Aisha woke up to her now five year old daughter jumping on her bed.
"Mommy! Mommy! Wake up!" Treasure yelled, "It's my birthday."
Aisha smiled as she sat up and grabbed her daughter, pulling the little girl into her arms, "I know, baby. Happy birthday. You're five now."
Aisha and Treasure heard someone singing 'Happy Birthday'. Looking up they saw David standing in the doorway. He was singing.
Treasure smiled, jumping down from the bed and running over to hug her father.
"Daddy!" Treasure exclaimed, jumping up to be held by her father.
David picked up his daughter, "Happy birthday, baby. I love you."
"I love you too, Daddy."
"I think you have a surprise in the kitchen and another in the backyard." David said, setting his daughter down.
Treasure beamed as she raced off to the kitchen.
David smiled, walking over to Aisha, "Our baby is five years old now."
"Yeah." She agreed, "It went by so fast. I feel like it was yesterday that she was born."
"Mhm." David hummed as he leaned forward, kissing Aisha on the lips.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Zari and Floracita were waiting there for Treasure. They had made her a special birthday breakfast treat.
Treasure burst into the kitchen, eyes widening in shock as she saw….
"Doughnuts." Treasure uttered
"Happy birthday, baby." Floracita told the little girl
Treasure's eyes were still fixated on the doughnuts, "Thank you."
"We made the doughnuts from scratch." Zari said, "Happy birthday, T."
Treasure giggled, feeling special as she reached for the doughnuts, "Thank you, Z."
"Alright." Floracita spoke, "Eat one and then we'll go out into the backyard."
Treasure nodded, a powdered doughnut already in her hands. Her mouth was full and there was powdered sugar all over her face.
"You can handle this, right?" Floracita asked, looking at Zari.
Zari hummed, "Yeah. You take the doughnuts out to the rest of the children. T will finish her doughnut, I'll clean her up and then bring her out to the backyard."
Floracita gave a nod, "Okay. Good. See you out there."
Everyone was in the backyard. There was a table full of wrapped gifts and a bouncy house that Sara had gotten. As soon as Floracita came out with the doughnuts, all the kids ran over and lined up. Some of the younger children were pushing, all fighting to be in the front.
Fifteen minutes later, all the kids were eating their doughnuts, the younger toddler-aged kids were only given half a doughnut. Batya didn't get more than one bite because she's only eight months old. One year old Levi got one-fourth of a doughnut.
Zari stepped into the backyard, "And now presenting the birthday girl, the princess, Treasure Christabel Summers."
Turning towards the door, Zari moved to the side, watching as Treasure came out and everyone cheered.
"It's a Beebo bouncy house!" Treasure exclaimed, squealing with excitement.
The little kids all loved Beebo.
Sara raised her hand, "That's from me."
Treasure ran over and hugged Sara tightly before going to the bounce house.
Some of the older kids weren't as excited by the bouncy house, like Cyrus, Joseph and the now 16 year old Abigail Martinez.
However some of the other kids, like Star, Melissa, Dayland and Serenity were racing to finish their doughnut. The adults watching observed that the same thing seemed to be happening with Hollywood and Mayanah, and Startle and Bobbie.
"Holly," The now 45 year old Lorraine Sylvia called out to her daughter, "Holly, don't stuff your face. The bounce house isn't going anywhere anytime soon."
David approached Lorraine as he was laughing, "Oh Lorraine, leave her be. She's excited."
Lorraine nodded, "Okay."
After finishing their doughnuts, the kids all played in the bounce house for hours while the adults and older kids talked.
Sara was sitting up on the patio watching David mingling, walking and chatting a little with the different break up groups of adults. She observed how he would put his arm around certain women or kiss them - either on the cheek or their temple.
Those specific women were all David's wives.
'Rachel Jones, Michele, Nicole, Katherine, Aisha, Shari, Judy, Lorraine, Sherri, Lisa, Audrey, the other Rachel - Rachel Sylvia.' Sara thought, listing the names in her head, 'And Charlie."
Sherri Jewell is now 38 years old. She has one child with her ex-husband - a daughter named Kiri. She lives with her father. Sherri's second child is with David. A baby girl born five days before the Christmas of 2021. David named her Mercy Gwyneth.
Sara glanced over at Charlie, who was laughing. David had one arm around her shoulders and with his free arm, his hand resting on her stomach. Sara was so fixated on Charlie and David that she didn't even notice Kathy's sister - 25 year old Jennifer Andrade - walk over and sit down in the chair beside her own.
"Everything alright, Sara?"
Sara nodded, still keeping her eyes on Charlie and David, "Yeah."
This was the visit where Sara realised how little she actually knew about these people. The visits in the past were usually short and interrupted. Plus Charlie hadn't been pregnant before.
"Do you have any questions?" Jennifer asked
Sara finally turned towards her, "Yeah. Actually I do. How are you all…" She trailed off, shaking her head, "No, that's not it. Why does David have so many children? What is the reasoning behind it? I always thought he just loved children, but he has so many with multiple women that he's taking as his wives and then Charlie…" She sighed
Jennifer nodded, "Well to understand that you'd have to learn the seven seals. David is the Lamb who will open up the seals. His children - his twenty-four children will be the twenty-four elders that wear white robes and crowns of gold."
"Oh." Sara uttered, smiling, "Not quite sure I understand still, but I'll have Nate teach me the seals. He's learned them over the last five years, learning a little at a time. Nate just loves David."
"Yeah. He's pretty great." Jennifer mused, turning to look at David, who was now with Michele.
"He's a nice guy." Sara agreed
Sara's eyes were also on David, but then she heard a little one yell out 'Mama Charlie' and she turned her gaze over to Charlie. She saw 2 year old Sage Summers running to Charlie, jumping to be picked up. Sara smiled as she watched the little boy being lifted up by Charlie, and the way he rested his head on her shoulder.
"Sage seems to love Charlie." Sara uttered
Jennifer hummed, "Oh, yeah. All of our children love Charlie. We all love Charlie and everyone else. We are all one family."
"Yeah. I've seen and felt that over the last five years. I feel very welcomed here."
"You may not live here with us, but it's like David tells you every time you visit, you are welcome here anytime." Jennifer told Sara, "We love you, Sara, and we love having you here."
Sara smiled, nodding, "Yeah. I know. I love you guys too. And I know that none of you will ever let any harm come to anyone you consider one of your own, but a part of me will always worry about Charlie." She laughed, slighty, "I feel kind of like a mother who will always worry about her kids no matter how old they are."
Jennifer laughed too, "Right. Because you'te the captain. That must be how David feels about all of us."
"I'm sure." Sara agreed
That night when David was tucking Treasure into bed, the little girl was still all smiles from her birthday party.
"I had a really great birthday, Daddy."
David nodded, smiling as he leaned down to kiss his daughter on the forehead, "I can tell, and I'm very happy about that. Did you say your prayers yet?"
Treasure shook her head, "Not yet. Where's Mommy?"
"She's with your brother." David replied
"Mama Charlie?" She wondered
"I'll pray with you, baby."
Treasure nodded as she folded her hands and closed her eyes, "Dear God, thank you for my family and friends. Thank you for creating me. And God bless Mommy and Daddy, my brothers and sisters, and my other mommies. Amen."
David smiled, "Amen." He opened his eyes, "Goodnight baby."
"Goodnight Daddy. I love you."
"I love you too." David told his daughter
Meanwhile Charlie was alone in her room, the room she actually shared with Rachel. She was just finishind up her prayers when she heard a knock at her door.
"Come in." She answered
The door opened, revealing Sara.
Charlie stood up, crossing her arms, "What do you want? Come to question me some more about David?"
Sara stook her head, stepping into the room, "No. I came to apologise. I was talking with Jennifer earlier today, and I'm sorry for judging David without knowing his reasons. I'm going to have Nate teach me all about the seven seals."
"Thank you, Sara. I appreciate your apology and I forgive you." Charlie replied, "And you really should learn the seals. Knowing the seals is gonna save you."
"But Charlie, I think you should know that I will always worry about you." Sara admitted
Charlie nodded, "I know." She nudged Sara, playfully as she joked, "Mum."
Sara laughed as she nudged Charlie back, "I love you."
"I love you too."
Hope you enjoyed. Leave a review if you liked it.
What did you think of the chapter?