Disclaimer Notice: All the characters of Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. The plot and original characters of this story belong to me.
...
Every family has a story. A history. And if one wants to be an optimist... a future. It has a tapestry of harsh and sweet moments that come together and remain as memories.
Charlie Swan's family was one such family.
When Renee Flores agreed to spend the rest of her life with him, Charlie Swan thought, as any young man whose marriage proposal has been accepted, the luckiest guy in this whole damn world.
And rightfully so.
Renee and Charlie understood each other, loved each other. They did not complete each other's sentences. They did not have to. Charlie was not a man of many words but then...Renee did not need many words to understand him.
Of course they had their little tiffs and their big arguments. The discussion on what to name their yet to be born child brought on one such argument.
"I really like the name 'Agatha'," said Charlie. He was lying on the couch with his head resting on his wife's lap.
Agatha was the name of his grandmother who practically raised him.
"You know Charlie, I want to see what would happen if you really name our daughter Agatha," said Renee, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
"What do you think will happen?" Charlie asked.
Renee put another spoonful of maple and walnut ice-cream into her mouth. And then she sighed...thanking the higher powers above who had the good sense to bless humanity with maple and walnut ice-cream.
"She might disown us both when she starts school," Renee said, displaying mock seriousness.
"What's wrong with Agatha? I think it's a strong, decent name. Who knows...she might become a famous writer," Said Charlie, referring to the famous English writer by the same first name.
"Or she might tell you to eat up all your Brussels' sprouts and sit up straight when she is barely two years old," countered Renee.
Charlie could not help but smile. Renee started combing his rich brown locks with her slender fingers. Charlie closed his eyes and sighed.
"Ok...I fail...abysmally. Your turn now." Charlie accepted his defeat gracefully.
"Hmm...How does Abigail sound?" said Renee licking the last bits of ice-cream off the spoon.
"Abigail...source of joy...," Charlie said as he looked into his wife's eyes. And then he smiled.
"Sounds perfect."
And so Abby...as she later would prefer to be called, came into this world on 20 September 1984...followed by Isabella on 10th of November, 87.
(Charlie gave up all his baby naming rights to Renee as he thought she did a pretty good job with Abby).
Madeline was the third and final addition to the Swan family who came kicking and screaming into this world as if she was on a warpath, on 15 February 89.
...
No person in this world can escape tragedy. Charlie Swan was no exception. Renee left him when Madeline was five years old.
What choice did she have...when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and told that she had only a few months left?
The only choice left to her was to spend her little time on this Earth with her lovely daughters and her loving husband.
And so she did...creating new and happy memories about her in their hearts.
On a clear and crisp autumn morning. Abigail and Isabella were indulging Madeline with a game of hide and seek in their garden. The wind carried the girls' laughter to Renee's bedroom on the first floor where she was resting. She looked at Charlie who was sitting at her bedside...running his hand through her hair. He looked defeated. He knew...the time had come. And he also knew what she was trying to say.
"Don't worry...they will be ok...," Charlie tried to hide the sadness in his voice.
Renee smiled.
"I know silly. I am more worried about you. But I know my angels will take good care of you. "
A single tear escaped Charlie's eye.
Renee raised her delicate hand to wipe it. Then she cupped his cheek and looked into his eyes.
Nothing more was said that day in the Swans' house.
...
15 years later...
"Daaaaaaad...its time!" Madeline shouted from the kitchen. Abigail and Isabella were putting final touches on the black forest cake they made for Charlie's Birthday. They made it a tradition to come home for every birthday in their family.
Isabella carried the cake to the lounge where Charlie was exiled to earlier in the day.
Abigail and Madeline followed behind.
"Just one candle? That cannot be right..," Charlie pointed to the single candle in the centre of the cake.
"The store lady said she would have to place an order for a new shipment when we mentioned your age," Isabella quipped.
Charlie smacked lightly on Isabella's head.
"Your mum left you in charge of sarcasm didn't she?"
"Come on dad...cut the cake. I cannot wait to taste it anymore," Maddy said.
Charlie blew the candle out while the girls sang the birthday song. Charlie did not make any wishes. Instead, he thanked God for his three angels. He looked at them and saw a part of Renee in each of them. But it was Isabella who reminded him of Renee the most. The way her voice grew quiet when she was angry, the way her eyes lit up when she was happy, the way she folded her hands close to her chest when she wanted to get her own way...
Charlie listened with interested while the girls talked about what was going on in their lives. Abigail was excitingly talking about her current project that involved studying microbes that could convert cellulose into ethanol. She worked as a research technologist in an automobile company where her work involved finding commercially viable alternative fuels for cars. Madeline was in her second year at university studying to be an architect.
"How is the practice going Bella?" Abby asked.
"It's ok I guess. I am still not sure about how I am going to choreograph it though," Isabella said contemplatively. She was in her first year of master's programme in fine arts majoring in contemporary dance. She always had a rhythm in her body that made her move naturally yet mesmerizingly to music. So it came as no surprise when she expressed her desire to pursue it as her educational and career choice.
"Dad, you will still be able to make it to the show right?" Bella asked Charlie expectantly. Charlie was a member of an intelligence team at the city's police department. As crime never rests, Charlie Swan had very little time for activities that did not involve work with the exception of spending time with his daughters because Charlie Swan vowed to himself a long time ago, that no matter what, his girls were his priority.
"Ofcourse Bells. You know I wouldn't miss it for anything," Said Charlie with a smile.
"You guys...we should get going. I have an 8 am class tomorrow. I swear, the professors set these timetables just to make us cry," Madeline said looking at the clock. Abigail, Isabella and Madeline lived in separate apartments in the city though they were all two blocks from each other.
They all pulled in Charlie for a group hug, bid good night and got into Abigail's car. Isabella sat in the front with Abigail in the driver's seat while Madeline took the backseat and started toward their respective homes. It was a calm, cloudless and starry night. Isabella was humming a tune to herself quietly with her eyes closed.
"You haven't still told us what your current project is about Bella," Abigail said referring to Isabella's upcoming show.
"Yeah...tell us the story Bella."
"It's about a girl...," Isabella started
"Oooh...is there a boy? Please God let there be a boy," Madeline interrupted.
Isabella smiled "Yes Maddy...there is a boy. But he breaks her heart."
"Does he cheat on her? He cheats on her doesn't he? That selfish bastard...I am gonna break his.." Madeline made a gesture with her hands that left Isabella and Abigail in little doubt about what she was planning to do to the mythical boyfriend.
"Save your skills to a real life situation Mads. It's just a story," Abigail said in an attempt to pacify Madeline.
"Still, I hate boys who make girls cry," pouted Madeline.
"Do you want to listen to my story or not?" Isabella turned towards Madeline.
"Yes I do...I do. So why does he break her heart?" Madeline was all interested again
" Because he is just...he is a memory."
"That's rubbish. How can you fall in love with a memory?"
"Don't we all?" said Isabella, looking at Abigail...who was smiling but stayed silent.
"How is that even possible?" Madeline wanted to know.
"Do you remember Mark from high school?"
"Yeah...he was my McDreamy back then"
"Do you like him still?"
"Ofcourse not. He was an asshole."
"What did you think of him before you actually knew him?"
"Well, he was this totally hot guy who wanted to join the peace corps and who was totally in love with me, in my head of course," Madeline's eyes glazed over as if she was reliving that memory again.
"And what was he like in reality?"
"An asshole. Dickhead. Pick your cussword. The kind who steals candy from kids and kicks puppies," Madeline was fuming now.
Isabella smiled at her sister. She was always volatile with her emotions.
"Exactly. In my story, the girl falls in love with this guy from afar. She thinks he is what a perfect guy looks like. But reality breaks her heart."
"And then what happens?"
"She drowns in his memories..."
"Oh Bella! Why do you always make me cry in your shows? You know I cry so easily. Never mind. I will come prepared...With extra supply of tissues. I promise I will not bawl my guts out this time."
"If you keep your promise...I might do a light hearted piece next time."
"Really? Like what?"
"I dunno...how about a girl who goes bursting into her sister's boyfriend's office with a baseball bat just because she saw him having lunch with another woman?"
"Yeah...yeah...really funny. How would I know that he was on a work lunch? But I think Mike forgave me for that a long time ago. Didn't he Abby? If he didn't, I might have to use my baseball bat again."
"Please Mads. He was jerky for 2 days after your scare off. Leave my fiance alone!" said Abigail looking at Maddy from her rear view mirror.
"Don't worry Abby. We are good friends now. And we even bitch about you every now and then."
"Bella, can you please smack her on the head for me please...This girl is getting out of hand."
Before Isabella could carry out Abigail's instructions, they reached her apartment.
"So see you on Saturday you guys? Don't be late!" Isabella said closing the door of the car.
"Take care Bella," Abigail said.
"Bye sis," Madeline said kissing Isabella on the cheek.
Isabella waved them good bye until they were out of sight.
She watched them go till she could see them anymore. She loved her sisters. Even though there were plenty of times when they thought the other was crazy...they always stuck together. She hoped that that part of her life would never change.
But fate had other plans...fate always had other plans.