Deserved goodbye!

Diego had already completed his extended bathroom break, yet Giselle never came out of that kitchen. Her missing presence went unnoticed to the busy gabbers.

Lillian got engaged to Anna, filling in the details of her wonderful conversation with Giselle. Meanwhile, Jake attended to little Lia, who was on the merge of falling asleep at any moment. Looking parched, she waited for her mother to return with water. Diego got back to his seat and quietly watched the television.

Jake, having waited too long with the child, shifted his focus to his peers and found no Giselle or water.

"Where is Giselle?" he asked concernedly.

"She has long gone to bring a glass of water!" he added to look around in search of the little girl's mother.

Giselle appeared to his hunting sight with a glass of water and helped Lia drink it.

"Where were you?"

Jake asked to notice Giselle's face lost in color.

"What happened, Giselle?"

"What's wrong?" he worriedly called out to her.

Both Anna and Lillian turned to his wild concern.

While everyone startled to Jake's words, Diego cared less, inching his way to fake an anticipation as he joined the others.

Giselle looked at the anxious crowd and Diego. She was clearly angry with him. Back then, she was only a kid and had feared this boy's threat blankly, but right now, Giselle's blood boiled to her spinning head. Nonetheless, she wished to get away, get out of this place, from his sight.

"We'll leave, Anna, " she said to startle Anna and her company.

"What?" Anna whispered.

"What? Why?" Lillian jerked to her springing feet.

"What happened?" she added while glancing at Jake, acknowledging him in discovering something wrong with Giselle.

"Nothing."

Giselle said to hush the commotion before it explodes.

"Nothing happened."

"It- It's getting late for Lia."

"You two can spend the night here. We have rooms-" Anna suggested hastily.

"We're happy to have you, don't we Jake?" she eyed to her husband.

Anna only suggested, but Jake already respected the idea.

"I'm sorry, Anna. Thank you for the offer though! But we have to go back tonight-" Giselle replied.

"You should stay. It's Thanksgiving! Traffic would be hectic, " Lillian joined to appeal.

"No."

Giselle wasn't in the mood to hear Lillian, especially after what happened with Diego. She can't stay in a place with him any longer, not with her child when knowing that he could harm her too.

Lillian's face turned cold as if a dash of hatred got spattered across her face.

"Okay, Jake, give them a ride back home, " Anna jumped in to ease the friction. Giselle disagreed at first, but she couldn't persuade Anna. Eventually, she let her win and let Jake drop them in his fancy car. Jake moved to grab a thick coat for the cold night drive. His absence gave Giselle the time to say her adieus.

Lillian stood still in shock from the harsh response. Afraid that any more of talking could potentially lead to damaging their reconciled peace, she stayed away, silently supervising as Anna scolded Giselle for her early escape.

Diego remained on his spot, saw the cold distance brewing between his special friend and his worst enemy. Earlier when he glimpsed to find the two all alone and smiling, he was helpless to do anything. However, seeing them detached filled his contentious heart with comfort. He felt satisfied meeting Giselle again.

Although he noticed her no longer scared of his threats, there's still something left to hold captive for, something important than Giselle, herself, like the child.

Diego fussed for how long this continues until Lillian learns his secret?

"Diego!"

Anna's voice disturbed him of his contemplations. He saw her forcefully drag him for assistance, the second time.

"What is it, Anna?" Diego fought back. His feet soldered to the ground.

"Come help me pack some dishes for Giselle, " Anna said to struggle.

"Why should I help?"

"Why shouldn't you? Jake is not here, so come with me."

Anna kept pulling the man, but he just won't budge an inch for her.

"If you want help, then take Lillian, " Diego suggested his proposal.

"Lillian knows nothing. She'll stay here to keep Giselle and Lia, a company, " Anna said to realize how tough it was to move a sturdy 160 something pounds. Jake always let her win so the wife never knew the hardships involved.

Soon, her efforts became public to draw Lillian Grey's attention.

Diego glanced to find Lillian signaling him to leave. Her appeals turn to a decree and he surrendered. But before turning to leave, he glanced at Giselle. Her sunk face faced the other direction, uninterested. His gaze naturally lowered to meet the child: A spitting image of her mother in a much younger version. He smiled at her voluntarily.

Compared to their first meeting, Lia showed a response: A shy smile cost her to deliver, despite the rousing slumber.

Anna continued to strive, and Diego disappeared. On her way to the kitchen, she saw Jake coming out in his best black biker jacket. With no indication, she grabbed him one-handedly, pulling him along to her conveyance. Jake yelped from the startle. The couple spoke through their eyes and Jake peeked out to recognize. He no longer resisted as the two escorted Diego to their lovely kitchen once again.

"I wish I could bring Lia too, " Anna remarked teasingly.

"Honey, she is Giselle's kid, not ours- yet-" Jake said it with a humorous pause.

***

Lillian stood far away to see that everyone left her alone with Giselle again. After a short hesitation, she moved to her, almost alarmed from discovering little Lia still there, attached to her mother. She crouched down to meet the child.

"Hi there, "

Lia opened her eyes with an effort to acknowledge this greeting.

"Did you have fun today or did we just bore you?" Lillian asked.

"I had fun, " little Lia responded lazily.

"Answer me honestly, did you really like the cranberry stuff- I meant the sauce, " Lillian panicked as she asked, stealing a glance at Giselle.

Lia nodded sincerely, "I liked it. It was sweet!"

"You like sweet things?" Lillian called and Lia nodded.

"Well, I love sweet people, like you, " Lillian said to caress the child's hair, playfully. Lia giggled in her childish tone.

Raising herself to the sweet sound, Lillian met Giselle, "I really like sweet people, like you-"

She repeated to find Giselle's lifeless face glow to Lillian's warm words. They kept staring into each other, wordlessly.

"Take care, " Lillian said to leave them alone. She didn't want to add more to make it worse. Her withdrawal almost made Giselle took pity on her. None of what had happened with Diego came to Lillian's light. It was never her fault either; To be ignorant of her friend's wicked ways.

It never was Lillian's fault. She doesn't deserve to get parted this way. The one who gets to fall into despair must be Diego.

"Lillian, wait-" Giselle called out.

"I'm really sorry- for leaving you that time, " she confessed.

Lillian stopped in her track.

"So you do feel sorry!" she said to return to her side.

Giselle admits.

"You do know that I was saying some important stuff at that time, do you?"

"It sounded serious. I never heard it word by word. I wasn't in the right state."

"I understand."

"So what is it that you were trying to tell me, " Giselle asked.

Lillian panicked, recalling what she was desperately addressing.

"That's alright! It's nothing important. You can hear it another time- when it's the right moment."

"What?"

"Nothing! Now, tell me this, " Lillian quickly changed the topic.

"What?" Giselle waited.

"What happened?" Lillian inquired.

"What do you mean?"

"You were doing great! Yes, you were not in the right state, but that is not the reason, you're leaving like this."

"Like what?" Giselle returned.

Lillian studied Giselle refusing to commit to her.

"Did anyone say anything? Anna? She doesn't know sometimes what she's saying. Diego? No. Diego could never be rude. I mean, he's cranky too sometimes, but he wouldn't be rude, especially to you. He could be hostile though! Jake? It must be Jake, right? No, he is too sweet-"

Giselle watched Lillian battle being pulled apart by friendship and suspicion.

"Lillian, " Giselle called to stop the blabbering.

"I'm fine."

"I'm okay, " she swore.

"Okay!" Lillian exhaled.

"You said it yourself, didn't you?" Giselle reminded, "that we're cool-"

"Yes. Yeah, we're cool, " Lillian finally showed her a pleased smile.

"We'll meet again, " Giselle said to cheer.

"Tomorrow?"

"Day after tomorrow?"

"I could come to your place-"

Giselle laughed from watching the hysterical Lillian.

"What's so funny?" Anna reappeared, after finding them smiling, for the boys were getting restless.

"I'm going to meet-" Lillian got thrilled to share, but Giselle stopped her, winking to keep it a secret. Lillian obeyed to hear Anna tease them.

She handed her a large gift bag, startling both Giselle and Lia.

"What is this?" Giselle gaped from the sheer weight.

"Nothing much. Just some slices of pies, meat, macaroni and cheese-"

Jake interrupted Anna to include his cranberry sauce as well. Lillian sighed deeply to reveal to him that Lia did like his sauce.

"Do you, Lia?" Jake asked to confirm.

When Lia nodded, he joked about making jars of it for her. Lillian stopped him from scaring the child.

"- and some ice creams, " Anna finished lastly.

"Is there anything left for us to eat?" Lillian remarked.

"This is too much, Anna!" Giselle appealed.

"Take it!"

Two words and Giselle already accepted their gift. The power that Anna holds is sometimes far too tangible to comprehend. With that, she leaned down to say goodbye to little Lia, then moved to Giselle.

"It's so good to see you- here- Giselle. I'm very glad that you returned home."

Anna said to her delight.

"We already played with ice cream so it might melt, Jake, take them home soon-"

"Yes, ma'am."

"No. Not too fast."

"I'll be careful, dear."

Anna turned to share a tight hug with Giselle.

"Thank you for coming tonight. And remember, I don't know about these two, but I'm still your friend and friends stick together always, got it?"

Giselle agreed.

"Well, go on, I don't want to keep you late."

Giselle showered sweet smiles and bid the group, her goodbyes with little Lia, and then left. Jake escorted them to his car.

The three saw them disappear and only then returned inside to continue watching the movie.