Edward walked slowly out of the room, down an airy hallway and descended a wide staircase as I hovered behind him, shadowing every step. At the foot of the stairs, a vast, light room stretched out lazily. It was very clean and white and sharp, but for two figures sitting on a couch, laughing gently. Edward cleared his throat to announce our presence, and one of the people jumped up and bounded over. He was massive! Thick muscles flexed even while he was still, and his head seemed tiny in comparison with his thick neck. “I’m Emmett,” he said loudly, leaning over me. I nodded shyly, but before I could stammer out my name in response, the other person had appeared at his side.
“Come on Emmett, let’s go,” the girl said. I noticed she was stunningly beautiful. She was tall and willowy, with graceful blonde hair waving down her back. “Rosalie, you haven’t introduced yourself to the newbie yet!” Emmett boomed cheerfully, but after a disapproving look from the blonde he grinned once more and disappeared up the stairs with her. “Don’t worry about Rose, she’s just…well, I’d love to say she’s shy, but she’s just weird around new people.” The sound of Alice’s voice surprised me and I turned around to see everyone else grouped behind me and Edward. I hadn’t noticed them follow us from upstairs.
I shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. Introductions make me nervous,” I chuckled in an attempt to lighten the mood. “And she is pretty intimidating…” Alice nodded understandingly. “So do you want to meet Esme then, or do you want to leave it until later?” Edward asked, enveloping my hand in his, his voice meltingly warm. I chewed my lip a bit, deliberating, but finally decided to say, “Yeah, I can do it now. We shouldn’t keep it a secret anymore.” Everyone smiled encouragingly, and Edward called “Esme?” softly.
A woman, slightly taller than Alice, who looked as though she was in her late twenties, peered in through the archway from the kitchen. She was just as stunning as the rest of them, but she was less angular, strangely softer. It made her look friendlier and more approachable – as did the warm smile playing easily over her face. That smile didn’t falter as she looked curiously over at me, and flashed over to Carlisle’s side. “So who’s this then?” Carlisle looked at her, the harsh angles of his face softening as he explained in a whisper. I figured he didn’t want to upset me by being blunt.
Esme followed Carlisle’s story carefully, nodding occasionally, before looking back up at me. “So…I don’t want to pressure you. But…would you care to stay with us? Would you like to join our family?” Esme asked hesitantly, as though concerned I would be scared. I wouldn’t be frightened by anything they said now; because I didn’t remember any normality before now, I couldn’t realise that this was strange. Looking around, every face in the room was smiling gently at me. I didn’t remember any family before now. I didn’t remember any home. But I knew, instinctively, that these people had accepted me in a way that wasn’t usual. I knew that I could love them, and they could love me, too. I looked at each welcoming face, contemplating her question, before answering carefully. “I would love to.” My words were quiet, but I knew everyone would hear me.
Esme threw her strong arms around me, and I was hard pushed to contain my happiness as I hugged her back. She released me, grinning yet more widely. I took one more look at the faces of the gathered group of people like me…vampires…family.
