Luckily, Uncle John arrived, and I hopped into the car, anxious to reach home, away from Aria and celebrate Mom's special day.
The drive brimmed with anticipation and worry about her reaction to my forgetfulness.
Looking out, I saw snow falling. The weather had grown colder since November, and the journey home from Mount Seraph would take three hours.
I had only a black shirt and jeans, inadequate for the cold weather. Thankfully, inside the car, it was warm. But Mom won't like my being less sensitive to my health.
The journey continued, and Everwood's familiar sights offered a brief distraction from my personal complexities in the bustling sunlight.
Passing by Everwood Mall, I urged Uncle John to stop. I needed to buy a coat and collect a special gift ordered for Mom.
Though expensive, this mall was known for quality products and excellent service—exactly what I sought.
Stepping inside the Everwood Mall, a beacon of sophistication, welcomed me into a realm of opulent indulgence.
In the well-lit mall, I swiftly entered the lift and pressed the 5th-floor button, confident about what I needed and where to find it.
Stepping outside the lift, the 5th floor unfolded as a curated space, adorned with designer boutiques and upscale retailers, radiating a timeless elegance.
As I strolled through the well-lit corridors, my gaze lingered on the meticulous displays in each corner, a testament to the mall's unwavering commitment to luxury.
Then with large steps I made my way to the outermost left corner where I opened a glass door after scanning my gold-plated card and stepped inside.
There, Mr. Rex looked at me from behind the desk. He smiled, setting aside his tablet—likely engrossed in current world issues.
I smiled brightly and greeted, "Grandpa Rex, you seem energetic and happy. Any good news?"
Grandpa Rex happily shared, 'Good news indeed. Your grandma is returning from her trip today.'
With a wishful tone, he continued, 'You have no idea, sweetheart, I missed her so much, so dearly.'
Chuckling lightly, I took a seat in front of the desk as Grandpa Rex gestured me to do so. Grandpa Rex owes this mall and likes to spend his free time here.
He asked, "So, what brings my very busy musician to my humble abode. It hurts me that you don't visit us often. Just before you came your grandma was asking about you."
At the mention of music, memories flooded my mind, especially the ones from Aria's fifteenth birthday, when I had prepared a special CD as a gift.
Quickly pushing aside the distractions, I chuckled, "Come on, Grandpa Rex, stop teasing me. I'm not a musician. I miss Grandma Lucy too. Say hello to her for me, and you must bring her to visit me often since I'll be staying at home for a few days."
Grandpa Rex responded with dramatic flair, "Oh! Listen to your speech, little girl... How devious of you to ask our old bones to visit you. You know I have knee pains, and I can't walk for a long time. Poor me, I am so miserable."
Grandpa's antics made me burst into laughter, and I surrendered with a stretch, clutching my stomach.
I said, "Okay, okay grandpa Rex please stop being dramatic I promise I will visit you and grandma Lucy very soon. Okay sir, are you feeling better now?"
Grandpa Rex reverted to his calm wise self. Fixing his glasses, he proposed, "Why don't you go with me today to pick up your grandma from the Airport and then you can have lunch with us. We can invite Chas to join us too."
Shaking my head I replied, "Not today grandpa as today is an important occasion for mom and me. I promise to visit you soon. Now can you please help me with the things I need?"
Grandpa Rex assured me. Then he handed me a cup of streaming ginger tea that he just brewed and went to look for the things I needed.
As I took a sip of the somewhat spicy tea, I couldn't help but think of my first meeting with Grandpa Rex and Grandma Lucy. They're a lovely couple.
I was only 5 years old, and Mom took me to meet them.
She said that they were her friends and asked me to address them as grandpa and grandma.
They have taken care of mom over the years as family. I have never seen Mom's any relatives and never really cared about it.
Grandpa Rex was a well-built and very tall man with a height of 6.7 feet; little me had to crane my tiny neck to look into his black eyes.
On the other hand, Grandma Lucy was much shorter than him. She was 5 feet tall and had green eyes. She was beautiful, kind and friendly, though she teased me a lot and made me laugh. Both of them had silver-colored hair and gold-rimmed glasses.
After meeting at the ground floor of the mall as we made our way towards the lift, a man with a knife rushed towards Grandma Lucy.
The security guards came running behind him and quickly caught him.
However, he was constantly struggling and looking at Grandma Lucy with hatred.
Suddenly he broke free and launched towards Grandma. This was the first time I saw Mom in action.
She was holding my hand and simply stretched her right leg and kicked the rushing man; he staggered backward and fell down 10 feet away.
I opened my mouth in gasp and looked at her with star-filled eyes.
Mom was so cool, always my hero. Grandpa Rex and Grandma Lucy didn't stress; it made me admire them even more.
Later, I discovered that Grandpa Rex held the rank of major general. But the motive behind the man's persistence in harming Grandma Lucy remained unexplored.
As I was letting my mind wander once again, Grandpa Rex came back beaming and holding two black boxes. Behind him, staff brought five long coats, 2 trays of watches for me to try and choose.
Selecting a black coat, I coordinated a matching outfit with a white shirt, tie, and black pants. Accessories followed—belt, scarf, shoes, and a watch.
Merry helped me readjust my light makeup, changed my earrings, and she made my hair.
Merry was the exclusive stylist of mom. She had dried her hairs rainbow coloured and she has dark black eyes, she had a height of 5.9 feet same as mom.
After Merry worked her magic, I admired myself in the mirror, confident and ready to surprise Mom.
Grateful, I thanked Merry and the staff for their excellent service.
I like to shop here as the service staffs are polite to everybody; they are attentive, friendly, and always plaster a smile on their face. Though sometimes I wonder won't their face hurts from constant smiling?
Merry inquired if I needed more help; my response was negative. Soon, the room emptied, leaving only Grandpa Rex and me.
Grandpa Rex placed the boxes on the table and inquired mysteriously, 'Claire, how's Chas? Working on a new painting? I want to buy it for Lucy.'
I responded professionally, "I can't divulge the details, Grandpa Rex, though I can let Mom know that you asked."
Grandpa Rex laughed heartily and said jokingly, "Hahaha...When will you learn to be flexible, Claire? How did Chas bring you up to be such an idealistic person?"
I replied, "Come on, Grandpa, you are teasing me again."
Amid laughter, I carefully took one of the black boxes from Grandpa Rex—it held Mom's birthday present ordered six months ago. Placing it in my newly bought coat's right pocket, I couldn't help but be extra careful.
Picking up the next box, hesitation lingered. Sadness flickered in my eyes for a fleeting moment...
Finally, Taking a deep breath, I picked up the black box. Grief, like an unwelcome visitor, crept in.
"Two weeks since losing Aria, the pain lingers. Will I find closure or learn to live with this void?"
Grandpa Rex's light cough brought me back to reality. Quickly, I composed myself and placed the box hastily in my left pocket.
He looked at me with concern and asked, "What happened, Claire? It seems like something is bothering you. Wanna share?"
I managed a tiny smile and shook my head. "I'm fine, Grandpa, just some small problems. I would love to share with you. However, I am in a hurry today. But don't worry; I will hit the hay definitely talk to you some other time."
I bid goodbye to Grandpa Rex with a comforting smile and phoned Uncle John to pick me up at the mall's entrance. I made my way there and waited for him.
The chilly wind and street noise surrounded me as I watched people passing by. A pair of friends stood out, like a burst of color in a grayscale world.
They were wearing matching clothes and eating ice cones. As I looked at them laughing and walking down the road, my mind drifted off to the time when Aria and I went to the mall hand in hand.
"Come on, Claire, stop daydreaming. Wake up, you have lost your best friend, and she is not coming back."
I warned myself hundreds of times to stop thinking about Aria or harbor any thoughts on solving the unknown issue.
Rozi...