MELROSE

CHAPTER 31

Mandaline Catharina Brester, sorry, Mandaline Catharina Morales was many things.

She was a fashion designer and according to what I heard, accepted nothing but perfection. She was famous too, having been married to a famous actor, featured in many fashion magazines and designed many of the clothes other celebrities wore on the red carpet. Domestically, she was a divorcée, a mother of two and sometimes was as dumb as parents could get.

"Mum." I tried for the ninth time. "Please take the glasses off."

She scanned the green peppers and the red before shrugging and dumping both into the cart. "I want to shop in peace alright?" She looked around her. "Some people here will recognize me."

I tried not to roll my eyes. "You're wearing shades inside a grocery store. You're already drawing attention to yourself."

"If I take it off it would be worse so," she pointed a long nail at me. "I win Missy."

Sighing in defeat, I pushed the cart to the snack section before randomly throwing chips, eggos, cookies, oreos and poptarts of different flavours into it. "Mum, about your birthday. Will you finally let us do something special for you? You're always working on your birthday. If you aren't, you only allow us to bake you a cake."

"Aura. Do you realize how much junk food you're putting in there?"

I stopped semi consciously tossing things into the cart to stare at it, a frown settling in my face. "Hmm. You're right. It's not enough." Then I continued throwing things in.

Mum sighed. "I wonder how you eat so much and you're not fat."

I grinned at her. "You'll have to ask yourself. I didn't make me."

Her brows furrowed in deep thought. "Must be from your dad. I'd be obese if I eat as much as you do."

I was barely listening to her, my attention focused on the scene playing before me. There was a girl, if I could call her that she looked older than me, frowning in thought as she held two different flavoured Pringles, wondering which to buy, oblivious to the dark clothed and masked man slowly moving towards her. I opened my mouth to yell a warning when the guy suddenly jumped out and yelled boo, making the girl scream and gain the attention of a few people.

The man started laughing and unveiled his mask, while the girl hit his chest repeatedly in embarrassment. "Aylmer! I told you not to scare me in public!"

He couldn't stop laughing. "I couldn't help it babe, I'm sorry."

His babe huffed, speed walking in opposite direction. "I am so mad at you right now!"

He ran after her and lifted her, twirling her around. "I'm sorry. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you." Then he dropped her down for a kiss.

I saw them kiss, but it wasn't them I was seeing. I was seeing Aylmer as a particular blonde haired, green eyed man and his unnamed girlfriend as a particular auburn haired, ocean eyed woman. Suddenly overwhelmed with emotions, I looked away from the kissing couple, to the auburn haired woman I wasn't imagining to see that she, was critically scanning a can of sardines. No doubt, she hadn't witnessed what I just did.

"Mum?"

She noted the sadness in my voice and came closer. "Sweety why are you crying? What's wrong?"

Was I crying? I found my cheeks wet. Oh I was.

"When was the last time you saw Dad?"

She looked unsure. "He came to my last fashion show to," she scoffed. "offer his support. Why?"