After some discussion and another round trip in the bakery, Rhys, Sophie, and Vivienne had had their fill of the experiences and of the pastries. Sophie had even succeeded in giving a baking tip to the business owner, and it was much appreciated. He made sure to pack enough for them and told them to come by anytime. They expressed their appreciation and went away to the second recommendation Vivienne had made: the florist’s shop. She had earlier told Sophie that she needed to bond with her mother; even though it might be painful, she needed to do it if she actually wanted to avoid that type of life for her children, like she had said. The florist's shop was a charming, family-owned florist's shop nestled in the heart of the bustling village. The exterior was unassuming, with a simple, yet elegant, wooden sign bearing the shop's name in golden letters. A delicate, hand-painted mural of intertwined flowers and vines adorned the walls, hinting at the beauty within. Upon entering, cust
In a very long time—that could be counted for as long as five years—the hug was the closest thing Rhys had had to what was described as an emotion-filled hug. Veronica had just given him something he didn’t know he yearned for, something he didn’t know how he wanted, until her frail arms came around his neck and she brought him in the hug.Even though he was taller and his head was way above Veronica’s own, the two women suddenly switched and buried their heads in his shoulder and chest, respectively. Without saying a word or a single plea, he knew he had just been added to the family and hoped that this woman was really the thing that Sophie read in her sister’s journal. Time will tell, he said to himself.After standing in each other’s embrace for more than three minutes, Rhys shifted his stance, softly telling them both that it was time to disengage. He didn’t want to be the party pooper to spoil the twenty-four-year relationship reunion, but his spine told him otherwise.The women
Sophie didn’t realize how hard she pushed her until she hit the cold, hard floor. The thud as she hit the wooden floor sent Sophie looking back at what she’d done. Veronica was on the floor, knocked out cold, and unconscious.The flurry of activities that happened next was a total blur to Sophie. Rhys came running out of the room in the direction of the sound while Eliana sprinted from the couch where she was sitting and made the entire stairs in a couple of minutes, much to the amazement of Rhys.He rushed to Veronica and first felt her purse, then checked her breathing. Everything was okay, and he looked up, nodding his head to assure them that all was well. Sophie stood there, petrified with fear and shame at what she had just done to a person she referred to as her mother.Without hesitation, Rhys swooped down and carried her in one go, taking her to the room she had been staying in while Sophie just stood in one spot, transfixed with shock.“Hey. I am going to need your help here
“Pretty please, can you tell me who we are having over today?” Veronica tugged at Rhys’ apron, pulling him to her side.Sophie looked at both of them in amusement and got back to cleaning the glass cups, wondering how Rhys and Veronica had become so close in a couple of days. She knew Rhys had his charm, which made it easy for him to be everyone’s friend, but she didn’t know it would work so fast on her mother; they even made Sophie feel like an outcast sometimes.Since the incident, Sophie has been embarrassed to face her mother, but she keeps on reassuring her every day that it wasn’t her fault. This brought about a lot of conversations between them, and Veronica had already started to take classes on sign language so she could communicate better with her daughter.“No, it’s going to be the surprise of the century.”Sophie took her phone, typing the keypad furiously, then sliding it back into the pocket of the apron she was wearing. Seconds later, an incoming message notification po
The breakfast could indeed be likened to a rollercoaster of a ride. It was just fun and laughter throughout the whole session. Everyone participated in the fun; even Sophie and Eliana laughed heartily as the group shared their stories, adventures, and escapades. During the course of the breakfast, contacts were shared and connections were made. Eliana had sneakily found her way around Abraham in hopes that he would use his father’s influence to have her listed as a potential nominee for the Year Members’ Award. The Year Members’ Award is a prestigious award given to exemplary individuals of the village; it is awarded once a year to only three people, and it serves like a sort of gold card that gets you anywhere in the village and its environs. Breakfast was over, and goodbyes were said. Vivienne had made a reunion with Sophie, and the baker had invited the trio to the bakery for another field trip while Abraham and Eliana had discussed different topics, the latter knowing she had a
His eyes widened slowly, the shock registering on his face despite its brute condition. He coughed loudly, the effects of the cough racking through his entire body. He wheezed dryly after that, his lungs trying to suck in more air. Even though Sophie had been here a couple of times to see him, this was the first time he opened his eyes to see her. “Veronica. Oh, my Veronica.” He whimpered. Veronica looked at him, a mixed reaction of pity and disgust etched on her face. Sophie could see something like tension starting to build up in the room. Rhys, not wanting to interfere in the family tussle, decided to rest on the wall on the far side of the building but mistakenly hit a plate on the way, the metal plate clattering on the floor and its noise reverberating throughout the building. “It's sad how life only brought you back to me in my dying days.” His voice was a little more than a whisper. “You deserve to die, and you deserve to die a more painful death.” Veronica declared, shocki
Rhys left both of them upstairs and went to the kitchen to boil some water. He knew what was going to happen next; once they were done in their bath of emotions, their physicality set in, reminding them of the ice-cold water they had both soaked themselves in. He went through the process, making the coffee just like Sophie had always wanted it at the bakery, and not sure of how Veronica liked it, he just decided to make it the same way she made her daughter’s. He couldn’t help but wonder how one man had caused so much pain to a family, affecting two different generations with his actions. He waved his head and poured the coffee beans into the kettle, allowing them to brew on the low-heat stove. Meanwhile, the two women in the house bonded in their hug, disengaging from each other only when cold had started to set in and Veronica could feel her daughter shivering even though she didn’t want to let go. She changed her clothes and volunteered to help her daughter, intentionally giving
“It was like a suspenseful horror thriller movie to all of us when she went away, leaving the little baby in our care. Of course, my father left it in my mother’s care and had no choice but to reinstate us from the barn back to the house. “Everything seemed to be going well, smooth, and fine for a couple of weeks, but we all knew it was a delusion. Learning his lesson, my father had tried his best to be a good man until my mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness. “The doctor informed her, along with my father, that she had less than three years to live, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly when the death bell would ring. I was too young to understand what was going on, but instead of my father staying with my mother in her last days, he spent it at fun centres, claiming to drink away his sorrows. “Then, on a rainy Sunday morning, when I was nine years old and Eliana was five, we were preparing to head to the neighborhood church when the grim reaper came to take its next victim. It