Magic Ball: the Billionaire in Ranch

62 Summer Vacation is Over

The clicking of the clock served as a sign that someone needs to break the Wall of Silence.

Coughing, Mr. Martin was strong enough to face his fears. “Son, you know wherever your mother goes, I go to.”

He knew about that. The husband and wife should always be together. It's a given fact, and it shall always be so.

Raising his eyes, he beheld their solemn expression. One was thinking he had led their son into believing they'd live here. On the other hand, the other thought he'd be able to fulfill a childhood dream he put aside.

It was two different reasons. Two different people. Two different perspectives.

“I know.” It was the only word that Noah can come-up with. “To be honest, it’s already up to the both of you. I will never hold a grudge to the people who gave life to me.”

His smile never faltered, but Noah knew to himself that he was a tad bit disappointed. But these people have lives, and sometimes, those lives do not equate to the same dimension of his own circle.

And the only thing he should do about it is to accept it.

“I’m sorry, honey,” the cushion next to him plopped. It was gentle, and so he knew immediately that it was his mother.

Frail arms wrapped around his shoulder, “I’m sure you have spent a lot of money on the room decorations.”

Caressing her mother’s hand, Noah's mouth upturned, "Surprisingly, I did spend a lot of money. But I spent it because I wanted to do so."

“See what you did to my boy?” Noah’s father occupied the seat on his other side.

Mrs. Martin glared at him from the other side. Now, Noah’s sandwiched between two opposing forces driven by their own personal reasons.

"For the record, I really wanted to stay here…" his father's reply was honest, and he appreciates it.

His eyes smiled, “I know,” he faced his father. “It’s your dream, am I right?”

For a moment, there was silence. But it wasn't uncomfortable. It was all-knowing. It was, somewhat a realization, perhaps a contemplation on the word that hadn't slip out his father's tongue once.

Mrs. Martin grew silent, as well. She leaned her back on the sofa, her hands cupping her knees. She tucked a loose white strand behind her ears. The pearl glinting from the sun’s light.

Inhaling deep, Mr. Martin had his hands—not around Noah’s shoulder—on Noah’s face. He cupped it gently, a genuine smile plastered on his face. It was better than the sun lending its shine on the glasses covering the farm house's windowpane.

Ages went by ever since he had seen it. His father’s smile was a treasure found in the deepest parts of the sea. And if he wouldn’t dig deep, it wouldn’t have resurfaced.

“Exactly.”

The shimmer that showed on his father’s eyes made his heart pound. His chest constricted, and suddenly, the thought of breathing was no longer an option. It spread all over his body.

Mrs. Martin couldn’t hide the joy on her beautiful face, despite the crow’s feet that appeared at the end of her eyes, “Dear, Noah made that dream come true.”

Mr. Martin’s hand slid over Noah’s broad shoulders, “Indeed,” the genuine smile still there. “We’ll come back.”

Noah had his eyes on the window’s glass. The sky was visible, and he liked it very much.

“I’m sure you will.” 

Elijah and her wife, Meredith, came later that week.

The kids were surprised upon their arrival. Noah and the rest of the family didn't want to spoil the children's surprise, so they opted to keep it a secret that their parents are already on their way to Noah’s Stream Ranch.

Emma was playing in the mud. Nancy watched from afar. She was doing her chores with Wynn, and at the same time, both of them were watching the children on the grass.

Looping the rope with her hand, Nancy can see them from her peripheral view. Wynn was across her, and he was reaching his bare hands toward a hungry Bean. The stallion eyed him for a while. He couldn’t reach the carrot. His mouth was inches away from munching on his favorite treat, but Wynn was too busy looking at Nancy while Nancy was preoccupied with looking out for the children.

Bean evidently couldn’t wait for her food. He neighed, and it was loud enough that the hens at the other side of the barn began to panic from the noise.

“Hey, hey!” Wynn pulled at the strings of Bean. “Boy, you are such a bothered king,” he stroked Bean’s forehead.

Nancy appeared behind him, poking her head, “Something the matter, boy?” she raised her eyebrows at the stallion.

“Jesus, Nance!” the almost let go of the bucket of carrot he was holding. "You scared me." Wynn had two choices of why he was scared; one, he had been staring at Nancy too much. Second, she suddenly appeared behind him.

It hadn't been like this. And Wynn hopes it never will be.

Raising her perfectly plucked eyebrows, Nancy gave him a suspicious look, “Why do you look so startled?”

“Scared,” Wynn corrected, the heat spreading on his entire face.

"Are you becoming red?! What's the matter?!" Nancy rushed to him, her chest closer to his arm.

Wynn tried avoiding it, but Nancy, with her calloused hands, grabbed Wynn’s face. She turned him toward her.

Blackout. Wynn’s mind had blacked out. He lost all reasoning he had.

But then someone saved him from the sudden misery.

“Nancy?” Emma appeared behind the door. “Can you take us back to the farm house?”

Nancy smiled as she let go of Wynn’s face, “Sure. Are you all ready to head back?”

The four of them nodded in sync.

Wynn almost had a heart attack.

Almost.

When Emma and Evan shouted at the top of their lungs, the people who jumped at them and hugged them smiled sheepishly. It was their parents. And Evan almost cried.

Meredith hugged her children, Elijah smiling as he caressed Emma’s back.

But Emma wondered what she was feeling in her chest. She was glad she gets to spend more time with her parents. Although there was a worry, she couldn't express. A feeling that made her heart pound.

Emma had to think about the possibility that she had an illness she can’t explain. It was the first time she felt such a thing.

She was a curious child. Very curious that she'd want to know why the earth was round and not flat. The water was crystal clear—somewhat transparent rather than filled with color, like when she puts hot chocolate on hot water. It’s crystal clear at first, and then it turns to brown.

Peering behind his father’s leg, Emma saw that Noah was ushering Norman and Anna to the funny grandpa. His smile never ceased to inflict a warm feeling in her chest.

Anna was cradled in Noah's arms, her small hands-on Noah's biceps.

Emma was quiet. She watched Noah open the door—her heart skipped a bit as Norman stepped outside.

She didn’t notice that she was already reaching her hand out, running—

“Bye,” she said as her hand clutched at Norman’s elbow.

The little boy stopped.

And Emma began to feel the tears rolling down her face, “Bye,” she repeated.

Norman mimicked what she had said, “Bye,” the tears also flowing down his face.

Noah watched them—and sadness filled his chest.

Meredith, Emma’s mother, felt frozen on the spot. She turned to look at Elijah, “Emma is…?”

Elijah nodded once and slow, “It’s… the first time she cried.”

“She never cries?” Nancy called from the other end of the room.

Shaking her head, Meredith still shocked, “When she was a baby, yes. But when she turned two, it all stopped. And now…”

Emma couldn’t let go of Norman. She knew she’d lose a friend.

Summer vacation was indeed about to end.

Noah helped his parents bring their luggage to the airport. "Are you all settled?" he looked behind him, and his father's solemn face greeted him.

Mrs. Martin sighed, “someone’s looking solemn here,”

His father mumbled something, and Noah had to chuckle because it sounded more like a rumbling than a rumble.

"Remember, dad, you could always come back."

“When can I? Your mother would have to approve first. You know I can’t leave her.”

“Oh, you better not!”

The two of them left for Italy, Mr. Martin promising Noah that he would have to come back on Christmas with or without his wife.

Noah couldn’t help the tears that fell on his cheeks when the two of them departed.