Early Mornings

I woke early the next morning, well rested from my four hours of sleep.

Opening the door to my room, I ambled along to the bathroom to take care of my morning business.

I had long since not cared that everyone could hear the human fact about my life, but when your nearly 6 thousand years old, you tend to have no more fucks to give.

Smacking my lips a few times, I looked myself over in the mirror.

My hair was a mess, and a line of dried drool stained my chin.

Using my hands I got my shortened hair into a semblance of order, then washed my face.

Opening the door, I stepped into the hallway.

I could hear both Carlisle and Esme moving around in the kitchen, so I made my way there.

Stepping into the kitchen in just my pajama pants, I watched as Esme and Carlisle pulled food, utensils, plates, and other necessities from large paper sacks and boxes that were lining their counters.

"What's all this?" I asked, looking around.

"Food and cooking supplies." Esme said cheerily, giving me a wide smile as she pulled a large metal frying pan from a white box like it weighed no more than a feather.

I nodded my head in appreciation.

Walking to the nice refrigerator, I pulled the lever and opened it.

"Nice!" I said, pulling a large glass bottle of milk from the fridge.

Twisting off the cap, I took a large gulp.

"Adam, dear, we put glasses in that cabinet over there." Esme said, pointing past me to a part of the kitchen which only had countertop and cabinets lining the wall.

Her tone was gentle, but also held a slight chiding tone one would expect from a mother.

I looked at the cabinet then at the bottle.

"Right." I said, giving her a smile as I turned to get a glass.

'Least I can do.' I thought with a chuckle. 'No need to live up to my moniker of, 'Barbarian'.'

Poring the glass, I spoke.

"How was the night out?" I asked, capping the bottle and turning to look at the both of them, leaning against the countertop.

"I saw that the both of you were out when I returned."

"It was good. Managed to get a few deers." Carlisle said, putting cutlery in one of the drawers.

"And…How was yours?" Carlisle asked, acting as if he was asking a simple question, but I could hear the undertone in his voice.

"Better than expected." I said, downing the last of my glass.

Both Esme and Carlisle looked up at me simultaneously.

"And?" Esme asked, hope gleaming in her eyes.

I shrugged.

"I think for the first quarter or our talk he was in too much shock to really grasp what was happening. But there at the end…I think I might have reached him." I said, walking to the sink to rinse out my cup.

"And?" Carlisle asked, impatiently.

I liked doing that to people for some reason.

stretching out the suspense until they were practically on the edge of their seats. It was a little game I played, a small pleasure in my otherwise monotonous life.

Turning back to face them, I let a slow smile spread across my face.

"And," I continued, savoring the moment, "I think I got him to consider coming here to talk. It's not a full commitment yet, but it's a step in the right direction."

Esme's face lit up with relief and excitement. Carlisle's expression softened, and he approached me, clapping a hand on my shoulder.

"That's more than we could have hoped for," he said, his voice filled with gratitude. "Your ability to connect with people, even after all these years, never ceases to amaze me."

I shrugged again, trying to downplay it, but the warmth in their reactions made my heart swell a little.

"Well, someone's got to do the talking around here," I joked, winking at Esme. "Besides, it's not like you two could have done it. You're too… refined."

Esme laughed, a light, musical sound that managed to lift the mood.

"You mean we're too uptight," she teased, nudging Carlisle playfully.

Carlisle chuckled and shook his head. "Perhaps. But that's why it's good to have you here, isn't it? To keep things interesting."

I grinned, finishing up with the glass and placing it on the drying rack. "Well, I suppose I do have a knack for shaking things up. Keeps me young, you know?"

Esme rolled her eyes playfully. "As if being as old as Carlisle has told me you are isn't enough to keep you young."

"Touché," I conceded, leaning back and folding my arms with a chuckle. "So, what's on the menu for today? Anything special?" I asked, looking everything over.

"We thought we'd make a big breakfast," Esme replied, her eyes twinkling.

"Pancakes, bacon, eggs, the works. We want to make sure you're well-fed."

I raised an eyebrow. "You know I can fend for myself, right?" I said playfully.

"Of course," Carlisle said, "but it's not every day we get to cook for someone. Consider it our way of saying welcome."

I nodded, feeling a rare sense of warmth and belonging.

"Alright then, let's get to it. Anything I can do to help?"

Esme handed me a whisk and a bowl of pancake batter.

"You can start with this. Just mix it until it's smooth."

I took the bowl and started whisking, the simple act of preparing food oddly therapeutic.

"So," I said, breaking the silence, "how long have you two been... together?"

Carlisle glanced at Esme, a soft smile playing on his lips. "A little over a decade now. We met in Ohio, if you can believe it."

"Ohio, huh?" I said, laughing. "Not exactly the most romantic place."

"It was to us," Esme said, her voice filled with emotion. "We found each other when we needed it most. Sometimes, that's all it takes."

I nodded, appreciating the sentiment. "Well, I'm glad you did. You seem like a good match."

"Thank you," Carlisle said, his tone sincere. "And we're glad to have you here, Adam. It's been... refreshing, to say the least."

I grinned. "Refreshing, huh? That's one way to put it."

As we continued to prepare breakfast together, the kitchen filled with the comforting sounds of sizzling bacon on new pans and the clinking of utensils. It was a simple, domestic scene, but for me, it felt like a rare treasure.

Eventually, everything was ready, and we sat down at the table, the spread before us looking like something out of a dream. I dug in with enthusiasm, savoring every bite. Esme and Carlisle watched with amusement, their own plates untouched and empty.

"You know," I said between mouthfuls, "you two really should try this sometime. It's amazing." I said jokingly.

Esme laughed. "We'll take your word for it." She said, playing along with my joke.

I smirked. "Suit yourselves. More for me."

As the meal progressed, we fell into an easy rhythm of conversation, sharing stories and laughter. It was a moment of peace and connection, a brief respite from the endless march of time. And for the first time in a long while, I felt truly at ease.

At least for that moment and the next thirty seconds that followed.

"KNOCK, kNOCK, KNOCK." we heard coming from the front door.

All of our heads turned in the direction of the door, which was on the other side of the apartment, before we looked at each other.