Let's Go Home

5|The end

Chapter 5 | The end

It turns out that Arial's father bought Arial's for her mother when they got divorced. Everyone knew how much her mother loved to bake and cater for people, she just had that hospitality gene which she adapted to when she was nurse at the local clinic. Her dad was very well off he owned high class, prestigious art galleries and museums all across the country which is where Arial got her creative gene. 

Arial couldn't grasp why her father would buy her mother a bakery during a divorce. Weren't couples who resorted to divorce supposed to hate each other? She decides to ask him at his condo which is on the way to the bakery where her mother, Jess, her Aunt Elaine and Maria were making Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas lunch for tomorrow.

She knocks on the door and her dad answers but his on the phone. He lifts his index finger, signalling her to wait.

"I want his new sculpture in the gallery by next Friday or else I will be terminating his contract," her dad says into his phone. "Artists! I tell you," he huffs before turning back to Arial.

"Sorry, Honeybun. There was a problem at the New York City gallery but I sorted it out," he says enveloping her in a tight hug and then kissing her forehead.

"So what are you doing here. I thought you were going down to Arial's to cook Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas lunch?"

"I was headed there but I stopped here because I have something important to ask you," she states plainly.

Her father is a very intellegent man and he sees right through his daughter, "This is about your mom and me?"

"Yeah, could you shed some light on this situation because I don't understand, Daddy. I knew you and Mom were always fighting and you don't get along as a couple but what drove you to divorce? How'd you know that is was time to throw in the towel? And when you did, why did you buy Mom the bakery?" She's rambling at this point and a warm tear trickles down her right cheek. She stops takes a breath and wipes the tear.

"Honeybun, you might not believe this but despite your mother and me constantly arguing and fighting, I love her. I always have and I still love her. Romantically? No. Physically? Well, you're here aren't you?"

Arial visibly cringed at that. He father let out a hearty laugh.

"But above all you're mom gave me a gift that I can never repay her for. She gave me you and you make us both incredibly happy. The thing is sweetheart, you're grown now, and your mother and I have outgrown each other. You don't need us together as much as you used to and your mother and I don't need each other as much as we used to. We love each other, yes. But not enough to have a stable marriage, our personalities crash too much," Ronnie chuckles again.

"Yeah, you both are stubborn," Arial murmurs.

"And I see that stubbornness has been passed down to you, Little Missy. We ended our marriage on good terms, Honey. The bakery was my attempt to give back to your mom all the happiness I experienced at the beginning of our marriage and most of all when she gave me you. Is that enough light to be she'd on the situation?" Her dad asks.

"The whole sun, I guess. Thank you, Daddy." Arial leaned over and gave her dad the tightest hug she could muster, "Thank you for thinking of Mom's happiness," she whispers.

She leaves her Dad's condominium feeling relieved. She now understands that her parents don't hate each other and that she is the happiness in their marriage not something that forced them to stay together.

That afternoon Arial has so much fun cooking with her mother and Maria after Jess and Elaine leave. She decides then and there whilst devouring one of her mother's cookies that she won't ever miss an opportunity to go home again.

...

Three days into the new year Arial is dragging her bag behind her and mentally preparing herself for Firstly her flight home and the amount of work she has yet to do.

Brian walks casually beside her, she is totally envious of him. Being a teacher Brian has no work to do as he already finished grading his papers. Their families are also with them. Blaze offered to carry Arial's bag because 'it's the gentlemanly thing to do' and so she let him carry her carry-on.

Once she and Brian checks in its time to say goodbye to their families . Arial first bends down to squeeze Blaze and collects her carry-on. She then focuses on Maria who she recently got to know and realised that Maria is the mix between a stern mother and the crazy let's-you-do-anything aunt. She then turns to her parents and hugs them tightly.

I'm going to miss them.

"Don't you dare wait another five years to visit okay," her mother points her finger and scolds her jokingly.

"No, I'll wait at least ten years. I'm an orderly person like that," she giggles.

"We're serious," her Dad buts in. Her parents might argue a lot but the one thing they can agree on is that Arial needs to be home.

"I'm kidding. I'll be here whenever I can, besides I think this town needs an Arial Winston boutique. I learned recently that a lot of people here wear my clothing," she chuckles remembering the rude barista.

"Arial, our flight is boarding," Brian says from behind her. She turns to see him bending down to give his mother another hug.

She hugs her parents again and then makes her way to the gates where she waves once again.

Brian comes up behind her and wraps his arm around her shoulder. She turns to face him and in his eyes she sees a glint and she knows that he is also thinking about the kiss at midnight on New Year's Day. Their attraction grew and he kissed her under the pretty fire works that painted the dark sky. 

Now just before they board the plane, he swoops down and plants his lips firmly on hers. Arial can't describe what she's feeling, all she knows is that she has felt like that before.

Brian chuckles as he sees her dazed expression, "Come on Arial. Let's go home."

-The End-

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Carla Michaels