Later that evening, just past 9 PM, Thandeka was gently patting her baby to sleep. She continued for what felt like hours until, finally, his little eyelids fluttered closed. She lay beside him, watching his peaceful face as she caressed his soft, chubby cheeks, a tender smile playing on her lips.
Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a small figure appeared in the doorway. Without even looking, Thandeka raised a finger to her lips, signaling for silence.
"Shh, Rex is asleep," she whispered, still focused on the baby. He was deeply asleep now. Thandeka yawned, her own eyes growing heavy with sleep.
As she prepared to settle back into her pillow, she noticed the small figure standing by the door and her expression softened. It was her second daughter.
The room was dim, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight that filtered through the curtains.
"Eloisa, my dear," Thandeka said gently, sitting up carefully so as not to disturb Rex's slumber. She spread her arms wide in an inviting gesture. "Oh, baby, did you have another nightmare? Come to Mama."
Eloisa closed the door quietly and jumped onto the bed in one graceful motion. The five-year-old shook her head. "No," she replied softly, her hazel eyes sparkling in the dim light. Thandeka's fingers brushed through Eloisa's soft red hair, feeling the warmth of her daughter's presence.
People often say children love both parents equally, but Thandeka knew better. Eloisa had always favored her father.
Her daughter's pale skin seemed to glow in the moonlight, making her look like a rare gem shining in the darkness of the room.
"Come here," Thandeka whispered, pulling Eloisa into a close embrace. She rested her daughter's head on her chest, her fingers softly stroking the red hair. Thandeka considered singing her a lullaby, as she often did.
But Eloisa's mood shifted suddenly. Her expression turned wistful, and she looked up at her mother with wide eyes. "No, Mommy," she murmured, "I don't want a lullaby. I miss Daddy. I want to see Daddy."
This was the fifth hundredth time Eloisa had asked for her father today, and Thandeka was quickly running out of patience. She let out a long, exhausted sigh. "Baby, Daddy will come soon, okay?"
"You've said that a million times already!" Eloisa pouted, clearly frustrated.
"I know, sweetheart," Thandeka replied softly, trying to soothe her while still keeping an eye on Rex, who was thankfully still asleep. "But Daddy is busy. You know that."
Eloisa's bottom lip stuck out in a dramatic pout. "Then call him."
Call him? At this hour? Thandeka's tiredness only deepened, but she tried her best to stay calm. "Sweetheart, it's late. We'll call Daddy tomorrow morning. It's not a good time to call him now."
But as the tears began to fill Eloisa's eyes, Thandeka felt her resolve crumble. She sighed, giving in. "Alright, alright, I'll call him."
She pulled out her phone and quickly dialed Darin's number, which was the first in her recent call logs.
It only took two rings before Darin answered, his voice thick with sleep. "What's up, babe? Aren't you asleep yet?"
"Asleep?!" Thandeka's voice flared with frustration, but then she remembered Rex beside her, peacefully sleeping. She reined herself in, her tone softening. "Really, Darin? You expect me to be asleep when your kids are wide awake?"
Darin, knowing exactly how his wife could be when she was upset, quickly apologized. "Okay, sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I know it would be easier if I was there to help."
"These kids are driving me insane!" Thandeka groaned. "Don't be surprised if I send them on the first flight to you tomorrow morning!"
"Baby, come on, you can't do that—"
"Daddy!" Eloisa's voice cut through, her face lighting up as she grabbed the phone from Thandeka's ear, her excitement almost overwhelming her. "Daddy!" she squealed, on the verge of happy tears.
Thandeka's frustration melted away as she watched her daughter beam, her little heart finally content.
"Oh, my darling angel. How are you, baby?" Darin's face lit up as he spoke to Eloisa. "Why aren't you asleep yet, my love?"
"Because…" Eloisa pouted, her small lips curving downward. "I miss you, Daddy."
Thandeka rolled her eyes, feeling a pang of jealousy. It seemed her kids always preferred their father over her.
"It's your birthday, and you're not here to celebrate with us, Daddy. It's not fair," Eloisa added, her voice tinged with sadness.
Thandeka froze, stunned. How could she forget? This was an important day. She slapped her forehead in regret and quickly grabbed the phone from Eloisa. "Babe, I didn't remember today was your birthday, and you didn't remind me. We've talked all day, and you never mentioned it! I would've sent something—" She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Eloisa sticking her tongue out at her, making finger horns over her head to tease.
"Don't give me that silly face. He's my husband," Thandeka scolded.
"And he's my daddy," Eloisa shot back, sticking her tongue out again.
Thandeka narrowed her eyes, playfully threatening, "Talk back again, and you'll wake up with a bald head tomorrow."
Eloisa gasped, immediately grabbing her long red hair with both hands. Her hair was her pride, reaching all the way to her knees.
"Please don't scare her like that," Darin said, his voice gentle but firm.
Thandeka gave him an exasperated look. "Oh, now I'm not supposed to scare her? You didn't join me in warning her when she was misbehaving earlier—hey! Stop that!" Thandeka scolded as she caught Eloisa trying to pinch Rex's cheeks. "If you wake him up, you'll be the one putting him back to sleep. Got it?"
Just then, the door burst open, and two seven-year-old figures rushed into the room.
"Didn't your father teach you how to knock before barging into someone's room?" Thandeka said with an amused but firm tone.
"Excuse me?" Darin's voice came through the phone, sounding puzzled.
"Mom!" Anastasia's voice echoed through the house, so loudly that even Darin could hear it on the other end of the phone. "I'm trying to sleep, but Henri won't stop pulling my hair!"
Thandeka turned toward Henri, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you pulling your sister's hair? Apologize to her, and then both of you go back to your rooms."
Henri crossed his arms and smirked. "I didn't pull her hair, so why should I apologize?"
Thandeka's patience thinned. "Henri, seriously? Fine, I know you didn't do it, but apologize anyway. Just do it."
Henri shot a look at Anastasia and sneered. "You know you're not going to get me to beg, Scotch bonnet."
Both Thandeka and Anastasia gasped. Anastasia turned to her mom, wide-eyed. "Mom, he called me a scotch bonnet! Tell him to stop!"
Before Thandeka could respond, Henri kept going. "That's why I call you funny names. You can't stand up for yourself. You're always running to Mommy for help. When will you learn? I'm just trying to teach you how to handle bullies."
"Enough!" Thandeka snapped, her patience snapped. "Who asked you to teach her anything, Mr. Know-it-all?"
"But, Mom—"
"I'm still talking, young man!" Thandeka cut him off. "Now apologize to your sister, and—" She was interrupted when Rex started crying. "Look what you've done now!" She quickly scooped him into her arms, trying to calm him. "Henri, you need to humble yourself. You can't even apologize, and you, Ana, stop being so troublesome."
"But, Mom, Henri really did pull my hair!"
"Both of you, go back to your rooms now," Thandeka ordered, her tone final. "No more arguing."
As they were about to leave, she stopped Henri. "Henri, come back here."
He trudged back, sitting on the bed. Thandeka waved him up. "I didn't ask you to sit."
Henri reluctantly stood, and Thandeka leaned in. "I know you pulled her hair, and—"
"Mom, I—"
"Shut up," she said firmly. "No talking while I'm still speaking. That's disrespectful. Your dad's on the phone, and he can hear you." She took a breath to calm herself. "Let this be the last warning. If you can't apologize when you've done something wrong, don't do it in the first place. Understand?"
Henri sighed and nodded. "Yes, Mom."
"Now go to your room." After Henri left, Thandeka sighed in relief. She glanced over at Eloisa, who was peacefully asleep. Carefully, she laid Rex beside her and tried to relax, not realizing the call was still active.
After a few moments, Darin spoke up. "Why did you study nursing instead of law?"
Thandeka furrowed her brow, confused. "What do you mean?"
"You handled that whole situation like a pro," Darin said, his tone softer. "You've got a real talent for this."
She raised an eyebrow. "Really? Are you mocking me now?"
"No, no, no. I wouldn't dare," Darin chuckled. "I just mean, you've got this all figured out."
Thandeka smiled faintly. "You know, it should've been you handling that."
Darin sighed, his voice tired. "Babe, I'll be there soon, okay? I just need to finish a few things here first."
Thandeka exhaled slowly. "I just want my husband back. I miss you."
Darin's voice softened, full of warmth. "I miss you more, love. Just give me a little more time, and I'll be right there with you."
She smiled, though it was tinged with longing. "I hope so."