Chapter 63: Alice


    “You came all the way here and stayed till I gave birth. Come in already.” Amelia insisted on Elena


    coming in.


    Elena slowly nodded and opened the door. She walked in, keeping her eyes locked on Amelia’s


    face.


    She waited at the door so that the nurses could also clothe her with the gown too.


    After they finished, she fiddled with her fingers in the glove and slowly asked to Amelia’s bed. She


    stood next to her and lowered her head.


    Elena wanted to say something to her, but she was too scared to find the right words. After how


    much she hated Amelia, she really didn’t know any nice thing to say, as she was confused.


    Amelia noticed how guilty Elena was and helped her out by starting the conversation.


    “Are you not going to see her?” Amelia asked and turned her head to look at her baby’s cradle


    which was surrounded by James and Penelope.


    Elena looked at the cradle and felt reluctant to move closer to it. Penelope looked back and saw


    Elena staring.


    “Elena,e here,e and see your niece! She is so pretty!” Penelope waved at her.


    Elena nodded and approached Penelope shortly. She stood next to the cradle and looked into it to


    see a gorgeous baby with a reddish-purple skin tone.


    Immediately, a feeble smile lit up Elena’s face. She never thought she’d feel the warmth she felt


    when she looked at the baby.


    “Move closer.” Penelope said, moving away so that Elena could move closer.


    James felt quite ufortable and took a quick nce at Amelia. Amelia immediately understood


    why he did that, and she shook her head with a smile.


    “It’s okay.” Amelia whispered, and James let out a sigh. Amelia waved at him toe closer, and he


    took onest look at his baby before leaving for the bed.


    “Are you scared of what she could do to her?” Amelia asked in almost a whisper. He heaved


    another sigh and nodded. He sat on the bed and kept his eyes on Penelope and Elena.


    “Shouldn’t I be scared? It’s Elena.” He responded in a low tone, and Amelia divulged a smile again.


    “She seems harmless to me.” She added.


    “Of course. She is the best at looking so harmless when she is a total disaster. I can’t believe you


    let her in.”


    “I had to. She looked like she wanted to see our baby too. She was here too, right? She waited with


    you two. Can’t you see the smile on her face?”


    Amelia and James looked at Elena and saw her smiling brightly. She was caressing her face, and


    she grasped her finger tight. She smiled at Elena, and Elena felt her heart light up with love for the


    baby.


    “She smiled at me.” She muttered and looked at Penelope cheerfully.


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    “She likes you.” Penelope responded with a hearty smile too.


    “I should go back to our baby. I’d trying up with a name while I stare at her face. Or do you


    have one already? We weren’t so lucky to think of a name.”


    “Giving her a name is no big deal. I have always had two names in mind. In case she was going to


    be a girl, I’d call her Alice. And if he was going to be a boy, William.”


    “Really? Those are brilliant names. Well, she is a girl. Alice is her name then.”


    “You don’t have any other ideas?” Amelia asked and he shook his head.


    “Anything you choose is perfect. It’s no big deal.” He responded, he picked up her hand and nted


    a soft peck on it before standing up.


    “I should check on Alice again.”


    He walked to the cradle and when he got there, Elena got her finger out of Alice’s cute grip. She


    turned to look at Amelia, whose eyes were closed.


    ‘I need to apologize for everything I have done to her. This is the right thing to do, right? I don’t want


    to be an enemy to my niece.”


    “You should go and talk to her.” Penelope said, and Elena looked at her. She exhaled softly and


    bounced her head.


    She walked to the bed and sat on it, just like James did. When Amelia felt someone sit on the bed,


    she opened her eyes and saw it was Elena.


    “How do you feel?” Elena’s voice was full of guilt and regret. She couldn’t even look at Amelia in the


    face.


    “I’m doing alright. I’m a strong woman, you know?” She teased, and they both chuckled and smiled.


    Elena’s smile faded off slowly and she lowered her head again. “I’m sorry for everything, Amelia.”


    She muttered and raised her head to look at Amelia.


    “Why?” Amelia asked.


    Elena sighed and raised her head.


    “Honestly, I don’t know. But when I saw you struggling out of the mansion during yourbor. I was


    so scared for you. At that point, I could only think of one thing.”


    “What?”


    “That I didn’t want anything bad to happen to you and the baby, even though I hated you. And when


    you were inbor for those hours, all I did was pray. I didn’t want to lose my sister.”


    Elena’s face became full of emotions and her eyes heated up in no time. Tears streamed out of her


    eyes, and she hurriedly cleaned it off with her palm.


    “And when I saw your baby. My Niece. I told myself that I don’t want to be an enemy to this beautiful


    and innocent girl. She held my finger and smiled at me, Amelia. I don’t want to hate her.” Elena


    uttered while she sobbed.


    She held onto her thighs tightly and began to shake vigorously as she cried bitterly.


    “I’m sorry.” She mumbled.


    Tears rolled out of Amelia’s eyes too as she saw Elena breakdown in front of her.


    “Stop crying.” Amelia muttered, moving her hand to Elena’s thigh.


    “I have always wanted someone of my age bracket to share my secrets with. I was unhappy when I


    got to know it was you. I regret everything I have done, sister. Please forgive me. I want you to be


    that person. Please.”


    Elena leaned closer to Amelia and ced her head on her chest. Amelia closed her eyes tight as


    she embraced Elena. More tears streamed down her face.


    She opened her eyes and looked at James to see him staring at them. He let out a faint smile and


    looked at Penelope, who seemed like the happiest mother on Earth.


    ‘I hope this is real.’ James thought, taking another nce at Alice, who was sleeping already.


    ***


    James and Penelope headed out of the ward after some minutes. Amelia and Elena fell asleep on


    the same bed. They didn’t want to disturb them, so they had to step out.


    Penelope felt so proud seeing her daughters finally unite. It was a dreame through for her.


    She looked into the ward again and a bright smile lit up her face.


    “I’m so happy to see them together like this. My wish has finallye through.” She said and


    looked at James who was sitting on one of the chairs close to the ward.


    He responded with a feeble smile and pulled out his phone from his pocket.


    Penelope walked up to him and sat next to him. She let out a loud sigh which made James look at


    her.


    “Can I ask you something?” She asked, and he nodded.


    “What?”


    “Has Amelia said anything to you about me?”


    “Said anything to me? I don’t understand.”


    “I mean… you know… she has forgiven her sister now. I don’t know if she’ll do the same to me too.”


    She said, and sadly bowed her head.


    “They are two different things, Mrs. Penelope. You had something to do with her parents death.


    Elena’s is a different matter. Her actions can be counted as a result of stupidity in youths and can be


    forgiven. But yours? This is murder.”


    Penelope shut her eyes tight and bounced her head. “I know. But I wasn’t the one that killed them.”


    She mumbled.


    “Your husband did. And when you found out, what did you do? Nothing. You kept silent because


    you were happy he took them out for you, isn’t it?” James asked, and Penelope broke into tears.


    “I regret everything.” She cried.


    “It doesn’t bring the people you killed back to life, Mrs. Penelope.”


    “James! James!” He heard a familiar voice call him. He looked up and saw his mother running to


    him. Behind her was his father, Charles and Freddie.


    He sprang to his feet to ran to meet Helen. “Mom!” She called and embraced her tightly.


    “How is she? Where is she?” Helen asked anxiously.


    “She is in the ward, sleeping. Amelia is also sleeping.”


    “Amelia? Your daughter’s name?” Charles asked, and he nodded happily.


    “Nice name. I love it!” Charles and Helen chorused as they rushed to the door that James pointed


    to. James looked at Freddie and let out a sigh.


    “I couldn’t help bute. I was with Charles when the news came in.” Freddie uttered, and James


    nodded and walked back to his parents.


    Freddie walked closer to Penelope and they stared at each other without uttering any words to each


    other.


    “Who is that sleeping next to her?” Helen asked and looked at James.


    “Elena.”


    “Elena??!” They both chorused and looked at him.


    “I know. It’s a shock to everybody.” He responded, and they both looked into the ward again.


    “I want to go in there so bad, but I don’t want to disturb their sleep. I can’t wait to see my


    granddaughter!” Helen uttered in excitement.


    “Our granddaughter.” Penelope answered, and that was when Helen noticed her.


    “Penelope?!” Helen called in shock, and Penelope smiled widely.


    “Yes, that is me.” She responded. They headed towards each other and hugged each other tightly.


    “It’s been so long!” Helen uttered, and Penelope nodded against her shoulder.


    All three men exchanged looks as they were lost. ‘They know each other?’ They all wondered.


    “You’re the Penelope I’ve been hearing about?” Helen further asked, and Penelope lowered her


    head in shame.


    “Do you know each other?” James asked, waiting for an exnation.”


    “Yes! We were best friends in college. We went to the same college.”


    “Wow. This is getting even more interesting.” James muttered, folding his arms.