CHAPTER SEVEN
"A child's heart is a vault of innocence, invest rightly into it and you yield interest of love and fruits of affection"
Young Emily plays with her dad, and they build sandcastles. Emily is in awe. She watches her dad, erect fantastic structures that caught her breath.
'Wow! Dad, you did it again.' She says and hugs him tightly from behind as he kneels on the beach sands.
Emily, full of excitement, let go of her dad's embrace and shouts, pointing at the enormous waves soaring high and collapsing into other waves with a swift speed.
Her father looks towards the ocean and stares at the waves that rise and die in between each other.
Her eyes dancing with affection, she runs into the waters, turns and steps into the water, and says, "Dad, come on over, the water is so cool."
Sheila sat under the shade, holding her little son in her hands. She smiles as she watches Lance and Emily run into the water. They splash water on each other. They laugh and play in the water.
Sheila is taken aback by the love Emily and her father share. It's the time they all came to the beach house to spend the holidays.
Lance has been working too hard for months and spends less time with them all. She's happy. He took some time off work to be with them all.
Emily feels distracted and whines at her dad's absence, although she did all she could to make her happy. She feels her effort is not yielding the desired results after she caught her in her room.
Although she fakes happiness to keep everyone at peace, she knows Emily is not happy.
Sheila saw her stepdaughter crying in her room, holding her father's picture in her hands.
She asked her why she had been crying as she entered her room and she said she had a thing in her eye that made her face shed tears. She understood Emily is growing up, cos she hid her dad's picture so quickly when she heard her knock on her door.
Sheila since that day made sure Lance spent as much time as he could with his daughter. Lance loves her so much, but his continuous absence has an impact on Emily.
He pampers her with lots of gifts and lots of money that she becomes the envy of her friends, but she feels Emily needs more than a trip around the world, bodyguards, or any material gifts.
She hopes Lance understands this and makes changes soon.
She shrugs her mind from her thought and looks at her son and kisses his forehead. She rose to her feet and comes out of the shed, carrying her baby.
She walks towards Emily and her dad, having a pleasant time. They both laughed at each other, jumping happily as they head out of the water to sit on the sand.
FAIRY MOTHER
The dark cloud covers up the sun and the lights of the day rest. It is nightfall at the beach house, and everyone is resting in their rooms.
After having a delicious supper with her family, her dad tucks her into bed and kisses her goodnight. He leaves for his room.
Emily rises from her bed and puts on the bed lamp. She can't put on the light in her room or her dad will come running into her room.
She sits on her bed and stretches her hands towards the shelf beside her bed and bends to open the first drawer. She picks up a gold album from the top of the drawer and closes it.
She opens it up and looks at the pictures of her mum and dad. Her dad gave this to her as her 7th birthday gift and she treasures it so much.
She smiles amidst the tears that flow from her eyes and kisses the picture of her mom when she was a month pregnant with her.
She keeps flipping through the pages of the album. She stops and looks out of the window, staring at the twinkle of the stars, and she says, "Mum, dad says, you live in heaven, up here in the skies. He says you are like a fairy goddess watching over us.."
"Please mum, watch over me and my dad. Also, watch over my new mother and my brother cos they have been so good to me."
"I miss you so much, mum." She says with much sadness.
"I wish I saw you before you left me, but dad says I look a lot like you and you are so beautiful, mum."
She smiles so lively, her eyes shining so brightly with so much love.
"Thank you, mum."
She looks down at the picture of her mum's face.
Cynthia's face glows amidst her smiles. Emily lifts the album to her face and places a kiss on the picture. She says, "Goodnight mum, I love you."
She removes the album from her face, closes it up, and places it back in the drawer. She closes up the drawer, turns off her lamp light and lies back in her bed.
She slides the bed cover on her body and closes her eyes.
A SURPRISE.
The sun's rays shine brightly into her room, cascading a golden view on her bed. Her eyelids slide open, and she wakes up to full consciousness and realizes it is morning.
Her dad and her mum say they have a surprise for her, and she wonders what it might be.
She's quite curious and happy about the thought of what her dad wants to do, and she hopes it is worth it.
She was still on the bed thinking about the surprise when she hears a knock on the door.
"Come in," she says.
Her dad and mum with her little brother come in, Sheila is full of smiles leading the way, with Lance following behind.
Lance woke up early as planned to prepare a meal for Emily. Sheila made him realize Emily is lonely, irrespective of the people and luxuries that surround her.
Lance stands behind his wife carrying a tray of food and a rose flower. He wore a white apron and chef hat to amuse his daughter.
Sheila moves away and Emily is faced with her father, carrying the tray with a cheerful smile on his face.
Emily jumps in delight when she sees her dad.
"Dad, you a chef!" She exclaims with surprise.
"That's right princess, anything for my little girl." He says as he advances toward her bed.
"Get ready for the feast. I made this recipe for your royal highness." He says with a bow.
"Enjoy your meal mademoiselle."
Emily is stunned with surprise, and she says," you never fail to amuse me dad. I guess mom helped you out with the cooking cos I know I have never seen you boil a cup of water."
Sheila steps in and says, "I guess he had a little help from everyone, but he is a fast learner."
"Sure darling," Sheila says, as she winks at her husband.
Lance straightening himself says, "yeah, they did help, but I made it myself. I know it's gonna be very delicious. Please try it out before it gets cold."
Emily sits up properly and takes the napkin from the tray. She picks up the rose and smells it, and says, "I love you too."
She opens up the closed plates to see the meal her dad prepared. Her dad was so anxious for her to see what he had made for her.
Emily laughs out loud when she opens up her plate. Strawberry jam toasted bread with some fries fillets.
A plate of potato soup with mushrooms and beef and a cup of mixed fruit.
Emily says amidst her laughs, "dad this looks delicious."
She takes her spoon and digs it into the soup. Lance and Sheila watch as the spoon dive into the soup, the substance levelling up in the spoon, and Emily lifts it into her mouth.
It was a moment of ecstasy for Lance as he watches his daughter pour the soup into her mouth with her eyes and closes afterward. It felt like bliss at the moment.
Emily stays mute for some seconds after she takes the first spoon of the soup
Lance anxiously says, Emily, any comments?"
She closes her eyes to feel the savory of the cinnamon and ginger spice in the soup.
Sheila and Lance ask with much anticipation, "And?"
Emily finally opens her eyes and looks at them both and says with a small laugh, "dad these tastes so good."
Lance and Sheila breathe a vast sigh of relief,
"I never knew you could cook so well, dad, although I know mum and the maids did most of it but it's very delicious."
Lance laughed and says," I'm glad you love it. I guess I had to sit with the recipe book learning. Tara told me you love this soup, and I decided to surprise you."
"Nevertheless, I still got guidance from the chief cook." He says, smiling sheepishly.
Emily digs her spoon into the soup, filling her bowels with the soup made out of love.
Lance's face shines with affection, Sheila is right, Emily needs love, and he's sorry he could not give her enough of it, but he hopes he will be able to compensate for all the loneliness she might feel.
After Emily has finished eating her breakfast, she looks at her father and says, "thank you, dad, that is delicious and very brave of you."
Lance moves closer to his daughter's bed and hugs her tightly. A rush of completeness floods over Emily and she surrenders to the joy that kills every emptiness she feels within her.
Lance feels his daughter release and smiles happily, knowing he had done the right thing for her. His mind was a flood of sweetness and joy.
The positive energy encapsulates them, and they hold on to each other, while Sheila rests her head on Lance's shoulders, while she held her son in her hands.
The Stone's family looks peaceful and fortified.
"Am glad you love the surprise," Lance whispers into Emily's ears.
Several moments later, they both let go and straightened up and Lance says, "mademoiselle, I need to go remove my apparel, but before that, I have another surprise."
Emily's eyes lit up with great amusement.
He slides his hands into his pocket and says, "close your eyes, darling"
Emily closes her eyes and wonders what it could be.
Lance brings out some colourful papers and puts his hand behind and says, "my princess, you may now open them."
Emily opens her eyes, and her father stretches his hands forward and exclaims, "surprise!"
Emily looks at the colorful paper and says," Is that what am thinking it is, dad?"
Lance drops it on her lap, and she opens it up. She is so excited her father grants her request.
She places her head on his lap and rests on it.
"This is so unbelievable, dad"
"Yeah, am sorry for not being there when you need me most, but I promise I will cut back on my travels."
"Emily sighs with relief and says," I love you, dad."
"Now, let's get prepared for the trip. We are going to do everything you want for this trip. It is your call, not mine. Sheila and I are here at your service." Lance says.
Emily's eyes lits up in disbelief and she says, "dad it's a promise."
"Whatever you want, princess."
"Ok, Dad let's do it then, let's go to Paris, I have a lot of places I want to visit."
She says with so much excitement. Sheila smiles so happily, holding on to her husband.
"Dad, mum can I take my camera along? I want to take pictures and can we go camping for a day?"
Sure princess, Sheila says
"Anything for my little girl," Lance replies.
Emily could not believe her luck; this is unexpected and looks like Christmas. Although in this case, Santa Claus is her dad and there is no Christmas tree, she did get the best surprise of the day.
She screams with excitement, "oh! Here we come." Looking at the tickets her dad got for her.
She holds on to her little brother sitting gently on her lap.
Sheila and her dad hug them. They emit so much love, and the family stays snuggled up in each other's embrace.
They gave warmth and comfort to each other; Tara stays by the door and peeps through the opening of the door to see them in each other's arms.
Her eyes were moist with tears of affection. "This is beautiful." She thinks.
She stood mesmerized by the energy that radiated amongst them all and turns back to the kitchen.