"Wakey wakey. Toun said softly to her daughter ear on the bed and the little girl blinked her eyes open slowly.
"Mommy, Daddy." She said, excitedly when she realized that it was her parents. Then she sat up with a broad smile on her face.
"Happy birthday my princess." Nathaniel said affectionately at his daughter. Then he pulled her small body into his arms in an embrace. "Happy birthday love."
"Thank you daddy. I love you too." The little girl replied in her father's arms.
"Happy birthday honey." Toun said grinning from ear to ear, looking at the girl in her father arms. She was very excited to see them together. Watching them was one of her greatest joy. And they meant the world to her.
Nathaniel finally let go of his daughter and the girl went to embrace her mother. He watched Toun held the girl firmly smiling broadly. She kissed her forehead and head repeatedly. Then he picked up a wrapped gift close to Annabelle bed and he gave it to his daughter when she pulled away from her mother.
"Wow! Thank you daddy." She jumped up happily, receiving the gift from her father. "Thank you daddy."
"There is still one more." Toun told her.
"Yeah!" The girl beamed.
"Do you want to see it now?" Her mother asked.
She nodded vehemently and her parents chuckled. Nathaniel took her by the hand and he helped her out of the bed. Then they all went to the living room.
Somewhere in the corner of the living room was a brand new keyboard that Toun had bought for her as she promised.
Annabelle squealed with joy and ran toward it, running around the keyboard, excitedly. She felt the body of the keyboard, smiling at herself.
"Do you like it?" Toun asked her daughter when she walked close to her with her husband.
She turned toward them and grinned. "I love it mommy. I love it." She smiled from ear to ear. And her parents grinned, happy that she liked it. Then she went to embrace their legs tightly. "Thank you mommy. Thank you daddy. I love you both so much."
"We love you too darling." They said in unison to her while Nathaniel strokes her hair softly.
"I'm glad you like it my princess. Where do you wish to go today?"
"Cinema and shoprite."
"Oh my daughter knows beautiful places." The little girl beamed at the compliment.
"Okay, we will go to shoprite first and then cinema. Is that okay with you?"
"Yeah" Annabella shouted jumping around. And in that moment, her grandmother came out. The couples greeted her while Annabella ran to embrace her.
"Grandma, daddy and mommy gave me a big gift and a PIANO!"
"Oh! That is fabulous. Did you tell mommy and daddy thank you."
She nodded in reply.
"That's my baby."
"Mommy are you coming with us?" Annabelle asked her mother with a hopeful face.
"Yes, dear. Today is your day and it's all about you. So mommy isn't going to work and so is daddy." Toun answered her with a smile.
She looked at her father to confirm what her mother just said. And he nodded in agreement.
"Thank you. I am so happy." She said to herself running into her room to get prepare for her outing with her parents.
"Let me follow her before she scatter her wall robe." Mrs Allyson said to the couples. And they nodded at her.
"I am so happy that she like her gift and she looks excited." Toun said excitedly.
This is what she wanted. To always have her family and for them to be happy.
"Me too." Nathaniel said.
"Let me go to the kitchen to prepare something for us to eat before leaving." She said and she quickly give him a light kiss on the lips. He smiled and he watched her walk to the kitchen. Then he left for their room.
******
Nathaniel fulfilled his promise to his daughter and he took his family out to have fun and also celebrate their daughter's birthday. She was six years old and they can't be any less proud of what she has become and what she is becoming. The girl was a bundle of joy and hope to them. She habe a perfect way of making them all happy with a smile. She was the greatest gift he could ever receive.
So they let her have fun and enjoy her day. They took her to park and cinema and finally shoprite to shop for what she wants. That was the least they could do for her. As little as she was, she was very understanding and patient. She had learn to understand her mother's work and that she can't be available all the time for her. She knew her father was doing his best for the family even as he does not have a good job. And moreover, it was the second time that they would all go out together as a family. Not individually.
It was either Toun is busy or he is busy. They take her out individually whenever they had a day off at work.
Their daughter had bring the family closer once more and he did not regret his actions and decisions in the past. Instead he was more proud of his decision. He don't know what he would have been if he did not have the little girl early. Her existence had teach him a whole lot about life. Watching her grow, walk, talk, learn, do things amazingly had been a wonderful experience to him. It had made him realize a whole lot.
The girl really makes the happy and complete. Even his mother can't do a day without her. And no one can deny that the girl was a joy to the family.
*****
Toun was home early that day. She had personally gone to take her daughter from school and when she had showered and take her food, she decided to help her with her homework. And when they were done, she helped her put the books back in her school bag and asked her to return it to her room.
She did and the little girl returned with her guitar. A smile formed on her mother face when she saw her with the instrument.
"I'm going to play a song for you mommy. My music teacher taught me a new song and how to play it with my guitar. So I want to play it for you mom." Anna said to her mother.
"That's so sweet of you baby. Mommy is listening." She said grinning at her.
The little girl positioned the guitar on her thigh and with so much focus on the strings, she began to play 'we are the world' slowly. And she sing along too. And Toun kept cheering her up with her claps.
Her daughter was getting perfect with her voice and her instrument. She was really talented. A better version of her father if she must admitted. And she was very proud of her.
"That was awesome baby!" She pulled her into a hug. "I'm so proud of you. So so proud. Mommy is really proud and touched. Keep it up honey."
"Thank you mommy. I am happy you like it." Annabelle beamed.
"I love it. I promise to take you shopping." She promised. She knew how Annabelle likes going to the shopping mall and selecting things she wanted.
"Shopping?!"
"Hmmmm" She nodded.
"Yeah." She squealed drawing a chuckle from her mother. "Can I buy a new track suit and nighties? " Annabella asked with her eyes wide open.
Toun replied her with a nod.
"What about cereals?" Toun nodded again, smiling broadly.
"And new canvas."
"Anything you want baby." She told her honestly.
"Thank you mommy. I love you." She said embracing her mother with her small arms. Toun hugged her back, tightly. She hug her back.
"I love you too." She said placing a kiss on her head.
******
"Annabella has been beaming with joy since you told her you are taking her for shopping." Nathaniel said to his wife.
"Yes." Toun laughed. "The house is finally going to be at peace tomorrow"
"As in. I think Anna is becoming addicted to shopping."
Toun laughed again. "You're right about that. That is her second hobby after singing and playing of instruments. Her love for shopping isn't here. But you can't really blame her. I love shopping too while I was at her age and older. I love the feel of all those things I could select. The freedom to pick what I want. What I love. It felt nice and exhilarating. So you can't blame Anna."
"Like mother like daughter then." Nathaniel said chuckling.
"Yes o. Me and my baby." Toun agreed with a smile.
"I'm sorry that everything has to be on you. I wish I had a better..."
Toun cut her husband short by placing her finger on his lips. "I'm fine. You don't have to apologize. I know you wish to do all this too and I am very sure you will do better if you have a good job. So I'm not complaining."
"I just wish I could help more than I am doing right now." He admitted.
He really wished he could do more. He hate it that everything has to be on his wife.
"Stop hurting yourself. I have enough money and I am not complaining about anything. I'm okay doing it. You are my family. I can decide to spend whatever amount of money on you and our daughter. If I don't do all of it, who is going to do it? Or who am I going to spend the money on? So please Nathan, stop hurting yourself about this. I'm not tired neither am I complaining. Okay?" She asked looking at him straight in the eyes.
He shook his head sadly.
"Don't worry, it will get better. I have a feeling something is going to happen and it will turn out well." She said with a confident smile.
"Thank you." He appreciated and he stroked her hair. She replied with a smile and rest her head on his bare chest while he kissed her head. "I don't know how I would survive without you. You make my world complete. You always know the right word to say to me."
She smiled with her head still laying on his chest.
"Do you remember our first date?" She asked and he nodded with a smile. "I was so shy and I felt awkward. I have never felt that way with anyone but it was different that day until you noticed and decided to play me 'queen of my heart' with your guitar. Right there, I know it's you. I know that it is you that I want to get married to. That you were the right man for me. It was so romantic. I could not stop noticing the eyes on us that day. And I felt on top of the world." She chuckled lightly, remembering that moment. And he did the same.
"Do you know it wasn't at the party that I first saw you?" He asked smiling to himself. She raised her head up to look at him. She watched the corner of his lips quirk to a smirk.
"Really?" She asked.
"Hmm hmm." He replied.
"Where do you first met me?" She asked. He didn't answer her but kept smiling. "Common tell me na. I'm curious." She pleaded hitting him gently on the chest.
"Common, it wasn't in a bad situation." He told her, laughing. She frowned down at him. "Calm down, I'm going to tell you. Well, it was at the hall where we wrote our post UTME examination."
"Really?" She seems genuinely surprised. She had thought they met each other for the first time at the party in school and he didn't tell her about it too until that day.
He nodded. "You were wearing this fitted short pink gown with a silver block heel sandals. I knew you were born with a silver spoon because they was something about you that was different from all the other ladies in the hall. You were happy and you felt free. All the guys have eyes on you. Even the little group of friends I made that day, were all talking about you. I honestly felt a pang of jealousy. The most adorable moment was when you were talking with this two ladies and a younger guy among them."
"Wow, I remember." She said. "That was Tobi and her cousins. That was when we met and became friends. Her cousins couldn't attend the institution because they move to south Africa."
"I didn't know." He didn't know that the other lady was Tobi. His attention had mostly been on Toun. "You laughed and talked so freely with them and it did something in me while I watched you. I really wished I could meet you again."
"Awwwn! I'm sorry I didn't noticed you then."
He chuckled. "No need to apologize, it was not possible for you to recognise everyone in that examination hall. We were almost a thousand students who wrote the exam." She nodded in agreement.
"Have you been admiring me since then?" She asked with a sly smile.
He laughed before replying her."Yes and no."
"No?"
"Yes. There was no guarantee I was going to see you again and it was kind of stupid hoping on something impossible. Moreover, they were hundreds of other guys out there that could ask you out. And I'm not a girl who could have crush on a guy for five to six years." He said laughing.
"Are you mocking our emotions?"
"Maybe." He laughed. "How do they do it? It almost stupid for me."
"Girls are more emotional than men and you should never hurt their feelings. And you can't blame them, the boys are the foolish ones not to notice. Men are dumb." She said exasperated.
"Hey, I'm a man."
She did not apologize but kept smiling. "You shouldn't have laugh at our emotions."
"Okay, I am sorry." He apologized.
"Fine."
"Won't you apologize to me too?"
She shake her head and rest her head back on his chest. They kept talking about other things before Toun said.
"I really want to have another baby." Toun said.
Nathaniel paused before looking down at her head.
"What do you think?" She asked.
Not like he haven't been wishing for that too. He also want to have another child. A son like him too.
They couldn't talk about another child because Toun had been busy with her work and the problem of her parents. But since they got married, Toun had stopped using pills but she hasn't been able to conceive and he would never force anything on her. He was okay with whatever might happen.
"I want the same too. I would love Anna to have a little brother."
"Brother? Not a sister?" Toun asked chuckling.
"Brother. I want a son." He admitted.
"Hmm." She sounded.
"I want that too. I want a little Nathan." She looked up at him. He have a small smile on his face.
"Me too." He supported her. "You stopped using pills right?"
"Yeah, more than a year now." She answered. "But I haven't...." She stopped.
"It's okay. Whatever it is, I'm fine with it. I'm not forcing you to have another child. I'm happy with the one I have. You don't have to force it. If God wants us to have another child, we will. Okay?" He said, stroking her hair.
She shakes her head in reply. "Yes."
She stayed quietly in his arms, with her eyes closed. They laid in silence, listening to each other heartbeat.
"Nathaniel." Toun broke the silence.
"Hmm." Nathaniel replied her.
"No matter what happens, I want you to know that I will always love you. I will always remember you." She said.
Nathaniel furrowed his brow and wonder why she was talking that way all of a sudden.
"Why are you sounding that way? Is it because you are sleepy?" He asked.
She chuckled, her eyes still closed. "Not really. I just want you to know. I need you to know that I will always love you. You are the greatest thing that ever happens to me. Loving you was a blessing. I don't have regret for a single day. You're everything I could ever ask for in a man. I'm okay with whatever you are. And I never have a second thought about you. You are a life saver, a joy giver and my everything. My world and my happiness. Nothing will change that. And I will love you forever."
He was quiet for a while, trying to immense her words. A smile curled up his face at her confession and he can't love her less. He kissed her head with a smile, wrapping his hands tighter around her.
"I feel the same way too. I love you so much Adetoun." He said affectionately. Then he placed another kiss on her hair. "I love you too dear." She shakes her head, sleepily.
"Good night."
"Good night." She whispered, dozing off to sleep.