ROSALIE

The weeks pass in a blur. It was an eventful one as it has mostly been filled with work. Asides being a restaurant, we also accept contracts that entail taking up waiting services one of which is coming up next week.

"I hear it is a big event." Ava says, folding her arms while giving me a look that I know too well.

"Yeah. So?" I stress the 'so' part while speaking.

"So, maybe you could hook up with one of the men there." She states, shrugging her shoulders suggestively.

"Were you not the same person that told me to give Victor a chance?" This lady, and to think she can stay with one man is alarming. I mean, the kind of suggestions this my silly bestfriend comes up with sometimes. They are simply amusing.

"Please, eat up. Our break is almost over. Besides, I have dinner this evening with Victor." I state.

"A date, you mean." She says, wiggling her eyebrows. I keep quiet, saying nothing.

"It is a lie. You don't mean it. Girl, you sure have been sneaking around behind me." She nudges my arm playfully, letting out a small chuckle to which I shake my head.

"You will never change." I say.

"Shush. You love me like that." I smack her arm at what she said. The break is over and we head back to work.

At Amelia's closing hour, I head to pick her up from school and my phone beeps on my way to the car. It is a message from Victor.

Does our dinner plan for tonight still hold? It reads.

Sure... I reply.

I get into my car and turn on the car stereo to listen to some music. The phone beeps again.

Is 6:30pm convenient for you? He asks.

I don't know about that yet. I will give you an hour notice. I text back.

If it is work, I will pick you up after work closes by 8pm. That should be perfect. His reply reads.

Okayyy. I smile as I type a reply to him and focus my attention back on the road. I arrive at my destination and get out of the car, scanning the place for Amelia.

"Mummy." She runs up to me. I go down to her level and kiss her forehead.

"Hey, baby. How was school?" I lift her up to twirl her around. She lets out a fit of giggles, softening my heart.

"Fine." She says after her giggling stopped. I put her into her seat and fasten her seatbelt before heading to mine and we zoom off. At some point, I notice her sullen expression.

"Mimi, what is wrong?" I ask her.

"Mummy?" She says quietly.

"Yes, baby." I answer.

"Am I a bad child?" She asks.

"No. Why?" I wonder where that came from.

"The kids at school. They say I am a bad child because I don't have a daddy." She says, breaking my heart. I need to have a word with her class teacher tommorrow.

"Do I have a daddy, mummy?" She further says, tears falling down her eyes. The question broke my heart greatly because I did not even know what to say. She sure has a dad but the question is who is he? How could little kids be this mean to each other? My baby does not deserve this, it is simply not fair. I put the car to a halt, packing by the roadside.

"Sweetie, yes, you do..." I coo, cleaning the little drops of tears that fell from her beautiful eyes.

"They keep saying he does not love me that is why he is not here." She says quietly.

"I am sorry, baby. Daddy loves you, he is just not in the country now. Soon baby, you will see him." It is one thing to lie to a child and it is another to have no idea when your promise will be actualized. Truth is, I hated both but right now, this is the safest thing to do. This amnesia is beginning to have its toll on us.

"How about we go get some Ice cream before I get back to work? Grandma Sadie will be having you over this evening also." I say in a bid to lighten up her mood.

"Okay, mummy." She says, quietly. The moment we arrive at the ice cream shop, her sour expression is gone,  replaced with her bubbly and jumpy self.

"I want strawberry flavor." She says in excitement. How easy it is for kids to switch moods.

"Strawberry for her and vanilla for me. That is two cups in total." I say to the attendant at the counter. I pay for the ice cream which we had inside my car before I head to Sadie's place which is at the other end of town.

"I will be back around 9pm. Is that okay?" I ask her, the reply I get from her is a raised eyebrow.

"I have dinner plans this evening." I shrug while explaining.

"Take your time, you know I love having her around but don't be too late if you still want her home tonight. You know she has no change of clothes for school tommorrow." She says.

"Thanks, ma." I am grateful to have her.

The rest of the day passes in a blur  and soon it is 8pm.

"Enjoy your date with Mr. Boss." Ava teases me.

"A beautiful flower for a beautiful lady." I hear him say.

"Thanks, Victor." I smile and collect the single rose from him. Even though my name is Rosalie, as cliché as it sounds, I don't like Roses. It is expected I do, I guess that is why he came with a rose but in actual sense, I do not.

"So, what do you have planned for us?" I am really curious. Victor is a very lovely friend, over the few weeks that we have been friends, he has never failed to indicate his interest in me and how he wants us to be a couple. Truth is, I don't want to make things complicated. Plus, I do not have any atom of romantic feelings towards him. I see him as just a friend, and I don't want to cross that boundary. Honestly, I don't buy the idea of going out with someone out of pity because it ends up in hurt.

"It is a surprise and I wouldn't want to ruin it." He grins, dragging me out of the restaurant. If there is one thing I like about him, it is how playful he is. He could light up a dull place with his cheerful demeanour.

Initially, Russell found it difficult to blend with him but now, they are very good friends.

"You are too fast." I try to stop him, panting in the process.

We get into his car, I am glad I
dropped mine at home before heading back to work. He hits the ignition and drives off. About 20 minutes after, we arrive at our destination.

We enjoy our time together and soon enough, time is far spent.

"Thank you so much, Victor. I had fun. You are an awesome friend." I hug him and he reciprocates the gesture, then I feel his breath fanning my neck.

"I could be more than that if you want me to." He says in a really husky voice and I quickly detache myself from him to clear my throat.

"Victor, you already know my answer to that." I roll my eyes in response to his unsaid question.

"Hmmph. Okay." He slumps his shoulder but smile back almost immediately, trying to mask his emotions.

"Just give it a thought, please." He says.

•••••

"Read me a bedtime story, mummy." Amelia demands as she climbs the bed, preparing to sleep.

"Which story does my baby want me to read to her today?" I ask.

"Princess and the fwog." I chuckle at her pronunciation of 'frog'. I pick up her story book and proceed to reading  the story.

"Long long ago in a kingdom far far away. There lived a Prince called Naveen who could not wait to be human again as he was in the body of a frog...." I continue reading to her and she giggles when I make sounds with my mouth to make the story more fun.

"Baby.." I call out when I hear no response from her after a while to realize she has fallen asleep. I look at her sleeping form, admiring her beauty and sending a silent prayer to God to help me recover soon enough.

"I love you, mimi. You mean the world to me." I say and tuck her in properly, and then I change to my night dress after having a cold shower.

Tommorrow, I am going to have a long talk with her teacher concerning the attitude of the kids to each other. I retire back to bed and shut my eyes as I give in to the sleep which consumes me.