I parked my car in my parents' driveway, behind my mom's white Honda. It was only 2.30 PM, but she was already home. Did she take a day off today as well? With my duffel bag in hand, I made my way to the two-story house where I grew up.

We didn't have a super big house, but it was enough for the three of us to share our space. Our front yard was compact, with an old maple tree standing proudly in the center. Neither of my parents was into gardening, hence no colorful petals, floral scents, or plants in different cute shapes adorning our front yard. It was just grass, gravel, and a few decorative statues.

On the contrary, our rear side was huge. Back in my childhood years, my parents built a little playground for me, even though Dean and Brian acted like they were the ones who owned it. Once I hit my adolescence year, my parents changed it into a small pool.

My mom was sitting at the breakfast table when I entered the kitchen, her eyes on the laptop while papers piled up next to it. Her chestnut brown hair was pulled up in a neat bun, evidence that she must have been at work this morning.

"Hi, sweetie," she greeted while peering at the screen over her reading glasses. "I thought you'd come a bit later."

I sauntered over to her and gave her quick pecks on the cheeks, inhaling her floral scent. Her scent. "That was the plan, but I didn't have much to do this afternoon. So, I thought I would just pack my bag and go. I can chill at the pool if you're still busy, but first, food. I only had brunch this morning."

"I made shepherd pies, your favorite. I can heat it when you bring your bag to your room," she said. "I just need to make sure this presentation is all set, then I will be all yours. One hour tops."

My mom and her work. I had no idea how she ended up being a workaholic like this. She was nothing like how I remembered her during my childhood. Despite her passion for her work, she chose to be around more in the past. She even turned down her boss's offer for a managerial position since my dad had already been very busy with his career as a corporate lawyer. Then things shifted. I spent more time hanging out with my peers, and my dad had frequent work trips. She must have felt left out because she took another job offer when I entered my second year in high school.

Everything had changed around here, except my room. As I opened the door, the familiar woody smell mixed with the floral detergent scent from my bed textile invaded my nostrils, prompting me to close my eyes and sigh. The scent of home.

Dropping my bag on my bed, I walked to the window and pushed it open, letting the fresh spring breeze caress the air in my room. From where I stood, I could see the sight of a tall stone building with large glass windows; the house I also once called home.

Parker's residence had seen better days. The ivy branches covered a large part of the sidewall, its branches starting to creep onto the porch wall. The lawn couldn't grow any higher, and weeds grew fiercely between the path stones. Nonetheless, it couldn't hide the enchantment of this Mediterranean-style building. It stood strong, enduring all the dramas that had happened in the past three years.

I sighed again, thinking of how things changed so fast.

***

I was almost done eating my pie when Mom closed her laptop and arranged the papers into her beige work bag. "Done!" She breathed a sigh of relief.

"I reawy thought you woufd be at work timidday," I sputtered. "Oh, this is so good. I awmost forgot how much I miss zis one."

"Don't talk with a full mouth," my mom said, shooting me a disapproving glare. "I don't have any meeting scheduled today. So, I don't need to be there the whole day. And I made more than enough pie for you to bring tomorrow."

"You are the best mother on earth. Have I told you that?" I grinned from ear to ear after managing to swallow the big chunk of the pie in my mouth.

"Yes, sweetie, I've heard that before. Now, I want to hear updates about my daughter's life, other than her tight schedules and her not eating well, also not sleeping properly." As she said that, she strode to the kitchen counter, picked up the kettle, and poured hot water into her cup.

"There is nothing more to add, really. You wrapped up the story of my pathetic life just perfectly." I shrugged. "Dean must have filled you in."

"Of course he did, and we are all concerned about you. It is not healthy, Jenny. Look how skinny you are now. You could have gotten sick." She shook her head. "What do you want to drink?"

"Just cold water. I can grab it myself later. Just sit here with me."

She nodded and joined me at the table with a cup of tea in her hand. "Any plans for summer break?"

I shook my head. "No. I haven't talked to Gwen about taking leave for summer vacation. My life seems to end at the exams for now. I can't think beyond it. Did you guys finally decide to go somewhere?"

"No," she replied, a little too fast, "not really."

"It's been a while since we went on a vacation together. I think the last time was when Kateen was still around," I said, reminiscing about the good old days. I missed the moments when all of us, the Adrians and the Parkers, were sitting together at one table as a family and made fun of each other.

I looked at my mom when I realized she hadn't responded. Her emerald green eyes stared blankly at her tea while her forefinger mindlessly traced the cup's rim. Even with her perfect makeup on, the dark shadow circled under her eyes, the silent evidence of her sleepless nights.

"You look tired," I said. Several seconds passed by, and there was still no reaction from her. "Mom!"

She jumped in her seat. "Yes? Oh uh right, um i-it's been a while indeed," she said.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Mom, is everything okay?"

Her eyes widened. "Yes, of course!" she replied, clearing her throat before getting up. "Have you seen my new collection? Come, let's check it out."

Frowning at her randomness like the last time we talked on the phone, I stood and followed her. I was sure something was up, but it was better not to pester her now with questions. Dad was soon home. Tomorrow was probably a good time for that.

***

We watched her new series Orange Is the New Black while waiting for my dad. He said he would leave work early once he heard my plan to come today, but the definition of early in his book was anywhere before dinner time. It was getting ridiculously hard to see him since he had been on regular work trips after his office opened a new branch.

Dad and I had never been that close. He was either at work and came home past my bedtime, or he would just disappear into his study room after dinner. Not that I despised him for being too devoted to his work, but I just wished he'd spent more time with me. Occasionally, he surprised me by reading a bedtime story before tucking me into bed. And that was one of my best childhood recollections of our father-daughter connection.

It was almost six when my dad's car roared in the front yard. I grinned when my old man entered the house in the next few minutes. His unbuttoned suit swayed as he walked, and his hand carried a russet leather briefcase, matching his hair shade, our hair color.

"Well, well, look who is home!" He strode toward me and squeezed me into a hug. "How are you doing, sweetheart?"

"Good," I replied. "And how is my—" I stopped when I looked at his face closely. "What happened to your face?" I scanned the visible bruises around his nose, which now had turned slightly purplish.

He quickly rubbed his nose, wincing. "I injured myself. I slipped in the bathroom and fell on my face."

"Ouch! That must have hurt like a bitch." I flinched, mimicking his expression.

"It hurt like a motherfucker." He nodded and chuckled. "Let me bring this document to my room. I need it for my trip tomorrow. I'll be right back, then we can catch up, okay?"

"You're on the trip again tomorrow? Damn," I said, throwing myself back on the couch. It was when I noticed Mom wasn't sitting there anymore.

"Yep. I tried to move it to next week when I heard you wanted to go home, but alas, they couldn't postpone it," he replied as he disappeared into his study room.

The rest of the afternoon was unexpectedly enjoyable. My dad was chattier than he had been in the past two years, which was weird, but I couldn't complain. He was probably in a good mood today.

Mom was long gone, burying herself in the kitchen to prepare dinner. I offered to help, but she shook her head and swatted her hand at me, gesturing me to leave the kitchen. "You two haven't caught up for a while. Go!"

When she announced the dinner was ready, Dad and I jumped out of the sofa like giddy kids. Mom made a mouthwatering stuffed chicken with lemon butter sauce, baked potato, and her signature salad. She even arranged the dinner table with a golden tablecloth, a bucket of lily flowers, and her favorite plates and cutlery, which reminded me of our typical dinner for special occasions.

"How is your car, by the way?" Dad asked as he settled into his seat.

"It works fine, though I wouldn't mind a brand new one."

My mom raised an eyebrow. "Then you need to use your savings, young lady."

"Pfft, it will take forever until I can drive the latest Audi I've been drooling on," I whined dramatically to annoy her. I knew that my parents, scratch that, my mom would never pamper me like that. A reasonable second-hand car was adequate until I earned enough to buy my car. That was the deal.

"You can drive my car if you want to. It may not be new, but it's an Audi." My dad wiggled his eyebrows.

"Nah, it's too big for my liking. Oh, speaking of it, I think I saw your car at the Subway parking lot last weekend." I tilted my head at my dad, frowning. "Or was it not you? I'm not sure."

His smile faltered. "Uh, what? Which parking lot?"

"It must've been Dylan. He needed to pick up his fiancé at the airport, but his car broke down, remember? He then asked if he could use yours," my mom chipped in.

"Oh, right!" Dad nodded a few times.

Mom glanced at me. "I didn't know your uncle borrowed your father's car when we talked on the phone."

"So, I wasn't crazy," I mumbled to myself.

The dinner was delicious. I guessed the saying 'food tastes better when you eat it with your family' was true. My chest tightened, thinking about the Parker family, who would have also sat with us when Mom made a special dinner like this.

But again, as much as I loved to have the Parkers around, I appreciated this private moment with my core family. Little did I know that it was our last dinner together as an unbroken family.