"Love, where are you?" I looked around for her but she was not in the bedroom, pantry, or draft room. I was getting scared at the time.
"Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you...."
I looked at the place the voice was coming from, My office.
"Surprise!!!!" she said with a big smile and a little cupcake in her hand. I blew out the candle and hugged her tight.
"You remembered,"
"Yes, and even Alex forgot because of all the work,"
"That's good. So we can celebrate quietly together. So what's for dinner?" I asked already smelling the delicacies coming from the dining room.
"Your mother sent some of your favorite dishes but they couldn't come as your father had agreed to meet a friend tonight,"
"Hmm...that's a first,"
"Yes, he told me that this person was a head of the military and his father was an old acquaintance of your grandfather as well,"
"Then they might be meeting after a long time,"
We enjoyed the meal while chatting about this and that. Till Alex called to wish me.
"Thanks, Alex, but you forgot this time," I said teasing him.
"Yes, sorry dude. But all this was going around got me mixed up,"
"It's ok. But I really love the quietness only with Little bud around,"
"OHHHH!!! well, your gift will be sent later and Meg sent her wishes too,"
"Where is she?"
"Emergency operation it seems,"
"I see, well I catch you at the office,"
With that, I looked around for her. Hmm... she loves playing hide and seek. Where could she be now? The reading nook as she calls it is the place where she likes to hide most. It's a little space I converted as a window seat with a few books just behind my office table divided only by the wall height of the bookcase. No one knows there is such a place unless they look in closely.
"Oh, there you are," I said back hugging her and giving her a surprise.
"I thought you will go on talking with Alex and making plans to travel,"
"Hmm.. not this time, we have a bit of work to finish off and the forty-year celebration as well,"
"What are you planning to do for it?"
"Why don't we do a charity ball and give the earnings to the cancer research center?"
"That's a good thought. What will the others say?"
"I know they will agree, special Mr.Rogrer's,"
"His daughter is curable right?"
"They think she will be. But at the moment she's having a tough time with the medication,"
"Maybe we should go and see her sometime,"
"Hmm..."
Sarah has been very close to Mr.Roger's little girl but due to some of the things that happened to her, I was reluctant to let her visit the little one. But she talked to her once a week to cheer her up.
"Honey,"
"Yes, Ben?"
"Where is my gift?" I asked her teasing as I haven't seen a gift anywhere.
"OH! you really need a gift?" she asked beaming into my face.
"Hmm... yes,"
She gave me a little peck on my cheek and motioned me to follow her. What on earth would she be up to this time? She went out to our favorite bench and looked at me. I saw on the bench a gift wrapped up in an odd shape.
"Open it," she said.
"WOW!!!! where on earth did you find this?" I said looking at the gift she had got me. The gift was a mechanical drafting set that is so rare and hard to find. She had it specially custom-made to suit my needs and every one of the rulers and pens was custom engraved.
"How did you get this done? I was hoping to get you a set for your birthday but I couldn't," I asked her looking into her happy eyes.
"Well I helped maestro with redesigning his studio for free, and he really loved the outcome. So this was his gift for me for you,"
"Hmm..."
"Yes, this is an original design made just for you. No one else will have this. And he was impressed with the Librabry project and the community center,"
"Really?"
"Hmm... he said the designs had feelings blended into those buildings are pure unless you work with such a passionate team,"
To know this maestro praised our work was really an unbelievable thing. He was known as one of the best but gave up after his wife passed away a few years ago. At the same time, she showed me a clip, she had recorded with the maestro as a surprise gift to me.
"you know, he said he would love to visit our office some time,"
"I will make the necessary arrangements and keep this a secret from others," I said hugging her from behind and thinking how surprised Alex is going to be when he hears the news.