January

Chapter 13

Since it was decided that she would join the club, Erine mindlessly toured every single dressmaking store, buying all the equipment and materials she will be needing. 

After staying up late at night, surfing through the internet everything about the fashion industry, especially its requirements, Erine finally gets to this state, looking like a money spender with paper bags and cute colorful plastic bags in both hands.

And beside her was Mrs. Harper, looking at the handful of products on Erine's hand.

"Dear, are you sure you will be needing all of it?" Erine's mother asked with a c****d eyebrow. Reading through the listing, she finally concluded that her daughter might have been scammed. "Are you sure you that they are a real club?" She added jokingly.

Erine's eyes went wide, "It is, mom! And it is the only club that really thought of recruiting someone like me."

"Why do you say some like you?"

Erine didn't answer the question. She had just found a career that she might enjoy, there was no way she should discourage herself. It was just that the word 'talentless' has been attached to her like a bad reputation. And it never left her throughout the years. Now that there is a little hope, there is no telling that this could go on for long.

Mrs. Harper only smiled and pinches Erine's cheeks.

"Oh, I missed your chubby cheeks." Mrs. Harper mocked playfully, obviously trying to make her daughter better.

Erine allowed her to do the pinching but maintained an irritated face throughout the teasing. She misses this alone time with her mother together that she couldn't bring herself to argue anymore. It's as if she went back to being a child again. Well, that was how her mother would always make her feel. Other than her grandmother, her mother was the only ones who had that supernatural sense when it comes to detecting her moods.

"Why? Do you not like my cheeks now?"

Mrs. Harper shakes her head and released her cheeks, only to pinch her nose this time. Erine winced in return.

"I miss your chubby cheeks but I still like them."

Mrs. Harper smiled. When she turns and see an ice cream stand, her eyebrows went up.

"Ice cream?" 

Erine might have refused the offer, but she felt like being a child at the moment so she nodded in agreement.

When Mrs. Harper walked towards the stand, Erine watched as her mother buy two of the same flavors.

Back then, if Erine goes out, she would rather spend time with Elizabeth and Michelle. At other times, she would contact Luke. And when her mother offers to go with her, she would refuse, thinking that she might look like a big baby in front of so many people.

When she has grown enough to realize her mistake, it was already too late to regret all the time she should have spent with her mother.

It was a bright Saturday afternoon, the sun is up in the sky, not harsh on the skin. Still, Erin has worn sunblock lotion and brought an umbrella. She just doesn't like the sweat to go all over her clothes and cling to her body.

She was at the age of forty but it wouldn't be bad if she changes her taste a little according to what a teenager would love to wear on a sunny day. It wasn't hard to find a less revealing spaghetti strap top through the wardrobe, but it surely needs some proper adjustments. She wore it only to put a pink crank top on top, this is to hide the design that says, 'who's your b***h'. A little uncomfortable but as long as she doesn't think about it, she could get used to it.

"So, where should we go next?" Mrs. Harper asks as she hands the chocolate-flavored ice cream.

"Hmm," Erine checks her list, with some materials crossed out, she will be needing three more supplies. "I can't find the remaining ones to the stores we've gone to."

"Let me see." Mrs. Harper grabbed the paper from Erine's hand and reviewed the details. But out of the missing items, one is distinct. "Dressmaker dummy?"

Erine nodded. "Yeah, it's hard to get one. I am even thinking of buying one in the clothes stores if I don't find one at the end of the day."

"Isn't it already provided at the school?"

Erine stops for a while.

It must have been because of her excitement, but Erine didn't inquire the leader about what she really needs in the club. She just surfed the internet. What's worse is she hasn't even submitted her registration form.

As she gets to think of all this, she realized how careless she has been. She is forty years old, mentally, and didn't even make any wise decisions.

Sighing, Erine sits on one of the benches, that happens to be just beside them. Worried, Mrs. Harper followed and joined her on the bench.

"What is it, honey?"

"I--" Erine rubbed her forehead with her fingers. "I don't even know if these are requirements for the club. I don't know the details yet, even the activities that the club has."

"Oh." Mrs. Harper said, unbothered by her careless decision. "That's just like you."

Hearing this, Erine turns her head to her mother who placed the strand of hair at the back of her ear.

"Like me?"

Mrs. Harper nodded, "Yes, I'm even surprised that you didn't throw a tantrum when you realized your mistake."

The thought of her past outbursts make Erine cower in embarrassment, but she smiled at the memory.

"I was immature back then."

This made the older woman crease her forehead, "You're talking as if that was already in the past. You behaved just recently and you think you will be able to stay that way at your age?"

Erine didn't say a word, to prevent herself from spilling something she might regret.

"Change doesn't happen over time," Mrs. Harper said before finally finished the last piece of her ice cream cone. "It's okay to change slowly. And if this change comes because of someone, I think that's something really special."

Erine lowers her gaze and looked over her ring finger, where her wedding ring was once has been. 

Something from the future travels in her mind.

When she had her firstborn child, her mother wasn't there to even hold her first granddaughter. She passed away before she could even get pregnant. That time, Erine wanted her mother to hold her child, wanted to tell her what had become of her marriage and how Luke took really good care of her.

But all these things had their fair share of bad things. Like how she comes to regret not spending much time with her.

Now, that she's here beside her, the thing that she really hopes she could talk to her mother could not be shared, ever.

Erine felt helpless with this thought.

"I'm going to be marrying a decent man." Erine muttered out of the blue. "A good man who respects me."

Mrs. Harper turns her gaze at her child, wondering if she had heard the younger one correctly. "Really? It's the decent man now? What happened to the prince charming with his horse, and his huge kingdom?"

Erine mumbles, "Mom."

The older woman only laughed in glee.

When she finally stood up, Erine followed and walked with her side by side.

"But if you did really marry one, I'd like to see him first." She said, smiling profoundly. "He'd have to go through me first."

What about father? Though Erine knew why her father wasn't included anymore. Her past self might not notice it but even if the divorce happened, her father has always been gone from the picture. And it pains here that she might not be able to save their marriage.

Erine looks at their path,  footsteps getting heavier as she continues the thought about a broken image of a family, just like the two shadows that the two of them emits.

"Mom," Erine called. "No matter what happens...," Erine swallowed, "It's going to be alright."

Mrs. Harper only smiled and offered her hand, which Erine gladly accepted.

"Thank you."

Those words meant a lot to both of them.

They decided to eat an evening meal at their usual restaurant. This place is special to both of them because this is where Erine's father used to take them when they have family outings.

They're already settled by one of the seats, had already ordered for their meal and they were just waiting for it to arrive.

"This place never changed," Mrs. Harper commented, exploring the place with a fond smile.

Before they get to the place, Erine refused to dine there. There are many places to pick, ones with proper meals and proper atmosphere, but she just have to be in this one. Which clearly states that her mother must be missing the time she spent together with Erine's father.

Erine wasn't sure then if her mother still has feelings when she divorced her dad. They had times spent together, so it must be that hard.

"Mom, this place is so ancient." Erine summoned her bratty attitude at a situation like this. This was to cover up the real reason why she didn't want to dine there. "Did you see the statues looking at you by the entrance? So creepy."

Erine's mother only laughed at the remark loudly.

"Come on, Erine. You used to love going in here, why the sudden hate for this place?"

Erine crossed her arms and pretended to be a teenager in her tantrum to further express her disgust at the place.

"Oh, honey." Mrs. Harper grinned. "I promise this will be the last time we eat here."

It was hard to hear this kind of voice coming to her mother.

The once supposed to be a blissful place full of happy memories is now like a nightmare to her.

"Yes, it might be." Mrs. Harper muttered under her breath, more like she was reminding herself. She composes herself and in a split moment, all the past emotion in her eyes went away. "And what did I tell you about that kind of attitude Miss Erine Harper?"

Automatically, Erine fixed herself on the seat. The tone of voice was the usual one she would use whenever it was time for Erine to be serious.

Erine unhooked her arms together and straightened her back.

"I'm sorry, mom." Erine whispered before gulping a mouthful of tea by the glass in front of her. "I was wrong."

The smile returned in Mrs. Harper's mouth, only that it was a smile that warns her if she misbehaves once more.

That's when the waiter arrived carrying their meals. Erine's appetite was activated by the familiar aroma that filled her nostrils. It's been a long time since she ate at the restaurant. She never really have the nerve to step inside the restaurant anymore, that's why Erine had forgotten how good the meal was when she grab a spoonful of the pasta dish.

"Look at the one who said who doesn't want to eat here." Mrs. Harper teased, wiping the sauce that stained the side of Erine's mouth.

"I'm hungry." Erine only said as she intentionally puts another food in her mouth, which is already full at the moment.

"Do not talk when your mouth is full."

With the reminder, Erine grinned widely, showing her perfect set of teeth filled with the pasta sauce.

They finished their meal while they chat, not even the name of the family member absent on that special day was mentioned ever again. It was just a time for the mother and daughter, nothing much.

"How's the Chicken Alfredo pasta?" Mrs. Harper asked as she passes the payment to the waitress.

"It's good, I had to admit," Erine said with a smile.

They were in the middle of another round of teasing when Erine heard a crashing sound inside the restaurant. When she checked the commotion, a guy who has his back from her view was scolding a waiter, demanding the presence of the manager.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I will call the manager immediately--"

"Make it quick, I am not here to wait."

Erine's eyebrows knitted together at the sound of the voice. It sounded familiar, Erine just couldn't tell yet whose was it.

"Erine, come back here."

Mrs. Harper tried to pull Erine away who by now is approaching the scene, pushing some of the gossiping people away until she could finally see the boy. Grabbing his wrist, she turns him and she met a pair of blue eyes.

Erine blinks, "Prince?!" She exclaimed.

Prince seemed surprised by her presence for a moment as if a child caught in the act, but then his expression changed when he saw someone behind her.

"She-- She--" Prince was now looking like he had seen a ghost as he points his finger at a person standing, probably just beside her.

When Erine turns, it was Mrs. Harper who just came into the scene.

"Now, Erine, what are you doing here?"

She grabs Erine wrist and was about to pull her out of the crowd when Prince talked again.

"Uh, wait!" Prince said, sounding desperate. "Please, wait."

This made the two stop from leaving, even the crowd went quiet. 

"Just wait."

Now the boy was looking at the both of them, back and forth, disbelief was written all over his face.

It was a grueling quiet moment until Miss Harper finally decided to break the awkward silence, "Who is this young man?"