Chapter 108: Leaving Home
John smirked mischievously. "Hey kiddo, isn’t Sister Thea better than your Brother Ryder?"
Emerson thought for a moment before responding, "Both are good."
John chuckled, gloating, "See, Thea can compete with you! Ha ha." and broke into laughter.
Thea carefully cut the steak into bite-sized pieces for Emerson. "Thank you, Sister Thea." Emerson said gratefully as Thea placed the plate in front of her.
After they finished their meal,John then turned to Liam with a grin. "I’m still hungry; I think I’ll order more." he joked.
Liam chuckled and paid the bill without taking John’s teasing seriously.
Emerson stood beside Thea, holding her hand, while John stood on the other side. Ryder and Liam had walked away to retrieve their car.
"Brother John,didn’t you bring your car?" Emerson asked John.
"No, Ryder or Liam will give me a ride." John replied, distracted by his phone as he sent a message.
"You too have a girlfriend?"
John chuckled. "No, I’m just messing with my elder sister."
She shook her head, smiling. "You haven’t changed your habits after all these years."
Just then, John nodded discreetly toward the surrounding crowd. "Look, these men can’t take their eyes off you."
A young woman approached them, interrupting the conversation. "Excuse me, could you please take a photo of us?"
"Sure." Thea agreed, taking the phone from the woman’s hand. The young couple posed beside each other.
With her phone back in hand, the lady smiled warmly, "You have a stunning husband and sweet child; you’re truly fortunate."
Thea began to clarify, "Actually, we’re not—"
But John swooped in, "Yes, honey, we most certainly are."
Thea shot him a playful warning glance., "Stop teasing. Consider what people might think."
John said, "This technique works great. Look, now people won’t dare look at you once they learn you have such a handsome and strong supporter."
"Are you making fun of me?"
John smiled mischievously. "No... I like to tease you all."
Emerson giggled. "Brother John, you are the most funny among your friends."
John smiled confidently. "That I am certain of."
"How is your university going?"
"As always."
"I heard Liam is teaching in your university."
Thea nodded. "Hmm, he is our professor."
John raised an eyebrow. "He is quite famous among the students, right?"
"Hmm, many female students are his fans."
"But they will be heartbroken once they know that he is already taken."
Thea hummed thoughtfully, "Hmm."
Ryder and Liam pulled up in their cars at the same time.He rolled down his window and looked at Thea. "Get in."
John asked, "Ryder, are you going to leave your friend here?"Ryder suggested, "You go and ride with Liam."He threw John a glance.
"How can you... do so?"
John walked over to Ryder, grasped his hands tightly, and said with a hint of playful emotion, "We have known each other for so long..."
John continued his teasing act.
"Don’t touch me..."
Emerson looked at Ryder and John and said with a smile, "Brother John, you are acting like you’re in a relationship."
Ryder denied, "We are not."John burst into laughter and said, "Ha ha, I have finally succeeded in pissing him off."
Ryder shot John a fiery glance and questioned, "Is that all you’ve got to keep you occupied?"
John chuckled and then turned to Thea and said affectionately. "I better go now, Thea... See you later."
John gave Emerson a warm hug and bid farewell. "See you later, Brother Liam and Brother John."Emerson waved her little hands enthusiastically towards them as they departed.
"Can I have your phone, brother Ryder? I’m bored and want to play with it."
Ryder, keeping his gaze on the road, responded, "My phone doesn’t have any games."Then, handing his phone to Thea, he added,"Load some games onto it and let her play."
Thea glanced at Emerson and asked,"Which games would you like to play, Emerson?"
"I don’t feel like playing games, I want cartoons."
Thea unlocked the phone, only to find it locked. "What’s the passcode?" she asked Ryder.
"The passcode is 1106.." Ryder said.
Upon unlocking the phone, she was taken aback by the wallpaper: a romantic image of Ryder holding hands with someone.
As Thea gazed at the photo, her attention was drawn to the woman’s refined features: delicate fingers painted with bold, crimson nail polish, and a slender wrist accentuated by a striking silver bracelet. The bracelet’s intricate patterns danced around a tiny, shimmering diamond, radiating understated sophistication.
The man’s hand, strong and masculine, cradled the woman’s with gentle precision. Thea recognized Ryder’s hand instantly, but her thoughts were consumed by a single, burning query: whose hand was entwined with his?
"The male hands must be Ryder’s," Thea thought. "Otherwise, why would he keep it as his wallpaper?"
Her gaze lingered on the bracelet, sparking a flicker of recognition. "Have I seen this before?" she wondered, uncertainty creeping in.She handed the phone to Emerson, who became engrossed in watching cartoons, oblivious to the subtle tension.
Emerson’s distraction didn’t ease Thea’s curiosity about the mysterious woman and the bracelet.
"I’ll drop you off after I drop her at my place."
"That’s not required; you can drop me at the bus station."
"Won’t you come visit my house today?"
"I remember I have some work..I’ll visit them later."
"I’ll drop you first, then." Ryder offered.
"I can go by myself." Thea said firmly, feeling slightly uneasy.
"Emerson’s sleeping," Thea pointed out. "I’ll get out at the nearest bus stop, and you can turn back."
She gently took the phone from Emerson’s hands, as she had already drifted off to sleep, and patted her lightly.
Ryder stopped the car at the nearest bus stop.
"Thanks for the ride." Thea said, carefully opening the car door to avoid disturbing Emerson’s sleep.
She stepped out and knocked on Ryder’s window."Your phone." She said, handing it to him through the open window.
Ryder looked at her eyes and spoke, "Call me after you reach home."
"Hmm," before turning to leave.
She then walked to the bus stop and boarded the bus that had just arrived.
She settled into an empty seat and gazed out, her eyes falling upon the couple beside her. Their hands intertwined, a tender gesture that pierced her heart.
Desperation washed over her.
After changing into fresh clothes, she headed to Mrs. Evelyn’s Restaurant, leaving Grandma Grace to rest in her room.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, Mrs. Evelyn sought her out, her expression serious.
"Thea, I have something to inform you." Mrs. Evelyn said softly, standing beside her.
With a quiver in her voice, Mrs. Evelyn announced, "I’ll be selling this house and relocating to our family’s ancestral residence next week."
"Are you not happy here?" she asked.
Mrs. Evelyn’s gaze drifted away, lost in thought. "It’s not that, child," she said softly. "Your uncle and I made a promise to spend our golden years in our ancestors’ house. Now that he’s gone, I want to fulfill that promise, even if it means going alone."
"Aunt Evelyn, I’ll miss you." Thea said, her voice trembling.She went and hugged Mrs. Evelyn tightly.
"I’ll miss you too." Mrs. Evelyn whispered, wrapping her arms around her.
They held each other in a warm embrace.
Breaking the silence, she asked, "Have you already sold this place?"
Mrs. Evelyn’s response was a soft, contemplative "Hmm..."
"Aunty, it’s bittersweet to see you go," Thea said, "but I know fulfilling your promises to Uncle brings you joy."
Mrs. Evelyn nodded wistfully. "That place is filled with memories. I can leave this world contentedly there."
Later that night, Thea headed home and went straight to her Grandma’s room.
"Grandma..." Thea said softly, finding her sitting on the bed, engrossed in a book.
"You’re back?" Grandma Grace asked, looking up from her reading.
"Hmm... I went to the restaurant after the event."
Grandma Grace’s expression turned concerned. "What happened? You don’t look happy."
Thea’s voice was tinged with sadness. "Grandma, Aunt Evelyn is going back to her ancestors’ place next week."
"Why?" Grandma Grace asked, a hint of worry in her voice. "Is she in trouble?"
"No, Grandma. It’s just that she and Uncle had made a promise to spend the rest of their lives in their ancestors’ place."
"She wants to keep that promise, even now?"
Grandma Grace’s eyes filled with understanding. "I understand." she said, her gaze gentle as she looked at her.
"Don’t get sad over it." Grandma Grace said, trying to lift Thea’s spirits. "You can always go and visit her there."
"Yes, I’ve already told her I would."
Grandma Grace’s face lit up with a thoughtful smile. "So, we should give her a surprise, right?"
