THE FALLACY OF HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Phyllis tossed in bed with the desire to sleep but then sleep had evaded her because she had a lot going on in her mind which made her question what love really was and if the "they lived happily ever after" she read in many fairytales as a child were true. She wondered the kind of people who made it to the "lived happily after" because she really longed to live happily ever after.

She began to remember the countless times she read the Cinderella story because it was an amazing story and she really wanted to find her prince charming in that manner because that would be an amazing experience. She had always been cautious of what she wore especially her dress and footwear because she had the consciousness of meeting her prince charming in an unusual manner and was always prepared for that beautiful opportunity until now. It wasn't that she hadn't yet met some "prince charmings", no! she had but there hadn't been any happily ever after and that was her nightmare.

She was now beginning to understand why her mother told her she couldn't be called a queen until she began to fight her own battles and learned how to pursue even when all odds were against her. Her mother also told her that a queen isn't the one who always wins her battles but the one who knew when to pursue and not to, the one who commands respect and most importantly doesn't ever give up on life and it's challenges. Her mother therefore called her Princess because she was the daughter of a Queen, her mother.

She remembered how her mother pampered her but thought her how to manage a home and behave well towards people especially having tolerance and compassion on people because that was what would empower her to fight her battles. She taught her to build and maintain good relationships with people so that she would have an army and resources to build her kingdom. What her mother didn't know was that she learnt other very important virtues from her indirectly. She saw her she supported her father take care of her siblings and herself even if she had a little, she saw how she wiped their tears even when she had tears in her eyes, she saw how she carried them even if she had no strength to carry on for herself and how she defended their father in their presence whenever he went wrong but had a calm conversation with him in their absence. She knew this because she had eavedropped on them on several occasions and she this had increased the love and respect she had for her mother.

When she looked back at what had happened between Denzel and herself after her delivery and even how she supported him so that he would deal with Amanda's case, she understood all that her mother had been trying to teach her all that while but she couldn't understand her until now. She got the reason why her mother kept telling her that no couple had ever lived happily ever after no matter how much they loved each other but they had to work even to maintain how they felt about each other. She had now realised that, she had a lot of battles to fight not only to maintain the love of her life but also to protect her daughter and help her grow with a father's love since she needed that to develop well.

Beryl interrupted her thoughts with a loud cry and she smiled because to her that was the kingdom she would be fighting to protect at all cost. She picked her up and sat down on the tip of the bed so that she could put her on her laps as she breast feeds and played with her until she fell asleep. She sang a beautiful song she had composed for her to put her to sleep. The words of the song are "Dahlia, my elegant and strong woman". Dahlia, the beautiful girl who is strong and isn't affected by time or seasons. The girl whose beautiful smile soothes the hurting heart and whose beauty attracts blind men and whose wisdom puts intellectuals to awe. Her father's precious jewel that lights a room and her mother's beautiful flower that beautifies a room and makes it pleasant.

Denzel was awaken by her singing and though her voice wasn't good for singing, she loved the words and the passion and joy with which she sang. He sat behind her and wrapped his hands around the women of his life with some comfort. He wished his mother, Mrs. Jones was in the room too so that his joy would have been full. He kissed her and took the baby from her so that she would go back to bed since she was already asleep though not deeply. She told him she couldn't sleep so he gave the baby back to her and went to the kitchen to boil bay leaves for her so that it would help her sleep. He took the baby back from her so that she could go back to sleep.

Just as she was about to turn on her bed so that she could continue sleeping, she felt wet lips on her cheeks and when she opened her eyes it was Denzel standing over with a bouquet of dahlia flower which had a dark black foliage with the fragrance of a chocolate. He chose that particular breed of chocolate for only two reasons. The first one was the fact he loved her and their daughter very well and he felt the fragrance of chocolate because she loved chocolate. There've been so many occasions that he had use chocolate to bribe or compensate her for offenses he committed against her or to get her to do something for him and it worked like magic. The other reason was what the flower symbolised, grace, elegance, inner strength, creativity, dignity and integrity and to him, she was an embodiment of all these virtues.

She thanked him with happiness as he explained why he chose dahlia and not rose or hibiscus. She immediately added the bouquet to her luggage and tried to kiss him on the lips but he turned so that she would kiss his forehead since she had just woken up. She took her bath as soon as she left her bed so that they would prepare for their flight. He had already served breakfast and she was the only one who hadn't eaten so she ate as he parked their luggage into an uber. Phyllis hugged Mrs Mrs Jones and thanked her for supporting and taking care of Beryl and herself. They then left for the airport. She just couldn't wait to be home because she missed everyone especially her mother and Amelia so she decided to not inform them of her arrival but to surprise them, she missed playing pranks on them and she can't wait to pull this one on them.

Denzel held her hands just as she was about to enter the uber and pulled her close to her so that he could wrap his hands around her and embrace her. He whispered " thank you for loving and for being supportive. I am grateful". She patted him at the back and thanked him for coming back to her and the baby. She had never felt that happier in a long while and wished that was her "happily ever after ", after he had become his prince charming who had given her a precious kingdom which she would like to build with him. They took a selfie with her phone and they joined the car to the Airport with so much happiness.