Carlisle and Esme

7. Waiting

Chapter Seven

I had a good idea of depression because many patients came in, complaining of it and needing medication or because the depression had taken the next stage. So, although I had no idea of Esme's pain back when she lost a human baby, I was pretty certain it was similar to what she was feeling now. If Esme had been wary before Edward left, she was completely and utterly distressed and depressed now. I took a week off work to attempt to pull her out of it.

It had been three days since Edward had left. Esme had remained in the same chair in the family room since he had left. She had not gone hunting and her thirst was now getting to that uncontrollable stage.

I kneeled down in front of Esme and took her hands. She stared straight over my head at the oil painting of the Volturi over the fireplace. I had pictures framing my history and most of them were in this room. The Volturi were a coven of Italian vampires who were like royalty in our world. They enforced laws. I had lived with them briefly before creating Edward.

"Esme. This has to stop." Her black eyes dropped to look at my pleading face.

"I'm not doing anything." She whispered. Despite having not talked in days, her voice was still smooth and soft.

"I know you're not. You're really not. But that has to stop..." Her gaze dropped to the floor, her lip trembling like a toddler not getting what it wanted. "Esme... Edward isn't your baby. He hasn't died. He still loves you and he will come back soon. But starving yourself like this... It isn't going to kill you. You'll just get weaker."

"How do you know that?" She murmured. I had not told Esme of my past.

"Because I tried every way imaginable when I realised what I was..."

"You... You jumped off a cliff?" I nodded. I then stood up and pulled her to her feet. She came willingly enough.

"If you come with me to hunt... I'll explain all these pictures to you." I made a gesture to the pictures surrounding the room, hanging from the walls or on the mantelpiece or the window sills. Esme frowned in thought.

"What if I don't want to know?" I smiled because she asked that but her eyes were burning with curiosity.

"You DO want to know so are you going to be a good girl and come with me?" Esme smiled and nodded. I released one of her hands but kept the other, linking our fingers together.

We hunted in the woods surrounding the outskirts of Rochester and further. It felt so good for the both of us to just be free. We ran around and took down prey of deer, elk and a few mountain lions between us. I kept an eye and ear out for any hint of humans but we came across none so we had a happy hunt before leaving to go back home.

"So... Can you tell me now?" Esme asked once we were back in the family room. She went to sit on the couch, crossing her legs and holding one of the cushions in her arms. I nodded and turned towards the pictures.