Always, Tulip

🔸Bonus | 5

ELLE

While watching my daughter run around the house as she chased after one of our neighbour's puppies, I couldn't believe two years had really gone by.

So much had happened. Birthdays, anniversaries, memorials and small family parties had been organized. We had celebrated on all these important occasions, the highlight being Gina, Grey and I's first child.

She was now a little over three years, her third month just about to come to an end. She had grown into an adorable little girl with a kind heart and a jovial smile. Though still small, her voice was loud enough to echo through the entire neighborhood.

"Mommy! The puppy is running away." She pointed at the fence where the said puppy was squeezing itself to get back to its master's home.

"The puppy will come back later." I assured, noticing how she stared at the young one for a little longer.

It had been her playing companion for most of the time. With Mayella only dropping by on weekends and Clarissa still visiting her relatives, there was hardly anyone to play with her. I was busy with work and it was getting tougher to watch her on my own.

My phone buzzed, distracting me for a moment. I had hailed a cab some minutes ago and the driver seemed to have arrived in our area.

"Gina, we're leaving now." I informed her as I confirmed whether all I needed was in my small bag. They were just the regular things a young mother would carry around.

Gina came running. Her pigtails flew behind her, a big smile curving over her face. "We're going to see daddy?" She asked, hugging my legs.

"Yes. Are you happy?" She nodded excitedly, holding onto me even tighter.

She missed him. We had missed him. He had left for work a week after Gina's third birthday. In those three months, we had talked via phone calls but that didn't equal being with him physically. Today being the day of his return, we had planned to surprise him at the airport.

"Let's goo." Gina pulled my arm when we didn't leave right away. I tidied her clothes first and then tied her hair again before leaving with the cab waiting outside the gate.

The journey to the airport was not a quiet one. It was filled with Gina's endless praise for her dad. The driver was kind enough to engage her in the rant.

"When I see my daddy I'll hug him like this," she spread out her arms, wide enough to cover the space of one car seat.

The driver beamed at her enthusiasm and asked, "You love your daddy?"

"Yes, I love him so much." She dragged out the last part making me wonder where she'd learned that from.

"Your daddy must love you too," the driver smiled at her.

"Yes, my daddy buys me a lot of things." She held my thigh while shifting to a more comfortable sitting position.

"He carries me on his shoulder and takes me everywhere I want." She went on with her rant.

The cab driver beamed at her responses. "What else does your daddy do for you?"

"He plaits my hair before bed and tells me a lot of stories about princesses. My daddy says that I'm a little princess and mommy is the big princess."

The driver smiled, "She's definitely a daddy's girl. " I hummed, falling into agreement.

In her first year I thought I was truly her favourite but well, here we were talking about her dad even in his absence.