-Four Months Earlier-

Construction was constantly underway, to much annoyance of civilians and to-be neighbours.
Two places being built.
A school, which was voted for by the town.
A house, being built brick by brick.

The Rodanbaugh's, however, were staying in the comfort of a hotel, despite the very clear discomfort in the air.

"Cecilia! Michael's being an ass!"

Cecilia sighs, "Michael, cut it out. Honestly, you act like children sometimes!"

Erica gives a slightly sad look to her sister and sighs as well.

"I'm going to go see Mother and Father. Anyone want to come?"

"I'll stay here." Michael replies.

"And, I'll be finishing putting my things back in boxes."

"Alrighty! Bye bye!"

Erica grabs her cross-body bag and walks out of the room and down the lonely looking hallway, turns to her right and approaches the elevators.
She presses the button to go down, and soon comes an almost empty elevator.
Erica greets the boy in the lift, and he replies with a simple hello.

For some reason, he was holding a very simple white, opaque vase with three blue hydrangeas.

She notices that the button leading to the lobby is already pushed...

"Blue hydrangeas?" Erica asks him suddenly.

Ding...

"They symbolize apology."

"So, you're apologizing to someone? Why only three, if you don't mind me asking?"

Ding...

He laughs a bit, which really seemed to bring life into his soft, amber eyes. His brown hair swayed slightly.

"My father...when I was three, he told me that he really liked flower gardens, of all things. He said that his favourite flower...were hydrangeas."

"That's...simply beautiful. Sometimes the best thing is to just let the gesture speak for itself...Oh, I'm terribly sorry. How rude of me! I'm Erica."

Ding...

"It's alright! I'm Tobias. You know....you're quite right. All you need is a gesture, sometimes."

"My father always said that to my siblings and I, growing up. He said it was important to always show the ones you care about compassion, even if you don't tell them directly."

Ding...

"He seems quite nice."

"Well, he can be an ass, sometimes, of course. But, he does it out of his compassion...that's what my mother says, anyways."

Ding...

"That's true, I'm sure..."

Ding...

The lift opens to the lobby.

Erica, being closest to the door, walks out first and holds it open.

"Oh, thank you..."

"It's nothing. Just common courtesy."

"You don't really see that much these days."

"Hmm....no...you don't."

She opens the door for him.

"You should've let me get that."

"It's okay! Besides, you have to protect that vase!"

"I guess I do, don't I?"

"Mhmm! No tripping!"

They continued walking...until they reached the road.

"We're starting to go different ways." She began, "A split path."

"I'm sure we'll run into each other again. Small community!"

She waves as they both walk off.

Soon, she reaches the local part of town she would eventually call home.

"Oi! Father!" Erica yells, as she sees him standing amidst the chaos that was the half-built school.

"Ah, Erica! Hello! Say, how about we go find your mother and get some lunch? Take some to Michael and Cecilia?"

"Sure!"

And, so they went...
They found Anneka, looking over construction of the house and the three of them went to a small Japanese restaurant and they got food enough for all of them.
On the short ride back, all that would be said was about the boy carrying hydrangeas.

Those hydrangeas.
They seemed to be like the only hope in the world now.
Not knowing if they reached their destination; what a foolish thing to ponder about.
Foolish to think of hydrangeas when it seems like your whole world is going straight to Hell.
Foolish...because would he even remember?
That seemed so long ago...
So long ago, five people were cooped into a hotel room...
Smiling...
Crying...
Everything in between.

But now, that's gone...
Everything is crashing down.
Why'd that feeling have to disappear?!

I don't understand her reasoning for terrorizing both me and her own mother just yet...but when I do, you're a dead man walking.
Because next time, I'll be prepared.

To be continued...