Four hours of labor later…
"Daniel…" Samantha murmured in between breaths.
"I"m right here, love. I"m not leaving… You can do this." Daniel held her hand and the two of them looked at each other, nodding as though they understood whatever the other was thinking.
Since it was Samantha"s second pregnancy, the delivery was faster than the first one. Daniel saw how she screamed, gripped his hand and sweated as Samantha pushed their baby out.
But in just one hour, the cry echoed in the room, putting a smile on both of their faces.
"Congratulations! It"s a baby girl…" The doctor announced and later as she was cleaning up Samantha, she asked, "What would you name her?"
Samantha had a smile on her face as her baby girl latched on her. Her eyes were closed and she was so tired that she could only listen to what was happening around her.
Touching the little nugget in Samantha"s chest with his finger, Daniel was so ecstatic. Feeling proud, he answered, "Sia… Sianna Kira Cho."
Five years later…
"Mooooooooom!!!" shouted Ashton. "Sia"s being weird." He had a book in his hand that said: "Science Experiments"
"What… What?" Samantha hurriedly went to check on her kids in the living room. She had just started cooking for their lunch when she heard Ashton"s call.
Ashton looked exactly like his daddy when Daniel was his age while Sia had Samantha"s hair and lips while her eyes were like Daniel"s.
"You booger!" Sianna scowled at her brother who stuck his tongue at her.
"Sia"s eating crayons."
"I"m not eating crayons!" The little girl knitted her brows and scoffed, "I"m just tasting them."
"You"re so weird," Ash commented and it was Sia"s turn to stick her tongue out to him.
Indeed, Sia only tasted a few colors of crayons a minute ago. The child was so curious to know how they tasted like since they were different colors.
It started with her initial thought: "Why do fruits with different colors taste different?" And with just that one thought, she put the tip of a red crayon in her mouth and grazed her teeth on it. She spat as soon as she tasted the wax. She wasn"t convinced so she tried three other colors.
Scratching her head, Samantha called her husband. "Honey… can you come in here for a second?" She walked back to the kitchen and met Daniel who just came from their home gym — his chest glistening with sweat but was quickly wiped with a towel that he hung on his shoulder as he walked towards her. "Yeah?"
Samantha took a long look at his topless state before she waved her hand towards the living room. "I"m cooking. I need you to deal with your kids… coz… I can"t right now."
Chuckling, Daniel pulled her quickly and placed a wet kiss on her forehead. "Love you. Thanks, hun," he said before he sauntered towards the living room.
"Who"s being naughty again?" Daniel asked as soon as he entered the room and the two kids pointed at each other.
"What did your brother do, Sia?"
"Daddy!!!" She ran and clung to Daniel"s leg. "He called me weird."
Daniel bent down to Sia"s level and the little girl immediately hooked her arms around her daddy"s neck. He looked at his son who was now sitting on the sofa while reading a book and asked, "Ash, why did you call your sister weird?"
Without looking up from his book, he answered, "Because she was eating crayons." He rolled his eyes.
"I didn"t!" Sia protested in a high pitch sound, just in time that Daniel saw colors on her teeth. "I thought they tasted like fruits. I only tasted them, daddy. I swear!"
Daniel wanted to laugh but he had to keep his poker face on. "How was it? Was it good?"
Sia made a disgusted look and shook her head. "They tasted like crayons."
From the kitchen, Samantha threw her head back and laughed at their conversation. "Good luck, honey."
Hearing his wife"s laugh, Daniel had to retort. "I certainly didn"t eat any crayons when I was young. That only means Sia got this from you."
Samantha laughed even more.
"Did you also eat crayons, mommy?" Sia"s eyes brightened.
"Weirdos," Ashton commented silently.
"Okay, that"s enough. Stop calling your sister weird, Ash." Daniel picked up Sia in his arms. "And you, little one. Stop eating crayons. Let"s go and get you cleaned up. You smell sour."
"And you"re sticky, Daddy."
"Oh yeah? Let me rub some on you then." Daniel nuzzled his face on Sia"s chest, his nose tickling her and making her squeal and wiggle in his arms.
"Food will be ready in fifteen minutes!" Samantha shouted.
Heading towards the bathroom upstairs, Daniel shouted back, "Got it, honey."
"Mom…" Ashton came to sit on the breakfast nook and watched his mom prepare lunch. "Can I be an astronaut?"
Samantha looked at her boy and she chuckled, "You can be whatever you want when you grow up."
Ashton flashed a charming smile on his face. "Can I ask you something, mommy?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"How did you and dad meet?"
Samantha froze upon hearing his question before a bashful smile appeared on her face. Memories flooded in her mind and she started to reminisce about her past with her husband.