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Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out values all the utilities of the world.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

May 4, 1942

Dear Edward,

It's so good to hear how well you're doing, little brother. I'm glad you're enjoying your training and it's great to hear that you and Jasper are becoming close. I'm feeling closer to Alice every day. I know how important it is to have strong friendships during times like these.

I've also made a new friend. Her name is Bella. We work together in the radio communications department. She's unlike anyone I've ever known. Her personality is harsher and more forceful than Rose's if you can believe that, but she welcomed me to work and into her life with open arms. I love her already for that. She was exactly the wakeup call I needed to officially snap me out of the stupor I've been living in.

I have to admit I am torn inside about the possibility of a homecoming for you, Edward. I would love nothing more than to spend some time with you, and have you here with our family and friends. However, the knowledge that it would only be a short stopping point on your way to war makes me uneasy. I don't delude myself into thinking you'll never see battle, but the reality of it happening so soon is not something I like.

I hope you're getting along well with all the other men in your company. I hear about Jasper, but do you have any other close friends in your ranks? I hate the thought of you feeling alone; especially because we have such a large family and extended family.

There are so many people here I am excited for you to meet. I think you and Bella would get along quite well. Like I said, she's a lot like Rose. You'll likely find Alice highly amusing. She's full of more energy than I know what to do with most days. There are also the boys, Emmett and Carlisle.

Emmett is… big. That's the only way I can describe him. He caught me last week when my heel got caught in a crack in the sidewalk on base. Later we saw him at the rally, and he and Rose have been attached at the hip ever since. I know it's hard to imagine.

Carlisle is wonderful. He's a doctor on base. I met him when I was at the park with Rose and I fell off the low wall that surrounds the grass. My hand was sliced by a rock and she insisted her boss check it out. He is an amazingly kind man. I got to know him a little better at the war bond rally. I hope you can meet him if you do get to come home. I think you'll like him.

Oh Edward, I wish you could have been here for the rally. It was a wonderful afternoon. Bree is here right now, along with Victoria. She had such a fun time yesterday. It made me remember the one we went to right before you left when you accidentally dropped little Bobbie's ice cream and she made you buy her three more to make it up to her.

I miss you, little brother. I can't wait to see you again, but until then, you're always in my thoughts. Stay Safe. I love you.

The best sister ever,

Esme

I folded the letter and carefully placed it in the envelope. It had been a week since I received Edward's letter, and I felt terrible for not replying sooner. I never imagined my life would become so busy that I put off the most important person for that long.

The brief letter he had sent me sat on the surface of my desk, reminding me once again how much my brother loved me. He had simply jotted down a quick note when he was preparing for his day, unwilling to make his sister wait.

The thought that I made him wait when he refused to do the same for me made me want to add several pages of apology to my letter. I could see him shaking his head and smiling while reading it.

My musings were interrupted by a knock on the bedroom door. I turned around to see Bree, still dressed in her finest silk church dress. She wouldn't come out of it for the rest of the day. She loved Sundays because she could run around in that dress, pretending she was a princess.

"Are you writing a letter to Edward?" she asked.

"I just finished. Do you want to see?"

I handed her the letter as she nodded excitedly. She sat down on the bed and studied the page carefully. After several moments her eyes widened and she giggled. "I want three ice creams!"

"No ma'am," I said with a laugh.

"Where are your other letters from Edward?"

"There in the nightstand." I pointed to the top drawer, and she rushed over and opened it. It didn't take her long to settle into the sea of pillows on my bed with a stack of letters, eagerly devouring every word.

She carefully placed each piece of paper in a neat stack on the bed when she finished, as if she were handling treasured documents. It occurred to me that she was, and she knew just how important they were to me, and was determined to treat them with care.

I realized I should have felt some sense of self-preservation at the thought of her reading such personal words, knowing not all of the letters were from Edward, but I didn't. If Bree wanted to share in my happier times, she was more than welcome too.

I looked up when I heard a sniffle and saw her wiping a stray tear from her cheek.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"I miss Uncle Charles," she whispered.

I moved to the bed and gathered her into my arms. "So do I, honey, but you know what?"

She wiped her eyes and shook her head. "What?"

"He may be gone, but he's always here with us in spirit. Does that make sense?"

"Kind of," she replied. "It's like my daddy being gone, but he's coming back and Charles isn't."

"That's exactly right. And do you know what I do when I need to know that he's with me?"

"What do you do?" she asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

I pointed to the palm trees that were lightly blowing in the breeze outside. "You see the way those trees sway back and worth?" She nodded. "I imagine the way Charles used to hold me and rock me just like those trees are moving, and I know he's watching me from heaven, imagining the exact same thing."

"That's so sweet, Esme," she said. "But why do you keep his letters hidden away?"

"I don't really know, honey. Sometimes it's too painful to see them. I do wish I had a better place to keep them, though."

"You should make a nice place for them," she said. "Like an art project."

"That's a very good idea, Bree. What do you have in mind?"

She shrugged. "Maybe like a scrapbook. That way you have something pretty you can look at that will remind you of him."

"I love it. Why don't we ask the girls to come over and help us? We need to see if we need any supplies too."

"Okay!" She jumped off the bed and ran downstairs before I could even stand up. I smiled, thinking maybe this was what we all needed right now – an afternoon filled with memories, and laughter, and fun.

oOoOoOo

Two hours later found me, Bree, Alice, Rose, and Bella sitting in a semi-circle on my bedroom floor with an explosion of home-made art supplies around us.

It turned out Alice loved to make scrapbooks of fashions she liked. She was more than happy to give me a book she hadn't filled yet.

We couldn't get any glue but I combined enough water and starch to work as a paste. Bree went with my mother to get the old photo albums and found several pictures that would be good to use. They were spread across the carpet in front of us, mixed in with the letters and memorabilia that would also go in the book.

My grandfather had purchased a camera when I was younger, and though it was large and cumbersome, he loved to use it. He would make all his grandchildren, including Rose and Charles, pose for photo after photo as we were all growing up.

I was grateful now that I had these snapshots of memory to keep forever.

Even though each image was in black and white, in my mind I could see it all so vividly. I picked up a faded photo with frayed edges containing a scene in the backyard. Charles and I were watching Edward and Rose fence with long sticks. I could barely see the two of them in the background. Charles had him arm around my shoulder and we were both smiling as we sat on the patio, paying attention to nothing but each other.

I put the photo down in my lap, and began sifting through the pile of letters.

"Which one are you looking for?" Rose asked.

"There's one where he mentioned the story behind this picture."

I read through letter after letter until I found it. The page was faded – worn from age and being read one too many times. The lines of perfect penmanship were almost unreadable, the product of spending so many years in the restricting confines of a drawer. But I could still make out the words I was looking for.

… The sun was so bright, the paleness of your skin absorbed each ray, and you had never looked more beautiful, darling. I can barely remember what even started Edward and Rose's pretend fight. All I recall is how happy you were being there with all of us.

Rose gently pried the letter from my hand and read through it.

"I can't believe how carefree we all were back then," she said.

"I think everyone misses that sense of innocence," Alice chimed in. "Not just missing our childhoods, but the time before the war began."

"That's true," I agreed.

"Yes, but at the same time, events shape us even when we don't realize it. The things that have happened to each of us in our lives work to form who we are. You can apply the same concept to the world as a whole."

We all stared at Bella in silence as she finished speaking. She was right of course. I missed Charles every day and I knew I always would, but the more time went by the easier it was to see that my life was not over.

One chapter had ended, and I was waiting for the next to begin.

"That was deep," Rose finally whispered.

Bella laughed, lightening the mood. "I can be deep."

We all joined in on her laughter before continuing to work in silence for several minutes.

"So, Rose," Bella finally said. "You and Emmett?"

I stopped what I was doing and looked up. Across from me Alice had stopped too. We were both anxious to hear this. I had to admit to some anxiety. I knew Bella had developed a small crush on Emmett the day he caught me on the sidewalk.

Rose nodded, smiling enthusiastically. "Me and Emmett."

"And…" Bella prompted. "How did this happen? One minute you two were meeting for the first time, the next you were holding hands."

Rose shrugged. "When you know what you want I guess you just go for it. Life's too short."

Her eyes flickered to me as she finished speaking. I wanted nothing more in that moment than to wrap my arms around her. Not only were we shaped by the events of our lives, as Bella had said, but also by the things that happened to those we loved.

Losing Charles had obviously had a profound impact on Rose as well, and I had been selfish not to realize how deeply that loss was felt before now.

"I think you two are perfect for each other," Alice said. "He couldn't stop smiling every time he looked at you."

Rose's cheeks filled with color and she ducked her head shyly. Shy wasn't a word I would often associate with Rose. It was clear just how deep their attraction went.

"What about Esme?" Rose asked. "You seem to be getting closer to Carlisle." She had a triumphant grin on her face, making me wonder if she would ever stop this matchmaking game of hers.

"He's a good friend," I replied evenly. "I enjoy his company. There's nothing more to it than that."

"You can't exclude the possibility of it never being more, though," Bella said. "You two have an amazingly strong connection. It was plain as day to me even though I had never even met him before."

"I know it's there," I said. "He understands me. And yes, before you ask, he is very attractive."

"Is it only the grief that's holding you back?" Rose asked.

I thought for a moment. I didn't think it had anything to do with grief, honestly. I had made my peace with the fact Charles was gone and that I could move on with my life. It didn't exactly make it any easier, but the logic couldn't be ignored.

Sometimes I felt like it was the fear of the unknown holding me back. My relationship with Charles began developing when we were children, even though neither of us knew it then.

I shook my head. "No," I answered. "It's all just so new."

Bella placed her hand on my knee. "No one is asking you to rush anything, hon. We probably wouldn't even let you." Rose and Alice nodded their heads in agreement. "We're just telling you not to write things off so quickly."

I nodded in understanding. I really couldn't have asked to be surrounded by better people. Everyone I had in my life had my best interests at heart, just as I had theirs. As I watched my friends paste letters and photos to paper I knew that Carlisle was included in those I wanted the best for.

I still barely knew him, but I knew with an absolute certainty he deserved no less.

oOoOoOo

The next afternoon after my work shift I sat on a small bench under a palm, pressing flowers between the pages of a book.

We had agreed that the scrapbook needed a little something extra to feel complete. There were plenty of photos and accompanying letters, but there was no real decoration. No color jumping off the page to invite one to look on.

It occurred to me as I was sitting on the patio later that night, watching the flowers sway in my mother's garden that they were exactly what I needed.

It was a boring process, pressing flowers, but something about it was oddly therapeutic. Flowers were a form of life, and just like the life I had shared with Charles, I was preserving them forever in my book.

"Esme?"

My head snapped up automatically at the sound of my name spoken by a voice I was becoming comfortably familiar with.

Carlisle was standing a few feet away watching me curiously. "Hi, Carlisle."

He smiled and moved to sit beside me on the bench. I opened the book and revealed a beautiful pressed Hibiscus.

"May I ask why you are pressing flowers?" he asked, gingerly picking up the orange flower.

"I'm making a scrapbook and I figured it could use some color."

"Well then allow me to help you." He reached for the largest Melia blossom on the tree behind us and pressed it into one of the books I had.

I smiled, doing the same. We worked together in silence for several minutes, creating a beautiful array of color for my book. I was impressed by how gently he handled my flowers – his instincts as a physician taking over as he carefully laid each one on the bench between us.

"Did you enjoy yourself at the rally?" I asked.

He nodded. "I did. I had a wonderful time."

"I still can't believe you had never been to one before."

He laughed. "I've never had people to enjoy such an afternoon with."

"You've never thought about going by yourself?" I asked curiously.

He shrugged. "No. I guess I've always figured it was the kind of thing best experienced in the company of friends."

I reached over and placed my hand on his forearm. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it, and you'll always have a place with us."

"Thank you, Esme. That means quite a lot to me."

"That's what I'm here for," I replied brightly. "To make the people I care about happy."

He shook his head, laughing. "You are incredibly amazing, you know that, right? You spend so much time trying to improve the lives of those around you, all while never worrying about yourself."

I had never really thought of it that way. "I guess I was just raised to be selfless. Besides," I said, shrugging, "why feel sorry for myself? It doesn't change anything."

"And that's exactly why you're so amazing, Esme. You have every right to hate the world, and yet, you don't."

I laughed. "I wasn't always so well adjusted, you know. Rose will tell you I was a demon sent from hell to make her life miserable for the first couple months."

His eyes widened, and then his lips formed a small smirk. "Let me guess, she actually told you that."

I nodded. "She sure did. Right after I threw a glass at her head and told I didn't want her infecting me with her cheery attitude."

His eyes widened again. "She may have had a point."

I laughed and shoved his shoulder. "Don't be mean," I said playfully. "I told you I wasn't always fun to be around."

"Well it's a good thing you had someone like Rose," he said. "She doesn't put up with nonsense very well."

I snorted. "She sure didn't put up with mine." Suddenly I had an idea. "And exactly how many times have you endured the wrath of Rosalie Lillian Hale, Doctor Cullen?"

He smiled. "Quite a few. In fact my first day here she didn't care for the way I organized my office. I was introduced to the pushy side of Rose fairly early."

"Let me guess. She reorganized the entire room while you were doing rounds."

"You know your best friend well."

"I know that girl better then I know myself."

His eyes fell to the flower in his hand. "Your relationship with Rose fascinates me," he said. "I meant it when I said I never had that growing up."

"It makes me sad to think of you being so lonely. You are far too good a person to have no one."

"I have friends now," he replied, meeting my eyes. I could see the joy in them at the thought that he was being included in something.

"You always will, Carlisle."

He smiled, taking the small flower he was holding and placing it behind my ear. "Beautiful," he whispered. I blushed under his gaze.

"I have an idea," he said, suddenly turning to the plant behind us and grabbing a handful of delicate buds.

"What are you doing?" I couldn't keep the laughter out of my voice as he laid the flowers down beside him and began intricately weaving them together.

"Making you a lei." His voice was so matter of fact, I had to laugh.

"You know how to make a lei?"

"No idea. I am entirely making this up as I go along."

"Well it looks like you are doing a wonderful job given that you aren't using string." He smiled as he continued to braid the flowers together into a long ring.

"There," he said, holding up a beautiful necklace of soft purple Melia buds. "It's finished."

I smiled as he scooted closer on the bench and draped the lei over my neck. He carefully lifted my hair in the back and let it fall down my back over the flowers. I fingered the petals of the largest flower, marveling at the sweetness of Carlisle's actions in making it for me.

"Thank you, Carlisle. It's beautiful."

His smile was radiant. "It suits you well, island girl."

He fingered the pile of pressed flowers on the bench. "Do you think you have enough?"

"Oh I have more than enough," I replied.

"I doubt any scrapbook in the world will rival yours for color."

"I should probably get home before my family wonders where I wandered off to."

He helped me gather my things and offered me his arm. "In that case, allow me to get you a cab, so long as you promise to keep that lei until it dies and then return it to the earth."

I reached up to touch my necklace once more and smiled. "Someone knows his island traditions," I teased. He laughed and led me to the street where he called for a cab. Just as I was about to step into the backseat, I turned to face him. "I promise to take care of it."

His answering smile was all the encouragement I needed to make sure my impromptu gift was treated with more care and respect than even the most professionally made leis.

The ride home was uneventful, but my mind buzzed with the sweet simplicity of Carlisle's gift, and his much welcome presence in my life. I had to give Rose the necessary credit for everything she did to help me out of my self-inflicted hell, and for never backing down no matter what I threw at her. But I was starting to realize that it was Carlisle who was making my new life enjoyable.

I always knew I could count on certain people to make me smile in any situation, but Carlisle didn't even have to try. His very presence in my life gave me an enormous sense of peace and happiness.

I would forever be indebted to him for that.

By the time I reached my house I was feeling lighter than I had in a long time. I entered the sitting room, grinning from ear to ear and still twirling my lei between my fingers.

My mother was sitting on the sofa, a letter in her hand. When she looked up at me I felt a knot twist in my stomach. Her expression was equal parts joy and horror – both looks battling for dominance on her face. I wanted to ask what had happened, but the fear of knowing kept me rooted to the spot, and my mouth tightly shut.

I didn't have to wait long for her to break the silence.

"Edward is coming home."

A Lei is a traditional Hawaiian necklace made of flowers that have been threaded together on a string. Carlisle improvised. The comment about returning the necklace to the earth once the flowers have died is the traditional way to dispose of the lei. It is considered disrepctful to place them in the trash.

On the mainland we call the Melia flower Plumeria. They are the same plant.

Thank you to Mackenzie L for her wonderful beta skills. Texasunshine is the best pre-reader I could ask for.

And, as always, thank you all so much for reading!