Angelina

Edward turned around and there she stood. She was tall and pretty with rosy cheeks and green eyes. She looked exactly like the woman he had loved most, exactly like his wife and her mother.

Tears welled up his eyes as the last 18 yrs of his life played through his mind like a movie…..

…

Edward was in the waiting room when the doctor informed him that he was a father of a beautiful baby girl. He was thrilled as he had received the most precious gift of his life, he rejoiced the wonderful moment, little did he know that he was about to receive the worst news of his life…!

An hour after being blessed with a precious gift a nurse informed him that his wife had died…! His world came to an end as the news shattered on hi. He had lost his entire world, the only person he had ever loved the only reason of his existence! That was when he heard a baby's cry…Oh! So that was the cause of his misery..! From then onwards he hated the little angle from the core of his heart and Angelina was left in the care of a nanny.

… ….

Renesme loved her father like crazy and did her best to please him. She loved the way he walked, talked and ate. She looked for opportunities to get a glimpse of him through windows, doors and keyholes as she knew her father hated her sight she never came in front of him. Although Renesme had gotten used to his aloofness she simply admired him whereas he simply avoided her.

Today Renesme turned nine. She put on her new pink frock and smiled at herself in the mirror-what a perfect little princess! Nanny had always told her how much she resembled her mother so on every birthday Renesme would run to the big portrait in her father's study and talked to it. She would creep there really early so her father wouldn't get annoyed if he saw her.

But today was different; she was still there when her father made an entry. When he saw her in the room he stopped near the door and stood there listening what his daughter was saying to her mother, `I miss you mom! And mommy I have learnt all my lessons and songs. Nanny says I am a very intelligent girl and she also told me that I look exactly like you but I don't understand! If I do look so much like you and daddy loved you then why doesn't he love me…? I love him a lot mommy and when I will grow up I want to be like him, maybe then he will love me. Mommy please ask daddy to at least wish me today… I love you mom!" he could hear no more. Tears flowing down his cheeks Edward turned around and walked to his room.

Renesme ended her conversation, kissed her mother's portrait and ran back to her room. She enjoyed a lot that day with her friends and slept peacefully that night. But her father was restless. Her words were ringing in his ears. As if some force was leading him he stood up and went to his daughter's room for the first time. He went to her bed, smiled at her daughter, whispered ``Happy Birthday Renesme!'' and kissed her. Sudden warmth filled the air; Renesme had received her first kiss from her father and was unaware of it. Edward stood up and went back to his room. He cried the whole night but there was a beautiful feeling he couldn't explain.

…..

One year had passed and Edward had still not achieved the strength to face his daughter. Today it was her 10th birthday. When Renesme woke up that morning she had no new frock to wear but bad news to hear; they were going through terrible business losses and she had no new dress to wear. Renesme ran towards her mother's portrait and wrote these words on it, "Daddy I know we will get out of ties trouble. Mommy and God are with us, they will help us. I love you daddy!'

When Edward came to his study and saw those words he was overwhelmed. He ran towards his daughter's room only to find out that she had been sent to a boarding school until he could solve the business problems. Now he hated himself for not even talking to his daughter for the past one year, even after he had forgiven her for something she had not even done.

…

Eight years had gone by and Renesme had grown up to be a beautiful young lady. It was her 18th birthday. Her father waited in his study as he knew she would come to seek her mother's blessings. He heard her footsteps and turned around…

That is when Edward saw her…an exact copy of the woman he had loved most..!