E p i l o g u e

Orange lollipop trees surrounded the area, and the fresh autumn wind fanned around in silence. My gaze traced along the roof of the house as the daylight attempted to dance with my eyes. I gripped my handbag firmly, feeling keyed up, and tried to divert the tense by stroking my thumb along the leather cover.

"Ma'am," I snapped my head around to face the taxi driver who has been carrying two weighty traveling bags from the compartment. "--your... suitcases!" He heavily breathed out, same time he dropped the bags in front of me with a loud thud.

I was sure I heard a crack, though. Hope it wasn't any of the case's frame.

"Thank you, kind sir." I smiled and pulled the two bags closer to me.

The man whom I remembered named Jaspher just stood before me, strangely eying my every moves.

Creep. I cleared my throat and asked, "May I... help you?"

"You haven't paid your fare, ma'am." He reminded, as he extended his arm out.

"Oh!--" I paused to stare at him with confusion, "You waited till now?" I asked, and rummaged through my bag for my wallet before handing him a bill. "Here, keep the change."

He scanned the money in his hands, and lifted his gaze to look at me again. "But this is the exact payment."

"I know," I stopped when he furrowed his eyebrows looking at me like I was some weird alien that needed help from a stranger. "--I mean," I searched for some coins around my bag and gave it to him without counting how many I got. "Here's your change, uhh, tip, sorry."

He slowly let a nod, and genuinely smiled. "Thank you so much!"

"Thank you too." I watched as Jaspher walked towards the cab and drove away before I released a sigh and whispered, "Well, that's awkward."

Shaking my head, I turned on my heel and took a step through our porch. I reached for the key in my bag until a vehicle halted behind with screeching tires.

"Nikki!" I knitted my eyebrows and looked behind my back to see my best friend in her usual jovial demeanor, approaching me with large steps and arms wide open for a bear hug. "You're finally home!" She shrieked with delight.

"Oh my God, Hailey!" I squealed and couldn't help myself on making a leap of excitement before we connected our bodies with a tight embrace. "I've missed you so much!"

She squeezed out her emotions on me and murmured, "I'm so glad to see you, though... It's like seeing you from dead again, like Jesus."

"And so I'm holy." I laughed,

"It's cool." Hailey pulled away and placed a distance between us to ask me a question, "So, anything happened? Like, boys, preferably?" She smirked.

I playfully rolled my eyes, and let out a chuckle. "You knew I was home schooled in Germany, and I don't go out that often either. Also just to let you know, I did not consider searching for a guy there because I know I have one here." I grinned widely with the thought of seeing Chase again after one whole year and a few weeks of not feeling his presence.

"Ugh, you can always have fun and play on a different pond. He wouldn't know anyways."

"Are you kidding me?"

She shrugged, "I mean, I did feel a bit nauseous after saying it."

"Well, at least you knew how perverse the remark was."

"Yeah, but anyways, I have someone who wants to welcome you back as well. In fact, he's actually just excited as I am. Just give me a minute..." She hurried back to the Uber car and opened the passenger's door.

Shortly, she rotated around, facing me with an infant in her arms.

"Oh my... is that," I breathed out, while eying Hailey who let out a nod with a smile. "Oh my goodness, Hailey..." I slowly made my way to her while releasing deep audible breaths filled with bliss.

The baby was being cuddled with the warm sheets of clothing while around her mother's arms. He had an angelic face, and a fragile outward aspect.

Just two weeks after I left, Hailey delivered me a shocking news that she was pregnant. It took me by surprise and could scarcely believed her at first knowing how she defended herself still being a virgin a couple of days back. Until she let me see the stick in positive, though.

"Aww, he's so adorable." I traced my hand across his forehead, swiping a few hair of his. "He had your nose and lips."

Hailey nodded and kissed her baby's cheek. "He's a gift..."

"Hi, Ben." I held his hand covered with a breathable glove, caressing it while admiring his innocence.

"Nikki, it's Benson."

"I know, just let Ben be his nickname."

She raised her brows in a notch and shook her head with disagreement. "No, don't call him Ben alone. Say, Benson."

"What? Hailey, babies needs to have bynames."

"We can go for the Son on his name, really."

"Son?--" I asked which Hailey agreed into. "Why name him Benson if you're not using the first word of it which is Ben?"

"As I've told you before, Ben,"

I cut her off and continued, "...is the name of his father, and?"

"And that I'd like to imply that Benson is Ben's son. Get it?"

I brushed a finger on my chin and said, "Clever."

"Lie." Hailey rolled her eyes, "Every time I think of why I named him that just made me want to change it, straightway. Ben isn't even worth having his name on his child he never even thought about."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but if you say so, Son it is."

Hailey groaned, "Just call him Benson, please?"

"Okay, okay." I chuckled before asking her to come inside to warm a bit.

"So, does Chase know?" She questioned while placing the key on the latch.

I nodded, "Of course I let him know. He said he'll come after his practice." I turned the key but heard no click. "Wait, that's strange..."

"What?"

After pulling the key out with my brows crimped in wonder, I gradually twisted the knob and gasped in surprise as it responded to open even without unlocking it.

With my eyes widened, I faced Hailey and asked, "I was the last to step out the house when we left, right?"

"Hold on, you didn't lock it??" She exclaimed with astonishment.

"I don't remember."

"Holy crap, Nikki." She bit her lower lip and continued, "Go on, hurry up and see if all furnitures are still there!"

I pushed the door wide open and sighed with relief seeing all things still in place. However, I held my breath for one reason as my heart palpitates.

"Chase?"

"Surprise!"

A familiar entoiling smirk of his flashed through my eyes. And apart from that, a welcome banner that hung across the ceiling in the dining area caught my vision. It somehow reminded me like the one at school though. I just hope he didn't steal it there to place it here. The table was also filled with healthy dishes and some of my guilty pleasures.

"Oh God, he's alive!" Hailey exclaimed,

I turned my head and arched my eyebrows, "What the hell are you talking about? Of course he's alive!"

"Sure, it's just that... I haven't seen him the whole day till now."

Chase chuckled, quickly gluing my eyes back to him. As if it was only yesterday, he stood so proud a few feet away from me with a genuine smile, bright eyes, and a noticeable new haircut. His polo shirt and tailored jeans complemented well with his leather shoes and looked so good than ever.

My feet didn't hesitate to run towards him and looped my arms around his neck. "I missed you so much," I whispered with my face buried in his neck.

Chase's arms were slithered to my waist and has his head over my shoulder. "Oh God, Nikki. You don't know how much I've been waiting for this day to come."

I let out soft giggles and murmured, "I love you, Chase."

"I love you more." He looked at me, eye to eye, and gradually placed a kiss on my forehead.

Hailey suddenly interrupted with a loud grunt, merely expressing disgust. "Gross, go get a room!"

"Seriously?" Chase answered with a light chuckle. "You had it fir..."

"Don't you dare talk to me!"

"I can live with that.

"Yeah, why not be a total asshole, right?"

"Hey, what's the matter?" I asked in confusion.

"He got some rotten balls planning this out without me!" She dramatically exclaimed before turning to him, "You know very much that she's my best friend, right?"

"Chase, really? Rotten balls?" I acted out, pushing him away.

Chase groaned with a glance at the ceiling, "That's her language! I have fresh organic eggs, come on!"

Hailey and I cackled with his remark after seeing him be in such frustration for the passed seconds. "Organic."

"That's okay, babe. Don't mind her." I laughed, hugging Chase once again.

"I'm cringing big time." Hailey habitually complained with a deep sigh.

"Shut up, bitter cactus." I uttered jokingly to her before asking Chase a question, "So how'd you get in?"

He smirked, "Your aunt helped me."

My brows knitted in confusion, "How? She's in Germany, Chase."

"She asked your Uncle Toby,"

"Tony." I corrected.

He nodded, "...to hand me the duplicate key."

"You know, I appreciate all of this, really... but you shouldn't have bothered doing these stuffs yourself."

Hailey disrespectfully cuts me off, "Yeah, at least do it with someone!"

"Oh, come on Hailey, get over it. Past is past. Stick to that old quote." I breathed out with disbelief before glimpsing back to Chase. "As I was saying, and to no more interruptions... I'm totally fine just seeing you guys here welcoming me back." I pulled a genuine smile while casting a glance to him and Hailey.

"I understand, but..." Chase paused, and rested his hands on my shoulders, "I'm not the only one."

"What?"

My brows quirked up and my mind ran around a labyrinth. Suddenly, in an inchmeal motion a silhouette moved from behind Chase's shoulder. I abruptly transfixed my gaze to it with my heartbeat getting louder, but whom I saw froze me whole.

I never thought in a million years would I ever see him again. I never thought even till now that it would be possible.

At one moment, I thought my eyes lied, but turns out I was the one lying to myself.

I did think in a million years that I would see him again. I did think even till now that it would be possible.

"Dad?"