Journey of Life.

Chapter 88.

"My daughter has always noticed everything." Grace says as she takes her last sip of tea. "Unfortunately she never said that."

"if you saw your daughter noticed everything, wouldn't it be better to explain her the reason behind instead?" I ask as I add sugar in my tea.

"There was no need. She understood for herself what was happening." She responds, showing that her eyes are bright. "While I was busy pretending we were still a perfect family, she was already planning to prevent me from getting hurt again."

"It just happened that day when Nikki went for the first time to the Harrisons house." She sighs, pointing her eye towards the empty cup. "When Iris came home, she was happy that her friend had come. She was so ready to tell me about her day. But-"

That falling silence pushes me to travel to Iris's world. I think she has had a stressful growth. I understand this from how her mother describes every detail of those old events. It's not nice for a child to assist a parent who drinks, or let's just say to endure that situation on her own. In a sense, she talked about it with Nikki but without specifying everything. She didn't want her to worry further, especially when she already had her own problems. Because knowing Nikki and her past, I'm sure she didn't have that desire to tell what she was really going through to Iris. So they both had something in common, they hid their pain. They used their time to distract themselves from their reality, so it was normal that Iris was happy to be with her.

So after a long day at the Harrisons', she sang lightheartedly with Nikki despite being in Thomas's service car. Since they both didn't have two parents present to drive them home, James's father being generous, entrusted his driver to do so. Even if they were in the company of a stranger, the two of them enjoyed challenging each other to sing as well as telling their old memories. Like that time Nikki taught her to skateboard, laughing at how she fell a thousand times or that time Iris taught her how to ride a bike, laughing at how she fell to the ground as soon as she stopped.

Once they both learned how to use them, they often went to the park together. Until they discovered that abandoned playground where became later as a symbol of their friendship.

"Text me when you're home okay?" Iris asked happily while Nikki stared at her in amazement. She was speculated by the beauty of her friend. "Nikki!"

At that point, Nikki cleared her throat. "Are you my mother?"

Watching Iris shocked by that answer, she laughed and hinted, "I was kidding. I will."

Shaking her head, without stopping to smile Iris said "I don't consider that as a joke, but knowing you, I accept it anyway."

"Iris."

Her expression changed as Nikki mentioned her name in a different tone, as if she was shy. "Yeah?"

There was a great pause, anxiety always made itself felt. So Nikki, trembling asked, "Just to know, have you ever felt anything f-for that Russian loser? He is like a dog. Everything you do, he follows you, so I think he might like you."

"I told you, I'm with him just to help him open up." Without looking at Nikki, she also wondered, "D-Do you like someone, do you have a crush?"

"NO!" Nikki exclaimed. "Who would have a crush on me?"

And laughing silently Iris responded, "Well, cause you're a beautiful girl."

Nikki felt her heart going crazy, she had wide eyes. "You really think so? I mean, what's beautiful about me? I suck."

"I know you don't really think that." Smiling Iris added, "And what's beautiful about you? Let's see, your eyes?"

"My eyes? Why?" Nikki asked trying not to blush and sweat. "I mean, that weirdo you babysit also has beautiful eyes, so-"