I lost my friend to an incompetent doctor attempting a throat surgery that failed ten years ago. I could still remember her last words as she took her last breath and blinked for the last time. Let my daughter be yours. Treat her like your own.
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My friend’s words never left me. It was more like they haunted me all my life except that I was happy to have her child as mine. So, I adopted Maria, Mary’s only daughter.
She was only five when I took her in and I was twenty, living alone. I sat by Maria’s bedside, staring down at her as she let out a soft sleepy breath, and a smile played on my lips. She was sleeping on her left side with her palms clasped together, she rested her cheeks on them with her knees resting on each other, almost folded up to her stomach.
I swept a stray hair off her face, tucking it behind her hair and she moved a bit and I smiled.
“I love you, Mum,” she muttered in her sleep.
“Aww, my baby,” I said to no one as I placed a kiss on her forehead.
“I love you too, baby,” I said back to her sleepy self before getting up from her bed to get breakfast done.
As I got to the kitchen and was going to start cooking, the doorbell rang. I furrowed my eyebrow as I was not expecting anyone before washing my hands and walking over to the door.
Before I got to the door, the doorbell rang impatiently again which got me a little upset.
“You need to chill when at a person’s place,” I said as I flung the door open, only to swallow a few more words that I would have said before seeing the figure standing by my door.
“Gordon?” I called with surprise and he could see the disbelief apparent on my face.
“Happy birthday, Amelia!” he said, stretching his hands out to me with a bouquet of flowers in them.
I tried to say some words but none came forth as I wiped my hands on my nightdress and took the flowers.
“Thank you,” I replied, still stunned.
“I had almost forgotten it was even my birthday,” I said to him and he nodded with a broad smile. “Please, come in!” I quickly gestured for him and he walked in.
Gordon. Gordon has been a very good friend and on the journey of adopting Maria and mourning Mary, he had played a very important role in helping me but at a cost, I guess.
Get married to him.
He had been so active in wooing me even after severally declined him. My reason was precise and absolute; I wanted to solely focus on Maria. I was scared of falling in love with the wrong person who wouldn't love her as much as I would. So, I wanted to be alone and shower her with the only love she deserved; a type of love her mum would have given to her if she was to be alive.
Gordon didn't want to get that and I’m afraid to admit that he’s starting to slowly grow on me.
“Maria?” Gordon asked as I inhaled the flowers, looking up at him with a broad smile on my face.
“She’s still asleep.”
“Asleep? We literally planned this whole thing together,” he laughed.
“Together?” I laughed as well and he nodded. “How did you guys do that? Or I mean, when?”
“When you rushed in to grab your coat two days ago.”
“When we were going to the vet?”
“Yeah.”
“You two are sneaky!” I laughed and he joined.
“I mean, she’s always on my side,” he said as he moved closer to me, taking short slow steps.
Probably it was the short night dress I was in that stopped mid-thighs that got all the goosebumps appearing on my skin or it was the look in his eyes.
It was daring and at the same time, it was alluring. I swallowed hard, clutching onto the flowers in my hands as he was standing right in front of me.
“Don’t make me flush, Goofy,” my voice came out stronger than I was feeling inside.
“I can’t help it if you call me that,” he said in a bass tone as he cupped my cheeks in his palm and I could feel my body tremble under his touch.
“What are you doing, Gody?”
“I am taking laws into my hands. I am taking the bold steps I have been holding back for a long time on your birthday,” he replied before moving his head closer to me and then claiming my lips.
My hands dropped to my side and before I knew it, I held him and kissed him back. Then a clap resounded.
“I approve!” Maria said, clapping and I smiled against Gordon’s lips.
Adopting Maria was the best gift I could ever ask for but having Gordon as mine on my birthday was also the cherry on the cake.
