“DADDY!!”

“Hello Sweetheart, Daddy is back!!”

Agape ran into Dad’s open arms as he lifted her up in the air. He made a 360-degree turn before gently putting his beloved princess down.

“Was baking fun? Have you been a good girl?”

Agape nodded her head earnestly.

“Where is Mommy and Syndesi?”

“Mommy went to talk to Sis.” Agape looked over to Syndesi’s bedroom and pointed in that direction with her finger.

“Oh, something happened?”

Agape thought for a second but gave up in the next. She shook her head and urged Dad to call Mom.

“Dad! Dad! Call Mom fast! I want eat cookies.”

“Very well, my Royal Highness.”

With every step Dad took, the jovial screams got louder and louder. He opened the door but what came next was a pillow smacked right in the centre of his face.

The room came to an awful silence as Syndesi and Mom realised where the pillow went. The pillow dropped to the floor with a thud. Dad bent down and took the pillow. Poker-faced.

“So you two were playing pillow fights without me, eh? Very well, take this!”

Dad threw the pillow to Syndesi like a baseball pitcher. But it was no more than a mere pass. A full-grown man with the strength of a child. The three stared blankly at one another. Syndesi and Mom broke the silence first with laughter.

“So now both of you are teaming up against me, eh? Very well, stay there! I‘m going to catch you both!”

Dad replayed history as he chased them around the bed like cat and mouse. After an indefinite amount of time, Dad called for a truce. But it was really more of a white flag. He was a pretty slow cat.

“Alright. Alright. That’s enough for today. Both of you go clean up and wear some nice clothing. We are going to Swensens tonight. Syndesi, help Agape clean up too.”

Agape heard her name and waddled into the room.

“Swam-cent? What’s Swam-cent Daddy?”

“Ice-cream. Sweetheart.”

“Ice-cream? YAY ICE-CREAM! I like ice-cream! YAY SWAM-CENT!”

“Okay girls, who wants a shower from Mommy?”

“I’m old enough to bathe myself, Mommy. I‘m 7 already!”

“Haha, okay, take your sister and go clean up first. Mommy needs to talk to Daddy.”

“Mommy, I want eat cookies.”

“Be a good girl and bathe first. Once you are out, you can have all the cookies and ice-cream you want.”

“Okay! YAY COOKIES AND SWAM-CENT!”

Mom whispered to Dad’s ear after the kids left.

“Honey, isn’t that restaurant a little expensive? Our budget has been quite tight these few months.”

“It’s alright, Dear. We can save more and spend less. I’m sure things will work out fine. I want to give you and the children a good meal too! I know you miss the ice-cream there.”

“Alright, Dear. Thank you. You know me the best.”

###

“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to Syndesi! Happy birthday to you!”

“Make a wish!”

“I wish...we can stay together like this forever.” Syndesi wished with her eyes closed.

*blows the candle*

*claps*

“Happy birthday sweetheart. This is your birthday present from Mom and I.”

“Professional Baking by Wayne Gisslen?!! How did you get this book? It was so popular, 500’000 limited copies were sold out in a day!”

“Never underestimate a journalist’s connections.” Dad grinned.

“I have something for you too, Sis. It’s a drawing of you, Mommy and I baking this morning. I didn’t have much time but I managed to finish it before we went out.”

The drawing was incomplete and messy but it warmed Syndesi’s heart like sunrise in a dark sky.

“This must be the love Mom was referring to.” Syndesi thought.

“Awww thank you so much Mom, Dad and Agape! I love you all so so much!!”

I really hope we can be together like this for as long as possible.

But she knew not yet the lesson she had to learn.