That next day, you all packed your things, ready for your holiday.
Koemi was the most excited and wanted to pack everything from her room into the bag, including the curtains, which you discovered when you came in to see what she was doing, and found her trying to rip them off the curtain rings.
“Ko! What are you doing!” You gasped.
“I want to bring them with me to the holing-day!” she said emphatically.
“No, no, we don’t need to bring them with us, we’re coming back to this house after the holiday so they’ll still be here when we get back.”
“Are we coming back?” she asked, stopping the tugging on them.
“Yes, sweetheart, that’s what I said.”
“Are we coming back tomorrow?”
“No, not tomorrow, but we will come back when we finish our holiday.”
“On the very far away day?”
“Well, yeah… it is going to be a little while,” you thought out loud.
“Ready girls?” Dabi called up the stairs.
“Coming, daddy,” you called back, “come on sweetheart, mummy has your bag all packed, you just need to get Wowowbow and you’re all set,” you said to her.
She hesitated a little, then conceded, and left with one last look back at the curtains.
“Bye, bye, soft flappies, I see you soon,” she called to them softly before grabbing wowowbow , who was sitting at the bedroom door, and proudly walking ahead of you down the stairs and out the front door.
“What was the hold up?” Dabi asked when you got her into her seat and then hopped into the driver’s side.
“She wanted to bring the curtains with us on the holiday,” you said in a ‘can you believe it’ type voice.
“Oh, of course because that makes perfect sense,” he replied in a mock ‘completely understanding’ voice, “anyway, here’s wonderwall…”
You chuckled and looked back at her as Dabi backed out of the driveway.
“And off we go on our holing-day,” you sung to her.
“Yaaayy!” she beamed with excitement and put her hands in the air.
And with that, you were off!
The weather was perfect and you and Dabi picked songs to listen to on the way up, occasionally throwing in a song or two for Koemi.
When you got to your destination, Dabi hopped out to go to reception and get the keys for the room and you turned around in your seat to check on Koemi, who had gone very quiet.
She was snoozing gently in the car seat and you smiled to yourself then settled down to wait for Dabi to return.
Once he got the keys, he drove the car around to the other side of the building and parked outside your room door.
“Ok. This is it,” he said as he hopped out of the car with the door still open.
“Missy K is asleep so maybe you take the stuff in and I’ll wait here then we can see if we can transfer her to one of the beds in there?” you said softly to him as he stood there at his open door.
He nodded and looked in at her then walked to the boot and gently clicked it open so he could get the bags out.
Dabi was only too happy to take the stuff inside while you waited in the car, as it gave him time to hide a few items that he didn’t want you to find, then he came back out to help you get her out of the car and onto one of the beds.
“Where do you want her?” he whispered to you as he carried her still sleeping form into the place.
“Maybe on our bed for now? I’ll leave the door open so that she can hear us when she wakes and won’t freak out too much.”
“Good thinking,” he said as he followed you into the room and lay her down and gently tucked her in with her wowowbow beside her.
“Ahhh,” you sung softly as you walked to the window to look out at the beach view, “this is perfect.”
“It is,” Dabi said as he walked up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist from behind, then kissed you on the back of the neck and swayed you gently from side to side.
“Can you believe we’ve been together for 3 years now?… maybe longer?” you commented.
“I’m sure it’s closer to 4 years…” he replied.
“I can’t believe we haven’t killed each other yet,” you joked.
“Yeah… you’re still tolerable,” he quipped.
“Shut up, as if you’re any more tolerable than I am,” you chuckled as you turned in his arms and placed your hands on his cheeks to hold him steady as you kissed his lips.
“Did you wanna go out for dinner tonight?” Dabi asked after you had kissed him, “there’s a nice Tepenyaki restaurant near here.”
“Oh? How did you know that?” You asked with surprise.
“I saw it when I was researching this place,” he lied quickly.
“Oh. Awesome, yeah let’s check it out,” you said with a grin, buying his reply without any second thought – which he was grateful for.
You chatted a little more while hugging at the window, then Koemi woke up with a fright and called out nervously.
“Looks like she’s up,” you said with a smile as you walked to the room to get her.
Dabi watched you go and smiled to himself as he looked out the window again, down to the beach.
“Tomorrow we’ll legally be husband and wife. All of my dreams have come true. I have the girl of my dreams. I’m a dad to an awesome little girl, and tomorrow… we finally make it all official.”
“See… here’s daddy,” Dabi heard you say as you carried a worried little Koemi on your hip.
“Daddy,” she said with relief when she saw him there and stretched out her arms (with wowowbow in one hand) for him to take her and give her a cuddle.
“What’s wrong, baby?” he asked as he took her and held her tight.
“I waked up and I didn’t know where you and mummy had gone,” she said in a quivering voice.
“We’re right here,” he said to her as he cuddled her close, “mummy and daddy will always be here.”
He smiled at you and you gave him a loving look in reply.
“He’s so soft for his girl,” you thought as you watched him calm your mildly location confused daughter, “he really has become the perfect dad. We have the perfect life… all that would be left to complete it… would be to get married.”