The present…
July 12th, xx14
Rena walked into the backroom of the shop, her movements slow and heavy. She reached for her apron, letting out a deep sigh as she slipped it on. It had been two days since she received the devastating news of her childhood friend and first love’s disappearance. The news, delivered by Clark’s father himself, had left her in a fog of confusion and sorrow. She was torn between holding on to the fragile hope that he was still out there somewhere and accepting the unbearable possibility that he might be gone forever. How much longer should she wait? Should she keep clinging to the past or move forward with the new friends she had made? She wanted to move forward, but something still tethered her to the past, a shadow lingering over her heart.
Rena opened the door to the lobby, her eyes scanning the busy shop. She saw her coworkers, some of her favorite regulars, and Kei and Azul chatting in a corner. A small, bittersweet smile graced her face. I’ve found a place here. It’s time to let go, isn’t it?
Just as she was about to walk behind the counter to get started, her phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket, noting the unfamiliar number but recognizing the zip code. Swiping to answer, she raised the phone to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Hello, is this Miss Serena Reyes?” the voice asked.
“Yes, this is she,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Miss Reyes, we regret to inform you that your grandmother has passed away. There was an accident. Would you be able to—” the voice on the phone said solemnly.
Rena didn’t hear the rest of the sentence as the phone slipped from her grasp, shattering as it hit the floor. Her fingers remained curved as her hand hovered by her ear. Everything went blurry, a high-pitched ringing filled her ears, and her knees gave out as she collapsed to the floor.
Lacy heard the sound and looked towards Rena, gasping as she rushed over to help her up. “Rena! Are you okay?!”
The commotion caught Kei and Azul’s attention. Kei immediately rushed over, resting his hand on her back as Lacy pulled up a chair. “Rena? What happened?” He looked down at the phone still on the ground when she didn’t answer.
A soft voice came from the phone, still connected. Kei picked it up. “Hello?”
“Hello, is Miss Reyes there? We were just speaking,” the voice said.
“She is slightly indisposed at the moment. Can I take a message?” Kei asked, his voice tight with concern.
“Who are you?” they asked more sternly.
“A concerned friend. Whatever you just told her has got her in quite the state. Now can you please inform me of what’s going on?” Kei was getting rather annoyed.
“We would like Miss Reyes to come into the station to go over some documents and pick up a box of items that survived the fire.”
“Fire?”
“Yes. There was an accident. The home of her late grandmother was lost in a fire. Unfortunately, Mrs. Reyes did not survive.”
Kei looked down at Rena, understanding now what had upset her so much. “Very well. I can pass that on. How soon does she need to be there?”
“As soon as she can, preferably.”
“Will three days be enough?” Kei asked.
“That should be fine. Thank you. What was your name again?” the voice asked more politely.
“Keiko, Keiko Thompson,” Kei answered with a scowl.
“Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Let Miss Reyes know we are sorry for her loss.”
“Sure,” he said as he hung up. He immediately dropped to Rena’s level. Lacy had guided her to a chair to sit down.
“Hey dove. You okay?” Kei asked softly, his voice filled with worry.
“I… Um… I don’t know.” She stumbled out. She wasn’t sure. Was she okay? Was she sad? She was supposed to be sad, right? So why didn’t she feel anything? The news was definitely a shock, but she felt numb to it.
“They want you to go into the station. You’ll need to go back home,” Kei said gently.
“That place wasn’t my home,” she said with no emotion, her voice hollow.
“Okay, well they still need you to go back. I’ll come with you,” Kei said firmly.
She finally looked up, her eyes glassy. “Oh no Kei, you don’t have—” he put a finger over her lips to hush her.
“Ah. No. I don’t want to hear it. I’m coming with you and that’s final. You don’t need to be alone. Not at a time like this,” Kei said sternly, his eyes softening as he looked at her.
Mira walked over with a glass of water, handing it to Rena.
“So do you mind telling me what happened?” she asked in a calming, gentle voice.
“They said my grandmother died,” Rena answered, looking down into the glass, her voice trembling.
“Oh Rena. I’m so sorry,” Mira said solemnly, her heart aching for her friend.
“It’s okay. We weren’t really close. She raised me, but only because she had to. She didn’t like me one bit, so it’s nothing really,” Rena answered honestly, her voice barely audible.
“Well still. You need time to process and heal. I’m giving you a month off,” Mira said firmly.
“A month!? No, I can’t! My rent—” Rena tried to stand up, but Mira softly pushed her back down.
“You live in Magnolia apartments, correct? Gramps owns those complexes. I’m sure he’ll prorate your monthly expenses,” she said with a wink, trying to lighten the mood.
“I… Well… Okay, but still I can’t afford—” She tried to say before Kei interrupted.
“I’ll cover the tickets. I’m going with you, so it’s the least I could do,” he said softly, his eyes full of determination.
“Kei! No! That’s way too much. Seriously, I can’t have you pay for all that,” Rena tried to protest, but it was in vain.
“Rena, there’s no time to argue. We’re going, I’m paying, just deal with it,” Kei said seriously, Mira smiling as she walked away.
“Kei…” Rena softly whispered, tears threatening to spill over.
Just then, Azul walked over, giving Kei a look. “Make it three tickets. I’m coming.”
“Huh? Why would you want to come with us?” Kei asked Azul, giving him a look back.
“Something I need to check out. About you know who,” Azul whispered the last part.
Kei, getting the hint that it had something to do with Clark, gave a nod. “Fine, you can come, but don’t be an ass. This won’t be an easy trip for her.”
The next few days passed in a blur for Rena. Kei and Azul helped her pack, making sure she had everything she needed for the trip. Kei booked the tickets, and before she knew it, they were on their way to the airport.
The flight to Missouri was quiet. Rena stared out the window, her mind racing with thoughts and memories. Kei sat beside her, his presence a comforting anchor. Azul was in the seat across the aisle, occasionally glancing over to check on her.
As the plane touched down in Missouri, Rena felt a knot tighten in her stomach. This place held so many memories, both good and bad. They collected their luggage and headed to the car rental desk. Kei took charge, handling the paperwork while Rena and Azul waited. Once they had the car, they drove to the small town where Rena’s grandmother had lived.
The town looked almost the same as Rena remembered, but there was an eerie emptiness to it now. They pulled up to what used to be her grandmother’s house, now a pile of ash and blackened wood. Rena stepped out of the car, staring at the remnants of the place that was once called her home. She didn’t feel much looking at it; it held very few good memories. The best memories were in the treehouse. She looked to the tree and what remained of the one happy place she had here. Half of it was burned, the remaining half barely holding on. She caught a quick glance at the carving in the tree, the side with the “C” had been burned. Her heart sank. Is that the world telling me something?
“Miss Reyes?” an officer spoke up as they approached her.
“Yes?” she said, turning to face them.
“We’d like you to come with us to the station. It’s just routine stuff, but we’d like you to confirm some information and there is a box of the few things that were recovered from the fire. There is also the matter of the will,” the officer explained.
“Right,” she replied, sadness evident in her voice. She didn’t really want to deal with this part, but the officers said there were some questions they wanted to ask her, so she reluctantly went with them. As they drove to the station, she looked out the window, letting her mind wander to the past.
She remembered her mother’s funeral. Her grandmother was distraught; despite their differences, she loved her daughter very much. The same couldn’t be said for Rena. She saw the way her grandmother looked at her with disappointment and resentment. She even told Rena she was the reason her daughter had died, that Rena’s birth was the beginning of the end for her daughter. Her cancer had accelerated because of the pregnancy and the birth. She said that Rena reminded her too much of the man who ruined her daughter. So she would leave Rena at home while she traveled the world, hoping to be free of the reminders.
When she was home, she was overly strict with Rena. She told her that if she was to stay under her roof and her care, she would be a respectable individual. Rena was lucky she decided to take her in instead of sending her into foster care. To repay her grandmother, she was to study hard, get straight A’s, and put 110% into everything she did. She had no room for distractions, so Rena did as she was told because she had nothing else, no one else.
Once they made it to the station, a kind-looking officer greeted them. “Miss Reyes, I’m Officer Daniels. I’m so sorry for your loss. If you’ll come with me, we have some documents for you to sign and a box of items that survived the fire.”
Rena nodded, following him into a small office. She signed the necessary papers, her hands trembling slightly. Officer Daniels handed her a box, and she felt a pang of sadness as she looked at it.
“These are the items we were able to salvage,” he said gently. “I know this is a difficult time, but if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you,” Rena whispered, her voice barely audible.
“Miss Reyes, there is one more thing we need to discuss with you,” Officer Daniels began, his tone gentle but serious.
“Alright, what is it?” Rena replied, her voice weary. She was exhausted from all the paperwork and questions, just wanting to be done with it all.
“Do you know anything about your father’s ‘business’ endeavors?” he asked, watching her closely.
“No. I’ve never even met him,” she responded dryly, a hint of bitterness in her voice.
“Alright. What can you tell me about a Clark Emerson?” he continued.
Rena froze, her heart skipping a beat. “What… What does Clark have to do with any of this?”
“Well, he was seen with your father a few times, and eyewitnesses reported a rather heated argument during one of these meetings. That was the last time he was seen. Clark has been missing ever since. That was roughly… 18 months ago.”
Rena couldn’t believe what she was hearing. What was the connection between her father and Clark? What could they have been arguing about? Was that why he never came back?
“Could you tell us what your relationship was with him?” Officer Daniels asked, his voice softening.
Rena started to choke up, especially at the word relationship. “Um… we were just… childhood friends. I haven’t seen him in five years. I’m sorry.”
“That’s alright, Miss. I believe that is all the questions we have for you. Again, we are very sorry for your loss,” he said as he stood up.
Rena rose as well, feeling unsteady. “Thank you. Um, would… would you be able to tell me if you find anything out about Clark? I… I know I’m not family or anything but…”
“If it is within our clearance to do so. Have a good day, Miss Reyes,” he replied with a nod.
As Rena stepped out of the station, the sun was shining bright, as if to mock her. She felt so heavy, the weight of everything pressing down on her. She was about to let herself fall into the darkness once more, but Kei grabbed her hand, giving her a gentle smile, letting her know she wasn’t alone.
They left the station and headed to a nearby motel. Kei checked them in, and they settled into their rooms. Rena sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the box.
Azul decided now would be a good time for him to go check on the lead he got from the doctor.
“I’m going to go get us some food, I’ll be back in a bit,” he said as he left, earning a nod from Kei.
Kei sat with Rena, offering silent support. “Do you want to go through it now, or would you rather wait?” Kei asked softly.
Rena took a deep breath. “I think I need to do it now. I need to face this.”
Rena opened the box, her heart aching with each item she pulled out. There were old photographs of her mother, a few pieces of jewelry, and a small, charred diary. She flipped through the pages, tears streaming down her face.
Kei wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. “It’s okay to cry, dove. Let it out.”
Rena sobbed into his shoulder, the weight of her grief finally breaking through the numbness.
After a while, Rena wiped her tears and looked at Kei. “Thank you for being here with me. I don’t think I could do this alone.”
“You’re not alone, Rena. We’re here for you, always,” Kei said firmly.
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