Now, everything turned out so differently from what Grace expected. Fillo, the one who cheated on her, and the one who should have brought up their break up now kept calling her phone asking for another chance.
He came to her house everyday and had dinner with Grace's father. Grace not yet told her father about their break up and Fillo knew that she couldn't tell her father about it. He used that chance to talk to Grace about what happened last time. But Grace refused any excuses Fillo gave.
He was still lying. He still kept his relationship with Agnes a secret. He always said that the only reason he needed time was because of his next project. That was all. But Grace remembered clearly how they laughed at her. No. There would be no chances again.
And now, it felt so unsafe to go everywhere with Fillo always trailed on her.
Agnes even! She called her almost everyday asking what happened to her. She demanded them to meet but Grace refused. She was trying to get Fillo out of her life. She didn't need any drama. The drama in that restaurant made her scared of people.
As helpless as she was, there was no one who wanted to help her.
She could use her birthday as an excuse to go to other places with her father on vacation. By those excuses, Grace could get away from Fillo who always visited her house or from spam calls by Agnes.
"How about Maldives, father? Maldives are the prettiest in summer," asked Grace by showing his father a trip brochure online.
Mister Norma put on his eyeglasses and hummed while reading the brochure.
"Is that the gift you wanted, my heart? You don't want any party like last year? Or maybe a car?"
Grace shook her head. "Please, no, Papa. I don't even drive! Yes, this is the gift I want this year. We can spend a few days together. You've been working hard this year. Consider this your compensation for being a hardworking father."
Mister Norma laughed heartily. He put his eyeglasses aside and hugged his only daughter dearly.
"Sure, my love. How about we asked Babel and Fillo to join. Of course young people want to spend their special day with their special person too, right?"
"Oh, no!" She refused quickly. Grace didn't want that person to join her vacation trip with her father. She intended to tell her father everything when they were on vacation.
"Why? You used to be begging me to ask Fillo to join our trip before?"
"Hahaha, yes. But not this special day. I just want to spend my days with you, Papa."
Mister Norma's heart meted. He patted his daughter's heart and smiled broadly. His wife might already rest in a better place. She already left him. But she left a beautiful angel behind. Grace… a beautiful and well-mannered girl. She was the daughter that everybody wanted.
Genuine, sincere, kind, with big empathy, she was like warm water. She was his savior Grace when everything turned dark the day his wife left him.
Even though all his friends asked him to remarry, having a daughter like Grace was enough. He wanted to pour all his love to her like his promise to his beloved late wife. All his hard work was for his only child.
He was glad that Grace chose her partner well. Filoo too was a great boy. They had known each other since they were kids. He and Fillo's father were friends. So, they could put their trust blindly on eachother palm. Even though Fillo was pursuing an art career, but having a business father, Mister Norma sure he would find a brighter future.
An artist might not be a very favorable job but still he didn't have to worry because of Fillo's family background. He trusted his daughter's hand on Fillo in the near future.
"Then I will prepare a day off. Can you prepare all the itinerary, Grace?"
Grace chuckle. She lifted her hand in a bodybuilder pose and showed her father her thin arm with no muscles.
"That's my job. Leave everything to me!"
Mister Norma lagged heartedly and focused back on his newspaper.
The day of their trip had come. Agnes came to Grace's house yesterday but fortunately Grace was out, and shopped for some trip essentials for her father. It would be an eighteen hours flight with one stop from New York.
She put a wide hat matched with her father. Because it's summer, Grace used a thin shirt with long-loose pants. Mister Norma already used a flower patterned shirt with knee-long shorts and a sandal. They were so ready on a life changing trip.
With a ticket and passport in their hands, Grace chose a business class for their trip. She let her father sit on the side of the window. Her father had fond memories of the window. He said that was his first time meeting her mother. Through a window train. She took her attention by sitting alone on a wood bench.
He even took off from the train so he could get her name.
Ever since Grace's mother passed away, Mister Norma always sat beside a window. Plane, train or bus, he would choose a window seat so he could remember a beautiful summer day. He made a brave decision by leaving his last train for a stranger girl's name.
The flight was long. Grace used her time to read a book while Mister Norma was already lost in his dreamland.
After eighteen hours of flight, they arrived at the beautiful Maldives. Summer was indeed a beautiful season. The sunny days were blessed. Grace's favorite season. But her favorite season was now tainted by a betrayal of her closest people.
They arrived at their itinerary. A beach cottage with a full view of the blue sea. Her father already went to bed. Grace on another cottage, opened the window wide and took full sight of the clear blue sea.
Her brown eyes were swayed by the ocean's wind. The surface of the sea sparkling like thousands of crystals. The blue clear water reminded her of someone. She didn't know his full name, so she couldn't find anything about him.
She shook her head. That was just a one-night-stand. She shouldn't think about it anymore. She closed her window again. She needed to rest to remove her jet lag.
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Heya! I will appreciate your votes with power stones ^^