Beautiful Days

Chapter 31 -Visiting the Hospital-

The first week of the New Year passed quickly. Charlie, Sue and the wolves left two days after New Year’s Eve because of Charlie’s work and Jacob’s responsibilities. Jacob and Seth would visit us at the end of January again anyway. The children had to go back to university in a few days and Emmett and Alice still had to write essays.

“I don’t want to,” Emmett whined as he sat at the dining table over a stack of books and his laptop. I rocked Haven as he played with his pacifier in my arms. Carlie was sitting next to me in the high chair and played with her teddy bear. Alice sat on my left with her own stack of books and laptop. She was reading through a book of the Baroque period and scribbled notes down on her notepad. “Emmett,” I warned and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “I thought you wanted to take courses?” I asked him. “I did! I just… I don’t know,” he sighed dramatically. “You don’t want to work for it,” Alice giggled without looking up from her book. Emmett grumbled something unintelligible and threw a pencil in her direction. She dodged it gracefully and smirked at him as she patted her forehead and stuck her tongue out at him. Carlie watched them curiously and giggled when Alice stuck her tongue out. She did the same to Emmett and found herself very funny as she burst out in a fit of giggles. Carlie made Alice and me laugh as well.

“What do you have to write about?” I asked him to change the subject. “Shakespeare,” he grumbled and groaned as he took one of the books into his hands. “And what exactly?” I challenged him. He looked at me with a sheepish grin and tried to hide the fact that he had to look discreetly on the cover. I started to laugh. “Emmett, you must start with the title,” Alice mocked him and nearly fell off the chair with laughter. “Haha,” he muttered. “Emmett, really. That is…” Alice stopped midsentence and Emmett and I looked worriedly to her at once.

A thousand thoughts ran through my head as I saw Alice’s unfocused gaze that always meant she was not with us right then. I clutched Haven closer as the worries nearly ate me. He looked up curiously and patted my arm. I smiled down at him and he was content with that gesture and played with his pacifier again. Maybe the Volturi? An accident? Did somebody find out our secret? Was one of us in danger? “Alice?” I asked quietly and touched her arm and swallowed hard as I tried to push the thoughts back. Emmett and I exchanged a worried glance, but focused back on Alice when she reacted to my touch. “Not again, I’ve had enough of that! Three times in a row after only one day. Enough is enough!” she grumbled. My thoughts went overdrive at her thoughts and I felt like fainting. She looked at me and her eyes grew huge with alarm when she saw my reaction. She jumped up from her chair and hugged me from behind. “Oh, no! No! Nothing bad! It’s just annoying,” she assured me and I breathed in deeply. “Don’t do such a thing,” I breathed and slumped back in my chair. “I’m sorry,” she said softly and stroked my forearm. I smiled at her forgivingly and sighed deeply.

“Then what have you seen?” Emmett asked curiously and discreetly shoved his books away. I shook my head with a smirk. Anything to not write an essay… “Carlisle…” Alice sighed. “What’s with him?” I asked her curiously. He had started covering the shift of a doctor at the children’s hospital for a week as long as the courses haven’t started. Yesterday had been his first day. I smiled at the memory. The picture of Carlisle was adorable. He couldn’t keep his eyes off Haven and me and when Carlie woke up as well in the morning, I nearly had to shove him out the door. He was still pouting and smiled sadly at me when I already had him on the porch. “It’s not going to work,” I had giggled and waved with Haven’s hand, Carlie had waved as well with a cute smile and I had kissed him softly. “It was worth a try,” he had chuckled and hugged all three of us close. “You volunteered,” I had winked. “I know, I know. But I’ll be home in no time,” he had smiled and with a renewed energy of a few kisses he had rushed to his car; for the first time leaving the house without me and Haven. “Esme?” Alice called me back to her and out of my thoughts. “Hm?” I asked, still a bit absent. “Do you want to know?” she asked with a smirk. “Oh, yes,” I answered and focused on her.