Eventually

14 | departing

1 4

D E P A R T I N G

No skimpy clothes.

No sexy lingerie.

And absolutely nothing that shouted, "I'm utterly oompalicious. Come and devour me."

That were my packing/dress rules, passed down from generation to generation under the name of the Calingham tradition. We believed that it wasn't the skin that got the boys but the beauty and the thing with beauty was that it needn't been shown. It had to be discovered just like finding Easter eggs on Easter Sunday.

As I selectively chose my clothes, all being censored by my mother sitting across me, she spoke up, curiously, "Why are you both finding Luke's dead sister's fiancé?"

"She desired lastly to give up that ring. She wanted it to be returned to her fiancé as she died. She didn't want him to be linked to her. You know what, mum, Cathy was wise. She knew that as long as that ring belonged to her, there would be an attachment and a promise - a promise that her fiancé, Scott had to care and love her for who she was. As long as that ring stayed with her, Scott would look at the past and mourn over the times they shared, and few months after her death, he might find Cathy just as a burden probably. From what Luke told me about Scott and from a letter by Cathy, this is what I could decipher." I explained to my mother the way I looked at the things.

"Cathy must be an angel. She would have looked like one too, right? Angelic features, pale face, baby blue eyes. She would have looked beautiful." My mum stated.

"She did indeed." I smiled slightly. And it was true. I believed that Catherine Fletcher was an incarnation of one of God's own Angels. She did nevertheless, spark jealousy in me initially, when I didn't know much about her. I mentally chuckled at the events that day when I went with Luke for a movie. I pursed my lips as I pondered and my mum carefully watched me.

"So when is the flight departing from New York?" My mom enquired, folding the clothes that I had hopelessly thrown in my room, in frustration. I replied as I put some more clothes, neatly folded, into my suitcase, "Tomorrow morning at nine."

"Luke sent you the details and the flight reservation tickets?"

"Yeah. Via email." I replied as I sat in my suitcase for it to close. I had put in all the necessities into the suitcase and when I felt that it was too less, I put in some unwanted stuffs. I zipped the suitcase and then plopped myself on the bed next to the suitcase.

"That's good. Well, he seems to seriously like you, dear." I groaned as she started her usual shipping me with Luke talks.

"Mum!" I groaned once again. "Come on!" I hit my head on the suitcase next to me while my mother laughed.

"I'm not joking, honey. I'm serious. He likes you and you're being blind." She dead panned. I rolled my eyes at her and she chuckled slightly, nodding her head.

"I'm not blind, alright?" I looked at her, pretending to be furious.

"Well, in that case, are you playing hard to get?" My eyes widened at her accusation. "You are, aren't you, dear? You want Luke to chase you, win your heart but mainly because you're scared of giving your heart away. You're scared if Luke would crush your heart and just mercilessly throw it away like Ian did. You're scared if Luke would find another girl, prettier and healthier than you are." I remained silent all the while. I was surprised that my mother knew me well. She knew what I felt and to me, she was the best relationship adviser.

We looked at each other for a minute or so and she broke the silence, "I'm right, aren't I? That's why you aren't speaking."

"Well yeah. Obviously. When I hear from Tori and Ella that Luke has such potential in that university - Luke would have had potential anywhere - and girls are dying for him, wouldn't I? I have all rights to be scared. Mum, Mia, of all people, desires and wants Luke because he is everything a girl could want," I said seriously and my voice deadpanned as I said the next few words, "but yeah, Mia wants him for popularity. They are far prettier and healthier than me and obviously, I'll be scared if he'll leave me and go."