June 15th, 2023

Esme's POV

The late afternoon sun was beginning to creep over the roof of the house, allowing its rays to be cast upon the deck where I sat; as well as myself. The corners of my book pages fluttered lightly with the slight breeze that gusted through the forest every so often. I had started two days ago on this romance novel Alice had given me for Mother's Day. Scribbled in her dainty scrawl, on the third blank page of the book, opposite the table of contents was little note from her; "A lovely romance story of two people pining over each another, afraid to admit how they feel. Reminded me of the stories Edward told me from your first years with Dad. Set in the 1920's, they're both in their twenties, he's a doctor, she's an artsy woman with a maternal feel to her. It's almost shocking how similar it is… just no vampires, I promise,"

The book was several inches thick, and had two cover images, one on each side, and from what I could tell, the one side was the story from her point of view, and the other side was the whole story again from his point of view. When you got to the middle of the binding, you flipped the book over and restarted the story from the other side; it was a fascinating concept. I was half of the way through the story, and I was sucked into the plot. I had approached it differently than intended and was flipping back and forth between point of views. I would read one chapter from her view, and then flip and read the same events form his view.

It was so beautifully frustrated to watch these two characters falling in love and being afraid of their feeling for one another.

The crunching of gravel under tires pulled me from my tranced reading. I listened, as from the other side of the house, an engine was turned off, a car door opened and closed, and the sound of footsteps up the front step filled my ears.

The breeze blew gently in my direction, and the scent was wafted through the air.

He was home from work.

I smiled to myself, listening intently as his footsteps entered the house and were above me, somewhere upstairs. I could almost hear his thoughts, as he passed through the hallway and entered out room.

"Love?" he asked softly, though I could hear him clearly. I let a soft grin sweep over my lips.

"I'm on the deck, Carlisle," I replied, assuring him I was alright. In mere seconds he was opening the glass door to the deck and stepping out into the sun, his skin shimmering just as mine was. He had already removed the tie from around his neck, and the first three buttons of his shirt were undone.

"Reading that novel Alice gave you, I see," he said, leaning down and placed a lingering kiss on my lips. I smiled softly when he pulled away and sat gingerly on the arm of the chair.

"Started it two days ago; I'm almost done… It's neat because it has two sides that you read," I explained, showing him the other side of the book.

"Well judging by those covers, I'm guessing it's a romance?" he smiled cheekily at me. He new me too well. I nodded.

"It is… and interestingly enough, it's about a doctor and young woman falling in love in the 1920's," I told him with a giggle to my tone, as I tuned to the note Alice had left, letting him read it.

"Well now, I wonder how it ends?" he chuckled, playing along. I sighed dramatically, closing my book and clutching it in one hand.

"Well I'm hoping they admit their feelings to each other and end up happily married for a very long time," I said, making him laugh lightly and curl a lock of my hair around his finger.

"I'm sure they will," he smiled.

There was a comfortable silence between us for several long moments before he spoke again.

"I picked up the mail on my way home," he said simply, and I looked up at him, a looming feeling coming over me, "Come inside," he added in a very quiet voice as he slid one hand into mine. I stood from my chair, book in one hand, Carlisle's fingers twined in the other as he led me inside.

He led me up the stairs, down the hall, and into our room. The first thing my eyes fell upon was the small brown box resting on top of the pristine, creamy champagne duvet. I felt Carlisle's gaze on me as my eyes were transfixed on the item from the doorway.

"It's ok," I heard his familiar and soothing phrase fall softly from his lips, pulling my attention to meet his eyes, "I'm right here,"

I took in a deep, unnecessary breath, and slowly approached the bed, Carlisle's hand still holding mine. I set my book down gently on the beside table and stared down at the brown box, allowing my fingers to ghost over the tape that sealed it.

Printed boldly on the box, in red capital letters were the words FRAGILE and CREAMATED REMAINS.

I felt his hands slip gently to my waist and rest comfortably in the curve above my hips. There was only silence between us as I used my fingernails to pick at the tape, unsealing the box. My hands were shaking as I folded back the flaps and removed the paper that was packed around an object. I could feel Carlisle's eyes burning into the box from where his head was rested on my shoulder.

I could see something blue as I reached in and slipped my fingers gingerly down the side of the box, letting them wrap securely around the bottom edges of the object. Carefully, I lifted the box-like object form its packaging and set it softly on the bed. My hands were gently holding a white wooden box that was meticulously wrapped in protection. The blue I had seen was something on top of the box, wrapped tightly in bubble wrap. When I slowly pulled it off, it revealed a blue ceramic set of angel wings cradling a sleeping baby. I felt my throat tighten, as well as my husbands embrace around me. Carefully I lifted the little box in my hands, holding it up as I Carlisle reached for opaque piece of protective plastic, covering the plaque on the front. I watched as he slowly peeled it off.

My breath caught in my throat when I read what was on it.

Joseph Henry Platt Cullen

June 6th – June 8th, 1921

Held for a moment; Loved for eternity.

I felt an overwhelming wave of emotion wash over me, and I could barely choke out the words

"Hi baby," I whispered, my voice cracking. At that moment I wished for nothing more than to cry tears, "Hi," I cooed again, holding the box close to my face. I let a heavy breath escape from my chest as Carlisle turned me in his arms and held me, looking down at the urn between us. His lips graced my forehead and rested there.

My thumbs were lightly stroking the white wood as the small box was cradled in my palms. It felt so heavy but also as light as air in my hands. Carlisle's lips left my forehead and his hands gently cradled mine around the box. I lifted my eyes from my hands for the first time since removing the urn from the parcel on the bed. My eyes met his and they were soft and comforting to gaze into.

"Are you alright?" his voice was soft and concerned. His eyes fell from mine and to our hands holding my baby.

Our baby

He was here with us, and my husband was every bit of the father that his biological one wouldn't have been. It brought me comfort and warmth.

"I'm perfect," I said quietly, nearly a whisper and then my eyes met his again. He gave me a gentle smile, lifting one hand to caress my cheek.

"I'm glad you're happy, love," he said sweetly. His hands returned to mine and the box, "Where would you like to set him?" he whispered with a kind smile. I beamed slightly, turning my head and looking around our bedroom.

My vanity was too cluttered, covered in makeup and hair products; it would accidentally get knocked off. The multi-level corner shelf in our room had our wedding album and candle sitting on the top shelf, and under it a photograph of the two of us on the island in '72 when Carlisle gifted it to me. Beside it sat a glass vase of sand from the islands' beach. Many other things sat on the shelf. But it was too dust gathering to set the urn on. It was more of a memento shelf.

the top of one of the dressers had our jewelry and accessory boxes on it; the urn would be out of l=place there…

My eyes fell to my nightstand. Atop it sat the identical lamp that mirrored the one on Carlisle's side of the bed, my book I had set down, and a photograph of the two of us from our 100th anniversary. Alice had thrown a family gathering, inviting many of our close friends, including the Denali's.

I smiled at the photograph taken in the woods, myself in a sweater dress and heels, wrapped in an oversized cardigan; my husband in his dress clothes, his arms wrapped around my waist in an embrace, and a nose nuzzled into my curls, both of us ignoring the camera.

That was the place, right beside that photo. The photo of the two people who loved him as much as they did each other.

"There," I told Carlisle, pulling out of his embrace with the box cradled in my hands. I knelt down in front of my nightstand, tossing the book onto the bed, wiping the almost invisible layer of dust specks from the wooden tabletop. Then gently shifted the lamp and photograph over to make a space, and carefully set the little urn box in the place spot I made. I felt a hand rest lightly on my back.

"It's…perfect," he smiled when I looked over my shoulder at him. I hesitated to smile back.

"What's wrong?" he asked, pulling me to my feet. I sat on the edge of the bed, as he held my hands softly, stroking his thumbs over my knuckles. My eyes glanced over to the little urn in its new spot on my nightstand.

"Nothing, it's… I just…" I took a deep breath and sighed to myself as Carlisle sat down beside me, slipping a hand up my back and rubbing soothing circles, "I just feel bad keeping him up here, hidden…" I admitted, almost shamefully. Carlisle pulled me close and I rested my cheek on his shoulder.

"I can't blame you for wanting to keep him up here. You know what inevitably happens to things downstairs," he said gently, playing with a lock of my hair. I cringed at the thought of my son's urn being knocked off the mantle and shattered to pieces, meeting the fate of many things the kids have knocked over. I felt better after his comment now, knowing the urn and its contents would be safe on my nightstand.

I wrapped both of my arms around my husband's sides and snuggled into his shirt.

"Speaking of the kids, where are they?" I asked, my eyes falling to the clock on the wall. It was after four and they should have been home from school.

"They're gone until Sunday. Field trip remember?" he asked, reminding me. I nodded, recalling the kids saying goodbye this morning.

"Sorry, it must have slipped my mind… I haven't really been all there since…" My voice faded away and I looked back over at the urn. I felt Carlisle's lips against my hair.

"It's ok, I know your mind has be elsewhere," he told me in a gentle voice as I looked back up at him, "But he's here now," he added. I smiled, hugging him tightly, burying my face back into his neck.

"Thank you," I said, my voice on the edge of breaking as I started getting emotional in his arms. I felt him cradle my head with a hand, "He wouldn't be here without your help," I added. I felt his lips curl into a soft smile.

"I'd do anything to make you happy my love, you know that," he mumbled into my locks.

"I love you," I said as I looked up and met his eyes, "So much," then pressed my lips to his. He smiled against my lips before melting into our kiss, which very quickly became a long and passionate one. I felt him slip his arms around my waist and pull me closer to him before falling back against our comforter, pulling me down with him as our lips broke apart.

He smiled with that lazily happy grin and I returned it, brushing his out of place blonde locks away from his forehead. He chuckled, copying me and tucking my splayed hair behind my ear. He ran the back of his index finger lightly over my cheek and down my neck, staring admiringly into my eyes as his fingers ghosted over the marks he had left there. The way the gold in his eyes was arranged had me entranced, the way it always did when we laid intimately like this.

There was a beautifully comfortable silence between us for a very long moment as his fingers brushed slowly down my body before pulling me closer at the hips. I moaned quietly as he hooked my leg over his hips.

"We're alone for three days," he smiled sweetly as he brushed our noses together. I frowned slightly, in confusion.

"You have to work tomorrow," I stated, knowing his work schedule well enough. He smiled again.

"I can always call in a sick day… If it means I get the time with you in exchange," he told me, a look of adoration in his eyes, "So how would you like to spend it?" he asked. I giggled, leaning closer, my lips mere inches from his.

"Just right here, with you," I said, brushing our noses like he had.

"Always," he whispered, connecting our lips in a passionate kiss.

END

Thank you so much for reading. Hope you enjoyed this story. Don't forget to follow my Instagram page so you know when new stories are out. Love you all and happy holidays.