A/N: This story is based on the movie by the same name, but I'll definitely add more things that just the events of the movie
First few chapter's will be told from Esme's point of view and rest it'll be all Edward. I hope you'll enjoy
Sorry for any mistakes, but I'm dyslexic and it's 2 am so I'll come back later to edit this
Image is made by me so pleas don't steal it.
Florida, 2002
"I don't wanna go!" A young Edward, freshly ten years of age, yanked his arm back with a surprisingly strength.
His mother, Esme sighed as she looked down exhausted at her young boy. Her face twisted with worry. "Honey-"
"I won't do it again!" He took a step back but Esme quickly caught him by his arm and yanked him forward to hug him tightly.
She squished her eyes, trying to hold back her tears. She had already cried for too long when she observed Edward's drawing, after she was done cleaning his wound. She was surprised she even has any tears left.
"Please mom" He murmured in her ear, making her heart clenched with pain. She wanted nothing more than to take him home and watch some movie together after she was done baking cookies.
But she needed to do this.
She wouldn't lose him like she lost Carlisle
"I don't like this place mom, it's creepy"
She pulled back and brushed off her son's tears from his face.
"I promise I won't make any bad pictures again"
"We'll be fine, okay? You just have to do a couple of tests. That's all." Esme rubbed his arms to reassure him. She took his hesitation for a good sigh and continued. "You'll like the doctor… he knew your dad."
It's astonishing how brightly his eyes shined in an instant. "He did?"
"He did. But no questions until we're done, promise?"
Edward nods quickly and grabs her hand as he tags her quickly. "Let's go!"
Esme sighed and followed, already regretting for using the dad card.
oOo
Esme watched worryingly as her son's head disappeared into the electroencephalograph before she turned to look at Eleazar who observed closely at the monitor.
"Just please tell me he hasn't inherited his father's illness"
She could fight anything – anything, except that.
"I'm sure the results will come back negative." Eleazar told her with a confident voice. "What he drew in class… it could have been based on some scary story or a movie. It doesn't necessarily need to mean something."
"If they're not, what could it possibly be? He doesn't remember the disturbing drawing he made at school, or how he hurt himself. What could cause an 8 year old to have blackouts?"
"We're here to find out, Esme. What you need to do is remain calm in all this. If he sees you scared, he will be scared"
She swallowed and nodded, knowing he was right. "Okay, okay. I-I'll be calm"
"There's also something else you can do to monitor his memory."
"Anything"
"A journal. Get him to write down everything that he does."
Esme shook her head and frowned in confusion. "And what would that do?"
"It could help jock his memory. To see if he could remember anything new the next day. This test results will come back in a few days, and then we'll take it from there."
She looked back at her boy who looked relieve to finally get out of the machine. "Alright. If a journal does the trick…" she trailed off and lit up a cigarette.
Esme had not been one of the fortunate people of this world. In her youth, she had been too naive and had married what she thought to be, her prince charming – only to realise later that whatever magic she had imagined had all been in her head.
When her first husband had been arrested, Esme had not learnt her lesson. Instead she had been naïve enough to fall in love again with the handsome doctor who had travelled all the way from England.
Carlisle Cullen was a different kind of monster, something more sinister. He took and took until she had nothing left. While he had never dared to raise a hand on her, Esme would rather have him beat her like Charles did than the emptiness he had left her with.
The last time she saw him had been over two years ago when he had finally signed over the divorce papers. There was nothing left of the intelligent, brilliant man that existed in her deepest memories. Instead, a ghost had taken his place; pale, tired, sedated and tied because of his unexpected aggressiveness. A deranged man
She hadn't heard anything about him the past two years. Eleazar respected her wishes and didn't mention his visits to his old friend.
Esme didn't think she belonged with the side of the universe where only good things happened to people, but she was optimistic – and that was her strength.
She looked at her boy; her miracle baby, as he wrote hurryingly on his journal. He had taken the idea surprisingly well. Now, all she needed was to take the test results that would show her son being healthy and normal and her life could go on.
A loud ring startled her enough to almost jump. Edward looked up and smiled before returning back to his writing. Esme walked over the kitchen and reached for the phone, when no one spoke from the other line she asked, "Who's this?"
"Hello Mrs Cullen, my name is Joana Chambers. I'm a Head doctor of Broadmoor Hospital I'm calling in-"
"Oh, I know exactly why you call!"
"Exa-"
"I'm not responsible for him anymore"
"I'm aware Mrs Cullen, I just thought-"
"Platt!" She yelled at the phone. "My name is Platt!"
"Miss Platt-"
"Another call and I'll inform the police." She threatened, feeling her heart beating wildly. "I don't know nor do I care how he was able to convince you to search for my number when I had made sure to change it. But I'm warning you, another phone call and I see you warming up my ex husband's cell!"
She hung up with a loud thud and tried to inhale as much air as possible. She felt angry; at the hospital for non respecting her privacy, at Carlisle for making her do this, but most of all at herself for allowing even the mention of his name to unsettle her whole being. No person should have this kind of power over anyone.
She poured a glass of water and almost choked when she saw the time; she was supposed to take Edward over at Emmett and Bella's house.
She placed the glass over the sink and grabbed her bag as she started calling, "Honey, grab your jacket we're-Agh!" She yelped as soon as she turned around and saw him.
Her little boy was standing in the middle of the living room with a knife in his hand. He looked furious – almost possessed. He breathed slowly from his nose and his eyes didn't blink; they stared widely at her in silence
"Honey?" Esme started with gentle with a soft tone. She knew how to approach; she had too many years of experiences with Carlisle. "Sweetheart?" She didn't dare to move when he finally looked up at her. His grip tightened around the knife. "What are doing with that knife?"
His brows furrowed and he dropped the knife on the floor. He looked down and then up to her. His face slowly becoming upset.
Her sweet boy was back
"What happened?
"I-I don't know" He bit his lip, trembling as he took a step towards her, as if afraid she'd punish him. "I'm scared"
Esme knelt in front of him and spread her arms open, welcoming the warmth of her baby as he rushed towards her. She stroked his hair while he buried his little face in her chest. "it's okay, honey" she rubbed his back and tried to comfort him by telling lies. "Everything is okay"
It's what mothers do
oOo
"The good news is, the results are negative; I found no evidence of legends, haemorrhages, or tumours"
For s moment, Esme shut her eyes and exhaled a sigh of relief
"There must be something you can work on then…"
Eleazar glanced down at the papers with a thoughtful look. "If I were to guess, I'd say the black outs are stress related-"
"But he's ten years old!" She interrupted in disbelief. "What kind of stress a ten year old can have?"
"Plenty." He assure her. "Maybe he has a severe copying problem about not having a father. You said the last time the blackouts occurred; he was visiting his friend's dad"
"Well… he has been pushing me to talk about his father lately and I've been putting it off," She admitted, lighting up another cigarette.
"Perhaps he should see him" Esme opened her mouth to refuse but Eleazar held his hand up in the air as a sign to silence her. "It's worth the shot, Esme. Think about it; Edward is a stubborn boy, he'll never be satisfied with whatever answer you'll give him. If he sees him… he'll understand better his father's absence"
Esme walked around the room, haunted even by the idea of it; Carslisle had been hysterical when she saw him two years ago. She could still hear his screams as she had left the room. What if he did the same to her poor boy? How could her baby survive such a traumatic meeting?
And yet… Eleazar was right. Edward would never be satisfied with answers. She knows he'd want to meet him one day – she was just hoping Carlisle would be dead by then.
"How can we do it?" She finally asked
Eleazar took a seat in front of her and pulled out a calendar. "We can arrange a controlled meeting next Sunday. I'll give a careful dose of jess to Carlisle, bring some security and Edward will come for a quick visit. With a bit luck, no more missing father complex."
It sounded easy, but could it be?
Esme nodded and rubbed her half finished cigarette into the ashtray
"Alright. Do what you must"
oOo
If there was one this she liked about Florida, it was the weather. Esme would never get tired of the sun with the clean blue sky and the warm air. It was such a contract compared to her life in Seattle; rainy, cold, forever dark.
She felt quite bitter for wasting her day off to see Carlisle, of all people but Esme reminded herself this was about Edward.
She pressed the car's petal to go faster at the thought of him. She took a peak at the driver's seat where her boy was seating with his journal; he had brought up his knees close to his chest and with them he was supporting the journal on his thighs as he relaxed back in his seat.
She wondered what he wrote with so much attention; was it how he spent his day with Emmet, Bella and Jasper before she picked him up? Did he have another black out and didn't tell her? No, he would tell her, right?
Ever since she took that promotion at the hospital, she rarely got to talk with Edward other than the typical 'how-was-your-day, what-did-you-do-at-school, how-are-the-twins, did-you-blackout-today?'
Her grip tightened around the wheel and pressed the gas to go faster.
"Mom, you're going over the speed"
Esme blinked and glanced at the number, feeling numb that her son was right. God, what's happening to her?
"I'm sorry, honey. Better?"
Edward nodded once she slowed down and shut his journal shut, putting his pen inside his head pocket. Esme couldn't help but notice a poorly made bracelet made of flowers wrapped around her son's wrist.
"Where did you get this?"
He followed her eyes and exclaimed, "Bella made it for me, mom! We got married!"
A smile spread over her lips and a bubble of laughter was building inside her chest. She tried not laugh but failed.
"Mom! Don't laugh!" he whined, crossing his arms. "Bella is no your daughter in law. You should respect her!"
"Okay, okay" she dismissed him with her hand. "Did she get a bracelet too?"
"No, I got her a tiara her father got her when he-"
"Edward?"
She looked at his frowny face concerned
"I… think we played" He tried to concentrated and looked down his lap when Esme glared at him
"You black out?!" She stopped the car and turned to him; he wasn't meeting her eyes which meant she was right. She tried to remain calm, reminding herself that he was fine; he was here, with her, safe and sound. "You must tell me every time this happens!"
"I know… I'm sorry, mom"
"It's important, Edward." She insisted firmly. "I must know, got it?"
He nodded quickly and she sighed. "You told me before that Phil was teaching you all to play baseball"
He shrugged. "I guess we played then"
She pinched at the ridge of her nose and rubbed her front head, feeling a headache coming. She'll call Phil later to ask.
"What about your little ceremony? Do you remember it?"
His face brightened up at the mention and he nodded. "Yeah, Bella took a white sheet to wrap around her since she didn't have a wedding dress."
Esme rolled her eyes and started up the car again. "How did the idea even come?"
"Emmet says his dad told him that a wife should always listen and follow her husband. And since we were discussing about places Bella, Jasper and I would like to visit, Bella said she's not allowed to go anywhere without her father's permission. So, Jasper reminded me what Emmet told us and I offered to marry her so we can go whenever she wants to when we grown up."
The more she listened, the sicker she became.
Esme tried not to be noisy but when you live in such tight neighbourhood as theirs, it was normal to gossip. Esme was hopping by the end of the year, she could move somewhere better. Still closed enough so Edward can see his friends but far enough to have a peace in her mind.
As nice as Phil was, Esme always listened the older ladies around the neighbourhood talking about his fights with Renee who seemed to be in some age crisis and was always missing from home. Sometimes, she engaged to conversations out of concerned for the children; Emmet was always the troublemaker of the group he and her son had formed. Jasper was just the voice of reason; a little boy too mature for his age, and Bella was just… there. Always following behind her mischievous twin brother like a shadow.
It was obviously something dysfunctional was happening in that house. Renee was always finding new hobbies and lovers (if the rumours were true) and poor Phil was getting more twisted in that toxic relationship. She felt sympathy for him; he had married Renee despite their age difference and despite her having kids. Esme knew for experience how hard it was to find love after a messy divorce and a child. Not that she cared anymore. Her entire life was and will always be Edward.
"That's not how it really works, sweetheart." She finally broke the silence. "A husband and a wife are like… best friends; if one wants to do something life changing, then they should speak with the other. Like… partners in a game."
His brows furrowed at the thought and wondered, "So if I want to get us a house, I should ask Bella first?"
"Hypothetically you should buy the house together"
She'd be damned if she allowed anyone to make her sweet boy a misogynistic asshole
"Then… why did Emmet and Bella's dad says differently?"
She swallowed a gulp and pressed her lips together, trying to figure out the best way to explain it.
"Because a lot of people happen to have different ideas for certain things; rarely, some couples prefer to live the way Phil does, while others prefer the way I told you. Nobody likes to be told what to do though."
"I wouldn't want for Bella to hate me…" he trailed off. "Were you and dad partners? "
How Carlisle managed to get mixed in every single conversation between her and Edward, Esme will never know. "Yes, Edwards" she sighed, wondering if she had a Tylenol inside her purse. "We were partners"
A/N: Thank you for reading so far, please let me know whether I should continue this or not
What we know so far:
Esme: single mom, works long hours at the hospital, has married and divorced twice, has a ten year old son from her second marriage
Carlisle: An intelligent doctor who mysteriously went mad. Fought very hard but eventually gave Esme the divorce she wanted
Eleazar: Carlisle's old friend and colleague. He's working at the hospital and has lately been offering a bit of help to the institution that Carlisle is staying. He's very calm, and has a close relationship with Edward and Esme.
Renee: Currently married to her second husband; Phil. Unemployed but adventurous. Has a lot of drama at home, which she tends to avoid. Has two children: Bella and Emmet
Phil: Young former baseball star that works as a high school coach, takes care of the twins and often lets Edward stay at his home when Esme has late night shifts. Has a lot of issues with his wife and seem to be quite misogynist but shows tenderness towards the twins, despite not being biologically his.
Edward: A sweet boy with an uncertain history of blackouts. He has made some disturbing drawings at school that indicate violence and has purposely harmed himself. He's very stubborn and wants to learn as much as he about his dad. His group of close friends includes Jasper and the twins.
Bella: Quiet girl, barely heard. Usually trailing after her twin brother; Emmet. Has no problem with being romantically paired with Edward. She's also never been seen to hung out with anyone but the boys.
Jasper: Quiet and logical, he serves as the peacemaker when things heat up between Edward and Emmet. His favourite person of the group is Bella, and they share love for reading
Emmet: Loud, adventures and a true risk taker. Emmet is not afraid to bend or break the rules for the sake of fun. Has a lot of anger issues and is usually rude. Extremely protective of Bella and lately he's been preferring Jasper as a company rather than Edward
I hope this little list helped, in case I wrote shitty. If I continue I'll obviously develop all of the things I mentioned above