Angelica stirred the rice pudding in the small pot one last time before turning off the heat. It was her three-year-old daughter's favorite breakfast, and imagining her face when she sees it brought a smile on her face.
Taking off her apron, she washed her hands and checked on the bath she had ran for her daughter before heading to her bedroom. She opened the door gently and took slow but steady steps towards her little bundle of joy.
"Hey, baby girl," Angelica whispered, lowering herself on the bed.
The little one stirred and mumbled some inaudible words before drifting back to sleep.
"I know, baby. Mommy doesn't want to wake you up either." Angelica pouted. As much as she loved the angelic sleeping face of her daughter, she missed her cute smiles.
She would have loved to spend the whole day with her baby. She didn't know she had so much love to give until she came into her life. Took all her sorrows away. Pulled her out of her misery and darkness into utter bliss.
Now if she could, she would live forever for this girl. Because she was now literally the air she breathed.
Brushing strands of hair from her daughter's face, Angelica leaned in and kissed her cheek.
"Jewelyn?" She called and the girl stirred again with a small frown before her eyes slowly flattered open. She stared around confused for a second till her eyes landed on her mother.
"Mummy?"
"Yes, baby?" Angelica would die to hear this lovely voice all day. "Did you have a good sleep?"
Jewelyn bobbled her head up and down, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. Now her eyes were wide open and Angelica saw that smile she had missed all night.
"Come here, angel. We need to get you ready for school." Angelica said and spread her arms, and Jewelyn unhesitantly crawled into them.
Her excitement every morning to go to school was one thing that put her heart at ease. At least, she was enjoying it which made her worry less.
Jewelyn had fun splashing water in the tub and playing with her rubber ducks and bubbles. She was wrapped in a big towel and laid on the bed.
"Are you excited to go to school?" Angelica asked as she dried her hair.
"Yes!" Jewelyn nodded with a smile. And before Angelica could ask why, "Mrs Momoo will read to us." she said and Angelica laughed.
"Mrs Monroe will read to you?" She corrected and her daughter nodded. She always expected Jewelyn to say she would play with her friends. She was excited because of books?
Well, maybe it was just her daughter because she doubted other kids would be this excited to go and listen to some old women reading books to them.
But she guessed her daughter was different. She was calm for her age and really smart. And because they spent quite some time talking, her range of vocabulary had greatly improved. Her articulacy at her age impressed a lot of people.
She reminded her of a certain someone whose thoughts she had deliberately pushed deep down the pits of her memory, but always seemed to find their way floating up.
Her mind drifted to the article Adele sent few days ago. Sebastian had been enlisted as one of the youngest and most influential CEOs in the whole world. And he held a legacy of singlehandedly bringing a fallen empire up on its feet again.
Very much expected of a workaholic like him. To him, work came first before anything else. Nothing else mattered when work was not done.
"Let's get you set for school." Angelica heaped her to the closet, and soon she was ready for school and slowly eating down a bowl of pudding.
"Will you pick me up after school, mummy?" Jewelyn's cute, soft voice came asking.
Angelica looked up from the portfolio she had put together. "No, peanut. Aunty Adele will be picking you up. Mummy has to meet with a client for work. I'll come get you after my meeting, and guess what mummy is going to get you," she wiggled her brows in a way that had Jewelyn sparkling with curiousity and excitement.
"Chocolate chip cookies?"
Angelica tapped the tip of her nose. "Yes, and a strawberry ice-cream."
"Yes!" She pumped a fist into the air.
Angelica laughed. "Alright, peanut, eat fast so I can drop, while I—" she trailed off and looked towards her phone when it rang.
"It's Aunty Adele. Finish up." She ordered and slid off the stool bar.
"Hey."
"I'm few blocks away, is she ready?"
Angelica looked towards her daughter. "If you mean if she's still fiddling with her breakfast, yes she is." She sighed and slipped Jewelyn's color book into her bag.
"Are you prepped for the meeting? Are they still coming into town today?"
"Yes, they are. I just confirmed with the bride, and she said he'll be here by eight this morning. I hope he likes my new ideas for the wedding."
"I'm sure he will. The bride already does, so..."
"It's been two months of brainstorming, scheduling and putting in my best. I just don't want to disappoint. I really hope he likes them." Adele could sense the anxiety in her voice, and when she sighed, she knew how scared she was.
"Relax, Angie. I'm sure he's going to like your ideas. Don't be scared." She advised.
"It's difficult not to, but, I am positive." She encouraged herself.
"That's it. I'm sure you'll do great with this wedding, and since it's going to be the biggest gig of your career so far, I'm sure you'll bring your A game."
"You bet I will. I'm going to bring even more than that."
"Then you have nothing to be worried about, except of course, getting me an invitation. I hope you're working on it?"
"Not really."
"Then you better. Open the door, I'm on your curb."
"Okay." She ended the call and turned towards her daughter. "Thirty seconds, Jewelyn, or we can kiss goodbye to chocolate and ice-cream." She threatened as she walked towards the door.
"You don't look dressed." Adele observed and kissed her cheek.
"I'll be in two minutes, but first help get that little monster to finish her breakfast. She eats like a worm."
"Yeah, makes me wonder who exactly she looks like."
"Ha, not funny." Angelica shot her a mock glare, and she chuckled. Angelica rolled her eyes. "Just get her to eat, and there's a waffle for you there."
Adele glanced towards the plate on the small kitchen island and smiled. "Thank you," she turned back to Angelica, but she was already gone.
Rummaging through her wardrobe, Angelica sought for something elegant and formal, confident and spoke highly of a renowned wedding planner.
This would be the biggest event of her career since it began four years ago. The wedding of the ambassador's daughter— Miranda Priestly. It was going to put her business on the papers and cause a boost in her clientele. That's if she did an extraordinary job, and she would.
But first she had to have her first meeting with the groom and get his approval on her ideas as well as make whatever last minute changes he might want to effect.
Listening and helping people plan one of the most happiest days of their lives had been the boon of her life — that and her beautiful daughter, Jewelyn, since she came to Lansbury four years ago.
She had not been sure of it as a path for her future. Not once had she made her own decision, nor had anyone listened to her. She had been so frightened, but no anymore.
Now, she was creative and happy. She put smiles on people's faces as they started their amazing journey of love and happily ever afters. And this wedding was going to be one among such.
Being six weeks from the day, she was already— well, not anxious, not scared, because that was no longer her. She was excited and ready to make happen the wedding of the year.
"Good afternoon, Mrs Priestly, Ms Miranda. There was an accident on the way, I'm sorry." Angelica apologized, striding into the Priestly all-pristine manor.
Miranda shot up to her feet, "It's okay, he's a few minutes away, and I told you to drop the honorifics already." She air-kissed Angelica's cheek. "Here, sit," she gestured at a seat for Angelica.
She turned to Miranda's mother. "Mrs Priestly, I'm—"
"It's okay, love. You've never been tardy, and I still don't think you are. So relax while they serve you a drink. It seems you need it." She waved and signalled at a staff.
Angelica believed she truly was in need of a drink, preferably something cold, because she had just made the quickest drive of her life. "Thank you, Mrs Priestly."
"You're welcome."
"They're here!" Miranda hopped to her feet and sprang towards the door when the sound of a revving engine filled the room.
Whoever was at the other side must have been running, because he was at the door in a second, and Miranda was up in his arms, their laughter mixing the air and filling the room.
Angelica felt a blush on her cheeks as she smiled. Miranda was a girl in love, and her man, was equally shot by the same cupid.
"I missed you," Miranda purred before kissing his lips.
"I missed you too, babe," the young man confessed, "I almost flew the plane myself."
Miranda chuckled. "Thank God, you didn't." She dived in for a kiss again, before looking over his shoulder.
"Where is he?" She inquired, and Angelica found herself also asking the same question, wondering who the 'he' was. Probably a friend, she mused.
"He's taking a call. You know how he is. He takes his work with him."
"But not till after our wedding. He's getting a lecture from me, but first come meet Angelica." She said, pulling her fiance by the hand and gingerly hurried towards Angelica, she missed the look on his face.
"Baby, meet our wedding planner, Angelica Pearson. Angelica, my fiance Nicholas."
"Hi," Angelica stretched out her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you."
Nicholas blinked as he hesitantly received her proffered hand. "The pleasure is all—" he trailed off when a call for him came through the door, and instantly he measured the look of shock and surprise that swept through Angelica's face when she saw who just walked in.
"Se..Sebastian," he heard her whisper, her body frozen in shock.