Most Valuable Lesson

It was a fine Sunday.

In the outdoor lounge which was located in the courtyard of his family home, Evan Livares was busy helping his father in cooking like he promised yesterday.

The Livares might not be as well off as the Valos but they had a nice and vast house with a large courtyard and backyard as well. With the father being a high-ranking military officer and the mother being a skilled and well-known psychiatrist of the country, they were able to afford luxurious lives for their two children.

Despite being in the middle of cooking some dishes for the family with his father doing the same next to him, Evan Livares would glance at his phone once in a while. Whenever he was this distracted, there was always just one reason.

Aviana Valos.

She said to text him last night and he did. However, there was no response until now. It was already evening!

He already tried calling her, thrice; but her phone was off.

Maybe something was wrong but... he had no idea about it.

Not far from where the father and son were cooking, Mrs. Sylvia Livares and Emily were sitting on the couch under the shade of the huge umbrella.

Evan was glad that at least, his mother noticed his father's efforts to make up to the family. A Major General with high authority in the military was busy all day, trying to please his wife and it was quite a sight! At one point, it even reminded Evan of the advice that his father gave him.

If he indeed followed in his father's footsteps and become a military officer, it will be hard for him to have time for himself, let alone for his family or friends! Nevertheless, he lived with this dream for more than a decade now and he had no plan to change his mind.

He was always sure of what he wanted.

Thinking about his family, Evan decided to put away his phone and concentrate on what he was doing. As often said, the family was rarely all present due to the nature of his father's work. So, it's always a wise idea to cherish the moment.

"Are you happy now, Dad? It seems like we will finally be able to have dinner in peace after trying hard the whole day," he promptly said to his father who was beside him. The Major General was quite skilled in cooking and Evan also learned many of it from him since he was young.

"Even if your mother isn't happy with me, you know I'm always happy to see her," his father replied to him with a bright smile on his face. "Tomorrow, I will have to go to another state due to work. I will only be back in three days, so I should make the most out of the little time I have to spend with you guys."

"It will be tiring," Evan sighed. "You never get to have a proper rest. It is always work after work."

"You're right," Major General Rylan replied with a chuckle.

"But you always seem to be happy with your work, Dad. So, I still think it's a good thing," Evan said to his father.

Hearing this, Rylan Livares maintained his silence for a while and said, "Do you know the most valuable lesson that I learn after serving in the military for two decades?"

"What is it?"

"It's to cherish every little time that I have in my hands," the father quickly said. "I've participated in many missions and led many missions too. Each time I lose a comrade, I'm always reminded of how lucky and fortunate I am to still be alive. So, my desire to live my life the best way possible is always getting stronger."

Major General Rylan glanced at his son several times when he said, "You should live that way too, son. In this life, nothing is for granted and our life is not even promised a day. So, you should live your life in a way that you won't have any regret even if you are to die today. You know what I mean, right?"

His father's words were repeated playing in his mind even as Evan nodded. "Yes, Dad."

Looking at his son, Rylan Livares flashed a proud smile. "You will always be my pride. I'm glad to have a reliable son like you."

"There you go again," Evan sighed but he soon flashed a smile in exchange too. "Let's hurry up, Dad. The sun is setting."

* * *

It was almost time for dinner and Aviana was riding a car with her parents. They were on their way to the Carson family mansion to have a joint dinner with the Carson family like they often did in the past.

Mr. and Mrs. Valos were sitting in the backseat of the luxurious car while Aviana was sitting in the front. Her phone was inside her shoulder bag but it was switched off and she didn't pay attention to it since last night. She was really not in the mood to think of anything else.

"You know how things are usually done," Mr. Daniel Valos said to his only daughter. "So, be on your best behavior and don't do anything to humiliate our family. Do you get it?" His voice was as domineering as his words and it didn't contain any warmness at all.

Aviana who was sitting in the front seat narrowed her eyes and secretly squeezed her shoulder bag when she heard her father. "I understand," she replied in a low voice.

Like always, she could never stand against her father no matter what.

After staring at her daughter who had her gaze lowered all the time, Mrs. Gillian Valos looked at her husband who didn't return her gaze. She wanted to say something but... she changed her mind.

She always spoke up whenever she thought that her husband had gotten so far but... it never worked. If she spoke up right now, it will only make the situation worse again.

"Do you talk with Levi?"

Aviana repeatedly pressed her nails against each other when she heard her father's question. She didn't wish to answer but she knew that she should.

"We talked last night." She barely managed to utter the words as she could feel her throat running dry.

"You should have talked to him before we left. I don't want Mr. Carson to say that you two don't communicate enough. It already happened once." Her father's voice was unpleasing and full of disappointment like always.

This must be the reason why Aviana believed that no matter what she did or tried, it was never enough to satisfy her demanding father. However, she didn't complain and instead...

"I'm sorry, Dad. I was thoughtless."

She apologized like she always did.

It's better this way, right? At least, her father won't keep going if she just apologized rather than complaining and messed up everything.....