he babbled and played with his teething toys. His gums were starting to turn red on the bottom, signaling that a tooth was finally getting ready to make its appearance. We were watching him carefully for fever and any other signs that he was feeling bad, but so far, he was still a happy baby.
When Chelsea came back into the kitchen, she picked up Pumpkin and took him back over to the table. He stood on her lap and reached for her necklace, showing her all the skills he'd learned recently. Of course, he after playing nicely with the necklace for a few seconds, it was headed right toward his mouth. She then had to set him on the floor, but that seemed to please him even more. He loved standing without help, and her knees provided the perfect support.
"He's really standing," Chelsea said in awe. "I can't believe it and I even saw it a couple of days ago on the computer."
"He'll be walking soon," Esme predicted.
"He'll have to if he wants to keep up with his brothers and sister," I said with a chuckle.
"I bet he loves being around them, doesn't he?" Chelsea said, making faces at Pumpkin.
Esme nodded. "Them and his cousins. He loves the attention."
He really did, and now that he had Chelsea undivided attention for the time being, he was more than happy to entertain her with his skills.
The quiet time was interrupted when Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper all ran into the kitchen together. They were all dressed, the boys in their dinosaur t-shirts and shorts and Rosalie in a pink flower dress, but Esme still had an inspection to do.
She walked over and knelt down, straightening Jasper shorts and pulling down Emmett's shirt. "Did you guys brush your hair and teeth?"
Jasper whispered an "oops" and ran back upstairs, presumably to brush his teeth. Emmett's hair wasn't brushed, but Rosalie had brought a brush down with her along with her hair bow for the day. Esme took care of both of them and then sent Rosalie back upstairs for her leggings she forgot and Emmett into the family room to put his socks and rain boots on.
Alec silently slipped into the room as Esme finished the inspection, and I grabbed the keys to the van from their hook and tossed them to him. I gave him directions to the kids' favorite park as Esme gave instructions to Chelsea about when to have them back and what to do if any of them misbehaved.
Ten minutes later, the kids were all back in the kitchen with boots and coats on. Alec took them to get loaded into the van, and Chelsea reluctantly handed Pumpkin over to Esme.
"Are you sure he can't go too?" she asked.
Esme laughed. "Chels, you're going to have your hands full as it is. You can spend all the time you want with him later. He's about to take a nap anyway."
"Fine," Chelsea sighed then smiled. "I'm spending all day with him tomorrow though. You're going to show me everything you do all day, okay?"
Esme agreed with another laugh, and once they had left, she turned to me with a serious expression. "Something's going on with her."
"With Chelsea? She seems fine to me."
"I don't think anything's…wrong," she said slowly. "Just...something is going on. I can tell. Couldn't you tell?"
I shook my head. "Sorry, sweetheart. I didn't notice anything. But you know your sister better than I do. Talk to her and find out."
"Oh, I plan to. I have my suspicions though."
"Care to share?" I asked, laughing when she shook her head. "All right, Es. I guess if you're right, I'll hear about it tonight, but if you're wrong, I expect to know what it was."
"Deal," she said, giving me a kiss. "Now, we have a party to decorate for."
With Emmett's party fresh in my mind, I knew what was expected of me, from the hanging of the streamers to blowing up the balloons. It was a bit more challenging since we had to balance two themes instead of just one, but we managed to keep everything fairly equal.
Esme took care of getting all of the food ready. With so many guests coming, she had two big pots out to cook plenty of spaghetti. The sauce had been simmering in a crock pot overnight, so that just left the salad and bread. When I finished with my decorating job, my next task was to make the big batch of Caesar salad while she checked to make sure none of the decorations were missing. I didn't mind in the least; she was the expert at these things after all.
When she returned, she was smiling brightly. "It looks great, Carlisle. Now we just need to set the scrapbooks and presents out, double check to make sure everything's put away in the family room, get the bread ready, and I need to feed Pumpkin."
I had to laugh. She made it sound like such a simple list when it intimidated me. Satisfied with the salad, I wrapped it and placed it in the refrigerator. "Whatever you say, sweetheart. Just tell me what to do next."
I breezed through my next tasks, even earning some bonus points for setting out the plates, cutlery, and napkins – something Esme had forgotten. An hour later, everything on the list was finished, and Esme and I met back in the family room. She was sitting on the couch, nursing Edward, so I sat beside her.
"I think everything's finished now," I said as I looked around the room. "Everything looks good."
She sighed and leaned against me. "It does, doesn't it? I hope they'll like it."
"You know they will. They'd love it if the only thing we had was cake."
"Oh!" she gasped, quickly standing up. "I almost forgot about the cakes." Pumpkin was startled but easily settled back to eating as Esme rushed into the kitchen.
I followed, finding her in front of the refrigerator. She pointed to the top, and I carefully removed the two cakes she had hidden there. I carried them, one at a time, to the dining room, and Esme checked to make sure they weren't damaged.
It was the first time I had seen them, and they looked amazing in my opinion. Rosalie's was mostly purple and had the princess, who I'd been informed many times was named Rapuzel, on the top. Somehow, the cake was made to look like her long hair was wrapped around the different levels – pretty impressive in my book. Jasper's was just as great. The different levels of his cake all looked different, but all were very cowboy, complete with a Woody figure sitting beside it.
"These are great, sweetheart," I praised. "Did you make these?"
She nodded. "I had help, though. Kate took a cake decorating class a few years ago, and she, Charlotte, and Carmen all helped with both of them. They do look good, huh?"
"Mmhmm. Rosalie and Jasper will definitely love them."
"So will you," she said, giving me a cheeky grin. "Jasper's is chocolate cake."
Suddenly, I was ready for lunch to be over so I could grab a piece of too. Esme seemed to understand where my thoughts were going, and she grabbed my hand with a laugh.
"Come on. Let's go shower and get dressed so we'll be ready when they get back."
Nothing could take my mind off of chocolate like the idea of a shower with my wife. Pumpkin thankfully slept through our escapades which Esme and I both thoroughly enjoyed.
We dressed and made it downstairs just in time for the troops to return. Chelsea and Alec both looked tired and crashed on the couch with deep sighs.
"Did you guys have fun?" I asked, not able to hold in my chuckle.
"Of course we did," Chelsea said. "It was just…"
"Crazy," Alec supplied, making his wife slap him. "What? It was. I didn't say it was bad or anything. Those kids just have a lot of energy. Are all kids like that?"
"Some," Esme said with a shrug. "Boys, definitely, and some girls too. Rosalie is growing up with boys so that makes it a bit worse, but our niece Jane loves to just sit and cuddle. It just depends."
Chelsea and Alec shared a look, suddenly getting quiet. Maybe Esme did have a point about something going on, but I wasn't going to pry into their business.
Esme looked like she was ready to, but we were interrupted by the kids. There was about an hour before the party, but they were ready to get dressed as soon as possible. Chelsea and Alec needed to change clothes too, so we split up, Esme and I taking the kids upstairs.
While Emmett entertained Pumpkin in his room, Esme took Rosalie to put on her princess dress and I helped Jasper with his outfit of choice. He was re-using his Halloween costume and very excited about it.
"Daddy, did you see all the paper and balloons?" he asked, bouncing in place as I helped him with his cowboy hat. "They just appeared! When we was at da park!"
"They did?" I asked in mock surprise. "Wow, that's awesome, buddy! Do you like them?"
He nodded with a smile. "Uh huh. When's my party, Daddy? I's hungry."
"We'll eat soon," I promised. "We have to wait for everybody to get."
He sighed and pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.
I chuckled and quickly lifted him into my arms, blowing raspberries on his cheeks until his pout turned into a smile. He giggled and wrapped his arms around my neck.
"I love you, buddy," I said, patting his back. "Are you having a good birthday so far?"
My distraction worked, and he began telling me all about his trip to the park and how excited he was about the rest of the day, forgetting why he even pouted in the first place.
Carrying him downstairs, I found everyone in the family room minus my girls. Chelsea had stolen Pumpkin, and Emmett was playing with Alec. Jasper joined in, and after making sure Emmett was happy with what he was wearing, I sat down for the first long break all morning.
When Esme and Rosalie came downstairs, Rosalie twirled around the room, showing us all her dress. When that became boring, she went to play with the boys and Alec, leaving him once again surprised.
I just laughed to myself. His surprise was genuine as with his joy when Rosalie played right beside him. The funniest part was that it was obvious she didn't even think twice about being near him, but he was clearly thinking through every move he made.
"Alec," I called and waited until he turned to look at me. "You can relax, you know. She's fine."
He looked to Rosalie and back at me, nodding and finally relaxing – at least a little.
Esme instructed Alec and I to watch the kids as she and Chelsea took over in the kitchen. Before long, delicious smells started coming from the kitchen and the other guests started arriving.
My aunt and uncle were the first to arrive, and everyone was happy to see them. They had taken it upon themselves to adopt Chelsea and Alec as they had basically adopted Esme and made her one of their own, so that made our little family reunion even better.
Peter, Charlotte, and Sarah seemed to arrive at the same time as Kate and her family, and I soon had a lap full. I seemed to still be a favorite with the little girls, and all of them loved to fight over me. But with Charlotte stealing Rosalie's attention and Corin attempting to help in the kitchen, I only had Sarah and Jane for the moment.
When Maggie and Ben arrived, the house was already full of laughter and talking. They joined in without a problem, though keeping any conversation going was a challenge. We managed, but only had to wait a few more minutes before we were called for lunch.
Even though Rosalie and Jasper's choice was different, it seemed that everyone approved. Nearly every guest went back for seconds on the salad and spaghetti, sending us all into food comas.
"That was wonderful, Es," Charlotte said with a smile. "I wish I could eat more."
"It really was," Garrett agreed. "If I had some wine, I'd toast to you." He winked, holding up his glass of tea.
Everyone added their own complements, making Esme blush and try to brush off their praise and thanks. I scooted her chair closer to me and kissed her warm cheek.
"It really was delicious, sweetheart," I whispered into her ear. "Thank you."
"Thank you," she whispered back, giving me a quick kiss.
Everyone extended their thanks by helping us clean the red rings from the kid's faces and cleaning up after themselves as the kids ran off their food outside. The noise level went down a few notches with all of them outside, and the adults were all able to visit for a while. We'd be seeing everyone later in the week, and probably having dinner with most everyone, but it was still nice to have everyone we called family in the same place for the afternoon.
When the clean-up was finished and the cakes were ready to go, we all went to sit in the family room to continue chatting. The kids drifted in slowly, and though Esme had some games ready for back-up, they weren't needed. They were happy enough to play with all of the toys and try to sneak over to the presents to guess what was in them.
They all thought they were sneaky, but we saw every attempt, laughing at their strategies. Eventually, Esme nodded to me, signaling that it was time.
Eleazar caught our look and winked before clearing his throat. "I'm thinking it's about time to open some presents."
All of the little ears heard him, and Rosalie and Jasper were the first ones to run over.
"Really, Pops?" Rosalie asked, jumping up and down in front of him. "I can open presents now?"
"You sure can, princess," he confirmed. "You and brother need to ask Mommy and Daddy what to do, though."
They ran over to us next, and Esme showed them where to sit before grabbing her camera. Neither of them needed any instructions after that. By now, they were pros at unwrapping gifts, but they were also good at giving thank you hugs and kisses. After every gift opened, Rosalie and Jasper thanked whoever it was from, making the time more than just about what they were given.
This was a time for all of us to celebrate another year with Rosalie and Jasper – two little ones our family couldn't live without.
When all the presents had been opened, the floor seemed to be filled with new clothes, baby dolls, legos, and many other toys that I'd never seen before. I was sure I'd be getting an education later, but for now, I was just happy that Rosalie and Jasper were happy. Their big gifts from us – two sand and water activity stations – would have to be assembled later, but there was no rush from anyone.
There wasn't much jealousy either, at least not that I witnessed. Emmett was all smiles as he helped hand out the gifts and shared his brother's and sister's enthusiasm. I assumed we had school to thank for this, along with the fact that maybe he finally realized that he would get to play with everything later too.
It seemed like a crime to cut the cakes, but after singing Happy Birthday, we did along with eating through half of both of them. The chocolate cake was as good as I imaged it would be, though waiting for it and getting to shower with my wife had been just as good or maybe better.
I was about to go for my second piece when Rosalie ran into my legs. I heard her quiet sniffles, so I picked her up right away, surprised to see the tears on her face.
Carrying her over to a quiet spot in the kitchen, I wiped her cheeks and gave her a kiss. "What's the matter, baby girl? Aren't you having a good time?"
She nodded but sniffled again. "Daddy, I want to sit with Aunt Sea and…and Nana, but…but I can't." Whimpering, she hid her face in my neck, so I shushed her softly and rubbed her back.
Confused about why she was crying, I glanced into the family room. I didn't understand why she would be crying about wanting to sit with someone at first, but then I realized. Carmen had Jane in her lap and Chelsea had Pumpkin as Jasper leaned against her. Either one would have gladly made room, and I almost suggested it until I saw Alec. He was talking with Garrett and Ben, but no one was in his lap.
"I'm sorry you're sad, baby," I said as I continued to rub her back. "But you know what?"
She shook her head but lifted it so she could see me. "What, Daddy?"
"I bet Uncle Alec would be so happy if you sat in his lap."
She reached up to rub her eyes and nodded. "Can I sit there? Please I want some juice."
I smiled and agreed, happy that her tears had ended. I hated when any of the kids were sad, but it seemed even worse on a birthday.
After fixing her a cup of juice, I carried her into the family room, heading right over to Alec. He paused his conversation as he looked up at us, and Rosalie made what she wanted very clear.
"Uncle Alec, can I sit with you?" She held her arms out, giving him no choice.
He froze, and beside him, Chelsea chuckled quietly and nudged her husband. Shaking his head, he came out of his trance and nodded as he met Rosalie's arms with his.
Not wanting to make a big deal out of it, I made sure Rosalie didn't need anything else before I headed back to get the cake I'd wanted. After I scarfed it down, I returned to the family room, sitting by Esme on the couch. She was braiding Corin's hair, but I caught her glancing over to Alec and Rosalie every once and awhile.
I couldn't help but do the same. Rosalie was fine, not that I expected anything different. She had traded her juice cup for one of her new baby dolls, and she was in the process of telling Alec all about it. He was still being careful with her, but was much more relaxed.
Everyone in the room seemed to have noticed because we all sported the same smile. Over the last almost two years, we'd all had the same moment with Rosalie, so we knew how much it meant.
The party started to dwindle after a while. No one had noticed that it was getting close to dinner time. The time we spent together always flew by.
As everyone started to leave, the begging began. Rosalie wanted Corin and Jane to spend the night, and Emmett and Jasper wanted Riley. Since it was a special occasion, none of us wanted to say no, but we had to compromise since Corin and Riley had school.
After we went out to dinner, we headed over to Kate and Garrett's house. The boys were going to stay there with Riley, and Jane was coming back with us. Corin wasn't too happy about being left out, but after promising her that she could spend as much of her weekend at our house that she wanted, she was happier.
Since Chelsea and Alec were staying the rest of the week, they didn't mind not getting to see the boys tonight. Rosalie, Jane, and Edward kept them entertained enough.
The girls stayed up later than their usual bedtime playing with Rosalie's new toys, and I could tell they enjoyed not having boys around for the night. I sympathized with Kate since she was dealing with all the boys. We received the easy end of this deal.
Getting the girls into their pajamas took some work, but as soon as they sat still for me to read them a book, they were out cold. Esme was nursing Pumpkin, so I carried them upstairs and tucked them into Rosalie's bed. Once I made sure the nightlight was on, I headed back downstairs.
We all ate one last piece of cake as we sat and watched a random show on TV. After our plates were returned to the kitchen and Pumpkin was asleep on his duck blanket, we got ready to watch a movie.
Before Esme could turn on the movie, Alec cleared his throat and Chelsea grabbed the remote, muting the TV.
"Um… we have some news," Chelsea said, squeezing Alec's hand. "We've known for about a week, and it killed me to keep it a secret."
"It really almost did," Alec agreed with a nod.
"Anyway," she continued, "we wanted to tell you in person."
Esme scooted closer to me, and I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. Apparently she had been right, and her smile was smug.
Taking a deep breath, Chelsea turned to Alec. They smiled at each other, and he kissed her before nodding.
"Spit it out already," Esme said, practically bouncing in her seat.
Chelsea grinned, and moved hers and Alec's hand to her stomach. "Well your next niece or nephew will be here in about seven months. We're pregnant."
Esme clapped a hand over her mouth as she squealed and jumped up, going over to hug her sister. As they embraced and cried together, I went over to shake Alec's hand, patting his shoulder as I smiled.
"Congratulations, man. This is amazing. Such a blessing."
He smiled and nodded. "Thank you, and yes it is. We'd been trying, so this was great news."
Alec and I returned to our seats, but it wasn't until a few minutes later when Esme and Chelsea broke apart. More hugs were exchanged before we were finally all sitting down again, talking about this new life.
"I didn't even expect anything until last week, so I took a test. And another test and another test," Chelsea explained, giggling. "Finally Alec told me that three positive tests were enough in his book, but I still wanted to be sure. The doctor confirmed it, of course, and we even got to hear the heartbeat. It was amazing."
"So amazing," Alec agreed, kissing Chelsea's temple.
Esme sighed happily, once again scooting closer to me and into my side. "I'm so happy for you two. This explains all those questions about the kids, huh?"
Chelsea smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Yeah. We definitely love and want this baby, but we know nothing about them or kids, really. Our only experience has been with your kids and that's been pretty limited. I was hoping to get a crash course this week."
"I don't think you have to worry too much," I told them. "You'll learn as you go. The baby is already loved, so the rest will just…fall into place. I had no experience when I first met Emmett, but I learned. You will too."
My assurance seemed to ease some of their fears, but the baby talk continued. They were excited, and I remembered those feelings well from when Esme and I found out about Pumpkin. Esme made plans to fly out for the delivery, and that soon led to the discussion of when we would see Chelsea and Alec again.
"We'll have vacation time again in late May or June," Alec said. "We could maybe meet up then."
"I also have a week in late May," I supplied. Peter and I had had to pick our vacations at the beginning of the year for scheduling purposes. We'd each taken a week but left the option open for a few more days. That was one of the positives of being our own bosses.
"Maybe we can take a vacation together," Esme suggested, looking to me. "We've never had a family vacation before."
I smiled and nodded, liking the idea. "I think the kids are old enough now. Where should we go?"
We spent the rest of the night planning our family vacation, even pulling out our laptops to search for the best location. Many ideas were tossed around, from what we wanted to do to who we wanted to include. There would definitely be a big conversation with the whole family later this week, but for now, it was enough to plan the basics.
Since we didn't get to see Chelsea and Alec often, I was glad we would have more opportunities this year, especially with a vacation involved. This was one family first I couldn't wait to experience.
A/N: Sorry this took a little longer to get out. I meant to update over the weekend, but RL was just too busy. Thank you all for being so patient with me. The next update will definitely be posted in less than three weeks, and reviewers will receive teasers. Promise.
And besides RL, something else kept me busy this weekend. I don't usually give fic recs here, but I have to share this one. It's Angela-centric but with plenty of Carlisle and Esme and the whole Cullen family. Lots of hurt/comfort too and so, so good!
Roses in Winter by WhisperingWolf. ID#8146758 Check it out if you get a chance.
Thanks again for reading! =)