As We Are | Book 2

Soar in Paradise

Chapter Twelve
Soar in Paradise

Today is the day of the memorial.

The day we honour Mae, Desirae's grandmother's memory and finally free her ashes.

I get dressed in my finest black attire, black slacks and a black blazer that covers up all my tattoos.

I comb my platinum blonde hair into a neat low bum and I take my nose piercing off.

I've never been to a funeral or a memorial for that matter, but I feel like, rocking up to honour the memory of the dead, with my tattoos out, (particularly my skull tattoo) and my piercings in, would somehow be disrespectful.

I hop into the car and drive towards the city, to check in on the Café' before I head to the riverside where I'm meeting Desirae and Mollani.

I step into the heavily decorated Café, that I can barely recognise as my own.

Blue and purple streamers hang from all the walls as white and silver balloons dangle from the ceiling.

But as expected, even in the dining room full of decorations, Desirae's paintings shine bright like stars in the night sky.

I smile proudly at them for a moment then I walk behind the counter.

I'm confronted with Paula who looks disappointed yet relived at the same time to see me.

I'm still bitter about the things she's said to Desirae and apparently, so is she.

Since the two weeks that Desirae completely reciprocated the attitude Paula has always given her; Paula now keeps her mouth shut, and her distance from me and the entire topic of Desirae – which was never really any of her damn business.

A small part of me hopes that soon things between Paula and I could get back to the way they were, to rebuild the brother-sister bond Desirae was talking about.

But judging by the way Paula is glaring at me, I'd guess that today is not that day.

"You're dressed morbidly dark for a baby shower," she says sorting out the cutlery.

"I just came to check in, I won't be here for long," I say blandly.

"Where are you going?" she asks with a little more character in her tone.

"A funeral," I say simply as I walk through the kitchen door and she follows.

"A funeral?" she asks breathlessly.

"Yep."

I walk into my office and I see a familiar face sitting in my desk.

"Hey Jeremy," I greet as he attempts a smile with a mouth full of food.

"Hey Chris, everything okay?"

"I was going to ask you the same question," I smile.

Paula walks into the door looking grumpy and bereft.

"Chris, are you really not going to stay for the Sandy Palmer's baby shower? She's one of the biggest stars in the country and you're just gonna a leave?"

"I've got somewhere to be,"

"We need you here Chris."

"No you don't, Paula this isn't the first baby shower we've hosted, you've managed a lot of events well, it shouldn't be so hard to do now. Besides, you've got Jeremy here if anything goes wrong."

Jeremy smiles cheekily at Paula who scoffs and walks out of the office.

"I've never been lucky with the ladies," he says staring after Paula smilingly.