NOVEL NEXT Chapter 329: Their Daughter's Name
(Arata)
Aunt Huria's family and Uncle Lawrence's family were next to arrive.
Stella rushed to be by my side, hugging me with all her love and enthusiasm.
"Congratulations! I'm so excited to see my niece." My heart increased its beats seeing my best friend here.
"Glad you are here." We held hands.
"Where is the little one?" She asked, scanning the area and found her with Roshra and Rahsir.
"There, I am going to get her." She hurried along while I met Aunt Huria and Uncle Rais and accepted the beautiful gifts they had brought along.
"How the time has flown. It seems like yesterday when you were born and I held you in my arms," Aunt Huria said with a smile.
"Indeed," Uncle Rais added with his kind smile.
"Time has certainly passed quickly." I thanked them for coming and they moved ahead to meet Karsten and see our baby.
"Adorable, she looks like a mixture of both of you." Aunt Huria took her from Stella's arm and placed a tiny kiss on her forehead.
"Congratulations, Arata and Karsten." Uncle Lawrence and Aunt Mawar hugged us turn by turn and then gathered around Aunt Huria's family to meet our daughter and get pictures.
Karsten was called away by his family members so he excused himself.
The joy and love on their faces said it all.
Aziel, Uncle Lawrence's son, had made it this time. He had grown taller since the last time I had seen him.
He and Cherry made their way to me.
"Congratulations, Arata. Here." He presented me with a small bouquet of flowers and held a forced smile. Worry crept into my heart.
"Thank you! Aziel. Is everything alright?" I asked the youth. He was just 16 years old.
"Yeah!" He said with slumped shoulders and moved towards his parents to see our baby.
"Arataaaa! So happy for you girl." Cherry, as usual, hugged me with all her enthusiasm. Her curly hair bounced with her excitement.
"So good to have you here." We held each other, but that worry remained in my heart, so I asked. "Is Aziel alright?"
The light in Cherry's eyes dimmed as she sneaked a glance at her nephew and said in a hushed voice.
"He is going through some emotional turmoil. He refuses to talk about it. We are worried about him."
"Oh no!" My eyes couldn't help but waver to the boy. He was the youngest and most pampered amongst us and I remembered always carrying him around. Such a happy child he was. Seeing him like that hurt me.
"Probably a heartbreak. You know how teenagers are, always falling in love and then breaking up," Cherry added and moved away to join her family.
I was still lost in watching them when Uncle Kail, Aunt Erdith and Callum arrived.
"Congratulations Arata. What a joyous moment." Aunt Erdith hugged me with a generous smile while Uncle Kail remained by her side, smiling and placed his hand on my shoulder.
"Thank you for coming. I appreciate it." I offered my gratitude.
They turned towards our group and Aunt Erdith announced, extending her arms. "I am here. It's my turn to hold the baby."
The battle to take the baby from each other continued.
"Congratulations, Arata," Callum's calm voice came.
He seemed more confident, more relaxed, too, around me. That shy boy seemed to have disappeared, replaced by a confident man.
"Thank you, Callum. How are you?"
"Never better," he answered with his pleasant smile while his eyes wavered towards the crowd. I knew he was looking for Roshra.
"So, you and Roshra are official?" I asked, trying to tease him.
A shy smile crept up on his face. "We are." He paused and then added, "She seems intense on the outside but inside lies a most loving heart and a wounded soul. There are many layers to her."
I nodded, knowing all three siblings carried deep wounds which had shaped them differently. Roshra deserved a caring man who would make her feel safe. The one who wouldn't cheat on her.
Callum was that man. The protective spirit he had inherited from Uncle Kail and the loving heart he had been bestowed upon, which was very similar to his mother's, made him perfect.
"I wish both of you the best. Go get her." He respectfully nodded, always a gentleman and trudged away towards Roshra.
She had already spotted him but gave us time to speak. Once he was free, she pounced on him like a wildcat.
"Calluumm!"
He hugged her back and she dragged him away to see the little one and get pictures with her.
Chan and Miranda couldn't make it due to work commitments but they sent gifts and best wishes.
"Arata!" Karsten's loving voice had me turning towards my handsome man.
"Yes!"
"Come, we have a few more relatives to meet." He took me away towards his family. With a smile, I welcomed everyone and made them feel at home.
Soon it was time to cut the cake and reveal our baby's name. Everyone took their seats. Karsten held out our daughter while I stood by his side as we took the centre stage. We had set up a large table, and the three-layered cake had been set up on top.
Hundreds of environmentally friendly balloons were brought out by Olphi and Caysir. A banner hung from them with our baby's name on it.
"Release it," Karsten instructed and they unfolded the banner and let the balloons go. They soared up with the banner and the name
"Zaila Karsten!" came into view.
Friends and family cheered and clapped. The scheduled fireworks went off behind us and cameras clicked.
"Pretty name for the pretty baby!"
"Beautiful name!"
We saw everyone calling out with joy reflected on their faces.
The name meant 'power' or 'to flourish and grow' and I had chosen it because she had shown remarkable strength after everything we had gone through in the initial stages of my pregnancy. A will to stay by my side and be born.
Zaila woke up amidst all this commotion and began to cry. We had to soothe her down. She watched us with her big intelligent eyes as I sang to her and she settled in my arms.
"Let's cut the cake," Karsten calmly said, watching both of us with utmost love.
He held my hand and both of us cut the cream cake amidst thunderous applause and the delightful smiles of our loved ones.
Karsten cut a small piece, picked it up and fed me first. He then bent down to kiss Zaila.
"I love my girls," he declared.
"We love you too." His arm came behind my back and he held us to him.
Everyone gathered on the stage with us and we took pictures of one big happy family.
It was one of the most joyous nights of my life.