A New Cullen Sister

Chapter 29

Esme then picked up Amelia's gift. The young teen felt a tremor of dread run through her, settling in the pit of her stomach. What if Esme didn't like her gift? What if she thought it was stupid? She panicked briefly. Carlisle held her a little closer, sensitive to his daughter's slight distress. Esme proceeded to neatly open it up, as if savouring the moment. Amelia subconsciously held her breath, only realising that she had done so when Carlisle whispered to her to keep breathing.

"Amelia, this is lovely!" Esme exclaimed in delight. She stroked the smooth fabric of the silver-coloured scarf that her youngest daughter had gotten for her. Amelia had been stumped, to put it mildly, as to what to purchase for her mother. She'd never purchased a gift for a motherly figure before, so she relied on little else but gut instinct and had purchased a few small odds and ends.

"Be careful when you unwrap it," warned Alice, "there are a few things wrapped in the scarf."

Esme did as she was told. Nestled in the scarf was a small bottle of perfume, not that Esme required it, and some artist pencils and empty sketchpads.

"Oh sweetheart, this is wonderful!" said Esme earnestly, smiling at Amelia.

"I know you like interior design and architecture so it seemed practical, and I thought that –" Amelia's rambling sentence was cut off by Esme pulling her upright and holding her tight.

"Thank you so much bella Mia," she murmured in Amelia's ear. Her daughter squeezed her back and then let go, sitting back down.

"Don't forget my gift," smiled Carlisle, winking at Esme. He handed her an envelope, and she sat back down, opening it up and skimming briefly through its contents.

"A weekend away?" she queried in astonishment.

"This weekend, to be specific," said Carlisle, "we leave on Friday afternoon and come back on Sunday evening."

"This is so sweet of you, Carlisle. But –"

"No buts, Mom," Amelia interjected, "I don't need Alice to tell me that you guys are going to have an awesome time."

Esme's thoughts were all over. She yearned for a weekend away, for any private time with Carlisle was sought after, but to leave her ailing child alone for an entire weekend? Not that Amelia would be alone with her brothers and sisters, but still, that was pushing it a little bit. Their time already was so limited and she didn't want to miss out on a single moment of her daughter's human life, or what little remained of it. Amelia sensed that her mother needed to talk to the others, so she excused herself to go and get ready for school, and took Renesmee with her.

---

"Carlisle, this is such a lovely gift, but is this really such a practical idea with Amelia being so ill?" asked Esme, distress so clearly written on her face.

"Esme, she will be fine," Alice tried to reassure her.

"Alice, Amelia is dying. I'm can't just leave her alone for an entire weekend."

"We know, which is why you and I are only going to Seattle for the weekend. It's within running distance of home if she falls ill. Alice says that Amelia will be fine," reassured Carlisle. Esme still looked unconvinced. She hated the thought of wasting money but she was hesitant to leave Amelia.

"She won't be alone, she'll be with us. Jacob wants to take her to meet the pack and Renesmee is going to visit Charlie, so she's been invited there as well."

"I have also arranged for Samantha to come and visit. She arrives on Thursday afternoon, so she can spend a night observing Amelia and her new routine, before we leave on Friday."