I was indeed famished so I made no protest, and ate some of it before I had the food runner clear the table.
Summer kept crying, the cause of which I attributed to being in an unfamiliar environment. I proceeded to change her diapers.
I would not usually use the water from hotel rooms. After some consideration, I looked to John. “I will need some warm mineral water.”
He nodded and figured out what it was for, and left the room.
In his absence, I fed Summer. That got her to quiet down.
When John returned, he had someone ferried in a water dispenser and a barrel of mineral water, as well as a new basin.
“You could use that to bathe Summer later as her skin is sensitive…” He then looked at me attentively.
I nodded and poured some water to wipe down Summer’s face. Having slept enough and ate her fill, she looked to be in fine spirits.
John had my daughter in his arms when I dozed off on the couch.
It was night when I came to. I shot up when I saw that Summer was not beside me.
The blanket put over me slid off as my eyes darted around the room. Summer was nowhere in sight.
I managed to keep my wits and fished out my phone to call John.
Before the call went out, the door opened.
In came John with a baby cart. Summer was fast asleep inside.
He was surprised when he saw me covered in cold sweat. “I noted that you traveled light from K City so I got someone to get you some clothes and essentials. K City is much colder than J City, so it would be more convenient in case you need to launder!”
Upon seeing Summer, I sat back down. “Thank you. It’s getting late so you should get going!”
He appeared tentative. “I know that you are resentful of me, so it’s fine if you want to take it out on me. But you can’t possibly keep me away as I’m your brother. Both Summer and yourself need someone to care for you.”
My eyes narrowed. “Leave! I can take care of her myself!”
“Why are you so stubborn? What’s done is done. Have you thought about Summer’s future, pushing all of us away like this?”
Nothing was going to shake my resolve in this regard. “That’s right. We can’t change the past. All I want is to have some peace and quiet. Is that too much to ask?”
He was taken aback and responded with a shrug. “Okay. I’ll leave you to it then.”
My purpose for being in K City was firstly to fulfill my responsibility by wrapping up the AI development project that I had been overseeing for White Corporation.
The other being to bid Louis farewell. As it may be hard for me to travel with Summer, I expected to be staying put in R Province for a couple of years, at least.
Once the matters in K City were settled, we moved on to a new place and thus a new chapter began.
Four years later.
Time flew by in the blink of an eye. We moved into an old property located in one of R Province’s alleys.
That being said, it was not exactly old, as it had been revamped previously. At first impression, it would not look markedly different from any newer property.
There were two stories and four rooms. It was not particularly big overall, but the yard was comparably spacious. The walls enclosed our area and separated ours from the neighbors’.
The environment and weather in R Province were pretty decent. Apart from the locals, most of the residents who lived here were retirees, seeking to enjoy life in the countryside.
With the huge yard, Summer had more space to be active in. I watched as she tottered until she grew to become swift and steady on her feet.
The longer the days, the more there was for remembrance.
Summer was not able to adjust to life in R Province when we first arrived. She used to cry in the middle of the night and nothing that I tried, worked. As the frequency grew, I often found myself crying alongside her.
I ended up very sick on one occasion. When she turned one, she became more obedient once she was able to comprehend my moods better.
R Province was a very remote place, and I only started job hunting when she turned three.
On her first day of kindergarten, she tugged at my hand. “You have to come to pick me up in the evening, Mommy. I’ll be waiting.”
In the three years that came, Summer healed me. She helped me recover from my longing for my lost child, and to forget everyone in K City and J City.
It was as though our lives no longer had anything to do with them.
I held her close and kissed her. “Mommy will be here on time!”
This child had already melded with me into one inseparable entity.
There were basically no listed companies in R Province and no tech companies which developed advanced technologies here either. The first job I could find as a single mother was the position of dishwasher at a small family restaurant.
In the corner to the back of the eatery, I scrubbed down the utensils. While the revelry went on around me, I enjoyed in solitude the comfort which the soft foam brought me.
Though this way of life lacked the grandeur and excitement that K City offered, it was where I felt most at ease.
At five in the afternoon, I went to pick up Summer and brought her over to the restaurant where she would help with the dishes at the back.
She would often ask this of me, “Do I have a father, Mommy?”
