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She squeezed my palm lightly before turning to Sophie. Her back was to me as she did so. I noticed her demeanor soften. Shoulders hung low, and feet falter momentarily.
“Hi, Sophie, it's Aunty Gwen.”
Unlike her grandma and father, Sophie made no move to greet her. Even when she lowered herself and stretched her arms for a hug.
Ouch. It could only mean Sophie wasn't familiar with her. For a moment, I wondered how many more siblings Ethan had.
“It’s okay, Sophie. I'm not offended at all.” She rose. “But I came to see you. Your cousin Noah is fine. You don't know him too. But let me tell you a little secret: one day, I wish for you to visit us in Australia so you can bond with your cousin.”
My heart warmed at this. She kept talking even though Sophie didn't respond.
“Australia is a real showstopper.” Her voice was coated with excitement. “It has the Royal Botanic Garden and River. Gosh, I’m sure you’d love it.”
Sophie’s stare became curious, but she didn't move. Gwen turned to me, something unknown flashing in her orbs.
She strode back to me, reducing her voice to a whisper. “Any changes?”
“She has been making… a few improvements.”
I didn't know if she believed me.
She sighed. “But there'd be more, right? More where she’ll be able to speak again?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“That’s not false hope, right?” I was surprised to see her eyes water.
“No, Gwen. It’s not false hope.”
She wiped her tears. “Everything I said to her is true. I can't wait to have an actual aunty-niece relationship, you know. I can't wait for my son to bond with his cousin.”
“That will happen, Gwen. It will.” I assured.
fifteen
Ethan
I let my mind stroll down memory lane. Maybe reminiscing on my past would kick my common sense into gear.
“It’s difficult, James.”
As a twenty-one-year-old fresh graduate, I’d been searching for jobs with no luck. I had a little bit of luck getting to the interview stage, but beyond that, I had nothing. I was always disqualified. Always.
“Life is difficult, brother.”
“You don’t get it. It's just frustrating. I have a good certificate, good grades, but I can't seem to land a job because they all fucking want experience. How the hell do they want a twenty-one-year-old graduate to have ten years of experience? I should have started learning from birth?”
“You're hilarious, Ethan.” He took a seat on the chair in my one-room apartment. His breathing was soft compared to my hard one.
“No, I'm serious.”
He probably wouldn't understand since his path was different. He was involved in business; he didn't need to search for jobs… at least not in the way I would. I wanted to render services.
“I know you are,” he fiddled with the cheap ring on his finger. I brought my gaze to his dark hair as he pushed his already backward hairline further back.
“But that's the process. Life is in stages, and nothing good comes easily. Frustration is normal and sometimes inevitable, but you…we’ll get there someday. And that won't happen if we let frustration overpower our ability to move forward.”
I inhaled a deep breath. At least he was somewhere… He’d just recently gotten married to his high school sweetheart. They had a minimal wedding, and he was living a little life now. Just him, his wife, and his unborn child.
