Esme Cullen

We spend the holiday together as a family of course. Perhaps others would find it silly to celebrate the mortal holiday, but my family indulges me. It allows us to buy each other presents, and to simply enjoy the life we have built together.

My perfect Christmas would be to have the fledglings problem finished and done with without any injury to my family or those who have agreed to help us. Times have been very tense. I feared we would not see Edward again for some time. Two of my boys suffered grave injuries already. Now that they are all here, together, and not hurt I wish to keep them that way.

If we can finish this then we will celebrate properly this year. The sky will be the limit. I will even allow Carlisle to spoil us even more so than usual. All I need for the perfect holiday is to know my family and those in this town and on the reservation are safe. That is not too much to ask for, yes?

You know how when you're listening to music playing from another room? And you're singing along because it's a tune that you really love? When a door closes or a train passes so you can't hear the music anymore, but you sing along anyway... then, no matter how much time passes, when you hear the music again you're still in exact same time with it. That's what it's like. - Music From Another Room

The children's laughter has always been Esme's favorite music. Edward is an accomplished musician, but even his lovely tunes can't compare to him and his siblings laughing. Through the years it is always as unexpected as it was the first time she heard it. They each have their own individual laugh. When they combine together it's as enchanting as any Orchestra she has listened too.

Esme remembers the first time she heard each of her children laugh. She remembers what it was that made them laugh. It's filed away in her mind just like their first tears and the cause for those are. She is an indulgent and attentive mother. And like every other mother it is those tears that she wants to soothe away. It's those laughs that she wants to treasure.

The truth is that their laughter is infectious. If one laughs then soon they all join in. Carlisle and Esme find themselves laughing along with them. It is when they are laughing together that she knows that their family is strongest. Because there is as much healing power in laughter as there is any of the medical treatments that Carlisle uses on his patients.

In fact, sometimes, she would swear laughter is even more powerful than any sort of traditional medicine.

The moment that Edward returned home after his run in with Jake at the school, Esme knew he was troubled and in pain. She may not possess the gifts that Alice, Jasper and Edward have, but she has something none of them have; maternal instinct. As kind and compassionate as Esme can be, there is a side to her that one would be a fool to cross; her mother bear need to protect her young. It was evident in the way that he carried himself up the stairs that every step was agony. His beautiful eyes, those beautiful eyes that made her so happy when they full of joy, made her heart break the moment she caught a glimpse of the pain reflecting in them.

"I'll go to him," she informed Carlisle, and immediately did just that. Carlisle was a wonderful father. He was the voice of reason. He was the strength that they all relied on. But it was Esme who had the comforting touch only a mother could possess.

It was only Esme who would be able to get past Edward's defenses so that he would all her to wrap her arms around him to pull him close. Only Esme who would be permitted to thread her fingers through all that bronze hair as she rocked him quietly. He was so quiet for a bit, and she did not press. She had been this boy's mother for decades. Each of her children reacted to pain and disappointment differently. Which meant that she reacted differently with each of them as she comforted them.

"I never meant to hurt her," he finally whispered as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, shielded by her long brown hair. He never liked to share his pain. Forever seventeen, her first born did not like to give into grief and fear. He did not like to acknowledge that even the best of intentions sometimes turned out to do more harm than good.

"Of course you didn't my darling," she said in a firm tone, her arms tightening around him. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

And he did. He told her what Jake had sent to him to see. Every painful memory that he was forced to endure because the wolf had figured out her son's secret gift. The rage bubbled beneath her skin as she tried her best to keep it from boiling over. There was a truce after all. The wolf was a child himself after all. It would do no one any good for her to go after the boy with the fury of a mother wanting to avenge her hurt child.

"Edward, you were trying to help her. Perhaps it didn't work the way you intended, but your heart was in the right place, Baby."

If her words brought him any comfort she wasn't sure, but he let her hold him. That had to help a little.

My family of course. Carlisle came to me when I needed him most. He saved me from the damage I had inflicted upon myself. He offered me a new life. One with him and Edward. One that would soon include Rosalie, Alice, Emmett and Jasper. He gave me children. Beautiful children who needed a mother as much as I needed to be their mother.

We are not a typical family, no. We keep to ourselves not to draw suspicion or fear of what we are. There is laughter and love. There is loyalty and honesty. We stay together because we are stronger together. We stay together because we are happier together. When one of us chooses to strike out on his or her own, we support them, and we miss them. We celebrate when they return home to us.

I trust my family with my life just as they trust me with theirs. There is no reason to fear each other. There is nothing that we would not do for each other. Perhaps that is what makes us so different from those other families; we genuinely enjoy being with each other. We're happy.

I loved him from the moment I set eyes on him. I'm not sure if he believes that is true, but I know that it is. It doesn't matter that I was just a teenager then. You can love strongly and purely as a teenager. My kids all prove that do they not?

He was beautiful, kind, and considerate. He took such good care of me. Years later, when I was at the end of my rope, and thought life could no longer hold me here, he stepped in to give me another choice. Another chance.

My life before Carlisle and my children was very lonely. I lost so much, and felt as if nothing could ever take away that pain and depression. Now I look around me and I know I will never be alone again. My family is eternal. We are stronger when we are together, and we always support and love each other. We may not be typical, no, but we belong to each other.

How could I possibly ever be alone with them around?