Chapter 6

I make my way to the kitchen. Mom is baking cake. “What’s the occasion, Mom?” Mom glances over to me and then goes back to baking, “Dear, I make cake once a week without any occasion.” I nod in confusion, “But I’ve never seen you do it.” Mom lightly smiles and pats me on my head, “That’s because I don’t make it on weekends but only on weekdays, and unfortunately you are not here.” I smile and salute her and bow my head while she laughs. I go towards the fridge and take out frozen pizzas and then put them in the oven. Until they are baked, I take out my mug and chocolate and milk. Mom takes milk from my hands, “I will make it for you. You must be tired. I will send them both to your room.” I laugh remembering Aunt Iris.

Mom looks at me with confusion, “What happened?” I crush the chocolates as I speak, “Aunt Iris would make me run 5 laps in the backyard garden if I would ever eat on my bed, and you know how big the backyard garden is. She is strict about eating at the dining table." Mom smiles at me, a bit awkward. Oh man, I made things awkward again. I could smell cake so to beat the awkwardness I spoke, “I guess cake is done. Mom, I want the larger piece of it since it’s my first time.” Mom laughs and takes the cake out of the oven. “Sure, darling.” I make my chocolate shake while Mom decors the cake and cuts it. My pizza is also ready, I take it out on my plate. Mom puts a piece of cake on my plate, “I will go and give the cake at Aunt Lisa’s house as well.” I smile and take my plate, “Okay Mom, I am going to the backyard.”

I go to the backyard garden and place my plate on the bench and sit on the opposite bench. I have my laptop in my hand. I open my favorite drama ‘Descendants of the Sun’. I know it’s a Korean drama but anyway I watch it with subtitles and the story always makes me happy. I take a bite of cake and suddenly it hit me.

I don’t know how it can be so awkward between a mother and a daughter. It’s never this awkward with Aunt Iris or even with Aunt Lisa. It gets only awkward when I and Mom are alone. I have never spent alone time with Mom. I had my upbringing at Aunt Iris’s house and that’s why I act more like one of them. Sometimes I even envy Steve for having such a close relationship with our mother. But then again, I don’t regret even a single moment of my life. I am not close with Dad as well but still, it never gets awkward between us. I am close to Steve and sometimes I get to know about things at my house from him. This house sometimes just does not feel like home. Sometimes I laugh at my situation. My parents don’t know much about me but my Aunt and Uncle do. I bet if my mom or Dad even know my favorite food.

Suddenly a ball hit me on my head and as I turn around, Addy gestured for me to come. I laugh and say, “I don’t wanna see my cousin cry.” He laughs and says, “Then let’s see who is gonna cry.” I take the ball and walk towards him. I dribble the ball as I reach the basketball court. I keep dribbling the ball and Addy tries taking it from me. “Okay, so tell me what’s wrong?” Addy asks. I smile and throw the ball into the basket. “You know, just nothing.” Addy now takes the ball and starts dribbling and I try to take the ball from him. “Something up between you and Aunt Olivia?” I laugh and take the ball from him and start dribbling, “How do you know it every time?” He again dodges the ball from me, “Well, your face tells it all. Anyway, what happened?” He throws the ball perfectly into the basket. “You know just alone time awkwardness. I don’t know why it happens.”

He takes my hand and takes me to the bench I was sitting on before. He sits there and I also sit. He turns towards me, “Look, don’t overthink it. You know it’s just because you don’t spend much time together. The whole week, you are not here. When you come here on weekends, you only spent time with Grandpa and Grandma or you are just roaming around with Steve or gossiping with Mary or playing basketball with me and at the very least you are with Mom and Dad at their hospital nursing patients. Now tell me did you ever think about spending time with your mom and Dad?” I think about it for a moment. He is right. I never went anywhere with them alone or even had a simple chat with them alone. It feels like I talked to them to show others that they are my parents. “I want to make it all right since I am here for a week. But I need your help.” He takes a sip from my chocolate milkshake as he speaks, “Okay, tell me what is it?” I tell him my plan for tonight and he loves it and more than me he is excited to see it happen.

I am sitting on my bed now thinking about whether I should tell Ashton the truth or maybe run away. No, running away is ridiculous. I am not someone who runs away from problems. I am gonna face this alone. I hope my decision is proven right. Enough with thinking about problems. The biggest problem in the World is waiting for me. My Law Exams. It’s only a week away. I need to focus on studying at this moment. I am excited to finally become a prosecutor.

It’s been two hours since I am studying and suddenly my phone rings. It is Kathy. As expected. I take out my earphones and plug in and answer the call as I am writing at the same moment. “Are you even alive? I swear I will kill you once you get home. You have the nerve to make me worried. What in the World you were so busy with that you don’t even check messages? Why do you even have a mobile if you don’t use it?” My ears were near their death. She is the loudest person I have ever met in my life. “Calm down sugar boo. My eardrums are gonna explode. And trust me stop shouting on the phone. You already have a loud voice. Do you even care about other person’s ears?” I could hear Kathy laughing bitterly, “You have the audacity to talk about my voice right now. Tell me about your interview.” I drop my pencil down and lay down on my stomach as I speak, “Oh man, guess what? I was about to enter his office and I ran into Sir Maddox. I was so scared but he didn’t say much about it. And the interview just went well but he wants to interview me again. I am meeting him tomorrow at 11 am in a café.”

I could hear some shuffling on the other side and then Kathy speaks, “Wait, who takes an interview at the café?” Oops, why did I tell her café? I am a dumbo. I clear my throat, “I mean after having the interview at 11 am, I am meeting Stacy in a café for combined studies. You know I have my papers starting next week.” After a second Kathy replies, “Yeah but I have never heard of you and her studying in a café, you always study in a park or at each other’s house.” I could hear her phone ringing between the talks so she speaks, “I will talk to you later I have to be at the boutique right now. Bye.” “Okay, bye, and yeah let’s cancel our plan tonight. I am gonna spend some time with Mom and Dad.” “Okay. Bye.”

After talking to Kathy, I again start studying. I don’t even know how time passes by until Steve barges into my room and snatches my book from my hand, “Come downstairs for snacks. You are studying for 4 hours straight. If you even touch the book, I swear I will burn it.” I try to take my books from his hands, “Okay, I am coming but put my books here right now.” Steve laughs while putting books on my bed again, “You are protective over your books as if your life depends on it.” I laugh and hit him on the head, “But that explains who gets higher marks, right?” Steve lets out a frustrated sigh, “Aish, whatever.”

After having evening snacks with my family, I went to Addy’s room. He was in his boxers and a sleeveless t-shirt. I go inside without knocking. He was on a phone call. “Addy!” I shout. He puts his hand on my mouth and pushes me onto the bed and goes on the phone again. Ugh. He is busier than my grandma. I don’t even know what in the World is he so busy with. I understand that he is in charge of many hospitals but still all the time he is rather on the phone or at the hospital. I go into his closet and pick out a blue check shirt and his brown jeans with his black sneakers and then change into them and look at myself in the mirror. Wow, I look so amazing in this. I am gonna take this.

As I step into the room, Addy is sitting on the bed with a laptop on his lap. He looks up at me and exclaims, “No! Jenny please, not this shirt. You know how much this shirt means to me.” I sit beside him and put a hand on his shoulder as I speak, “C’mon now, look how good this shirt looks on me. If you want this so I won’t force you.” I pout at him. I know he will melt here. He opens my braid, “You’ll look much better like this.” I hug him, “Aww, thank you. I love you.” He hugs me, “Love you too, baby.”

I sit on the bed and suddenly remember something, “Oh yeah, the reason I came here. Have you prepared everything in the backyard garden?” He sits on his gaming chair in front of me, “Yeah, I have prepared everything. Now, what about grandparents? You think they will let you do it?” I laugh, “Did you forget I am their favorite?” “Of course, of course. You are their smart cute little girl.” He pulls my cheeks. I slap his hands and stand up, “Okay, then I am off to my duty. You should tell to Steve. He is gonna tease me my whole life if I go and tell him.” “Okay, captain.” He salutes me and I salute him back before leaving.

Now I knock on my Grandparent's room door. I hear my grandpa say ‘Come in’ and so I go in. My grandma is surprised to see me, “Wait, did you just knock on the door? Jones, I am telling you this is something serious.” I sit on Grandpa’s lap and make a pout and say, “Look, Grandpa, Grandma is teasing me. “Grandpa laughs and kisses my forehead, “But, she is right though. You never knock on the door.” I stand up from his lap and stand between them and clear my throat, “Okay, so what I am about to tell you right now is something really important, okay?” They both sit straight and show me a thumbs up, “Okay.”

I put my hand in a fist near my mouth, imagining it’s a mike. I clear my throat again and start speaking, “So like you both know that I am not that close with my parents. Sometimes it hurts knowing that I can’t even spend some alone time with my parents. I am not here on weekdays first of all and even when I come here on weekends, I don’t spend much time with them and so it hit me hard today so I planned a dinner today for them. Addy has decorated and has done every setting in the backyard garden so only if you both allow, can I have an alone dinner with them tonight?” They seem to think for about five minutes. I am so nervous right now. It’s our family tradition to eat dinner together. I am not sure if they will allow it.

My grandma calls me towards her and so I go near her. She instantly hugs me tight and starts crying. I pull back from the hug and I hold her tight, “What happened? I am sorry if I said something wrong. Please forgive me. You can hit me but please don’t cry.” I am so scared. I didn’t mean to make her cry. My grandpa smiles at me and holds me by the shoulder, “Jenny, she is not crying because she is angry but she is crying because she is so impressed by you.” I look at him in confusion. Impress? My grandma gestures for me to sit and then speaks, “Don’t worry baby. I am just so proud of you right now. You are so brave to think about it this way. You are so optimistic. Your parents also came to me yesterday to discuss this. But they were afraid if you didn’t like it. Seeing you care about them like this just made me cry. You don’t even need permission for this. You have our blessings and I am sure this dinner is gonna be a blast. So don’t worry, okay.” I hug my grandma happily, “Thank you so much. I love you.”

My grandpa clears his throat and speaks, “Isn’t this Addy’s favorite shirt? Jenny, stop taking clothes from him. He does not tell you anything because he just loves you so much. Stop taking advantage of his love, huh.” I pout, “But he has really good eyes for clothes. I like his choice of clothes. If it would be possible, I would take all his clothes from him.” “So take him shopping with you but stop stealing his clothes.” My phone rings. I see it’s a text from Stacy, she was whining about how the main lead died and he didn't deserve to, and blah blah. “He is always so busy. That’s why I don’t ask him. Anyway, I am off to tell Mom and Dad about the dinner.” “Okay, good luck.” “Thanks.”