Chapter 1- Resemblance
It was uncanny
Seeing those eyes open,
When he remembered closing them so clearly.
It wasn't Sky Tate's regular habit you know, in fact, it was completely against every single etiquette and moral he had ever followed… stalking a college girl, and waiting for her in her college's parking lot.
But there are reasons for everything, especially for Schuyler Tate there definitely are. He was now, a man, a deeply scarred man of thirty-two, literally. The commander of SPD's earth base had a short scar, that ran up from his left eyebrow to his left temple, then there was one from his chin to his right ear, and finally, the largest one, on his back, from shoulder to hip, diagonally, a reminder of his biggest failure.
His face had the perpetually weary expression of a man who had been in countless battles. But the expression didn't owe itself to the battles, oh no, he was too young to have witnessed that many battles. No, the expression was the result of one, just one such battle.
That one.
As he sat waiting for the girl in his Bentley, he thought about the little series of events that had led to this immoral act.
The previous day, Sky had been sick, worried sick, because it was his daughter's first day of school, well, the new school. (She didn't like the old one.) And he wasn't sure how she'd be managing. He wanted to go pick her up from school, and not leave the nanny to do so, but he couldn't possibly do it, because of all the work. Then came along his best friend, Bridge, who sensed Sky's tension, and offered to cover up for his shift, with a return of complete access to the toaster for him. (Sky had previously removed all toasters from the academy to rid Bridge of his addiction.)
So anyway, after sealing the deal, giving Bridge the toaster for a week that is, he left for his daughter's school. They, i.e. his wife and him, had named her Jennifer, or Jen. He had already called up the nanny to tell her that he'd pick Jen up, and when he reached school, he was a few minutes early, then suddenly, the bell rang, and all the kids came running out. Picking Jen out of the crowd wouldn't be easy for a normal parent, but for Sky, it was the simplest task at hand. Jen ran up to him screaming "DAD!" and he picked her up easily, placing her on his shoulders. "how was Jenny's day today?" and Jen told him everything about her day, on the way back to his car.
She had made quite a lot of friends that day, and all her teachers were impressed with her. And Sky honestly wasn't surprised, she was such a lovable girl, something she had gotten from her mother.
As they had made their way back to home, Sky asked her what she wanted as a prize for going through her first day of school so bravely, reflecting on his own experience. And she replied 'ice cream'. Seriously, she could've asked for ANYTHING and she went for ice cream.
"alright, then, we'll get you ice cream." Sky had said, and the father-daughter duo made their way to the most popular ice cram corner in New Tech City: 'The Frozen NTC'.
Sky made Jen sit on one of the tall chairs, and went to order, after asking her what she wanted. It was the blueberry swirl, her favorite, with chocolate icing, and nuts sprinkled.
Anyway, as Sky was waiting in the queue for his turn, his eyes fell on a face he'd never thought he'd ever see again.
It was uncanny seeing those eyes again, twinkling when she laughed. He remembered them closing. He remembered the tears that followed, and he remembered and still felt the loneliness living in the empty void of a black hole that had become his life.
He had never thought he'd hear that voice again, listen to that light laughter, or see that smile that made him weak in the legs. That girl in the line ahead of him, she had that same look of casual indifference, that sassy attitude, and those eyes, that betrayed all her nonchalance, revealing a sight into a deeply caring soul.
He could've sworn it was her, the girl he had madly loved, only, she was younger.
He had been so lost in that unbelievable mirage of his late wife that he didn't realize it was already his turn at the counter. So, anyway, he got ice-cream for Jen, and then, a while later, just as that girl and another girl, (probably her friend,) who had accompanied her were also leaving, the father and daughter also left.
Sky didn't take Jen home directly; instead, he decided to tail the girls. Following them at a safe distance with his daughter eating his head, he found out that she was a student at the NTC University, or the NTCU.
Sky was jerked back into present when he saw that girl exit the college with a guy her age. He was as heavily built as Sky himself, and wore a red and grey 'Lincoln Town' jersey. He was also blond like Sky.
He watched as the young couple got into a car, probably a Ford, and started out, and away, and he followed them. He saw them making their way across the town into the city, and finally come to a stop outside a coffee shop.
They got out, and so did Sky, after parking his car a few spaces away as to not arouse any suspicion. He was aching, not to talk to the girl, or even meet her, but just look at her face, soak it all in. It was painful, though, to look at her. It brought out so many memories, and well, he didn't want to think about his late wife.
About how she used to cross her arms when she got all defensive, how she used to unknowingly put a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and how beautiful she looked in those moments, about how she was a ray of sunshine in his dull, career bound life, or how she used to bring out the best in him.
It was quite evident how he had fallen in love with her, what he often wondered was how it had been that she had fallen for him, the man who easily could've been a statue that ate and drank. He was always by-the rules, and she always liked to throw them away, he used to look at the hopeless part of the situation, the clouds, she always found out the hope in hopeless, the silver lining.
There hadn't been two more contrasting individuals, and together they made this one amazing person, who had the best of both of them. The living example of this person was their daughter, Jen.
Sky silently sat a few tables across from the couple, such that he could easily see her face, while the guy blocked his to her view. He just sat gazing at her, without her notice.
He knew this wasn't his girl, but still he felt a pang of jealousy, when he saw this girl bend over a little, over the table, and plant a small kiss on this man's lips.
It took all of Sky's conscious control to not go over there, and punch the other man in the face.
Sky control yourself; this isn't your Z, your Z died. This is just some random girl who just happens to look exactly like your Z. Z will never come back to you, she can't… and you can't go to her and leave Jenny here alone. He sat thinking; long after the couple had gone.