Chapter 1- That's Life

Columbus, Ohio
September, 1911

Thomas was running after me. He'd left Lily far behind him. It wasn't my fault I was faster than both of my best friends. He called after me. “Aw. Come on Esme! Give me a chance!! We all know you're the fastest. You don't need to rub it in!” I giggled.

“Yes. I am fastest. This is called Tag, Tom. The point is to run away as fast as you can,” I kept going at a pace faster than his. Once he was far enough behind, I began to scale the giant oak tree that was convenient placed in my backyard.

“What are you doing Esme?” he asked panting as he approached the tree.

“Getting a safe distance away from you. We all know you are deathly afraid of heights,” I called down triumphantly. Just then Lily approached us.

“Esme,” she told me in a stern voice “You get down from that tree this instant. Climbing trees is NOT ladylike!”

“Aw. Lily come on! Having a little fun will not kill you!” I smiled climbing up higher.

“I will go get your parents,” she threatened.

I sighed. She knew my weak spot. My mother would kill me for playing tag with Tom let alone climbing a tree. “Alright. I'm coming down....” I looked down and started my decent. On the third branch from where I could jump down without injury, the bough I was standing on snapped. I looked quickly at my two friends below me with a look of panic on my face as I realized I was falling. They both looked horrified.

I felt twigs scrape at my face as I passed them at speeds that didn't seem natural unless you were riding in a train or a car. I was sure I was going to break, or at least sprain something. I closed my eyes bracing myself for the moment I would collide with the hard, unkind ground below me. I felt myself hit and waited for the pain of the blow to fully come to my awareness.

“Oh no!” Lily started sobbing. “She's dead!!”

“Lily. She is not dead..... I hope,” I heard Tom's voice, much closer than Lily's. “Esme? CAN. YOU. HEAR. ME?” he called loudly.

“Of course I can hear you Tom, you silly boy,” I said gritting my teeth. The worst of the pain was coming from my lower body. To be specific, my right leg. “Go get my parents Lily will you?” I looked at her. The poor girl was shaking with tears streaming down her face. She nodded and started running back towards my house.

“Esme are you alright?” Tom asked kneeling next to me. He looked truly worried.

I sighed. “I think so. I'm pretty sure my leg is broken though,”

After that it was silent until Lily came running back with my mother and father. “Oh Esme. Lily told us what happened. What have we told you about climbing that tree?” my father scolded.

I looked down immediately, red flushing my cheeks. “I'm not supposed to, I'm supposed to act like a lady,” I stated what I had been told at least a hundred times in the past.

“Don't be too hard on her, she was just trying to have fun,” Tom stood up for me. “If it's anyone's fault it's mine.”

“Alright. Well. Lily, Thomas. You had better be running along. I know your mother is looking for you,” Mother told them.

“Yes Mrs. Platt,” Lily said and grabbed her brother's hand. Leading him back home.

“See you later Esme,” Tom told me, a look of sadness at his forced departure on his, still slightly chubby, face.

“I'll see you later Tom.” I told him frowning, as my father lifted me off the ground where I had landed.

“Well, we'd better get you to the Hospital,” he sighed walking toward the garage with mother walking behind him.