Eyes on Iris

9. Goodbyes

“Is it the same when I feel sad whenever my pony gets sick? I get so scared,” Morgan asked cautiously. She looked up and tugged the hem of her mother’s leather jacket.

Conflicted, Iris bit her lip and shot Hunter a meaningful look. She did not know what to say. Should she agree? Wouldn’t it be too early to explain something as complicated as death to a four-year-old girl?

On the other hand, she also believed that it would be a good thing to educate a child as early as possible. This way, she would have an idea of how to deal with the situation should she ever encounter it again. She wanted her daughter to be sensitive and tactful—especially around people carrying a heavy burden in their hearts.

She straightened her back, trying to find the words to say.

“It’s almost the same, honey. Just almost,” Bella cooed, breaking the awkward silence.

“Because?” Morgan prodded.

“Because your pony can still get better. You can still ride her when she’s healthy again,” Hunter answered, eyeing the little girl with a friendly grin on his face.

Morgan tilted her head a little, seemingly considering the words before nodding.

“But when you mourn, that means you have already lost your pony,” Hunter continued patiently.

“You mean she’s dead?” Morgan looked up at Hunter, taking a step forward. Her eyes glimmered with joy, excited at the newly acquired knowledge.

Iris winced. She was aware of her child’s thirst for learning. She was in no way against it. It just so happened that the place and circumstances were too gloomy to feel enthusiastic. Fidgeting, she stared at Hunter’s expression, only to see the man smiling bitterly.

“Yes, if your pony died, it means you will never see her again nor have the chance to ride her. So, you mourn when you feel sad. We wear black or white to respect those who passed away.”

Pursing her lips, she locked her gaze on Hunter. In a flash, she saw a glint of amusement and fondness in his eyes. But just when she opened her mouth to say something, he let out a wry smile.

“It’s so good to see you, Irised.”

Irised…

Her heart thumped. It was her real name, and only Hunter loved to call her that way. It meant iridescent—a word that meant having the colors of a rainbow. Her father told her he wanted her to live a colorful life when he gave her that name.

Unfortunately, Iris’ vibrant life turned into a bleak haze of gray—a far cry from her parents’ wishes.

“It’s been so long, Hunter,” she murmured.

“Indeed, it is! Don’t you want to give me a hug?”

Rising to his feet, Hunter averted his gaze from Morgan. He raised a brow and eyed Iris meaningfully while he stretched his arms wide open, welcoming her for a bear hug. A little smirk played at the corner of his lips that made her smile in response. Quietly, she stepped into his embrace with her hand patting his back as if it could help soothe his broken heart.

“It’s so good to see you back,” she whispered against his lean chest.

“Same here.”

When she broke away from the hug, she found Hunter staring back at her daughter. Proudly, she lightly pushed Morgan forward to encourage the little girl to introduce herself.

“Hello, Mr Handsome. My name is Morgan Turner. I’m so pleased to meet you.”

With eyes sparkling in amusement, Hunter chuckled lightly. He grinned and ruffled Morgan’s hair once more, as if he found her very entertaining. Iris watched Morgan frown as she arranged her messed up braids with her tiny hands.

“I did not know you had a child,” he commented, his gaze focused on the little girl. This time, the fondness in his eyes was evident as he said, “She looks just like you when you were little. But so much smarter… Hi Morgan. I’m so pleased to meet you too. You can call me Uncle Hunter.”

Morgan nodded and smiled in response before tilting her head, grabbing the hem of Bella’s dress, seemingly shy. But Iris knew better. She could tell that the two were having some telepathic conversation about the gorgeous man while they remained quiet.

Iris rolled her eyes. “She’s almost five. She inherited my genes. Of course, she’s smart.”

“Fine. Let’s say she’s got better eyes then,” he conceded, raising both his arms in the air. Then he shook his head and added, “Look at you. You’re already a mom, yet still not a flair of femininity. Still a tomboy, aren’t you?”

“Shut up. I’m not a tomboy.”

Scowling, she punched his arm playfully. Hunter was the only person who had the guts to call her a tomboy. With her looks and confidence, she maintained an image of a sophisticated woman despite working on the ranch and training horses with her jeans and boots. According to Bela, she has an air of arrogance that deters people from approaching her. Yet, her childhood friend was there, shamelessly reminding her of memories from the past. Back in the day, Old Mr Kingston would tell her that it was her charm and not to mind Hunter’s teasing.

Oh, how she missed those days!

Hunter caught her wrist, looking at her affectionately.

“You haven’t changed a bit, little girl,” he uttered softly, pushing the errant locks away from her face. Then he caressed her cheek gently.

Iris shivered, her vision growing blurry. The gesture seemed to unlock all the memories kept deep within her heart and mind. When the tears finally escaped her eyes, Hunter pulled her close, and she sobbed in his arms. She wondered how the man could remain cool and nonchalant in such a heartbreaking situation.

While she drove to the funeral, she contemplated a lot of things. She did not know how to strike up a conversation and express her sympathies. She was aware of Hunter’s stable and strong character, but she was worried about him bottling up his emotions. It appears the years they spent apart brought so much doubt into her heart. She felt as though they were nothing but strangers.

Yet, here he was, talking about death to her daughter like it was something so simple to discuss… so easy to accept… as if he was doing great.

But she could tell he wasn’t.

The calmer Hunter was, the more he was hiding.

“I… I’m so sorry…” she mumbled in between sobs, struggling to free herself from his embrace as she calmed herself. She couldn’t break down in front of him—not when he was more devastated than she ever was.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Bella’s jaws dropping in surprise. Her best friend had seen how she had always kept a distance from the opposite s*x after her failed marriage. That was probably the first time the woman saw her throwing herself into a man’s arms—not once, but twice!

Iris faked a cough to break the awkwardness that was growing inside her.

“This is Bella. She’s my best friend,” she introduced, feeling her cheeks burn from the late introduction.

Bella extended her arm courteously and tactfully said, “Hi, I’ve heard a lot about you, Mr Kingston. My condolences.”

Hunter squinted his eyes while shaking Bella’s hand.

This did not escape Iris’ observation. She noticed how his expression changed when she mentioned the words best friend. Of course, she understood why it had such an impact on the man. After all, they used to be each other’s best buddies. But since they hadn’t seen each other for a very long time, she thought it was only normal for them to find new close friends. Though she still wanted to be Hunter’s best friend, she thought it would be far-fetched, since she felt like they were nothing but strangers with a fond history.

“Thank you for dropping by Bella,” Hunter replied briefly.

Leisurely slipping his hands back into the pockets of his pants, Hunter motioned them to get inside the chapel. Bella glanced at Iris and followed closely. When they were inside, a sudden stream of stares gathered in their group.

Iris was not surprised. She had already gotten accustomed to the attention. But at that moment, she was wondering about the reason for the attentiveness of the crowd. Was it because of her, the controversial divorcee? Hunter, the prodigal son? Or the fact that they were together?

Swallowing hard, she held Morgan’s little hand tighter and picked up the pace. She may be used to the prying eyes, but she never liked it… And never will.

Hah! This is probably the kind of look I will be getting for the rest of my life in this little town!

She pursed her lips.

“You seem to have gotten a lot more popular than before, huh,” said Hunter, smirking in her direction.

Iris stiffened upon hearing the comment. Embarrassed, she flashed a diffident smile without bothering to explain. It was not the place and time to talk about her.

When they stopped in front of Old Mr Kingston’s casket, she wheezed. Then she shot Bella a meaningful look and nudged her to the side. Astutely, the latter took Morgan to a corner to sit and enjoy some snacks that were being served.

As a mother, she believed that seeing a dead person at the age of four was not an excellent idea.

“I am so sorry for your loss, Hunter,” she whispered, her eyes glued on Old Mr Kingston’s peaceful remains. The fact that he was never going to open his eyes again stung her. She wished she could tell the old man that she would never forget him.

“It’s not something we can predict or stop,” Hunter replied solemnly.

She kept mum, unable to refute him.

“We must accept this fact. Parents leave the children or vice versa. People die. It’s the cycle of life.”

Lowering her head, Iris wiped away the tears that formed in her eyes when she heard the cr*ck in Hunter’s voice. Growing up with him gave her a deep understanding of his character. Showing weakness was the last thing he would do. He had maintained a strong and dependable exterior to the point of being awkward.

But she knew him too well.

His grief may not be shown through his actions and facial expressions, but his words did.

His words always did…

Iris swallowed her tears and tried to muster an optimistic tone as she said, “But not all goodbyes are bad, right?”