Milk And Cardamom | S. Brown ✔

[54]

With his third semester starting, Luke went to New Haven. He hadn't talked to Steph ever since he had last seen her and he felt terrible about not reaching out to her.

He knew she definitely felt guilty and wouldn't take the first step. But he too refrained from doing so because deep down, a part of him still thought he didn't deserve of him.

A part of him still feared that she would get hurt if she stayed with him so he made no attempt to mend the breach either.

And in the third semester as the workload increased, he got so busy that he would seldom get time for anything.

The next six months passed painstakingly for him as he tried to keep himself as busy as possible. The increasing study hours and assignments managed to fully distract him from all that had happened in Gotham.

But when those six months came to an end and they were given a week's off, he didn't want to go back home at all.

He was sitting in the cafeteria, forking at his breakfast, when his friend Ashton joined him.

"So Luke, you going back home for the next week or not?"

"I'll stay here," he replied, "it's just a week, it would pass very quickly either way."

"Why don't you come with us?"

He looked up at him surprised, "us as in?"

Ashton had called Milo Branwell over, the head of their photography group which Luke was a part of. "Us as in Milo and the rest of your camera buddies."

"Where?"

"Hey Luke, it would be great if you come with us," Milo joined them as well, "we're just going to a small picturesque town for photography. The innkeeper there is my father's friend and he has agreed to let us stay for a week. We'll come back before classes start."

Luke seemed to be in thought, pondering over the offer.

"Come with us. You could start making your portfolio too," he added.

He stiffened slightly, "I've already made my portfolio. In the last summer break."

"Oh but I'm sure you'll find a lot of nice spots to take pictures of nevertheless," Milo stated, "it's only a few days, Luke. Loosen up a little."

"Exactly, you've been working yourself so hard in the past semester," Ashton also tried to persuade him, "you need a break, man. And this is the perfect opportunity."

He considered but then nodded, knowing they would keep on persuading him and at the end drag him with them either way, "fine, but we'll come back a day before classes start. I don't want to be rushing at the last moment."

"Sure, sure. A day before classes start," Milo agreed, "deal."

He told them that they were going to book tickets from the station right as they left because it was a small town and not many people visited there so they would get the seats even at the last minute. They were a total group of six boys and Milo assured them that he had everything planned out for the next few days.

"What town is it though?" Luke asked as they had reached the station.

"Cranbury," Milo replied, "and seeing how fond of nature you are, you'll really love it.

The town's name sounded familiar to him though he could not exactly fathom why. And when they did reach the small but peaceful town, Luke felt nostalgia strike him hard.

He felt as if he knew that place already, almost as if he had lived for some time there.

"See how beautiful it is?" Ashton remarked, flinging his arm casually around Luke's shoulders who got startled out of his trance.

"Yeah, it's beautiful," he mumbled, silently following the boys to the bus station.

But throughout the way, his eyes took in each and every place they crossed. The wide expanses of greenery, the tiny cottages and the not so well kept roads.

A part of him already knew the place by heart.

They had lunch at the inn and afterwards Milo told them they could go exploring on their own though Ashton asked if he could tag along with Luke to which the boy agreed. 

He didn't mind Ashton's company at all though he knew the latter would eventually get tired trying to keep up with his swift walking pace, even though Luke made sure to slow down for him.

All of them took their own paths once out of the inn but Luke told Ashton to go down the steep area to where the church was located. The boy followed, keeping up the conversation while Luke was very silent, hazel eyes taking in each and every feature of that path.

"Have you been here before?" Ashton asked as he noticed that Luke seemed to know where he was leading him.

"It seems so," he replied vaguely, "I feel as if I know this town."

"Strange."

They reached the backside of the church when Luke stopped abruptly and Ashton almost stumbled.

"What's up, Lukey?"

"I have been here before," he stated, that once confident that he had seen that place, "I can feel it. I know it."

"Maybe you came here with your family for some picnic or so when you were younger," Ashton shrugged nonchalantly, "you wanna go further or shall we go back?"

He didn't reply just then, watching the colorful flowers and his eyes stopped at a shabby cottage door.  However, the rest of their friends had joined them as well by then.

"What a beautiful garden!" Milo exclaimed, "I really want to take a few snaps there."

As all of them went to the garden, Luke followed as well though with each step he took, he felt the nostalgic feeling increase. His eyes were fastened upon the plain wooden door as if expecting it to open any moment.

He had realized why the place and the garden felt so familiar. He could recall a very faint memory from his childhood when he used to play in the same garden, holding his mother's finger as she would lead him around for he was very small back then.

But his mother had died years ago, when he was barely four years old. Their house had been attacked and Melisina had suffered the blows trying to keep her son safe.

He looked away from the cottage at that, his sleeve rubbing at his eyes furiously.

However, an unfamiliar voice shook him out of his memories.

"Are you boys new to town?"

He spun around to see a woman standing at the door of the cottage which was open by then. Milo was talking to her but Luke couldn't tear his eyes away from her.

She had grey eyes and a beautiful smile, her hair were greying too but the majority of those tresses pulled back in a messy braid resembled the deep brown shade he had himself. 

Seeing her the realization that dawned in his heart was hard to believe.

His mother was alive and standing right in front of him at that moment.

***