Thank you all so much for continuing to read and for the sweet reviews. I truly appreciate every one.
And lots of thanks to anhanninen for prereading and to MelissaMargaret for making this pretty.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or these characters.
Carlisle POV
I'd thought I had a good understanding of everything my wife did for us on a daily basis, but after one Sunday morning without her, I knew I'd been wrong. My appreciation was now even greater, and I promised myself I'd do more to show her.
The kids were in a great mood Sunday morning. We ate breakfast together with no issues, and they didn't complain when I sent them upstairs to get ready to church. My mistake was telling them that they could pick out what they wanted to wear. So many times I'd seen Esme send them up to dress themselves, a skill that they could handle just fine, but the outfit choice was never theirs to make on a Sunday morning.
The boys managed fairly well. Their choices weren't ones I'd seen them wear to church before, but the clothes were clean and looked like they matched, so I let them be. Rosalie, on the other hand, couldn't decide what she wanted to wear. Dresses and skirts were scattered all over her floor by the time I went to help her, and then as soon as she found the dress she wanted, hair bows were added to the mess.
It was a miracle we even made it to church on time after searching the house for socks and shoes and everything else we needed, but we did – though Carmen laughed at us. I shrugged it off, and tried to enjoy the rest of the morning.
When church was over, none of us were sure what to do for lunch or who was heading to the hospital.
"We could all go eat at the hospital cafeteria," Kate suggested.
"All meaning…?"
"All as in…all of us," she answered with a laugh. "The whole family and Peter, Charlotte, and Sarah. If that many kids aren't allowed, we'll just take turns. But seriously, Carlisle. You can't keep us away from Alice for much longer. Pictures aren't enough."
I chuckled but nodded. "Okay, let me see if Esme can take Alice to the cafeteria." Not sure if she could answer her phone, I sent her a quick message which she responded to right away. She'd already asked, and there was nothing stopping her from taking Alice anywhere in the hospital.
With our plan settled, we all loaded into our vehicles and drove to the hospital. The kids recognized the parking deck right away, and this time instead of fear, they were excited.
"Daddy," Emmett said, smiling as I helped him out of the van. "We get to see Alice now?"
"We sure do, buddy. And Mommy and Pumpkin. Now, hold Jasper's hand, okay?"
Once I helped Jasper out and made sure he and Em would stay out of trouble, I picked up Rosalie, but she didn't want me to let her go.
"I'm so essited, Daddy," she said, wrapping her arms around my neck. "I gets to see my girl sister right now and give her lots of kisses. And I missed Mommy and Pumpkin."
"I missed them too, sweetheart, and I'm glad you're excited. I'm sure Alice will love to get kisses and hugs from you."
While the boys both liked Alice well enough so far, Rosalie definitely loved her new little sister. There was never any question about her loving Pumpkin. They were about as close as they could be. But having a sister was something she had wanted, and I was glad we were finally able to give that to her.
Taking Jasper's hand in mine, I led my crew to the lobby. Carmen had told us not to wait for everyone else, so we headed up to the fourth floor right away. When we stepped off the elevator, Jasper seemed to reach his limit of hospital, but once he and Rosalie traded spots, we were once again good to go.
Alice's door was closed but not for long since Emmett didn't waste time to knock before entering.
"Stay quiet guys," I quickly reminded them as they rushed in front of me.
Thankfully, Esme wasn't nursing – not that it was anything the kids hadn't already seen – but I would have hated to interrupt since we still weren't sure Alice had the hang of breastfeeding. She was cradling Alice in one arm with Pumpkin beside her, attempting to feed him a snack, but soon both of their attentions were on us.
"There's all my babies!" She smiled, motioning for them to come over to see her, and I put Jasper down so he could go, too. "Oh, I missed you guys so much. Did you have fun with Daddy?"
As they gave her hugs and kisses and told her about their night, Pumpkin only had eyes for me. I knelt down and opened my arms for him, and with a grin, he came running.
"Dada!" he squealed, laughing as I caught him and swung him around. "Dadeeee." He squealed again as I suddenly stood and held him against my chest.
"I missed you so much, buddy. Were you a good boy?" I gave him a loud kiss on his cheek, and he returned it before starting to babble. We traded kisses back and forth as he told me everything on his mind, only stopping when I tickled him. After he finished his story, Emmett and Jasper caught his attention, so I deposited him with them before going to sit beside Esme.
"Hi," I whispered, kissing her temple as I wrapped my arm around her.
"Hi." She turned and gave me a real kiss, her lips and tongue letting me know exactly how much she missed me without even having to say anything aloud.
"Mmm. I like reunions."
She laughed and rested her head back against my shoulder. "I do, too. It doesn't quite make the separation worth it, but it's close. I'm glad you're here now."
I kissed the top of her head then rested my chin on her shoulder, not able to get enough contact. "I'm happy to be here. How was your night and morning?"
"Pretty good. Edward slept through the night just fine, but I can't say the same for Alice. She was up every few hours and just wasn't very happy." Sighing, she shook her head. "I don't know how to explain her cry. It's like she's…lonely or is just crying for help. It breaks my heart."
"But we're here now," I reminded her, kissing her again. "I have a feeling that cry will disappear soon because she isn't alone anymore. She's nowhere close to being alone."
"That is very true," she agreed, nodding her head toward her lap. Rosalie was sitting as close as she could get to Esme and had Alice's feet in her lap in her attempt to steal her away. And though she couldn't pull Alice all the way into her lap, that didn't stop her from talking softly to her and placing kisses on the top of her head. "One day, they'll be begging to be apart, but that day isn't today."
"I hate to separate them, but I missed my baby girl too."
"Rose will live," she assured me with a wink before passing Alice to me.
Rosalie protested with a pout, but Esme distracted her by asking her about her night and morning.
As they caught up, I focused on Alice. Her eyes were open but she wasn't focusing on my face.
"Hi, baby girl," I whispered, brushing my lips across her forehead. "Daddy missed you last night. I'm sorry you didn't sleep well. You look so pretty today." The outfit Esme had dressed her was colored in polka dots and had ruffles on the front. On her head was a rather large pink bow. "Are you dressed up for lunch today? You'll be meeting the whole family."
She didn't respond other than a few gurgles, but her eyes did meet mine a couple of times. It was only for a split second, but I wanted to count it as improvement.
The blue pacifier in her mouth was another difference.
"She decided she liked it," Esme said with a shrug when I asked. "The nurses had said she didn't, but when I tried this morning after she ate, she didn't have a problem with it. I guess we'll see what happens."
"Whatever keeps her happy is fine with me," I said with a smile.
After Esme freshened up, we headed down to the cafeteria. The kids continued to chatter to Esme about our time apart. I couldn't wait until we were together all the time. If Alice steadily improved like she'd been doing, I didn't see us being here longer than a week. Because really they weren't doing anything for her they we couldn't do at home, and home would probably be better because of the more comfortable environment.
I cradled Alice close to me, not knowing how she would handle the noise that inevitably came with our family. They were all waiting right outside the cafeteria doors, and as soon as we walked up, Esme was passed around for hugs. I stood back and motioned for Uncle E to come over first. He'd said he wanted to be first in line to hold her at home, but I figured he wouldn't complain about holding her here.
"Meet your newest granddaughter," I said with a smile as I passed her over to his arms.
He held her close in one arm, lifting his other hand to touch her small head. "Hello, precious girl. You're surely beautiful, aren't you?"
"That's your Pops, baby girl," I murmured, leaning down to kiss her head. "He loves you so much." She shifted slightly, placing her hand over her pacifier.
"She's tiny," Eleazar said solemnly, placing his own kiss on her head. "Such a little girl. We'll fix that."
"Yes, we will," I agreed.
When I turned back to look at everyone, they were all watching Eleazar with a variety of smiles and frowns on their faces. No one moved, whether for shock or just to give Uncle E a chance to bond with Alice.
"Let's go find a table," Carmen said quietly, never failing to take control of the situation.
Wordlessly, we followed her into the cafeteria and managed to few empty tables that could be pushed together to seat all of us. The menu for the day was posted on a sign, so we all quickly read it to decide what we would get when going through the line. The food selection had a greater variety than I was expecting, and since it was a children's hospital, there were plenty of options suited for the kids.
When all the little ones were corralled into sitting in their seats, the adults took turns going to get the trays of food. Eleazar finally passed Alice to Esme, making everyone swarm around her. Esme was patient, though, letting the kids talk to Alice and give her kisses.
I chuckled as I went to get our lunch. Alice really didn't know what she was in for with our family. The lack of attention she had before just wasn't possible with our family. With as much love as we had, it had to be spread. Alice would never want for anything now.
Eleazar helped me with my trays of food, and when we finally managed to get everyone settled with their plates, a quick blessing was said before we all dug in.
The food was surprisingly good, not that any of us were really paying attention to what we were eating. The focus was on Alice and every move or sound she made. Throughout the meal, she was passed around the table for everyone to hold her. Corin loved holding her, only agreeing to give her up when Kate insisted she finish her lunch.
"I'll babysit for you, Uncle Carlisle," she promised me. "I can watch Alice and Pumpkin. And feed them and change diapers. Really, I can."
"Give it a few years, Corie," I chuckled. She was pretty responsible for an almost nine-year-old, but that didn't mean she could be trusted to babysit the little ones. "But I'm sure Aunt Esme will let you come over and help, okay?"
"Okay," she sighed, returning to her meal.
Garrett nudged my elbow with his, so I turned to look at him. "I think Alice has won everyone over. I see what you mean."
"It was instant for us."
He nodded. "I'd never doubt you, but now I totally get it. She just draws you in, makes you have to love her. And now she has the perfect family for it."
"That's for sure," I agreed. "I just hope it helps."
Unfortunately, it seemed Alice wasn't in the mood for all the love at one time. When she was back in Esme's arms, it was clear that she was very irritated and not at all the calm baby we were used to so far.
Esme quickly finished her lunch and excused herself to take Alice back up to her room for a feeding and diaper change.
The conversation didn't end, though. Everyone continued to talk about how much they loved Alice and how they'd do whatever they could to help us out. I felt like we couldn't thank them enough, but they didn't even want the thanks.
We were blessed. That was all there was to it.
Once I was finished with my lunch, I attempted to wait for the kids to finish theirs too, so I could take them back upstairs.
"Carlisle," Carmen sighed with a smile, pointing to the door. "Go on up. We'll handle the kids for now and be up soon."
I stood and went over to kiss her cheek in thanks. She had Pumpkin occupied with a piece of bread, so I didn't have to worry about him either. He'd probably be asking for us soon, but for now, I could focus on Alice.
I asked Peter to go with me, and as we walked to the elevator, I explained in a greater detail exactly what was going on.
"And Dr. Gerandy suspects failure to thrive?"
"Along with an attachment disorder," I added. "I'm not disputing him, but I would like you to take a look, too. If you're agreeable, I figured having a team of doctors can't possibly hurt."
"Of course I'm agreeable," he said, motioning for me to lead the way off the elevator. "I'll do whatever I can for Alice. I only held her for a moment downstairs, but I managed to get a pretty good idea about her temperament. I definitely agree with Dr. Gerandy so far."
I frowned, nodding. I wasn't surprised, but the diagnosis still hurt. How anyone could not love that precious baby girl was beyond my comprehension. To not love her to the point of making her sick was criminal. Though I tried to never wish bad on anyone, I couldn't help but be glad that the Brandons were behind bars. They deserved it for their actions.
When we arrived at the room, the door was closed so I knocked. Esme called for us to enter, and we did, finding her in the rocking chair with Alice dozing on her shoulder.
"She was just a little over stimulated," she said softly, rubbing Alice's back. "We're all better now."
"Good," I said, crossing the room to give them both a kiss. "I thought maybe Peter could take a quick look at her."
"I'll try not to make her too angry," he promised, winking.
"Of course," she agreed. "I think she'll be nice to you now."
Peter came over the chair, gently taking Alice into his arms. She squeaked in displeasure and started squirming.
"All right, sweet girl. I'll give you back to Mommy soon. I just want to take a peek at you."
She continued to squirm after he laid on her the bed and started looking her over. He didn't have his stethoscope of any equipment like that, but those findings weren't what we were focused on anyway. Instead, he checked her muscle tone as well as her reflexes.
"She isn't terribly behind," he said. He had her on her stomach, watching to see if she could lift her head. She could, though it was clear she was getting angry so it didn't last long. "See, that was about forty-five degrees. I'd expect that around three months or so."
Esme reached for my hand, squeezing it tightly between hers. "But she still won't make eye contact with any of us."
"I'd expect it soon," Peter said with a soft chuckle, placing Alice back on her back. "She just turned her head toward the sound of your voice." He then scooped her up and brought her back over to us. Esme released my hands and took Alice, cooing softly to her as she cradled her in her arms. "And there's that," he added.
"What?" I asked.
He grinned, shaking his head. "I knew you wouldn't notice it because it's normal. Notice how she's quiet and no longer fighting? It's because she knows her mommy."
"She knows me already?" Esme asked in disbelief. "But it's only been two days. Three if we're counting today. Can it happen so fast?"
He shrugged. "Edward knew you in less than that time. I'm sure Emmett did, too. And Rose and Jasper bonded with you within minutes. You'll have to ask Dr. Gerandy since he knows what she looked like before, but I'd definitely say there's been some improvements."
"Ask me what?"
Started, the three of us looked toward the door, surprised to see the older gentleman standing with a smile on his face.
"I came to check on our girl," he explained. "Just to see how everything was going and get her daily weight. But you have a question for me?"
"Thank you for coming by," I said, going over to shake his hand. It was rare for a doctor to check on patients on the weekend, especially on a Sunday. Once again, I felt like we had everything in place for Alice to get better. A supportive family, a caring doctor, and the best resources.
Turning, I motioned for Peter. "Peter, this is Dr. Gerandy. And this is Peter Reaves. He's my partner as well as our family friend and the kids' pediatrician. Not that we're trying to replace you or anything like that."
Laughing softly, Dr. Gerandy shook Peter's hand as they exchanged pleasantries. "You don't have to worry about offending me. I'd be more than happy to collaborate. Anything to get Miss Alice healthy again. How's she doing today?"
"Better right now. But I think she's tired of these doctor's disturbing her," Esme teased.
"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint her, but just for a few minutes," he said regretfully.
After putting on a pair of gloves, he moved Alice back to her bed. She squirmed in protest once again, but this time, Esme and I couldn't stop our smiles. Her unhappiness didn't make us happy, but the fact that she was showing some recognition already filled our hearts with joy.
"She's a fighter today," Dr. Gerandy commented as he examined her. "I haven't seen her like this before. What have you been feeding her?"
"Just breast milk," Esme answered. "And still some formula through that tube."
"So we've had some breastfeeding success?"
"More than some," I said. "Alice hasn't had any issues with that. At least not that I can tell."
Esme shook her head, agreeing with me. "I haven't noticed anything. Her latch is good, and I can tell she eats. She's just still getting full or losing interest so quickly. She never gets to the hind milk, even on one side."
"We'll work on that," Dr. Gerandy said. "That's something that will take a bit of time, but as long as she starts to steadily gain weight, we have that time to get her consuming a more normal amount. So is the kangaroo care something you've been using?"
"We have," Esme confirmed.
"And how is it going for the three of you?"
I looked down at Esme, and we shared a smile. "We love it," I answered for both of us. "And Alice hasn't had any complaints so far. Definitely not like she's doing now."
The squirming hadn't lessened, and now she was also grunting angrily and placing her hands on her face, knocking her pacifier out in the process.
Dr. Gerandy laughed and replaced the pacifier, but it did nothing to calm her. "Well, I hate to say that seeing her like this makes me very happy, but it does. She wants her mama, and really, that's our main goal for right now. The weight gain won't happen without an attachment."
Peter gave us a pointed smile, and we chuckled.
"That's actually what we were going to ask," Esme said. "Peter thinks she might already recognize me, but it just seems so soon. You think it's possible, too?"
"I do," he confirmed with a nod. "But let's just see." He picked her up, quickly placing her back in Esme's arms. Almost immediately, she was still and quiet, letting Esme place kisses on her forehead without complaint. "I think that answers that."
Before we could comment, a nurse appeared in the doorway pushing a scale. "Sorry, Dr. Gerandy. I had to track it down."
He turned, smiling at her. "No problem. We weren't ready until now anyway, so that was perfect timing."
"Looks like we have to bother my baby again," Esme said, giving Alice another kiss. "Mommy's so sorry we won't let you sleep, love bug. Maybe this will be all."
"This is the last thing I need from her," Dr. Gerandy promised. "And we want exact so no clothes or diaper."
As Esme undressed Alice, Dr. Gerandy had a few more questions about her eating as well as how many diapers she'd been through today and yesterday. He was pleased with the responses and had no complaints with how Alice was doing so far.
"This isn't the most accurate way to chart her recovery," he cautioned as Esme placed our angry baby on the scale. "I think her behavior is more telling than this. But it's still nice to have a good idea. And it seems she has…" he paused, comparing the value on the scale to Alice's chart as the nurse held it out for him. "Well, it seems she's gained almost ten grams since yesterday."
"That's not a lot, is it?" Esme asked, taking Alice back into her arms.
"It's a lot for her," Peter commented, and Dr. Gerandy nodded in agreement.
"Yes, it is. Much more than I expected. Everything has been more than I expected today." He shook his head with a wide smile. "Mrs. Cope assured me that your family was perfect for this case, and the more time I spend with you, the more I see it. Truly, this is amazing progress."
Esme and I both relaxed, his thoughts giving us so much relief. Though it had only been a few days, we wanted – maybe even needed – to see that Alice was making some degree of progress. We already loved her as much as our other children, and we needed her to be well.
As I helped Esme redress Alice – who was calm once more – Dr. Gerandy continued giving us his opinion on her recovery. Our goals were still the same, but now he felt like we could possibly take her home sooner rather than later. As long as her weight continued to increase at a safe rate, there was no need for her to be in the hospital.
"I'd guess Thursday," he said, causing large smiles to form on our faces.
"This Thursday?"
"The very one," he said, nodding to Esme. "There's really no reason to keep her any longer than that as long as she continues to do this well. And I'm sure you're ready to get her home with the rest of your family."
"Definitely," I agreed. "It's not easy shuffling everyone around."
"I'd like to meet the rest of your family soon."
"You're about to get your chance," Peter said with a chuckle, walking over by the door. The nurse hadn't closed it all the way when she'd left, and listening closely, it was easy to hear the murmur of voices in the hallway.
Peter peeked out and then looked back at us, confirming that it was our family. With our permission, they all filed in, filling nearly every corner of the room.
Kate, Garrett, and the kids only stayed long enough to meet Dr. Gerandy and give Alice kisses. Peter, Charlotte, and Sarah did the same, with Charlotte promising to be back tomorrow to keep Esme company. Carmen and Eleazar hung back, but we preferred that since they helped keep the kids occupied.
Dr. Gerandy soon left as well, promising to check on Alice again tomorrow and hopefully every day until she was discharged. We couldn't have asked for a better doctor and made sure we told him how much we appreciated him. Esme and I agreed that we weren't the only ones helping Alice; if it wasn't for Dr. Gerandy, Alice would have probably been lacking a diagnosis and a plan for treatment.
But we had all of that thanks to him plus optimism and hope. It didn't seem so hard to believe that Alice would eventually be a healthy baby.
"So what was the verdict?" Eleazar asked once we'd settled and the room was calm – save for the kids' chatter.
"Thursday," Esme said with a wide smile. "He thinks Alice will go home Thursday."
"Oh my," Carmen gasped. "That's so soon. Praise God."
"He thinks she's doing great so far," I added. "More than great, even. She gained ten grams since yesterday which doesn't seem like a lot but for her it is. And as long as she keeps gaining, there's really nothing else they can do for her here that we can't do at home."
"It'll be good to have her home," Eleazar said. "Menny and I will help however we can, but I'm sure it'll be easier on you to have everyone in one place."
"Speaking of helping, are you open to having a sleepover tonight?"
"Of course!" Carmen exclaimed. "We'd love to have them. Are you staying here tonight too, Carlisle?"
I nodded. "We like to both be here when we can, especially at night when Edward will be here, too."
"As long as it's not a problem. Please tell us if it is," Esme insisted. "We know we're going to be asking for help a lot in the next few weeks and months."
"It's no problem at all, Ezzie," Eleazar assured her, shaking his head. "The main thing you need to worry about is that precious little one in your arms. We'll do whatever we can to make that happen."
"Thank you…both of you." I knew they didn't want or need my thanks, but Esme and I both needed to express it. "We wouldn't be able to do this without you."
Carmen and Eleazar stayed for a couple of hours longer, both of them getting another chance to hold Alice after I had my turn with kangaroo care. Alice was just as calm in my arms as Esme's, putting a big smile on my face. I'd worried that maybe she only knew her mommy at this point, but it was clear that she knew me, too.
Shortly after Carmen and Eleazar headed home, I left Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, and Edward. The weather was nice so I stopped by a park on the way home. Since they'd been cooped up in a hospital room all afternoon, I figured they need to get all of their energy out before going to see Nana and Pops. While they didn't mind watching the kids, I didn't want to press our luck with hyper kids.
Thankfully, the little ones were fine with staying the night away from us, though Rosalie pouted about not getting to join our "sleepover." Once we were home, they helped me pack a bag for them, a new one for Pumpkin, and a new one for Esme and myself – complete with the list of items Esme instructed me to bring. We couldn't stop packing there, though. The kids had other ideas of which items needed to be taken back to Alice.
"Take this, Daddy," Emmett insisted, handing me one of his stuffed dogs. "So Alice won't be lonely in her big tall bed."
I scooped him up into my arms, giving him a big hug. "That's very sweet of you, Buddy. I'm sure Alice will love that you're sharing your dog with her."
He smiled proudly, and after I put him down, ran off to tell Jasper what he'd done. That started a chain reaction, and soon I had a lap full of toys that Alice somehow needed.
"This baby," Rosalie said after changing her mind four times over which doll she was going to share. "It's soft, Daddy. And pink and pretty."
"And this monkey," Jasper said, climbing up beside me on the couch and handing me the rather large monkey.
"Wait a second, guys." I moved all of the items to the couch. "Let's each pick one thing, okay?" I said, holding up one finger. "Just one, and maybe tomorrow we can swap out so she'll get to see everything. Sound good?"
"I guess, Emmett sighed, taking back a train and a group of legos. "She still needs the doggy."
Jasper narrowed his down to a different stuffed animal, and Rosalie's choice was the baby doll. Without knowing it, Edward contributed one of his soft blankets, and as soon as everything was in a bag, I packed up the car and drove them over to Carmen and Eleazar's house.
The other grandkids were over too, so I'd hoped to be able to slip out quickly. But that plan didn't work because Carmen was talking to Chelsea when we walked in the door. We were all doing our best to keep her and Alec informed with everything going on, so Carmen had me give her my version of an update. It was nearly impossible for them to fly out now with their packing and other moving preparations. They'd be here for good in a few months, but I understood that they wished they could be here now.
After handing the phone back over to Carmen, I tracked down Pumpkin and said goodbye to everyone. I was ready to get back to the hospital, but I was also looking forward to having a few minutes alone with my baby boy.
What I wasn't expecting was for his eyes to start drooping as I drove back to the hospital. Apparently he was ready for a nap, but I wasn't quite ready for that yet.
"Don't go to sleep, Pumpkin," I teased, quickly reaching one hand back to tickle him.
"Dada, no!" he giggled, swatting my hand away. "No no."
"You can't take a nap yet! You need to talk to Daddy. Can you sing me a song?" I turned on the radio, switching it to a CD with children's songs. I sang along to encourage him, and after a minute, he was awake enough to sway in his car seat and attempt to sing along, too.
But as soon as we were in the dark parking deck, his eyes were drooping once more.
"All right," I whispered, kissing his temple as I lifted him from his seat. "You can nap now, bud. Daddy's sorry he kept you awake."
"Lo, Dada," he mumbled, snuggling his face against my neck.
"I love you too. So much. Now, let's go see Mommy."
He was out completely before I even made it to the elevator. Our timing seemed perfect, though, because when we walked into Alice's room, Esme was straightening her shirt after just feeding Alice.
"Almost a whole side!" she informed me with a large smile. "We're getting there, aren't we, baby girl? You're doing so good."
"That's wonderful," I said as I laid Pumpkin down on the couch, covering him with a blanket. Once he was settled, I walked back over to them and held out my arms for Alice. "Daddy's here for burp and diaper duty."
Esme kissed Alice's head and handed her over. "Perfect. And I guess I'll be pumping the rest of this since my Pumpkin is sleeping."
"I tried to get him to stay awake, but it just wasn't happening." I sat down on the free end of the couch and settled Alice on my shoulder as Esme found the appropriate bag with her pump.
"I'm sure they have a refrigerator I can use, so this will work. She might not be awake much longer either. All this activity is tiring everyone out."
Esme was right; Alice only lasted a few more minutes before she was sound asleep too. I didn't mind though, especially since she looked completely comfortable against my chest.
When Esme finished pumping, she asked a nurse about being able to store the milk. They were happy to accommodate this new need, as I expected, and also planned to give her the rest of the milk through her NG tube later. I hadn't expected that, but immediately liked the idea. As soon as we could get Alice on breast milk only, the easier it would be for her to digest.
With the milk situation taken care of, Esme returned to the room, closing the door before coming to snuggle against me. As uncomfortable as staying at the hospital was, it wasn't unbearable since Esme and I were doing it together – especially with the possible plan for Alice to be discharged on Thursday.
Until then, we'd tough it out with smiles on our faces and hope in our hearts.
A/N: Sorry this is so late! All of the Christmas festivities took away my free time. I hope all of you had a lovely holiday!
Hopefully the next update will be in about 3 weeks. We'll see what happens.
And, next week I'll be posting the first chapter of my newest fic. It's E/B, but with lots of Cullen family goodness. It's been in the works for over 2 years so I'm excited to share it. It's partially prewritten so once again, this will not take away from my Perfect Love writing time. Author alert me if you want to check it out. =)
Thanks again for reading!