EPILOGUE
Jessica turned and stretched her hand but found the be-d empty. She
opened her eyes but did not see Andy. Turning and sitting up, she saw
Andy dressing up. He turned and smiled at her. “Hey beautiful”
Jessica doubted that she looked beautiful because her hair was in total
disarray, both from sleep and from all the events of the past night.
She frowned. “Good morning husband, off to work so early?”
“Yes, got an emergency meeting”
“But today-”
“I know sweetie, today is Friday, I just remembered that I had fixed
today for the meeting. I have to rush off” he pushed his hands into
his suit jacket hastily.
“But don’t you remember that-”
“Yes honey, I just remembered the meeting. Take care of yourself
honey and remember, if you have to go out, plea-se take the driver.
plea-se take the driver” he repeated, k!$$£d her and rushed out.
Jessica glared at the closed door in annoyance. How could he forget
that today was her birthday? plea-se take the driver… why can’t he
un-derstand that the accident that happened about three months ago
could have also happened if the driver had driven the car? She did not
like sitting at the back but at times, she had to admit that she
actually enjoyed it. She sighed, getting out of be-d. She checked the
time and saw that it was almost eight. Her eyes wi-de-ned. No wonder
Andy had been rushing, he had obviously woken up late too. But why
could he not wish her a happy birthday. She entered the bathroom,
brushed and showered. Just as she was coming out, her phone rang and
she picked it up.
“Lizzy” she called, smiling. Obviously, her friend had remembered her
birthday.
“Oh Jessica, thank God I got you”
Jessica frowned. “Is everything ok?”
“Oh Lizzy, I am stranded here. I have some things with me and I nee-d
to take them home but I can’t find my purse again. I am somewhere
around Mackey Close, not so far from your place. Can you come and pick
me?”
Jessica wanted to ask what she was doing outside so early in the
morning but shrugged it off. Not everyone cu-mddled up against their
husbands till this time. “I don’t know any Mackey close, where is
that?”
“Oh, Jessica, ask your driver, he should know the place. plea-se babes,
ok? I am waiting” Lizzy hung up.
Jessica frowned and started dressing up. Minutes later she was sitting
at the back seat of the car, as the driver drove. He surely knew where
he was going and she looked around, looking out for Lizzy. What
greeted her eyes when the driver c@m£ to a st©p was a mas-sive building
that looked relatively new. The beauty of the building was so
dumbfounding and she found herself gazing at it, marveling at the
mastery behind it. It was long and tall, looking perfect for a shopping
complex. She thought of so many things, just by staring at it but she
had to f0rç£fully take her eyes from the building to look for Lizzy. She
turned to open the door but it was opened before she could. She looked
out and saw Andy holding out his hand. “Happy birthday wife” he
called with a bright smile on his face. Jessica was floored. There was
obviously no meeting anywhere. She took his hand and stepped out of
the car.
“You are mischievous” she said grinning. Andy smiled and leaned
forward for a k!ss. Jessica looked around. “Where are we? This place is
not far from home but still, I have never been here” he smiled.
“I know” and for some seconds he looked uncertain.
Jessica looked at the mas-sive building before her, loving it the more.
“Oh my” she said breathlessly. “This building is divine… breathtaking”
she said gazing at it but Andy did not respond. She turned to look at
him and he was watching her. He went to stand at her front.
“Sweetheart, you told me some months back that you would love to
own your own business. It was then I thought of it. You are my heart
de-sire, sweetheart, and I wanted to give you something that would
make you very happy. I got this project started a week after you told
me about it. You said you would love something small but I thought of
this – a shopping mall. I know you love supermarkets and boutiques, so
I felt it would be nice if we merged it. This building has three floors.
We would fill them with whatever you want.” Andy breathed, not sure
of what Jessica would say, she had been staring like a frozen goddess.
“Happy birthday sweetheart” He stretched out a scissors which had a
ribbon on it and put it in Jessica’s hand.
Jessica had been looking at Andy as his mouth moved and words
tumbled out. She was not sure if she was slee-ping or dreaming or in a
trance or something. She was definitely hearing wrong things. When
Andy landed and gave her the scissors, she finally found the ability to
move a muscle. She stared at the scissors like she did not know what
it was used for. She looked back at Andy and stared at the mas-sive
structure that towered over her. For the first time, she noticed at
ribbon around the house. The full effect of what Andy had been saying
slammed into her like a tidal wave and she turned sharply to face Andy.
“You can’t be serious… You are joking right”
He smiled softly. “Do you like it?” Andy had hopeful eyes.
Jessica felt like her head would explode. “Of course I like it, but it is
not mine, is it? It can’t be mine, can it?” she turned to stare at the
building. “Oh God! Andy, this is too much” It would have cost a
fortune” she frowned. “What am I saying? It would have cost a million
fortunes” she turned back to Andy. “Where did you get the money to
build this?”
Andy almost laughed. “Jess, do you know who you married? I have
money enough to feed a nation”. “plea-se tell me you like it”
Jessica squealed. “Oh God! I love it” she jumped on Andy and he caught
her, visibly relaxing. “But you know you did not have to do it right?”
He looked into her eyes. “Yes, I had to. I would do anything to make
you very happy my love”
“You are my happiness Andy Williams”
He k!$$£d her and stepped back, holding her hand.
She turned back to face the building and g@sped when she saw so many
people. “Happy Birthday” they all screamed. Jessica grinned and
squealed like a little child. She bec@m£ calm when someone walked up
to her. Jessica looked at Sonia. Sonia had done all she could to get her
forgiveness buy Jessica had refused to. Staring at Sonia now, it was
impossible to forgive her. Not with the happiness inside her. She looked
at Andy who gave an encouraging nod. Moving forward, the opened her
hands and Sonia ran into it. Jessica felt her happiness increase.
Everyone made mistakes and they deserved forgiveness when they finally
realize their mistakes. Cheers went out and suddenly, Jessica was
being hvgged and pe-cked by all and sundry. They all went to the ribbon
and their pastor who was also there, prayed. “We open this building in
the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
Everyone shouted amen and Jessica and Andy cut the ribbon. She felt
the instant urge to cry and before she knew it, she had tears rolling
down her cheeks. She jumped on Andy. “I have never been this happy
Andy… I love you. I am sure our baby would love you very very much
too” Andy froze and pu-ll-ed her back enough to stare into her eyes. She
answered his question with a smile. “You are going to be a father” she
whispered and Andy g@sped. He had just received the best news in the
world. Before Jessica knew what was happening, Andy was swinging her
in the air. She giggled and people looked at them, puzzled and amused,
wishing to find a love like theirs. Jessica’s feet hadn’t t©uçhed the
ground when Andy pu-ll-ed her against him for a de-ep breathtaking k!ss.
When they broke off, they were breathless. Andy put his head against
Jessica’s and gazed into her beautiful eyes. “I am the luckiest man on
earth”
“That makes two of us because I was thinking I am the luckiest
woman in the universe.”
“We are going to be one extremely happy family” Andy said, wanting to
scream on t©p of his lungs. They both turned to the crowd of people
who were looking at them with curiosity but they were not going to
tell them. This was their news, their joy and they did not want to
publicize it. It was too good to share. They grinned and got the
celebr@tion started, both thanking God in their hearts for the day they
got married.
All things work together for our good
THE END.
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