Back to the present
"Chris, do you have the balloons for tomorrow?" Milani asked her boyfriend as she decorated the house. Tomorrow was the day her two babies were born, and she wanted to make their fifth birthday special. For Milani making her kids' birthdays special every year meant everything to her. She didn't have the best childhood and didn't have the advantage of celebrating her birthday with beautiful parties with friends and family.
It had been a few months since her restaurant debuted and everything was going great. People from across states would book in advance for a counter at her restaurant and the reviews were amazing. Things were turning out great for her and she wanted to make things better for her kids. "Yeah, they're over there by the table, and the two cake deliveries will be here tomorrow morning" Chris yelled back from the kitchen. "Oh okay," she responded.
Rushing to the oven Milani took out the batch of cupcakes she had cooked and set it on the counter. Before running back outside the backyards to inflate the dozens of balloons. "All right, I got the balloons, the cakes are arriving tomorrow, and the invitations are out. What else do I need?" She reflected while blowing into the balloons. "Oh, right the bouncy house," Milani pulled her phone out and checked her email for when the bouncy house would show up.
Her two kids loved dressing up in costumes so Milani decided to have a costume themed birthday party. For her handsome prince Milani ordered a Batman costume because he loved Batman so enough. And for her beautiful daughter Milani ordered her favorite, a Poison Ivy costume.
"The outfits are already here and the bouncy house will be here first thing in the morning," Milani said to Chris as he walked outside to her. "Have I ever told you what a wonderful mother you are?" Chris gave her a light kiss, unable to resist her luscious lips. "Yes, thousands and thousands of times," Milani said, kissing his lips. Life had been beautiful and calm recently for Milani, she had no worries about her boyfriend cheating on her, her kids were healthy and safe, and she had wonderful friends. It was perfect. "Alright Mr. Pepperson less kisses more party planning," She said jokingly before kissing him again on the mouth. "By the way is your mom coming? She didn't confirm when you sent her the card." At the sound of that question Milani felt her body tense and her face grow bitter. "I invited her to see her grandchildren but if she doesn't show up, that's on her I don't care," She shrugged and then walked away.
"Come on Milani you've got to forgive her one day or else you'll regret it." He approached his girlfriend in the kitchen, a gentle smile graced across his lips. "You remember what you said about forgiving before it's too late," Milani nodded hugging her boyfriend as a memory came to her mind. It was a few months after Milani and Chris started dating and she noticed he was acting weird that day.
Flashback to a few months after they started dating
"Hey Chris are you okay?" Milani asked rocking Romeo back to sleep. "Yeah it's nothing," he said whipping tears away. "It's got to be something, you're crying." She bite her lip moving towards him in an attempt to hug him. "Don't touch me," Chris yelled before walking out the room. "What the fuck was that?" Milani asked herself as she laid Romeo down in his crib and walked out the room.
"Did I do something wrong Chris?" Her boyfriend sat on the couch with his head in his hands. Sitting next to him Milani wrapped her arms around him. "Baby are you okay? You've never been like this before. Please tell me what's going on," Milani pleaded holding onto a weeping Chris. "It's... it's her anniversary." His hands wrapped hesitatingly around his girlfriend as more tears fell down his eyes. "Who's anniversary?" his girlfriend asked. "My mothers death," Milani watched her boyfriend cry in her lap. Her eyes swarmed with tears of her own as she felt so terrible.
"Baby do you want to talk about it?" Milani asked in a sad tone. "She died when I was seventeen, the day she died me and her got into an argument. It was so stupid, now looking back I'd do anything to stop myself from arguing with her." Milani listened without saying a word. "I went to this senior party, and it was late and we were all drinking. She called me worried that I would get into a car accident and pleaded for me to come home. But I didn't listen I stayed at the party, Dad says she went to pick me up but she never showed up. She got murdered that night as she was walking to her car. My mom got mugged and the street camera caught the whole thing." Milani could feel her heart clench, she never knew someone could do something so vile. "When she refused to give the mugger her car keys he shot her," The last part made Milani feel so disgusted.
"I'm so sorry baby," she pulled him closer to her chest. "It's my fault she's dead, if I didn't go to that party and stay past curfew she would still be here." She listened, not wanting to cry but failed. "After a while dad moved on and married Maria, Jasmine and Ellie's mom after she helped him for years through the grieving." Chris' jaw clenched as he thought again of his mother's death. "It's not your fault baby, it's the muggers," Milani whispered lifting her boyfriend up, whipping away his tears. "I'm sure your mom is looking down at you right now proud of the man you've grown into," his girlfriend reassured him. "But You've got to forgive yourself or it'll be too late," Milani commented.
Flashback over
"Yeah I remember honey," Milani said hugging her boyfriend. "Alright enough of the sadness and let's go to bed, we've got a big day ahead of ourselves." Chris holding out a hand and leading them to their bedroom. Milani went to sleep, almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
The next morning Milani could feel the tiny feet jumping on her bed. Smiling, she got up and hugged her two kids. "It's our birthday momma," Romeo said. "I know baby, happy birthday my beautiful princess and prince." She laughed as she tickled them. "Mommy mommy stop it," they yelled giggling. "I'm the tickle monster and I'm here to give the birthday kids tickles." Their mother joked while she gave them stomach kisses.
"I see you're up good-morning," Chris smiles coming into the room. "Here you go," Chris handed her a cup of coffee and sat next to her on the bed. "Thank you babe," She slowly slid her hands up his chest, enjoying the feel of exposed rough muscles on her fingertips. "Ew mommy," Alana yelled covering her brothers' eyes. A ripple of laughter spread around the room. "Okay time for our bath." Getting up Milani walked to the bathroom and poured bubbles in the tub. She undressed her daughter and son. Romeo sat in the tub playing with his cars as Alana played with him. "Okay kids arms up," they listened to their mom and threw their arms into the air.
After she finished bathing them she wrapped them into towels and put both of them on each of her hips. "Let's get you guys dressed, but first close your eyes," they covered their eyes with their hands and Milani pulled out their costumes from her dresser. "You can open your eyes now," Milani said chuckling. Romeo and Alana's eyes sparkled with light as they saw their costumes. "Thank you mommy, thank you mommy," they cried kissing their mothers cheek with every thank you. A warm feeling spread on her cheeks. "No problem my sweet babies." She replied kissing them back.
Milani got her kids ready and called Chris to watch over them while she took a shower. After her shower Milani dressed in a cute white dress, she bought a while back. Walking downstairs she was greeted with a kiss from her kids and Chris. "Okay my prince and princess, your friends will be here any minute now and I want you both to have fun." As soon as she was finished talking the doorbell rang. "Well now, the guest are here," said Chris.
The rest of the day went by with her kids having fun bouncing in the bouncy house and eating cake. When it was time to open presents Romeo and Alana couldn't have been more grateful for all the toys they got. As Chris walked the guest out after the party, Milani went up to her kids and hugged them. "Did you little munchkins have fun?" Questioned Milani as she cleaned up the cake crumbs off Romeo's face. "Mommy why didn't daddy come? Does he not love us?" Alana asked. The sadness was visible in her children's eyes and it broke Milani. "Yeah mommy, grandma didn't come too,"
"I'm sorry, baby. Daddy loves you both he just has problems he needs to solve and can't be here." Milani pulled her crying daughter into her lap and held her son. "It's neither of your fault so never think it's because of you that daddy and grandma isn't here okay?" Alana nodded sniffling on her mother's dress. Should I have been more persistent in telling him about his kids? Milani thought to herself as she rocked her kids to sleep. "Maybe I should have told him to get a DNA test so he could know I wasn't lying about having his kid." Milani said sighing at her sleeping kids.
"It is what it is," she did not regret leaving her husband, but she regretted not having him here for their birthdays. Walking to their room Milani laid them on their beds and went to her room. "They asked again," she sighed at Chris. "Maybe you should just tell them," said Chris as he took off his clothes and slide into bed. "No, they would be so broken if I told them their dad didn't want them." Milani whispered laying beside her boyfriend. "You should sleep, you had a long day." Chris commented laying his girlfriends head on his chest. "You're right," Milani admitted before falling asleep.