One Wild Night

974  Happy Birthday

Andy woke up before the sun had risen, the soft glow of dawn just beginning to creep through the windows. She yawned as she stretched her arms, trying to shake off the sleep.

She slid out of bed quietly, careful not to wake Alex who was sound asleep beside her. She had imagined that the next time he visited they would have wild sex much like the did the last time, but she had only slept cuddling each other.

She knew that was because apart from the fact that they were not alone in the house, she had also been exhausted after a long day and she knew they didn't have any reason to rush anymore.

The moment her feet hit the cool floor, Andy smiled, thinking of the surprise she was preparing. She had something special planned for today. Mari's birthday.

She picked up her phone and tiptoed out of the room, making her way downstairs. In the dim light of the early morning, she sent a quick text to Candace, [Alex is here. He brought Mari with him and today is her birthday. Please bring Jamal over this morning. I want him to meet her.]

With that done, Andy raised the kitchen cupboards for baking items. When she saw that she didn't have all the needed items, she dialed the 24/7 convenience store within the estate and cheerfully ordered all she needed.

Now that everything was set, Andy busied herself in the kitchen, preparing bowls and utensils, humming softly as she waited for the ingredients to arrive.

Half an hour later, the delivery arrived, and she got to work. The kitchen was soon filled with the smell of vanilla and sugar as she mixed and stirred. Andy smiled to herself, happy with how things were coming along.

Upstairs, Alex turned over in bed, reaching out for Andy. When his hand met an empty space, he blinked his eyes open and frowned, surprised that he didn't notice when she got out of bed.

He was usually a very light sleeper, especially because he was very security conscious, but it seemed like he was completely relaxed around Andy and let his guards down.

"Andy?" He called softly, as he sat up. He rubbed his face, and listened for any sounds, wondering if she had gone into the bathroom.

When he didn't get a response, he got out of bed and went to check the bathroom. When he didn't find her there, his frown deepened.

Where had she gone so early? Curious, Alex threw on a shirt and padded down the hallway. He stopped by Mari's room to check on her, and when he saw she was still sound asleep and there was no trace of Andy there, he shut the door quietly.

He paused when the delicious smell of baking wafted through the air and caught his attention. Following the smell, he walked down the stairs and he heard faint noises coming from the kitchen that confirmed she was in there.

When he entered the kitchen, he found Andy, apron-clad and focused, carefully decorating the cake she had just pulled out of the oven. "What are you doing?" he asked, surprised.

Andy looked up with a grin. "Good morning, handsome. I'm making a cake for Mari's birthday."

Alex crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe. "I didn't know you could bake."

Andy laughed, her eyes twinkling as she looked up at him. "I can do a lot of things. You'll find out the more time you spend with me," she said before returning her attention to the cake, and Alex smiled softly, choosing not to tell her that he had never celebrated Mari's birthday all these years.

How could he bring himself to celebrate her birth when it was also the day of her mother's death? As much as he loved Mari, he wasn't very fond of the date of her birth because of the impact it had on the course of his life.

As a matter of fact he had never celebrated anything since the death of his fiancée. But there was no reason to tell Andy that. Not when she seemed to have gone through so much stress to make a cake.

"You could have just ordered one and saved yourself the stress," he said after some time.

Andy shook her head, "It's not the same," Andy said, without looking up. "I wanted to make it myself. It's more special this way."

He smiled, feeling a warmth spread in his chest. She always had a way of surprising him. "Thanks. I'm sure she will love it."

"Come have a taste," she said as she took out one of the cupcakes from a pan.

Alex reluctantly moved further into the kitchen, and she cut out a piece of cake and fed him. "what do you think?" She asked, looking at him eagerly.

"You're sure you don't want to become a baker? Maybe a singing baker since you sing just as beautifully?" He asked, and she giggled, pleased with his response.

"So, I'm going to a friend's wedding later tonight," Andy said as she added the final touches to the cake, sprinkling colorful sugar stars on top.

"The one whose bridal shower you attended?" He asked, and she nodded.

"Yeah. Her name is Aurora," Andy said as she glanced at the clock, her eyes widened. "It's time to wake Mari!" she said excitedly.

She grabbed a candle, stuck it in the middle of the cake, and took the lighter with her. "Come on," she said, handing her phone to Alex. "You'll be the cameraman. Make sure you get everything!"

Alex shook his head as he took the phone and held it up, ready to record. He followed her as she carefully carried the cake and they made their way upstairs.

As they reached the top of the stairs, Susan who had just stepped out of her roomX appeared, rubbing her eyes. She smiled when she saw Andy.

"Good morning, Susan. It's good to see you again," Andy greeted pleasantly.

"Same here. What's all this?" Susan asked, looking at the cake Andy was carrying.

"It's Mari's birthday cake, so I wanted to surprise her," Andy said brightly.

Susan blinked, glancing at Alex with a puzzled expression. "You didn't tell her?" she asked softly.

"Tell me what?" Andy asked, noticing the look on Susan's face.

"It's nothing," Alex said quickly, shaking his head. "Let's go wake her up."

Andy hesitated for a moment, but then nodded and continued down the hall to Mari's room. Outside the door, she made Susan light the candle before she pushed the door open gently and began to sing a Happy birthday to you song while Alex recorded it.

Mari stirred, blinking her eyes open. She dimmed her eyes as she tried to make out Andy's face although she could recognize her voice.

Reaching for her glass which was beside her, she put it on, and when she saw Andy standing there with a cake, her face lit up with joy. "Andy!" she squealed, jumping out of bed and running to her, her small hands reaching out for a hug.

Andy knelt down, balancing the cake in one hand while she embraced the little girl with the other. "Happy birthday, doll! Make a wish and blow out the candle," she said.

Mari squeezed her eyes shut, her tiny lips moving as she made a wish, then she blew out the candle with all her might. Andy handed the cake to Susan and wrapped both arms around Mari, holding her close.

"I missed you, Andy," Mari said, her voice soft and sweet.

"I missed you too, doll," Andy whispered, her heart swelling. She kissed the top of Mari's head, and the little girl smiled up at her through her glasses.

"I'll take this to the kitchen and start breakfast," she said, leaving the room with a smile.

Although she wasn't sure what the relationship between Alex and Andy was, she was glad that he was finally allowing Mari to celebrate her birthday, and she was especially glad that Andy had done this.

As Susan walked out, Alex followed her, knowing that she had questions for him.Susan said nothing as they walked into the kitchen and she went about making coffee.

"You can ask me," Alex said after watching her for a while from the doorway.

Susan glanced at him and asked, "Are you okay with her celebrating Mari's birthday?"

Alex nodded slowly. "I want Mari to have a fresh start, a new life here. I don't want my past to keep affecting her, and I trust Andy with her."

Susan nodded, understanding. "Andy really likes Mari. I can see that."

Alex smiled faintly. "Yeah, she does." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Susan hesitated before asking, "Will we all be living here now?" She asked, since she had followed him without question when he asked her to pack up for a trip.

Alex shrugged. "Mari needs to start school soon. She will be living here with Andy. You're free to stay here with Mari, or if you'd prefer to live somewhere else, that's fine too."

Susan smiled softly. "Where else would I go? I want to stay with Mari."

"I'm relieved to hear that," Alex said, since he didn't want Mari to lose the one person who had been by her side all her life.

"That means I'll be going back to the island alone, but I'll check on you both whenever I can," he promised, and she nodded.

Susan looked at him like she wanted to say something but was hesitating. But as soon as he turned to leave, she decided to just say it.

"I know you're probably wondering if you're making the right decision for Mari. I think you are. You couldn't have hidden her away from the world forever. I believe this is a good step. Although I would never question your judgment or authority, I have always thought Mari deserved to grow up like a normal child. It's what her mother would have wanted. For her to see the world and love it like she did," Susan said, and Alex gave her a nod and walked away without another word.