They drove for about ten minutes before arriving at Nick's home.
It was her mother's idea, and while she also wanted to see Jared and Naomi, but Nick's presence made her feel less confident.
They were like family, having shared so much together when Nick's parents were alive.
Every time her mother visited, memories flooded back, making her feel as if they were still there, their voices clear in her mind.
This was where she had seen her husband joyful and relaxed. They had danced, laughed, eaten, and prayed together as a family, but those days faded year by year, leaving her alone with her grandchildren.
Nick was a lumberman, very passionate about timber processing, particularly in furniture production, and was a master of resin furnitures. With a college prize, he opened a craft studio in Ottawa, but his small business never took off. After his father's death, he returned home and never resumed his studies.
"Hey, boys and girls!" Alexandra's mother called out to Naomi and Jared, who were playing nearby.
"Grandma!" they both shouted, racing toward her.
"Aww, look at you! You're growing so fast!
How are you?" she said, hugging them.
"F-fine," they replied, greeting Alexandra.
"Auntie!"
"Hi!" she responded.
"I brought you snacks. Do you like having one?"
"Where are they?" Jared asked impatiently.
"These are mine, Jared! Last time you ate them all!" Naomi reported to her aunt.
"Haha, kids!" she laughed.
"Wooow!" Naomi exclaimed as she spotted the snacks.
"So you take yours, and he takes his, right?"
"Yep, Auntie," Naomi replied.
"Let's go inside, and you two can tell me what you've been up to today," Grandma added, leading the way.