Chapter 17
899 Words
"Have you gone to see your mother recently?" The older woman asked again.
The question settled between them like a stone dropped into still water.
For a moment, Asia didn't answer.
Asia lowered her eyes to the teacup in her hands.
"No."
Her grandmother sighed quietly.
"When was the last time you did?"
Asia thought for a moment.
"Three months ago."
Her grandmother frowned.
"That long?"
Asia nodded.
The older woman remained silent for several seconds before reaching over and gently covering Asia's hand with hers.
"You should visit her."
A faint smile appeared on Asia's lips.
"I knew you were going to say that."
"Because it's true."
Asia stared out at the garden.The little children running around reminded her of simpler times,Before everything had become complicated.
"Grandma," she said quietly, "I've spent years visiting her."
The older woman didn't interrupt.
"I've spent years trying."
Her voice remained calm.
"I visited when she didn't recognize me."
She paused.
"I visited when she did recognize me but pretended I wasn't there."
Another pause.
"I visited when she blamed me for things that weren't my fault."
Her grandmother's grip tightened slightly.
Asia continued staring ahead.
"At some point, I stopped knowing whether I was visiting because I wanted to see her or because I felt guilty if I didn't."
The older woman's eyes softened.
"My poor girl,I know it’s really hard right now but she’s still your mother”.
Asia laughed quietly.
"That's exactly what Dad would say if he was here”.
The mention of her father immediately changed the atmosphere.
Her grandmother smiled sadly.
"Well I’m his mother you know, he takes after me…” she chuckled to clear the sadness in the air.
Across the garden, one of her uncles immediately pointed toward them.
"And he talked a lot… I’m sure he took that from your grandma too”.he jokingly added.
The entire table burst into laughter.
For a few moments, the heaviness disappeared.Asia watched her family bicker with familiar affection.
The Richmore family was loud,Sometimes exhausting but they loved fiercely.
And for the first time in a very long while, she allowed herself to simply enjoy being surrounded by people who wanted nothing from her.
As the evening stretched on, stories began flowing around the table.
Most of them somehow involved her father.
Asia listened quietly while her uncles recalled one ridiculous memory after another.
Apparently, her father had once driven six hours because a seven-year-old Asia had called him crying over a school competition she was convinced she would lose.
Another story involved him threatening to buy an entire ice cream shop because she had cried when her favorite flavor was sold out.
The stories became increasingly ridiculous and somehow, every single one sounded believable.
"He spoiled you rotten," one uncle declared.
"Absolutely."
Asia rolled her eyes.
"You all act like I was difficult."
"But…You were."
"I was not."she protested.
"You convinced your father to buy a pony."
"I was eight."she chuckled.
"You convinced him to buy two."
The table exploded with laughter.
For the first time in months, Asia found herself laughing until her stomach hurt.
As the gathering slowly began winding down, relatives started saying their goodbyes as the Cars departed to their various homes.
The garden gradually grew quieter.
Eventually, only Asia and her grandmother remained beneath the string lights.
The older woman sipped her tea thoughtfully.
Then she spoke.
"A smile always looks good on you”.
Asia froze.
“Hmm…It’s been a while since I last had one of those”.
Her grandmother’s expression changed as the older woman looked more worried than before.
“Look at me Asia…”.she gently tilted asia’s face to the side.
“Are you really happy…?”.
For several seconds, asia simply stared at the dark liquid inside her cup.
Her grandmother waited patiently.
Eventually, Asia let out a small breath.
"I don't know."
somewhere along the way, she'd forgotten what happiness was supposed to feel like.
The older woman nodded slowly.
"I thought so."
Asia looked up.
Her grandmother slightly tightened her grip on her palm.
"You've been surviving for a long time…I’m sure if your father was alive he’d want you to be happy. We all want you to be…”.
Asia was fully turned to face the older woman now, she could see genuine concern in her eyes.
She leaned in closer to hug her and found herself holding on longer than she planned.
The older woman reached across the table and squeezed her hand again.
"Then we'll fix that."
Asia blinked.
"We?"
"Of course."
The determination in her grandmother's voice made her laugh.
"You make it sound easy."
"It isn’t but…we just have to try. Anything to see my grand baby happy”.
Her grandmother smiled mysteriously.
"Tomorrow, we're going somewhere."
Asia frowned.
"Where?"
"You'll see."
"Grandma."
"No you can’t make me spill…”.
"But…Grandma."she whined like a little girl.
The older woman waved dismissively.
"It's a surprise."
Asia groaned.
"I hate surprises."
"No, you don't."
"Yes, I do."
"You’ve always loved surprises since when you were ten."
"Well…I am not ten anymore."
Her grandmother smiled.
"We just have to see tomorrow….You'll thank me."
With that, she turned and headed toward the house.
Leaving Asia sitting beneath the warm garden lights.
Watching her go.
Wondering what exactly her grandmother had planned.
- Writer
