Esme was not ready to accept her sons were gone. Instead of planning her usual Christmas party, she went back to Alaska and knocked on every door within a five-mile radius of the crash site. She had questions the police weren't able to answer. First, why was the boy's rental car found where it was? They were over 20 miles from their hotel and any of the hiking trails, bars, or hunting spots they'd planned on visiting. Second, why did Emmett crash the car? He was used to driving 25-ton fire trucks through rain, smoke, and snow. An SUV on a dry dirt road should have been no problem.
Last, and most importantly, where were the bodies? The police blamed local wildlife, but Emmett's suitcase was stuffed with granola bars and beef jerky, an irresistible feast for any animal. Why wasn't it torn to shreds? When no one within five miles could answer her questions, Esme expanded her search radius a further ten miles. She didn't stop until Carlisle and Rose came to Alaska and dragged her home.
Like Esme, Alice had difficulty accepting her loved ones were gone. She went from honor roll student to receiving visits from the local truancy officer. On the rare days she attended school, she wore nothing but black and spent lunch crying in the bathroom. She refused to attend prom, sign up for the much anticipated senior trip to Disneyworld, or walk at graduation. How could she ever have fun or laugh again without Jasper at her side? As for college, she wasn't going. Jasper was the smart one. It should have been him, not her, looking through glossy admissions pamphlets.
Alice's parents, the guidance counselor, and the principal agreed it would be best for her to take a gap year before making any college decisions. Unfortunately for them, Alice had other plans. She decided to pack her bags and head to New York City where she found work as a model. No matter how much her parents begged, Alice refused to come home. There wasn't a single place she could go in Forks without being reminded of everything she'd lost.
Alice and Esme weren't the only ones who had difficulty coping. In the months following the funeral, Bella spiraled into a place so dark it was hard to imagine she'd ever seen light. Her nights were plagued by visions of car accidents, empty coffins, and a bloody Edward appearing at the foot of her bed. Days weren't much better. Basic things, like eating and getting out of bed to shower, often took more energy than she had. Friends stopped by with sympathy and casseroles that ended up going moldy in the refrigerator. Worst of all, Esme often called claiming she'd found the guys. For a few hours, Bella would hope and imagine the feeling of Edward in her arms only to sink back into the darkness when it turned out Esme was wrong. After the third false alarm in a week, Bella stopped answering Esme's calls.
When summer came, Bella decided it was time to leave the house. She bought a motorcycle and started hanging around in bars with strange men just to hear Edward's voice pleading for her to be careful. When Edward stopped appearing and her school friends stopped calling, Bella drove to the highest cliff in La Push and did the unthinkable.
Just when it seemed like all was lost, Jacob appeared to save the day. He introduced Bella to his friends and showed her how even the bleakest times seemed a little brighter in a place like La Push. While Bella never again allowed the darkness to consume her, she decided to keep the motorcycle and gave purple hair and the drums a try. She sold her father's house and moved to La Push where Sam Uley, one of Jacob's closest friends, agreed to rent her a room. Leaving Forks was hard, Especially when Esme found out, but it was a necessary fresh start. One where Edward's ghost didn't haunt her at every turn.
With friends she wouldn't hesitate to go to war for at her side, Bella thrived. She joined Jacob in his work at the Black Pack, a sanctuary for abused wolves and wolf-hybrid dogs. When tough times forced the tribe to cut their funding, Bella and Jacob did everything they could to keep their heads above water. Jacob started working at Sam's garage for extra money while Bella went back to her most hated high school job at Newton's Outfitters. It was hard work, but it was worth it to give innocent creatures a second chance at life.
Unfortunately, things didn't get better as time went on. Bills poured in at double the rate of their combined paychecks. One day, Bella was debating between two dogs in desperate need of life-saving surgery when a simple black and white flyer changed the course of her life. The flyer was for a battle of the bands with cash prizes for the best original songs. While she knew first and second place were probably out of reach, the five thousand dollar third prize would be enough to pay for both surgeries. Without wasting another second, Bella ran off to find her friends.
While Jacob thought the odds of the Quileute legends of shapeshifters coming true were better than that of them winning, he knew they were running out of options and agreed to go along with Bella's idea. With the help of Leah, Quil, and Sam, they wrote a half-decent song and entered it in the competition. Much to everyone's surprise, they won. Then came interviews, fans, and concerts in places Bella never dreamed she'd ever see.
On the day of her first sold-out concert, Bella discovered she could think of Edward without tearing up. On what would have been Edward's 21st birthday, Bella finally agreed to let Seth give her her first tattoo. More soon followed, but nothing was as significant as the three tiny initials near her heart. On that night, Bella looked back and marveled at how much she'd grown as a person since losing Edward. It wasn't the life she'd planned at eighteen, but it was one filled with meaning and joy. She could only hope wherever Edward was he was proud of everything she'd accomplished.
Unlike Bella, Rose was calm and collected at the funeral and returned to work within a week. Bella called Rose an unfeeling witch unaware of the truth. While she didn't show it, Emmett's death devastated Rose. Unable to bear entering their bedroom, she spent a month sleeping on the beautiful yet uncomfortable living room couch. When she finally did enter the bedroom, it took six months to consider getting rid of Emmett's belongings and two more months to actually do it. The day she left Emmett's things at Goodwill was the hardest day of her life second only to the day she found out he was dead.
When Emmett had been gone for a year, Rose started attending a grief support group. There, she reconnected with an old friend from high school. Royce King had also lost his spouse and was more than willing to offer Rose a shoulder to cry on. A year later, friendship turned to romance. On their second anniversary, Royce proposed with his grandmother's ring and Rose said yes. She sold the house she'd shared with Emmett and started planning the wedding.
Carlisle was the next one to make a radical change in his life. While he had enough money to live ten lifetimes without ever working another day, Esme encouraged him to return to work when she found him attempting to mow the lawn for the third time in a week. Unwilling to return to a hospital setting, Carlisle accepted a teaching position at a local university. While it was much less stressful than his previous position, Carlisle soon found himself once again found himself unhappy. Teaching the same classes year after year made him restless. He couldn't shake the feeling there was something else there he was meant to be doing.
Without discussing it with Esme, Carlisle signed up for Doctors Without Borders. and accepted a one year posting at a small Ethiopian clinic. While she was upset, Esme didn't fight him. It was hard for them both to live in a house surrounded by memories of their sons. She didn't fault her husband for needing a break. There were plenty of days she thought about packing her things and never setting foot in Forks again. Esme wasn't the least bit worried when he left. She figured one week without Starbucks, wifi, or air conditioning and he'd be begging to go home. In the meantime, she'd be free to search for her sons without interruption.
Much to Esme's surprise, Carlisle didn't seem troubled by the lack of modern conveniences. His work at the clinic fulfilled him in ways no other job had. Each day left him feeling like he'd accompanied something worthwhile. While he couldn't save his own sons, he could help other young men and send them back home to their grateful families. When asked if he'd like to renew his contract, Carlisle agreed with zero hesitation. Esme would understand, right?
Esme wasn't quite as understanding as Carlisle hoped. While she knew how important his work was, she needed him back home to help investigate a new lead. There were six missing people in Anchorage, all in their late teens and early twenties, the same ages as their sons when they disappeared. When Carlisle refused to come home and suggested she start attending grief therapy, Esme sent him an envelope stuffed with business cards from every divorce lawyer she could find.
In need of comfort, Esme drove to Rose's house. She was horrified to find a moving truck in the driveway. Once again, one of her daughters had decided to relocate without saying anything. While Esme put on a brave face and told Rose she was happy for her, she went home and cried herself to sleep. It seemed everyone had given up on her sons and moved on.