"Annie? Is it really you?" Christian asked, his heart in his mouth.
Annie slowly raised her head to look at him. Her heart was pounding and it felt like it was gonna break her chest wall.
Christine looked at both of them, "Mr. Handsome knows you Mommy?"
Christian looked at her and back at Annie.
"She's my daughter." He whispered.
Annie eyes began to water. The man she hated most was right in front of her. He was the one who made her go through so many hardships, he even rejected his child and sent her away. Today he's here calling Christine his daughter?
He proceeded to come closer but Annie stopped him.
"Don't you dare come close!" She warned.
"Annie I..."
"Don't say anything! You... How dare you show your face here? Huh?" She screamed.
Christian looked around, "Annie you're creating a scene." He said embarrassed.
Annie threw her hands in the air, "Oh really? I'm the one who's creating a scene huh? You stupid bastard how dare you tell me that after all you did to me? Oh you expect to smile at you and kiss you huh? To applaud you? Never." She raved on and on.
Christian was hurt by her words. He sighed it wasn't her fault, she had a right to be angry with him. It was all his fault.
"Mommy what's going on?" Christine asked confused.
Annie was too mad to answer her.
Christian looked at her with so much love in his eyes, "Christine... I'm your.. Father. Yes I'm your dad." He smiled and tried holding her.
"Don't you dare touch my daughter!" She yelled.
Christine's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. She looked at Annie, "Is it true Mommy?"
Annie held her mouth and tears freely gushed out of her eyes.
"Annie I'm so sorry. I dunno why I acted the way I did. I swear I tried looking for you but I couldn't find you. Trust me when I say I'm ready to take her responsibility now. I'm sorry." There was sincerity in his eyes.
Christine held his hand, "You're my Daddy?" She blinked at him.
Christian bent down and cupped her face, "Yes. I'm your Daddy."
Annie dragged Christine back, "Don't go near him Christine. He's a bad person."
He looked at her surprised, "You're turning her against me?"
Christine tried defending him, "But Mommy he's not a bad person."
"Are you gonna listen to your mother or a stranger?" She glanced at him with hatred and looked at Christine.
He felt his heart twist, Annie called him a stranger. "But I'm her father Annie."
"To hell with you!"
She took Christine by the hand and led her away. Christine glanced at Christian and looked forward.
"Annie? Annie please listen to me. Just hear me out." He shouted after her. He punched a wall in frustration.
"Mommy who is Mr. Handsome to you? Tell me Mommy. Please. Tell me." Christine kept asking her mother for Christian's relationship with her.
Annie was irritated, "Stop it Christine. Stop bugging me." She sounded irritated.
"But Mommy he said was my Daddy. Is it true?"
"Yes!" She was pissed off, "Yes he is your father! He's your father, happy?"
"Mommy why doesn't he live with us? Every child lives with his or her parents Mommy. Why doesn't Daddy live with us?" She asked curious.
"Christine please. I've got a headache. Stop asking questions and let me be." She held her head.
She sniffed and coiled her hands in her mother's.
"Oh and from now on you're not going near that man. Understood?"
Christine was close to tears, "But why Mommy? He's my friend." She said.
Annie looked at her, "I'm sorry Christine but he hurt a long time ago. He doesn't have our interest at heart and we can't associate with someone who doesn't like us." She explained.
Christine eyes teared up, "Yes Mommy." She said quietly.
"I beg you Christine, do not go anywhere near him. Understand?" She said again, emphasising on the 'not'.
Christine sulked through out the walk back to the restaurant. She neither had lunch or play when her friends came to visit. She was so moody for the rest of the day.
When it was time to go home, Annie told Christine.
"Hey there honey, I won't be coming home now. So you go ahead." She kissed her forehead. She only nodded and didn't say anything.
Noticing how sad she looked, Annie tried cheering her, "Yunno what baby? We'll have our mother and daughter night, tonight okay? So cheer up." She patted her head and walked away.
Christine proceeded home. Flashbacks of what happened earlier in the day kept playing in her head. So Christian was her Dad? Why didn't he live with her? She had always envied other kids who had a Mommy and a Daddy.
She was kept asking who her Daddy was but her mom would just smile and tell her she was a Mom and Dad to her. Though she would just smile and nod, deep down she yearned for the love of a father.
A tear ran down her cheeks, she said and wiped her eyes with her palm.
"How did Mr. Handsome offend Mommy? Is he really my Daddy? Why doesn't he live with us then? Why doesn't kiss my head at night?" She began to sob quietly.
"This is not fair. God please do something. If Mr. Handsome is my Daddy, please make him live with us. Amen." She prayed still sobbing.
She got home. Too tired and sad to do anything, she slumped on the couch. She wanted to know the truth. She wanted to know if Mr. Handsome was her dad. She was gonna wait for her Mom. Her Mom will tell her everything.
******
Annie cuddled Christine singing softly in her ears. Christine snuggled her Mommy enjoying her warmth.
"Mommy? I want to know the truth." She demanded.
Annie looked at her, "What truth?"
"Is Mr. Handsome my Daddy?"
"Christine please..."
"Please tell me Mommy. I want to know the truth."
"Christine," she sighed, "Okay. I'll tell you."
She sat up straight ready to listen to her mother's story.
"Your father is Christian powers. The man you call Mr. Handsome is your Father."
Christine gasped and her eyes widened.
"He used to be my friend. He was always showering me with so much love. I trusted him and I gave myself to him."
"How come you're still here?" She chipped in.
"What do you mean?"
"If you gave yourself to him you should be with him." She blinked her lashes.
Annie smiled, she was too young to understand.
"You'll understand one day. May I continue?"
Christine nodded.
"I then became pregnant with you. He refused to take your responsibility. He threw me out because I refused to abort you."
"Abort? What's that?"
"Christineeee" She drawled.
"Sorry." She laughed quietly.
"So I didn't abort you. I gave birth to you and I raised you till this point. Now he wants to take you away from me and I won't allow it. See why he doesn't have our interest at heart? He actually wanted me to abort you. That is kill you In my womb!"
Christine gasped, "What?!"
"Yes."
"So you mean I can't talk to him because he wanted to kill me?"
"Yes dear. He wanted you dead."
Christine gulped, "I hate him now Mommy. I can't have a killer as my friend. And I'll never talk to him again."