"Surprise!!!"
"Wow!! Thank you, guys. I thought you all had forgotten about my birthday."
"How could we? This plan has been going on for so many days now. We can't ruin this surprise by wishing you beforehand, right?" Her best friend, Clara, wrapped her hand around Summer Cohen's shoulders and said with a grin.
Summer grinned and nuzzled her head in her friend's shoulder, "I love you."
"I love you too. Muah!"
"Happy Birthday, Daddy's little Princess. Did you like everything?" Her father, Herman Cohen, asked her as she, along with her friend, walked to the middle of the crowd.
She knows it was her father who had arranged everything. She looked around and found each and every detail to her liking. Her favorite flowers, her favorite colored balloons, her favorite decorations, everything was her favorite, and tears pooled in her eyes.
"Daddy~" She hugged him happily, "I love everything. Thank you soooo much, Daddy. I love you the most."
Her favorite cake was brought, and on top of it was written the words, 'Happy birthday to Daddy's little Princess'.
Others might feel embarrassed by those words. But Summer did not. Instead, she always felt proud to be called her Daddy's little Princess. Since she was a baby, that was how her father called her. It is a form of love from her father, and she cherished each and every bit of it. Why should she feel embarrassed because her father loved her so much?
Eighteen candles were lit on it.
"Make a wish and blow the candles, Princess." Her father smiled.
She grinned. She joined her hands and wished loudly. "I wish I could meet the man whom I met last week again. He is so handsome."
Everyone couldn't help but laugh out loud at her childish and blatant words.
Her father, on the other hand, had his face turn dark. "Who is he?"
He then looked at his assistant and ordered, "Bring me my gun from my safe."
If a stinky kid had his eyes on his daughter, he would shoot him.
"Daddy, why are you asking for your gun?" Summer asked innocently while blinking his eyes.
Looking at her innocent eyes, his eyes subconsciously softened. He gently caressed her hair and shook his head, "It's nothing."
Summer's best friend chuckled to herself. She knew her friend was innocent, but this was not just innocent but also cute.
"Why are you laughing?" Summer asked her.
Clara shook her head, "Nothing. But honey, don't you know that your wishes wouldn't be fulfilled if you said them out loud?"
"Oops. I forgot about that," Summer placed her hand over her mouth in shock, realizing her mistake.
"Now, wish for something else. Better than the last wish," Her father slapped his forehead and told her with indulgence.
He was happy that her previous wish wouldn't be fulfilled. He doesn't want any pigs around his cute cabbage.
Summer blinked her eyes. She nodded and closed her eyes. She did not smile anymore. Her expression turned serious.
With a sudden heart filled with solemnity, she wished, 'I wish I could meet my mom again.'
She knew her mother and her twin brother were dead when she was a child. She did not lack anything with her father's care. But once in a while, she couldn't help but feel the lack of her mother's love in her life.
She wanted to meet her mother one more time. She wants to see her face clearly and etch her features into her mind so deeply that she would never be able to forget them.
She wanted to know how a mother's love and care would feel.
Thunder
Suddenly there were thunders in the sky. The sky turned dark.
Summer felt her head spinning. She felt dizzy before she fell to the ground.
"Summer!"
"Summer!"
Everyone shouted and ran towards her in worry. Her father bent down and placed his hand below her head just before it hit the ground.
***
"Winter."
"Winter."
"Dude, are you okay?" When Summer opened her eyes, there was a crowd surrounding her. That was to be expected because she clearly fainted in the middle of her birthday celebrations.
But what was weird was that she did not recognize anyone in this crowd.
Also, the name they were calling her, who is that? It wasn't her name. Why were they calling her 'Winter'?
"Who are you all? Why are you calling me 'Winter'?" She asked softly while slowly getting up from the ground. She looked around. This wasn't her party. "Where am I?"
"Huh? Winter lost his memories? Or is he just playing a prank on us?" One of the young men around exclaimed suddenly while everyone looked at her in confusion.
Summer looked confused. But suddenly she realized something. She touched her throat. She slowly opened her lips to speak. "Aa Aa."
She tested her voice. Just as she expected. It did not sound like her voice. Instead, it sounded masculine. Her eyes then fell on her hands. They weren't small and soft like her hands. They looked bigger and rougher compared to hers.
"What's going on?" She asked in shock. She did not understand anything.
"Winter. Baby, don't scare me, okay? What happened to you? Why are you behaving like that?" A middle-aged woman's voice came through the crowd.
Summer looked at the person, and her eyes widened. They started to water as she looked at the worried expression on the woman. She ran towards the woman and hugged her as she called out, "Mommy."
Denise Garland froze at the sudden hug. But she immediately patted her back, "Yes, yes. I am here. What happened? Why are you crying like that?"
Summer stopped hugging her mother. She then looked around at everyone who was looking at her with all sorts of weird gazes.
Then her eyes fell on one of the men. Her eyes widened once again.
She raised her hand and pointed her trembling finger at him, "You. You. It's you. I met you again."