"Wow! It's so beautiful, Gisela. You're the best at what you do," Helena said, appreciating her talent. Her cousin grinned, a blush on her cheeks providing the evidence of her shyness. "Helena, stop it. Don't embarrass me as if I did it alone. It's your work, after all. I just filled some colours into it," Gisela said, looking at her gift she'd made for Alastair's birthday.
"Don't be modest, sweet cousin of mine, it doesn't suit you," Helena said, teasing Gisela. Helena knew how much her cousin loved the attention, and it pleased her immensely when people praised her for her talent. Gisela chuckled, playfully hitting Helena's arm. "But seriously, Helena, it's our teamwork. We did it together," she said.
Helena had drawn Alastair's sketch, and Gisela painted it with colours.. It turned out so beautiful she decided to gift it to her father as his birthday gift. "He has such captivating, expressive eyes I wish I inherited them," Gisela said, looking into her father's large beautiful eyes. Nodding her head, Helena hummed her agreement. "No wonder Aunt Greta gets lost in them so often," she said, rolling her eyes before both of them burst out laughing.
Helena quietly observed while Gisela typed her texts. She had found Eric's profile on social media through suggested posts, and she instantly recognised him as Ace's friend. Luckily for them, they could see his posts as his account was made public and Ace's name in his friend lists confirmed he's was the right person to contact. She'd sent him a friend request and sent a message asking him to reply.
Helena read the message once again before hitting send. Gisela had mentioned about their brief meeting in New York City and requested Eric to convey her message to Ace as she and her cousin couldn't thank him enough that day for all the help he offered. They both sent him a request and prayed he would respond soon.
"What if he likes me, Gizi? Won't you feel heartbroken?" Helena asked conversationally. "What if he likes me instead?" Gisela questioned back. Helena chuckled stating that her chances were more because she's older. Her cousin rolled her eyes in dismissal. "I'm just a year younger than you, and besides I'm not the one used to giving up. So it's you who is going to experience heartbreak," Gisela said, mocking pity.
"Not a chance, GC a dreamer girl. You keep dreaming while I get to fuck his brains out," Helena said. Laughing, Gisela shoved her away in retaliation.
In another bedroom, Alastair paced back and forth, waiting for the sleep to conquer him. He'd spent his day with his daughter and niece. They visited Hymettus, less than a quarter of an hour's drive from downtown Athens. They spent their time exploring the rich natural wonders of the place. It's a nice escape from his daily money-making, robotic life to the heady world of nature, fresh air and wildlife.
He'd enjoyed his photography and loved every minute he'd spent capturing the moments in his camera. His body was dead tired, yet sleep wouldn't show mercy and kept him awake to suffer alone in the middle of the night. He noticed how his wife Greta was fast asleep and envied her ability to fall asleep as soon as she rests her head against the pillow.
All Alastair could see around him was the crimson colour. Everything in his bedroom was themed red, decorated as per Greta's taste. He couldn't find his favourite colour, blue anywhere in his bedroom. His furniture, his curtains and blankets, the picture frames on the wall, everything was red.
He walked to his closet and brought out his old album hidden and locked away in one of the cabinets, his collection of memories with his best friends captured in photographs. He took a seat on the red couch and flipped the cover open, revealing the first picture of himself with his best friend, Alexander.
Felicity had taken that picture after Alastair taught her a bit of photography and it was her first picture she took using a professional camera. Alastair smiled as he stared at the photograph. It was blurry, and he could hardly see their faces, but he'd kept it because it was one of his pleasant memories.
Anything relating to Felicity had to be pleasant because that brat was everybody's favourite despite her being the epitome of annoyance. Felicity was Alexander's lover, Alastair's best friend, Thomas' guardian angel, Mariana and Jessa's sister from another mister. She was so selflessly pure at heart that her smile alone could heal every ache.
As he flipped the pages, studying the details of every photograph, his thoughts drifted into the past. He remembered how he met Alexander and how out of the blue one day Felicity barged into their lives to become the most precious treasure. He chuckled recalling how Thomas tried to woo her and failed countless times because she'd her eyes set on Alexander since day one.
Marianna hated Felicity before becoming her best friend because she had a huge, fat crush on Alexander before Felicity appeared in the picture. Jessa even dared to bully her until Felicity showed her true bratty self, revealing how arrogant, rude and evil she could get if she wanted.
She'd become important to everyone within no time and who would resist her charms when she decided to conquer their love.
Alastair remembered the day Alexander proposed to her in the middle of their road trip and how he didn't have the ring to give her. Alastair had removed his platinum plain ring from his forefinger to save his best friend from the crisis. Felicity had laughed so loud when the ring slipped out of finger because it was too big for her finger.
Alastair and Alexander had spent more than twenty minutes searching on the dirty muddy road to find the ring back.
From Alexander and Felicity's wedding to their firstborn, Alastair cherished every memory he'd captured in his photography. He reminisced how he and Thomas had fought for the title of the little boy's godfather after his birth. Felicity had said they both could share that right and very cleverly made them nod their head in acceptance.
He ran his fingers over the picture of the baby boy in Alexander's arms. Alastair took it in the hospital room, where Felicity had struggled so hard to come back to life.
Saying goodbye to his best friends was one of the hardest things Alastair had to do in his life. Alexander's disappointed stare and Felicity's shake of the head in disapproval still haunts him in his lonely time. He remembered even to this day how her eyes watered when he lifted her trouble maker, her little boy into his arms and kissed him goodbye.
He had touched the black medallion around the little boy's neck. Alastair had designed it before Felicity decided to use it and gifted that custom made charm medallion to Alexander.
Alexander gifted it to his son the day he was born as a welcome gift. "It would protect you from every harm, Junior," Alastair had repeated Alexander's words before blessing the little boy and walking out of their lives for good.
Closing the album cover, he sent it back to where it belonged, away from his sight, into the cabinet before locking it.
Greta's calm face made him smile as he walked to his bed. His daughter Gisela had her mother's features, beautiful and graceful. It seemed today was Alastair's night to reminisce his cherished memories. He remembered the day Gisela was born, and he wanted to name his daughter as Hera.
Felicity had chosen names for her kids even before she got married to Alexander. She loved the name Hera and decided to name her daughter the same. Felicity and Alexander always wished to have a daughter. Unfortunately, Felicity couldn't conceive again because of the complications she went through during the childbirth. Alastair had promised her that she would be the godmother to his daughter.
The day his daughter was born, Alastair wanted to keep his promise to his best friend, but he'd already lost his friends by then. Felicity couldn't hold his daughter in her arms and shower her love as she'd wished countless times.
By naming his daughter as Hera, he wanted to make up for Felicity's loss. It was his way of apologising for hurting them, the best way to mourn their lost friendship. It would've been his tribute to Felicity for all the happiness she brought to his and Alexander's lives.
But he couldn't even do that for his best friend. His father, the King, his majesty, Christopher Castellanos, had said, "Nothing that relates or leads to Alexander Hunter should be heard or seen in my presence because I wouldn't approve of it." Being the dutiful heir, he'd sacrificed his wish once again.
He checked the time on his phone before putting it aside, and the date displayed on the screen reminded him only fourteen days left to his birthday, the day he would get to reconnect with Alexander. No matter what, Alexander and Felicity never missed wishing him happy birthday. All three of them hadn't changed their numbers and knew the reason behind it.
Alexander and Felicity would both send him a text message individually. Alastair had never replied to their messages, but it didn't stop them from wishing him on his birthday.
With a sad smile playing on his lips, Alastair closed his eyes and called it a night.
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