Chapter 17 Fika

I could never let you go... no matter how many times I yell at the top of my lungs. No matter how many times I try to walk away.. I'll always come back to you, because I'm here to stay. It's just true.

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"Oh look at you and your grandfather. You were such a handsome young boy, still are. How I wish I could have been there to watch you grow up."

"Me too. Wait watch this part!"

Gilbert was laying on a blanket outside with his mother, watching the memories of his childhood that was bestowed in front of him like a screen.

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"Gilbert! I was wondering when you would show up! Your grandfather just came a couple of hours ago." Said Gilbert's mother.

The boy stood there, frozen.

His mother was talking to him, as if she hadn't died when he was born. As if she had been there all along.

Gilbert ran into his mother's arms and latched onto her, squeezing her tight in his arms. He held onto her not caring if it wasn't really her, not thinking about the fact that she could not be there and that this is all a dream. He held on, scared that he would loose someone so important yet so irrelevant in his life.

His mother returned the gesture by letting out a warm hearted laugh and gently hugging him back. "You have no idea how much I've wanted to meet you." He said.

"My my how you are so grown up Gilly." His mother said as she lifted up her sons face with her calm and soft hand under his chin. She gave him a cheeky smile, causing him to smile in return.

Alias cleared his throat as he is sitting on the couch with his daughter-in law, Layla Blythe Flitcher. And to her left is Ronald Flitcher sitting in a love seat. His family, all of them, all here together.

Gilbert ran from his mothers arms to his grandfathers. Giving him a big hug. "You're alive! You died in my arms father. You you said you wouldn't leave me." He cried out.

"I know my son, I'm sorry.." Alias replied as he coed his only grandson.

Once the sniffles and tears became no more, Gilbert let go of his father and stood up as he looked at each face of his family.

It was peaceful in this house. It was home again.

"What happened?!" "I found him at the pier and he was ice cold. Someone get some warm water and a blanket!"

Gilbert heard her again. His family acting as if it was a nonexistent sound and went on with their conversation. Than it hit him. "Am I dead?"

His mother turned away from Alias and looked at her bewildered son as he stood in the middle of the living room, his eyes focused intently on her. She stood up and walked up to the boy she never got to see grow up. She took his hands into her own, her lips pursed and her eyes connecting with her sons. "Yes." She spoke. Fragility laced within her tone. "Emma!" Gilbert grandfather spoke. She turned around to her father- in law, he looked at her with concerned eyes.

Alias stood up as if he never had any illness that took away his ability to walk. He placed a hand on his wife's shoulder while turning his attention to the now silently crying boy.

"Gilly you are not dead." He spoke. "Than where am I? Why are you here, why is mother here? Aunt and Uncle Fletcher? Why am I hearing Merliah's voice?" Gilbert questioned quickly. "We aren't real Gilly.." Said Layla.

The boy with the soft brown curls backed away from his mother's touch. She's not real, he isn't real either. None of them are? Why am I here? I wanna leave. I WANNA GO HOME. He screamed internally.

The next thing he knew, his Aunt and Uncle stood up and walked out through the back door, along with his father.

As they opened the door a crisp scent of summer breeze and fresh red apples traveled through the room. Emma continued to stand in front of him, she lent out her hand. "Come stay with us until you have to leave.." She requested.

Gilbert looked down at her hand than brought his gaze back to her. If it was not her why does she look so real. "What do you mean until I leave?" Gilbert asked.

"Time will unfold itself and you will find out soon my boy, trust me."

With that said, Gilbert took his mother's hand into his own. She guided them to the others through the door. When he stepped through it was no longer winter anymore, it was mid may. As one would know; the perfect time to pick apples. The boy smiled as he saw his grandfather place a ladder against one of the trees on their lot. He watched as his Aunt and Uncle picked apples one by one and placed them in the baskets that laid on the ground.

He watched all of them as his mother directed him toward a blanket that was placed above the grass. She motioned for him to sit down with her so he did. As they got in a comfortable position, his mother pulled up a screen; it was almost exactly like Merliah's yet it was much bigger. The screen was the size of his slate.

"I wanted to show you something." She spoke smoothly as she tapped on the unnamed object in her hand. She than swiped up on the magical item and in mid air was a picture of Gilbert the day he turned seven. His grandfather holding the ladder as his seven year old self was about to reach the biggest; reddest apple that to this day was the most delicious apple Gilbert had ever tasted.

His mother swiped through different photos, the two laughing her and there as they remembered all of the good memories from his childhood.

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"Oh look at you and your grandfather. You were such a handsome young boy, still are. How I wish I could have been there to watch you grow up."

"Me too. Wait watch this part!" Gilbert said as he watched intently as his mother played the video of his father trying to teach him how to feed the horses.

He cried out with laughter and fell back against the sheet of cloth as the video showed Gilbert getting spit in the face by the horse as he was putting hay in its food container.

Alias walked over with a almost filled basket of apples, as he sets them down on the grass next to the blanket. He sits next to Gilbert. "What are you watching?" His father asks, however he laughs himself when he sees what they are watching. "I remember you said it tasted like corn starch with boogers." His father chuckled out loud.

Gilbert laughed once more as he looked at his father and said "It was disgusting and yes it did taste awful however looking at it makes it very funny."

Emma sighed as she looked at her son who was laughing with his father. "I missed this. You two together."

Those words causing the two to look at her. As the other two family members of Gilbert's walk over and sit down on the blanket as well. "Have you been watching over me all these years?" Emma smiled at his question. She looked up and pointed at the sky, "I've been watching through the stars.." Gilbert smiled to himself at the thought of that.

Even if he felt alone he truly was not.

The brown haired boy turned around and laid his head in his mother's lap. He held up his two pointer fingers to his grandfather. "Do you want to play sticks?"

His grandfather laughed. "I have to say I do not know what that is." "That's alright" Said Gilbert. "I did not either, Merliah taught me. I'll teach you."

"So you really love this girl don't you? More than Ida?" His mother asked as she ran her fingers through his hair.

Gilbert tapped one of his fingers on his grandfathers pointer finger, as his father added up the numbers on his hand like he told him to do. "I do mother, I think she is the one for me." He finished.

"She seems like a lovely girl, I wish I could have met her."

"I do too.." Gilbert replied, his voice saddening. "Yet I will always be watching from the stars." She reassured him. "OUT! I WIN!" Gilbert's grandfather shouts in pride. "No way I was not paying attention! Rematch!" Spoke Gilbert as he laughed.

His father faced away from him as he crossed his arms. "Do not be sour because I am better at this game than you." He chuckled as he turned to face his sister. "What is the score Layla?" Alias asked.

Layla looked at the line markings in the ground she made wi a stick to keep tally. "Alias has three wins and Gilbert has zero."

"Oh give the boy a rematch Alias, he hasn't won once. Go easy on him he's just a little boy." Joked Ronald. Gilbert turned his head from his mother's lap as he looked at his Uncle and stuck out his tongue. Gilbert sat up as he motioned to play again. "I do not need to be gone on easy, give me what you have old man." Gilbert said determined.

Alias raised his eyebrow to his son. "Old man huh? Alright you're on." His grandfather says as Emma rolled her eyes with a smile. "Men." She whispered to Layla, who agreed by nodding her head as they watched the game.

"Who ever wins gets to go against the great and furious Ronald!"

"Oh Ron you can not say anything, you have not won a single round either!" Spoke Gilbert as his grandfather and him laughed. "Oh we will see about that.. Gilly" His Uncle mocked in a joking manner.