Esme
My first interviewee was going to be Esme. I figured if I interviewed her first, everyone else would know about it all and not look at me like I was crazy – although Rose certainly still thought so, now that the date I was giving up my humanity was set. I sat silently the entire drive from school to Edward's – and my - house, thinking over how to make this work. I'd already thrown out the idea of doing a video, knowing that I was bound to break even the most durable camcorder. So, I was going to use a tape recorder. If I told everyone beforehand not to say anything that might give them away, even the tiniest bit, then all would be well. Right?
"Hello, everyone!" I called softly as Edward and I came through the garage door. "We're home!"
Esme was there instantly. "Alice already told me you wanted to talk to me." She smiled, ushering Edward away from the kitchen. "Now, do you want anything?" Since I'd already moved into the house to prepare for the wedding, Esme had the cupboards stocked for my last human weeks.
I reached up into the nearest one before she could get to it. "I got it, Esme. Just grabbing some cookies."
She frowned, looking always motherly. "I really shouldn't be letting you eat those things, but since it'll only be for a little while longer…"
I laughed a little, settling next to her at the counter. "So…for school I need to ask people one question."
"And that is…?"
"Well, before I can ask you, I need to let you know that I have to use a tape recorder for this. Everything we say will be recorded and I have no way of altering anything."
She nodded in understanding. "No slip-ups. Easy enough. So, Bella dear, what's the question?"
"If you could live forever, what would you live for?"
She was silent for many minutes, a look of intense concentration on her perfect features. "Hm," she finally said, "it's a hard question. Maybe because I don't know what it's like to not live forever, maybe because it really is a difficult question." She smiled at me, hugging me close. "Maybe, to live forever, it would be for this – a family that loves each other, despite circumstances.
"A family that, although they used to know nothing about each other, can come together and is now than many other families that wish they could tell each other everything.
"I guess the bottom line is, to live forever you need to have the people you care most about with you. Without them, if they died, you'd be an empty shell of yourself. You wouldn't want to live forever."
I wiped a lone tear that fell from my face. "Thank you, Esme…Mom." I whispered, clicking the recorder off.
AN: Dedicated to my loyal reader (at least I THINK it's the same person) who has reviewed twice as 'anonymous'. I finished it as quick as I could! Sorry about how late it's been! I've been so busy with the Quote of the Day stuff…well, here it is!