【Re:Freezing】 | Gray Fullbuster x OC

35. Vanitas

"You look pretty today."

"Did you enjoy your meal?"

"Let's go to the park."

"Sweet dreams."

"I love you."

...

...

...

I implemented this new tone in my daily life while also adjusting a few things. I certainly got some weird looks about it and was asked about it, but I would just smile and tell them that they were just imagining things. At first, it made Pandora a little annoyed for some reason, she once walked out of the kitchen and locked herself in her room while Karissa looked a little solemn. I didn't like it, and I almost dropped it all together when I saw that it was doing no one any good. But as time passed, they had grown accustomed to it and grew to like it. I was overjoyed. My efforts were finally paying off. I couldn't take all the credit for it though since Pandora started doing more for us as the oldest sibling.

She was young yet she proved herself capable of taking on a job to earn us money. We couldn't keep relying on the funds left behind while also relying on Gray's family.

I could only provide a familiar comfort and happiness to keep things what we called 'perfect' at that time.

I loved how I became a source of comfort at home.

―

"Are you okay?"

I looked at Miss Mika with a curious expression. I cocked my head to the side as stopped cutting the carrots with her. "What do you mean?"

"... I'm worried about you." She admitted, pulling away from the stove to face me. She got down on her knees and then placed her hands on my shoulders. "I've never seen cry or express anything when your parents died. Have you expressed how you felt?" she wondered.

Grieving, huh?

I lowered my head and just blinked slowly at that question. How could I properly answer this without making her worry? Miss Mika was a nice lady; I didn't want to her to be worried about me when she was already going out of her way to help us.

I turned my head to look outside the window of the backdoor. I saw Mister Silver, Gray and Karissa sitting together and laughing about something I didn't know about. Pandora wasn't with them, she was out working at the grocery store. I had to make sure a meal was ready for her. Miss Mika was helping out because I was very inexperienced in cooking.

"You have to understand that grieving is good for you."

I understood her concerns, truly.

Of course, it was odd that I simple bounced back with a smile and tried to cheer everyone up.

But that was my way of keeping things together for their sake, and my own.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm okay, really." I grinned. "I just want to keep Pandora and Karissa happy since things are hard."

A sympathetic expression graced Miss Mika's face. She softly stroked my cheeks with her thumbs, they felt very soft and comforting. I couldn't help but remember how my own mother used to hold my face. The memory of her flashed in my mind, almost taunting me to break down in tears right then and there. But I refused to let it win.

I am in control.

"You're such a nice boy."

"Heheh, thank you."