AIMEE STARTS SCHOOL

The Malcolms finances are good enough to sponsor little baby Aimee's education all the way from preschool to college. At least, they could manage putting her in good and standard schools.

Aimee started to walk at one year, six months and could utter cheerful words. With her black hair and brown eyes, Aimee was a beautifully cute baby girl, one would wonder who she looked like because little Aimee had all the features of both parents.

Frederick (Freddie) and Emily looked alike, one would have believed they were a siblings or even twins. Their love was a beautiful one. They played like friends and behaved like newly wed love birds when they go out for dinner, lunch during work or picnics during the weekend. The couple used to go out alone but now that there is a procreation of the both of them, they go out as like a trio with little Aimee strapped to Emily's belly. While in the car, on their way out, Emily tries to teach little Aimee how to sing rhymes and since the baby was smart, she caught on pretty fast. Aimee was really smart, one would easily know after interacting with the little baby girl.

Occasionally, when Freddie was out for business and Emily was back from work, she would take little Aimee out for mommy and daughter time. Emily would dress up Aimee in the same outfit as herself and they would go out to explore.

"Mommy" Were Aimee's first words when she started talking and that was when Emily was giving her a bubble bath.

"Oh!" Emily exclaimed happily.

"Freddie come quickly, come hear this" Emily said further.

"What is it, darling?" Freddie asked walking in his towel, he just had his bath too.

"Mummy, mummy mummy" Aimee said continuously as she clapped her hands in all cuteness.

"Whoa" Freddie exclaimed too after he heard little Aimee.

"I know right" Emily said smiling.

"Huh..." Freddie said and moved closer to Aimee, who was in her bath. He squatted beside her and smiled.

"OK, Aimee, that's really good and cool daddy" Freddie said and Emily laughed hard.

"Da... ddy, daddy" Little Aimee whispered, repeating after Freddie.

"Now, that's my girl!" Freddie said, holding Aimee who giggled. Emily only smiled. This was a new stage in their lives and it was a beautiful moment for all of them.

There was a day Emily bumped into Maya at the Provision's store. Maya seemed to be lost in thoughts as she held little Jasper and rolled her shopping basket passed Emily who saw her. Emily was dressed in a blue t-shirt and black trouser and little Aimee was wearing the same thing. Since Aimee was in the basket, Emily dropped whatever she took from the shelf gently.

"Maya, Maya..." Emily called snapping Maya out of her thoughts.

"Emily" Maya answered with a smile now fully noticing Emily.

"How are doing, Maya?" Emily asked smiling.

"I'm great" Maya said.

"Really, but you seemed a little... lost" Emily asked.

Oh, it's just the work and how are the both, I can see you girls are having a timeout in the market?" Maya asked moving closer to the baby girl who smiled back at her.

"We are doing great too and little Jasper?" Emily said looking at boy Jasper who clutch his hands on his mother's leg.

"Jasper, say hi to Emily and Aimee" Maya said and he looked at Emily then at Aimee with an expressionless face then seemed to swallow a little.

"Hi..." Jasper said staring high up at Emily who smiled and stroked the boy's hair a little.

"Aren't you just so cute" Emily said and the boy doesn't react, still staring at her but then clutches Maya's leg again.

"He really has your eyes, Maya, just as beautiful as yours" Emily complimented making Maya smile.

"Oh, stop, Aimee is just like you too, well maybe both you and Freddie, because, one can't really tell the difference between you two" Emily said, now holding unto her wheeled shopping basket "Yeah, we get that a lot, hey are you done shopping?" Emily asked also holding her own wheeled shopping basket.

"No, I still need to pick a few things up ahead" Maya said pushing the shopping basket gently.

"OK, me too" Emily said and pushed hers gently too.

They did the rest of the shopping together, talked about a lot of things then went to the counter to drop all the stuff so it can be priced.

"Wow, ma'am, that's a beautiful baby girl you've got there" Avril, the sales girl said after setting her eyes on Aimee.

"Oh, thanks, Avril" Emily said smiling.

"You're welcome, ma'am" Avril said as she priced the shopping stuff into its total and getting to Maya, she smiled at baby.

"He looks so much like you, ma'am, he's one eye candy" Avril said making Maya laugh.

"Oh, Avril..." Maya said and Avril smiled. Avril is a sales girl who people liked because of her cheerful personality. Almost all who patronize the supermarket knew Avril by name unlike her colleagues that always seemed stiff with the customers.

When they were done in the supermarket, Emily and Maya walked to their respective cars then drove off back to the neighborhood.

Months passed and Aimee turned age two. Emily and Freddie felt like Aimee was growing so fast as she was now almost ready for school. A year down and little Aimee will have to start pre-school.

Now, Emily and Freddie wanted to celebrate Aimee's second birthday but on low key. No much friends and family. The birthday celebration took place in grandma Elizabeth's cottage in the suburbs and friends in the neighborhood were invited. Dennis and the rest of the group couldn't attend because of business and the distance didn't quite seem well with any of them. But Lewis, Maya and Jasper, the Horace family, were able to attend the celebration coupled with few other neighbors and Richard, Freddie's cousin.

There was cake, there were pictures, wine fresh from Malcolm wine for the adults and fruit juices and candy for the little ones.

As Aimee sat alone playing with small boxes, Jasper decided to join her.

"Hello" Jasper said standing and staring at Aimee who sat on something like a floor mat which seemed to be a beautiful decoration in the house.

"HI" Aimee responded focused on her small boxes

"What are you doing?" Jasper asked now squatting in front of her.

"I'm building a castle so the princess can go in" Aimee explained now looking at Jasper.

"A castle, why not a tower where the princess is being locked away with a curse and is guarded by a fire breathing dragon" Jasper suggested and Aimee quietly stared at him with her bold brown eyes.

"So a prince can rescue her?" Aimee asked looking serious so Jasper nodded.

"Can you build the tower for me?" Aimee asked.

"Sure" Jasper said settling on the floor mat too.

"OK, I'll keep building my castle then" Jasper said.

"OK" Jasper said as he starts to arrange the small boxes too.

Meanwhile, Emily and Maya sat on the couch taking in some non alcohol wine and talking about a lot of stuff.

"It seems like you guys never argue at all" Maya said taking a sip of the delicious wine from her wine cup.

"Well we do have our differences at times but we just try to iron out the wrinkles as soon as we spot them" Emily explained.

"Wow, that's nice, no wonder you keep glowing so much, it's all signs and symptoms of the lovely healthy relationship syndrome" Maya said and Emily smiled.

"You've been glowing too, tell me, how do you and Lewis handle situations?" Emily asked smiling.

"Well..." Maya said as if she was thinking about it

"I guess it starts and ends in our bedroom" Maya said with a neutral face.

"Yes, it seems like it always ends in the bedroom, I mean, you live in the same room so definitely you guys have to talk and settle things with each other" Emily said but Maya knew she wasn't talking about what Emily just said.

The celebration didn't go on for too long as people had to retire to their homes to rest for the night.

The next day was a Monday so students prepared for school while their parents prepared for work to make ends meet. As, the hustle started, one could hear horning school buses and see people walking about to the bus stop to take a bus to work or some just seemed to go on foot. Those who had cars entered their cars and drove to work. In a midst of this bustle and in the walls of Lewis and Maya's apartment, Jasper sat at the dining table, having his breakfast and ignoring the sounds of arguments that seemed to be coming from his parents bedroom. He was now kind of used to it at such a tender age but he didn't like it at all.

"Why can't you just apologize Lewis" Maya said with annoyance, she was sitting on the bed.

"Apologize for what, Maya, I don't see what you are being paranoid about" Lewis said trying to prepare himself for work. Maya scoffed and folded her arms.

"You never see it because you never care to look at it" Maya said and Lewis sighed as he carried his wristwatch on the bedside table.

"Why can't we just have a relationship just like Emily and Freddie's" Maya said and Lewis frowned.

"Since when do we have to start being like them?!" Lewis asked with annoyance.

"Since this relationship started being so weightless, Lewis, they seem to always be in love that doesn't just happen Lewis, they make it happen!" Maya said and that got to him really bad. He never expected Maya to bring such a topic up. She had never compared them to any couple before, why now and it had to be Freddie and Emily.

Quietly but angrily, Lewis grabbed his car keys and left the room. He walked passed Jasper who was now in the living room.

"Daddy, are you taking me to school now?" Jasper asked in his cute voice, running after him.

"Out of my way!" Lewis growled making Jasper teary. Maya walked out of the room and saw Jasper almost crying while Lewis slammed the door behind them.

"I'm sorry baby, mama's here now, shhh..." Maya said holding Jasper close to herself, glaring at the door Lewis just slammed.

Their relationship had become rocky since Maya gave birth. On that day, Maya wanted so badly that her husband be with her in the hospital but he was out, doing his business. According to him, there was a business meeting he couldn't miss so he would spare few minutes with her in the hospital, when their lives were about to change. Well, things did change, but not for the better though, definitely not like the couple had expected.

The birthday candles were to be blown again as little Aimee turned three. Since the arrival of Aimee, neither Freddie nor Emily talked about either of their own birthdays, what mattered now was their little angel who came as a blessing in their lives. And now, this seemed to be another phase of little Aimee's life. It was time for pre-school. But before then, three is a number to be celebrated with decorations, a tasty cake with three candles on top, delicious food and drinks and a group of invited guests who would bring presents for the little bundle of joy. Once again, neighbors were invited for another celebration of the little Aimee who just turned three. As usual, there was enough for everyone.

At Maria Montessori School, Emily drove Aimee to the big school and met with the principal.

"Welcome, my name is Mrs Devon and you are Mrs...?" The principal introduced offering Emily a hand shake.

"Emily, call me Emily" Emily said shaking Mrs Devon's hand. "And what's the name of this little angel?" Mrs Devon asked.

"Aimee!" Aimee yelled excitedly, it sounded more like a squeal than a yell making the ladies laugh.

After the introduction, Mrs Devon led them to her office and after much discussions, Aimee was to be enrolled the very next week. Mrs Devon decided to show them Aimee's classroom and met a teacher in there.

"This is Miss Morgan, Aimee's classroom teacher" Mrs Devon introduced.

"Hi, you can call me Daisy and I look forward to having this cutie in my class soon" Daisy said with a smile and Emily nodded.

Finally, Aimee starts pre-school at Maria Montessori School.