Ruth chokes a sob when her eyes meets Megan’s, she saw her little girl recognize her and running towards her..
She lets go of it, the pain and sadness and un-forgiveness she has had in her heart all these years and she opens her hands wide enough to accommodate her baby who isn’t such a little girl enough..
“Megan!!” she breaths as she reaches for her daughter, Megan flings herself into her mother squeezing her tight and sobbing, Ruth holds her tight, crying with her, laughing with her.
”My beautiful baby girl, my Megan” she says looking into Megan’s wet face, kisses it, caresses it and she pulls her into a hug again
“I am so sorry mama, I came, I couldn’t come in. I-I was so alone, so scared and… I am so sorry I hurt you and father, I am so sorry… I left… I am … oh mama is this really you.. you came! You forgave me… oh mama I missed you so much” she hugs her mother, crying in her hair, returning her kisses.
They are apologising to each other as everyone looks on wondering what is going on.
Zachary who had been answering a call in Sean’s car all the while suddenly alights seeing the commotion..
“Hey little monster, happy birthday” he says smiling down at her as she is staring at her mother crying and laughing with a strange lady
“I am not a little monster, my name is Kiki” she says frowning up at him.. “Uncle Sean, who is my mummy talking to and why is she crying?” she tugs at Sean’s trousers, he stares down at her, returning his gaze back to the scene unfolding before them..
”Erm… I do not know Kiki, but hey” he turns her away, whatever was going on, he was sure Megan wouldn’t want Kiki to be involved, or maybe not. ”Do you like your present? It’s a pink castle for a beautiful little princess” he pulls her nose, she screws it up rubbing it..
”yes I love it, thank you Uncle” she throws herself to him in hug
”See my present everyone, my friend got it for me… isn’t he the greatest? I am a princess and I have a pink castle… and I will rule the world” she squeals
Her friends are clapping and cheering her on, Sean and Zachary laughs as the children drag the gift with her, pulling it towards the party ground, opening it to set the castle up.
“What do you think is going on there?” Zachary is curious
”I don’t know, whatever it is must be something that got her emotions all over the place” he says turning to see Tonia wipe a tear away as she turns to draw the attention of the remaining guests away from Megan and her mother in order to entertain them.
Sean and Zachary walk to her, she hands them drinks, a plate of pastries and tells them to enjoy themselves, mix,have fun. She leaves them in the midst of others to get the kids.
”So officially, children’s party sucks, not a hot single lady but married women with a few kids, boring husbands, only one hot single mum who doesn’t like me and a rather attractive friend, do you think I can go for the friend Tonia? She isn’t my type but she isn’t half bad”
”No one asked you to come, you insisted”
”Because I was hoping to see nice chicks, well guess I hoped wrong,so Tonia… you think she would go for me?”
Sean shakes his head staring at Megan and the woman as they glue each other entering into the house
”Who knows” Sean shrugs..
”So who wants to play a dancing game?” the clown calls out as the kids come running back screaming a
“Me’ loud enough to awaken the dead.
”Great come together now, let’s play the music while whoever sits first wins and who doesn’t get a seat is out and parents… we gat a game for you too”‘
There was clapping and cheering, Kiki’s was the loudest and she had a happy smile on her face.
******
”And dad? How… how has he been?” Megan has her face in her mother’s hands as they sat down facing each other..
”He is, your father, you know how he is, he would come around, he will. It’s been hard you know without you, I was angry and disappointed, but we love you Megan and we wanted the best for you even if the best wasn’t good enough and we are sorry for pushing you away and not letting our pride bring you back”
”No I am sorry mum, I was stubborn, stupid and careless and I got pregnant not thinking how it would affect everyone else and I didn’t want to settle mum, even in my mistake, I didn’t and I am sorry I had to make that hard choice but mum…. the only good thing that came out from my life through it all was her, my little girl… she is so beautiful and she is so smart and intelligent and curious”
”Just like you baby” Ruth laughs
Megan nods ”she keeps asking me 21 questions about you and dad and I never know what to say and whenever I drive out to yours, she keeps asking why I park and don’t go inside even if she doesn’t know whose house it was and why I cry but mum she doesn’t have to wonder about you both anymore, because… you are here, even if dad is still angry with me and maybe hates me… I love him and I miss him, I have missed you both so much… now you are here,that is enough”
”I love you Megan, forgive me, forgive us but he doesn’t hate you baby, he is just -stubborn that is all…I promise to make him come around I will..oh Megan, I missed you. Oh enough of tears, where is my granddaughter I want to see her” Ruth cleans her eyes.
”I will go get her,you are going to love her”
Tonia knocks entering into the room
“Hello Mrs Philips it’s been a while”
Ruth turns to her, smiling ”Tonia is it?You look well and thank you for being a good friend to Megan now, not the one who made her get pregnant but—”
”Hey Mum” Megan nudges her laughing “it wasn’t her fault “‘
”oh it’s fine Megan, I deserved that, I have made peace with my demons ma’am”‘ Tonia says
Ruth smiles as Megan hugs and kisses her “But thank you for..being here for her when we couldn’t, come here” Ruth stretches out her hand ”Let me give you a hug at least”
”Oh it’s fine, no worries” Tonia declines
“Come here!” Megan pulls her and both of them hug her mother as they laugh
”Sorry to be a party pooper but, it’s time for the birthday girl to cut her cake and she is refusing to do so without you Megan… so” Tonia tells Megan
”oh yeah mum,let’s go”
*****
”Mummy, we want to cut the cake!!”‘ Kiki squeals when she sees her mother ”Come quick!!”
”Alright!! I am here”
”So gather around friends and family for the picture and the final horrah, gather round!!” Tonia calls giving the clown the camera
Kiki is smiling from ear to ear, everyone around her, in front of her small cake..
”Mummy can I make a wish, please?” everyone laughs
”Yes!! You can!”
”I wish-”
”No baby, you don’t say your wish, you wish inside else it won’t come true” they laugh again as Kiki closes her eyes really tight with both her fingers crossed..
“Done”!! she says
”Okay then, blow out your candles” Someone says
”Yes, blow it out”‘ they chant
With her mouth pumped she blows it out after asking her friends to help her ” so,we are going to spell Kiki and then we cut her cake right? Everyone touch Kiki, mummy you too” Tonia says
Sean and Zachary watch holding their drinks in one hand and the other in their pocket as everyone tries to lay their hands on kiki, the woman who was holding Megan comes to stand beside them, smiling with tears in her eyes..
”Ready? So k.i.k.i.n-”
”No wait, Uncle Sean come help cut my cake too please, you are my friend so you come too”‘
Megan stiffens with a fixed smile on her face “Kiki, Uncle Sean doesn’t need to-”
”I rather not Kiki”‘
”Pleaseeee!” Kiki begs
“‘pleaseeeeee” the children begs
Megan felt like flinging something at him, or wish the ground swallows him up or just make him disappear. Oh sure, why not… everyone loves Sean.
”Please Uncle Sean?”
”It’s just a cake, it wouldn’t hurt to oblige the little girl” Ruth says beside him, Sean turns to look at her then smiles, then back at Kiki then at Megan… he swore he could see through her fixed smile..
”Please!!” Kiki cries
”You might as well, you don’t have to keep everyone waiting” Megan says stiffly
”Well, you needed bro…” Zachary nudges him “Lucky bastard, in less than a month you are popular amongst the ladies and the little ones, I envy you”‘
“Shut up!!” Sean chuckles leaving him to go stand with Kiki who makes room for him, pulling him to bend..
”You are tall uncle, bend. Mummy, come closer too…my mum and my friend, and everyone else, I am ready to cut my cake now” she claps her hands
”Okay!!” Tonia says eyeing Megan, ‘check that out Meg’.. “‘So everyone let’s go..K-”
*****
He saw her going into the house to drop things while everyone was out there, he began to follow her
”Dude, where are you going to?”
”Where do you think?” Sean throws over his shoulders
Zachary smiles talking a sip of his beer ”Well, go get her”
Tonia is coming towards them, she wanted to ask Sean if he needed anything as he was going towards the house “Sean? Sean?”
”Hey Tonia, so… I was thinking if you can give me a minute?”
”Yeah I want to ask Sean-”
”Please” he begs taking her hand and pulling her away to the food stand “So, I was wondering –”‘
