Once Upon A Hidden Life...
A Beautiful Locket.
"Dad?" Denise asked with confusion lighting her eyes, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," I replied to her, desperately trying to convince myself that all this is a mere coincidence.
I managed a warm smile at her and took another cookie from the plate.
She smiled back then continued to munch happily on her cookie, and after a few minutes of silence among us, she jumped off the stool.
"I'm ready to go back to bed," she said, walking slowly out of the kitchen, "Good night Daddy!"
"Good night sweetheart," I replied, soon after, I was back in bed, as well.
__________________________3 years later...
"Happy Birthday Denise!" I said enthusiastically.
A big grin spread across her face as she blew the 12 candles on her beautifully made cake.
"Now we can eat!" Frank exclaimed with delight spread through his voice.
"I'm sorry," I told him, trying to sound serious, "But this isn't a Skittles cake."
"Well it still looks good enough for my royal taste buds," Frank replied, cutting a big piece for himself.
"Let's let the birthday girl have the first piece, Frank," Ray said in a polite tone.
Frank stared at Ray like he had made the most impossible suggestion in the world, but then reluctantly handed the piece over to Denise.
"I want Dad to have the next piece, followed by Uncle Ray, then Uncle Bob," then her eyes shifted towards Frank's direction, "I'll give you a dollar and you can go to Wal-Mart to buy some Skittles," she said, snickering.
"WHAT THE--!?"
I cast Frank a warning gaze, and he seemed to get the message.
"I couldn't just have one small piece, could I?" Frank asked, trying to sound politely.
I broke down in laughter at his lousy attempt to sound mature, even after all these years, he was still the same old Frank, but to tell you the truth, that's what everyone loved about him.
"Maybe if you give me my gift, now?" Denise asked, with an innocent tone.
"You win," he replied, "She's turning into a little me! Her attitude is, at times, so different from Gera--,"
Bob kicked him, hard in the leg.
"Mikey's," Frank finished, giving out a sheepish smile.
Frank walked close enough to me so that he would have no problem making sure no one else heard his loud voice, "Still doesn't know, eh?" he asked.
"No," I replied, sighing.
"You know that you have to tell her sometime," he said. Before I could answer, he took his gift out from his "I Love Skittles" bag and handed it over to Denise.
"This is huge!" Denise said, her eyes grew wide. The box was about the size of my foot up to my neck, yes, that big.
An evil grin was plastered over Frank's face, "Open it," he urged.
Denise excitedly unwrapped the paper, and opened the box, only to reveal another small, wrapped box.
She looked up at Frank, raising an eyebrow.
"Open it," Frank said, once again.
She opened that, yet to reveal another smaller box. This continued until the box was as small as her hand.
"I'm afraid that If I open this It will reveal nothing," Denise said, looking at Frank.
"Am I the type of person who doesn't give presents?" Frank asked, pouting.
Denise stuck her tongue out at Frank playfully then unwrapped it.
She slowly opened the box, and her eyes widened, what could it be?
She took out a small skittles packet and looked at Frank, wide-eyed.
"hey," he said, defensively, "That's tropical flavor."
Denise only shrugged, "Thanks Uncle Frank," she replied, opening the packet, "Maybe I'll also pick up the unusual habit of becoming drunk because of Skittles."
She opened the skittles pack, and reached her hand in, but she didn't take out a Skittle, she took out the most beautiful locket in the world. It was gold and a beautiful D W was carefully engraved in the center. Denise stared at Frank in awe, I, myself, was probably just as surprised.
"See?" Frank replied to her gaze, "I'm not that cheap," he grinned.
"Thanks so much Uncle Frank!" Denise said throwing him a big hug, she put the locket around her neck.
"It looks beautiful," I told Frank, grinning.
"Who's this?" Denise asked, showing the locket to Frank.
"Ah, so I see you already found out that it can be opened," he said grinning, "That," he said smiling, "Is Diana Way."
"Nothing," I replied to her, desperately trying to convince myself that all this is a mere coincidence.
I managed a warm smile at her and took another cookie from the plate.
She smiled back then continued to munch happily on her cookie, and after a few minutes of silence among us, she jumped off the stool.
"I'm ready to go back to bed," she said, walking slowly out of the kitchen, "Good night Daddy!"
"Good night sweetheart," I replied, soon after, I was back in bed, as well.
__________________________3 years later...
"Happy Birthday Denise!" I said enthusiastically.
A big grin spread across her face as she blew the 12 candles on her beautifully made cake.
"Now we can eat!" Frank exclaimed with delight spread through his voice.
"I'm sorry," I told him, trying to sound serious, "But this isn't a Skittles cake."
"Well it still looks good enough for my royal taste buds," Frank replied, cutting a big piece for himself.
"Let's let the birthday girl have the first piece, Frank," Ray said in a polite tone.
Frank stared at Ray like he had made the most impossible suggestion in the world, but then reluctantly handed the piece over to Denise.
"I want Dad to have the next piece, followed by Uncle Ray, then Uncle Bob," then her eyes shifted towards Frank's direction, "I'll give you a dollar and you can go to Wal-Mart to buy some Skittles," she said, snickering.
"WHAT THE--!?"
I cast Frank a warning gaze, and he seemed to get the message.
"I couldn't just have one small piece, could I?" Frank asked, trying to sound politely.
I broke down in laughter at his lousy attempt to sound mature, even after all these years, he was still the same old Frank, but to tell you the truth, that's what everyone loved about him.
"Maybe if you give me my gift, now?" Denise asked, with an innocent tone.
"You win," he replied, "She's turning into a little me! Her attitude is, at times, so different from Gera--,"
Bob kicked him, hard in the leg.
"Mikey's," Frank finished, giving out a sheepish smile.
Frank walked close enough to me so that he would have no problem making sure no one else heard his loud voice, "Still doesn't know, eh?" he asked.
"No," I replied, sighing.
"You know that you have to tell her sometime," he said. Before I could answer, he took his gift out from his "I Love Skittles" bag and handed it over to Denise.
"This is huge!" Denise said, her eyes grew wide. The box was about the size of my foot up to my neck, yes, that big.
An evil grin was plastered over Frank's face, "Open it," he urged.
Denise excitedly unwrapped the paper, and opened the box, only to reveal another small, wrapped box.
She looked up at Frank, raising an eyebrow.
"Open it," Frank said, once again.
She opened that, yet to reveal another smaller box. This continued until the box was as small as her hand.
"I'm afraid that If I open this It will reveal nothing," Denise said, looking at Frank.
"Am I the type of person who doesn't give presents?" Frank asked, pouting.
Denise stuck her tongue out at Frank playfully then unwrapped it.
She slowly opened the box, and her eyes widened, what could it be?
She took out a small skittles packet and looked at Frank, wide-eyed.
"hey," he said, defensively, "That's tropical flavor."
Denise only shrugged, "Thanks Uncle Frank," she replied, opening the packet, "Maybe I'll also pick up the unusual habit of becoming drunk because of Skittles."
She opened the skittles pack, and reached her hand in, but she didn't take out a Skittle, she took out the most beautiful locket in the world. It was gold and a beautiful D W was carefully engraved in the center. Denise stared at Frank in awe, I, myself, was probably just as surprised.
"See?" Frank replied to her gaze, "I'm not that cheap," he grinned.
"Thanks so much Uncle Frank!" Denise said throwing him a big hug, she put the locket around her neck.
"It looks beautiful," I told Frank, grinning.
"Who's this?" Denise asked, showing the locket to Frank.
"Ah, so I see you already found out that it can be opened," he said grinning, "That," he said smiling, "Is Diana Way."
♠ ♠ ♠
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