Part 20
“S’il te plait Laura” (Please Laura) I ask her to finally quit nagging and clean her room. This place is a mess. I know she has been sick last week and I have given her the time that she needs to play and recover. But then there is also the time where the toys and dolls need to be stowed away again. One can barely walk from the door to the window without spraining his/her ankle.
After several efforts she finally obeys though with an obvious pout that I’m not giving into.
“Tu finis de ranger ta chambre, ensuite tu descends manger” (You finish to clean up your room and then you come downstairs to eat). I tell her, leaving the room and descending the stairs.
The doorbell chimes right when I’m next to it, startling me. Not many people are dropping by our house without our knowledge. Wondering who that could be at such late hours, I go to open the door.
I’m left out of word, seeing Sydney standing right in front of me. I must be hallucinating, daydreaming or some sort of kind. It can’t be her. She is all the way back home with her family in America. She can’t be in France… But the more I try to blink my eyes, the image still doesn’t fade. The smile and her beautiful frame are unmistakable; it is Sydney.
“Hi” Susan waves her little hand first at me, with the same smile than her mother.
“Sydney?” I’m not sure whether it is a question or an affirmation. Stepping aside and opening the door to let the exhausted pair inside. She drops her one luggage onto the floor and wraps her arms firmly around my neck, holding onto me for dear life. I also wrap my arms around her waist never wanting to let go ever again while repeating her name. I simply need to make sure that this isn’t a dream; that she is really here with me. I have too many questions in my head right now that I want to ask her but I’m not going to flood her with that. Everything comes in due time.
I’m no longer able to resist and start kissing her fiercely in the middle of the hallway.
“Oh God is that really you?” I question still quite not believing it.
“Well if it’s not me you’re kissing, then French people have a weird way to welcome strangers into their house” She smiles while all I can think about is how amazing she is.
“Susie too up!” Not able to resist her request either, I pick her up and cradle her real close against me and place a sweet kiss onto the little girl’s hair.
“I missed you so much” I pull them both close up against me, wanting to shelter them from all the bad things in the world and so much more. I want to love and to care for them, always and forever. I don’t want to be apart ever again. Sydney and I share our closeness for another minute when Laura’s stomping feet on the wooden floor tear us apart.
“Papa t’est où?” (Daddy where are you?) she shouts through the entire house. I smile down at Sydney, knowing what kind of surprise this is going to be for her. Just like expected she stops half way in the stairs when she spots Sydney.
“Sydney!” she exclaims, sprinting the remaining stairs downwards.
“Doucement!” (Slowly!) I have to remind her but she has already reached the bottom and thrown herself into Sydney’s awaiting arms. Laura clings to Sydney’s neck so that she has to lift my daughter up into her arms. Laura then places a sweet kiss onto her cheek. With lots of affection, Sydney combs her fingers through her slightly messed up hair. Her eyes are literally glistening and I come to wonder how a woman could love a child as much as Sydney loves Laura. I think though that it goes both ways since I adore her children just the same.
“Come on get in. You must be tired… who am I kidding? You’re probably happy to still stand straight, right?” I joke making her smile grow even larger, the dimples forming in her cheeks. I touch her cheek, playfully poking the tiny whole with my forefinger. I kiss her lips and whisper “I really missed that smile” making her blush profusely.
“Sydney, viens! … come!” Laura suddenly pulls Sydney by her arm. She wants to show Sydney her bedroom, but first we have to eat. She can always show her room to Sydney later. But of course, the girl is far too excited and after a very brief and rather surprising introduction to my mother and brother, they both head upstairs, leaving me to explain everything.
“Sydney…regardes!... look…here” I smile, leaning up against the doorframe to Laura’s bedroom, seeing Sydney standing in the middle with Susan in her arms. Laura shows her every single item that she owes which is far too much. She is the only daughter I have and I know I’m spoiling her rotten. I’m very often reminded by my mother but nothing will do. “Ca c’est papa qui me l’a acheté!” (Daddy bought me this one) she explains in French holding the big cuddling Build-a-Bear© teddy up to Sydney.
Sydney most certainly recognises the bear and she smiles at the sight of the teddy bear clad in his boxer shorts.
“Look…” Laura uses one of the words she has learnt from our stay in America continuously. Both end up giggling at the poor teddy bear clad in nothing but his boxer shorts. I’m almost feeling sorry for the poor guy. We have bought so many clothes on our last stay, but the only thing he’s been wearing lately is his underwear. I tried to convince her that he was going to catch flu, but I failed.
“Laura” I call out for her, catching her attention as well as Sydney’s. “Viens il faut aller manger, mamie nous attend” (Come on, we have to go eat, grandma is waiting for us) I tell her, holding my hand out for her to take.
She grabs mine and Sydney’s and then I suddenly feel this connection coming out of nowhere by this innocent bond she has created. It’s like we are linked together and I hope that some day it will be this way forever.
End Part 20
A/N: Happy????????? :lol: