Home

Finally!

Helix sat down heavily at the dining table in the kitchen, the chair creaking under his weight, a sound that pierced through the thick silence of the house. Everyone was asleep. The moon's silky glow cast soothing rays into the kitchen, illuminating the table at which he sat, the stars twinkling at him from their dark blue canvas of the sky, little pinpricks blinking at him inquisitively. He was fiddling with something in his hands. A necklace. He fiddled back and forth. I'm back, he thought. I'm actually back. Helix had returned with a certain image in his mind about how they would look like. He did not imagine Simon all bulky and tall, taller than Maya.

Maya. She looked way different than when he had last seen her, her figure leaner and hair longer. She looked much older too, her facial structures more prominent over the years that he hadn't seen her.

He had almost failed to recognize her. The small, chubby girl was now gone, replaced with a slender feminine figure that radiated her old personalities. Helix heard a creak and looked up. Maya, in her bunny and flower pajamas, descended the stairs. Her hair was in a messy bun on her head with a few loose curls escaping the clutch. She smiled and sat down on the chair opposite him.

"Couldn't sleep?" Helix inquired, running a hand through his curly, black hair. She nodded and asked "What are you doing here?"

"Just thinking." he replied.

"Thinking about what?"

"Everything."

They sat in silence before Maya perked up as if she had a brilliant idea. "Did you see the Pamela Jane?" she asked. Helix shook his hand and she caught his arm. The touch sent a million sparks flying. "Then come on. She's missed you."

She pulled him up and led him to the backyard, before throwing the backdoor open. A gust of fresh air slammed into his face and he breathed it in. In front of him, there was a huge figure. A ship with massive sails and small windows. At the side there were the words 'Pamela Jane' written in blue ink. He smiled and ran his palm along the length of the hull. The rough and worn edges brought back a flood of memories.

When he turned to look back a her, Maya was sitting down behind him on a blanket, and a huge grin on her face. The moon illuminated her beautiful brown eyes, making it even more darker than it already was. He went and sat down next to her. "She's as beautiful as ever." he remarked.

She bumped him gently with her shoulder. "I missed you, Helix." she whispered. "I miss all the adventures we had. I miss Tamarind. You'd know how much the responsibility increases when you grow up. No more fun."

He laughed and nodded vigorously. "Oh yes, being a grown up is terrible." She stared at the bright stars. "I missed you too. I missed home. It looks so different." he said.

"We had to move it around over the years," Maya responded. "The furniture. We also renovated Mom and Dad's office, so that they would have more space and privacy. Penny moved into a much bigger room and her old room was made into a storeroom. We changed nearly everything in this house except your room." she added, much more quietly. Helix nodded and noticed that Maya had suddenly became interested in the selvage of the blanket.

"The guy," Helix spoke up. "Who was he?"

Maya looked startled. She recovered pretty quick and said, "His name is Richard. He's from my Uni and we were friends. I don't even know when we decided to date. Just that one fine day I became his girlfriend. He is a really nice person, you know. I even brought him home once. Simon hated him. He didn't outright say it, but he was very cold towards Rich and wouldn't even have a proper conversation. Penny was polite but did give me her 'input' on our relationship. She said that we were horrible together, like.....what was it?.......ah, broccoli and pizza?"

Helix started laughing, hard.

Maya shook her head and continued,  "Anyway, we just started drifting over the years and really we still continued the 'dating charade'. So I broke it off with him yesterday. He was fine yesterday and today he came running here like his hair was on fire and thought I had broken up with him because he'd been kissing another girl and I found out. So......yeah."

Helix didn't really know what to think and in the end he just said, "That's really messed up."

Maya nodded, shrugging her shoulders as if saying 'what can you do?'. 

"What did your parents say about him?"

"Oh, they liked him good enough though we did have a talk after he left. Something about how he was great and it was all my decision but him and me......we just didn't click. I guess it made sense." Maya shrugged, but even in the dark, Helix could see colour rising up in her cheeks.

Then Maya jostled, "Wait, I forgot to ask. Isabel. How is she?"

Helix replied with, "I don't really know. I tried contacting here you know, after Papa died. I wanted to find someone who I knew and trusted. Molly's the only one I knew very well and she's dead. Couldn't locate Isabel. Everyone I asked, told me that she had relocated and was no where to be found."

"Oh." was all Maya said. "I'm sorry about Molly."

Helix nodded. He gazed at her while she was staring at her hands. She was so different from what he imagined. The fiery child he met, determined to keep her siblings safe, turned into a sweet and trustworthy girl. Now she was all grown up, nearly an adult, so different than he remembered her. So many years he had been stranded all alone, the years passing by as she grew up. So many things have changed, except his undying love for her.

So, feeling like he would drown if he didn't do something first, he kissed her.

She sat rigid in surprise for a while, long enough to make Helix nervous and wonder if he had made a mistake, doubt and worry swirling in his mind. He was just about to pull away and make a run for it, when she all but melted against him, her body relaxing, as she curled her fingers around his collar, tugging on it to pull him closer.

Encouraged, Helix gently cupped both sides of her jaw with both of his hands. Her lips were soft and sweet, tasting of strawberry chapstick and reminding him of warm summers. It felt so good. He gave a low groan in his throat and kissed her harder, more firmly, She gave a pleasured moan in return, her fingers playing with the hairs on the nape of his neck, as their lips seemed to be dancing with each other, moving against each other passionately. She parted his lips with her tongue, exploring the insides of his mouth, scavenging for more, and not wanting to be outdone, he nipped at her lower lip, her giving a small gasp of both surprise and pleasure.

Slowly and reluctantly, they pulled away from each other, lips swollen, cheeks red, panting for air. Maya looked giddy with love and excitement and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into the crook of his neck. He pulled her onto his lap.

"I love you, Helix," she murmured, voice muffled, "Please don't leave me ever again."

Helix smiled and kissed the top of her head, silently making a vow as he said his next few words, "I love you too, Maya. And no, I won't ever, ever, ever, leave you again."