Undo

Edward

If I had thought that teaching Matthew to read music was going to be easy, I would have been mistaken. I had not set myself up for disappointment though, I had known it was going to be hard for Matthew, no matter that he was gifted. We were just starting on the basics and already he seemed lost. It was difficult for him to focus when faced with a piano. More then anything he just wanted to play, to get lost in making music. Middle C, sharps, and time signatures were tiresome when compared with actually playing the piano...which Matthew could already do, quite beautifully. Sometimes I didn't really understand why Matthew wanted to learn how to play piano the traditional way but he did and I had promised to teach him. I would not go back on my word.

Matthew was very polite, he never complained out loud. In his head however, his complaints were numerous. This is so boring, Edward, I heard more then once. Why did they stop at G? There are plenty of other letters in the alphabet. And why are C sharp and D flat the same key? Couldn't they just choose to call it one or the other? The list of complaints went on and on. Some of them were certainly justified and I had a hard time keeping a straight face. Matthew was a hard worker though and I couldn't say anything about his dedication. He plodded along, even when he was confused. He really did want to learn.

I kept our lessons to a one hour maximum and I let him play whatever he wanted at the end our session. His talent still astounded me, I hoped these lessons would help and not hurt what he already had. Sometimes he asked me to play for him and I obliged him. Esme would bring him a snack at this point, which he would always ignore until after I had finished playing. Matthew loved music. The more I got to know him, the more I learned that our musical tastes were extremely similar. It was not often that I could surprise him with something new, he had heard and liked most of it already. It always amazed me when he shared something with me that I had never heard before. I had never met someone who loved music as much as I did. I think sometimes that Matthew loves it more. He feels music in a way I cannot comprehend.

I watched and waited as Matthew came out of his shell. His smiles came more and more from the heart and in increasing frequency. He got comfortable with us to the point that he would greet us and seek us out at school all on his own. If he hadn't chosen to hang out with us all the time he probably would have become the most popular boy at school by now. Hormones were running rampant and he was the subject of many a girl's thoughts and fantasies. If he wasn't still living in his own little world half the time he might have noticed, but then he wouldn't be Matthew. There was something about him, a genuineness and charm that made him appealing. If he were to try and make his way as a professional musician, he probably had what it took. Not to mention the drive and talent.

Matthew learned to drive, which he hated, but he had promised Cicely that he would. Personally, I didn't think it was a good idea for one as distracted as he was to be on the road, especially in the snow. But driving was a life skill, something everyone should learn how to do. It was winter and Matthew could play simple songs the traditional way on the piano. He was making progress, slowly but surely. His foster father was teaching him how to play the guitar on the weekends. Anything music related, Matthew just ate up.

When we met Jonathan, Matthew's foster father, for the first time, I knew right away and with disturbing clarity that what Alice had seen in Matthew's future was correct. The thought tightened my chest. I could smell the sickness in Jonathan though it would be awhile yet before he would find it out himself. By then it would be too late, it probably already was.

When we left the house, Bella approached me, "Matthew's foster father is ill. That's what you and Alice were keeping from me."

"Yes. There is nothing we can do, Bella."

"Matthew has come so far. Are you going to let all of that go to waste? You must see that he will be heartbroken if he has to leave here. Where will he go?"

"I don't know, Bella. Alice hasn't seen that far. There's no point worrying about it now, it hasn't happened yet."

Bella looked straight into my eyes as she spoke, "Matthew is part of our life now. We were beginning to get lost before he came along. He gives us purpose, Edward, a reason to keep living."

I knew she was right. I didn't want to contemplate life without Matthew. He had become something special to Bella and I. His smiles made us happy, his troubles made us sad. When had that happened and why? What space in our life were Bella and I trying to fill? It was like we hadn't known we needed him in our life until he was already a part of it.

Reneesme had grown up so fast, technically she was younger then Matthew, but in most ways she was not at all. She and Jacob had disappeared for the first time together when she was barely seven years old and it had been completely her decision. It was then that I knew she was grown up, that she didn't need us anymore. Still, I had thought that Reneesme would fulfill an immortal lifetime's worth of having children, she was so special, so precious, but it seemed Bella and I had been seeking another child without even knowing it.

Time went on. The snow stopped falling, Matthew learned to read music little by little, and Jonathan got sick. For once Matthew's thoughts were filled with something other then music. He feared greatly loosing the only father figure he had ever had in his life. And then the worst happened, Cicely decided she couldn't give Matthew the time he deserved when she was at the hospital all the time.

It was Carlisle that broached the subject to me, "Why don't we take him in, Edward? It does not have to be permanent. Just until foster care can find him a new placement. Having him stay with us will buy some time. I think he should be here with Cicely and Jonathan when the time comes. Jonathan doesn't have much left."

I wanted to argue but I couldn't. It was impossible for Matthew not to notice that we didn't eat and kept odd hours if he was living in our home all the time but I couldn't deny that I wanted just a little more time with Matthew in our lives.