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The Esme Chronicles: The Human Years by EsmeMomCullen






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Table of Contents
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Story Notes:

Disclaimer: All Twilight canon characters in this story are created and the property of Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are the property of the author "Esme Mom Cullen" (Twitter: @_Esme_Cullen & esmecullemom@yahoo.com). The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Twilighted Beta; qjmom

Author's Chapter Notes:

To my dear readers:

For those of you who began reading Esme's Story prior to February 3, 2010, the first four chapters that you read have been consolidated into the Prologue.  Nothing has been removed or changed. Twilighted has an unwritten policy regarding transitioning from third-person to first-person in stories published on this site, with the exception being in a Prologue.  I am making the change now to accomodate this rule and apologize to my readers for not publishing it in this format from the start. If I had known about the policy it would have been followed.  

My feeling has been that prior to what will now be Chapter 1, entitled Summer 1911, Esme was too young to be able to tell her story on her own.  As bright as she is, Esme's voice at six would not do her situation justice.  At 16, she is prepared to tell her tale going forward in her own words.  I hope you continue to follow her story an thank you for reading.

For those of you new to Esme's Story, this message is not applicable and I apologize that you had to take the time to read it.  Welcome and I hope you enjoy the story.     

Love,

E


PROLOGUE

July 1901

Ringlets of curls fell around the six year old girl's little face as she stared down at the book on her lap.  She read out loud to the small but enthralled audience gathered around her.

"He thought her more charming than ever, and, a few days after, married her. Cinderella, who was as good as she was beautiful, gave her two sisters a home in the palace, and that very same day married them to two great lords of the Court. The End."

She looked up and smiled at her admirers as she heard clapping coming from behind her. She turned toward the sound and beamed at the lady standing in the doorway.

"Grandmother!" she exclaimed as she jumped to her feet and ran to her.

The woman laughed heartily as she scooped her up and kissed her cheek. "Hello darling. Who are you reading to?"

"My dolls. Molly and Kristen. I was teaching them the story of Cinderella."

"Teaching? You mean reading to them," the woman said correcting the very forthright child.

"No, I wanted them to learn it, like school."

"Ah, I see," the woman said as she carried the pretty girl over to the child's bed and sat down on the edge, shifting the girl to her lap. "Does that mean you like school?"

Smiling brightly and with a new enthusiasm she answered, "I love school and my teacher."

The older woman chuckled, "That's wonderful news. Let's hope it stays that way."

Suddenly a knock and a man's voice from the door interrupted, "Mother, it is time."

"I will be there in a moment," she said to the man as she moved the girl off her lap and onto the bed, "Now be a good teacher to Molly and Kristen. Soon you will have a real baby, a baby sister or brother, to teach."

"Oh! It is that time," the child said, jumping to her feet and running for the door but her grandmother interceded, "No, you stay here. We'll come get you when your sibling is ready to meet you."

Her face full of disappointment, the girl looked up at her grandmother and sighed. "Alright."

The grandmother smiled as she bent down and hugged and kissed the girl, "No matter what you will always be my special girl.  I love you, Esme."

"I love you too, grandmother."

And with that the woman was out the door to attend to the birth of a second child by her daughter and son-in-law, leaving her only grandchild playing with or teaching as she liked to say, her few dolls.

****

"Esme, come here and meet your baby sister," her mother called out softly from the big bed. 

Shyly, still clutching her grandmother's skirt in the doorway, Esme peaked over at her mother and the bundle in her arms. With a gentle nudge from her grandmother, and her father stepping forward to take one of her hands, Esme made her way to the bed.

Her father lifted her up and sat her next to her mother so she could examine the bundle closely.  Her mother smiled at her as she adjusted it so that she could see the tiny sleeping face. 

Esme's eyes grew wide. "She's so small!" cried out the astonished girl.

The adults in the room all laughed at Esme's amazement and she looked around bewildered from face to face.

Her father sat down next to her, and positioning her arms just right as he said, "Here Esme, put your arms like this."

Still in awe, her mother placed the baby in her arms. "Esme," she said, "meet your sister, Millicent."

Esme's eyes were glued to the real baby in her laps as she tried unsuccessfully to repeat the name. Esme's mother chuckled, "You can call her Millie."

"Millie," Esme repeated still staring at the baby. "Nice to meet you, Millie. I'm Esme. I am your big sister."

"And as big sister, you need to watch over Millie and protect and guide her, right dear?" quizzed her mother.

"Of course!" Esme exclaimed, braver now, beginning to rock the baby slightly.

The entire time, her grandmother stood against the wall by the door silently watching the happy family, especially her dearest Esme.  The child was all light and warmth.  It's not that Catherine and Robert were cold, far from it. They loved their daughter dearly and were so happy to finally be blessed with a second child.  But Esme was special. She knew it from the day she was born and it wasn't just because she was her first grandchild. She was a good baby, giving her mother little trouble and rarely ill. She has always been particularly bright but she also was just full of joy.  She radiated love, more than she ever received back from her parents and now as she watched her looking down at this baby, she knew that Millie would be the most cared for little sister who ever lived.

September 1905

"No, like this Millie."  Esme showed Millie again, the placement of her fingers on the piano's keys.  This time the four-year-old made just one mistake. Esme smiled, "Much better."

"Esme dear, maybe Millie is a little young for piano lessons," her grandmother called from across the room where she sat with one-year-old William on her lap.

"No I'm not!" Millie protested with a sour look at her grandmother.

"Millie," said Esme, "Be nice to Grandmother."

Grandmother gave a stern glance to Millie and a hint of a smile and a nod at 10-year-old Esme.

"Mother?" Catherine called from the kitchen.

"Yes?" Grandmother called back.

"Can you put Will down for a nap and Millie too if she needs it. I'm up to my elbows in flour."

"Sure dear," she said looking over at Millie yawning. "She needs it." Grandmother tried to stand up but was having trouble doing so. Esme sprung into action.

"You stay here, Grandmother, I'll take care of them." She walked over and picked up Will from her lap. "Come on Millie," she said taking her hand as they left the room with her grandmother watching the "little mother" leading the children off to nap time.

"Thank you, Esme," she called to her as she sat back into the chair, mad at herself for her advancing age. She wasn't well and she knew it.  She wanted so much to see these children grow, to see Esme married and happy with her own children some day but with each day and each pain, her doubt grew that she would be there for those events.

Esme wandered back to the living room. "I changed Will's diaper and he went right to sleep. Millie complained a little, but went to sleep too."

"Good girl. Thank you dear," Grandmother said, tapping the space next to her on the sofa. "Come sit with me."

Esme smiled and went over and sat next to her favorite person in the world. Her grandmother put her arm around her shoulder pulling her close, Esme's head resting against her. "I hear you still are doing excellent at school little one, straight A's?"

"Always, Grandmother.  I love learning new things."

"That is good. I hear from your mother that your teacher told her that you help out the younger students."

She shook her head up and down. "I like to help. It is fun."

Grandmother pulled Esme tighter. "You are such a treasure, dear."

"A treasure?" Esme asked with a bit of confusion in her voice.

"Yes, Esme, but you are far more valuable than any gold or jewels."

"Esme!" Catherine called out from the kitchen. "I need you to come help me with dinner."

"Yes, Mother!" she called out without question. She looked at her grandmother, "I have to go."

Grandmother squeezed her one more time. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Grandmother!" Esme said as she hugged her back and then stood up and walked to the kitchen.

Grandmother watched her granddaughter bounce out of the room as she began coughing.

 

November 1907

 

"Unto Almighty God we commend the soul of our sister departed, and we commit Esme Anne's body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection unto eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ..."

The minister droned on as she starred down into the hole in the ground before her.  Esme couldn't believe her grandmother, her namesake, was gone. It had been difficult watching her slowly waste away the last two years but even until the end, she was good spirits.

The night before the morning when she didn't wake up, Esme sat with her as she did her homework. She thought she was asleep but suddenly she heard her calling to her.

"Esme," she called, "come closer, dear."

She closed the book on her lap and moved her chair up against the bed as her grandmother reached for her hand. She took her frail fingers in her own. "Yes," she said listening expectantly.

"Esme, my girl, be happy. You are so good. You are going to have such a happy life. I know it. You are going to marry a wonderful man and make him thank his stars every day that he has you. You will raise a beautiful family and be blessed with many children and will be the best mother that any child could ever ask for."

"And you will be there, helping me," said the girl, tears brimming in her eyes, suddenly sounding much older than her 12 years of age.  

The old lady chuckled and squeezed her hand. "I will be in spirit, dear. I'll be watching over you but my body is failing me."  Tears were now falling down Esme's cheek, "Don't cry for me, Esme. I will be with your grandfather soon. I love you, Esme. You have always been my girl."

"I love you too, Grandmother, more than anyone in the world. What will I do without you?" she said as she rested her head by her grandmother's hand.

As she stroked the girl's hair, slowly fading into a dream. "You will live, Esme, you will live."

Esme looked up and could see by her closed eyes and patterned breathing that she was sleeping. She kissed her cheek, and said one more, "I love you," before gathering up her school books and leaving the room.

When Catherine went into the room the next morning with her breakfast, she found that her mother, Esme Anne Barstow, was gone from this world.

The family mourned for the loss of this angel in their life but none more than Esme.  Her grandmother was her favorite person in the world and they were so close.  She could talk to her about anything and never had to worry about being dismissed by her.  She missed her presence so much.    

As she watches the dirt go into the ground, she thought about what her grandmother said that night and thought, ‘Please watch over me. I will live. I will be happy but I need you. I love you.'

"Amen."

June 1909

"Robert she is such a bright girl, let her come to Columbus," argued Michael Platt, Robert's cousin.

"No," he said, by now very agitated, "I need her here on the farm."

"You have two other children that can help out here and she will be home during the summer. She has had straight As since she started school and she should have a chance to continue her education."

Esme was suppose to be asleep but she was listening intently at the conversation going on down the hall in the parlor between her father and his cousin.  It was the last week of school and if Michael Platt, her father's college educated cousin, didn't convince her father otherwise, it would be her last week of school ever.

"She's a girl," Robert bristled. "She will get married soon enough and her education won't matter."

"Robert!" Catherine said more out surprise than scolding.

Robert looked at his wife reproachfully before she could say anything else and her mouth snapped shut, her head looking down.

Michael tried a different approach, "Robert, how about a trial basis.  Let her come stay with me and Sarah in the fall. She can start secondary school with Helen and if the farm begins to fall apart without her, then I'll send her home straight away."

Catherine spoke up quietly, "Robert, we can manage long enough to let her try."

Robert looked back and forth between his wife and his cousin and finally begrudgingly acquiesced, "Fine, she can try but if she gives me any trouble during this summer she isn't going anywhere."

Catherine couldn't help but chuckle at her husband.

"What are you laughing at woman?" Robert asked, still with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Esme, give you trouble? She is the most obedient child on earth. A trained dog would give you more trouble than Esme." She turned toward Michael now. "If that is his stipulation, you and Sarah will be raising my daughter for the better part of the next four years."

Michael smiled at Catherine, "Well you know we would be happy to have her and I think her and Helen will enjoy each others' company as well."

Esme smiled as she listened to her parents and Michael discuss the arrangements for her for the fall.  She would miss her parents and her siblings but she reveled in the opportunity to learn more. She had passed her examination with flying colors.  She hoped, although she knew the chances were slim, that if she was able to get through secondary school that she may just be able to attend university.  She didn't want to believe that she couldn't have an education and get married too.  What man wouldn't value a smart, educated wife that could be his equal? She sighed and rolled over as she thought about her father.

 As she drifted off to sleep, she was no longer sad about it being the last week of school.  She wasn't through with her education yet.

 

 

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