The next few days passed by in bliss.
If we were in a movie, our summer holiday was a montage of true happiness. Starting from our beach day, the four of us stuck together and did everything we could in this remote fishing town.
On the first day, we went to the beach and played volleyball to our heart's content. Not only that, we took many snapshots to preserve these memories in photographs. We ate probably the freshest seafood our country had to offer.
Following that, we went hiking in the mountains. Being near the ocean, climbing up to a high vantage point, would only enhance the astonishing view that we were blessed with. Summer heat and mosquitoes aside, the trips were done in relative comfort, given that Len and I were familiar with the roads.
If hiking wasn't enough, we even hired a fisherman's boat to go fishing in the open sea. Althea wasn't that thrilled to be on a ship, and her panicked face really made a good picture for our future montage. However, Len and Sienna were ecstatic about the fishing journey. They even competed with each other on who could catch the rarest fish.
I say rarest because the pair had caught well over twenty fish by the time we finished our boat trip. A staggering number, considering that they were only using fishing lines.
Naturally, there were days where I had to do my duty as a local as well. First and foremost, I visited Len's parents just to give my greetings. But the moment the middle-aged couple met me, they bombarded me with questions and insisted that we stayed for dinner. So, the nagging that I'd tried to avoid inevitably came back to bite me.
I'd also spent time visiting the people that once took care of me. Father Thompson was one, but there were a number more that looked after me when I was young. Mom's friends, a former teacher, some old friends that still remained in the town…
In the end, just one day remained in our week-long summer vacation.
"Hey, Desir! Morning to you!"
"... You're here early."
A few minutes past eight, I heard a loud knock on my hotel's bedroom door. Given the circumstances, only one person could possibly disturb me this early in the morning.
"Hehe, I was in the neighbourhood."
"Hah… Of course you were..."
This asshole didn't get my intention… I tried to chastise him for coming this early, but it seemed to have gone over his head. Alas, I couldn't just kick him out just because I was annoyed by his lack of tact.
"Come in; Althea is still in the shower, so you guys will have to wait a bit."
"See? I told you that we could have left a little later!" Sienna scolded her boyfriend with a soft tap on his shoulder. However, rather than feeling remorseful, the girl just sauntered past me and sunk her body onto Althea's bed.
"I could have gotten some more sleep!" She complained.
"Now, now… Don't be mad. I can't just let my father go late to work just because you wanted to sleep in, right?"
"We could have taken a cab!"
"Me? A local? Take a cab?! If my friends heard about it, they would make fun of me for the rest of my life!"
"Urgh! I'm not talking to you..."
Sienna rolled her eyes and dropped her head into the cotton pillow. Seeing his girlfriend's distress, Len moved forward and attempted to pacify her. Goodness, why must I bear witness to someone else's couple drama?
"What's with all the commotion?"
While the pair played out their local television drama couple argument, an ethereal beauty with a shiny head emerged from the shower room. Throughout the week, Althea and I had gotten used to sleeping on adjacent beds. Thus, her sleeplessness had all but disappeared.
For some reason, the girl was even glowing with a hallowed aura, making her elven beauty seem even more mystical. That effect was even amplified after dark when Althea wore the seductive nightgowns that she'd somehow squirrelled away.
Fortunately, Len and Sienna had come after she showered. If they were to see her provocative appearance, they would be certain that something had happened between us.
"Len and Sienna arrived," I replied softly, careful not to disturb the man trying to appease his girlfriend. "Sienna is kind of grumpy because she had to wake up early."
"Ah, no wonder..."
Althea was likely the one who sympathised with Sienna the most. She smiled brilliantly and walked over to her good friend, and apologised for some reason. Watching the gorgeous doll smile right at her, Sienna melted away and leapt into Althea's arms.
"Mmmm, an Althea a day keeps the doctor away!"
"S-Sienna?"
"Just leave me be! I need some of Althea's warmth to keep me sane!"
"O-Okay..."
Hah… Seriously, how is it that women are so quick to develop skinship? Althea and Sienna should barely know each other, and they're already cuddling like any couple would. No, given that they have bonded during our summer vacation, I guess this degree of skinship should be standard. However, if Len and I did that, society would probably shun us away immediately.
Sighing at the lack of gender equality in our cultures, I looked away only to see Len watching over me with warm eyes.
"Hehe, you did good, Desir."
"What are you talking about?"
"Choosing Althea!" The blonde man happily replied. "She's a great addition to our group!"
"... I didn't choose her because it would make you happy."
"Hehe, what's the difference? If you're happy, I'm happy!"
"Hah..."
Why do I always have idiots surrounding me? Do I possess some kind of magical magnet that only attracts busybodies?
"Haha, anyway. Where are we going today?" Ignoring my obvious discontent, Len asked with bright eyes. "This is our last day here; let's make it as memorable as possible!"
"Sorry to disappoint you then," I sighed deeply. "Althea and I were planning to visit mom today."
"Ah..."
Len's jovial mood immediately turned dark. As if a curtain of dark rain had befallen upon his body, the blonde Adonis was no longer smiling. Rather, there was a certain solemnity to his trembling lips.
"You don't have to come if you don't want to," I reassured my long-time friend. "You can bring Sienna out somewhere. We can meet you guys after we pay our respects."
"No, I think that we should go." Len shook his head, denying my thoughtful opinion. "I am indebted to Auntie as well. It wouldn't sit well with me if I didn't visit her grave at least once."
"Really? What about Sienna?"
"I'm fine with it!"
Energised by the battery that was Althea, the red-haired woman's eyes lit up with a flaming desire. Still holding onto my girlfriend, Sienna glanced right at me and declared: "If Althea is going, I'm going as well! There's nothing else to do anyway."
Sienna was probably referring to the fact that we'd already done everything that my hometown had to offer. So, even if they'd spent a day cleaning a grave, they wouldn't be missing out on any holiday destinations.
"Thanks..."
I chuckled in response. It's been a while since I visited mom, after all. Bringing this many people along… I'm sure that she would be happy.
"And Sienna…"
"What?"
"Could you please stop holding my girlfriend? I'm the only one that can cuddle her that long."
"D-Desir?!"
"No way! Hugging Althea has become my raison d'etre!"
"S-Sienna?!"
Watching the pure and innocent girl flounder in panic, the three of us broke into laughter, only to draw Althea's infamous squirrel cheeks out. In the end, our final summer vacation morning began with a plethora of smiles and laughter.
❖❖❖
While I said that we would visit mom, there wasn't any rush. The graveyard wasn't even open this early in the morning. So, I'd left Althea and Sienna back in our hotel room to get some rest while Len and I went to secure the necessary items for a graveyard visit. Mostly, incense and some flowers.
The funny thing was when we returned, Sienna was no longer the sleepy one. It was Althea who had sprawled herself out on the bed, with the matured red-haired bombshell acting as her lap pillow.
If I took a picture, I was confident that it would sell for some big bucks, but ultimately, I refrained from my entrepreneurial spirit.
After a quick lunch, I drove the others straight to the place that I liked the least in my entire hometown. No, saying that I liked it the least was deceptive. I enjoyed visiting mom, even if it meant travelling hours from the city.
The problem was… Whenever I entered the cemetery… I was reminded of the worst day of my life.
The day that I was powerless.
"Mom… I'm back..."
Kneeling at the foot of a grave, I happily caressed the tombstone even though it was covered in dust and leaves. Mom was a modest person, and so her tomb was rather simple. A granite grave with no ostentatious ornaments. There were signs of flowers being placed, possibly by Father Thompson, all around the humble tomb.
Goodness, what an unfilial child I was. Bringing flowers was supposed to be my job, yet I had to relegate it to a busy priest who was about to retire.
Laughing at my own inexperience, I changed the withered flowers and replaced them with new ones. At the same time, I lit up the incense and tried to make the grave as presentable as possible.
"Okay, you guys can pay your respects now." I turned around and addressed the trio that came with me.
"We'll go first!" Len hopped onto the opportunity, dragging his calm girlfriend into the forefront of the tombstone. "Hi, Auntie! It's been a long time! And you remember Sienna, right?"
"Hello, Auntie."
Sienna softly muttered back. It wasn't Sienna's first time meeting my mother. When we were still in university, Sienna had met mom once or twice before. It wasn't enough to foster a close relationship, but they were most definitely on friendly terms. Mom had even given Sienna advice on how to deal with Len when he'd got too stubborn.
Haha, just thinking about Len's embarrassed face back then brought a smile to my face.
"I've been doing well! Work has been tough, but I will always find time to babysit Desir!"
"... What are you telling my mother?"
"Why, the truth, of course!"
Len laughed while narrating some of his recent life experiences to the woman that had treated him well in the past. Len was considered to be my best friend and, in some periods of my life, my only friend. So, there was always a soft spot in mom's heart for this annoying blondie. I would like to think that mom would be grinning from ear to ear if she could hear him.
"Hi, Auntie. You can ignore Len's ramblings. In truth, it's Desir who took care of Len."
"Hey, Sienna! What are you saying in front of her?"
"The truth!"
The couple began bickering, bringing in a boisterous mood to this gloomy cemetery. Ah, a noisy house with laughter and smiles… While I wanted mom to rest in peace, I'm sure she would like some variation to her solemn and dull time in a tomb.
Speaking of smiles, there was one person who had cracked one since entering the graveyard.
Althea stood silently, seemingly nervous, by the side, not daring to enter near my mom's tomb. I knew that the girl wasn't afraid of ghosts, and neither was it something to do with the serene countryside eeriness.
For Len and Sienna, they were meeting a friendly Auntie that had brought them laughter in the past. For Althea… She was meeting her possible in-law for the first time.
Naturally, there would be a disparity in their reactions.
"Althea, come here. There's no need to be shy." I chuckled and pulled Althea over. Tactfully knowing their place, Len and Sienna backed off, giving us some room to finally give our greetings.
"Mom, this is my girlfriend, Althea."
"D-Desir! Y-You didn't give me a chance to prepare myself."
"Haha, what's there to prepare? Even if mom was alive, she wouldn't bite you or anything."
"I-I'm meeting my boyfriend's mother for the first time! Of course I'll be nervous!"
"Is that so? Well, you don't have to be. Come on, say hello."
Goodness, why do you have to be this adorable? Hah… It's a pity that mom wasn't alive to see Althea's charming behaviour.
With my support, Althea took in two big breaths, slowing down her rapidly increasing heart rate. When she finally collected herself, the girl finally opened up: "Nice to meet you, Auntie. I was given the pleasure of dating your son. I may be wanting, but I swear that I will make him happy in your stead!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
The three of us were stunned, speechless at Althea's impassioned speech. We were just visiting my mother, was there a need to be so serious?
"Althea, you..."
"HAHAHA!!! There you have it, Auntie! Your daughter-in-law has been secured!" Tearing up with laughter, Len slapped his thighs and showed a thumbs up.
"... Althea, you… You're one of a kind." The same could be said about Sienna. While she wasn't as animated as her boyfriend, the girl hid her face while the odd chuckle could be heard from her covered lips.
"A-Ah, I didn't mean to come off as too forward! I-I mean, I will take care of him and make him happy! W-Wait, maybe not now, but in the future, I swear...!"
"Althea, enough!"
In the end, I was the one who couldn't bear the embarrassment. Pulling the fumbling girl into my chest, I silenced her and attempted to calm her nerves. Maybe the pressure had gotten to her, and she began to spout things that she wouldn't usually say. And while adorable, I couldn't allow her to embarrass herself any further, especially in front of my mother.
"Sorry about that, mom. Althea is… rather new to this."
"I-I'm sorry..."
"No, it's fine. I'm sure that mom won't mind."
Haha, rather than be annoyed, mom would probably laugh twice as hard. She loved adorable things and always wanted a daughter. Now that she had Althea, I guess her wish has been fulfilled.
"Mom, I know that you've always asked me to take care of girls, so rest assured… I won't disappoint you with this one."
"D-Desir..."
"Haha, it's fine, Althea. Everyone gets nervous when meeting their partner's family." I reassured the girl once more and gently stroked her head to soothe her overheating emotions. "Anyway, let's continue. We don't have all day, after all."
In the end, the four of us stayed at my mom's grave for over two hours. Perhaps it was my imagination, but when we left, I felt a warm summer breeze tickle my skin, one that was uncharacteristic of this mountainous area.
It felt comforting, pleasant and most importantly… familiar.
Was it a mom's mark of approval? A leap of joy? Or a signal of contention?
Alas, it was probably nothing more than my own imagination.