Thank you all so, so much for the lovely reviews! You pushed PL over 1K last chapter, and words cannot express how grateful I am that you're still enjoying the story! Big hugs to you all!

And of course, lots of thanks to anhanninen for prereading and general hand holding and to MelissaMargaret for making this pretty.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or these characters.

Carlisle POV

Getting back into our routine after vacation was difficult, but we managed.

Emmett made it through his last week of school which ended with a party. Families were invited to join the class, and it was a lot of fun for us all. It was hard to believe that Emmett would be going to kindergarten in the fall, but Angela assured us he was ready. He was one of the brightest in the class and wasn't having any trouble with anything they'd learned, though he'd only been going for half of a year. Esme and I were so proud of him.

We were proud of Rosalie and Jasper as well. During the party, we let them know that they'd be going to school in the fall with Miss Angela as their teacher, and they both reacted positively. That didn't stop us from worrying about how they'd react when we actually had to leave them at school for the first time, but they had three months to get used to the idea – plenty of time for us to get them excited for it.

Unlike the kids – who were taking it easy now that school was over for the summer – I had to head back to work. I still enjoyed every day, though it didn't stop me from missing the uninterrupted family time we'd had on vacation.

There were plenty of lunch time visits from Esme and the kids as a special treat for us all, especially during the week when Peter and Charlotte took their vacation. We were family in the office, and when part of the family wasn't there, we missed them.

I missed having kids in the office, too. I only had a few minors as my patients, the rest always coming to see Peter. Working alongside a pediatrician provided entertainment and hilarity every day, and without them, the adults almost seemed dull. I loved helping anyone, but the kids never failed to break the monotony.

Thankfully, Peter and Charlotte took their vacation at the perfect time of June so they were back for Pumpkin's one year check-up. Time had flown too fast – and Pumpkin was moving too fast.

"Well, I think it's clear that we can cross off the walking milestone," Peter chuckled as Pumpkin nearly ran around the exam room. We were the last appointment of the day, giving us the chance to take our time and let Pumpkin be comfortable.

Pumpkin grinned, showing off his four teeth, and toddled over to me. I picked him up and blew a raspberry on his stomach. He was having too much fun running around in just a diaper.

"Dadeeee," he squealed, placing his hands on my face. "Dow dow dow."

I did as he requested and put him down. He headed toward Esme, falling back on his bottom right before he got to her.

"Uh-oh." He raised his arms, just like Emmett had taught him, before working his way back up and over to Esme.

Peter chuckled again. "And we'll cross off talking, too. How many words is he saying?"

I looked over at Esme and she shrugged.

"Maybe…ten?" she answered after thinking for a few seconds. "He knows mama and dada. Up, down, uh-oh, bye, more. And we're pretty sure he's learning family names too. Rosalie and Nana for sure."

"Excellent," Peter said, nodding in approval. "You should see the total steadily increase, but I doubt he'll have any issues. Do you have any questions before I attempt to examine him?"

Esme and I shook our heads and wished him luck. Pumpkin loved to show off his walking when he had an audience.

A container of cheerios was all the luck Peter needed. Esme held Edward in her lap for part of the exam as he ate his snack, and when he needed to be laid on the exam table, she kept them within his reach. He smiled and babbled at Peter the whole time, cooperating much better than I was expecting.

"I declare this little guy healthy," Peter said as he placed his stethoscope back around his neck and patted Pumpkin's stomach. "He's still long and lean, but you haven't had any issues introducing food, have you?"

Esme shook her head. "No, and he loves to eat anything we give him."

"He's still breastfeeding too?"

"Yes. After meals and in between whenever he wants. There hasn't been any sign of him wanting to wean, so I'm not going to make him."

"You won't hear any complaints from me," Peter said. "It's better for him than cow's milk anyway. What about sleep?"

"All night," I answered right away. Edward suddenly started sleeping completely through the night after we returned from California. We knew better than to question it.

Esme giggled. "Finally. I thought we were rested before, but those early morning wake up calls were more draining than we knew. He still naps a couple of times a day, too."

"And it looks like he's ready for one now," I said as I watched Pumpkin yawn and rub his eyes.

Esme picked him up, passing him to me. He mumbled my name as he laid his head on my shoulder, and I covered him with a blanket.

"I won't disturb him any more then," Peter said with a smile. "I can't say the same for Kate and Char, but my time here is done."

We thanked him, and then it was time for us to make a decision.

"Am I holding him?" I asked Esme, rocking Edward side-to-side. I prayed he'd go to sleep before Charlotte and Kate came to torture him, but I wasn't sure if it'd happen fast enough.

But Esme shook her head and held her arms out for him. "No, I'll do it. I'm hoping he'll want to nurse and that will calm him even more. I know he'll never be totally distracted again."

I passed him over, and she got him situated. Kate and Charlotte came in a few minutes later but were missing something.

"Rose is with Peter in the hallway," Charlotte explained, answering my unspoken question. "She made it very clear that she did not want to see this."

"She can join the club," Esme muttered as she kissed Pumpkin's head.

"We'll make it fast," Kate promised. "And he's almost asleep anyway. He won't even notice us."

Kate was actually more right than not. She and Charlotte had perfected that double team technique, and though Pumpkin's legs jerked when he was poked, he didn't make a sound until they were finished. His angry grunt was crossed with a whimper, making all of us wince. No one was the least bit happy about hurting him.

"Shhh," Esme whispered, coaxing him back to her breast. "You're okay. Mommy's Pumpkin's okay. Shhh."

He whimpered again, rubbing his eyes as he let her turn his head back toward her. We all breathed a sigh of relief, especially since this was the last big round of immunizations.

As Kate and Charlotte left the room, Peter peaked his head in.

"Everything okay in here?" he asked. "We're not coming in until the coast is clear."

"You're good." I motioned for him to enter. "The torture is over."

"Good. I just need to drop off this because I think it belongs to you." He walked in with a giggling Rosalie on his hip, setting her down after kissing her cheek. "Bye, Miss Rosalie. We'll see you Saturday, okay?"

"Kay, Peter," she said with a wave. "Don't forget Sarah."

"I won't," he assured her with a chuckle. After saying goodbye to Esme and me, he left the room, leaving us to our own devices.

"Daddy," Rosalie said, skipping over to me. "Daddy, is Pumpkin okay? He gots owwies, and I needa kiss them and make them all better."

"That's a great idea, sweetheart." I gave her a kiss and turned her toward Esme. "Go make him feel better."

Pumpkin wasn't close to sleeping any more, thanks to the disturbance. His eyes were wide open now, and Esme sat him up as she covered herself. As Rosalie walked closer, Pumpkin smiled, growing wider with each step she took.

"It's okay, Pumpkin," she said. "It only hurts for a little bit, but I make it better, kay?" Leaning over, she kissed each of the little band aids on his legs before wrapping her arms around him. He kicked his legs happily and reached for Rosalie when the hug ended.

"Thank you, sweet girl," Esme said as she kissed Rosalie's forehead. "You're such a good big sister."

"I make him feel better, Mommy!" she said proudly.

"You sure did," I agreed. "Now, why don't you come help me get Pumpkin dressed."

She readily agreed, and after Esme helped Pumpkin slide to the floor, she took his hand and led him over to me. Together, we dressed him in his onesie and shorts while Esme fixed her top.

After Edward was no longer naked, Rosalie led him out to see Maggie, and I helped Esme gather the paperwork and diaper bag.

"We survived another one, sweetheart," I said as I pulled her in for a hug. "No more for three months."

"We did," she agreed, relaxing in my arms. "Now we just have to survive the weekend. Think it'll be as easy?"

"Hmm…probably not." With a weekend packed full of activity, I wasn't expecting it to be easy.

She laughed and leaned back before giving me a kiss. "You are probably right about that."

…

The next morning, I woke to complete quiet and Esme running her fingers over my chest. I stretched, rubbing her back with a yawn.

"Morning, sweetheart," I whispered, kissing the top of her head. "What time is it?"

"Just after seven thirty," she answered, snuggling closer.

I hummed to acknowledge her answer, and we returned to silence. It was a big day for us. And hard to believe that one year ago we were at the hospital waiting.

"We were swaying," I said softly after a few minutes. "The lights were low and music was playing. I think it would've been very romantic…you know, without all the pain."

She chuckled. "Yeah, pain isn't very romantic."

"Not at all. But…I was just in awe of you. Never complaining. Never getting discouraged. You're so strong."

"With you," she corrected, tilting her head back to kiss my jaw. "I'm strong with you and your support. I knew you'd be there for every step. And I knew that everything would be worth it once we had our Pumpkin."

I nodded. "It was. And you know what? I don't think we've had a morning as calm as that since."

She snorted. "You might be right about that. Let's see how long it lasts today."

We returned to silence, just lying together and reflecting. This year had been one of the best for our family – filled with innumerable blessings. There were many more to come later, but today, our focus was Pumpkin just as it had been exactly one year ago.

"I think I'll get him now," Esme said after a few minutes. She scooted out of bed and went over to the crib, carefully lifting our sleeping baby. Holding him close, she kissed his head and closed her eyes with a smile. After a moment, she returned to bed, letting Pumpkin continue sleeping on her chest.

"This is still his favorite," she mused as she rubbed his back slowly. "It was the first he knew, I guess."

"It was," I agreed. "He could hear your heart. Feel your skin. Smell you. Hear your voice. He knew you already, but he got to really know you then."

"And you, too," she said, sniffling softly. "He saw us at the same time which was more than I had ever hoped for."

"I'm sure he recognized my voice. I talked his ear off for months." I chuckled, and Esme joined me. "Now, he can tell me to stop when I ramble too long."

"Your ramblings are adorable."

"I'm glad you think so. Last night I was giving dating advice, and he laughed at me."

She tried to hold in a snort but failed, so I blew a raspberry on her cheek which just made her laugh. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said between chuckles. "But I bet you were making faces at him, weren't you? He loves those!"

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up." I was making faces at him, but the topic was completely serious. It was never too early to teach my sons that they needed women as lovely as their mother. "One day he'll be glad he listened."

Her laughed died down, and she nodded. "I'm sure he will. Although, I hope our one-year-old doesn't start dating soon. I can barely send our five-year-old to school. I doubt I'd be able to make it through dating."

Before I could respond, Pumpkin started stirring. He stretched, bring his hands up to rub his face. He seemed to recognize where he was and snuggled closer to Esme's chest with a sigh.

"Good morning, baby," she said softly. "Happy Birthday."

"Mama," he said with another sigh before lifting his head. He grinned at her before looking over at me. "Dada."

"Happy Birthday, buddy," I said as I reached over and pulled him to lay on me. "How does it feel to be one whole year old?" I tickled him, and he giggled until I stopped.

"Dada. No no."

"Okay, okay. You win." I helped him sit up, only tickling his sides once more. His grin was just priceless. "So, Edward Anthony Cullen…today is your day. What do you want to do?"

He bounced on me, ignoring my question as he squealed, clapped, and babbled.

I turned to Esme. "Sounds like a good plan for the day, don't you think?"

She rolled closer, laying her head on my shoulder. "I think it sounds perfect."

Eventually, he grew bored and rolled over to Esme, wanting milk before the rest of his breakfast. As Esme nursed, I reluctantly left the bed to head to the bathroom. I decided to get dressed, not knowing what our plan for the day was. Pumpkin really was in charge, so I didn't know what we'd wind up doing.

Once I was dressed, I checked on the kids, and finding beds empty, I headed downstairs. The kids were in the family room, thankfully not getting into trouble. Since most of their toys were downstairs, they'd started heading down without us to play in the morning. Esme and I didn't mind as long as no one did anything dangerous, but so far, they'd been fine.

The first thing on our agenda for the day was breakfast. I played with the kids until Esme and Pumpkin came downstairs because we were having the traditional blue pancakes. I definitely wasn't the pancake maker of the house, so I did my job of keeping the kids out of the way.

It was Pumpkin's first time to eat pancakes with us, and he seemed to enjoy it as much as everyone else. He enjoyed the attention after breakfast even more. It was his day, after all, and we wanted to celebrate him as much as possible.

The kids included him in their play more than usual without us having to ask. Usually, Rosalie had Pumpkin all to herself for play time which was why "Leelee" was his current favorite. But today, the four of them played together for what seemed like the first real time.

Esme and I simply watched with smiles on our faces. I thought of the future and what it would be like when Edward was older and could really keep up and join the fun. But for today, the future didn't matter. He was keeping up just fine.

For the rest of the morning, we mainly stayed lazy and went at Pumpkin's speed. After lunch, we went over to swim at Carmen and Eleazar's with the rest of the family, giving them a chance to spend time with the birthday boy.

Carmen had offered to make dinner, but I wanted to take everyone out. Since the week after Valentine's Day when we went out to dinner as a family, the kids had continued to ask to go out again. It definitely wasn't something we could do all the time, but this day deserved a special treat to end it.

The steakhouse probably didn't know what had hit it after our large group left, but we had a great time. After dinner, we grabbed some ice cream – giving Pumpkin his first taste of the frozen treat. He loved it and fell asleep with a chocolate ring around his mouth.

The day had been low-key overall, but Pumpkin enjoyed it and that was what was important. We had the next day to party, and it started bright and early with the preparations.

Carmen once again offered the perfect help by taking the kids during the morning so Esme and I could get everything set up. She even offered to dress them, so all we had to do was drop them off in their pajamas.

Setting up for a party was easy for us at this point. It felt like we were doing it every other month. But this time, I had a plan to make sure Esme didn't forget this set up.

We had been spoiled with the kids in school, giving us many opportunities for afternoon loving. Unfortunately, summer had taken away all of our opportunities. Until today. And I wasn't going to let the opportunity get away from us.

I finished my balloon and streamer duty in the family room and dining room as quickly as possible while still being efficient. When Esme called me into the kitchen, I knew it was the perfect time to put my plan into action.

"Carlisle," Esme called again. "If you're finished, can you help me in here?"

"Sure, sweetheart," I called back. I walked into the kitchen, finding her leaned over the table, wiping it off. She was perfect.

I quickly crossed the room, coming up behind her and covering her body with mine.

She jumped, gasping slightly. "Oh, there you are. I didn't even hear you. I think all we have left is to put out the food."

I hummed and placed a kiss on her neck, sucking lightly before moving to a new spot.

"Carlisle…wha...what are you doing?"

I shook my head as I kissed up to her ear and down her jaw. "Not what I'm doing. What we're doing."

"Here?" she asked, turning to look at me. "Now? Do we have time for –"

My lips found hers, nodding slightly as I kissed her. The angle was awkward, but we made it work, deepening the kiss until we came up for air. "We have time," I promised, trailing kisses back to her neck. "And if not, we'll make time."

She nodded quickly, on board with my plan now. When she started to turn around, I stopped her.

"No, sweetheart. Like this. Is that okay?"

"More than okay. And I'm wearing a dress."

"I'm glad, too," I chuckled. "Especially since it's so easy to slip off." Grabbing the end of her dress, I worked it up over her body. Once it was free, I threw it down, not caring where it landed.

I unbuttoned my shorts next, using only one hand so my other one could roam. My wife's body was perfect. Soft and curvy and in all the right places, and I made sure she knew how much I desired her – how beautiful she was to me.

She reached back and unfastened her bra as I slid the rest of our clothing off until we were completely skin to skin. We both groaned at the contact, moving together as my hands trailed up to her breasts. They'd been Pumpkin's for so long – not that I begrudged him that by any means – but it was nice that I was finally getting my chance to enjoy them again.

I rolled, rubbed, and twisted, enjoying her sounds and the taste of her skin as I continued to kiss her neck.

"Carlisle," she moaned. "Now. Please."

Not wanting her to beg, I trailed one hand lower, reverently caressing her abdomen before moving even lower. Her moans grew louder as my fingers brought her pleasure. I worked her closer and closer to release, encouraging her with little nips to her skin and whispers of my love.

"I love you, Esme." I kissed around to the back of her ear, the spot that made her knees weak. So beautiful," I whispered. "Let go, sweetheart."

After a few seconds more, she did just that, legs shaking as she tried to continue standing. As I lowered us down to lean on the table, she turned and attacked me, twisting so her hands could reach my hair as her lips attached to mine.

"Love you," she murmured between kisses. "So much. Keep going."

I chuckled into the kiss. There was no way I wouldn't keep going.

Once we were settled against the table, I lifted her hips slightly so I could slide in where I wanted to be. I closed my eyes, breathing out harshly because it felt too good – just like every time. When I was sure it wouldn't be over before we started, I put a little more of my weight on Esme.

Letting her sounds encourage me, I found a rhythm we both enjoyed. Our kiss never ended either, and though I was sure we'd have sore necks later, it was too good to care about things like that.

When I tilted her hips up more, she hissed and nipped my lip. "Yesss, Carlisle. There. Right there."

I kept going at that angle, feeling her arms shake as the pleasure coursed through her again. She finally collapsed against the table with a loud keening moan, and hearing her made it impossible to hold off the inevitable any longer.

I tried to catch myself as I fell forward, not wanting to land on top of her. Landing a bit to the side, I wrapped an arm around her, holding her close as I found her lips.

"Mmm," she hummed. "So good, Carlisle. Thank you."

I chuckled, still slightly out of breath. "Thank you, sweetheart. Best party decorating fun we've ever had."

She giggled as she shifted, disconnecting us before fully standing. "Yes, it was, but now we need to shower and disinfect the table before everyone shows up. I'm going to be blushing all afternoon."

I stood up beside her and lifted her into my arms. "I love your blush, so that works for me. Now, let's go fool around in the shower."

She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck, laughing as I carried her upstairs. We enjoyed out time in the shower thoroughly and actually did get clean before getting out. After dressing for the party, we went back to the kitchen to disinfect and finish setting everything up.

The food was simple for this party – finger foods of all varieties that Pumpkin could enjoy around with us. Esme slapped my arm for popping a couple of mini sandwiches in my mouth as we set it out, but she did it with a smile so I knew she wasn't really mad. I didn't see how either one of us could be anything but happy today, especially with the stress relief.

By the time Carmen and Eleazar arrived with the kids, the house was party ready, but Pumpkin was not.

"I know I said we'd dress them, but I thought you'd want to do these honors," Carmen explained as she passed Edward to Esme and handed me his party outfit. "We'll keep the others out of trouble."

Esme smiled brightly as she thanked her, and grabbed my hand to pull me upstairs.

"I love Carmen," Esme sighed as we walked into Pumpkin's room. "I didn't even think of that, but I'm so glad we have the chance now. Isn't that right, baby? You want Mommy and Daddy to get you ready for your party?" She tickled Pumpkin, blowing raspberries on his cheek as he giggled and squirmed in her arms.

There weren't any arguments from me or Edward, so after laying him on his changing table, I helped pull off the onesie he'd slept in as Esme quickly changed his diaper.

Esme had tried to get my input for Pumpkin's party clothes, but I really didn't have much of an opinion one way or the other. I was better at giving opinions on food, so once Esme found something she liked, I just agreed. The onesie with a big blue one on it along with a cupcake and Edward's name seemed perfect to me, and Edward didn't seem to be complaining either.

"You like it, buddy?" I asked once he was dressed. "Did Mommy do a good job?" He smiled and babbled, reaching his arms out for me. I settled him in my arms and kissed his cheek. "That's a yes, isn't it?"

"I'll take it as a yes," Esme said with a chuckle. She patted his back and let him give her a wet kiss on her nose. "Now, let's get back to the party."

Kate and Garrett had arrived while we were upstairs, and all the kids were corralled in the family room. There wasn't anything for us to do for the time being, so we sat down to watch them play as Pumpkin was passed around and loved on.

Not much later, Peter, Charlotte, Sarah, Maggie, and Ben were all present and accounted for. They all took their turns with Pumpkin, and he ate up the attention. The other kids definitely weren't shorted of attention either, and the room was full of smiles and laughter when we sat down to eat.

A sheet was spread on the family room floor so the kids could all sit together. Pumpkin laughed and clapped the whole time as he crawled around and helped himself to everyone's plates. We tried to get him to sit at his plate and eat, but it was a lost cause. No one minded sharing with him, so we let it go, making sure to film and take pictures of his antics.

The best part of the party for me, and Esme too, was listening to everyone's stories about Edward. Reminiscing was a usual party occurrence, but it was just incredible to see how much of an impact our son had made in only a year. He fit into our family so well, adding more than we ever could have imagined. It was hard to believe that we had only had him for a year. We couldn't wait to see how he grew and changed in the years to come.

And as a bonus to me, Esme did blush every time someone refilled their plate at the same table we had enjoyed early in the day. I kissed her each time she did, hoping to dispel some of her embarrassment. Her blush was beautiful, but I didn't want her to feel bad. She recovered quickly, though, and didn't let it get to her. The only one who seemed to notice was Kate, but since she normally assumed the worst about us – and was generally right – we didn't confirm or deny her raised brows.

After we finished eating and cleaning up, Pumpkin decided what was next for us. He had his eyes on the presents – the bows and tissue paper in particular.

I scooped him up into my arms and kissed his cheek. "Are you ready for presents, bud?" His eyes widened as I carried him closer, and he patted my shoulder excitedly. "Yeah? Do you want to open them now?"

"Dada," he said, eyes still wide as if in awe. Bouncing in my arms, he tried to get down, but I wanted him with me.

"No down right now, buddy. Sit with Daddy, and Mommy will help you."

I sat down against the couch, and he wasn't happy about being kept from the presents. Once the kids came to sit around us, his mood improved, and they entertained him long enough for Esme to sit across from us and get the camera ready.

"Okay, Pumpkin," Esme said, catching his and everyone's attention. "Which one do you want first?"

He leaned forward in my lap, reaching for all of them.

"Apparently he wants them all," I said, chuckling. "Let's try that one." I pointed to one of the smaller bags with tissue paper, and Emmett placed it in front of me.

"Here, Pumpkin," he said, squatting to be on Pumpkin's level. "You open your birthday present and go say thank you, okay?"

Instead of acknowledging his brother, Pumpkin grabbed two fist fulls of the tissue paper and wasted no time in pulling it out, giggling the whole time. He then turned the bag over, not paying attention to the box that fell out.

Emmett grabbed it and held it up. "Look, Pumpkin! You gots a movie about babies!"

"It's a baby sign language DVD," Kate explained. "We thought it looked cool, and if it works, I think we'll get it, too."

Esme took the box from Emmett, looking it over while nodding. "It looks great. I bet all the kids could learn from this. Thank you, guys." She passed it over to me, and I agreed that it was a great gift – one I never would have thought to get, but I knew we'd put it to good use.

Pumpkin wasn't amused by the DVD, but Kate and Garrett weren't offended that he'd rather play with tissue paper and bows.

None of the toys, clothes, or books held his attention like the things they'd been wrapped in, but as long as he was happy, nothing else mattered. After we opened and put together the dinosaur ride-on toy we'd given him, that gained his attention, and he scooted around the family room while the kids played with his other toys.

Not knowing how long Edward would last before nap time, we decided to do cake right after the present wrapping was cleaned up.

Pumpkin smiled the whole time we sang to him and knew exactly what to do when we placed his little cake in front of him. The candle, however, was confusing him.

"Blow it out, baby," Esme encouraged. She mimicked the motion, and Edward watched her closely before trying to do it.

I knelt down next to the high chair. "Let's do it together," I suggested, and Esme nodded. "Okay, ready, Pumpkin? One…two…three…blow it out!"

Esme and I blew together, not actually letting the candle go out until Pumpkin participated. He caught on enough to stick his tongue out and blow a raspberry. It wasn't quite enough air to make the candle go out, but we took care of the rest for him.

We all cheered and clapped for him, and he did the same, ending his clapping by putting his hands in his cake.

"I'm glad that cake is just for him," Garrett said with a laugh. "I don't think I'd want any of that."

Between the results of the raspberry and now his hands, I agreed with Garrett wholeheartedly. Thankfully, we had a large cake for everyone else to enjoy – and enjoy we did. The marble cake was delicious, and I was glad that I'd expressed my opinion on this matter. There were no complaints about the choice either, not that it was possible to complain about a cake that was both chocolate and vanilla.

Pumpkin put a large dent in his cake, but when he started rubbing his eyes and getting cake all over his face, we knew it was time to clean up and take a nap. A party for a one year old could only last so long, but lucky for us, we had a family who understood.

The kids didn't want the fun to end though, so a trip to swim at Nana and Pops' house was planned. There was a mad rush to gather everything they needed, but soon, the house was completely quiet.

Esme and I lay in our bed as Pumpkin nursed himself to sleep, and then we fell asleep, too. Since we tried to make every birthday special, recovery time was usually needed. I didn't regret giving each of our kids their special day, though. They needed to know how special they were and how much we loved them.

However, I was very thankful that we didn't have another party to plan until Esme's birthday in August.

…

"Daddy, what are we doin' today?" Jasper asked as I buttoned the straps on his short overalls.

I chuckled. "Well, it's Sunday, buddy, so we're going to church."

"I know dat, but Mommy is runnin' 'round and I dunno why." He shrugged his shoulders and pursed his lips. "Whassa matter?"

"Nothing's wrong," I assured him. "Mommy just wants to make sure we all look nice today for Pumpkin's dedication."

Esme was going slightly overboard with worrying, but I wasn't about to say anything. She wanted to make sure we all looked our best and coordinated since we'd be standing in front of the congregation. She'd spent the morning going back and forth making sure our outfits looked all right, but I'd had to change twice already and that seemed a little excessive to me. But since she was the expert, I just did as she said without arguing.

Jasper's eyes widened. "Dedcation? We gets to keep Pumpkin, right? I like him, Daddy, and he's fun so I want to keep him."

I laughed and pulled him in for a hug. "Of course we'll always keep Pumpkin. Dedication means that we're promising to tell Pumpkin about God and take him to church like we take you and Emmett and Rosalie. We all have to stand in the front of the church, and Pops will talk. Then we'll get to go eat a good lunch. How does that sound?" It was a condensed version but hopefully it got the point across.

Jasper thought about it for a few seconds and nodded. "I like lunch, so okay."

I laughed again and carried him to find the rest of the family. Emmett was standing in the hallway, already dressed and playing with one of his Buzz Lightyear toys. Rosalie was in her room, also dressed with hair bow in place, and finally, we found Esme with Pumpkin in his room.

"How's it going?" I asked hesitantly from the doorway.

Esme turned, and I let out a sigh when I saw that she was smiling.

"I think we're just about ready. How does he look?" She stood Pumpkin up on the changing table, and he smiled at us. His blue overalls and white shirt were the same that Jasper and Emmett were wearing, and they all looked great.

"I think he looks perfect," I said, turning to Jasper. "What about you, bud? Do you think Pumpkin looks good?"

He nodded. "Uh huh. He looks like me and Em. I gonna go play with Em." I set him down, and he ran off. When Esme set Pumpkin down, he did the same thing, following his brother with a squeal.

"Are we ready to go?" I asked, and Esme nodded as she wrapped her arms around my waist.

"I think so. You just need to go deal with your daughter."

"My daughter?"

"Yep. She's pouting because I made her wear a blue dress instead of the purple one she picked out."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Okay, sweetheart. I'll see what I can do. Meet you in the van?"

She agreed, and I kissed her before she went to round up the boys and load them into the van. I headed to Rosalie's room and found her sitting in the floor, arms crossed in front of her.

Sitting in front of her, I copied her without a word, and eventually she laughed and crawled over to me.

"Daddy, what are you doing? You being silly."

"I'm doing what you're doing, baby girl. What had your smile upside down?"

"Daddy," she said, turning serious as she placed her hands on my face to make sure she had my attention, "I wanna wear my purple butterfly dress, but Mommy sayed no. I don't wanna wear this blue one."

"I know you don't." I stood, picking her up with me. "But today, we all need to wear blue. Tomorrow you can wear a purple dress, okay?" I kissed her forehead, and she buried her face against my neck.

I wasn't sure if this counted as "dealing" with Rosalie, but I figured the pouting would be over as soon as she was distracted.

Sure enough, she was fine before we arrived at church, and after getting hugs from all of her favorite people, the smile definitely wasn't leaving her face – at least until we told her that she couldn't sit with Sarah Beth. Carmen quickly distracted her with gum thought, and soon, Eleazar was starting the service.

When it was time for us to stand in the front, we all went together with Carmen, attempting to keep the kids from running off. Carmen was a big help, keeping her hands on both Jasper and Emmett to remind them to stand still. There were many chuckles from the congregation. All of them knew us well and understood how challenging this was.

"Today's a special day," Eleazar explained as he came to stand by us. "Today, this family – my family – is here to give thanks for Edward, or Pumpkin as we know him. He's very special, and we're thankful that God has given him to us. So today, Carlisle and Esme along with the rest of the family are here to dedicate him and commit to raising him as commanded."

Eleazar continued with the service, and we went through it as we'd rehearsed. The kids managed to behave and stand still for the most part, giving Esme and I the chance to really enjoy the time.

We hadn't had dedication services for the other kids, so this was special, as if it was for the whole family. We both knew we wouldn't be where we were in life if it wasn't for our faith, and being able to pass that on to our kids was incredible.

The feeling of thankfulness stayed with me all day, through the end of the service and lunch, and even when Esme and I were curled up in bed. We were blessed with so much, more than I'd ever imaged could be possible.

But somehow, it didn't feel like our family was complete. It was just a feeling, one I wasn't sure to believe but also didn't want to discount.

"Can't sleep?" Esme whispered, kissing my chest.

I shook my head. "Too many thoughts."

"Care to share?"

Turning, I scooted down so we could be eye to eye. She smiled encouragingly, and I couldn't resist kissing her a few times. "I…I don't really know," I finally answered. "It's just a…feeling."

"I feel it too," she confessed, her smile turning tender. "I don't what it is either, but it's there and I'm not questioning it. With our history, it can only lead to something good."

I chuckled softly. "I like how you think, sweetheart. And I think I'll follow your lead. Embrace it and see what happens. No matter what, we'll be okay."

"We will," she agreed. "I love you. So much."

I smiled, kissing her again. "I love you too. To the moon and back."

"And to infinity and beyond."

With Esme's assurances, my brain was finally able to slow down enough for me to sleep. The feeling was still there – whatever it was – but Esme and I could handle it together. And hopefully, the feeling would lead to something good.

A/N: I am sooo very sorry that I once again did not get to review replies. School started back for me last week and you would not even believe how much stuff I've had to do already. This semester is going to be a crazy busy one.

But that being said, I still plan to update every 3 weeks. No less than that but no more either, although I know after this next chapter, some of you might be begging for another update. Next chapter is the one. ;)

No promises on replies because of my schedule, but there's always hope. I truly appreciate every review even if I can't say so individually.

Thanks again for reading! See you in 3 weeks. =)