Thanks so much for continuing to read and review! Your comments never fail to make me smile. =)
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
I wasn't sure who was more excited about our family vacation – Carlisle, me, or the kids. Possibly even Chelsea and Alec or Carmen and Eleazar. Basically, we were all excited.
The two months we'd had to plan almost didn't seem like enough, but we had utilized every minute after Rosalie and Jasper's birthday. Thankfully, there were no big events on the calendar to get in our way, so it was easy to devote our extra energy to planning our vacation.
After going through many options, we all finally agreed to go to San Diego. California had been the obvious choice, but there were so many cities to choose from, all with their own merits. But with Sea World, Legoland, and a large zoo all in one location complete with a bay, there was really no other choice. It would be the first trip for us all, and I couldn't wait to explore it.
Carmen and Eleazar took it upon themselves to find us a place to stay and pay for it. They wanted to thank us for including them in the trip, but the rest of us felt like it was a given. We were just glad they accepted the offer, but it was nearly a given for them as well since our vacation happened to fall when Kate and Garrett were going to Florida to visit his family. After attempting to argue about the accommodations, everyone relented. Of course, Carlisle and I quickly bought the Sea World tickets, and Chelsea and Alec did the same with Legoland. We all knew how to play the game.
In the end, Carmen and Eleazar found and booked a lovely condo for us. It was in a resort on the bay, so we still had beach access and a swimming pool but with plenty of living space and a nice kitchen. From the pictures we saw online, I could tell it was a beautiful resort, and I couldn't wait to see it in person.
We planned as much of the trip in advance as possible, not as far as to make a strict itinerary, but just enough so we knew what we were doing on what day and even what meals we planned to cook ourselves or eat out. There were many restaurants to choose from, so we weren't going to totally deny that particular vacation luxury.
The only thing that couldn't be done in advance was packing. I worked on composing my list though, organizing everything on paper first, so when the Friday before our Monday flight rolled around, I was ready to tackle it.
"Are you going to help Mommy pack?" I asked Pumpkin as I worked my way through folding a load of clothes.
"Mama," he said, grinning at me, his two little bottom teeth showing. He was standing by my legs, holding on to the couch as he bounced and reached forward. "Mama mama!"
I looked behind me, finding one of his burp clothes turned chew toy, and handed it to him. "Is that what you want, baby?" He grinned again before stuffing it in his mouth and falling to his bottom. I chuckled, reaching down to run my fingers through his light red hair. "I'll take that as a yes."
As he babbled and leaned against my legs, I finished folding and did some preliminary organizing of what would be packed and what wouldn't. I had to stop soon though because it was time to pick up Emmett from school.
Standing, I pulled Edward up with me, sitting him on my hip. "We have to go get Emmett from school, so let's get you changed and into the van." I carried him upstairs, changing his diaper and replacing his onesie with a clean one and a pair of shorts. Once dressed, I tickled him, just to hear his sweet giggle.
I could barely believe that Edward was already eleven months old. Next month, he would be a year old. Time had flown by, and while I missed having a little baby, this age was so much fun. He was learning things every day, and we could actually observe as he learned them. I loved that "mama" and "dada" now meant something, and he was so close to walking that I was sure it would happen any day. With as much cruising as he did around the furniture, his legs were definitely strong enough.
After freshening myself up, I loaded Pumpkin into his car seat and drove to Emmett's school. Not surprisingly, Pumpkin fell asleep on the way. Getting him into the wrap was a challenge, but after he was settled – and remained sleeping – I headed inside.
I timed it just right, and Angela opened the door to her classroom just as I walked up. As usual, Emmett was the last out since he liked to say bye to everyone as they left. Carlisle and I had known that he was social, but the extent wasn't revealed until he started school. With other kids to talk to and become friends with, he was thriving, and we couldn't have been prouder.
As soon as the last of Emmett's friends left, he ran over to me, hugging my legs. "Hi, Mommy! I told Miss Angela alllll about vacation, and I told all my friends too! About the fishes and legos and the beach!"
"Did you?" I asked. "Had any of them been before?"
He shook his head. "Uh uh, so I'm first, Mommy! Isn't that cool?"
"So cool," I agreed. I glanced up, smiling as Angela walked over.
"I told Emmett that he'd have to share about his trip when he gets back," she said, giving me a quick side-hug. "Pictures too, if you take them."
"I'll definitely send some with him," I said, nodding. "So you know we'll be gone next week and he'll miss all three days?"
Angela nodded. "Yes, but you'll be back for the last week. We'll miss him, but I'm sure you'll have lots of fun."
I was such a relief knowing that there wouldn't be any problems with taking Emmett out of school for the week. Kate hadn't been so lucky since Corin and Riley's school wasn't thrilled with excusing them. It had worked out in the end, but part of their vacation had to be over the weekend. It cost more, but they did what they had to.
After saying goodbye to Angela, Emmett and I headed to Carmen's. Opening the door, we were met with noise and lots of it. It was good noise though, the kind that came from the kids singing along with a new song Carmen taught them. They had to start over as soon as I was sitting on the couch and ready to listen to the whole thing. Today, they were singing about the colors including some obscure ones I wasn't even sure that I could recognize. It was very impressive.
I hated to rush, but I needed to get back home to start packing. Carmen understood and had the kids and all their things ready in less than five minutes.
"Don't even worry about leaving so soon," she said as she hugged me. "I'll be packing as soon as I'm free of grandbabies, so I understand. We'll see you tomorrow or Sunday."
Thankful for the understanding, I loaded the kids into the van as quickly as I could. Once we were all buckled in, I started the van and drove toward home.
"Hey guys," I said, hoping to get their attention. "I need your help with something really important when we get home, okay?"
"Oooh what is it, Mommy?" Rosalie asked.
"Well Mommy has to pack our bags for our trip, and I was hoping that you would want to help me."
"I'll help, Mommy!" Emmett said.
"Me too!" Jasper added. "I can help pack my clothes, Mommy. And shoes and socks and toys."
"And hair bows!" Rosalie exclaimed.
"Those all sound great!" I said with a smile. "But we can't take a lot of toys, okay? The airplane can only hold so much so we can't pack all of our toys."
They seemed to understand my warning, but I knew actually deciding which toys to pack would be the hard part. I wasn't going to tell them to leave everything at home because we would have some downtime at the condo. We just couldn't bring bags and bags of toys.
When we made at home, I sent the kids to take their shoes off and go potty while I fixed lunch. I hoped to get rid of most of our perishable foods this weekend, so I made ham sandwiches and washed some baby carrots and grapes along with filling cups full of milk.
Pumpkin woke up as I was placing plates on the table, so I placated him with a few pieces of puffed corn as we waited for his brothers and sister to return. They returned a few minutes later, complete with large spots of water on their clothes. We'd yet to master washing hands without making a mess, but at least they were washing their hands.
As we ate lunch, they told me all about their day. Each one had a different story to tell and different memories to smile about. We were hit with a bout of sillies as well, dragging lunch out longer than I'd intended. But hearing them laugh with each other was worth it.
When everyone was finally finished, I sent the kids to the family room as I did a quick cleanup of the kitchen. I then went upstairs, grabbing the piles of the kids clothes that I had listed to pack. It took several trips to get everything and the luggage, but soon, everything was in piles on the couches and floor, ready to go into the bags.
I also grabbed several boxes of large plastic storage bags. Kate had shared her packing secret with me after our visit to Alaska, and I was ready to try it for myself. Each outfit, complete with underwear, socks, and any other accessories would go in a bag to then be rolled up. It was supposed to help fit more in bags as well as keep everything organized, two things I needed to happen.
With everything ready, I sat in the floor. Pumpkin was occupied on a blanket, lying on his stomach as he played with some of his toys, so I motioned for the other kids to come sit by me. All three of them were smiling eagerly, making me rethink my strategy. There was no way I could do three things at once.
Thinking quickly, I came up with a solution. "Okay, we're going to work on Rosalie's clothes first, and Emmett and Jasper, you two decide what toys you want." The boys immediately jumped up, but I stopped them. "Boys, think about it, okay? We can't take everything." They nodded, but I wasn't hoping for too much. If they made piles, we could always go through them again.
Rosalie was just as excited about clothes, so I focused my attention on her.
"All right, baby girl. We're going to sort out your outfits and you get to decide what hair bows and panties go with them. Maybe shoes too. Sound good?"
She nodded excitedly. "Mommy, this is gonna be fun! I want all my pretty hairbows and princess panties."
I chuckled softy and nodded. "I figured you would. Let's start looking."
Thanks to my list and preparations, all of the outfits were together. I breathed a sigh of relief when Rosalie approved of everything I had picked out. I hadn't been too worried, though. I knew what she liked, so I included several dresses as well as rompers and outfits with shorts. She did just as I asked and placed a pair of panties with each outfit along with the hairbow she felt matched the best. I approved of her choices, and as each one was finished, I placed them in the bag, sealed it, and rolled it up. Rosalie placed each one in the suitcase, and in no time, all of her outfits for the week were packed with plenty of room to spare. Pajamas, swim suits, and socks went into separate bags, shoes went into the bottom, and then we were finished.
"Great job, sugar," I said, giving her a high-five. "We're all finished and now you can pick out your toys. Not too many, though."
With a smile and a nod, she ran upstairs where most of her favorite toys were. I pulled Jasper over to me next, sitting him in my lap as we started tackling his clothes.
"Mommy, I can wear my lego shirt to legoland," he said as he placed the outfit with the lego people shirt in the bag.
"You sure can, buddy," I agreed. "That is a perfect idea."
He smiled proudly and continued telling me fun facts about all his clothes. There were some new items I bought especially for the trip, lego shirt and fish shorts included. Just little things to make the vacation even more special.
Jasper's packing took time than Rosalie because he didn't have to think carefully about which underwear to pack nor did he have to worry about hairbows. When his bag was finished, he was more than happy to go back to picking out toys. Emmett's bag took even less time since he'd been quietly observing in between toy hunting and knew exactly what to do.
Right as I finished Emmett's bag, Pumpkin crawled over, holding his arms out for me. I picked him up and went to the recliner, knowing what he wanted. I enjoyed the break from packing as I rocked and nursed him. It had gone much smoother than I expected, Kate's strategy working like a charm. Everything was fitting in the assigned bags so far, and the kids were great helpers.
But when the break was over and it was time to tackle the toy situation, my good helpers disappeared. It was impossible to explain to a four and five year old why taking a big tub of blocks and trucks wasn't a good idea or why talking six baby dolls wasn't a good idea either. Three timeouts, some arguing, pouting, and whining later, the choices were narrowed down to what would fit in a carry-on bag and in each of their backpacks.
They seemed fine when we were finished, but as soon as Carlisle came home from work, the little schemers tried to get their daddy's permission to add more toys. He denied them, of course, leading to even more pouting. Bedtime was extremely welcome, and I could only hope they would wake up in a better mood.
Carlisle and I snuggled on the couch after we were sure the house was quiet. Pumpkin was close to sleep as well and was all too happy to snuggle with us.
"How was your morning, sweetheart?" Carlisle asked. "I hope it was better than the evening."
I sighed and nodded. "The morning was great. Pumpkin helped me with the laundry for most of the morning. And after we picked up the others and ate lunch, they helped me pack all of their clothes. We just have ours and Pumpkin's left."
"Sounds productive to me."
"It was," I agreed. "But then we had to pick out toys, and you saw the aftermath of that."
He chuckled and kissed the top of my head. "If that was just the aftermath, I'm sort of glad I wasn't here for the most of it."
"Worst tantrums in a while. Remember when we wanted them to start exerting their wills?" He nodded. "Why did we want that? Were we crazy?"
He laughed louder this time, shaking his head. "Probably, but I'm sure it'll pass. Tomorrow they'll be happy again, just like Pumpkin."
Hearing his name, Pumpkin tilted his head back against Carlisle's chest. He smiled, blinking sleepily, and even though he was ready for bed, he didn't complain.
I reached over, running the back of my fingers against his cheek. He reached for me as his eyes started to stay closed for longer and longer. Pulling him to me, I placed his head on my shoulder as I patted his back. The boy loved his daddy, but as we were discovering, he was very much a mommy's boy.
Carlisle didn't mind though, instead smiling as he pulled us both closer. Pumpkin fell asleep quickly, drooling on my shirt as he dreamed. I didn't mind; it was a hazard of the job.
"So what's on the agenda for tomorrow?" Carlisle asked, breaking our few minutes of silence.
"More packing, I guess," I said. "You can help me organize."
"I'll confirm the flight and reservations too. We're taking Pumpkin's car seat, right?"
I nodded. "But no others so make sure the rental company has new ones for us."
We continued going through our checklist for the weekend until everything we could think of was covered. We then watched TV for a while, further enjoying the quiet.
The quiet continued the next morning. The kids were fine, acting as if nothing had happened. I was more than happy to move on, and they were once again great helpers as I continued packing. Carlisle helped as well with both occupying the kids and actually packing. He was good with organization and made sure our bags were in the best possible order.
We spent the afternoon with the family as we said our goodbyes to Kate, Garrett, and the kids. That brought even more excitement with the kids wanting to know when we were leaving. The two days left felt like a lifetime to them, but to me, it wasn't enough time. No amount of time would make me feel fully prepared to travel with four children.
Carmen graciously offered to take Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper for the night so Carlisle and I could double check everything without interruption. My packing list was checked at least five times before we loaded the bags into the van. Thanks to all of the organization, I was fairly positive that we wouldn't have to pay any extra money for our bags. We would more than likely make up for that on the flight back with any souvenirs purchased.
We finished loading the van before dinner, much to my surprise. I wasn't sure what to do with myself after that, but Carlisle and Edward provided plenty of distracting entertainment as they played in the floor and practiced walking. Pumpkin could easily walk all around the family room as long as he had fingers to hold on to. He could stand up for a few seconds too before falling on his bottom and clapping for himself.
I also called Chelsea and spent the evening chatting with her. She and Alec were already in San Diego, taking a few days to enjoy by themselves. I tried my hardest to get her to reveal her secret, but she wasn't budging. Earlier in the week, she'd been to her doctor's appointment and was given not only permission to fly and go on vacation but also the gender of their baby. I was dying to know, so like any good aunt, I badgered her for the information.
Chelsea was too good at thwarting my advances and wouldn't give anything away. She and Alec planned to make the reveal on Monday night with cupcakes and a mini-celebration. As much as I hated waiting, I liked the idea. Happy didn't even begin to describe how I felt about my sister and brother in law starting their family. They were so nervous it was cute, but I was confident they'd make great parents. If their interaction with our kids was any clue, they would be perfect.
Carlisle laughed at my disappointed face after I said goodbye to my sister.
"Imagine how everyone felt with us," he pointed out, still laughing. "They had to wait months. You have to wait two days."
I threw a pillow at him which only made him laugh more. "Yeah, well. I know they know, and that makes it totally different. Maybe I should call Alec. Think he would tell me?"
Carlisle shook his head, and took my hand. He pulled me up from my spot on the couch, scooped a sleeping Pumpkin off the floor, and headed toward the stairs. "You're not calling anyone else. We're going to bed to pass the time."
I smiled and kissed him, not willing to argue with those excellent plans.
…
Sunday passed as quickly as the night before, not because of Carlisle's talents, but because the whole family stayed busy. With church, lunch, and family time, there's wasn't much time left for worry or anticipating the trip.
Since we had an early flight, we all went to bed early. Sleep evaded me, though. We were as prepared as we were going to be, but I continued to mentally go through the contents of our bags. Really, there was nothing that couldn't be replaced if forgotten, but even that knowledge did little to ease my worry.
Somehow, I eventually fell asleep only to be rudely woken by the alarm clock. Carlisle and I both groaned as we left the comfort of our bed to dress and ready ourselves for the day. Leaving the kids in bed, we checked everything in the house, unplugging appliances and making sure everything was set for us to be absent for the week. With Charlotte and Peter volunteered to check on the house and get our mail, we didn't have to worry much.
The kids had gone to bed in the clothes they were wearing on the plane, so after making them all potty, we buckled them into the van. They all fell back asleep quickly, as did Pumpkin after I placed him in his car seat.
Before locking the door, I grabbed a bottle of milk for Pumpkin just in case he woke up hungry in the airport. I wanted him to nurse during take-off to help his ears feel better, but I also didn't want him screaming for his breakfast in the middle of a crowd.
After I told him that I was ready as I'd ever be, Carlisle locked the door and climbed into the van, giving me a quick kiss before starting it. The drive to the airport went smoothly, the early hour reducing the traffic considerably.
Carmen and Eleazar arrived before us and had a cart waiting for our bags. After parking and loading everything onto the cart, we had to wake the kids. Rosalie and Jasper weren't too happy, but did wake up enough to drink their juice boxes as Carmen carried them. Emmett was stuck in dream land, but Eleazar was fine with carrying him for the time being. I was just happy that Pumpkin was still asleep after Carlisle took the car seat out of the van, jostling him quite a bit.
We were only a few minutes early for the flight, just enough so we didn't feel rushed but we also didn't have long to wait. After passing out the carry-on bags, Carlisle checked our other bags. The next challenge was getting through security, no easy feat for our large group, but we all made it. Emmett fully woke in the process, and his sleepiness turned to excitement as he took in the sights around him.
Boarding the plane was exciting for all of the kids, but keeping them in their seats was surprisingly easy. This was only their second time to fly, and anxiety was obviously present. But with Carlisle, Carmen, Eleazar, and myself present, their fears didn't seem to be overwhelming. Even as the plane filled, there was no strong reaction from any of them – except Pumpkin who decided to wake up and demand his breakfast.
The flight went smoothly. The gum we gave the kids made take-off a breeze, as did nursing Pumpkin. He was pleasant throughout the whole flight, and when we were on the ground in San Diego, I let out a deep sigh. I didn't want to receive the dirty looks people loved to give when babies cried.
I said a prayer of thanks when all of our bags arrived safely and another one when Carlisle and Eleazar picked up the rental van, completely with brand new car seats.
Our first stop after leaving the airport was to grab some breakfast. We all felt much better after eating our fill, and the kids went back to sleep as we drove to find our resort. The GPS kept us from getting lost, and we were soon pulling into a parking spot in front of our home away from home for the week.
Chelsea and Alec were waiting for us outside, so before getting the kids out, I hopped out of the van and ran over to give my sister a hug.
"I'm so happy to see you, Es!" she said, squealing slightly as she threw her arms around my neck. "How was your flight? Everything go okay with the kids?"
I wrapped my arms around her, squeezing as tight as I dared. "I'm happy to see you too! And, yes. Everything was fine. Better than I expected, for sure." I pulled back, brining my hands down to rest on her tummy as I smiled. "Look at you, little mommy! You have a baby belly."
Her smile somehow became even wider as she nodded. "I know! It just showed up one day. I couldn't wait to leave the stage of just looking like I'd gained some weight around the middle. Now it's so much better."
"You're adorable," I said, running my hands over the small bump. "Now, tell me if it's my niece of nephew in here."
She shook her head, making a show of zipping her lips, so I turned to Alec.
His eyes widened as she shook his head and held out his hands defensively. "Oh, no. Don't do it, Esme. I've been sworn to secrecy until tonight."
"Fine," I sighed. "I guess I'll have to wait."
After giving Alec a quick hug, they followed me back over to the van to greet everyone. Hugs and kisses were passed around, and Carmen had to rub Chelsea's belly as I had. She was stepping into the nana role for this baby already, as well as mothering my sister, something Chelsea absolutely loved. I was happy that Chelsea had Carmen for support too. She'd been an essential part of my life since finding Carlisle again, and without our own mother present, Chelsea needed that too.
Chelsea and Alec took care of waking the kids up as we unloaded all of our bags. We decided on rooms, Carlisle and I getting the largest one because it had a pull-out couch along with a king size bed. There was also a crib for Pumpkin, making it the perfect room for us.
By the time everything was unloaded, the kids were wide awake and ready for an activity.
"The pool?" Chelsea suggested. "It's quiet and fabulous."
I looked to Carlisle, and he nodded, as did Carmen and Eleazar.
"The pool it is," I confirmed with a nod.
We all changed into our swimsuits with the exception of Carmen and Eleazar who opted to rest and grocery shop instead. Once sunscreen was applied and towels and floats were gathered, we headed outside.
Finding the pool was easy, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The large area was surrounded by palm trees, and there was a bar off to one side. The pool itself had a great set-up with plenty of shallow water for kids to play in.
We choose lounge chairs for everyone, Chelsea and I sitting in the shade as the guys and the kids headed into the water.
"Don't go in before Daddy," I called out in warning, noticing how close to the edge Emmett was. They all knew how to swim, but they still weren't getting in before an adult. Emmett listened and waited until Carlisle gave him a nod to jump in.
When I was sure the kids were being safe in the water, I continued looking around the outside of the resort. It was much quieter than I expected, and only a few other families were currently at the pool. More were walking out toward the bay, but overall, it was peaceful – perfect for vacation.
"Isn't it great?" Chelsea asked. "Alec and I have explored some, and nothing has failed to impress."
"I really like it so far," I agreed. "Hopefully we'll get to explore later tonight or maybe tomorrow. I kind of doubt we'll be leaving the pool any time soon."
Chelsea turned from to face the pool, laughing at the kids as they found crazy ways to jump into the water. "They're like little fish! Pumpkin too!"
In his little float, Pumpkin was happy to be in the water. His smile and giggle were enough proof of that.
"They all love the water. I'm telling you, we'll have to drag them out for lunch and dinner."
"Well let's get in with them," Chelsea said, standing and grabbing my hand.
Even with the shade of the trees, the temperature was definitely hot enough for a swim, so I followed her. I walked over to Carlisle, and he leaned over to give me a wet kiss.
"Having fun?" I asked him with a grin.
He smiled back and nodded. "What about you, sweetheart? Was it worth all of the worrying and planning?"
"Of course," I said, wrapping my arm around his waist. "Everything's been great so far."
Our conversation was cut short when the kids noticed that I was in the water. They all wanted to show me their swimming and other skills, so I gave them my undivided attention. We played and splashed for a couple of hours, only stopping to go inside for a quick lunch. After applying more sunscreen, we were right back outside.
We finally convinced them to come inside in the later afternoon. They all had wrinkly fingers and toes, and I could tell they all needed a nap. I didn't have to convince them, though; we soon had three little ones fast sleep on the couch, and Pumpkin was snoozing away in Carmen's arms.
An hour and a half later, we woke them so they'd still be able to sleep at night. We then changed for dinner, eating at one of the nicer restaurants of the resort. It wasn't too nice as to not have a kids' menu, so everyone was pleased with the selection, and the food was delicious.
Dinner couldn't pass fast enough for my liking. I was ready for dessert and for Chelsea and Alec to reveal their news. Chelsea teased me, walking slowly back to the condo, and I was tempted to pull her along. Carlisle laughed and convinced me that it wasn't a good idea, but I wasn't so sure. My older sister was torturing me, after all. I deserved a chance to fight back.
Once we were all back in the condo, we gathered at the table. Chelsea and Alec passed around assorted plates and napkins in both pink and blue before placing a cupcake on each plate. They were obviously chocolate with chocolate frosting as well, and on the top was a white question mark.
"These are so cleaver, Chelsea," Carmen complimented. "Did you design these?"
"I did," Chelsea said with a smile. "And they're filled with more frosting. That's how you'll know whether this little baby is a boy or a girl." She rubbed her belly before taking a seat.
Alec took a seat beside her, readying their cupcakes. "Okay, everyone ready?" he asked. "I'll count to three and you can dig in." We all nodded, cupcakes in hand as he started counting. "Okay. One…two…three."
I tore through my cupcake, not caring that I had frosting all over my fingers. Finding pink frosting in the middle, I covered my mouth to hold in my scream as I stood and ran over to Chelsea.
"A little girl! Oh, Chelsea. I'm so happy for you." I wrapped my arms around her neck, probably getting frosting in her hair. I turned hugging Alec next. "You too, Alec. You get your own Daddy's girl!"
"Thanks, Es," he said with a smile. "We weren't hoping one way or the other, but we're both excited for a girl."
"There's nothing like a daddy's girl," Carlisle commented, grinning as he hugged Rosalie in his lap. She accepted his hug and kissed him before squirming down and running over to Chelsea. The boys were having fun with their cupcakes, but she had been paying close attention.
"Aunt Sea!" She climbed into her lap, making sure she had her aunt's undivided attention. "Aunt Sea, my cupcake was pink in the middle. Does that mean you have a pink baby in your belly?"
Chelsea nodded. "It does, sweet girl. You're going to have a new girl cousin soon."
Rosalie clapped and gave Chelsea a hug. "That's so cool! I loooove pink babies, Aunt Sea. Mommy didn't have a pink baby, but that's okay because Pumpkin is fun, but now you have a pink baby, and I can play with it, right?"
"Of course you can! She'll love her cousin Rosalie. And her cousins Emmett and Jasper too."
The boys looked up as they heard their names, smiling chocolately smiles.
"Aunt Sea, you havin' a girl baby?" Emmett asked, and Chelsea nodded. "Cool! Can I haves another cupcake?"
"Me too!" Jasper said. "Babies are little and fun, but I wants a cupcake."
After receiving permission, Eleazar handed them each another cupcake. "Eat up, boys. This deserves a big celebration."
"It does," Carmen agreed. "Oh, a little girl!" She smiled, reaching over for Chelsea's hand. "I hope it's not too presumptuous of me to count her with my grandbabies?"
Chelsea shook her head, sniffling as tears filled her eyes. "Not at all. I'd love for you, and you as well, E, to be another set of grandparents for this baby. You've been so perfect, welcoming us into your family as if we were your own. This baby is so blessed to have you as a part of her life."
Carmen teared up along with her as she reached over to hug her tightly. Rosalie slipped out of Chelsea's lap just in time and returned to her spot with Carlisle. I joined in the hug, shedding a few tears along with them.
After we broke apart and returned to our seats to dry our eyes, Alec cleared his throat.
"Well, I…I guess there's no time like the present to reveal our other news."
"More news?" Carlisle teased. "Stop trying to out-do all of our family announcements."
Alec chuckled, shaking his head. "I just might do it, Carlisle. Anyway, my company recently opened a new office, and they've offered me a position toward the end of the year."
My smile fell slightly, worried that they'd be moving further away from us. "Where is the new office?"
Chelsea's head had been down, but she raised it, showing off a big grin. She nudged her husband with her shoulder, making him chuckle again.
"All right, miss impatient. The new office is in…Seattle." There was a collective gasp around the table along with a squeal from Chelsea.
"I thought it was too perfect at first," she said, still grinning. "But they offered last week and keep adding bonuses, basically making it a tough one to turn down. So we prayed about it, and there's only one clear decision."
"You're coming to Seattle?" I whispered hopefully.
"We are," Alec confirmed. "With the baby coming, moving is going to be pretty tough, but maybe with help, we can manage it."
"Of course we'll help!" Carmen exclaimed. "Oh, this wonderful. I was trying to decide how I'd manage to fly out to help with the baby, but now I won't have to. You'll be right in my backyard, possibly literally. There's a house for sale in our neighborhood, right, El? It's a nice one too. Definitely large enough with plenty of yard. I just need to speak with the realtor and –"
"Menny," Eleazar chuckled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Slow down for a minute."
She let out a big breath. "Okay, okay. But really. It would be perfect."
Chelsea and Alec just looked at her with wide, awe filled eyes. After a few moments, Chelsea burst into tears, and Carmen pulled her over close to her, patting her back in comfort.
"I think Aunt Carmen overwhelmed her," Carlisle whispered into my ear. He kissed my temple and pulled me closer to him. Truthfully, I was a little overwhelmed as well, just without the pregnancy hormones to deal with. Everything was just falling perfectly into place.
Eventually, the conversation returned. Chelsea and Alec thanked everyone repeatedly, but we all shrugged it off. We were family, and this is what family did.
Once the cupcake mess was cleaned up, Carlisle and I put the kids in the large Jacuzzi tub for them to splash out most of their energy. It did the trick, and even with their afternoon nap, we soon had three sleepy little ones tucked into the couch bed. The bedtime book sealed the deal, and after Pumpkin nursed, he was out like a light along with his brothers and sisters.
With them asleep, we closed the door partially and joined everyone in the living room. There were plenty of laughs shared and fun stories, but before heading to bed, Chelsea pulled me out to the patio area. We sat together on the swing, hand-in-hand.
"I'm so happy for you," I said softly. "Everything that's happened is so amazing."
She sighed, leaning her head against mine. "I know. I feel like I'm living in a dream. Alec and I are having a precious baby girl, and now I get to move closer to my sister. It's perfect."
I hummed in agreement. "So perfect. It's been a while since we lived so close together. I can't wait."
We sat for a while, swinging in silence. I knew where Chelsea's mind was because mine was in the same place. The last time we lived close together was when I was with Charles. Our relationship definitely wasn't in a good place then, but now, we were closer than ever. I loved having both Chelsea and Alec around, and I honestly couldn't wait to see them more often.
Before it got too late, we returned inside. Everyone else was already in their rooms, so we shared a long hug before going our separate ways.
Carlisle was waiting for me in bed, so I quickly changed into my pajamas and joined him. He turned out the lamp and rolled over to face me.
"Good talk?" he asked.
"Good talk." I scooted closer, wrapping my arms around him as I kissed him. "I'm so excited for them, for us…just for the whole thing. I don't know how vacation could get any better."
He chuckled, giving me another kiss. "Oh, I'm sure we can find a way to make it even better." He kissed down my neck and chest, moving my night gown out of the way as he went.
With his special nighttime activity skills, he did manage to make the first night of vacation even better, and we did finally fall asleep at a still-decent hour.
The next morning, I was thankful that we hadn't continued with our activities. We'd planned to get an early start at the zoo to avoid some of the crowds, and that meant waking up before eight.
The kids were excited about seeing the animals, and their excitement didn't get in the way of them being cooperative – at least for the most part. We all managed to eat breakfast, get dressed, and get out the door only a few minutes behind schedule. With this many people, that was the best we were going to get.
It was the perfect day for the zoo – sunny, but not unbearably hot. Everyone loved it, and as standard with our family, we took over a hundred pictures. There were many animals not found at the Seattle zoo, so the trip turned into a learning experience for the kids as we read them the information about the animals. They soaked everything up like little sponges and kept good moods for the whole day. We left with stuffed animal souvenirs and t-shirts that the kids insisted on wearing to dinner.
It was another early night for us, but there was no alarm set for the next morning. We enjoyed being lazy, lying around the condo until after lunch. The afternoon was spent exploring the resort and playing on the beach. The kids had never seen sand before, finding it fascinating and lots of fun until getting it in their eyes and mouths.
Thursday was our Legoland day, and as soon as we entered the park, I knew it would be a favorite.
"Mommy!" Jasper gasped, peaking around the side of his stroller to face me. "Mommy, see all da legos? They all over da place, Mommy! And da big dinosaur!"
I smiled and nodded. "I do see them, buddy. I think everything's made out of legos."
"It is!" he exclaimed. "I love dis, Mommy."
He and Emmett were in heaven for the rest of the day. Nearly everything was made of the colorful building blocks, and it was all kid friendly. Even Rosalie enjoyed herself; I never saw her without a smile on her face.
We all loved witnessing the kids' pure joy as they rode as many rides as possible, played on the indoor attractions, watched shows, and pointed out all of their favorite parts. The cameras received a bigger workout than at the zoo. I made sure to capture every lego statue I saw because the details were amazing. I'd never seen as much creativity in one place before.
Pumpkin enjoyed all of the pretty colors, reaching out to anything he could get his hands on. Lucky for him, there were plenty of things to touch and sit on, and he enjoyed all of them.
When we returned to the condo for dinner, everyone was tired, but the kids insisted on opening their new lego kits. Compromising, they were allowed to open one and share the pieces, lowering the chances of us leaving things behind.
Friday was yet another day for swimming and playing in the sand. The breaks were purposely scheduled in between longer days to keep the week from completely wearing us all out.
They were doing their job because when Saturday morning arrived, we were all ready to explore Sea World.
Since there were more thrill rides for adults, we rotated who had the kids so we all had a chance to ride what we wanted to. We also took turns taking Emmett on some of the thrill rides he was tall enough for. Thanks to his above average height, there was only a couple he couldn't ride. Like his daddy, he loved thrill rides and rode with whoever would take him.
Rosalie and Jasper didn't feel left out though. There were several kid-friendly rides that were Sesame Street themed, more than enough to make them happy and Emmett even happier.
We visited as many exhibits as possible, all of us loving Shamu the whale's show and the sea lion show.
But the best part of the day was the play area. Unbeknownst to us, the Sesame Street characters were found in the play area. I didn't think I'd ever seen Emmett smile as wide as he did when he met Elmo. Jasper was the same with his favorite, Grover, and Rosalie with Abby Cadabby. Since it was our last thing to do for the day, we had to nearly drag them away, bribing them with the promise of visiting the gift shop.
They were still smiling and giggling as I buckled them into the seats in the van.
"Mommy, I met Abby!" Rosalie said with a giggle. "She gived me a hug!"
"That's so awesome, sugar. Was that your favorite part?"
She nodded. "Uh huh. And pengins. They are real, Mommy!"
"I know, baby." I held him in my laugh, knowing she wouldn't appreciate it because she was so serious. "What about you, Jasper?" I asked, checking to make sure he was buckled correctly.
"Grover!" he yelled. "Mommy, da teebee people were real! And I gived dem hugs and rided deir rides! It's so cool!"
"Jasper, did you see Elmo?" Emmett asked. "He's so big!"
"Yahuh, Em."
After making sure everyone was in securely, I climbed over the seat to get to my spot next to Pumpkin and Chelsea. We listened to the kids talk about their favorite parts on the ride back to the condo. The day had been great for all of us, and I loved how special Sea World was – definitely worth every penny.
Our last day was spent recovering from the week by the pool. Vacation was starting to wear on all of us – not that we wanted the fun to end, but home seemed to be calling us. The bed Carlisle and I slept on wasn't as comfortable as our bed, nor was having to sleep in the same room as the kids. I loved them, but there was a reason we had separate rooms at home.
Carmen and Eleazar treated us all to a nice dinner and frozen yogurt before we spent the evening watching a movie together.
Carlisle offered to change Pumpkin's diaper in the middle of the movie so I wouldn't miss anything, but when he returned, he was obvious shaken up, and Pumpkin was only wearing a diaper. Pausing the movie, he gestured for me to sit in the floor with him. I did so without question but my expression had to show my confusion.
"Sorry to interrupt," he said, looking around the room at everyone, "but I was a little afraid that we would miss this. Someone get out a camera."
"What happened?"
"He almost walked."
My eyes widened. "Really? But he didn't, right?"
He shook his head, smiling proudly. "Nope. I knew you wouldn't want to miss it, so I picked him up and now we're here."
Carmen returned seconds later, camera in hand. Nodding, she signaled she was ready, and Carlisle placed Pumpkin on his feet, holding his hands to steady him.
"Okay, Pumpkin," he said, kissing his cheek. "Walk to Mommy. I know you can do it."
With a big smile, I held my arms out, ready to catch him when he walked the three of four steps it would take to get to me. "Come on, baby. You can do it. Come see Mommy."
He squealed and tried to lunge for me without letting go of Carlisle's fingers. When he discovered he wasn't getting anywhere by that route, his grin turned into a look of determination. Slowly, he placed one foot in front of him, and Carlisle loosened his grip.
"Come on, Pumpkin," I encouraged. The kids were cheering him on in the background as well, and I was so glad Carmen was filming. This moment was too precious to miss.
With another determined step, his hands left Carlisle's, and I felt tears form in my eyes as he took the two wobbly steps it took to get to me.
"You did it, baby!" I cheered, lifting him in the air and pretending to toss him.
He giggled and clapped, and everyone else clapped for him too. After lifting him two more times, I put his feet back on the floor.
"Can you go back to Daddy now?"
He lunged forward again, squealing "Dada" as Carlisle held his arms out just as I had done.
"Come on, buddy," Carlisle said. "Come back to Daddy."
I let his hands go, repeating the process again, and this time, three steps were taken. Carlisle rewarded him with raspberries on his tummy. We went through it several times, letting the kids sit with us so their brother could walk to them too.
"This is it, Ezzie," Eleazar said, chuckling as he winked at me. "That boy is going to be in everything now."
I smiled and nodded. "It's worth it."
"That it is," he agreed.
Pumpkin became braver as we continued practicing, making it up to three consistent steps and sometimes up to five without falling on his bottom. The practice he'd been doing over the last few weeks had definitely prepared him well. I was sure he'd be running around before too much longer.
After a while, all the walking tired him out, and he crawled over to me, nuzzling his face into my chest. I picked him up and carried him over to sit in one of the recliners, setting him up to nurse.
"I'm so proud of you, baby boy," I told him as I kissed the top of his head. He smiled but didn't unlatch to babble at me, too concerned with his bedtime snack. Covering us with a blanket, I rocked steadily. It didn't take long for Edward's body relax as he drifted off to sleep. It had been a big night for him, and for all of us as well.
I wasn't sad about flying home the next day. San Diego was beautiful and fun, and we'd made memories that would last forever.
But I was more excited about what was coming in our future.
Chelsea and Alec would have their baby girl in a few short months, and if everything went according to plan, they'd be in Seattle when they welcomed her to the world. The goodbyes we would say the next day wouldn't be sad because, really, they were just "see you later"s.
And now that Pumpkin was walking, I would have my hands full chasing after him along with planning his first birthday party.
Our vacation had been amazing, but I was ready for what was to come next.
A/N: I've never been to San Diego, so please excuse any inaccuracies.
Thanks again to everyone who's still with me. I know I'm slow sometimes, but we're getting to the part of the story I've been waiting 2 years to write. So even if updates take a while, I once again promise that I'll never abandon this story.
Hopefully the next update will be in about 3 weeks, and reviewers will receive teasers!
Thanks again for reading! =)