Seraph

69

The family divided themselves into two cars to head to the hospital to visit Carlisle. Esme liked to do it when they arrived at a new life. She wanted to introduce the family to the places they will likely be seen often in the future. She refused to admit the hospital visit was to stop any of Carlisle's coworkers from having untoward thoughts toward her husband. But the teens knew better. Her husband knew better, too. But he loved the visit.

They had taken separate cars because Edward had asked the family to be a bit more low-key with how they lived in these towns. They weren't entirely sure what he had heard in people's heads that made him more self-conscious, but they tried to help him feel more comfortable until he got over it. Rosalie loved the thought to an extent. Being more careful meant Sera was safe. That was good. But she refused to dress down as he requested. And she would only travel in his car when they had to. Otherwise, she still took her flashy red BMW convertible out.

Rosalie had several red BMW convertibles to choose from parked in the custom garage Serafina had built for her back in Texas. She protested buying one every year. But Serafina still got her one every six years or so. Claiming it was for safety reasons. They would always laugh and laugh after hearing her reasoning. But she loved them all and maintained them perfectly. None more than her first. But that was a classic she would only drive in Guardian's Grace.

The occasion now was one where she refused to ride in Edward's Volvo. So Rosalie had called out for the girls to ride with their mom in the Mercedes. Jasper sighed as he reluctantly got into the car with Edward and Emmett. He would have no problem driving with the girls, but when Rosalie yelled that out, she was already assigning him to the other vehicle.

It was Carlisle's self-scheduled lunch when his family arrived. He waited for them in the downstairs lobby. He was chit-chatting with the security guards at the front desk. He explained that his family may occasionally visit him, so he wanted to introduce his family to the people there. He had also told a few other nurses who assisted him most when he was working so they could also meet them. He did the usual and spoke openly, hoping others would overhear and sneak glances. This way, they could explain the family situation and allow the gossipmongers to spread the word. They liked to be the spectacle only once when possible.

Word had already spread, and several lookie-loos slowly made their way through the lobby, trying to glimpse the new family in town. Many had already seen the incredibly handsome new doctor; they were curious about what kind of woman could land such a catch. The gossip was happening in real time around Carlisle. He heard their whispers about his wife, some about his children. He constantly bragged about them, but only the people he had directly spoken to knew that he and his wife adopted all of their children. Some of the gossip he heard was people wondering out loud about his children.

Carlisle's face soon split into a large smile as his wife walked through the automatic doors. The rain that day was a bit more than the usual drizzle. It required umbrellas. She shook out her umbrella just outside the door before closing it and heading toward her husband. He kissed and hugged her as they walked to the side and waited for their children to enter.

"Hey guys! How are you all today?" Carlisle asked with a significant smile.

They chorused a good as they all kept a smile on their face—all except the two women, who still answered but didn't feel like smiling. They didn't feel like faking it, and neither could feel genuine when intentionally giving material to gossipers. They were in a bit of an unhappy mood after some of the joking earlier in the day. Although they didn't feel like socializing, they still wanted attention. They both kept a stance that accentuated their body proportions to the fullest. After all the practice over the years, they knew how to catch all different types of lighting to appear as if from a magazine yet still natural. They knew how to look good for their audience. The more envy, the better.