The next day
Shonee’s POV
I pushed the curtains slightly to the side, watching as Vincent entered his car and the vehicle sped towards the mansion gates.
I heaved out a sigh of relief until my door came barreling open.
“Shonneee!” Mirasol burst in, thriving off pure excitement. She hopped onto my bed, shoes and all, and started bouncing away. “Daddy is gone! Now we can get started on his birthday surprise!”
“Yay!” I faked a cheer before scooping her into my arms so she could stop messing up my bed. Her enthusiasm made it pretty clear that there was absolutely no way I was getting out of this birthday surprise.
Settling down on my dressing chair, I placed Mirasol on my lap. “So, what do you recommend we get your dad?”
“A teddy bear! A huge rabbit teddy bear that he can snuggle with all night long.”
A chuckle left my mouth. “As much as I love that idea, I think your dad is too big for teddy bears. If we want to get him something for his birthday, we should probably think of something he likes. And we can figure that out by starting with the kind of person he is.
“Hmm,” Mirasol thoughtfully taps her chin. “He’s old and nice.”
I nodded with a smile. “Old and nice, that’s a good start. He’s also down-to-earth and hardworking.”
“That’s why he always misses dinner with us,” Mirasol chipped in, and just like that, a light bulb appeared above my head.
“Wait, that’s it!”
“Hmm?” Mirasol looked clueless.
“How about we make a delicious birthday dinner for your dad?”
A bright smile lit up her face. “That’s a great idea!”
Just then, a knock sounded through my door and Gerta stepped in. “There you are. Mirasol, your Maths teacher is here, he’s waiting for you in the patio.”
“Ok.” I set Mirasol down from my lap. “Go on, we’ll work on your dad’s dinner when you’re done with class.”
*****
Later in the day
It was around two in the afternoon when Mirasol dragged me over to the pantry to find some inspiration for Vincent’s birthday meal.
“So, we’ve got some rice.” I began listing off the items. “Flour, bread, pasta, canned tomatoes, frozen fish, chicken nuggets-”
“Oh chicken nugget! Let’s cook that for Daddy.”
I laughed, “Ok, but we can’t just give him chicken nuggets alone, we have to include something else. How about a burger and French fries? We can have the nuggets on the side.”
“Yes.” Mirasol nodded. “As long as I get to eat some.”
“Of course, sweetheart.” Opening the freezer, I took out the pack of frozen chicken nuggets and handed them over to her. “Here, take these to the kitchen while I bring in the sack of potatoes.”
“Ok!”
In the next few minutes, we were back in the kitchen with all the ingredients we needed. We spent the next hour or two transforming the kitchen into a war zone. Gerta would definitely have a heart attack when she returned from the bakery with the cake.
“No, no, that’s rosemary.” I grabbed the spice from Mirasol before she could dump it on all the chopped potatoes. “What we need is thyme and just a little bit.”
She watched me dredge everything in the spice then we chose to bake it in the oven to avoid the greasiness of the deep fryer. With the potatoes seasoned and ready to bake, we moved on to the burgers. Mirasol shaped the patties with her tiny hands, her face scrunching up in concentration.
“Do you think Daddy will like these?” she asked, her eyes wide with anticipation.
I smiled, patting her head gently. “I’m sure he will love them. It’s the thought and effort that counts, and we’re putting our hearts into making this special for him.”
As the aroma of delicious food filled the air, Mirasol and I worked together to assemble the burgers with all the fixings. We carefully laid out the buns, and added lettuce, tomatoes, and a slice of cheese. Mirasol insisted on drawing a heart with ketchup on each burger.
“Now, we can start working on the chicken nuggets,” I suggested.
The kitchen timer buzzed intermittently as we multitasked, ensuring everything was cooked to perfection. Mirasol hummed a tune while we fried the already-seasoned chicken nuggets, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
“Okay, we’re almost there,” I said, checking the oven timer. “Once these are done, we just need to set the table for dinner. Do you want to make a special birthday card for your dad while we wait?”
Mirasol's eyes lit up at the idea. “Yes! I’ll draw a big cake with lots of candles, just like the one we’ll have for Daddy.”
While Mirasol worked on her masterpiece, I took out our best dinnerware. The scent of the food filled the house, creating an inviting atmosphere.
“The birthday cake is here!” Gerta sang out as she waltzed into the kitchen carrying a big white box.
“Ooh, can I see, can I see?” Mirasol leaned closer as Gerta lifted off the cover of the box.
“I present to you the ever-delicious chocolate munch cake!”
“Ooooh,” Mirasol and I gaped in awe at the decadent treat. The base layer was a moist and dense chocolate cake, each bite promising a perfect balance of sweetness and cocoa goodness. Stacked upon it were additional layers, generously slathered with a luscious chocolate ganache that dripped elegantly down the sides, creating a tempting cascade of glossy goodness. On top of it were the words ‘Happy Birthday Daddy’ written in a cherry red syrup.
“It’s awesome!” Mirasol cheered.
“Wow, Gerta.” I put my hands on my waist. “Your baker friend really went all out on this one.”
“Because I told her to.” She closed the cake box. “In all my years working here, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Vincent take time off to celebrate his birthday. For him, it’s always about work, work, work. This will be a nice change of pace for him.”
A ping sounded from the oven I quickly dashed over to get the fries out. “It’s almost seven,” I announced, stealing a quick glance from the clock. “I think it’s time we start setting everything up.”
Gerta and Mirasol were immediately up and about, taking all the dinnerware to the dining table. Gerta expertly laid everything out while giving Mirasol instructions on where cutlery should go. I lighted some candles to add a festive touch.
Finally, everything was ready. Mirasol proudly handed me the birthday card, and together we placed it next to Vincent's dinner plate.
All three of us stood, admiring our handiwork, and then Mirasol tugged at my sleeve, grinning from ear to ear. “Let’s hide with some confetti and wait for Daddy in the living room!”
“Ok.”
We headed over to the living room.