When they were going back, the two families separated themselves in each car. Alek took her usual seat on the right, behind her mother. Kai sat next to her and, Bia sat next to him.
Alek was thinking about Alex. She felt extremely guilty for not seeing his message and meeting him. So the whole journey back to the house, she was constantly sighing. Even though she didn't like to sigh because there is a saying in Japan that every time you sigh, happiness runs away. She couldn't help it. He was her best friend since primary school.
Everyone heard Alek sigh for the nth time and, they knew she was feeling bad for Alec. They wanted to spend some family time since Astraea's family was also here. But when they saw her face, they knew what to do. Let Alek do whatever she wanted. It was her birthday, after all, and they have spent enough time with her for the past few days.
Astraea guys reached the house before the owners and were waiting for them to open. They didn't have the keys to the house.
"Mum, can I go to Alex's?" Alek asked her mother as soon as she was out of the car.
"Of course." Panacea already saw this coming. Plus, Alek had a sad face with pleading eyes. She knew she couldn't say no.
"Thanks. Is it okay with you, dad? I promise to come back before seven and, Alex will drop me home." Alek thanked her mother and asked her father. He wasn't strict on Alek meeting people but, he was always worried about her safety. As long as she had someone to drop her home every time, he had no problem.
"Okay." Robin answered. Alex always dropped Alek home when it was dark and, he could trust him.
Alek hugged her father before getting into the house her mother just opened. She ran to her room to grabbed a shoulder bag. In it, she carried a book, a note, a pen, candies and a pepper spray she was given by her family for protection. She put on a watch that she was given years ago on her birthday by Alex. It had a blue strap with delicate golden butterflies replacing some of the numbers on the watch dial.
She rarely wore this watch even though she loved it so much. She was scared of scratching and losing this watch by her best friend.
Alek smiled at the watch and touched it tenderly. She quickly closed her middle-sized, brown bag and ran out of the room. She shouted 'bye' from the entrance before carefully running to her friend's house. She didn't want to lose any more time. She hadn't told Alex that she was coming. But, she knew she was always welcome there, as his mother said so.
"What was that?" Lake watched his niece running at the speed that he didn't know she was capable of. He knew what happened in the past and she wasn't completely healed. "I didn't know she could run like that." He mumbled to himself.
"She is off to meet her best friend. It has been weeks since the last time they met. She is probably excited." Panacea told her brother-in-law with a small sigh.
"I see." Lake said that and went to the guest room where his wife was.
Alek ran for about eight minutes to Alec's house. She was panting heavily but, she didn't damage her right foot so, she had only had difficulty breathing.
She was still catching her breath when the door opened, and Alex came out. "Alek?" He kind of felt that someone he was familiar with was outside the house before he left the room to check. And he was right.
Alek put up her index finger to wait until she was able to speak. "Yes. It's me." She went to the door where her best friend was standing and gave him a hug.
Alex hugged her back and let her inside the house. His mother shouted from the kitchen to know who came and, he shouted back to her mother, saying it was Alek. His mother, Victoria (usually Vicki), came in haste when she heard it was Alek who visited them. She knew today was her birthday, and she quickly hugged her.
"Hello, my sweet girl!! Happy birthday!!" Vicki told the girl she thought of as her daughter.
"Hello, aunt Vicki. And thank you." Alek told her as she was released from the hug. Alex mother was a woman of many hobbies, and she had learnt many things from her. Vicki had the same grayish eyes as Alex's and, they looked like when they smiled. "Is uncle Randall here?"
"He is not. He went for a business trip the day before yesterday." Vicki told her. Randall is her husband and, he was a businessman.
"I see." Alek didn't know about that. He had missed her uncle. He usually told her about myths and legends like her grandmother.
"Well, I didn't know you were coming so, I haven't prepared anything but I will bake something." Vicki knew Alek loved sweets. "How about chocolate apple pie? Oh, wait. No! I will make a fruit cake with chocolate cream. How is that?" Vicki asked Alek. She was good with baking and cooking and, she had taught some of her recipes to Alek. And most of the time, Vicki made chocolate apple pie when Alek came over. She loves it always but, she wanted to try something new.
"No need for a cake, auntie." Alek knew how much time and energy were consumed when baking. But Vicki acted like she didn't hear Alek and went back to the kitchen to bake. Alek laughed at her aunt's attitude before she followed Alec upstairs to his room.
They entered his room and started talking. "I've missed you, Alex!" Alek told him. It felt like it had been years since they last met.
"I've missed you too, Alek!" Alex told her as he sat down on the bed and Alek sat in front of him. "I've got tea."
Alek adjusted herself comfortably on his soft green bed. "What is it?"
"It's Mel." Mel (Melvin) is the boyfriend of Alec. They have been dating since they were seventeen. "He got a new friend."
Both Aleks or Alecs screamed in happiness while holding each other's hands. Melvin was deaf and was the same age as both of them. They don't go to the same school because he goes to a deaf school but, for Alek, he was both a friend and best friend's boyfriend. He understood Alek like Alex.
"Yeah! Finally! Our boy is growing." Alek put her hand on her mouth. She thought she was going to cry from excitement. The three met when they were fifteen at a local shop when Melvin was having a hard time trying to understand the cashier. Around that time, Aleks were watching a series about deaf people and the community, and they knew some sign language. They helped him, and they became friends after that. And after two years, Alex and Melvin became lovers.
"I know, right!! I am so proud!" Alex was also overwhelmed by the news. His boyfriend was shy and not talkative when they first met but, now he was actually making friends.
"We will video call him later." Alek said. She wanted to congratulate him, but he lived a bit far from this place so she couldn't call him here. "Oh yeah. Have you met my cousins before? They are staying with us for I don't know how many days."
"Oh, is that why you weren't at home? And I have not met your cousins." Alex said. "Ooh, I almost forgot about your gifts!" He went behind Alek to get the gifts. "Here."
"Aww, thank you, Alex." There were three of them. They were large, medium and small bags. They were all from different shops.
"Open it!" Alec told her excitingly. Alek opened the big, light blue bag first. It contained a navy blue hoodie with some white lines. And little above the chest, it was written 'Satisfied' in cursive font.
"Wow! I love it." It was her style and, he knew it well. She immediately wore it and, it gave her a warm feeling.
"Now open the next one." Alec pushed the other bags to Alek. He wanted to see Alek's reaction.
Alek opened a middle-sized, baby pink coloured bag. It was a book that she had been wanting to read. "Is this 'Not The Truth' by Skyla Tori?" She asked.
"Yep. " Alex said with a smile and, Alek opened the book. She smelled the freshly printed ink and saw the autograph of someone on the first page. "Oh my gosh! Is this real?" It was Skyla Tori's autograph and, it was addressed to Alek with a short message.
"Yep." Alec said. "There was a signing event last month in the next city, and I asked her if she could write a short message because it's your birthday gift. She accepted it without hesitation so, here it is." Alec told her proudly.
"Alex. You are the best best friend I can ever have!" Alek hugged him as she placed the book back into the bag. Getting her autograph is one of the hardest things you can do and, she was really grateful to Alec.
"No problem." Alex pulled away from Alek and gave her the last bag. "And here is the last one."
Alek was already teary by the gifts that her best friend had prepared. She smiled and opened the small, black bag. There, she saw a sunflower curved ring with jewerllery on top of its middle parts. It was golden and breathtaking. "I can't take this." She told him. It was beautiful and she loved it but she knew its expensive. He had done enough for her.