8 Years
I opened (Y/N)'s bedroom door carefully, making sure not to spill syrup on her carpet. I switched her lamp on before placing her plate on her bedside table.
"Joyeux anniversaire petite," I said quietly as I gently shook her shoulder. "Come on sleepy head, you should be the one waking me up not the other way round!" She opened her eyes and gave them a rub before climbing into my lap to give me a sleepy cuddle.
"Joyeux anniversaire, I said again, her body tensing before looking over to see the plate of pancakes sitting waiting for her. She pounced out of my lap and began devouring the pancakes like she'd never eaten before.
"What are we doing today?"
"Well presents first, obviously! Then I thought we could go down to the track, lunch with Mamie and Arthur and then I have a surprise for this evening."
"What sort of surprise?"
"You'll just have to wait and see."
We ended up being late for lunch as we lost all concept of time at the track, but she was doing so well I didn't want to stop her. After lunch we played football in the garden , (Y/N) being surprisingly good at penalties and completely destroying me and Arthur.
"Charles! What is the surprise?" she asked looking up at me, her cheeks all rosy from running around so much. I held my hand and she took hold and I led her to the back of the garden.
"We gotta dig a hole first," I said pointing to the shovels resting against the garden fence. It only took us about fifteen minutes to dig the hole, though it was mainly me digging while she and watched drinking her capri-sun.
"Right you gotta wait here and close your eyes okay?" She nodded and closed her eyes. I went into the shed and brought out the small cherry blossom tree I found at the garden center. I placed in down in front of her and told her to open her eyes. As her eyes opened she looked at the tree with slight confusion.
"I thought we could plant this tree for you dad. So you could have a place to talk to him." A small smile began to grow across her face and she got up and squeezed me as tight as she could.
"Merci Charles,"
We both placed it in the hole before filling in the dirt, (Y/N) far more enthusiastic than before, insisting it was my turn to sit down and have a capri-sun while she filled in the hole.
That evening I was searching around the house for her so I could get her ready for bed, assuming she was hiding again because she doesn't want to go to sleep. As I walked into the kitchen I spotted her out the window, sitting in the front of the tree chatting away to it. I smiled and decided to leave her a little while longer.
12 Years
(Y/N) and I left the track and headed to get some ice cream to celebrate her win. She drove like Jules would have, she was a mini him. He really lived on through her. I turned my head and saw happiness beaming through her as she sung along to a Doja Cat song she's always blaring at home.
"So what flavor are you going to get?"
"Chocolate duh!" she said staring at the ice cream through the glass. "You?"
"Hmm... I think I'm going to have to go for chocolate too if you say it's that amazing."
As we ate I realized how she still managed to get chocolate all over her face as if she was still three. I picked up a napkin and started to wipe her face before she pushed my hand away.
"Charles stop, you're embarrassing me! I'm not a baby!"
"You're always gonna be my baby, even when you're fifty!" She responded by sticking out her tongue before wiping the rest of the chocolate off of her face.
