Flashback.......Ron's POV

It was seven months into Ariana's pregnancy and I was overjoyed by the news the doctor had given me some days ago. I hadn't stopped smiling. He had told me that we were expecting a girl.

Ariana didn't know about this, I wanted it to be a surprise. So I came up with a plan, while Valentina, her sister and Caleb set up the house, I decided to drive her out.

"Ron are you sure you don't know if it's a boy or a girl cause you've been smiling all day since you said we were going to the hospital to check.", she said as she sucked on her chocolate bar, she never liked eating it.

I told her we were going to the hospital and on the way she said she wanted chocolate so we stopped by a sweet shop.
"If I knew would we still go to the hospital.", I said flatly.
"You know I know when you're lying.", she said.
"Well, am I now?" I asked and she just smiled as she shrugged.

My phone rang and an idea came into my head. It was Valentina and I answered it before Ariana could see it.
"Ron, everything is set and ready.", she said.
"Oh hello, doctor Steven. Don't worry we're on our way.", I said and I felt Ariana's eyes boring into the side of my head.

"Um Ron, are you there, it's Valenti..."
"Oh what's that, you won't be at the hospital.", I said and paused. Valentina didn't say anything, and I'm sure she got the hint. "Okay then, well call us when you're free then and good luck with the surgery.", I said and hung up.

"What happened, is he busy?", she asked.
"Oh yes, the surgery scheduled for hours ago was moved so he is busy. I guess we'll have to head home then.", I said and I saw her face drop.

We reached the house. "Sadly, we couldn't get to know if it's a boy or girl.", she said as we headed to the house. "I mean I was fully dressed, a blue top if it's a boy and a pink jeans if it's a girl. She said and we entered the house.

She saw Valentina and Caleb smiling and I'm sure she knew something was up. She saw the carton on the floor and she stood beside it and turned back to face us.

Caleb was holding the camera to her ready to capture the moment, Valentina was smiling as I went and pulled the rope and the carton opened to reveal pink balloons. She smiled and the camera clicked.

Present Day

I and Ansel were now in a much better position. I had a feeling, as sad as it was, that argument we had helped us get closer. After that day, we started talking.

We would normally tell each other how our days went before we went to sleep. It was so nice. Now we were on the bed, we just finished eating and now we were cuddling.

"Are you ever gonna change the colour of your hair?", he asked out of the blue.
"Why are you asking?", I asked.
"I dunno sometimes I try to imagine you in a colour that's not black.", he said.

"Well I dunno, but I'm not doing blonde, never.", I said.
"Why, you don't like it.", he asked and I looked at his hair, which was dirty blonde.

"You already have blonde hair, plus I feel I won't look nice with it.", I said.
"Why not try it."
"Nah, I feel I would end up dying it back to black.", I said.

He started twirling my hair, and soon enough we were lost in a drugging kiss. We adjusted so he was atop me. My hand roamed his back as his hand slowly went to my chest and I let out a moan which he swallowed with the kiss.

His fingers lingered on the hem of my nightie top tugging at it. He was about to pull it off when my phone rang. He reluctantly pulled away with a groan. I checked to see that it was my dad and I immediately sat up.

"Hey Dad!", I said.
"Riles how are you?", he asked and I looked at the time, it was fifteen past eleven at night. Wasn't this late?
"Fine. You?"
"I'm good.", he said and Ansel pecked my neck.

"I..is everything fine? I mean, it's quite late. Why are you still up?", I asked
"Don't tell me I have a curfew now.", he said and I whimpered as Ansel nibbled at my neck.

"Riley.", he called out. "You still there."
"Ye....yeah, I am.", I cleared my throat.
"Am I interrupting something?", he asked.

"No, no you're not.", I said finally having the willpower to shove Ansel off me and get up from the bed.
"Okay, just wanted to ask if you can come around this Saturday. We decided to hold a remembrance for your mum, you know on her birthday.", he said.

How could I have forgotten, her birthday was two weeks from mine.

"I've already told Caleb and he's coming over with his family. Daphne said she'll try and make it and Derrick's coming back this Thursday.", he said.
"Sure, of course. I'll most definitely be there."

For my mum's birthday, we never did much. We would get a little cake and relax for the day. It was always a touching day for me.
"Thank you. It would mean a lot."
"Of course.", I said and we bade each other goodbye before hanging up.

I dropped the phone and lay on the bed, beside Ansel.
"What did your dad say 'cause, you look like you're thinking of something?", he asked.

I turned to face him and cupped his cheek caressing it with my thumb.
"It's my mum's birthday this Saturday. He's holding a remembrance and he invited us."
"Oh that's lovely.", he said and slightly frowned. "So what's wrong?"

"It's just that, I never knew her and we've never had a remembrance. And those things are for people you know.", I said.
"You can see it as a chance to know her then. You can get to know her from the stories people will tell.", he said.

Then he pecked me on the lips. "You should get some sleep. Plus there's nothing to worry about, you've got till Saturday.", he said and I closed my eyes as he pulled me closer.

//////

The days couldn't fly any faster and before I knew it, it was Saturday and I was getting prepared. I wanted to join in on the preparations but my dad didn't want I or Caleb involved. He was the one planning it.

I was dressed in a sky blue top which had The World's Best Daughter imprinted on it. It was one of the gifts my dad had given me on my recent birthday. The dress code was to wear denim jeans with any other clothing.

According to Dad, my mum loved denim jeans and she always wore them, so everyone was expected to wear one.

I did my makeup and wore black high heels. I curled my hair and decided to let it fall. I grabbed my purse and phone and headed downstairs where Ansel had been waiting.

He looked so impressive and young in a casual maroon top and denim jeans.

"You ready?", he asked and I nodded. We got in the car, he had decided to drive us there. If the theme of the party was causality, how would having a driver drive us in look casual? Also, he didn't want to scream wealth and intimidate other people that were coming.

"You look so young.", I commented after he started driving. He had shaved and he did look young.
"Young? Am I old?", he asked.
"No, but, you know, you're always in a suit and tie looking so business-like and formal. I never get to see you like this. There was a time I thought all you had were suits and ties.", I said and he laughed an adorable one.

"Well you look amazing, even though I always see you in sexy dresses that make me want to rip them off you.", he said smiling.
"First of all, I am not always in dresses, I do wear jeans and palazzos and second I think I should stop wearing dresses.", I said and he looked dismayed.

"Why?", he asked and I bit back a smile.
"So you won't finally rip one off me one day.", I said.
"Okay I swear I won't think like that again.", he said and I couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Oh my God, you are hilarious.", I said and we both laughed, after a while, he asked, "But seriously, are you gonna stop wearing dresses?". The look on his face was so priceless. His lip was in a small pout and his brows had formed a childish frown. I had to laugh again.

"I was just teasing, c'mon don't take it seriously. Plus I like that what I wear makes you think like that.", I said and he smiled before intertwining our hands on my lap.

We arrived and I was calm. We got in and I was hit by the many photos of my mum. I immediately saw a lot of people I knew, some who were my mum's friends, my dad's friends, Caleb's friends and some of my friends from high school.

I got caught up in a lot of conversations. It was lovely seeing so many people I thought I would never see again. And then I saw my dad and I hugged him.

"You really went all out on this one.", I said.
"It's the first and would probably be the last so it had to be great. So how'd you see it?", he asked.
"It's amazing. There were so many pictures of her. I'll be back, I just wanna look at her photos.", I said and he nodded.

There were truly many photos of her. The ones of her at the beach, her at a bar, of when she gave birth to Caleb. The sweat was still dripping off her forehead. There were so many with Dad and Caleb.

It brought tears to my eyes that I wasn't in any of her photos. The moment she brought me into the world, she left. I quickly wiped away tears from my eyes.

I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders and I looked to see Caleb. "She loved you, a lot. She was so happy when she was pregnant with you. I remember how her face would light up when she would say she felt you kicking.", he said and I smiled.

"Come we're having lunch outside in the backyard, all of us. Dad put a lot into this.", he said and we went outside.

The food was amazing. Theresa had been the one who cooked with the help of her best friend who I got to know was Viviane Gallahow, who was half French, half American. I got to chat with her and she seemed pretty amazing.

After lunch, people came up to say things they knew about her. Some of her childhood friends came. One said that my mum had once dyed her hair red and hated it so she shaved her hair and it grew back, black.

The party rounded off around evening and we were few left. I decided to stay and assist in the cleaning. Soon it was just Dad, Theresa, Caleb, Jessie, the twins, Ansel and I.

Jessie decided that they would sleep here and she had gone to tuck the kids in. Daphne had gone to her apartment and Derrick said he wanted to go see a friend.

Caleb was talking with Dad when I walked into the kitchen. Theresa was doing the dishes.
"May I help?", I asked.
"Oh yes thank you.", she said and wiped off the sweat on her forehead.

"I never knew doing the dishes was tiring.", I said in a light tone and she looked at me kinda shocked.
"Oh...it..uh actually isn't, I'm just tired after all the day's work.", she stuttered. I'm sure she was shocked that I, who would normally glare and cuss at her, was talking to her calmly.

"Thank you for this party.", I said.
"Oh, it was nothing. I had been thinking about it for a while now and I decided, what harm would it do if you and Caleb got to have this opportunity.", she said and it dawned on me.

"You planned this?", I asked the shock evident in my voice.
"Yeah.", she said in a low voice.
"Thanks. It meant a lot.", I said.

"Riley, I want to tell you something.", she said and gently took me away from the sink to sit on a kitchen stool. She looked out the window to see Caleb, Ansel and my dad clearing up the backyard.

"Before I was married to your dad, I was married to...."
"Theresa, I don't want to hear it.", I said tiredly, I didn't want to hear any sorry excuse she wanted to give for duping my dad all those years.

"No Riley, I owe it to you.", she paused and then continued. "I was married to Troy West. I was in love with him. My father was a rich man and Troy was looking for a job. After my marriage, my father soon died, me being his only child I inherited it all and with Troy being my husband, the money went to him. The first two years were blissful and then I had Daphne. But things started to change. He started drinking, smoking and the money, he started wasting it.", she paused but continued.

"When I started confronting him about it, he started hitting me. I filed a report, but he bribed his way through. Daphne grew and he also started hitting her. He physically abused her and sexually abused me till I got pregnant. Even then, the beatings didn't stop and I had a miscarriage.", she said and wiped a tear.

"After that, I had had it. I was done and I filed a divorce. It took almost a year, and slowly we got divorced. I thought I was free from him. I moved away and met your dad at Viviane's wedding. After that, we hit it off pretty well and I fell in love. We were set to marry in June, but Troy came back and he somehow found me."

"He forced me, threatening me with Daphne's life, he tortured me emotionally so I would give him money.", her voice cracked. "I had no option but to do what I did.", she said and shed silent sobs. After a while she regained composure.

"How do I know you're not lying, you've been doing that for years and you were pretty good.", I said, though I felt she wasn't. It didn't sound too good to be true. I knew her ex-husband used to hit her.

"I know you might not believe me. If I were you I wouldn't believe me either. But I felt you should at least know the reason why I did all this. I love your dad. I love Daphne and Derrick, I love Caleb and I love you and I am truly very sorry, I've hated myself for what I've done.", she said and I looked at her.

She looked distraught and I could feel the ice in my heart starting to melt. "If you can find it somewhere in your heart to forgive me. I am sorry.", she said and held my hand. I reached out to hug her and she sobbed.

"So how was it?", Ansel asked when we came back and I told him everything, from how emotional I was, to Theresa's heartfelt story to my dad's gift.

He had given me a picture of my mum when she was pregnant with me. She was wearing a blue top and pink jeans. My dad had opened up a box and pink balloons came out. Showing that it was a girl and the smile on my mum's face was amazing.

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The Sparkling Authoress
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