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— INITIALLY ANTHONY SWAN WAS UPSET, distraught even, at the idea that his own mother cared less about him than she did his sister.
At first it hurt, and then hurt some more. The feeling of betrayal gripped on his heart, clutching and ripping ruthlessly like icy claws, desperately trying to latch onto him and make its home there.
But then there was Esme. The good kind of fire. She hugged him close and let him cry. Despite being on the frozen side of temperatures, she had a warmth that washed over him and melted the sad feelings away.
"I'm sorry," he'd sobbed into her shoulder, listening as that mocking child's laughter echoed around his brain, trying to tell him that boys shouldn't cry. Just as it always had. "I'm sorry."
"Honey, don't be sorry." Esme held him closer, ignoring the fact that she could hear Emmett down the hall, tearing Renée a new one.
Anthony could hear it too, and it drowned out his own thoughts, leaving his brain numb on sadness and paralyzed in the moment.
"You absolute fucking bitch!" Emmett yelled angrily. "You're the one person he came to in this moment and you decide to push him away? What the hell kind of parent are you?" There was a silence for a moment, Tony sniffed but didn't move away from Esme.
"You can't be fucking serious? Tell me you're kidding?" Another short silence. "Well if he's dying, you should be there for him!"
"I can believe you'd say that, I swear to hell I'd fight you right now if I didn't want PETA on my ass!-" "Emmett!" "-Oh please, Rose like you wouldn't do the same."
Esme looked down at Tony, and nudged him up a little bit so she could see his face.
"You're alright." She smiled sadly, wiping the tear stains on Anthony's face and trying to ignore the puffy redness around his eyes and snotty nose.
Tony shook his head, another sob wracking painfully through his body.
"No I'm- not."
Esme moves his hair away from his forehead gently.
"No, but you will be. One day. I promise." She said softly.
Anthony knew that was an empty statement. He probably wouldn't live long enough for 'okay'. Sure he could love the Cullens, and his father, and Bella and Liv and Danny and Reyes and that would be nice.
