The characters belong to Stephanie Meyer but the story is my own.
My first day as a vampire was over, and I was pleased that I had made it through. Carlisle had promised that I would have some ladies clothing as soon as the stores opened. I had been hunting three times since I had awakened, which seemed to worry Carlisle and Edward. I assumed that Carlisle was still working at the hospital, so I wondered how he was going to get away with stealing my body, my dead body, from the morgue. I was dead. I laughed at the irony as I gently replaced the cup into the cupboard. Laying around me were the shattered ruminants of the eleven other glasses that I had been practicing on. This was the last one and it had survived me for the last two hours. Edward had decided to go to his room after watching me shatter the first six. Carlisle had stayed, encouraging me until I got it right. As the clock had chimed eight he had left to go and get ready for a day on the town.
"Esme?" He entered the kitchen and smiled at me as he approached. "I am going out for about an hour or so. Edward is going to stay here with you. I also have to stop by the hospital to let them know that a family emergency is going to take me out of town for at least two weeks. Do you have the list?" I nodded and handed him the paper which was in a sealed envelope.
"Thank you Carlisle, for everything." I smiled, still afraid of myself.
"Do you like any colors in particular? I would like to at least get you something that you will like." His thoughtfulness touched me and I smiled even wider.
"Yes, I love yellow and anything that has purple in it. I, I used to make all my own clothing as it was cheaper to buy the material than the actual clothing. I wonder what it will be like to wear store bought clothing." I couldn't help but brighten at the idea as I had never had the luxury.
"Well then I will let the shop ladies know. Please do not hesitate to ask for anything that you need while here darling." He took my right hand and kissed the back before silently leaving the house. Carlisle was turning out to be the gentleman that I had always dreamed. Wait, Edward.
"It's okay Esme, I will not tell him your private thoughts. They are yours and yours alone. I may be able to hear them but I would only ever tell Carlisle if I thought you were a danger to yourself." His voice was just above a whisper but I could hear him plain as day.
"Thank you Edward, it means a lot to me. I have only ever had, solace within my mind and I am glad to know that my personal thoughts will stay personal." I heard him chuckle as he turned a page and returned to his reading.
My throat was beginning to itch again but I knew that I had to wait until Carlisle returned just in case a human was outside and I caught their scent. Even though I was aware that I should be craving human blood I had no want to ever hurt another human being. I actually hoped to be like Carlisle someday and use this life to help those around me. Carlisle, the most amazing man to ever walk this earth. He had a heart larger than any I had ever seen. His kindness was unending and he was so gentle with me, especially when my mind was in complete turmoil. I could not lie he was also an incredibly handsome man. His eyes were the most unique shade of golden that I had ever seen. His smile lit an entire room with little effort and made everything lighter. For some reason I knew that I could trust him with my life, with me no matter how broken I felt I was.
I had been concentrating so hard on my task at hand that Edward startled me when he entered.
"I noticed that you were getting distracted. Would you care to go hunting?" He offered his arm but carefully watched my reaction.
"Alone? Should we not wait for Carlisle?" I felt fear flutter inside of me at the thought that I could slip up and hurt someone.
"We won't go far. Trust yourself." I slipped my arm through his, smiling. Edward was a wonderful young man and he seemed to hold Carlisle in high regard.
"Edward, how old are you?" The question slipped from my mouth as soon as it crossed my mind. My free hand jumped up to cover my mouth as I was never this rude when I was human!
"It's okay Esme! Please do not be embarrassed. Your mind works much faster now and things that you think will sometime pop out before you can process them. I would be twenty-two now if I was still aging. Carlisle found me dying in the hospital and he turned me, I was seventeen." He watched my face as I processed this information.
"Wait, we never age?" I froze in my tracks, as I realized that I would look like this forever. Hold it, I did not even know what I looked like!"
"We have one mirror but Carlisle took it down as he did not want your reflection to scare you. No you are not a monster as you have pictured. It is just that your eyes are not golden like ours, they are red due to the blood that is still within your body. It can be quiet startling with everything else." I nodded and took a small sniff, hoping that something to eat would be close to home. I caught a small whiff of dear and took off in that direction. Edward stayed as close to me as he could, not wanting to let me get away. I quickly finished the deer and stood, wiping my hands clean of dirt. I had quickly figured out that I needed to bury my own kills rather than depend on others to do so for me. Edward was not far off, burying his own kill. I watched him, still in awe of how amazing we were.
"Are you ready Edward?" I smiled as I fiddled with my shirt tails, waiting. He nodded and took one leap, landing next to me. I shrieked in shock and delight.
"Try it! Think of where I was and jump. Go." He gave me a slight push and I jumped. I landed on a tree and snapped it in half, a crash echoing through the forest. I immediately felt embarrassed that I had over stepped where I had been aiming. Would this ever get easier!
"Yes Esme, with time." Edward helped me out of the rubble and laughed as he pulled pine needles and small branches out of my hair. "Let's go home."
"Race you!" I screamed at Edward as I bolted towards the house. I could hear his booming laughter behind me and I could not help the laugh that escaped me. As soon as the house came into view I saw Carlisle watching us from the front doorstep. I slowed and waved before bounding over to him.
"You seem to have had fun. I have a surprise for you." He gently placed me in front of him and slipped something soft over my eyes. I gasped, slightly afraid but trusting him. He gently placed a hand on both sides of my body and guided me forward. I willed myself to move, as excitement began to grow. He suddenly stopped and pulled off the blindfold. In front of me was a small room that had been used as storage, it was off the kitchen. Instead if boxes, the room now had a table and chair with shelves lining one wall. A lamp was over the table, casting a bright light through the room. On the table was a beautiful, up to date sewing machine. "When you said that you had never worn store bought clothing and then spoke about making clothing, your face lite up. I was able to get it second hand so do not worry if you break it or any parts. I also got some string and different materials for you. It's yours, I wanted you to have your own space here while you adapt to being you."
I turned to Carlisle and threw my arms around him. He wrapped his arms around me in return and kissed the top of my head. I let go and stepped back, ashamed of my display of affection to a man that I barely knew.
"Carlisle, could I see myself?" I stepped back and looked to the ground, afraid of his answer. He gently touched my chin with a finger and raised my head until I was looking him in the eyes.
"There is no need to be afraid of me Esme. You can ask anything that you want. Yes you may. I overheard that part of your conversation and already put the mirror back up. It's in the bathroom just down the hall." I took a deep breath then walked down the hall and opened the door. As I lifted my eyes the woman that was staring back at me was amazing. My skin had always been pale but it was now almost white. My hair had gained a cooper color along with auburn highlights but my eyes. I shuddered as I looked at the deep red color that was staring back at me. I now understood why Carlisle had decided to remove the mirror as I would have been even more terrified by the way that I now looked. I returned to the kitchen satisfied that I was beautiful rather than the monster I had pictured. Perhaps this life would not be so bad after all.
"I also got you some dresses for now. The bags are on my bed upstairs. Please go look and anything that you don't like I will return." I smiled at Carlisle, wishing I felt comfortable enough to voice my thoughts. Instead I spun on my heel and ran up the steps, feeling like a teenager on her way to her first Church dance. I made sure to gently close the door, finding it easier to keep my strength in check. I looked at the bed and felt my eyebrows raise as I took in all the parcels. I made a quick count and threw the door open, landing at the bottom of the stairs with no effort.
"Carlisle!" Edward and he both appeared immediately panicked expressions on their faces. "You, you bought way too much! There are at least thirteen bags on the bed!" I placed my hands on my hips as I tried my best to glare at him.
"Well if that's all this is." Edward gently smacked Carlisle on the shoulder and left the room. Carlisle snarled gently at him then turned back to me, shaking his head.
"Esme darling, it is my job to look after you. When I changed you, you became my responsibility. I have nothing in this house for a woman. I had to get you underclothing as well as shoes. Everything is simple and practical and I was assured by the sales women that it was everything you would need. I told them my sister had lost all of her clothing in a house fire. I did not find it unreasonable. Please, go back up and try some of it on." He smiled as I glared at him, still not sure where I stood.
"Carlisle, I can't! It is too much!" He placed a finger over my mouth causing me to stop talking.
"Enough. I will not hear another word. Go." He pointed up the stairs and I stuck my tongue out at him before returning to the bedroom. I opened the first bag and found two beautiful dresses, one a stunning pale blue and the other a simple pale green. There was a matching belt for the green dress and shoes, the same color. The shoes were simple with only slight heels and adorable little buckles. The third bag held five blouses in an arraignment of colors wile the next held some skirts. I also found enough undergarments to last me a week as well as three more pairs of shoes. I discovered a full body pink dress that was for an evening out to a fancy event. Along with two coats, one made for cold weather and one for cool weather. I dressed in the green dress and headed back downstairs, putting the shoes on as an afterthought.
Carlisle was still waiting at the bottom of the stairs and gave a nod when he saw me.
"It's lovely Carlisle. Thank you." I gave him a hug and then spun around, wanting him to get the full effect.
"The color suits you Esme. I am pleased that you like everything. I put all the other items in your room. Would you like to try out the machine?" I nodded and headed off, glad to be alone for the first time since I had awoken. As I had not gotten tired yet, I figured that we most likely did not sleep as Edward and Carlisle had not even made a move towards the bedrooms. I sat in front of the machine, stunned at the fact that I had my own sewing machine. Charles had, wait Charles? I tried to remember him and all I was unable to picture anything beside a fuzzy face. I could not even remember his eye color. I remembered that he had been the worst person I had ever met. He used to beat me and rape, yes Esme, rape me. Yet he was fading. I was glad that I struggled to remember him as I wanted to put that part of my history behind me. I had a chance, a new life and I wanted to embrace it with everything that I could. I would not waste this opportunity that Carlisle had given to me, this gift of a new life.