A Special morning!

Edwin Grey woke up fairly earlier that morning. As his tired gaze slowly wandered towards the nightstand, where most of his precious things were put, like pictures of his wife and Lillian, there was also a tiny calendar, his wrist watch, and his bible, along with a bottle of water if he got thirsty in the middle of the night. Edwin noticed it was February 14th from looking at the date, and a smile naturally emerged on his face as his first reaction. He immediately glanced at the picture of his wife, took it, and wiped it off clean to give her a little kiss.

"Happy Valentine's Day, hon! Fortunately, I am still madly in love with you. So, you have to wait for some more time."

Edwin kissed the picture again, sweetly confessing his love another time. He then looked over at his daughter's photo. A mixture of emotions trekked his mind, yet he felt genuinely happy for her.

***

While Giselle was on her first book tour with Jayce, on one fine day, Lillian was able to give a call to her father. It was when Lia was at school. Lilian was alone at home, and she wanted to check up on her father. Nevertheless, somewhere during their casual conversation, Lillian Grey ended up admitting to her father about getting back together with Giselle.

Edwin's first reaction was receiving a shock. But soon, he congratulated her. He was still awestruck, but he could notice Lillian wavering on the line. He called out to her, and it was then did Lillian began to spill all that had happened behind her back with Diego and Giselle. She revealed the reason why Giselle left in the past. She raged all about Diego's betrayal when he knew her feelings clearly.

All while Lillian spoke, Edwin didn't utter a word. He didn't join her in condemning Diego's backstabbing or tell Lillian that she was wrong for cutting off Diego's friendship. Edwin didn't take a side but quietly listened to everything his daughter had to share. And when she was done, he simply said that he believed in her decision. His reaction stunned Lillian at first but consoled her outrage. She felt glad that her father was able to understand her feelings. Edwin only wished that even in the future, if Lillian chose to work things out between Diego and herself, it wouldn't be that difficult considering their decade-long friendship. With that, Lillian found peace in moving forward without having to hold herself back from the past.

Edwin was proud of Lillian for taking responsibility for watching over Lia. But at the same time, he was also worried, which allowed Lillian to question all about caring for a child. Edwin recalled how it was similar since Lillian's mother had passed away when Lillian was around 8 or 9 years old. Edwin had to navigate being a single dad all by himself. Somehow, even if it wasn't the same, Lillian was able to volunteer for such a commitment. And that had relieved Edwin of his worries. He answered almost all of Lillian's queries and towards the end, only wished that Giselle would return soon to rescue them both.

Edwin informed Lillian to reach out to him for any emergencies. Also, he made a special request to Lillian that she'd bring Giselle and Lia to visit him some time as he wishes to celebrate it officially. Lillian gave her word. If not, she remembered mentioning it to Giselle that same day while talking to her on the phone. Giselle had agreed to it without hesitation. Soon, they returned to their lives, and that made Lillian forget about her promise.

Nevertheless, ever since Edwin requested Lillian to bring over Giselle and Lia to visit him, he would often anticipate their arrival. Although Lillian never really visited, he would still expect from them. And on that Valentine's Day morning, Edwin, for once, didn't need to have such expectations. He just hoped his daughter would be happy spending time with the love of her life. As he wished, Edwin finally got out of his bed. He got into the habit of waking up early to go on walking every day. However, it was Valentine's Day that morning. While it was still fairly dark outside, Edwin got ready quickly and packed his fishing kit to head out for a drive. He drove some distance soon to reach the Pitt Street Bridge pier, a special place.

***

The Pitt Street Bridge Pier was Lillian's mother's favorite place. It wasn't by her choice but for her father's. Ever since Lillian's mom was a little girl, her father used to take her to this beautiful pier for fishing. The little girl was entranced and curious at that time. She enjoyed learning to fish from her father. As the little girl grew and became a teenager, fishing got boring. However, spending quality time with her father never bore her out. She admired her father, and he was her hero. So, even though she didn't enjoy it like she used to, Lillian's mom would still accompany her father. And eventually, when she got married, Edwin replaced that spot by giving his company to his father-in-law. Unlike Lillian's mom, Edwin loved fishing, and that made his father-in-law like him even more. So, the duo got another company, and it became a fun activity for the three to go on several fishing trips. Later, when Lillian's mom fell sick, the group shrunk to a duo, and it was only Edwin Grey and his father-in-law. The two became close and still went fishing. Somehow this pleased Lillian's mom to see her husband taking an interest. Even though it was silly for her, he still valued her wishes. After Lillian's mom died, Edwin still gave his company to his father-in-law, and it continued until his demise. The group of three became one in the end. And since that spot holds a special meaning in his life. Edwin visited that place every Valentine's Day to honor the people he cared for and loved.

Carrying the memories of the two, Edwin finally reached the spot he would usually pick whenever he went there. He walked up and then set up his fishing gears. The sun was slowly coming out of the horizon, spreading its gleaming light across the fresh blue sky. The breeze was chilly. The sound of the birds was pleasant to the ears. And once he set up everything, Edwin hooked the bait and threw the cord into the water. He waited and enjoyed the sunrise, revisiting some memorable moments and remembering his lovely wife. It was a sweet morning that day for Edwin, and that made him happier.

After spending an hour or two at the Pitt Street Bridge Pier and loading the box with fresh flounders, some prawns, and trout, he finally packed up to leave. He reached home late since he had to stop by a few friends to share his catches. Edwin couldn't possibly use everything since it was him alone at home. At least if Lillian and Giselle visited, he would love to keep his haul and cook a delicious seafood feast for them. Nevertheless, his expectations disappeared from remembering that today wasn't idle to expect them.

Edwin reached home around 8:30 AM. He then went to change his clothes and took a cold shower. Coming down, he cleaned the remaining seafood catch and cut them to store right away. He then made coffee. It was now time for his daily routine, which was coffee and newspaper. Once that was over, it was then time for breakfast. He went through his pantry to find some of the regular staples empty. With what he had left, Edwin managed to experiment and cook a meal. He ended up making too much with the leftover ingredients and was concerned with the quantity. However, he knew he had friends to share it with them. He ate his breakfast, leaving the rest to share with friends from the neighborhood. Before leaving again, Edwin sat down to rest for a while. He used the time to read a book. Edwin had been reading autobiographies lately. And right now, he was reading an adventure biography of a lone female traveler. It captured his interest, and he enjoyed reading it every day after breakfast. Edwin was halfway around the book, and as he kept turning page after page, he suddenly heard knocking on the front door.