The Shade's Of You. | ✓

32

Sophia.

Roxannes scrutinizing eyes stay focused on me throughout the car ride to the office, it's almost like she's waiting for me to face her so that she can ask me where I got my clothes from but I refuse to turn around.

After King and I spent an hour in bed, he had gotten someone to go out and buy me jeans, which was abit extreme but I needed something to cover up. And he had handed over one of shirts, that I had tugged into these expensive looking jeans—

Whoever bought them had good taste, I'll admit that, but they definitely didn't know how to handle money because I would never buy a jeans that cost double zeros. I thrift store would have been good enough for me.

“We're here.” Roxanne announces before jumping out.

My heart beat increases, I don't move yet, I just stay in the car and focus on my breathing for a little bit while giving myself a pet talk, I can do this. I have to do this.

For mum,

For me,

For us, our family.

I exhale one last time before reaching for the handle and yanking the car open, I force myself out and when I spot the building in front of my eyes, my breathing hitches the long I stare at its beauty and then I frown as thoughts of mum suffering fill my mind— he has, looks to be always, all these nice things while mum had to struggle before opening up our little cafe. He had everything and we, nothing— I try to find hate but I can't seem to right now.

Everything is so shiny and nice as we walk in.

And I don't miss the way people run off to the other direction when they spot my aunt, always the fierce one.

I chuckle lowly to myself at my thoughts of everyone thinking she's a dragon of sorts. She sets fear in everyone she meets, I swear. It's like it comes natural to her.

We stay silent as she strolls towards the elevators and even when we enter and she presses the last one, floor twelve, non of us dare to speak— even when I gape at the inside of this machine, she ignores my little 'wows' and 'oohs' but the little smirk on her face is not missed.

“Holy shit,” I whisper in awe when the silver doors open and I have to ask her this time, “What does he do?”

She chuckles and nods her head proudly, “Many things.”

I don't bother questioning her vague answer because I spot a chocolate fountain that his staff completely ignore as they work, completely paying no attention to the array.

Theres fruits, all kinds.

And little baked desserts!

God, if I worked here then I would definitely spend most of my fawning over that buffet table. I don't think I could ever pay attention to anything else if that were there.

In my mind, I'm already planning to get one of those in the cafe— not only would I love it but the little kids as well.

Roxanne comes to stops in front of a door that has no sounds coming out of it, it's completely and utterly silenced, so much so that I pull out my phone to check the time and it reads just after four in the evening.

I watch as she knocks on the door and an unfamiliar 'come in' sounds from behind the dark doors.

“Brother Dunley,” I hear her beam, I didn't follow her in yet. I'm still calming down my heart. “I have a very exciting surprise for you.” She chirps and I hear a chuckle.

“Ah yes, a new surprise you speak of— what have you brought in for me today, my dear sister, Roxanne? Another bottle of chardonnay or maybe another assistant? That one outside is much too stubborn for me! She doesn't like conversations, did you know that?” He chortles to himself.

I smile, my heart warming at his voice.

He sounds different from what I remember and it's not the good kind of different. The difference is he sounds hurt, broken and tired. He sounds old and worn out.

My mothers words flutter through my mind and my heart clenchs in pain— forgive him, she said but I don't think I've could forgive him now because I think. . . I've forgiven him a long time ago, maybe I was too scared to admit it to myself but now that I'm standing here, I know.

I know I've forgiven him.

And mom, I've forgiven her too.

I take in a deep breath and step into the his office, interrupting them from their ongoing conversation and I watch as a slightly familiar man turns to look at me.

He frowns and stops talking as his eyes scan my face, recognization flashes across his blue eyes and a knowing look adorns his face before tears start to fall down his face at the sight of me, yet he still smiles.

His once blonde hair is now slowly turning grey, signs that his stressing over everything and anything.

“Hi, Dad.” I quietly greet, tears in my own eyes.

He stands and quickly rushes over to me, engulfing me in his arms and that's when we both release the water workers. “Parker.” He sobs into my hair and I cry harder into his chest, clutching and staining his grey suit.

I have never seen this man cry, not once, not even when mum had told him we were leaving, not then but now, here he is— crying with me in his arms like a little baby.

He pulls back, his lanky arms keeping his hands placed on my shoulders so that he can scan my appearance. “Is really is you,” He whispers and I nod, feeling the need to cry again when his hands come to cup my face.

I watch as his eyes flicker back, a look of hope in his eyes but immediately saddens when he finds nothing and he looks back at me and I instantly know what his looking for.

“Y— your mother?” He questions looking down at me with pleading eyes. “Did she come with you?”

My eyes water and my throat clogs up for the third time today. I look away from him, to my aunt and she looks back at me with expecting eyes— waiting for me to answer the question she's been asking me for us and I shake my head no, unable to speak or say the right words.

I move out of his hold and take a step back, breathing in deeply while my hands dig into my jeans pocket and pull out two envelopes that have his names scribbled across it.

“Mum asked me to give this to you.” I say and hold my hand out, the envelopes greeting him for the first time in years and he looks taken back by it for a few long seconds before slowly reaching out for them, frowning.

I look back to Roxanne and then to my dad and I gulp, oh good god— how do I break this old news to them?

“Mum, she uh—” I look down, tears falling out of my eyes as memories of her lying in that box looking so dead flutter in my mind. “She wasn't happy when you decided to leave and then, two years ago, she— she killed herself.”

My father stumbles backwards, clutching his heart, the tears become heavier and Roxanne cries.