Pandora's Box

EPILOGUE

"Mommy, mommy walk faster! Grandma's waiting for us!" The little girl in the pink dress shouted as she ran, her pigtails bouncing with her as she did.

"Jennifer Marie Portman! Slow down or you'll trip and ruin your dress! We still have to go to Grandma Mely's birthday party after this." I shouted. 

Yup. That is my daughter. Jennifer Marie Portman was born on April 24, 2015, 11:43 pm. Weighs 6 pounds, 13 ounces at 19 inches. And she is the loudest cryer in the whole world. She kept the nurses and doctors awake and running around during her stay at the hospital. She wants attention, no she demands it. She's a bossy little thing, and a handful one. 

She kept me and Stephen up most nights. I swear I never had such big and dark eye bags as when I had her. She's also very hard headed and impatient. When she wants something, she wants it now. But despite all of that, despite her bossiness and temper tantrums, despite all my lipsticks that she broke, she lived up to her name. Sunshine. She is a ball of energy that brought light and happiness to our lives. And I don't  care how many more Marc Jacobs lipstick I would have to buy, I would do so gladly if it means having her in my life. 

"Stephen, stop your daughter before she hurts herself."I demanded as I turned towards Stephen who was walking beside me.

"Oh, so now she's only my daughter?" He said with his eyebrows raised.

I gave him a glare. 

"It's sometimes creepy how much you two are alike." He said with a silly grin.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, my dear wife, what it means is that you are both so bossy and demanding. But I love you both nonetheless." He replied with a cheesy grin, before running towards our daughter, who is happily screaming her head off as she ran in circles while waiting for us. She likes to do this when she's in vast fields. Run around like crazy while screaming. 

I can't help but laugh at his words. It may be true that Jennifer got her bossiness from me. 

By the time I caught up with them, Jennifer's dress is soaked with her sweat and smudges of dirt can also be seen. And her hair is a mess. I sighed. Why am I not surprised.

"Jennifer come here." I said.

She skipped towards me with a grin on her chubby face.

"Yes, mommy?"

I went down to her level and started brushing off the grass that somehow managed to get their way into her hair.

"What did I say about slowing down? Now look. Your dress is dirty and you have grass in you hair. How did it even manage to go there?"

"It was all daddy's fault! He tickled me so I had no choice but to lie down because mommy, who manages to stand up while they are getting tickled? No one, I tell you." 

I laughed at her words. At 5 years old, she's a smart one. Her vocabulary is not your normal 5-year-old's vocabulary. Stephen can be blamed for that. He introduced her to reading and writing at a very early stage. And now she's rattling off words that manages to catch us all by surprise. 

"Alright, alright. Let's go, grandma's waiting."

"That's what I keep telling you, mommy." She said with a smug smirk. I shook my head and followed after her. When she reached Stephen, she held out her hands and said, "Daddy, I don't wanna walk anymore. I'm tired. Carry me."

He gave me a pointed look and mouthed, 'Just like you.' I rolled my eyes.

"But I don't wanna, Jenny. You're sweaty and dirty. And you stink." Stephen said playfully.