22 Page 22: A Day with Lily

Lily does not play games. I've learned the hard way and it wasn't a pleasant experience. We played Scrabble at the same place after cleaning up our table and forcing Dave to wash the dishes. Scrabble wasn't really my cup of tea (but it was the only board game we could find). We went for five rounds and gave up after Lily kept on losing all the time. I wasn't letting our guest of honor feel bad about her vocabulary for the rest of the afternoon.

Cherry's manager decided to spend the remaining of the day in our abode. Letting her stay longer to find out my secret wasn't part of the plan, but I thought it was the peast we could offer after she shared with us heavy information about her precious Cherry.

During the afternoon, both of us decided to stroll the woods behind the house. Courtesy of Dave, he had prepared me a camouflage hiking outift with military boots to match. I had a feeling Dave was taking this opportunity to make me cosplay different personalities but I decided not to complain anymore as it was convenient either way. I won't describe much what we have found in our gentle stroll, but I can tell you we found a cave and ran away screaming from the snakes.

By the time we came back to the house, the sun had already dipped on the horizon bringing about a warm orange blaze. Despite being covered in dirt and muck, I felt completely refreshed. I've never felt this excited and renewed ever since I began working. Gazing above a cliff while waves crash below you was a sight I've never imagined seeing while doing nothing but play around all day. The thought of going back had become so distant that I suddenly don't want to...let's not finish that sentence. I've made my resolve. We're pulling through that.

"Something on your mind?" Lily trudged beside me as we stood mid cliff staring at the twilight.

I shrugged. "Nothing important. I was just thinking how peaceful it is here compared to the city."

"Can't blame you." She sheepishly smiled. "I'm at awe for young people like you. You can show up on camera like you have the most perfect life but behind all of it is a story not even the gods dare to speak of."

Looking at her pained face, made me want to hug her. Orphans like Cherry and I were lucky enough to have people who we weren't blood related to, care for us so much. I could tell that Lily had fought several battles standing up for Cherry. I could say the same for Dave after he decided to take responsible of me even outside of his job description.

"But thanks to people like you and Dave, Cherry and I could live a somewhat normal life despite the complications."

Her eyes began to well up. I wasn't sure if it was the sun that had turn her nose red on the verge of crying, but I found her crying face adorable.

"Oh come on," I snickered as I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket and dabbed on her trail of tears. (It pays to always have hankies, girls. Never know when you'll cry.)

She took over the handkerchief and whimpered on it. "It's just that, this is the first time anybody has taken an interest in helping her cope up."

"It's not something to brag about really." I said turning towards the ocean, "I'm more surprised you didn't get mad when I said I caused Niko's relapse. I mean you said he was doing fine but then he began to show aggressive symptoms again thanks to me."

Lily sniffed. "I didn't know why Cherry felt offended by you. It's not like you've beaten her in ranking first in the industry."

I wanted to correct her and tell her she interpreted it wrong. Remember how I told her I was the cause of his relapse? Yeah, I meant it ranking first in school but Lily took it as an industry thing and I just went along with it.

Nervous laughter. "No, it's alright. I'm grateful we've come to an agreement that we'll watch over her in secret. Except I'll be doing most of the calming and easing." I said.

"No. That's more than enough." Lily wiped the last of her tears. "Something tells me that because of this incident, reopening the unmended wound was necessary. With this, Niko will finally be able to resolve his denied past."

Stunned by how she called Cherry in her real name, I took hold of the fence before me. Lily rarely talks about Cherry in Niko tense since it keeps her hinged on how she treats her. But something tells me this was a different aspect of the real story she does not like mentioning as much. I arched an eyebrow, "Denied past?"

Lily nodded. "I'm the only one his Psychologist shared about this but...I think you have the right to know."

I balled my fists, hurting the back of my fingers in the process, "What is it?"

She glanced at me as if the world had turned upside down and sighed, "Niko actually believes he wanted what his uncle did to him."

―――――

By the time Lily left, it was already dark. I'd changed into a baby blue ruffled dress in long sleeves that reached all the way to my toes. I somehow managed to look like my mother in one of her photos that I've kept in my apartment. I thought the dress would make me feel better from the additional information I heard this afternoon. Sadly, it didn't.

Lily had left me pondering inside the house peering from the second floor balcony as I watched Dave tuck her into a black sedan then disappeared to the shadow of the trees. I followed Daze walk back to the stone path of the house and he caught me staring at him from the window. He paused for a millisecond then continued to walk inward until I couldn't see him anymore.

In about count to ten, I hear footsteps coming up the spiral staircase behind me. Carrying a tray of two rose printed teacups and a gold rimmed teapot that looked the same as the cups was Dave wearing his most concerned look as he lay the tray on the side table beneath my mother's portrait.

"Tea?" He offered.

"Mmm." I replied as I continue to gaze on the glittering ocean under the waning moon.

I could hear the clicking and clanking of the teapot behind me but none of Dave's usual interrogation. Maybe seeing my blank stare gave him an idea of what had happened since he wasn't acting like a news reporter when we got back earlier.

I took the cup filled tea sitting on a saucer that he offered and silence filled the air once more. Dave shuffled to the armchair, grunting like an old man as soon as his butt touched the cushion. As for me, I basked on the moonlight's gleam as the peach tea steam filled my nostrills.

"What a day." I mumbled not meaning to point out the several things that had occured so far. I just felt like letting something out.

"And yet you haven't removed your wig." Dave noted. "I was sure you'd gladly throw that thing off as soon as Lily went home." He said pointing at my red locks.

I sipped my tea. "It didn't feel right...yet." I stumbled on my words.

"That's a first. I always thought you hated being Hera saying it was nothing more than a disguise to find your mother's killer."

"I did." I exhaled, the cup clinked against the saucer. "But I don't think it's gonna be the same after today."

"What do you mean?"

I finished my tea and turned to Dave. I wasn't sure what to tell him. There had been a lot of things going on in my mind and I didn't know what to entertain first. I've suddenly become the clipboard of projects and schedule Dave always carried whenever we were on the job.

I brushed through a section of my hair and held it up to my face. I've always wondered why I felt uneasy despite having a goal in mind. I've never cared about other people other than myself, and yet here I am thinking of something highly unexpected of me.

Dave set his cup on his lap. He glanced up to me, "What's wrong?"

I licked my lips mustering the words coiling up inside my throat. "Will you listen to another selfish request?"

Dave's mouth set on a hard line. I was confident he would say yes but a part of me felt scared that he would say no. I've made him do a lot of risky things in the past, surely, this was no different. Then again, this might jeopardize my career once and for all.

We stared at each other for a while.

He exhaled. "What is it?"

My gut felt like I had been dropped from a roller coaster. What was I getting nervous for? I've thought about this. It's just a segway mission before the real deal. Who knows what I might even find out if I push through it...right?

I took a deep breath and looked directly into his eyes. "I want to find Niko's uncle."