You Must Be the One

Teal- Renewal

A companion piece to Yellow

Teal coloured skies
Make my mind alright

-Lauren Barrett

"Mommy?"

Those big blue eyes kill her every time. They were Bradley's, that was for certain, and it was as difficult to say no to her daughter as it was to him.

If it weren't for having his eyes, Lennon looks exactly like she did as a little girl, right down to the bone structure. She's starting to take up piano, too, and her father likes to call her, "little Stef," making them both laugh.

It's uncanny, really, and as she draws her daughter close to her in the armchair and drops a sprinkle of kisses on that cute nose, she's gobsmacked by how much she loves this kid. It's been four years and the thought still sneaks up on her daily. Sometimes, hourly.

She reaches out to smooth back a loose chocolate curl. Part of it is because she knows Lennon will be their only child together, unless they decide to adopt one day. With how long it had taken to conceive her, to hope for another miracle seemed presumptuous; tempting fate by asking for too much.

So, Lennon and her big sister are their joy, who they live for. As much as they both love their careers, they're older now, settled in with the girls, and this is the kind of life that they wanted. The tucked away house, deep in the valley, the weekend getaways all together, big holidays surrounded by their own immediate families and close friends...it was everything she'd dreamed of.

"You look so beautiful, my Lenni," she enthuses. "Like a princess."

She and Lea both are dressed in the most delicate of soft teal gowns, matching golden ballet flats on their feet. Freddie's fixed Lennon's hair in a French braid with a flower crown of fresh white tea roses, while Lea's opted to leave hers down.

In typical Lennon Cooper fashion, though, her crown is already askew, hair wild and sticking up in about forty different directions. No doubt, Stefani thinks, from doing full fledged pirouettes in her dress to see the skirt billowing out in the mirror.

Her wild nature is a part of her charm, though they could probably do without the emails from the preschool teacher on a steady basis about near injuries from some crazy move in the play yard.

But for all her spirited ways, Stefani's proud of the child they're raising. Polite, kind. Full of compassion and love for anyone she meets. Never saw an animal she didn't like. The most infectious laugh. Smart, but not in a precious way, aware of the world around her, and she has to acknowledge they're doing a good job.

"No, you look like a princess, Mommy!"

She smiles, glancing down at the white silk robe she's still wearing. "Thank you, my love. Is that what you wanted to tell me?"

Lennon scrunches up her forehead thoughtfully. "No," she admits. "I had a question."

Something else that doesn't surprise her in the least. She's as inquisitive as the day is long.

"You can ask me anything, sweetheart."

"Well," she looks up, "if you and Daddy are already married, then why are you having a wedding? I asked Lea, but she didn't know why either."

"Mhmm, I can see why that would be a little confusing. Yes, we are already married. But back before you were born, we had a very small wedding. It was just your sister and Nonna and Nana and Papa."

"And Auntie Nat and Auntie Holly?"

Stefani nods, "that's right. And a few of our very close friends. We got married right in Uncle Bobby's backyard."