Her Memories

CHAPTER 3. Father and Daughter

Albert arrived at his daughter's apartment after an hour. She was wearing the new dress he bought for her. It's a blue flowy cocktail dress that fits perfectly on her. Also, she curled her hair and put a little makeup on her face.

"Hi, Dad! I thought you were going to cancel our dinner because of this unfortunate weather." She let out and welcomed him with a warm embrace.

"That's not gonna happen, my dear. I can cancel everything but not this dinner with my precious Annastasia." He told his daughter, smiling.

"Of course!" She cried.

"By the way, you are looking so beautiful as always, just like your mother, and you are becoming even more like her as you grow." He commented while looking straight at her eyes as he caresses her soft cheek.

"I'm sure your mom would be so proud of me." He added, chuckling.

"Of course, she always does," Asia told him.

"Let's go?" He asked.

"Yes, dad, I'll just get my bag." She said and quickly moved.

"You both take care," Lucy said, smiling at them.

"Thank you, Lucy," Albert replied.

"Bye Lucy! Just relax, okay? Don't busy yourself too much with the house chores. I'll be fixing all that on the weekend. Just watch some movie or something, anything you want." Asia said, but the two only chuckled at her.

They rode in her father's car, drove along in the city, and stopped just in front of their favorite restaurant, the Haven, one of the most popular restaurants in Xavierville.

It's not just their favorite and also her mom's. They don't prefer any dishes, but they just love how the food is cooked in this restaurant. It always looks so appetizing, and that you can almost taste the food with just its smell. Also, the ambiance felt so relaxing, especially because of the different kinds of plants that surrounded and covered the glass walls to avoid seeing the busy city street outside. Lastly, the staff is always polite, and they are smiling all the time.

"Dad, why didn't you bring aunt Angel?" Asia asked about her father's girlfriend.

"I don't want, you know, I always wanted to have quality time with you alone for as long as you don't have a boyfriend yet because I'm sure you'll be refusing me one day when you have one." He dramatically explained to his daughter.

Angel is Albert's girlfriend for two years now. She is six years younger than him and has a son, which she used to call Wacky.

Wacky lived in Canada for almost five years with his father, and just this year, he decided to finish his study in his hometown to be with his mother. Asia and Wacky haven't met yet, but Angel tells so many stories about him already.

They already sat in their favorite spot in the restaurant, at the very corner beside the glass wall.

"You know that's far from happening yet, I'm still studying, and besides, I still haven't met anyone like you yet," Asia told her father.

"Come on. You don't have to look for someone like me for as long as that person has good intentions for you." He said, and a waiter came to their table to get their orders.

"Hi Liam, how are you?" Albert greeted the handsome waiter with curly-tied hair by his name indicated on his nameplate at the right side of his chest.

"I'm good, sir. Thank you for asking." He replied, smiling warmly.

"Alright, so give us a full platter of seafood Paella." Albert started.

"What about your drinks, sir?" The waiter asked.

"Fresh orange juice is good, yeah?"

"And strawberry cheesecake for dessert and churros," Asia interrupted.

The handsome waiter chuckled softly and repeated their orders before he left.

"Asia, dear. What do you think about your aunt Angel?" He suddenly asked.

"She's pretty," Asia responded shortly.

"And?" He asked again.

"Hmm, a kind person too." She added.

"That's all?"

"Yes? What else do you want me to say?" Asia chuckled at her dad's sudden question.

"Nothing, I'm just curious what's on your thoughts about her." He explained.

"Hey, dad? Is there something wrong? You know you can always tell me anything." She started to feel uncomfortable with his dad's sudden gesture.

"Nothing." He lied.

"Come on, dad, are you planning on proposing to her?" Asia surprisingly asked him.

"What do you think?" Albert shyly rubbed the back of his neck while waiting for Asia's response.

"Oh my God! Dad? Congratulations! I am so happy for you, my daddy!" She exclaimed with so much happiness and stood on her feet to hug her father.

She is so delighted for him that finally, after thirteen years of raising her alone. He will be having someone to give him the kind of happiness that she can't provide as a daughter.

After a while, the food was delivered, and they had their precious dinner with so much joy in their heart, especially her dad.

"Annastasia, can I ask for your help, dear?" He asked while munching his food.

"Sure, dad, anything," she said, smiling, waiting for her dad's favor.

"I haven't bought a ring yet for your aunt. Can you help me?"

"Sure, dad, I would love to." She cheerfully said.

"Oh my God! The dessert!" She cried excitedly while softly clapping her hands like a sweet child when Liam brought the sweets to their table.

Asia quickly took a spoonful of cake and brought it to her mouth.

"This is the best!" She cried after savoring it.

The waiter chuckled softly, amused with her reaction.

"You are really just like your mother," Albert commented dreamily, smiling at his daughter.

"I know, dad." She said, smiling back at him.

Her mother's name is Bianca, unfortunately, she died in a car accident when Asia is just seven years old and those days were so gloomy for her and her father, but with the help of their relatives they started to move on with their lives. Her father never had any relationship for a long time until he met Angel. They met on a business trip in Japan when Albert told his daughter about Angel. She couldn't think of anything but to support her father's happiness.

After the dinner, they decided to check out some jewelry stores for Angel's engagement ring.

"Dear, what do you think of this one?" He asked her, showing a simple yet elegant engagement ring.

"That's beautiful, dad. She will surely love it." She commented.

"But not much as she loves you." She added and winked to her father.

"You, silly little darling," He said, chuckling.

She can see the excitement in her father's eyes while choosing the ring,

'What more when aunt Angel said yes?' She smiled at that thought.

"So, dad, do you already have a plan on how to propose to her?" Asia wondered.

"I was thinking of doing it in summer."

"Dad, that's a great idea. You can ask her for a vacation somewhere in a very intimate resort with you guys alone and then plan for a romantic dinner with her favorite dishes, her favorite flower, don't forget the candle in the middle and then asked her for a dance with a lovely smooth song. When the moment becomes solemn then you can start the proposal." She said dreamily with her closed eyes.

The staff giggles softly with her enthusiasm.

"That's lovely, isn't it?" She asked, looking at the staff.

"Of course." She answered shyly.

"You really have a wide imagination, my dear." Her dad commented and chuckled.

"But one good plan, thank you." He added.

And Asia shrugged her shoulder confidently.