Tayvin | Better Than This

17》 Birthday girl

Taylor's POV

It's Leah's birthday today. She hasn't really got any friends so we're having a small party with a few of my friends and family. We're still in Nashville at my parent's house so we called a few people over and told them to come around lunch time.

I got up extra early to bake a cake. Leah really loves ice cream so I'm making an exception for today and letting her eat ice cream for breakfast since I know it will be her breakfast of choice. Once the cake is in the oven I go upstairs to wake the birthday girl up. Adam joins me and we walk into her room singing.

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to Leah
Happy birthday to you

Her eyes lit up and she bounced up with a big smile on her face.

"I'm three now! I'm three now! Does that make me a big girl!?" He asked excitedly. Adam and I both chuckled at the child's excitement and Adam nodded his head.

"You sure are, bug."

"But don't grow up too fast." I added, scooping the now 3 year old up into my arms. I kissed her forehead repeatedly until she wriggle free of my grasp and asked if we could have breakfast.

"Now, what does the birthday girl want for breakfast today?"

"Ice cream!" She screamed whilst running over to the fridge. She stood on her toes with her hand trying to get a grip on the freezer handle.

"Need some help there?" I ask, lifting her up onto my hip. She smiles and opens up the freezer, selecting cookie dough ice cream.

I sit her down and hand her her spoon and Adam takes the seat next to me. We sit opposite the little girl just watching her eat. She had started talking more and more and was more comfortable on her own recently, unlike before when she'd continuously be clinging onto me.

By this point Leah's face was smothered in a thick layer of ice cream and she was rubbing her hands against it in an attempt to get it off her face and into her mouth.

"I'm an ice cream monster!" She giggled excitedly, clapping her hands together.

"And I think the ice cream monster needs a bath." I say, hoping she wouldn't argue.

"It's my birthday so I choose." Leah stated. "And I say no bath time."

"Nuh uh. If you want to have a fun day today then your coming with me to get you cleaned up."

"But I don't wanna!" She whined.

"Ok, how about this. You go with mommy to get washed and then we'll give you a very special birthday surprise?" Adam asked trying to get the toddler to agree to having a bath. Leah frowned but gave it a little thought before nodding. I sighed in relief that I wouldn't have to persuade her any longer and gave Adam a thankful look.

"Come on then." I say to her, trying not to get too sticky from picking up the ice-cream covered child.

"What's the surprise?" Leah asks as I walk up the stairs towards the bathroom.

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?"

"But I wanna know nowww!" She whined.

"Leah, if you want the surprise you need to stop whining and asking what it is." I told her as I placed her onto the floor and started running the water. I began undressing her and saw the scars she had. They would probably last her whole life. It still made me sick to see them - to think that someone would hurt her like that. Although Adam and I have officially adopted her, the case for what happened to her in the past is ongoing. They still haven't found the person she was in care for before I found her. Leah quickly shakes me out of my thoughts when she starts jumping up and down complaining she's cold. I help her get into the bath and get down onto my knees so I can bathe her.

I stay kneeling beside the bathtub washing Leah's hair whilst watching her play with her bath toys. She picks up a rubber duck and hears the squeak noise when she squeezes it, causing her to giggle uncontrollably.

"Mommy, I wanna get out now. Look, I clean now!" She smiles at me and lifts her arms up signalling for me to lift her out. I lift her little frame out of the bathtub and place her on the floor and then quickly wrap her with a towel.

"Now I get my surprise, right Mommy?"

"That's right baby." I say. I dry her off with the towel and then put her pink robe on her before lifting her up and carrying her out of the bathroom. I walk out towards Leah's room and notice Calvin trying to wrap some of Leah's presents in our room. Luckily Leah doesn't notice.

"What does the birthday girl want to wear?"

"I dunno...you choose." She responds. I smile because I've always loved dressing her up and picking out outfits. I opened up her wardrobe and pulled out a pretty floral dress. I got her dressed and sat her down in front of her vanity so I could do her hair.

"All done." I say as I set the brush down. Leah reaches into the drawer of hair accessories and pulls out a bow.

"You want to wear this one baby?" I ask. She nods eagerly and I put it in her. She looked adorable but I didn't get much time to admire her cuteness because she hopped off the stool and scampered off.

"Leah, come back!" I shouted after realising Adam might not have finished wrapping her presents.

"What is it mommy?" She asks sweetly.

"Do you want your surprise yet?" As I said this her face lit up with excitement and she began jumping up and down.

"Adam!" I called.

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Heyyy
Thanks so much for reading!!
Comment thoughts and ideas!
Sorry this was a filler but more will happen in the next couple chapters ;)
Thanks so much again,
S