Above & Beyond ✔

10. Last Feast

I parked my car in my parents' driveway, behind my mom's white Honda. It was only ten-thirty but she was already home. Did she take a day off today? After making sure I had everything with me, I made my way into the two-story house where I grew up.

We didn't have a super big house but it was enough for the three of us to share our space. Our front yard was compact with an old maple tree standing proudly in the center. Neither of my parents was into gardening, hence no colorful petals, floral scents, nor plants in different cute shapes adorned our front yard. Just grass, gravel, and a few decorative statues.

On the contrary, our rear side was huge. Back in my childhood years, my parents built a little playground for me despite the fact that Dean and Brian acted like they were the ones who owned it. Once I hit my adolescence year, my parents changed it into a small pool.

My mom was sitting at the breakfast table when I entered the kitchen, her eyes on the laptop while papers piled up next to it. Her chestnut brown hair was pulled up in a neat bun.

"Hi, sweetie," she greeted while peering at the screen over her reading glasses. "I thought you said it would be around lunchtime."

I sauntered over to her and gave her quick pecks on the cheeks while inhaling her soft fragrant scent. Her scent. "That was the plan, but I didn't have much to do this morning. So, I thought I would just pack my bag and go. I can chill at the pool if you're still busy, but now, I'm hangry."

"I made shepherd pies, your favorite. I can heat it while you bring your bag to your room," she said. "I just need to make sure this presentation is all set, then I will be all yours. One hour tops."

My mom and her work. I had no idea how she ended up being a workaholic like this. She was nothing like how I remembered her during my childhood. Despite her passion for her work, she chose to be around more in the past. She even turned down her boss's offer for a managerial position since my dad had already been very busy with his career as a corporate lawyer. Then things shifted during my high school years; I spent more time hanging out with friends and my dad started to have frequent work trips. She probably felt left out, and in my second year in high school, she took the offer.

I carried my duffel bag upstairs and headed to my bedroom. Once I opened the door, the familiar woody smell mixed with the floral detergent scent from my bed textile filled my nostrils, prompting me to close my eyes and sigh. The scents of home.

Dropping my bag on my bed, I walked to the window and pushed it open, letting the fresh spring breeze caress the air in my room. From where I was standing, I could see the sight of a tall stone building with large glass windows; the house I once called home too.

Parker's residence had definitely seen better days. The ivy covered the big part of the sidewall, its branches starting to creep onto the porch wall. The lawn must have not been mowed for months; it couldn't grow any higher. Weeds grew fiercely between the path stones, some of them were the ones with little yellow flowers. Nonetheless, it couldn't hide the enchantment of this Mediterranean-style building. It stood strong enduring all the dramas that had happened in the past three years.

I sighed again, thinking of how things changed so fast.