It had been two years since their daughter had been born and every day that passed was like a blessing just for the single fact that she was in their lives. They had such a tight bond that, he was sure Chorale even got jealous sometimes. They literally did everything together.
He even took her to work with him every single day. He remembered how he had vehemently refused it when Chorale suggested that she be enrolled in school, some months ago. There were many instances where pre-school teachers bullied the babies and he shivered to think what he could do to anyone who even touched a single hair on his daughter's head. Besides, there was the other issue of teacher to pupil ratio. Most of these pre-school classes were full to the maximum and teachers had divided attention taking care of the children. Chorale’s mother’s school would’ve been an option if her parents didn’t live so far away now. Agnes wasn’t around herself, to take care of Kayla. He couldn’t let her start school now.
“Kay, most children her age go to school.” Chorale had disagreed.
“My daughter is not ‘most children,’ love”
She frowned at him, “Kay, I have to go to work. She can’t stay with Mama Rica always…she also has other things to do aside being here.”
“She can follow me to work.” He stated simply, “I’ll get a private teacher to come there every day to teach her, if that’s what you want but my baby isn’t going to school now. She’s still a little baby, woman” The way he said the ‘woman’ was so funny, both of them laughed hard.
“I can’t win this with you.” That was it. Every day, she’d pack all the things they would need into a baby bag and Kay would slung it over his shoulder, carry the baby in a baby carrier and off they’d go, in his car. He had been doing that since she was a year and half, when Chorale was ready to go back to work. So it was no surprising that the first word she learnt to say was “Dada”
******
Two months to the proposal
It was an early Monday morning and Chorale had packed them a bag as usual, and their lunch, before she left. She had a busy day so she had to leave before they woke up. She however, left them a note saying she would be back early to cook dinner and wished them all the best for the day. Kay was still sleepy as he read the note, “Perks of being married to a neurosurgeon,” He said to himself as he got out of the bed.
Wait.
Married?
His heart skipped a beat.
He loved Chorale. He really did but he couldn’t lie, he still had some fear in him about marriage. The problem wasn’t her…it was him and he didn’t know who to talk to. He definitely couldn’t talk to her because he feared she’d run off again. He made a mental note to do something about ‘his phobia of commitment’ as Caleb liked to put it.
He walked into Kayla’s room and saw that she was already up and sitting in her cot. When she saw him, she smiled a wide smile and shouted, “Daddy!” her dimples popping out. “This girl and her mother would be the death of me,” he thought as he walked to her, arms wide open, “My baby!”
He carried her out of the cot and she hugged him so tight. She always did that and every single time, he felt his heart would explode with joy.
“Did you dream about me?” It was like a daily greeting. On the days when she woke up feeling happy, like today, she’d nod. But on the days when she didn’t wake up too well, she’d shake her head, no. It was his way of finding out how her sleep was.
“Oh that’s good. Let daddy get Kayla ready for work, okay?”
“’Kay” Anytime she said ‘okay’ like that, in front of people, they’d always laugh at him. He had gotten used to it now.
He got her dressed, got dressed himself and they left to start their day, in ‘their office’.
****
When they got there, it was as if someone had tipped the paparazzi to follow them but he didn’t care. He’d show her off to the whole world if he had to. On his way to use the elevator, some of them managed to enter the lobby, despite the security men’s protests and came right at him,
“Sir, we hear you have a baby now.”
“I don’t know if that's meant to be a question, but yes, I have a baby. I’ve had her for almost two years now.” He answered.
“What’s her name?”
“Kayla. Kayla Sanders.” She had drifted off to sleep again on their way but these camera men kept taking so many pictures of her, disturbing her eyes with their light. He noticed because she was fidgeting a lot and that annoyed him.
“You’re upsetting her with all that light, do you realize?” He spoke in an intimidating voice which was enough to make them drop their cameras.
“Wow…who is the baby mama?” the journalist laughed, “We hear she is a doctor.”
Kay frowned. Chorale was more than just a baby mama. “What then is she?” his brain mocked him. He didn’t like this conversation at all.
The journalist was still asking, “Who’s she, Mr. Sanders?”
“She’s…she’s…my. She’s my girlfriend.” The journalists laughed and that infuriated him. “She’s my girlfriend and no, she’s not just any doctor, she’s a neurosurgeon.” He defended and signaled to the security men to take them off his property.
That singular conversation and the thought that came to his mind earlier that morning, really got him thinking.
Why couldn’t he make a move?
“It’s because you’re afraid that she’d turn you down.” A voice in his head answered, and he knew that was the truth. It was a high possibility because that’s how she was. Once she had convinced herself that she wouldn’t do or do something, that was all. He was certain that she had convinced herself to not marry him.
He had to do something to get over his fears. So he called Caleb via Skype and told him how he felt. Because of the nature of his job, Caleb knew a lot of therapists. Sometimes, before he would finish some of his assignments, his mental health would be so disturbed that he had to have them around. So when Kay spoke to him, he was more than ready to give out one of their numbers to him. Kay didn’t like the idea of talking to a complete stranger about his problems but after a lot of coercing by Caleb, he agreed to. He called the middle-aged woman and they agreed to meet on Skype every day for a month.
Anytime Kayla’s tutor came to teach her, he’d also be having his sessions with Dr. Patrice who was based in the States as well. He had created a small play/study room for Kayla and her teacher right beside his office so that he could see anything that went on. One morning, Chorale had visited them unannounced and called him an ‘Overprotective Old Man’ when she saw the playroom.
The therapy sessions went on for about a month and after he was done and assessed himself, he realized that it had been worth it. He was seeing things differently now and his perspective on a lot of things had changed. It was like having a cataract surgery; after it’s done, you see things much better than before. He had, in his house, the whole package of an excellent woman and wife and if he didn’t officially make her his, he could lose out on a lot of things.
He wanted to show her off as his: His woman, His wife. He had to marry her.
YOU ARE READING
CHORALE SANDERS
Romance"I cannot tell you anything right now, but promise me, Mama Rica. Promise me you'll take care of him for me, now that I won't be here to." She took the older lady's face in her hands, looking at her with very teary eyes. "Don't leave him like I am...
