Chapter 22

"Morning, morning", Alicia's alarm rang and she switched it off. She had been awake for a few minutes before the alarm rang, she stood up and went to the bathroom to have a shower she didn't feel like going jogging this morning.

After her shower she got ready and went downstairs, she got down stairs and only saw the maids, none of the members of her family are awake yet. She went to the kitchen and saw the kitchen staffs preparing to make breakfast,

"Christine, I want to make breakfast this morning but I need your help, you know am not a good cook", Alicia said

"Sure miss, I will arrange the ingredients first", Christine said and started moving around the kitchen.

"Here miss Let's start, you can chop the vegetables while, I wash them", Christine said and Alicia nodded and began chopping the vegetables. Fourty minutes later

"Its all done now, I will go set the table", Christine said

"Taste it Christine and tell me how it is", Alicia said anxiously, she has never made a meal course like this in her life. What if it wasn't good

"No miss, I won't taste it. I think the family deserves the best bite", Christine said

"But what if its not good, then", Alicia asked again

"Stop being so anxious miss, you followed all the steps right, so I am sure it will be good and by the way its not the gift but the thoughts that count. I think everyone will love the food", "come on Miss let's go serve", Christine added carrying the dishes, Alicia also carried a plate and followed her. She really hoped the food was at least edible.

"Good morning princess", Andrew said coming down the stairs.

"Morning dad", Alicia replied with a smile.

"Get me my coffee Christine", he said taking a seat on his usual chair holding the morning newspaper

"Here sir", Christine handed the cup over to him.

"Morning mom", Alicia greeted her mother who was on her way down,

"Morning my dear" Julie replied standing by the dining table.

"You already made breakfast Christine", she stated opening the food arranged on the table.

"I didn't make the breakfast ma'am, Miss Alicia did", Christine replied.

"Whaaat... Is that true Alicia?", Julie asked turning to look at her daughter.

"Yes mom, but I am not sure its even edible", Alicia answered rubbing her palms together.

"It has to be good if my daughter made it", Andrew said coming to sit by the dining table.

Alicia smiled at her parents praying they were right

"Morning everyone", Susan said with a smile while coming down the stairs with Julius, Sarah and Justin.

"Morning to you too" Alicia replied.

"Come on all of you, take a seat. I will serve" Julie said

"Guess who made breakfast this morning", Andrew said looking at the four of them

"It has to be either mom or Christine. No one else makes breakfast dad" Justin said

"It wasn't either of them this morning Justin so guess", Andrew said again

"It can't be Sarah or Susan since they just woke up, then it has,to be you dad", Justin said

"Me, come on, it isn't me. I can't even remember the last time I cooked, guess again", Andrew said looking between the four of them

"Then who else can it be Uncle", Sarah asked

"We can't guess dad just tell us. Who was it", Julius asked

"It was Alicia", Andrew said and they all opened their mouth in shock.

"Is that true Alicia", Julius asked his sister and she nodded.

"Wow, come on then let's eat" Justin said and quickly picked up his spoon.

"How is it", Alicia asked looking at her family members anxiously after they all took the first bite

They all looked at each other then smiled and Justin looked at her and said

"Its very nice pumpkin, Right everyone", he asked an everyone of them nodded.

"Its really nice baby", Her mother added

"Come on pumpkin, you eat as well", Julius said

Alicia looked at all of them suspiciously then picked up

the spoon, she tasted the food and noticed it was edible and nice if not very delicious. She smiled to herself, this has been her best attempt at cooking.

After they all finished eating, all the guys went out to the park for a Sunday Golf while the ladies went to Alicia's room to help her pack her things.

After they packed all her things and everything she would be needing, they all left her to her thoughts while Alicia spent the rest of the day alone in her room. She only came down for dinner and the whole family was quiet at the dinner table that night, all of them were forced to remember that it was her last dinner with the family before marriage and everyone retired to bed early. The next morning was a very important one to the whole James family.

Alicia cried to bed that night thinking about her last night in her parents house before moving to stay in someone else's house.

"Morning, Morning", Alicia's alarm rang and for the first time neither did she switch it off nor did she stand up from the bed.

"Get up my dear, you not switching off the alarm clock nor standing up from the bed won't change today's date or what is meant to happen. Get up baby", her mother came in her room and switched off the alarm after a long while.

"Does every girl go through this day mom", Alicia asked without opening her eyes.

"Every girl my dear, every single girl on earth has to get married and leave her father's house one day. Whether it is a Farmer's daughter of a Princess", Julie said arranging her bed.

"Alright Mom, I will go shower", Alicia said finally standing up from the bed.

"I will help you get ready", Julie said and Alicia nodded and entered the washroom.

"Aunt you are here already, we wanted yo help Alicia get ready", Susan said on entering Alicia's room

"So who is stopping you, we will get her ready together", Julie said to them with a smile.

"Yay, come on Sarah let's choose her clothes and shoes for today", Susan said and they both entered Alicia's walk in closet.

"I am done with the shower Mom, Alicia said coming out of the washroom.

"Alright Miss Alicia, we are your artists for the day", "please let's help you change into this beautiful gown first", Sarah said and they all smiled

After helping her put on the Cream colored Satin gown, they helped her do her makeup and style her hair as well,

"What do you think Aunt, will our dear cousin be able to take his eyes off Alicia today", Sarah asked

"Not at all Sarah, your cousin is in trouble today", Julie said with misty eyes then kissed Alicia's forehead.

"My daughter is really beautiful"

"Give me your hand", She said and put a beautiful diamond necklace on Alicia's wrist, this was given to me by my mother on my wedding day, so I am giving it to you. I should have given it to you on the say of the banquet. But I don't want to wait till then", Julie said patting her daughter's head.

"May you always be blessed baby", she said choking on her tears.

"Continue Sarah I will go get ready as well", she said and ran out of the room not wanting Alicia to see her tears.

"Mom was crying Sarah, let me go talk to her", Alicia said trying to stand up.

"Sit Alicia"

"Every mother cries the say she has to send her daughter off, its not easy to give away a child you birthed and raised for so many years to another family, you know. Don't worry you will understand when you have a daughter one day", Susan said

"Come wear your shoes, and jewelry", Sarah said handing the shoes to her

Once they were done, Alicia looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't believe what she was seeing, Sarah and Susan are masters at this. How come she looked so beautiful.

"I think I look too beautiful Sarah", Alicia said

"One never looks too beautiful Alicia, you are just perfect like this", Susan said laughing.

"Why don't you continue looking at yourself for a while longer while we go get ready, uh un", Sarah said

"Sure", Alicia replied and they both left.

"Come Alicia let's go", Justin said on entering her room a few minutes later. Alicia kept on looking at the bedroom she had lived in for twenty years and couldn't stop her tears

"No tears pumpkin you will ruin your makeup. Don't worry nobody will touch anything in this room and you can come back whenever you want to. This house and this room will always be yours", Julius said wiping her tears.

"Let's go or we will be late", Justin said and Alicia looked at her room one last time before following them out.

"My daughter looks so beautiful", Her father said on seeing her and kissed her forehead.

"Come let's go or we will be late", Andrew said

"Do you want to eat something Alicia, we didn't have breakfast because we didn't want to be late", Julius asked her

"No brother I am okay. I am too nervous to eat anything right now".

"Let's go then", Justin said and the all entered the cars

Alicia looked at her house one more time, before finally entering the car.