Arabel's POV
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to you!” A round of applause resounds in the decorated living room.
“Hurray, hurray, hurray!” The thought of cutting the cake fills Daisy's friends with excitement.
“Happy birthday, Daisy.”
Everyone begins to congratulate her as she flashes them her prettiest smile, looking like a Cinderella princess in the white ball gown she is wearing.
She turns around and embraces me tightly, her arms flying around my neck. I laugh heartily, happy that I eventually did this.
I am happy to see the smile on her face. I am happy to have made up for what happened last night.
“Thank you, mummy. I love you," she says, pecking my cheeks.
“I love you too, my darling,” I peck her forehead, holding her tiny waist.
“It's time to cut the cake!” Someone announce, making her whirl around and leave my hold.
I move closer to her, smiling at everyone present, glad for the massive turnout. I had believed it was only a few people who were going to turn up, not only because of the short notice, but also because I came here just a few years ago and I barely made any friends.
My three neighbors are present with their kids, all looking dashing and beautiful. My staff members are also here, excluding Stella, who is presently on maternity leave.
A few of Daisy's schoolmates are also here, including their parents, who brought them.
I can see some of them with birthday presents for my child, and I can't wait to unwrap them one after the other after the party.
Everything makes my heart swell with pride. She deserves it all.
“Before that, you need to blow out the candles and make a wish, ok?” Natalie, my head maid, instructs her kindly with a motherly smile.
A few of my domestic staff are also here, except for those in charge of refreshment and cleaning.
Daisy nods intermittently, her eyes so bright and happy.
“1,2,3,4,5, go!”
With her eyes closed, she pushes her lips forward and blows out the candles. Without opening her eyes, she holds her hands together for a wish.
Everywhere is silent.
The moment she opens her eyes again, another applause resounds.
"All right, Daisy, you will slice the cake as soon as we spell your name." Natalie leans down to inform her as she carelessly grabs the bread knife.
With a chuckle, I hold her hands to guide her to keep it on top of the cake.
“D-A-I-S-Y_ DAISY!” With my help, we cut down the cake, and excitement fills the air.
I am about to move away when Natalie signals to me to stay back, making me raise a brow. I want to know if everything is set and in place. I also want to make sure everyone goes home with something.
This is the beginning of something new and good. Henceforth, Daisy will celebrate her birthday this way. It might not be as big as this, but she deserves to celebrate her birthday amongst her loved ones.
Not just me.
At the thought of that, I truly wish Mother could come, but I couldn't ask her because of Richard. She wouldn't leave him. I wouldn't dare to ask either.
If the party wasn't such a big deal to me, I would have canceled it and stayed back in Germany. But I needed to be back for my child. I didn't want to compromise.
“Isn't Daisy going to feed her mummy?” Natalie throws her a wink, and she grins.
So this is it.
It's not a wedding, is it?
I smile and lean down as she cuts a piece of cake, this time carefully, before Natalie helps her put the piece on a plate.
She picks it up and puts it in my mouth. I moan in delight at the taste. Before I can open my eyes, a loud gasp fills the air, making me flicker my eyes open just in time for a sound to fill the air.
The sound of trumpets. And the sight of Richard's white crutches.
When I notice them, I shoot to my feet.
Mother and Richard are here.
Why? Why are they here?
Some of the guests must have recognized Richard, because I see them taking pictures of him. For a moment, I feel bad, thinking of how he would feel being seen on crutches.
The trumpet dies down, and mother rushes forward to hug Daisy.
“Hi, baby. I am your grandmother; happy birthday, sweetheart!” She pecks at her cheeks and embraces her affectionately.
Richard pushes ahead without caring about the people taking his pictures. When Daisy sees him, her eyes light up, and she disengages from the hug before rushing forward.
“Buddy?” She calls and gasps. “What happened?”
"I'm fine, darling," he says, patting her hair and smiling down at her, unable to bend to her height like he used to. “I didn't want to miss your birthday party for anything in the world. I also wanted to make up for what happened yesterday.”
At that moment, a man in a black suit, who is right behind Richard, extends a gift box towards Daisy, who promptly accepts it with great enthusiasm.
“Happy birthday, my love.”
“Thank you.”
Richard moves close to me and flashes me a smile, which I manage to reciprocate. “I'm sorry about last night.”
I shake my head. “It's fine.”
I walk past him to hugv mother. “You didn't have to.”
“We had to. You were in such a hurry, we couldn't tell you our intentions to come.” She caresses my face.
"Thank you," I say, hugging her again.
When she lets go of me, Daisy is back in her position, signaling to Richard to come stand next to her. I dread what she is about to do, and I watch as he manages to move closer.
She cuts another piece of the cake before placing it in his mouth, just like she did to me. Mother walks in front of them and demands for hers. Daisy did the same thing, laughing with them both.
Quietly, I slip away with Natalie to check if everything is set and to instruct them to start serving the guests.
“Ma'am,” Natalie calls, moving closer, as if to whisper something. “Is she truly your mother?”
I stop.
“I just want to know so we can always let her in whenever she comes or otherwise if you give the orders. Lucia told me how upset you were…”
“She is, Natty. She is my mother.” I continue walking.
“Really? Does that make that handsome young man your brother? I heard he is a celebrity, a billionaire at that…”
I pause again, this time not in surprise but in anger at where this is leading. I clench my hand and turn to her. “We are not related.”
“Oh!” Confusion settles on her face. She must be wondering why I called her my mother and denied him as family. Obviously, they were mother and son, and if she was my mother, that makes him my brother.
But he isn't.
I shut my eyes, careful not to be rude. Natty is old enough to be my mother, too. “She isn't actually my biological mother. She took me in when my parents died.”
“Oh, Goodness!” Pity skates her expression, replacing the confusion.
Except for Alex, no one knew anything about me. I don't share anything about me, and no one has ever summoned up the courage to ask until now.
When I think of Alex, my heart aches. Daisy barely remembers him, but she is all over Richard, whom she only got to know a few months ago.
This shows just how easily we can be replaced by anyone. And it makes me wonder if Daisy will ever replace me with Richard if she learns he is her dad.
When we enter the kitchen, my phone starts to ring, and I stare at the screen to see that it is Ashley.
Perhaps she is calling to wish Daisy a happy birthday. I signal to Natty to ensure everything goes well before disappearing through a passage to the courtyard without following through the living room where the party is going on.
“Hi,” her usual shriek booms into my ears.
“Hello.”
“I miss you. I have no one to talk to over here; when will you be back?” She sounds really lonely, and I realize she doesn't know it's Daisy's birthday.
“It's Daisy's birthday tonight.” I announce softly.
“What?!”
“Actually, it was yesterday, but we shifted the party till today since I am back in London,” I explain, slouching onto a seat under the tent.
“What?!” She exclaims again. “Why didn't you tell me? Oh, no!”
"You wouldn't have the privilege to fly in even if I told you, since your boss isn't around," I tell her.
“How did you know he wasn't around?” She asks unexpectedly, and I raise my eyebrows.
“You told me the other day you called. You said he was away, and you're extremely busy, remember?”
“Oh, yes! I really don't know where he went, leaving me with piles of work to do. I don't even have time to prepare for the wedding…”
“Wedding? What wedding?” My heart suddenly skips a bit at the mention of the wedding.
She goes silent, and my heart jumps into my throat.
“Is Richard getting married?”