Chapter 206: Don’t Unlock
"Ah, Thea, have you unwrapped the present your great-uncle sent you? "
Thea shook her head. "I’ll unwrap it later. "
She said this after she had finished the final spoonful of her noodles.
"Alright.." Thea responded, collecting the bowls and plates and moving to the kitchen to clean them.
"You won’t allow me to wash the dishes? " Grandma Grace inquired, crossing her arms and grinning as she gazed at her granddaughter.
"Hmm. . . " Thea grinned and went on with her tasks.
"I’m going back to my room,"
"Hmm, Grandma. . . " Thea replied as Grandma Grace made her way to her room.
Once she completed her chores, Thea ascended to her own room.
After putting away the clothes from her trip, Thea took a quick shower.
The dress Charlotte had bought for her to wear to Charlotte’s cousin’s wedding was too expensive for her to keep, so she decided to return it to Charlotte.
Thus she kept the dress separate, intending to have it professionally hand-cleaned or spot-cleaned that evening.
She picked up the present that her great-uncle, who was Grandma Grace’s older brother, had presented to her and went downstairs to her grandmother’s room. "Grandma. . . " she spoke, as she opened the door.
Once she closed it behind her, she walked over to the bed where her grandma was sitting, propped against the headboard, immersed in contemplation as she turned the pages of an old photo album.
"Grandma, are you looking an album? " Thea inquired softly. Grandma Grace’s gaze rose, and she offered a faint smile. "Hmm ..This was given to me by your great-uncle." she replied, her voice trembling with feeling. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at Thea.
"Grandma. . . " Thea softly murmured, observing the tears glistening in her grandma’s eyes. Grandma Grace’s look became nostalgic, her voice imbued with a profound yearning. "Sweetheart, don’t be concerned. . . I’m merely experiencing a bit of nostalgia. These vintage photographs are reviving numerous cherished memories, and I wish I could return to those moments and experience that joy again. "
"What brought you here? " Grandma Grace inquired, wiping away the tears that had formed in her eyes. She directed her attention to Thea,eager to hear what her granddaughter wanted to say.
Thea was on the verge of mentioning the gift but paused, sensing it might not be the appropriate time. Thea contemplated, "I’ll talk about that later." deciding it wasn’t the suitable moment to mention the gift.
However, Grandma Grace’s insightful gaze seemed to grasp her thoughts, and a warm smile appeared on her face. "Tell me, did you bring the gift to show me? " she inquired, her tone soft and understanding.
"Yeah.." Thea whispered softly. "Come here.." Grandma Grace said, patting the space beside her. She set the album aside, making room for Thea. Thea sat down beside her grandma, and Grandma Grace’s eyes lit up with interest. "Let’s see what your great-uncle gave you.."
"Open the gift.." Grandma Grace said, a smile spreading across her face. Thea removed the box from the packet, revealing a beautifully wrapped present. The box was covered in elegant, silver paper, adorned with intricate patterns and a bow tied around it.The wrapping was so precise and neat that it seemed almost too perfect to unwrap.
As Thea opened the lid of the box... Within, she discovered a beautiful scarf, its detailed patterns and hues drawing her gaze. But that was not everything - tucked next to the scarf was a petite, elegantly wrapped box, decorated with soft ribbons and bows. "Two presents. . . for you," Grandma Grace proclaimed, her face glowing with a kind smile. Thea’s interest was stirred, and she was eager to unwrap the small box and unveil the second surprise.
As Thea opened the small box, her eyes glimmered with joy. Within, she found a pair of stunning earrings that radiated elegant sophistication. The earrings had delicate, pear-shaped pearls encircled by rings of small, glittering diamonds, all crafted in white gold. The brilliant shine of the pearls was beautifully enhanced by the diamonds’ gentle sparkle, resulting in a mesmerizing visual impression. The earrings’ slim drops appeared to sparkle and sway in the light, casting an enchanting allure over Thea as she looked at them in amazement.
"The scarf and earrings would look wonderful on you, my dear. . " Grandma Grace expressed, her eyes gleaming with affection.
"Yes, Grandma, these are beautiful. . . " Thea responded, smiling appreciatively.
Grandma Grace’s face brightened with happiness. "Alright, now I have something more to tell you. Let me show you this old album.." she declared, her voice brimming with excitement.
Thea returned the gift to its box and approached her grandma. She settled down next to Grandma Grace, who began to open the tattered leather album, its yellowed pages rustling with age.
"You have viewed images of my mother, your great-grandmother," Grandma Grace remarked, her eyes glistening with memories. "Now, observe this photograph. . . this is my cousin. She was an attractive young woman, but unfortunately, she died when she was merely 18 years old. "
"Grandma, tell me more.." Thea encouraged, her eyes scanning the array of photographs.
Grandma Grace’s face lit up with memories. "This is my uncle," she said, pointing to a faded black-and-white picture.
As they sat together, Grandma Grace began to reveal a treasure trove of family stories and memories, each one brought to life by the photographs in the album. Thea listened with rapt attention, fascinated by the faces and stories she had only heard about before.
The old album that Grandma Grace had shared with her before only contained pictures of Grandma Grace and her parents, but this new album was a window into a wider family history, full of characters and tales that Thea was eager to learn more about.
"I was so impressed that my older brother had preserved all these memories for such an extended period," Grandma Grace said, her eyes shining with joy. "When he presented me with this album, I was truly excited. "
Thea nodded understandingly, "Hmm. "
Grandma Grace’s eyelids began to feel heavy. "Thea, darling, could you please put the album away in the wardrobe? I’m quite sleepy.." she said, suppressing a yawn.
Thea took the album from her grandmother’s hands and approached the wardrobe. "Which shelf should I place it on, Grandma? " she inquired, looking over the shelves.
"The second shelf, sweetheart.." Grandma Grace answered, her voice becoming quieter as she nestled into bed, her eyes slowly closing.
Thea looked at her grandmother, a soft smile appearing on her lips as she noticed that she had already dozed off. "She’s asleep," Thea murmured gently to herself.
With a hushed respect, Thea shut the wardrobe door, taking care not to create even the faintest noise that could interrupt her grandmother’s tranquil sleep. Continuing to smile fondly, Thea grabbed the gift packet from the dresser and quietly exited the room, gently closing the door behind her with a soft click.
As Thea climbed the stairs, her phone rang, breaking the silence. She looked at the screen and smiled, noticing Charlotte’s name lighting up the display.
"Hmm.. Charlotte.."
"Hey, I thought I should give you a ring.." Charlotte said, a laugh apparent in her tone. "What are you doing? "
"I’m just making my way to my room.." Thea replied, continuing her ascent up the stairs.
"Where have you been? " Charlotte asked, her voice showing curiosity.
"I was in Grandma’s room.." Thea answered, pushing her bedroom door open.
"What did you have for lunch? " Charlotte asked, shifting the topic.
"While I was out getting medicine for Grandma, I bumped into Julia, and we ended up having lunch together.." Thea clarified.
"Together? " Charlotte echoed, a trace of surprise in her voice. "With her family? "
Thea affirmed, "Yeah, with her family. "
Charlotte’s voice grew excited. "Oh, wow! ...By the way..Did you see the gift your great-uncle gave you? "
Thea’s reply was casual. "Hmm, yeah. "
Charlotte’s curiosity couldn’t be contained. "What did he give you? And you didn’t mention it to me before! "
Thea disclosed, "A scarf and a pair of earrings."
Charlotte let out a joyful squeal. "Wow, beautiful! Thea’s first gift from her great-uncle!"
Thea’s mind became sentimental. "I’m just glad that Grandma and Great-Uncle have made amends. "
Charlotte hummed in agreement. "Hmm, that’s certainly true. . . "
"Okay, I’m hanging up... Wait, no, wait!" Charlotte exclaimed.
Chuckles erupted from Thea. "Hmm, go on, I’m all ears."
Thea balanced the phone on her shoulder as she walked over to her wardrobe, carefully placing the gifts inside.
Thea’s mind became sentimental. "I’m just glad that Grandma and Great-Uncle have made amends. "
Charlotte hummed in agreement. "Hmm, that’s certainly true. . . "
Thea balanced the phone on her shoulder as she walked over to her wardrobe, carefully placing the gifts inside.
Thea’s mind became sentimental. "I’m just glad that Grandma and Great-Uncle have made amends. ".
Charlotte hummed in agreement
Thea’s mind became sentimental. "I’m just glad that Grandma and Great-Uncle have made amends. "
Charlotte hummed in agreement
Thea’s mind became sentimental. "I’m just glad that Grandma and Great-Uncle have made amends. "
