"Go ahead," I said, backing up against the pink wall of the shop. "Do something other than glare at me."
I waited. One, two, three seconds... and nothing.
I raised my chin at him. "You're boring me, mute boy."
He stepped closer. Leaned toward me as...
Yeah, I remembered. And now I found myself actually sad he was gone. I stared at the evergreens lining the road and thought of the park Jack showed me. Any unfamiliar emotion had seemed minor compared to the towering trees.
"I would like to talk to you," Grace said. "There's a lot I haven't apologized for."
"And?"
"I'm moving to Las Vegas."
The relatives on the Filipino side of her family had all moved there. Maybe once I turned 21 I'd go party it up with them. Hawaiians often moved to Vegas as the rising cost of living in the islands pushed more and more people out. Though money wouldn't be an issue for Grace unless she royally screwed up her life again.
"I tried Seattle for you, but it obviously hasn't worked out," she said. "Before I move, I want to spend this Christmas back home. I was thinking of going to a resort. Would you like to come with me?"
Did I want to spend the holidays with Grace? Definitely not. But if her apology came in the form of a luxury resort stay in O'ahu... count me in.
❀ ❀ ❀
"We're thinking of staying here for the holidays," Greta said at the flower shop the following morning. "It'll be sad if you don't come, but it's important for you to spend time with your mother."
"I think you mean spend time living it up on the beach," I said, leaning against the counter. "Time to catch up on my vitamin D. I don't want to be getting seasonal depression like Dad."
Talia wiped down one of the empty shelves with a rag. "If we're not going to Chile this year, I'd rather be on the beach, too."
"What, you don't want to spend time with Dad's family?" I asked.
"It's not that. I just miss my dad."
Right. Things got complicated when our extended families lived at different points all over the continent.
"What if I convince Grace to get you a ticket?" I suggested.
"Wouldn't it be awkward being around your family there?"
"Hey, I've spent several Christmases around your family all the way in South America. It's time for you to see what it's like to be the outsider."
"You weren't an outsider, Romy," Greta murmured.
"Um, yeah I was. Language barrier, hello... and just my appearance is a reminder of Dad's first marriage. I stand out among you guys, and not just because of my attitude. Talia's cousins always made jokes about me."
Greta placed her hand on my arm. "I remember. I'm sorry about that. I did have a talk with their parents. They should know better, but you're still our family."
"Yeah, thanks." I turned to Talia. "I'm not expecting a huge family gathering or anything. I honestly just think Grace wants to live the lux life on the beach for a week."
Talia went to wipe down the counter. "And she would be okay with me coming?"
"She better be. I'll lie to her and say I forgive her for being a bad mom if she buys you a ticket."
Greta made a face. "Romy! Thats..."
I smirked. "Sociopathic?"
"Devious," Talia laughed, and she gave me a one-armed hug.
Later, as I brainstormed ways to make the Forget Me Nots in this arrangement pop, I thought...
Where could I say I was even from?
I'd moved from Honolulu to Seattle, but I hadn't been back "home" in years. Would it still feel the same? Did any of my family—who'd been moving around for generations and never seemed to stay in one place—end up calling anywhere their true home?
After finishing the arrangements, Talia and I went to deliver a few orders. We returned to clean the shop and get it ready for business to pick up over the holidays. I found myself smiling the whole time—and not only because I was finally making money.
How long it'd last, I had no idea, but maybe I was okay with calling this my home: our little flower shop in the emerald city.
❀ ❀ ❀
A/N: This chapter is oddly wholesome. I'm glad some of the family dysfunction is finally clearing up. Romy deserves it! But prepare for other types of drama in the coming chapters... 😏 For now, I leave you readers with the question:
Where (or what) is home to you?
For me, I still don't have that answer. Like Romy's family, I've been moving around quite a bit. Some say that home is not about where you are, but who you're with. Is that true?
✿ flowers mentioned in this chapter ✿
✿ forget me not ✿
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