picture perfect

Fourth Picture

Everyone was singing to Freya, whilst she murmured or squealed in delight. I wondered if she could actually comprehend us or did she think we were speaking gibberish.

Her small mouth was slightly agape as she stared at her surroundings with her big green round eyes. Mum poked her nose, which was softly tinted with a pink glow, matching her pink cheeks. Her arms were moving around in circles or hitting my mum on her neck. Occasionally, she would clasp her hands together or pull on my mum's black hair, which was actually tied up in a bun, but had now fallen into long locks on her shoulders.

My aunts all tried to pinch her cheeks or tried to hold her, but Freya always cried when she was in unfamiliar arms.

After we had finished singing 'Happy Birthday', Freya clasped her hands and squealed loudly, very adorably, making everyone say 'Awh'.

Dad took a hold of Freya, so mum could cut up the cake in pieces, which was a piece of cake for her. She handed me a slice of chocolate cake with nutella, that is my absolute favourite, but Declan absolutely disliked it. He scrunched his face after looking at my plastic plate. Though, my mum also made red velvet specifically for him, which I hate.

"Don't look with an ugly face at food. Food is precious," I mocked him, whilst shoving the delicious cake in my mouth.

"I don't know about you, but my face can never be ugly," he replied cockily, finishing his cake.

I rolled my eyes at him before saying, "What's the hurry? The last time I checked cake doesn't automatically sprout legs and run away."

"Ha-ha, aren't you just funny. I'm sorry that I don't take my precious time eating," he muttered dramatically.

I pursed my lips and finished my cake, because my dad wanted to eat his slice too. Though, Declan got to hold of Freya first.

She slapped her tiny hands against Declan's cheeks, harshly, but Declan didn't complain, not even once. He simply grinned at her adorableness.

As they had their own game I looked around me. A few younger cousins of mine were running around in circles. My aunts and uncles called for them, because they were leaving. I heard my mum standing in the hall saying goodbye to the people, who were already going home, whilst Declan's mama was throwing away the plastic plates and stuff.

Freya squealed, "Ala, Ala, hol' me." I placed my plate on the table and held out my arms for her. She jumped and I caught her before she face planted on the floor.

"Hey, girl." I smiled, whilst she traced my mouth with her tiny finger.

"Ala," she said repeatedly with squeals after I blew kisses on her stomach.

Declan leaned back on the couch and perched his feet up on the table. Dad stood up to help out Declan's mum. Mum came back into the living room to take Freya from me which caused me to pout.

"She has to sleep, Alan," my mum sighed, tiredly. Since Freya has been born, my mum has been sleeping a lot less. Everything was taking a toll on her. I'm quite surprised she hasn't collapsed on her bed yet.

Afterwards Declan and I went upstairs to my room to watch a movie.

"What movie are we going to watch?" Declan questioned looking at the movie collection I have, which is on a plank underneath my television.

"I donno, choose whatever you like." I shrugged after jumping on my bed, turning on the television.

"Woaahhh, when did you get Dawn of the Planet of the Apes?" he turned around to face me with his eyebrows raised.

"Uh, a few days ago dad got it for me," I replied as I switched channels. "Hurry up. I don't have all day," I said, whilst my patience was spreading thin, taping the side of my bed.

"Impatient much?" he rolled his eyes at me.

"Whatever."

Declan opened the CD case and got the CD out of it. After putting it in the CD drive he came over to the bed and sat down next to me. Half way into the movie mum came in the room and asked me if I could take care of Freya for a moment, to which I agreed. However, when I got back on bed, Declan snatched her away from me, again.

"Ey, I was holding her!" I complained

"You hold her all the time. Let me have my turn." Freya opened her eyes and looked at him with a slight pout. Once in a while she moved in his arms with a deep yawn. I continued to watch the movie, which I had already seen, though.

Declan whispered, totally enraptured by Freya, "She is honestly so adorable."

"You know, for a moment there I thought you said 'adorable', but that's not possible since those words don't exist in your vocabulary," I joked. I scrunched my eyebrows and stopped the movie, since we weren't paying much attention to it.

"Ha-ha, I thought I was the sarcastic joker?" He shifted his weight on his side and placed Freya between us. "What happened to that?" he asked.

"You said adorable," I grinned.

He snorted. Simultaneously his mama called for him from downstairs. I glanced at the clock next to the door of my room and saw it was ten pm, already.

Before I went downstairs I put Freya in my parents' room, because she was sound asleep. Though, Declan was already downstairs.

"Shall we go, Declan?" I heard his mama say.

"Uh, before we go can I have some more of the red velvet?" pouting he asked his mama. Mum stood up immediately after hearing his question to get him more. I followed her into the kitchen and also took another slice of the chocolate cake.

Declan and I both sat on the couch with our cakes, satisfied, whilst our mums laughed about something in the kitchen. Our dads were sitting on the other couch with a beer in their hands talking about the match they were watching on TV.

All of a sudden, I felt something cold hit my cheek. I touched my cheek and brought my hand back into my sight of vision. I saw it was cream cheese from Declan's cake. Declan, I sighed in my head. With a tissue I cleaned my hand.

Turning my head towards Declan I gave him a blank look. "Are you five?" I asked as I put some nutella on my finger. He grinned at me with thumbs up as he continued eating his cake. I surprised attacked him and smeared nutella on his face. He yelped in disgust.

"Why did you do that? Now, I've disgusting stuff on my face," he whined.

"You started it."

"Not fair."

"Life isn't fair indeed."

"Wait, don't clean your face, yet," I let the tissue fall on my lap and raised my eyebrows at him warily. He put more cream cheese on my other cheek and I glared him. Punching him on the shoulder I exclaimed annoyed, "Why did you just do that?"

"Do the same on my other cheek with nutella," he demanded as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Are you alright?" I frowned.

"Just do it."

"Uh, okay."

After smearing more nutella on his face he called out for his dad, who turned around and already was moving, because he knew what Declan was going to ask.

Of course, it's October 21st.

"Can you take a picture of us?" Declan still asked, grinning.

"Are you two ready?" his dad said with a lopsided smile on his face. Declan and I nodded, whilst smiling and click the fourth picture with cream cheese and nutella on our cheeks was taken on October 21st 2009, on the day of Freya's first birthday.