The wet soil left over from last night's rain was still clearly visible from Avery's window. The woman stared blankly at Edward's sunflower garden, which was well cared for by George, a half-century-old gardener who had worked for Edward's since he was young.
The first time she talked to George because she had to apologize to the man after she accidentally ruined one of Grandpa's favorite sunflowers because of Michiel's doing. The man very cunningly pushed hard when she was admiring the giant sunflower until finally the flower stalk broke because her hands accidentally used it to hold on. What a silly thing that is now so sweet to remember.
In the past, she couldn't stop cursing at Michiel for making her have to stand stiffly in front of George like a student admitting her mistake. But luckily George was a good man. He was not at all angry with her for destroying the flowers she had been caring for. In fact, George invited her to plant new sunflower seeds the next day as atonement for her mistakes yesterday.
It felt like every memory Michiel left her would never leave her brain easily. The memory will continue there, giving her such a painful mental punishment that she is always filled with endless regrets.
"Time for breakfast, ma'am."
Avery was silent when a maid came in and reminded her to have breakfast. She knew it was too late to do breakfast, but the maid seemed never bored to remind her about breakfast since four days ago. After Michiel's body was buried, she became lazy to do anything. All day long she just stayed in the room in a black mourning shirt which made her seem even more blue because of the unhappy hue she had emitted since Michiel's departure.
Even Andrew was only able to sigh at the end of the door to her room every time he visited her after work. There was nothing the man could do to persuade her because she certainly wouldn't want to be persuaded by Andrew. Their marriage relationship that has ended makes Avery increasingly have a gap so wide to stay away from Andrew. Even though in the past their lives had been separated by a huge chasm, now that gulf is getting wider, and it is increasingly providing a real barrier for them. Though Avery actually knew Andrew had something to say to her. But she still didn't want to meet that man anytime soon. Her heart always hurt when she looked at the man's face while remembering Michiel. Indirectly she also blamed Andrew for Michiel's death because the man was the beginning of the worsening of the three of them recently.
"Grandpa wants you to come down right now, Ave."
The voice was so close to Avery's eardrum. Even without Avery turning around, she could feel Andrew's presence behind her body. And as already, Avery wanted to ignore the man and consider his invisible existence like a ghost. But when Andrew's hand touched his shoulder, Avery realized that this time she couldn't ignore the man.
"This time I'm forced to force you, Ave. There are many things we need to talk about. You, me and grandpa."
"What else do you need to talk about?" asked Avery coldly. She violently turned her body towards Andrew as the man began to grip her shoulders tighter.
"Come down first, and join us. I hope all of this can solve everything," said Andrew trying softly.
In the end, Avery had no other choice but to follow the man's steps down because she herself felt that now was the time to end all these nightmares. At least she wanted to get some clarity from her relationship with the Thompson family who now have no ties since she divorced Andrew and since Michiel left her.
"Hello grandpa."
Avery greeted Edward stiffly as the man was focused on his morning paper. With the smile he used to give Avery, Edward told her to sit in the nearest chair he occupied.
"Long time no see you, Ave. Are you feeling better?"
The man was clearly worried about Avery's condition after the death of his favorite grandson. But the old man also couldn't do anything to save Avery's shaken soul which was becoming more and more fragile from day to day. As a old man who has lived long enough in the world, Edward knew quite well how Avery felt after being toyed with by his two grandchildren. Of course for Michiel, Andrew could guarantee that the man was playing Avery's heart in a positive light. Unlike Andrew, who actually gave Avery such a big wound because of his affair.
"I'm trying to feel better. And regarding my attitude lately, I'm really sorry. I became a very unreasonable granddaughter-in-law," said Avery hesitantly.
It feels strange to call herself a granddaughter-in-law, while her marriage relationship with Andrew has run aground five days ago.
"It is okay. I really understand how you feel, Ave. Even though you no longer have any ties to Andrew—" Edward glanced at Andrew who was currently bowing his head to the right of his chair. "But you are still my granddaughter. I want you to continue calling me grandpa as usual." Edward continued in a trembling voice.
Before long, the man had lowered his head deeply on the dining table with his shoulders trembling from holding back tears. It was not easy for Edward to get through his old age without Michiel by his side. Moreover, Edward had been giving such great hopes for Michiel because he felt that Michiel was the only grandson he had.
"Every second is torturing me now, Ave. I thought I would go first than that brat, but—" Edward could no longer continue his words as the tears from his old eyes flooded his wrinkled cheeks.
With tears in her eyes and an extraordinary feeling of sadness, Avery tried to strengthen Edward by gently stroking the back of Edward's hand which was just lying on the table.
"It is not easy, but we can certainly pass it through. You are the toughest man I have ever known," said Avery hoarsely in front of Edward.
The old man then stopped his tears while trying to control the roar of his breath, which was still unstable due to the emotion that was soaring from his heart.
"Grandpa..." Slowly Avery called the old man to get his attention. "I have something to say."
Just by looking at the look on Avery's face that was filled with worry and sadness, Edward already knew that something Avery was going to say was not something good. But the man chose to wait while giving a small, soothing smile so that Avery wouldn't hesitate to say whatever she wanted to say to him.
"Tomorrow I'm going back to Chicago." There was a pause and Avery tried to dig into Edward's sad eyes to make sure the man wouldn't be saddened by the decision she had made. "And I will start all over again. I'm moving out of Chicago," said Avery in one breath.
She saw Edward looking surprised at her words, even with Andrew now looking up at her with a frown.
"Are you so sick of me that you chose to move from Chicago and leave your modeling career?"
"Maybe." Avery replied with a hardened face.
One reason for leaving Chicago may be that she don't want to see that man's face again. But another more basic reason for leaving Chicago is because she doesn't want to be looming over the face of Michiel, who for the past two years has disturbed her life in every corner of Chicago. For almost two years, Michiel has never been absent to follow her doing every photo shoot or follow her when attending a famous event held by the brand that contracted her. Every day Michiel was like a duckling who followed wherever his mother went until that time Avery was annoyed and often yelled at Michiel. But now, Avery regrets doing it because now she just realized that Michiel just wanted to always protect her to make up for all his mistakes in the past.
"I respects your decision, Ave."
"Grandpa will let her go?" asked Andrew doubtfully. He did not think that his grandpa would let Avery go that easily after treating Avery as his own granddaughter.
"Grandpa appreciates the decision Avery made because she is the one leading his own life, not grandpa or you. Since you chose to play with fire behind her, you no longer have the right to Avery's life," said Edward sharply.
Both Avery and Andrew, they were both surprised by the tough attitude Edward had rarely shown them so far. Maybe grandpa can look more tough in front of Michiel because he feels he has full responsibility to educate Michiel to become a real man who is full of responsibility. But in front of Avery and Andrew, Edward never showed his stern attitude which now seemed burning in his sad eyes.
"Sorry for disappointing you, grandpa."
"The only thing I have regretted the most up to now is because I used to bless you more with marrying Avery and making my grandson unhappy during his days. Even though at that time Michiel confessed to me that he loved you, but I actually scolded him for having those feelings for you, Ave. Even though at that time I clearly saw the flames of love in his eyes, but I just didn't want to have a scene in this family over fighting over the same woman. So I continue to encourage him to find other women so as not to disturb your marriage life. If I knew that if you weren't a loyal man, I definitely wouldn't give your blessing. I will make my only grandson happy by marrying Avery and being able to live his life full of joy without being overshadowed by jealousy of not being side by side with the woman he loves."
"Sorry. I didn't know Michiel had such feelings for Avery."
Lie! Andrew would really be lying if he said that because in fact he had known it for a long time. Since he saw Michiel's strange attitude who often teased Avery to the point that his ex-wife was often screaming annoyed, Andrew had suspected that Michiel had more feelings for Avery. But instead of giving his younger brother the chance to be happy, Andrew is even more ambitious to tie Avery up, because then he will be even more proud because he has managed to get what Michiel wants most on earth. His ambition has always been to become the best so that he can get genuine affection from his grandpa. Unfortunately, Michiel always gets more affection than his grandpa, because Michiel is Edward's grandson, while he is just an adopted child who was taken from an orphanage to be a lure so that his adoptive mother would soon become pregnant.
"I guess it's too late for regrets. There is nothing more to regret from a past life. And Avery—" Edward gave Avery the softest look he could give. He wanted Avery to know that he loved her sincerely, as much as he had loved Michiel up to this point.
"I congratulate you and be happy. I never wanted you to be sad. You have to get up and return to your life that is filled with a myriad of achievements. Michiel will definitely not like it if you see you keep on crying over him who is now clearly happy in heaven. So please, get your sweet smile again like before."
Edward stroked the top of Avery's head lightly and gave Avery a warm kiss on the forehead before he walked off to his room. Walking up the stairs with his frail-looking old legs, Avery knew that Edward was walking with so much weight clinging to his shoulders. Letting go of someone who is meaningful in his life is not easy, but he is forced to do it in order to see Avery happy without the shadow of the Thompson family.
-00-
"I'm really sorry."
Nobody know how many sorry words Andrew sent to Avery this morning. Since seeing her standing in the living room with her suitcase beside her body, Andrew has continued to apologize to Avery while showing a face full of regret and wounds. Maybe the man didn't completely dislike Avery. He honestly loves Avery, it's just that he is too complacent about the appearance of his past that accidentally helped him meet all his needs when he had to live apart from Avery because their lives were too busy all this time. And this morning when taking Avery to the airport, Andrew again said sorry to Avery while hugging Avery tightly. It was hard to let Avery go forever. But he also couldn't hold Avery by his side when he had cut such a deep wound in the woman's heart.
"May God always protect you wherever you are." whispered Andrew hoarsely in front of Avery who only had a hardened face in front of him.
"Our home is in Chicago—" Andrew sighed heavily. It was obvious that he had made a difficult choice before he had told it to Avery. "I will sell it, and the sales money will be sent to you by next week at the latest."
Avery frowned in surprise at Andrew. "Why should it be sold? You can occupy it with your lover."
"Oh no. I'd better sell it because it's a house filled with our memories."
In her mind Avery sneered to himself. Andrew indirectly told her that the man wanted to throw away all their memories from the past and did not want to remember them again while living life with his lover. But she thought it was much better. Moreover, rather than containing the memories of the two of them, the house holds more of its memories with Michiel. The man hardly ever spends his day by not visiting her house to mess up. Whether it's sneaking into her bedroom, messing around in her kitchen, or whining around her house to eat food. What was clear was that the house was better sold than used by her or Andrew.
"Later, after I put these things in Rebecca's apartment, I'll go over to the house to pick up the leftovers and say goodbye to them."
"Honestly if you wanted to occupy the house, I wouldn't sell it, Ave." said Andrew languidly.
"Not. You better sell it because I don't know how long I'll be living in Chicago. I think I'm leaving Chicago."
"You mean?" asked Andrew, surprised. The man never thought that Avery had a plan to completely leave her old life behind and live a whole new life.
"I'm moving. But I still don't know where I'm moving. Maybe Paris, LA, Dubai, or wherever. I don't want the old life looming over me, Drew." Avery said softly. It was enough for him to feel intimidated by the gazes of the prospective passengers pacing around her because she had been showing a cynical face all along, while Andrew looked like a desperate man who was suffering.
"I don't even know how Michiel's agency should be taken care of. Companies in Chicago and Columbia are taking up enough of my time. But when I contacted Michiel's attorney this morning, he said that the agency had been handed over to Leander Straight, Michiel's best friend. Have you met him?"
"Nope." replied Avery lazily. In fact, she never bothered to meet Michiel's friends because she was always busy with herself. "Michiel and I are not as close as you think. There are still so many barriers that separate us that I don't really know Michiel's friends. "
"Too bad, even though I hope you know who Leander is because I wanted to meet him and ask him a few things regarding Michiel's agency company."
"What is wrong? Are you afraid that guy will run away from the Mic company?" Avery asked scornfully. It turns out that Andrew is still greedy even though he already owns half of the Pentagon Corp companies that should belong to Michiel.
"Not. You're so mean, Ave." quipped Andrew did not accept.
"Haven't you been like that since long ago? You have ambitions to rule the Pentagon Corp for yourself. I've heard you inciting Mic at night when you guys were chatting in your den over beer. At that time you asked Mic to hand over shares in his name to you and promised him that you will take care of all of it, while you told Mic to focus on the agency. Huh, you have a sweet deceptive face, Drew." Avery sneered heartlessly.
In the past maybe she was too stupid to take all Andrew's tricks, but now she can't be fooled anymore like she used to. Oh my God, Avery couldn't stop blaming Andrew for all the bad luck that happened to Michiel until the end of his life.
"Ave, I think you misunderstood. I don't... "Andrew stopped his sentence when the sound from the speakers above his head overcame his bass voice that was getting swallowed up in the midst of the noise in the airport lobby.
Meanwhile, Avery immediately cheered in her heart when the voice of the airport staff reminded her that the plane to Chicago was about to leave, so all passengers, including herself, were asked to hurry into the cabin. "Your time is up. I go."
Avery left Andrew without a warm goodbye. In fact, she tends to be too cold when she says her perfunctory goodbyes while dragging her black suitcase with her. It all seemed better for Avery. Immediately forget all the bitter memories in Columbia, then she will move on to a better life with someone who is certainly better.
"What the hell are you, Mic! Bring your own suitcase!"
Avery still remembers when they arrived at the airport two weeks ago. Mic and her had a funny argument near the arrival door because Michiel ignorantly put his suitcase on top of the trolley she was pushing. Without realizing it, Avery had tears in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away and immediately went inside the boarding gate. If she wanted to cry, there were still lots of memories that would choke Avery because it reminded her of Michiel. It was not only here that the man left traces, even in her heart, that long ago the man had marked her as his.