063: Crossroads of Destiny 3
The following day dawned with gentle knocks on the guestroom door, rousing Sophia from her sleep. A soft voice, barely above a whisper, greeted her with a cheerful "Good morning ma'am, are you up?" Sophia, still groggy from sleep, replied with a sleepy "Yes, I'm up, good morning."
The door creaked open, revealing a young boy standing in the doorway. It was the same boy who had brought her water the day before. He smiled warmly at Sophia and said, "Mommy asked if you would like to join the early morning prayer devotion."
Sophia, though not particularly religious, considered the offer for a moment before deciding to accept. "Yes, I'd like to join," she replied with a smile.
The boy nodded, pleased with her response. "You can join us in the living room when you're ready," he said before turning to leave.
Before he could exit the room, Sophia called out to him. "Wait, what's your name again?" she asked.
The boy turned back, a grin spreading across his face. "My name is Tolu," he replied.
Sophia returned his smile. "Thank you, Tolu, for getting me water yesterday when I needed it," she said gratefully.
Tolu's smile faltered slightly, and he shuffled his feet. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get it for you. You could have choked on the pepper because of my sluggishness," he apologized, a hint of guilt in his voice.
Sophia shook her head, reassuring him. "It's okay, Tolu. I didn't choke on it, so there's no need to apologize. I'm fine."
Tolu's smiled in return, relieved by her forgiveness. "Thank you, ma'am. I'll make sure to do better next time. See you in the living room when you're ready," he said before finally leaving the room."
Sophia then checked on Kourtney, who was still peacefully sleeping beside her. She leaned over and kissed her daughter's forehead, whispering words of love and protection. With a gentle stroke of her hair, she rose from the bed, careful not to disturb Kourtney's rest, and made her way to the living room to join the Adebayos for the morning devotion.
Upon entering the living room, Sophia noticed that Aliyah was not among the gathered family members. Taking a seat, she joined in the praise and worship that filled the room. After a time of singing and Bible reading, Tolu asked Sophia to lead the closing prayer.
"I'm sorry, Tolu," Sophia replied, shaking her head slightly. "I'm not accustomed to leading prayers."
Tolu smiled warmly. "It's okay, ma'am," he reassured her. "Just say a few positive words, and that will be enough."
Encouraged by his words, Sophia accepted the challenge. She closed her eyes and offered a heartfelt prayer, expressing gratitude and seeking blessings for the day ahead. With the prayer concluded, the morning devotion came to an end.
As the family members began to disperse, Sophia approached Tolu. "Where is Aliyah?" she inquired.
Tolu looked up at her, his expression thoughtful. "She's in her room," he replied. "It's not unusual for her to miss the morning devotion."
On hearing his answer, Sophia made her way back to the guestroom, where Kourtney still lay sleeping. After an hour, another set of knocks echoed on Sophia's guestroom door. Sophia, now in her underwear, called out asking who it was. A feminine voice responded, "It's me, can I come in?" Recognizing Aliyah's voice, Sophia hurriedly dressed and invited her in.
Aliyah entered with a warm smile, greeting Sophia with a cheerful "good morning." She inquired about Sophia's night, to which Sophia replied that it was good. Sophia mentioned she had asked for Aliyah from Tolu after the morning devotion since she didn't see her there. Aliyah admitted she rarely attended the morning devotion.
She then informed Sophia that breakfast was ready and that their food awaited them on the dining table. Sophia thanked her and said they would join them in a minute. She then asked Aliyah about the guest restroom, explaining that she and Kourtney needed to shower and freshen up for the day ahead.
Aliyah gestured for Sophia to follow her and led her to the guest restroom. After showing Sophia the way, Aliyah left her to it. Knowing where the guest restroom was now, Sophia made her way back to her room to wake Kourtney up.
Getting to the guestroom, she gently patted Kourtney on the back to wake her up, softly saying, "It's morning already, time to freshen up for the day ahead."
Kourtney, still groggy, mumbled, "Why do we have to freshen up? You told me no school during vacation," Kourtney mumbled, still groggy from sleep.
Sophia smiled, "Yes, no school during vacation, but we still need to freshen up and start our day feeling clean and refreshed."
Kourtney, now more awake, asked, "But why now? Why not later?"
Sophia explained as she placed Kourtney into the bathtub, "It's the normal thing to do, sweetheart. And besides, a good morning bath will help us cool down from the unfamiliar temperature we have down here."
Kourtney nodded, understanding, and began to enjoy the refreshing feel of the cold water as Sophia helped her bathe.
And as they finished with their morning bath, Sophia reached for the clean towel hanging on the bathroom wall. She used it to dry Kourtney and herself, the soft fabric absorbing the water gently from their skin.
"Mommy, why is daddy?" Kourtney asked, her voice curious.
Sophia paused, kneeling down to Kourtney's level. "Daddy has gone for a business trip, sweetheart. He'll be back in a few hours," she explained gently, brushing Kourtney's hair back with her hand.
Kourtney's eyes widened with curiosity. "How long will it take for daddy to be back?" she inquired, tilting her head slightly.
Sophia smiled, reassurance in her voice. "I'm not sure how long exactly, but I promise it won't be long," she assured Kourtney, drying her off with care.
With their bath done, they both made their way back to the guestroom to dress up, ready to join the Adebayos for breakfast.