Cassidy felt a relaxed air around her when she arrived at the beach.
This was second on her list of places to find him.
Devin had told her previously that he loved to spend time in the beach but especially to build sand castles which he loved.
He had told her how he wished to become a prince someday or her knight in shining armour.
And the smile on his face when he said all those things meant more than the entire world to her.
If only she could bring back the same smile.
While she was drowned in her thoughts, a little girl child pulled her hands.
" Please, play with me."
The child looked up at her while talking.
The mild breeze brushed past her light skin.
It made her silky hair sway from side to side in an attractive manner.
" Okay, I'll play with you."
The child smiled broadly and pulled her hand.
Her smile was child-like and her laughter was unburdened and light.
They both walked to a corner and Cassidy bent down so that they could be of the same height.
" I want to mould a castle."
Cassidy patted her head lovingly and smiled.
The castle reminded her of a song she'd once known.
All she knew with Devin was left untold. They were beaten by a broken dream and it was nothing like it used to be.
They've been chasing their demons down an empty road.
They watched their castle turn into dust.
And after escaping their shadows, they ended up here once more.
And they both knew that it wasn't the world they had in mind.
But they had time.
They were stuck on answers that they couldn't find.
Before she could move her mind to the castle, someone passed by.
She glanced at him from behind.
He looked familiar.
A charming smile appeared on her face.
" Devin?"
The stranger didn't budge.
" Devin?"
She pulled his shoulder gently and when he turned, that charming smile on her face turned into a chortle.
" I'm so sorry. I... I.. thought... you were someone else."
He flashed a smile.
" It's okay."
Cassidy ambled towards the child as she looked lost.
" Aunty, are you okay?"
The child pulled her hand.
Her tiny voice seemed to knock some consciousness into Cassidy who sighed softly and nodded slowly.
Just how much longer would she have to wait and search?
This question, she didn't have an answer to.
But, she knew that as long as she still breathed, there was hope and he was alive.
She only needed to exercise patience and just some more.
Time ticked by and soon the weather became gloomy.
She quickly bade the child and her family goodbye and hailed a cab which took her home.
****
Cassidy click clack clicked on the tiled floor, each step echoing out a cry of, " I'm here! I'm here!"
She wanted to howl her brother's name when a thought that they might be asleep hit her.
She frowned upon the fact that she couldn't have that conversation with her mother earlier.
Quickly, she treaded with caution on the staircase which led to her room.
***
Cassidy woke up feeling strange the next morning.
The feeling refused to go away even when she heard her mother's jovial hum reverberate in the entire house.
She emerged out of her bed and staggered towards the stairs.
Her sudden impetuous rush made her mother think something was amiss.
When Cassidy opened her mouth a few times and nothing came out, she knew something was definitely strange.
She did have something to say but what?
" Child, are you fine?"
Her mother's words made her consciousness bounce back.
Mrs Nicholas stretched her hands to examine the temperature of her child.
" Tsk... I'm fine, mom. There isn't any need for father to examine me."
Her mother stared at her perplexed.
" You wanted to tell me something, mom?"
Mrs Nicholas shifted her gaze and Cassidy noticed her long blinks.
Her unwarranted laughter told her that there was more to it.
She shook her head while she said yes.
" Which one? Yes or no?"
Mrs Nicholas bit her lower lip and held Cassidy's hands together with her clammy hands.
How many more lies was she going to conceal?
Would it remain that way for the rest of her life - their lives?
The truth always hurt the most, at least that was what people said... but whichever way, it has to be open ( whether now or later.)
" Mummy, mummy!" Kevin yelped from his room.
Just the time Mrs Nicholas had been waiting for!
She galloped and ran into Kevin's room.
Cassidy hissed in exasperation and while she turned to leave, her father's honking caught her attention.
The most dreaded man was back home!
There wasn't any need to scamper away in fear again.
She would just have a change of clothes and come back for breakfast with the family.
****
Cassidy wasn't eavesdropping on her mother's conversation... she had accidentally heard some things that she wanted to take off her mind.
Well, there was still time for that.
She made a coughing sound that made her parents and brother stare at her.
" Well, dad, I need something urgently."
She dabbed her mouth with the table towel.
" I'm listening," he replied hoarsely.
" Dad, it's an emergency. "
She dropped the table towel.
" I need some money for.."
Mr Nicholas Peters' exasperated sigh made her halt in the sentence completion.
She got a hint of what was coming her way by the way his brown eyes looked her way.
" How much of a disappointment are you going to be to this family?" he questioned.
Again, he had called her a disappointment.
But, this time she was fully aware of everything.
She won't accept it anymore.
" At your age, you shouldn't be asking me for money. I won't love to have a child who depends on rich daddy's money. Learn to make yours."
Veins in his neck stood out in livid ridges.
" Please, don't treat her like that. She's still tender."
Mrs Nicholas dropped her cup of coffee reluctantly.
" Spare me that! Tender? Do you call a lady in her twenties tender?" he hissed impatiently.
Kevin stared in bewilderment.
" Stop treating her like a child! She should learn to work for whatever she desires."
Cassidy glanced coldly at her parents.
Her father should have said it earlier.
She could have left long ago.
What made him think she would continue to depend on his money for so much time?
She had plans that soon would become a reality.
She might just be a girl but she wasn't a failure!
She wasn't a disappointment.
He had no right to call her that and she was going to show him what stuff she had been made of.
She was going to make sure he saw it and testified to it.