Chapter 125: THE BEST SURPRISE

Godiva POV

“I'm good, sir,” I responded with a polite smile, wondering how he knew my name. well, I guess Hilda told him, I thought to myself as I walked away.

I had barely gone a block away when I spotted Alex waiting in front of Café Miral, one of the biggest cafés in All Saints.

“Alex!” I squealed joyfully, jogging toward him.

“Kiddo,” he mimicked, ruffling my hair playfully. Alex and I had become so close that he had started calling me his younger sister despite knowing I despised being called Kiddo.

“Who are you calling Kiddo?” I barked playfully, jumping in an attempt to smack the back of his head since he towered over me.

“Easy there, troublemaker. What would you like to snack on?” Alex asked, pointing toward the café entrance.

“For real?” I shrieked excitedly. Visiting the café had become one of my goals before leaving All Saints, and surprisingly, the opportunity had presented itself.

“Are you coming, or will you keep gawking at the building?” Alex teased, ushering me inside.

“Hell yes, I'm in,” I declared happily, dashing into the café with Alex following behind.

“What would you like to order, please?” the waitress asked politely after greeting us.

“Uhm... I don't know. Everything looks appetizing,” I admitted, turning to Alex for help.

“Don't look at me,” he chuckled, taking a step backward.

“I'll have waffles, a slice of chocolate cake with frosting, cream bread, creamy cinnamon rolls, and a properly whipped cup of coffee,” I rattled off with a grin.

“Is that all, Ma'am?” the waitress asked courteously.

“Oh yes,” I replied excitedly before pausing. “Sorry, I almost forgot. Please pack four sets of each,” I added, humming to myself.

“Four?” Alex echoed, looking stunned.

“Oh yes, four,” I confirmed confidently.

“And who exactly are those four people?” he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.

“You, Godmother, Dina, and me,” I replied with a chuckle.

“Erm... about that,” Alex muttered, suddenly studying the ceiling like it held the secrets of the universe. “Your Godmother asked me to bring you out as compensation.”

“What compensation?” I asked, my expression immediately turning serious.

“I don't know the full details, but Dina won't be coming again,” he revealed, releasing a nervous sigh.

“What do you mean? Did her bus ticket get postponed?” I asked anxiously, my eyes already beginning to sting.

“Nope. I think she won't be coming at all. Anyway, Godmother will explain it better,” Alex replied awkwardly.

“You're kidding, right?” I laughed in disbelief.

“No, I'm not,” he said soberly.

“Sir, Ma'am,” the waitress interrupted, “your order is ready. Will you be paying with a card?” she asked, handing us the carefully packed snacks.

“Gracias,” Alex said, collecting the packages while handing over Godmother's credit card.

“Wow, it's actually true,” I muttered with a disbelieving laugh before storming out of the café.

“Cheer up, Kiddo... sorry, Diva!” Alex called out, quickening his pace until he caught up with me.

“I'm leaving first thing tomorrow,” I announced irritably, lengthening my strides.

“But why? You've been looking forward to the skate competition,” Alex protested, sounding disappointed.

“Well, I was anticipating the competition because my girl was coming. But not anymore,” I replied coldly, marching ahead.

“Then why are you rushing home now? To slap Godmother or yell at her? What's the plan exactly?” Alex asked with a smirk.

“Nope. To pack my bags and prepare for departure,” I retorted, stepping into Godmother's compound.

“Hello, baby,” Godmother greeted warmly from the living room, where she sat reading a novel.

“Hello, Mother,” I responded, unable to hide my gloomy mood.

“Come here,” she beckoned gently, opening her arms.

I hurried into her embrace, trying desperately to hold back the tears threatening to spill.

“Go freshen up, then come back so we can talk,” she said after holding me for a while.

“Alright,” I replied dully before heading to my room.

“What the hell!” I screamed the second I walked in and spotted Dina standing there in shorts, recording me with her phone.

“My girl!” Dina squealed, launching herself at me.

We clung to each other for over three minutes until approaching footsteps finally forced us apart.

“I see you're truly an undeniable part of each other's lives,” Godmother remarked fondly, stepping into the room.

“Yes, Ma'am,” Dina replied, beaming from ear to ear.

“Damn you, Alex!” I cried, trying to flick his forehead.

He dodged effortlessly, grinning triumphantly.

“What? I merely played the role assigned to me,” he defended, taking an exaggerated bow.

“Well, I already know whose idea this was,” I said, releasing a relieved sigh as I turned to Dina.

“Girl, it wasn't me,” Dina denied between laughs.

“It was my idea,” Godmother confessed, laughing heartily.

“You definitely got me this time,” I admitted. “Good thing I ordered four sets of the café goodies,” I added excitedly before placing a gentle kiss on Godmother's forehead.

Godmother and Alex excused themselves while I helped Dina unpack, both of us eagerly catching up on everything we'd missed.

“Di...” I called thoughtfully. “Why did you bring my hoverboard? I only asked for the skateboard.”

“I just felt like bringing it here, hoping you'd find love in All Saints,” Dina replied sarcastically as she placed both skateboards and the hoverboard neatly in the corner.

“You know I can't wait for Monday,” Dina said excitedly.

“Why can't you wait for Monday?” I asked, completely confused.

“To meet the mysterious family whose father has a familiar smile you can't place,” Dina teased, laughing.

“And don't forget the sister who smiles exactly like Hakeem,” I added, joining in her laughter.

“Oh, trust me, I haven't forgotten her. She's our ticket to infiltrating the house,” Dina declared mischievously.

“Bro, no one is infiltrating anyone's house. Besides, why should we care whether she's Hakeem's sister? All I want to know is who the father reminds me of,” I argued, laughing hysterically.

We spent the rest of the evening listening to Godmother's stories, especially those about All Saints before its development. She also told us how she had met her late husband at the Catholic church across the street.

The following day, Godmother took us to visit several of her friends who knew Mama and introduced us properly. I felt sorry for Alex since he had to accompany us despite having a football match planned with his friends.

By evening, we finally regained our freedom and took Dina on a stroll through the neighborhood, all the way to the park and back. As expected, she could barely contain her excitement about attending the upcoming skate competition.

During church service the next day, the choir had just begun singing when Dina, being Dina, recognized the song, climbed onto the stage, and joined them to everyone's amusement.

Everyone except me.

After church, we visited a few more people, spent time with Alex's friends at the football pitch, and eventually called it a day as I eagerly anticipated Monday, the day all truth would come to life.