No Reason But Us

Chapter 16 : After The Storm

It was still the weekend. Heavy raindrops were still pouring in the city, though not as bad as the thunderstorm last Friday. Oddey spent it by being in her room sketching on her easel with a green tea placed on her study table to keep her warm.

Meanwhile, Leon took out an old tin box by the drawer. "I don't know about this," Eva expressed her concerns.

"It's time she knows about me," the man said to her. "I have to do this."

"I understand. I just couldn't help, but feel worried. I mean... what happens next?"

"I won't let anything happen to Odette, but she has to know the truth," Leon assured her.

"Alright, I trust you," Eva exasperated as she hesitantly had to agree with Odette's father's decision.

The young artist's door was open and Leon saw her daughter enjoying her passion, "Can I come in?" he said.

"Of course, Dad," Oddey replied. "Look what I'm working on."

Leon glanced at what his daughter was working on while holding a rusty old small tin box with a lock on it and smiled proudly at her, "It's amazing Mochie pie."

"Thanks, Dad. What's that?" Oddey asked as she stopped drawing and saw the little container.

"Uhm... one of those time capsule boxes."

"Cool," she expressed. "Is it yours?"

"Yes."

"What's inside?"

Leon sat on her bed and put the box next to him, "I'll open it in a while because I want to tell you a story first."

Oddey looked at him in a weird way, "A story? About?"

"Of a man, and his name was Hal Jacoby," her father revealed.

"Okay..."

"Hal had a dream to work in Ebony Estates, but he had to prove himself first." Leon started telling her the story, and Oddey just sat there listening to him. He then saw the book on her table lamp so he took it and felt this nostalgia as he touched the cover, "When he was about your age, he fell in love with a girl named Marie, she was beautiful, smart, and kind-hearted. She had beautiful red hair and very pretty olive green eyes."

"But then Hal had to study abroad to pursue his dream, so he and Marie had to go through a long-distance relationship that they had to write letters to each other."

"That's sweet," Oddey commented. Eva was outside her room, eavesdropping on them.

"Mm-hmm..." Leon just smiled and nodded. "One day, he came back for a visit and gave her this book as a present for her."

"The Romantic and Art book?" The young artist became confused. "I don't understand. If it is his, why do you have it?"

Leon became quiet and opened the box. He took out a small photo and then showed it to his daughter. Oddey took the picture from him to look at it better, it was a wedding photo from the nineties it shook her when she saw her father's face when he was younger with a woman in a wedding dress. "Because Hal Jacoby was me."

----

It was Monday morning, and the weather was a lot better. Even though the fall breeze was still blowing, it was back to dry like the city never had the storm, and the sky was a lot clearer.

It was lovely weather to go to school, though not every kid felt that way.

Gage went downstairs, all dressed up to get back to campus, and his parents were by the kitchen having breakfast. "Honey, come on. I made plenty of ham and cheese omelet for you," his mother said as she placed the food on his plate.