The Red Bow [Chaelisa]

33. Dinner and... love?

The kettle beeped, indicating that the tea that radiated the aroma of mint around the house was ready. Chaeyoung poured two mugs, placed them on a plastic tray and took one last look at Alice, who was sprawled on the couch watching Friends replay. The blonde carried the tray to the second floor at the first door to the left of the corridor and knocked twice before pushing the door ajar with her body, revealing a dimly lit room through the closed window and the brightness of the TV on. Rosalie Park was sitting on the huge double bed with her eyes fixed on the TV, reviewing that, according to Chaeyoung, it was the 74th time, some home videos. This had become her new habit since Mason passed away, the way the woman found herself always keeping her husband around, every day. Her depression had improved a lot since Chaeyoung left the job of a waitress to become a teacher and can afford the mother’s treatment, the medicines and sessions had made Rosalie come back to talk and share her feelings. She still didn’t leave the room, but she liked to spend hours talking with her daughters and Alice had been her safe haven cooking, cleaning and taking care of her mother when she was 11 years old.

"I brought mint tea, your favorite.“ Chaeyoung said smiling at the mother who reciprocated. The blonde woman left the tray on the bed and climbed on the other side, leaning against the headboard and handing the woman a mug. “How is today?"

Rosalie accepted the mug and stared at the tea for long seconds and when she answered, her eyes were lost on the TV.

"I didn’t have any nightmares tonight either … Maybe this is a breakthrough."

The nightmares she was talking about were dreams about Mason that took her out of sleep and made her extremely nervous. The psychologist said that it was the fact that the woman did not let Mason go in memory, dreaming about him became a form of torture for herself.

"I’m happy for that!“ She smiled widely and sipped her tea, then burned her tongue and cursed herself for being a drug in the kitchen. “Just change the tranquilizer and the lady went back to sleep peacefully, that other one was too weak."

The woman nodded and continued to stare at the TV. She didn’t mean it, it was a lack of attention she had acquired with her depression and Alice and Chaeyoung were aware that the dialogues with the mother would be monologues until a breakthrough.

"Alice won the poetry contest yesterday, she must have told you that." She said casually and followed Rosalie’s eyes to the TV. “I always knew she had a talent for words. Remember kindergarten? She always did the introductions first because she was the smartest.“ She laughed at the memory of accompanying her parents in her sister’s presentations. Soon her smile died and she regretted talking about it, but when she turned her eyes to her mother, Rosalie seemed inert to the world around her.

She sighed. She missed the conversations played with her mother, she missed even more the family moments that were always important at a certain time in their lives. Thinking about that time brought back memories of Lisa and her meeting the day in the classroom. Her stomach felt cold as she remembered that Ethan was Lisa’s son. Son. The 4-year-old boy had been raised by the person she loved most in her 25 years of life.

"I met Lisa today.“ She released as if telling about her day.

Rosalie turned her face to her daughter and stared at her for a while.

"Lisa?“ She asked looking confused, but the truth is that she knew very well who it was.

"Yes, my ex girlfriend.“ saying that sounded so weird. Chaeyoung barely spoke about Lisa since she was abandoned, so she refrained from using that term when it came to the Thai girl. “She’s the mother of one of my students.Crazy, right?“ Rosalie did not show any emotion, so she continued. “She’s engaged and has a son.“ she said as if she could hardly believe her own words. “Yesterday her fiancé, Logan, asked me to come to dinner today and I accepted. I blew it, didn’t I?“ She frowned and left the mug on the tray, just like her mother. “All my effort to stay away from her these years and now I just ruin everything by entering my her again."