5SOS Book of Imagines

LRH // Young Dad (3)

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The moment I opened the car door Stella's been pulling me to where the party was.

"I'll just go park the car. You and Stella go in, I'll find you," he smiled as I closed the car door and I followed Stella inside the fairly huge mansion.

We were escorted to this garden and I thought this was way too grand than I expected for a party of a kid in Stella's age but then, they can afford it so I just kept my mouth shut. Stella and I sat on one of the benches, one beside the flowerbed and I showed her the different flowers to distract her from the gigantic cake which I knew she'd run to.

As she was engrossed with the flowers, I looked around and saw a few mothers holding dressed up kids look at Stella, then at me, and then they smile. To which I smile back as normal as I could but I felt really awkward, like I didn't belong.

The afternoon sun catches on Stella's blue eyes, looking up at me as she held up a little white rose from the flower bed. She was a little angel, so gentle and lovable and endearingly smart. She smiled at every stranger mom who says hi, though usually she doesn't let them touch her. I sat there, realizing Stella was a little star to the mothers around. Yeah, she's a charmer.

Very much like her dad, in my opinion.

"It's so nice to finally meet little Stella's mom!" Suddenly, a really old woman, probably in her eighties, dressed as fancy as everyone else, approached us and sat beside us, looking at me with twinkling eyes.

Stella, upon hearing the word mom, looked up at me with her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

My eyes bulged out with shock, thinking of what I can say.

"Oh, um, I-I'm not—"

The woman laughed, her fake eyebrows skyrocketing as she laughed. I can already tell she was pretty when she was younger, the years of her life couldn't take away the aura of elegance and grace in her features, and her gray eyes were beautiful. She rested a hand on my knee, "Oh, I was kidding, child. I know you're not little Stella's mom. I know little Stella's mom."

I chuckled nervously, though my nerves were calming down quickly, feeling at ease with the woman.

"You can call me Nana, as everyone else had ever since I could remember."

"It's nice to meet you, Nana. I'm—"

"Raya, right? I know, I know. Luke's told me a lot about you and little Stella's unusual liking for you." Nana liked to talk so much, that's what I figured. So I just smiled and let her talk and tell me a lot about Luke and Stella. I wanted to know more about Luke's past and Nana seemed eager to tell me a lot.

"I was the one who pulled little Stella out to the world, do you know that? She was a wee thing, but her cries were so loud, I didn't have to slap her to wake her up. She was so ready to live, so eager for life. Her mother wanted her in her arms as soon as I pulled her out, and little Stella was just as eager, they yearned to be in each other's arms. I cleaned Stella up first before gently setting her in her mother's waiting arms." I looked at Nana and I saw that her eyes were closed, intent and focused in reliving that part of Stel's past.

"Then, I watched my favorite part of giving birth, the moment when the mother first sees her child; the look of wonder, of reverence, and above everything else, absolute joy and love. Then, her mother closed her eyes, her breathing still labored, and I waited, thinking she was just still lost in the moment, but then, her hands on little Stella's face slacked. I immediately carried the baby out of the way and shouted for help. But it was no use; it was as if she just had enough strength to see her baby first before going. She was gone before I was able to hand over Stella to the nurse."

My hand was covering my mouth, fighting off a sob. My tears were on the verge of falling and I tightened my hands around Stella as she mindlessly played with the rose she was still holding.

"It was Luke who took it the hardest. He was away securing his dorm at the university a few states away when his sister gave birth. With Luke being the older brother, he always believed Ella was his to protect and he tortured himself every day after Ella's death, blaming himself for not being there for his sister."

Nana shook her head in sadness while I sat with my head spinning from the information. Stella's mom's name is Ella. Stella's mom is...Luke's younger sister, which meant... Stella is just Luke's niece.

I tried to keep my tone light, like my head wasn't exploding from the information, "But why does Luke claim little Stella his?"

Nana smiled at me with her twinkling gray eyes and her gaze rested behind me, "I think you should ask him yourself. Luke Robert, you took your time."

I gasp and looked behind me, seeing Luke eye Nana meaningfully. He slowly shook his head, slowly saying, "You didn't..."

"I did, child. I did and deal with it," I hear Nana from behind me and Luke couldn't look at me in the eye. "Little Stella, come to Nana. Let's go greet Maya a fancy happy birthday."

Stella and Nana stood up, linking hands. Nana looked over to the both of us as Luke stood motionless in front of me. "Talk, you two. About the things that need to be talked about."

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