Begin Again

LEAVING NO FOOTPRINTS

A week ago, Delano wouldn't have expected that he would be spending the rest of his life away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood. But life just keeps giving him surprises. 

Just as the sun was about to rise, when the shadows of the Earth were crawling back to their places, the shades of gold shone down from the sky like a veil covering up the night sky. As much as Delano wanted to stay in bed, his mother had come knocking on his door about an hour ago, reminding him that they would leave and the decision was final. 

He had waffles with flax and almond butter for breakfast, did his last check to make sure that he had brought along everything that meant to him, and left behind the expensive but meaningless gifts his father had given him over the past few years, bringing only the sterling silver locket with the shape of a pegasus which hung on his neck elegantly. It was a special gift from his parents when he was at the age of twelve, as his father had always said with a proud look on his face, 'The pegasus is a mythical creature which symbolizes power, freedom and innate talent, and I want you to know that you have it all.'

The Porsche 959 Coupe he was sitting in, had entered a country road at some point when he was reminiscing about the past. His mother was silent, checking her phone repeatedly, as if she was still hoping for a message from his dad, her sad eyes looked empty. 

'Monsieur, Madame, we are here,' their driver spoke. He was a skinny old man, but his loyalty to the Cadieux family was absolutely unquestionable. He pulled up at the side of the road and opened the back door.

Delano inhaled a deep breath, the air was fresh and damp, the wind was caressing his face, he felt like home. In front of their eyes stood a well-maintained two-storey cottage surrounded by lush green plants and flowers that looked like rainbow freckles. There was a stone walkway from where they were standing, up to the front stairs, covered in pebbles of different sizes with a little grass in between. An old wooden bench sat right in front of the house, in front of it was a round wooden table made from the remains of an old tree trunk. Delano loved the smell of nature. 

Corine eyed her son thoughtfully, he seemed satisfied, and she was happy about it. Maybe leaving Hollywood wasn't such a bad decision after all. 

'There's more in the backyard, and I'm sure you will love it,' Corinne turned to look at her son. Delano's eyes lit up, and he half-jogged to the back of the house, only to find himself staring at a huge tree about three times of his height, on two branches hung a beautiful hammock, and on top of the tree stood a tree house still magnificent enough for a eighteen-year-old. It wasn't exactly a luxury, but Delano loved it, it just looks so right. For once in days, he actually found something that was perfect. 

Corinne fitted the key and the door unlocked with a click, the inside of the cottage was still the same as how she remembered it. She could see herself running down the flight of grey wooden stairs with her white chihuahua at the age of eleven, and how she used to sit on the couch while snuggling in her mother's lap when she wanted to hear a story. 

'What is this place?' Delano finally asked his mother, who was dusting the top of a shelve with the tip of her thumb. 

'It was my first home, before I married your father,' she said, her mind racing back to the older days, where she had held sleepover parties with her friends, sang karaoke with a hairbrush and dressed up like Wonder Woman during Halloween. She smiled. She had a normal life before he met Flavien, he was like a prince on a white horse, carrying her in his arms as they started their life together in France, which they later continue when they moved to Los Angeles after Delano was born and Flavien decided to expand his company in Hollywood.

'I love it,' Delano exclaimed, his hands reaching up just high enough to touch the ceiling with his fingers. The living room was much smaller than their house back in LA, but it was definitely cosy. It didn't have a Boca do Lobo couch, but it had a beige Buxton Rolled Arm Sofa with an aesthetically appealing design. The La Cornue Grand Palais Range was replaced by a blue vintage oven, where Delano could smell the scent of cookies still lingering as he opened it. 

After settling in his room, he took a quick stroll around the place. He was in some kind of fairytale, the cottages were a distance away from each other, and the whole village was a one-of-a-kind botanical garden. There were rare plants everywhere, and the sight of it was rejuvenating. 

When the night came, Delano lay in his squeaky little bed, his eyes traveled to look outside the window to see the moonlit sky. In a few hours, he had completely forgot about his father's fancy penthouse.

So this is how it feels like, to put everything behind and start a new life. I hope everything turns out fine. He thought as he closed his eyes.

On the huge tree in his backyard, a pair of rare green eyes gleamed in the dark, watching him as he fell into a deep slumber.