I Never Left You

9. Someone special

My alarm clock wakes me out of my deep slumber at 7:00 am but can't place where the phone is, I half open my eyes trying to find the phone. My eyes are shaken fully awake when they land on a body sleeping in Leah's bed. Leah isn't supposed to be here at the moment. "who sets an alarm on a weekend?" Ray groans in his sleep and simply adds the covers on top of his head. My heart beat returns to normal when I realise it was Ray who slept in Leah's bed. I find my phone and switch off the alarm and get up and keep the laptop safely. All I remember is dozing off on episode seven. That must have been around 3am.I dash to the bathroom for a relaxing shower leaving the half awake Ray in the room. I will wake him up later and explain that I have to go home.
"Good morning Ra", he says as I come out of the bathroom. Thank God he's awake cause I really hate waking people up from their sleep. He's the only person that calls me Ra.it used to be cute when we were still dating. When I would ask why he calls me Ra which I actually find funny, he claimed it's because my name Azra is incomplete without his first two letters. It at least made sense by then but now am not sure.
"Good morning too Ray, hope you slept well but sadly I was coming to cut short your beauty sleep cause in the next few minutes I need to be somewhere." I say to him. "Don't worry I saved you the trouble of waking me up, besides I slept well in a long while and when you dosed off I couldn't bear to leave you here alone with your door unlocked." he nervously passes his hands in his hair.
"It's no trouble at all," I say
"I hope your not mad at me at all for spending the night here?"he asks
"Not at all" I say on top of the hair drier.
"prove it to me" he says with a serious face.
"Huhh!!!, okay"
I will, as soon as am done drying my hair." I challenge him back, meanwhile I tell him to get ready to leave as I do the final touches. When am all done, I find the gift bag he brought and pull out the green and grey stripped sweater he brought me. Something else falls from the bag and it's a matching hair band, I just smile at him and place it in my backpack that am taking home. I put on the sweater and ask him if looking good in the sweater is evident enough to prove to him that I am not mad at him. He simply replies; "absolutely" with a huge grin on his face. "OK then we should get going but we need to talk so please stop avoiding me" , I just nod my head while biting my lower lip. With that he pulls me into a hug and as always it's the most comfortable chest I know. After what feels like a life time, we let go of each other and grab our respective keys and head out. Ray offers to hold my bag as I lock the door. We head to the parking lot and on reaching Leah's car, Ray hands me my bag ,hugs me again briefly and wishes me a safe drive. Am saving up for my own car though Leah doesn't mind me using hers, she always claims that what's hers is mine. Most times we drive together like we did in high school but now our schedules are slightly different and I can't continue leeching on her forever.
I pull up the car in front of our house and immediately Allan comes running to welcome me. "See who came early to finish our breakfast" Allan hugs me as I close the car door. "Well I missed you too little glutton", I say as I mess up his hair. "Not the hair sis, am a big boy now besides u missed my 14th birthday last week." he pouts his lips. "Speaking of birthdays" I pull out a gift out of my bag and hand it to him. How could I forget my brother's birthday. He squeals in excitement and does his victory dance on seeing his new iPhone. "Thank you, thank you so much, your the most adorable sister in the whole world " he surprises me as he lifts me in the air. I will even let u have my sausages for breakfast. I knew my brother was saving up  for a new phone after one of his classmate bullied him for owning the slowest phone in class. So a little hole into my savings to see my brother this happy was really worth it. I can't wait to see how he reacts when he sees that the phone cover is Hulk his favorite superhero . We get in the house and embrace each of my parents in a tight hug and lastly my cute baby princess. Ooooh how I missed the smell of home. "Ami" Christa says as she can't say mummy yet, my eyes water with emotions, I lift her into a tighter embrace. It's been like forever ever since I held her. A fortnight felt like a lifetime. Am so eager to tell her that her father is alive.
"Now that Az is here, why don't we settle for breakfast", mom interrupts the moment and we all move to enjoy the variety of delicacies on the table. True to his word, Allan sacrifices all his sausages onto my already mountain full plate. Mum has made everything I love, egg rolls, bacon, sausages, broccoli,cookies and beetroot juice. I couldn't be any happier. Dad picks a boiled egg, broccoli, and a banana and a  cup of green tea claiming he prefers good health to sweetness to which we all laugh at cause we all know dad has a secret craving for fast food. Christa is happily chewing on her cereals. I think togetherness is what makes breakfast the most delicious meal of the family and the happiest moment of the day.
We wrap up eating and I help mum with the dishes as we update ourselves on whatever is up, she asks about Leah and my new friends at campus, she gives me that look of spill it all and being the kind that keeps no secrets from my mum I tell her everything that has happened in the last two weeks. Mum almost drops the glass she's wiping when I reach the Ray part. Mum even moves her eyes to see Christa who's playing with the men of the house in the living room. She's distributing her blocks between dad and Allan.
"Not telling Ray about Christa was a good idea for now" mum equally reasons.
" I know ,but he says we need to talk and we share some classes together mum, am so confused and worried, what if he eventually finds out and tries to take my baby away from me. Do you think there's a possibility that he already knows" am shaking at the thought. " calm down baby", mum  comforts me as she holds both my soapy hands.
"First find out what he feels for you now, I know the Fishers aren't the most friendly people but at least their son was always a good boy. You guys have been friends since you were toddlers. He always treated you as a little sister". Mum assures me. I don't know how she does that but talking to her is always comforting and assuring. She has succeeded in taking away the discomfort I came with. "When you were in seventh grade, he would always ensure he rides besides you on your way home, he would even bypass his home such that he first drops you home." mum continues to tease me. We're done with the dishes and now both seated on the dining. I only manage to laugh back at the fact that mum still remembers those moments.
"Ok, who was your prom date? Mum asks
"Raymond Fisher" I reply blushing
"You see, the guy has always been there for you" mum concludes.
"What if he has changed mum?" I worriedly ask.
"A leopard never changes its spots dear" the proverbial mum kicks in. I hope so too, I don't wish to see a changed Ray. "And please hear him out baby", mum pleads with me and I assure her that I will. Talking to mum has put me at ease . "Nice sweater by the way", mum says as she heads upstairs to do laundry.  I smile to myself remembering the matching headband.
"Who missed mummy small?" I stand on the door looking at Christa. She immediately abandons building her blocks and comes my way,
"I missed Ami very big" she says.
"want to see what mummy brought you? " l lift her onto the couch and give her a the matching headband. " it's from someone special baby " I put it around her black flowing hair that she took after her father.
"I better go check on my phone and start updating status right away". Allan says packing up Christa's blocks.
"Enjoy your new gadget" I say to him.
" I already named him Hulk" he answers mid steps. "So is the special person Leah or... "dad smiles looking up his phone as he's lying on the couch. "Of course not dad" I say smiling at him. Christa is trying to open my phone so I help her and put for her her singing cartoons and continue to tell dad about Ray.