My mind went completely blank. I gave it a thought and said, “We’ll be back every now and then. Perhaps we’ll make a trip back during the next festive season.”
Michael smiled when he heard that. “Then, Daddy and I will be waiting for you and Summer to come back to R Province to celebrate the festive seasons!”
For a moment, I was flustered because I almost forgot there was another joyous occasion around the corner. Seconds later, I nodded and said, “Summer and I will be back soon.”
The children were equally thrilled when they heard my words of assurance.
On the other hand, Colin, who had been quiet all this while, broke the silence and queried, “Are you going to K City?”
Shaking my head, I stated, “Not for the time being.”
I never had the chance to bring Summer back to J City when she was an infant. Now that she was slightly older, I wanted to bring her back to visit Macy. I felt quite lost because I never mentioned Macy over the years.
Summer snuggled in my arms after we bade farewell over the meal and made our way home. She was melancholic because we would be leaving soon.
After I tucked her in, I called Ashton.
The moment he picked up the call, his hoarse and seductive voice could be heard. “I was about to call you, yet you got ahead of me. It’s almost like our thoughts are connected.”
I responded with a smile and looked out the window. Staring at the bright moon, I said, “I just resigned.”
“Well, it was inevitable since staying at that hotel would be a waste of your talent,” he replied nonchalantly as though he had been anticipating my departure.
I smiled, wondering whether his words counted as a compliment.
Once again, he broke the silence and asked in a gentle tone, “Where are you planning to go?”
“I haven’t made up my mind.” R Province might have much to offer. However, when I took Summer’s future into consideration, I thought she deserved better things in life.
“No matter where you’re going, I’ll always have your back. Don’t forget I consider Summer as my daughter,” he asserted in a calm and collected manner.
I was dazed for a moment before I nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Compared to the way we interacted with one another in the past, I enjoyed our current relationship more. Now, he wouldn’t make the call on my behalf and instead, he would simply provide his opinion and guidance.
After I hung up the call, I purchased the air tickets to J City. It took me an hour to reach the central business district to purchase the tickets because there wasn’t any airport in R Province.
In September, I brought Summer to J City with me. It was her first visit there. The moment she walked out of the airport, she swept her gaze around and shared her joy with me. “Mommy, this is such a huge airport!”
I responded with a smile and brought her to Glenwood Apartments. When I left the city, I bought myself an apartment and kept one of Macy’s apartments for Summer.
Since there were photos of Summer and me in the apartment, she returned with a photo after roaming around the house. She asked, “Mommy, who’s the woman beside you in the photo?”
Seeing how Summer had directed her question at me in such a sincere manner, I suddenly felt a heart-wrenching sensation.
I took over the photo and noticed the photo was taken in the year we graduated. Back then, Macy already started working in the bar.
After she got her wages, she insisted on having me join her for a photoshoot in a studio. She said we needed a photo as a keepsake of our best time in life. Otherwise, age would catch up to us soon and we would forget what we looked like in our prime.
I was grateful she insisted because the photo was something that could remind me of the most carefree period of my life.
“Mommy, why are you crying?” Summer asked in a mellifluous tone. I crouched in front of her and cradled her in my arms, shedding tears of grief.
“Summer, let’s pay this aunt a visit tomorrow, okay?” It had been four years since my last trip back. I couldn’t help but wonder if things were fine on her end.
Summer nodded and stared at Macy in the photo. Shortly after, she wiped my tears off my face and said, “Okay!”
Holding the little girl in my arms, I suppressed my emotion and announced, “Summer, she’s an important friend of mine and an important figure in your life. Can you promise me that you’ll address her as your mom instead of your aunt in the future?”
Confused, the little girl asked, “Why? Michael said an ordinary family consisted of only one father and one mother. If I’m addressing her as my mother, how am I supposed to address you?”
“Summer, we’re all special in our own ways. In short, you’re different from Michael as well. He’s a boy, but you’re a girl. He only has a mother, but you have two mothers. Macy is someone that’s important to me. Can you promise me that you’ll keep that in mind?”
I couldn’t bring myself to tell Summer she wasn’t my biological daughter, yet I was afraid of completely detaching her from Macy. She may not have any memory of Macy in the four years of her life, but from now on, I wanted her to know about Macy.
Summer was perplexed, but she nodded when she saw how serious I looked. “I’ll listen to you and address her as mommy Macy in the future.”
I nodded.
After we had settled down, I hailed a cab and brought Summer to the cemetery with me on the next day.
Compared to my last visit, the cemetery seemed to be relatively spacious. It must have expanded again.
Judging by the number of tombstones that were erected over the past four years, I couldn’t help but wonder how many people had lost their loved ones.
