Chapter 105: Birthday Preparation.
Chapter 22 - Birthday Preparation.
Rosie
"You brute!" Kira shouted, swatting Jude’s arm, who was standing on a ladder behind her. "If you place it higher than that, it won’t be beautiful." She planted her hands on her hips.
"Shut up. Your opinion isn’t needed," Jude retorted, balancing on the steps with a roll of tape in his hand. "I know what I’m doing."
I shook my head, already tired of their banter. So we were in the penthouse, decorating for a small event to celebrate Mia’s seventh birthday. I was happy and grateful to plan this. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t scrambling for pennies or stressing about overspending, which always ruined what would come later.
Kira had shown up this morning uninvited. Well, maybe I did mention yesterday that I would be busy with preparations, and she signed herself up for the job anyway, knocking on the door at dawn while Jude attacked her about not owning a house and having time to visit a married couple. And made a comment that we might be during ... before I nudged him and collected the gifts she brought.
It wasn’t up to thirty minutes; Elena arrived with more gifts, and I felt overwhelmed by the attention. Elena walked over from the kitchen, looked at Kira and Jude, and shook her head. "Don’t worry about those two, Rosie," Elena said, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze. "They’ve been bickering like siblings since they were teenagers. Now, come help me with this cake batter. We need to get the layers into the oven."
"I’m on it," I smiled, grabbing a large mixing bowl and rolling up my sleeves. I left Jude and Kira to work on the balloons and flowers while Elena and I took over the kitchen.
Right on cue, Mia came sprinting into the kitchen, holding a notepad that Jude gave her while she was vibrating with excitement and her eyes wide as she looked at the baking supplies, and she hugged my legs. "Can I have the bowl later?"
"No, princess," I chuckled, pinching her cheek while she furrowed her brow, blinking her brown eyes in an adorable way. "I can’t have you getting a stomach ache before your big day."
She grumbled and wrinkled her nose. In retaliation, I dipped my hands into the flour and blew it on her face, which made her giggle heartily.
Jude climbed down from the ladder, dusting off his hands as he walked into the kitchen. He bypassed Kira, who was still grumbling behind him, and walked over to Mia to ruffle her hair affectionately. "Have you checked the gift?" he asked.
Mia bobbed her head up and down in response.
I paused my stirring, raising my brow as I looked back and forth between them. "What gift? What is he talking about, Mia?"
"A birthday present," Jude answered, leaning his hip against the edge of the counter.
"Another birthday present?" I countered. "But I thought you had everything ready."
"This one is different and it’s special," he murmured, a smirk playing on his lips.
I set my whisk down on the counter and walked out of the kitchen into the adjacent room to see what he had brought. As my eyes landed on the display, my mouth fell open in shock because resting on the bed was a digital interactive toy setup that Mia had been eyeing on commercials, complete with a princess gown and a matching wand. It cost a fortune, like a real fortune.
I marched back into the kitchen, only to find Jude and Mia huddled close together, whispering and laughing to themselves. I crossed my arms over my chest, leveling Jude with a look.
"Jude, are you out of your mind?" I reasoned, my voice tight. "That thing is too expensive. You can’t buy something like that."
Jude just chuckled softly as he glanced down at Mia, gave her a reassuring wink, and turned back to me with an unbothered shrug. "It doesn’t even make a dent in my bank account, wifey. So it’s not a problem at all."
Even though a part of me deeply appreciated the gesture and felt grateful for how much he cared, the amount of money being spent so casually was doing something to my nerves. I couldn’t help it because having known what poverty was for years, watching someone throw around amounts of money always triggered a sense of anxiety within me. I knew how agonizingly hard it was to earn a single cent. Every cent must be accounted for and budgeted for before spending. Think twice, even a hundred times, before spending in fear of the repercussions.
"You are spoiling her," I mumbled, looking down.
Jude didn’t look bothered as he shoved his hands into his pockets, leaning closer. "So what if I am? Spoiling my daughter is what I’m supposed to do."
Daughter.
The word echoed in my ears, making the air in my lungs. He just called Mia his daughter without hesitation when I opened my mouth to caution him to stop, not to give her false hope. Mia let out a loud squeal of joy as she threw herself off the stool and launched her body into Jude’s arms.
"Thank you, Dad!" she screamed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love the present so much! It’s the best!"
I stood paralyzed, the whisk slipping slightly in my fingers as I stared at the two of them. My brain was short-circuiting. Dad? Since when did she start calling him Dad? And when on earth did the two of them become this close? I distinctly remembered having a conversation with Mia weeks ago, reminding her that our little arrangement was just a play and that the act was going to end. So why was she acting like he was her real father?
Neither of them paid an ounce of attention to my wide-eyed stare while Jude just chuckled warmly, supporting her weight against his chest with a single arm. "What else does my princess want for her party? Tell me."
Mia immediately pulled out her notepad. "Dad, we need to test the electronic features on the wand first, and then we have to—"
Her voice trailed off when a loud, vibrating ring echoed from Jude’s pocket. He pulled out his phone, his eyes scanning the screen before he let out a low chuckle, his gaze softened. "Hold on, kiddo." He ruffled her hair. “I need to take this call real quick."
He stepped a few paces away toward the corner of the dining area, pressing his phone to his ear. "Yeah, Leonard? What’s up?"
"Look, I know she can be a handful, but I need you to do me a favor and look after Maya while she’s over there," Jude said into the receiver, his brows furrowing slightly in concern. "She’s my little sister. If she starts throwing a tantrum or disturbing your peace, just let me know immediately and I’ll deal with her."
Elena paused what she was doing by the mixer, her ears instantly perking up, and she quickly turned her head toward the dining room and hollered, "Juddy! Is that Leonard on the phone?"
Jude pulled the phone away from his ear for a moment, glancing back at the kitchen. "Yeah, Mom. It’s him."
"Tell him I said hello!" Elena called out warmly. "And tell him that as soon as the racing season wraps up, he needs to get his ass over here for a proper, home-cooked dinner! I haven’t seen that boy in months!"
Jude gave a quick nod, returning the phone to his ear to relay his mother’s message, "You heard her, man. Mom says you need to get your ass over here for a visit once the season ends... Yeah, alright. Keep me updated on Maya."
He hung up the call, sliding the phone back into his jeans pocket as he strolled back over to the kitchen island. Elena and I immediately turned our attention back to the cake layers as the scent of vanilla filled the air.
’**
Thank you for reading.. have a blessed day ahead
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