Words Collide

6 - In Bloom

"What are you so happy about?"

Imo's tone was curious but tickling that Seri felt herself still in her driver's seat for a fleeting second before regaining herself.

She'd been unknowingly grinning to herself for the past couple of days, delighted over her minuscule triumph in getting the town mute to play nice.

"Nothing," Seri hedged. "It's a really nice day today, is all."

"It's been nice everyday for months. It's springtime on an island. I haven't seen you smile like that since you've arrived."

Pouring out a sigh, she yielded. Nothing gets past the sly fox her aunt seemed to have embodied spiritually.

"Would you leave me alone and let me enjoy a nice moment to myself? You're starting to act like eomma," Seri dropped.

Imo gasped with feigned offense. "How dare you associate me with her royal psychoticness."

"Then let it go."

When they pulled into the driveway of the cottage, Imo unlocked the back door and the two were greeted by a tail-wagging furball with her tongue out and shivering in anticipation.

"Hi, Kat. Did you miss us?" Seri greeted as she bent down to pick the puppy up into her arms.

She watched her aunt disappear through the door to the living room while she refilled the dog bowl with dried kibbles. Kat's tiny paws clicked against the wooden floor as she began chewing on her snack.

A few minutes later Imo reappeared back in the kitchen with her face lightly colored with tinted lips and her hair down in loose waves. She'd changed into a pair of form fitting jeans that hugged her slender legs and a peasant blouse that accentuated her figure.

Imo was a knockout and as her niece in her thirties, Seri couldn't hold back her awe.

"Where are you going?" Seri asked while pouring herself a glass of water.

"I have a date," Imo replied shortly as she began stuffing materials into her purse. "You're fine with just Kat, right? Don't wait up!"

Mouth hung agape, Seri stared at the older woman. "A date? Right now?"

It was mid afternoon and they'd just come back from a shift at the restaurant. A slow shift, but Imo didn't even bother to take a breath.

The sun wasn't even beginning to go down!

"Yep."

Without another word, her spiritually younger aunt blew her a fly kiss and sauntered out of the door. Seconds later, the car's engine roared and faded, disappearing from a small distance as Seri revelled at her own singledom.

Even her aunt was getting more action than she was.

Looking down at the teacup Maltese dog that's staring back at her with observed curiosity, Seri sighed and walked back to the direction of her room.

After half an hour of trying to clean out her nails and pretending she was keeping herself busy, she bit and decided to take a walk with Kat. Changing into a plaid skirt with cropped white shirt, she put the puppy into the basket of her bike and steered out of the cottage home.

She pedaled fast, forcing herself to ignore the big, white house as she passed it, telling herself her destination was the beautiful lake. The ripples under the afternoon sun were glittering back at her as she made her way closer.

Once they reached the dock, Seri parked her bike and sat on the pebbled ground with Kat on her lap. The atmosphere was serene, and her mind was surprisingly clear. The smell of fresh lake water embraced her nose and a slight breeze wrapped around her as she felt the peace.