Jen was already home by the time Terrence and I arrived as her car was parked inside the compound. Terrence carried the bag of groceries as I held onto the bouquet that he had requested for my mother.She too had a love for flowers, and her soft spot for Terrence had been created by his frequent bouquets. We walked into the house together, and I was happy to have met him today as he made me shelve all the worries that Lucas created in my head.Dad was sitting with Jen in the living room when we got in. I walked to his side and pecked his bald forehead, happy to see him better. He greeted Terrence with the same respect he usually accorded him, welcoming him to sit with him. Jen rose up from the seat, a questioning look on her face as she followed me into the kitchen.“Uhm- what’s up with you and Terrence? Dating again?” she asked as she helped me unload the groceries from the bag.“Can’t exes be friends?” I spoke in a hushed tone, afraid of my words being heard. I had not told my paren

I woke up ready to drive Rita to the airport for her flight to Knightsbridge. She was going for her meeting with Vivian, hoping to finally get the job her heart desired. Jenny dragged her suitcases to the car as Rita burned incense in her house, wafting the air in different corners of her house as a goodbye ritual to all her belongings.I got into the driver’s seat as Jen settled in the back, hoping to have some time to go through her notes for her final exam. Her plans were however shunned as Rita tuned the radio to play loud hits on the way to the airport, screaming loudly enough to wake the entire street at barely eight o’clock on a Sunday. The volume of the radio was turned lower as we approached the port.“I want to say, I love you guys so much! And Jen,” Rita began, turning to the back seat where Jen sat, sulking, “I know you will pass your exams because you are a freaking genius. And, I promise to be back in time to see you in your wedding dress. Not only because I will be so

“I do miss him,” I said, licking the mint chocolate chip ice cream off the top of my lip. I was chilling in my house for the weekend, preparing to leave later in the evening to visit my parents. We shared Sunday dinner together, talking about anything and everything. Our recent family talks revolved around Jenny’s wedding, and it was exhilarating to think of her as a bride.“Has he reached out since then?” Rita asked. We were on Skype, catching up on each other’s lives as we did every month. Rita had gotten the chance to join Britain’s best fashion designers board, and she was to stay in Knightsbridge until their first project was done. I lived in Britain through her stories, which were not as fun as she had hoped since she was drowning in work most of the time.“Mm-mmh!” I shook my head, letting the ice cream melt in my mouth before swallowing. Rita was inquiring about Terrence who had left Atlanta to go back to Britain. He was on a search for his biological parents, and as much as i

I dashed into the house, swinging the door behind me as I walked over to where her body lay. My gaze seemed to miss everyone else in the room, only landing on her face. It was hard to tell how cold her skin felt as she still looked as radiant as she always did.She was covered from neck to toe in her colorful blanket, which she knitted with so much grace as if she was preparing to hold onto it as she took her last breath.“She asked me to come, and I was late. If only I had come earlier as she begged me to, she would not have died alone.” I cursed out, tears leaving my eyes as my heart swelled with anger and regret. I was speaking to no one in particular, my gaze remaining glued on my grandmother’s body.My knees felt weak, pushing me to the floor as my face fell on the couch next to her arm. I cried loudly, asking Aunt May to forgive me for being late. I knew she was deaf to my apologies, but all I wished for at the moment was for her to raise her cane and whoop me for my stubbornnes

It had been a week since Aunt May’s ashes were scattered in her garden, and everyone was slowly and reluctantly getting back to their daily lives. I could still feel her void around me, but I knew I had to move on with my life as she would have wished.Her absence mostly hit me at work when I craved to hear her advice on something but could not reach her. Still, I lived. I visited her garden whenever the pain got overbearing, but recently, my visits to her had been full of joy and peace.“I finally made up with Lucas,” I told her, weeding out on her farm as I enjoyed the cool weather. Winter was fading, and spring made her flowers blossom brighter than I had ever seen them. “He and I are back to being friends,” I giggled as I remembered the last kiss we had shared back at the airport when he left for New York. I was sure Aunt May knew I was lying when I called us friends.“He said he will be back for me.” I lifted the batch of weeds off the ground and emptied them into the bin outside