~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CHAPTER EIGHT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Renesmee's POV
I heard a familiar song wave through the room—dad's playing the piano, I realized. I followed the sound to the foyer of the house, standing in the entry way between the kitchen and living room. I watched his fingers swiftly play the keys while he played my lullaby.
I smiled. It has been awhile since I heard him play that. My heart filled with such joy, listening carefully to every key and every note.
It was little things like this that I cherished.
I love my dad... my family, I thought. They mean so much to me.
Edward's POV
I sat down facing the grand piano that I felt the need to play right about now. I wasn't sure what song to play. I then decided to just play whatever comes to mind, letting my fingers do what they please, pressing down on the keys as Renesmee's Lullaby started to fill the room.
It was one I had originally written to sing my sweet daughter to sleep, one I haven't played in what feels like awhile. I then realized it had been awhile. She hasn't asked me to play it for her like she had use to. Nessie always loved to hear me play before going to sleep. Now, it's like she grown out of it.
I continued to run my fingers against the keys, still knowing each key by heart, closing my eyes as I felt my icy fingers play the keys that I will always memorize forever.
Renesmee's thoughts pulled me away from the song and I turned to see her standing in the entryway of the living room. Hearing her song struck happiness through her. She missed hearing it as I missed playing it.
Don't stop, keep going. She thought.
Suddenly this moment triggered a memory in my mind.
Flashback
I soon lost myself in the notes as I played Renesmee's Lullaby.
Nessie's thoughts caught my attention. I had been so immersed in the song that I had not noticed Nessie's arrival. She stood in the entry of the family room of our house in Alaska smiling. She did not applaud, but she silently praised me in her head, not wanting me to stop. Hearing her song struck happiness through her. I turned myself away from the piano so I was facing her, her scent filling my nostrils.
Don't stop, keep going. She thought.
I opened my arms, beckoning her to me. Nessie gladly came to me, crawling in my lap.
She pulled away after a moment and reached for my cheek. Though I could've easily seen what she wanted in her mind, I knew she preferred to show me herself. As her warm hand rested on my cheek, an image of her playing the piano with me by her side filled my mind. I was slightly surprised, but more so pleased. My daughter wanted me to teach her to play.
"Of course I will, Nessie, darling," I told her, flipping her around on my lap so she was facing the piano instead of me.
I placed my own hand on top of the keys and then took Nessie's small one and placed in on top of mine. Slowly, I played a scale, softly singing the note names as I did.
"C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C." I fingered the scale, up and down, several times.
After a moment, Nessie gently took her hand off of mine and pushed my hand away. She proceeded to play the scale herself, repeating the notes in her high, musical voice. After running through it a few times, she turned to look at me, her eyes asking for approval.
I smiled at her, letting her know that I thought she was doing excellent.
I want to learn a song, Daddy, she asked in her mind.
I nodded, and thought of one of the simple songs I knew. Once again, I placed her hand atop mine and began to play. The simple melody of Over The Rainbow melody, Over The Rainbow filled the air. After playing it through twice, again, Nessie politely pushed my hands away to show me she could do it.
We did this through all the simple childhood songs I could think of, until halfway through 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' Nessie pulled my hands away and showed me she could play through the rest of it without me showing her.
So I began to think of songs with simple harmony I could teach her. We went on this way for about an hour, and by that time, I was only playing the first few notes to let Nessie know what key the song was in. She knew how to do the rest. It was amazing to watch her mind, seeing how quickly she grasped each concept and how eager she was to just try it out.
"Can we do my lullaby now?" Nessie asked, speaking for the first time.
I was afraid it might be too advanced, but seeing the progress she had made today, I decided to give it a shot and again, I placed her hands on mine and began to play her song.
She didn't pull my hands away this time. I could tell she was closely watching, memorizing the notes and letting the notes fill her heart. She hesitated a moment before trying herself. I gave her an encouraging smile, and she began to play.
She learned it quickly, not wanting to leave until it was perfect and she did get it perfect.
"Nessie, you're amazing," I told her and then kissed the top of her head.
"Dad?"
I snapped out of the memory, smiling at my daughter, comparing the small Nessie in my memory to the one that now stands before me. She really has grown up, I thought. My little girl isn't so little anymore.
I opened my arms only for her, wanting her close to me. She hurried over to me, climbing up onto the foyer, her curls swaying different ways to her movement and then snuggled in my arms as she sat down next to me.
Come on dad, play. She prompted impatiently.
I chuckled, unwrapping my arms around her and then began to play her lullaby, feeling happiness run through me on how badly she wanted me to play for her, even though she can play it just as good, she still would rather me play.
I started from the beginning, skimming my fingers over the notes. After finishing the song she had me play it a couple more times.
I felt her head rest on my shoulder as she watched me play.
I love you. She thought.
