Azaian took a seat of an empty chair not so far from where her father is. He was smiling while he was staring at the child that he carries in his arms.
“I wonder if he ever looked that happy too when he was carrying me back then.” She said in a whisper. She wants to get down the memory lane and be taken back to the past to see whether his father had the same reaction just like the way he is smiling happily when he's looking down at Austin.
His father lifted his head. He smiled when he saw his daughter staring at him. He stood and took strides while carefully holding his son. He went to seat beside Azaiah.
“Do you want to carry him?” He asked his daughter whose eyes went down to look at the child.
Azaiah stares at him almost as if he said something intolerable. Her eyes went back at the child.
With a purse lips that turned into a frown, it was completely erased when she opened her mouth to saysomething. “I can't. I am sorry. I don't know how to carry a child.”
She declined. But she can still remember the first time she carried her brother. She was little back then. Now he knows how to stare at her almost as he is sending a word with his eyes that he wants to be carried by her.
She eyed her father who still has the smile on his face. He can still smile even after she said something bad. She saw how pain passed in his father's eyes when she said no. She shake the guilt of her chest.
“You can still try, Azaiah.” His father bring the child closer to Azaiah.
She was shaking her head. “I am afraid I'll drop him if you keep on insisting,” She answered.
She tried to look around. She wants to stand from her seat to go out. But it will be rude if she will not excuse herself. So she did the most polite thing she can do. She rose from the seat and began plastering a smile on her face as she give her father a stare.
“I need to go outside. Excuse me for a bit, Papa.”
Her father gave her a nod. She bowed at him and began to walk.
She kept on walking until she saw someone.
She stopped. She stared at her grandfather who is standing on the chapel's entrance. She stared at him. A distant memody came in mind. She remembered the old days. She closed her lids upon remembering them. She went back and did not turn to exit. She couldn't say that she will never talk to him again but this time she cannot bring herself to try.
Times already changed.
She gave her father a glance. He was staring at her with his eyes looking confused. She sat straightly. Never tried to move her head. Her eyes was set to look at what's in front of her. She check her mother obly to see her wiping her tears. Her eyes went to search for her father's second wife. Her eyes turned alert when she saw the way she was whispering and having a sour expression on her face. The lady beside her saw that she was looking at them. She said something to his father's wife. She was still speaking when their eyes meet. After the eye contact that she held for a few seconds she took a sigh. She stood up and went to her mother. She was holding in to guide her back to her seat. She craned her neck to turn it a bit and see her grandmother's face.
Holding her mom , she touched her gently. “I want to look at her.” Her head was gesturing when she stared at her grandmother.
Her mother agreed. She walked right after she she made some gentle pats on Azaiah's back.
She is now staring at her grandmother's face.
“No matter how bad you were. You still deserved to rest. So please, may you finally rest in peace.”
She saw how her both of her parents stared at each other. She went directly towards them.
“I think we can now leave. Right, Mom?” She was looking at her mother whose eyes are glued on her father.
“Mom?” She repeated.
Her mother began to blinking, looked at her with a surprised expression.
“Oh yes, I think we need to go.” She said.
“I'll take you two home.” Azaiah's father offered.
Her eyes couldn't leave her parents. She was switching her eyes, staring at their faces. What is this scene?
“We have a car. I can drive me and your daughter home Allistair.” Her mother spoke, eyes never moved while she was staring at him.
His father didn't budge. He was staring at her back at her too. Matching the kind of stare Amelia was giving her.
“Take care of yourself and our only daughter. Drive safely.”
Both moved their eyes away from each other when the child began to cry.
Amelia pulled her daughter away when she saw the woman approaching. Azaiah's father was looking. He was following them using his eyes when they head out. Azaiah find it to be as sad as it was when fall into brokeness. Their family...
Azaiah's POV
“Why are we here?” Her tone changed.
They were at the ancestral home owned by her father's family.
“Because we need to be here.” Her mother answered. Her eyes were focused while she was driving towards the gate that automatically opened.
“I thought we are going home, Mom. Why take us here?” She never wanted to meet them again for tbe second time of the day. She was feeling the anger.
“You cannot do something about it darling. We cannot do something about it.” Her mother was frustrated at the situation they got themselves into.
Azaiah—she was reminded by the her grandmother's letter.
“Is this because of the request she made?” She was trying to hold her anger inside. She don't want to stay in the house. It angered her even more when her memory reminded her of the days spent inside of it.
Her mother stopped the car. And turned the engine. Staring at her she began speaking.
“We need to stay here, darling. We need to stay in your grandmother's house for a month. It was her last wish. We need to fulfill it.”
She couldn't believe what she was hearing from her mother. Her mother is stubborn.
She always want things her way. But why didn't felt the need to follow whaf was requested of them? She thought about all the times she haf spoken of her grandmother. And she was reminded of the times her mom would complain about everything she did to them. She began to remember her Nana, her mother's mother.
Both of her grandmothers were so different in nature. She can state the difference clearly. Her mom can choose to bend the wish.
She can. But here they are. She stared at her mom thinking that her actions were different from what she predicted it to be. She was wrong for thinking that she knows her mother's move. Because this move her mother just did was unpredictably unexpected.