Dawn of Spring

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Gia was chewing the breakfast reluctantly, making the worst possible face as Ahana entered the room. Judging by her looks, either the breakfast wasn't her choice, or it tasted terrible. Nonetheless, Ahana was excited to share the news with her. Thanks to the sources of 'The Sahini Family,' she had convinced the hospital staff and management to take Gia home and keep her under her guardianship and custody until the search for her true family ends.

Of course, she had to go through one hell of legal formalities and plenty of paperwork. However, her wait ended, and she was allowed to take Gia home.

"Hii! Gia," Ahana smiled cheerfully at her stuffed face. She wasn't exactly gulping it down, more like stuffing it in her mouth as if she were trying to save it for later, despite every fiber of her being clearly saying no.

This was their routine now. Little Gia, grumpy and determined to survive her breakfast, and Ahana, trying to make everything better.

Gia looked up at her with wide eyes, clearly excited by Ahana's voice. In her enthusiasm, she forgot to chew properly, and a small explosion of food flew out of her mouth.

"Momma," she exclaimed, completely oblivious to the disaster she had just created. Her eyes lit up, her hands clapped together, and she was grinning ear to ear, until she looked down at herself. The food that had so innocently left her mouth was now everywhere: on her shirt, on her bed, and definitely on her lap. Her smile faltered, and her little face turned into one of horror as she braced herself, eyes tightly shut, waiting for the reprimand.

Ahana froze, completely startled by the mess, but after a split second of shock, she burst into laughter. "Well, that was... art," she said, grabbing a napkin to gently dab at the splattered bits of food on the toddler's neck and face.

"Ah, Gia," Ahana chuckled, wiping off the last remnants of the food explosion. "You know, we're gonna need a lot of napkins for this."

Little Gia sat stiffly, anticipating a scolding. She didn't dare open her eyes, waiting for the consequences, but Ahana was already helping her into a new set of clothes she had recently bought. 

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Ahana said softly as she carefully pulled the fresh clothes over Gia's tiny frame. "You're still my little champ. Food doesn't always go in the mouth, right?"

"You are early!" A voice came from behind her.

"No, Vivaan. You're late," she shot back, not even looking up.

"I swear I left the house on time! The traffic on the way here... was... atrocious!" He gave her a sheepish look. 

"I'm not buying that excuse."

Gia finally dared to peek her eyes open, saw Vivaan standing there. She paused, then pointed at him and giggled, "Nooo!" as if she had caught him in some grand act of deception.

Vivaan blinked, caught off guard by her sudden defiance. "No? I didn't even do anything!"

"I guess she's got the 'no' part down, huh?"

"What can I say, I'm a good teacher," Vivaan quipped with a grin, gently supporting Gia in her wheelchair as they prepared to leave. He crouched down and tied the laces of her shoes, making sure the knot was secure but not too tight. "You've got to teach them the important stuff early," he added, looking up at Ahana with a wink.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes. "A real master," she commented, finishing off Gia's neat ponytail as the little girl sat quietly in her chair, lost in her own world. Gia had barely noticed the exchange, her focus shifting between the colourful toy in her lap and the view outside the window.