AllFreeNovel
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“Okay Okay…Someone is a soft boy since he fell in love.”
I playfully hit his chest and hugged him again. I had missed this guy, my only best friend and brother.
We do our secret handshake, which we have not done in a long while, and laugh out loud. The ladies turned to us, and I moved towards Laurel to hug her.
“It’s lovely to see you again, DM.”
“Same here, Laurel. Have you been good?”
“Yes, I have. You don’t look bad yourself.”
“Let’s just say that’s a recent development.”
We all share a knowing laugh, but Lea looks somewhat confused.
We walk to the parking lot where Kelvin’s minibus is parked, and he drives to their parent’s house, which my eyes are familiar with.
The house I spent most of my childhood in with the number of times I had to sleep over at Carlos’ house or sneak in at night to play with Kelvin. We were one handful of a bunch back then.
The house looks a bit unkempt, with the grasses overgrown and the driveway filled with dry leaves.
“We just came in here earlier today. We thought it best for all of us to stay together in this house where the memories are as we go about the final court proceedings.”
“That’s a great idea,” Lea says as she seems to swallow the rest of the words that she left unsaid. Her eyes give her away.
We step into the house and transparent film still covers some furniture to protect them from dust.
We go into Lea’s room first, and her magazine cut-outs and sticky notes are still visible on the walls; however, they have worn off. Her medals and trophies, rather dusty, are on the shelf.
She takes in a deep breath beside me, and I reach for her hand. Our eyes meet, and I assure her, without words, that I am here for her.
We placed her things inside the room and then moved to the guest room where I would be staying. The room is smaller but perfect for a guest.
After settling into the room, I head over to Lea’s room to ensure that she has not swamped into that dark hole of grief again.
“Hey,” I say as I stand slouched by her door frame.
Looking at the pictures on her reading table, she looked lost in thought. There’s a picture of her parents, Kelvin, and herself in front of the Eiffel Tower. Another is one with two other young girls and herself, where she is putting on a crown. That must have been taken in one of the pageants, which she won.
The last frame is one with her mom holding onto her as they both share a laugh, probably for a shared joke. She picks that one up and gently touches it with her fingers as if fearing it might shatter.
“We shared a lot of inside jokes. We would always hide them from my dad and Kelvin. It was like a secret girl-code thing.”
“I…I miss her so much, Damien.” The tears were clear in her voice. I rush to her side to hold her as she sobs quietly.
“I’m sure she’s watching you from where she is, and she is very proud of you, Lea.”
“Sometimes, I want someone to prick me with a needle and tell me this is all a dream. They just went on a vacation and will return in a few weeks.”
“I’m sorry you feel this way, Lea. If I could take the pain away, trust me, I would do that in a heartbeat. My shoulder will always be here for you to cry whenever you need one.”
We hugged, and she finally let her tears flow down my shoulders.
Laurel calls for us to have dinner, and we gather at the table. Eating at a table with family, people I genuinely love and care for feels so good.
We catch up on the events that have happened in the past. Our laughs are genuine, straight from the heart, and in-depth to our souls.
Kelvin and I step aside to catch up on our activities after dinner. My friend looks happier, especially with the coming pronouncement based on the estate.
