1950, Toronto

[sheisourheart]

It's been a few weeks since Jasper and Alice settled into the house, enough that they are starting to slip into being part of the days rhythms and that Esme finds herself thinking toward their needs the same as everyone else's. It's a random weekday when she peeks her head into the room that look nothing like Edward had kept it.

Golden eyes settling on the girl with her note book, Esme's lips became a gentle smile watching her. "I was thinking about heading into town and wondered--"

Comments

[betagainstme]

Alice looks up from the notebook, her pencil stilling on the sketch she idly works on. "I'd love to."

She sets her things on the table next to her, smiling hesitantly at Esme. "Thank you."

[sheisourheart]

She was pleased for the easy answer, and waited with no impatience in her countenance as Alice was setting down her things.

"Have you gotten into town to see the stores downtown yet?"

[betagainstme]

Alice stands and moves to the closet to pull on some shoes on. "Not really. I've been into town but Jasper has managed to get me out before I buy much from any one store."

[sheisourheart]

"Edward, Emmett and Carlisle are much the same ways," Esme said, fondly. "Very quick, to the point, trips when it comes to shopping for anything they newly need. Unless I can convince them to just let me pick up when I'm normally out."

[betagainstme]

"Boys." Alice laughs. "They never let us have any fun."

She steps towards the door of her room -- and Esme. "So. What are we shopping for?"

[sheisourheart]

Esme slipped backwards with quite, very precise steps, in the hallway. A flow of ease to knowing the area of her house. The spaces it held intimately in having chosen or changed them herself.

"Carlisle needs new shirts and I was thinking of looking to see what had come in for fall, myself." The touch of a secretive smile curved her lips, as she made a smooth gesture toward the door and started walking.

[betagainstme]

"Oh, the catalogs have shown the most adorable clothes for this next season." Alice says, her hands clasped together in excitement as she follows Esme. "I couldn't really travel and buy a lot, so I just looked at every catalog I could."

[sheisourheart]

Esme's small curved smile brightened at Alice's excitement. She picked up a list and a set of car keys from a table on the way through the main area before they reached the door.

"We should make it an event then, if it has been so long, and if they ask, we can always tell them it was about time you filled that closet of yours with things that didn't need to travel worthy."

Esme held the door open for Alice.

[betagainstme]

"Jasper knows better than to ask." Alice grins as she steps through the door. "It'll only end with me rambling on for hours about clothes while he pretends to care."

She stops by the car. "Poor Jasper."

[sheisourheart]

Esme nodded, a quiet laugh shaking her caramel waves, as she unlocked the car doors in a brief quick movement. She sat down on the driver's seat, remarking with easy approval, "He does adore you greatly."

[betagainstme]

Alice slides into the passenger seat, closing the door behind her. Her smile is soft as she thinks about her husband. "And I him. He is my heart."

[sheisourheart]

It was refreshing to see the way the two of them are entwined, both apart and together. As always together even when separated. Esme's gaze fell on her bracelet baring the Cullen crest, before she was paying attention to backing the car up and headed them into town in a scenic direction.

"How are the two of you settling in? Is there anything it would be best to see to getting while we are out that would help?"

[betagainstme]

"Oh," Alice says, flustered. "I don't think so. We're settling in fine. Just...finding our place in the family. It's a bit weird, I think, because we're outsiders compared to the rest of you."

Alice looks out the window, quickly, to hide her discomfort. "There comes a bond with being created together, I think. I mean, I have no idea."

[sheisourheart]

"You aren't doing anything that all of us haven't, and for the most part your arrival is softer, quieter shifting for everyone than the other times," Esme commented, voice softening for the girls sudden turn away.

"The greater portion of our family came with much less preparation or purpose or pleasure than either of you arrived with."

They were special in that already, as in other ways.

[betagainstme]

Alice glances over at her, and gives her a small, if not a little sad, smile. "Thank you. For everything. You've been...amazing."

[sheisourheart]

It's easy to consider the greater stumbling blocks of the past. Edward's reticence to her arrival. The rows that had lined Rosalie's first two years. The many times Emmett had slipped.

That they had been made together. They stayed together. Changing and growing, adjusting with time, each time. As they would change and grow with Alice and Jasper's addition.

Esme could not help looking on even this with fondness, as she reached out to curl her fingers Alice's hand gently.

Leaving it as the answer Alice's grateful, as she found herself thinking as she had once upon a time with both Edward and Rosalie, that Alice very much needed this -- a family, a home, and parents -- too. Space and time, love and acceptance, companionship; all things their family had to share, and would encompass them both with in time.

[betagainstme]

Alice presses one hand against her mouth, as if trying to stop the sob threatening to break free, her other hand turning over to grip Esme's.

It takes her a moment to know she'll be able to talk without actually wanting to cry and when she reaches that point, she shakes her head. "Ugh. Sorry."

[sheisourheart]

"Apologies are very rarely necessary here, Alice." Esme said gently, squeezing her hand and echoing something her husband had said very recently, too.

She might find the only true exception to that in Rosalie. Rosalie was exacting at times and words helps to soothe things for her. Esme hoped it wouldn't take too long for Rosalie to come around to the girl, predicting they could get along over several things already.

Without pulling her hand away, as they turned into the downtown, Esme's smile picked up as she said, "As this is your first time to be out and about after so long, I think you should pick the first place we go."

[betagainstme]

Alice stares out the window, silent and calm as she takes in the stores. There's one that she saw briefly the last time she was here...that carried the cutest dresses.


There. There it was. "That one." She presses a finger toward a store named Creeds.

[sheisourheart]

"A good place to start," she said, with an appreciative smile.

Esme parked relatively near to the store front.

[betagainstme]

"C'est bonne," Alice smiles, opening the car door and stepping out. A few ladies are walking down the street, arm in arm, talking and looking at the windows of Creeds.

Alice smiles at them hesitantly and stands, hands clasped together, waiting for Esme.

[sheisourheart]

Esme had stepped up to Alice's side, slipping her purse.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Cullen."

Came one voice from the edge of the looking crowd, a rather austere looking woman, with a pinned hat, whose hand was being tugged at by a young teenage girl, pointing at a dress and babbling about the color of the skirt still.

"Thank you, Mrs. Vander," Esme said as they walked up, a smile brightening her face instantly. "How is your husband faring?"

"He is well," she said, with strict pride as she straightened her back. "I keep him strictly on the plan Dr. Cullen gave him." Turning her green eyes and lavender ensemble with hat toward Esme's companion, she added. "And this is?"

[betagainstme]

Alice hesitates, suddenly stricken and unsure how to introduce herself as a member of the Cullen Family.

"Alice," She smiles quickly, her hands clasped in front of her still. "I'm--"

She breaks off discreetly and glances over at Esme. She's what? Visiting? Distant family?

[sheisourheart]

Mrs. Vander, of the green eyes which narrowed on the warbling young girl, then propped one eyebrow up looking back over to Mrs. Cullen, who was glancing over at the girl with fondness. "I did not know you had another daughter?"

Esme's smile was more warm than amused. "She's just come home to us. Alice, this is Mrs. Vander. Her husband and son have been coming to Carlisle since we moved here. Mrs. Vander, Alice."

They could both take from her answer to question what they liked.

[betagainstme]

"I've...been traveling." Alice nods, smiling at Esme. "With my husband. We've finally returned home, much to my mother's happiness, I hope."

Alice curls her fingers around Esme's arm in a loving gesture before nodding again to Mrs. Vander. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

[sheisourheart]

"It is a delight," Mrs. Vander puts pressure on the second word most and the fourth only slightly less, as she peers at the girl. Her faintly graying hair and very nice suit framing her. "To meet any relative of Dr. Cullen's. Your father is brilliant man and our hospital is lucky to have grabbed him up. And all of you, of course."

"Of course," Esme said, feeling the sensation in her chest expand. She didn't a physical heart to choke on the sensation of Alice simply following and wrapping herself closer.

"I shouldn't hold to two of you up too much longer. You two look bound and determined to make a day of something."