Lisa watched the departing taxi thoughtfully. The journey had gone by far too quickly due to her daydreaming, and internally she still didn't feel ready to face her parents. She hadn't told them about her return because she was unsure how they would react. They would definitely have questioned her reasons for coming back and would almost certainly demand further clarification, so she thought it best to react spontaneously once she arrived. With this thought in mind, she approached the door and rang the bell. Despite having a key, it felt impolite to simply let herself in. Although this used to be her home, it hadn't been for a long time.
The seconds felt like an eternity until the door finally opened, revealing her father. His slightly annoyed expression immediately transformed into a beaming smile when he saw Lisa.
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"Sweetheart, what are you doing here?" Bernd pulled Lisa into his arms, and she could feel the joyful tears pouring down her face as Bernd swung her exuberantly back and forth. In that moment, Lisa felt a deep sense of home and belonging.
"Bernd, what's taking you so long? The fried eggs are getting cold!" Helga's voice called out from inside the house. Before Lisa or Bernd could respond, Helga was already heading toward the front door. Her exclamation was a surprised yet unmistakably happy "Lisa!"
Bernd loosened his embrace, and in the next moment, Helga was hugging her daughter tightly while Bernd brought Lisa's luggage inside and closed the door behind them.
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The morning passed with her parents catching her up on what was happening at Kerima, in their lives, and in the neighborhood. Although Lisa had maintained some contact with her parents, her and David's frequent travels had prevented regular communication. After recent events, she had withdrawn even more, afraid to admit she had made a mistake—or worse, that her parents wouldn't understand the problem at all.
By the time her parents had finished updating her, it was already noon. Helga gasped when she glanced at the wall clock in the living room. She got up from the couch and began hurriedly clearing the breakfast table to prepare lunch. Left alone with her father, Lisa faced what she had dreaded.
"And where's the young Seidel?" Bernd asked cheerfully. Lisa swallowed hard, seeing how his face lit up when he mentioned her husband. Her father had always hoped Lisa would marry him instead of Rokko. She didn't know how to take away his joy now, so she decided on the only viable option: to dodge the topic for the time being and think of a gentle way to break the news.
"Let's not talk about David now. Tell me more about your sea cruise," she said quickly, hoping he would relent. Before he could respond, her mother returned.
"Oh, let her settle in first. She hasn't even unpacked yet," she chided him, and in that moment, Lisa was incredibly grateful for her mother. She headed upstairs to her old room. Unpacking was quickly forgotten when she spotted her favorite spot by the window. Settling down there, she soon succumbed to the exhaustion of her long journey and drifted into a restless sleep.
Lisa felt the expensive fabric of her wedding dress between her fingers, nervously clutching it to lessen the weight threatening to pull her down. The mist-covered path to the church was dark, and she was utterly alone. She didn't want to be here, and a large part of her mind urged her to turn back. But something seemed to pull her magnetically towards the church, leaving her no choice but to keep moving forward.
When she entered the church, it was completely empty except for one person standing with their back to her. It couldn't be—could it? She thought she recognized Rokko's curls in the distance. Her steps quickened. If Rokko was here, things couldn't be so bad. She was practically running towards him, but when she reached him and he turned around, it was suddenly David standing there, grinning at her with a false smile.
Lisa's heartbeat quickened as David's gaze settled on her. The church seemed to close in around her, the pressure in her chest intensifying. She wanted to flee, but her legs refused to move as though the ground beneath her was giving way. David began to approach slowly, and she could practically feel his mocking gaze on her.
The church organ started playing a dark melody as Lisa tried to ask David what he was doing here, but her voice failed her. He came closer, the sound of his footsteps echoing on the hard church floor. Lisa turned to flee, but the doors were locked.
Suddenly, the church transformed around her. The walls closed in, creating a claustrophobic feeling. She shut her eyes, and when she reopened them, she was no longer in the church but in a maze of mirrors. She still wore the wedding dress. Rokko's face suddenly appeared in one of the mirrors, looking at her with sad eyes.
"Why did you leave me, Lisa?" His disappointed voice echoed in her mind. She began to sob desperately. "Why did you lie to me for so long?" With every question, Rokko's voice grew louder, and Lisa's despair deepened. "Lisa, Lisa, LISA!"
She squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as possible. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Rokko, you have to believe me," she repeated over and over. "Lisa, Lisa, Lisa!" she heard again, and she felt someone shaking her. Hope rose within her briefly—it had to be Rokko, forgiving her and comforting her like he always had. But then she opened her eyes and was nearly blinded by the midday sun, which dispelled the darkness of her dream.
As Lisa realized where she was, she also noticed her mother, who must have been the one calling and shaking her. Helga looked at her with concern but, to Lisa's surprise, said nothing other than, "Lisa, honey, lunch is ready." Relieved that Helga hadn't commented on her state but still slightly uneasy under her scrutinizing gaze, Lisa followed her downstairs to the table, where Bernd was already sitting cheerfully waiting.
Her mother couldn't have overheard her calling out for Rokko, could she? Lisa thought as she reached the table and sat down. She pushed the thought aside for the moment as Bernd began telling one of his anecdotes from his and Helga's early days while they started eating.
