CAMILLA
The sun was bright as Aria and I arranged our tea party in the little garden. The small table was covered with a colorful tablecloth, and all sorts of little treats were on plates in front of us. Aria's eyes sparkled widely with delight.
"Camilla, this is going to be the best tea party ever!" she exclaimed, setting her dolls around the table.
A smile brightened my face, and I felt warmth spreading through me. "I'm sure it will be, Aria. Now, shall we pour the tea?"
Aria eagerly nodded and scrabbled for the teapot, pouring tea into the cups. I watched with amusement and pride as she tried hard to be independent.
That's about when I heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Archie peering over the edge, his face in amazement.
"Hey," I said, smiling and waving to him. "What about coming for tea?"
Archie paused for a moment and shook his head. "No thanks, I have some work to do inside."
Aria looked up at him with eyes filled slightly with disappointment. "But Daddy."
Aria sighed but then brightened as she said she took some tea, "Okay, Daddy. Maybe next time."
I saw Archie going back into the house, and a feeling of something like pity filled my heart. I knew he was busy with work, but I pitied him for losing moments like these with his daughter.
As we enjoyed our tea and treats, laughter and patter filled the air. Aria told me about her friends and exploits at school as we were there, her excitement infectious.
I could see that a car drove into the driveway, and I saw from far away an old couple I wasn't familiar with getting out of a vehicle.
"Look, Camilla, it's Grandma and Grandpa!" Aria said with a huge smile on her face.
She spotted her grandparents, and her eyes were sparkling. "Grandma, Grandpa!" she shouted, waving her hands.
The couple approached us on foot, smiling at the sight of Aria.
"Well, well, what have we here?" Grandma is inflected with love.
"A tea party, Grandma!" Aria cheered and sprang from her chair toward her grandparents to smother them with love.
Grandpa chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Looks like quite the fancy affair. Mind if we join you?"
Aria nodded happily and I started to pull out chairs for her grandparents to sit.
"Of course, Grandma and Grandpa! You can come have tea and cookies with us," she said lovingly.
They exchanged glances, amused with each other's eyes, before they were finally seated at the table. Aria served a cup of tea to each of them, her face bright with happiness. We spoke over tea and goodies as our laughter filled the garden. Grandma and Grandpa talked about their young days when Aria and I listened, our mouths hanging open.
Eventually, with the sun setting over the horizon, Grandma got up and smiled back.
"Well, it was great, but I guess we need to get going," she said, hugging Aria.
Aria pouted a little but quickly brightened as Grandma gave her a big tablet as a gift.
Grandpa leaned down to say something to me. "Camilla, would you please walk with us?" He asked, smiling warmly at me.
I nodded suddenly feeling heated at the thought of being left alone with them.
On our way out of the garden, Grandma took my arm around hers and softly pressed it.
"You know, dear, we're just so grateful to have you in Aria's life," she said, her voice almost a whisper with emotion. "You bring her so much happiness. We haven't met you before but we saw the happiness and excitement in Aria that's totally different from what we knew about her."
Tears pricked my eyes as I looked at Grandma; her words reached out to my heart in a way I could not explain.
"Thank you, Grandma," I said, smiling amidst the tears. "I love Aria like she's my own."
Grandpa patted my shoulder. "And we love you for it, dear. You are now like family to us."
When we got to the vehicle, Grandma hugged me tightly, embracing me with her warmth and comfort.
"Take care of our girl, Camilla," she breathed, the voice a shivering pond of emotion.
I nodded and felt the lump in my throat. "I will, Grandma. I promise."
With the wave of a hand, they got back into the car and drove off, leaving me in the driveway with feelings of wholeness and gratefulness.
As I walked back out to the garden, I saw Aria sitting at the table with a smile of satisfaction.
"Did you say goodbye to them really well?" she inquired, looking up at me wide-eyed. I nodded and took the seat beside her. "I did. They wanted me to tell you they love you very much.' Aria smiled all the more comprehensive and reached out to take my hand. "I love them too. And I love you, Camilla. You're the best."
The grip on her hand tightened a shade, a flush of warmth and affection making its way through my body. "I love you too, Aria," I said. "More than you'll ever know." We sat, basking together in the light of the dawn, surrounded by love and laughter. I knew that no matter what life ended up throwing my way, I'd found where I belonged in life for now. And it was right here, with Aria, in this perfect moment of happiness.
We shared tea and enjoyed the treats, laughed, and conversed while the garden became filled with sounds of mirth and talk by the grandparents even though they had already left, leaving behind something felt and cherished in its impermanence.
Aria and I chatted and laughed, cherishing every moment of our particular tea party. The sun made warm reflections upon us, slowly turning into the evening. I was thankful for the love and happiness surrounding me. Aria and I, together, promised that this would not be the last tea party we'd have. We would always cherish the bond we had with each other.