Forbidden (A Chris Brown Love Story)

Chapter 12: At "IHOPE"

Chris's POV:

"I HOPE! I HOPE!" Auriella screamed looking through the window. Personally I had never realized the International House Of Pancakes could be so exciting but the huge white and blue sign seemed to give Auriella life.

"Yes IHOP," I laughed correcting her. She was so elated that she unbuckled herself from the booster chair. "Come on my love we can't be late for breakfast." she smiled wide clinging to me as I unstrapped her. Making her way out the car and across the parking lot.

"Let's go," she rushed tugging my sweatshirt's sleeve. "Waffles wait for no one," she sounded all proper like her mother. "Or at least that's what mommy says," she added. When we were together, Katy always corrected my grammar, especially in front of her parents. When we got inside it was unbelievable how packed the place was. I was tempted to tell Ari we'd come back later but I figured that wouldn't go over too well after that fiasco this morning.

"Table for one?" the lady at the podium asked.

"NO," Ari jumped up. "Me too."

"Oh I'm sorry sweetheart," the waitress apologized squatting down to Ari's height. "Table for two." she corrected herself then standing to grab a menu with a coloring page.

"Can I get a big people menu too, Daddy?"

"Yea sweetheart," I reached over to get her one and the lady at the podium smiled hen she saw me hand it to her.

"Thank you," Ari beamed. "Mommy never takes me seriously." I laughed, Katy don't want her to mature at all. Once we were seated Auriella didn't give the menu a second thought. She was off to coloring on the children's menu.

"Whatcha gonna eat princess?" she looked from the crossword that she was coloring block by block. Her face looked as if I asked the question of the hour. I swear her and Katyana got this whole identical expression thing down to the tee.

"Waffles duhhhh... daddy," she exclaimed. I did feel kinda of dumb now. The whole reason I had brought her here to begin with was waffles but I figured like most kids she'd change her mind. I'm coming to find out though that my daughter isn't like every other kid, she's simply one of a kind.

"My bad," she went back to coloring ignoring my comment. I tried looking at the page and she immediately covered it. "Oh I'm sorry," I sat back in chair heeding her warning.

"You can' see until I'm done," she stated. I smiled throwing up my hands and looking around unknowing. Her half of the table was covered in crayons, colored pencils, and markers of every shade. The source of it all being her backpack which sat also sat on the table wide open. I assumed the usual two crayons they gave didn't cut it for her. She needed every shade of ever color which I believed she had in the pile of at least a hundred utensils.

"Hello my name is Donaven," a preppy waiter approached the table and took our order. Ary hadn't looked up once too captivated by her masterpiece.

"So," I started sipping my pineapple juice. "Baby girl what we doing today?"

"I don't know," she mumbled. "You're the parent, you tell me." she remarked pushing one of her curly pigtails out her face. That sounded like something I could imagine seven year old Katyana Torres saying. My phone started to ring and I was gonna ignore until I saw who the contact was.

"Look who it is?" I turned the camera to Ari, who still hadn't looked up.

"Hey Ari," Katy said through face time. She was laying in bed and still looked flawless without makeup and her hair all over her head. I remembered waking up next to that when I was younger.

"Mommy," Ari screeched. "Wait till you see my picture," she continued to color.

"I can't wait." Katy exasperated. "I miss you baby."

"Now you can both see at the same time," Ari exclaimed with joy. That smile of her's just warmed my heart.

"Okay sweetie," Katy said. "Ima talk to daddy really quick while you finish." I flipped the camera back to me. "Where are you guys with all those people in the background." Katy asked. I was little to mesmerized by her beauty to answer. "Chris?," she snapped her fingers.

"Oh," I stuttered. "We at IHOP eating breakfast. Let's just say my cooking this morning wasn't cutting it."

"Don't feel bad," I hear Melvin say from the background. "Katyana's cooking never cuts it either. That little girl is too spoiled for homemade waffles."

"Oh shut up," Katy snapped turning away from the camera.

"Look mommy," Ari walked around the table to get in the camera holding her drawing.

"Oh how cute, Auriella." Katy cooed. "Who is it?" Ari looked disappointed her mother couldn't tell on her own.

"That's you," she explained starting from the left of the page. "And that's daddy holding your hand." She looked at me as if too see if I was satisfied.

"Perfect," I assured her. "Whose the little girl in the grass petting the dog?" I assumed it was her.

"That's me petting the dog you promised to get me." she said and I knew i got flustered. "You remember don't you daddy. "

"Yea I do," recalling it wasn't problem it was just her mother now knew.

"I thought we agreed NO dog!" Katy said. Melvin laughed and I tried not to crack a smile.

"I know," I tried to reason. "But she looked so sad when I told her no so I said yes anyway."

"You just can't help yourself?" Ari asked. "That little girl could you to do anything can't she."

"Yep," Ari answered returning to her seat. "I'll draw you a dog too mommy so you won't be mad at daddy."

"Thank you baby," Katy said giving me look saying we'd discuss it later. "I got to go sweetheart. Mommy has to work. I love you."

"I love you, too Mommy." she put her face in the camera to blow a kiss. "You aren't gonna say goodbye o daddy," Ari asked with pure innocence.

"Bye Chris," she said dryly.

"Oh you don't love me too," I said sarcastically.

"I love you dumby," she laughed but blushed. Something told me that she really meant it.

"I love you too," I said back. Always have, always will I thought to myself.