Chapter 263
“Mom! Mom!” they called.
Athyst followed the children shouting, “Guys! Mom is standing right here!” The children did not turn to her. They went to a woman who stood at the kitchen sink with her back to Athyst and embraced her from both sides.
“Mom, mom! Look at this, I drew this,” one of the children exclaid, holding up her artwork.
“Really? Wow! It’s a masterpiece!” the mother exclaid.
“What is this a picture of? Guess!” the child asked, jumping up and down.
The mother thought for a mont. “A puppy?”
“No!”
“Then a cat?”
“No, no!”
“Then give a hint!” The mother smiled.
“You don’t know this? It’s a frog!”
“What? How is this a frog?” The child began to tear up at the mother’s guess.
“Don’t cry!” Athyst exclaid.
The mother knelt on one knee, so that she was at the child’s eye level. “You know, now that I look again, I can see it’s a frog. I’m sorry, I was just playing around. You drew a very good frog.”
“Really?”
“Of course!”
The children ran back into the living room excitedly. Athyst felt a shiver run through her body as the woman before her stood and looked right at her. She could see that it was herself and yet not herself. This was a thirty-seven-year-old Heeyeon. The woman actually addressed her.
“Are you happy now?” Heeyeon asked. “I’m happy. Everything is fine. I hope you find happiness as well.”
“But, you’re ,” Athyst said, confused.
“Yes, I’m you. And you’re . But I’m happy now and you are not. So go look for your happiness. That’s the best option for both of us.”
“You really are happy?” Athyst asked.
“I am.” Heeyeon smiled.
“And I can beco happy as well?” Athyst’s voice trembled. Heeyeon simply smiled.
Athyst’s eyes shot opened as she woke up. She couldn’t tell whether it was morning or evening. A mory had co, one of Belice. There had been information that Belice hadn’t told Athyst when she first ca to this world. Now that ti had passed, Athyst felt she should learn the entire story. She would need to et with Belice.
Athyst got off the bed and started packing. Then she stopped. She couldn’t just run off again, not without getting organized first. She needed to approach this one step at a ti. She decided to shower, get dressed and then figure out what needed to be done.
“Carol!” Pauline and Erina walked into the café that afternoon. The café had been closed until then. Pauline walked up to Athyst and gave her a big hug.
“Are you ok? Did sothing happen?” Pauline asked.
“No. Nothing happened,” Athyst replied, mustering a smile.
“Were you sick? You should’ve told !”
“No, I’m not sick.” Athyst assured her.
“Then that’s good.”
“Pauline, can you sit for a mont? I have a favour to ask.”
“Of course. What’s the favour?”
Athyst handed Pauline a notepad. Pauline looked puzzled as she flipped to the first page. Written on the paper was the current financial state of the café and the inventory. The next page had a café manual that explained all of the other workings of the cafe.
“What is this?” Pauline asked, as she flipped to the next page. It had the recipe to make the fruit juice, detailing everything from prepping the ingredients to the fernting period. Pauline looked up at Athyst in surprise.
“What is this? Why are you showing this notepad?”
“I have sowhere I need to go for a while. Can you take care of the café during that ti? I have too many mories here to close it down and I don’t want to give it to anyone else. I thought you would be the best fit to take it over.”
“What are you talking about? Can’t you just close it down for a while and then reopen when you co back?” Pauline looked confused.
“I might be gone for a while.”
Pauline tried her best to stay calm. “Are you thinking you might not co back? Is that it?”
“I can’t be certain right now. But I do have to leave. I don’t have a choice in that.”
“No, I don’t want to. Just close down and make sure you co back. I can at least make sure nothing happens to the building while you are gone.”
“Pauline….”
“I said no.”
“Think about Erina. You can’t keep sending her off when you have to work. If you worked here, she could spend all day with you.” Athyst thought that would be the point that changed Pauline’s mind.
“It’s my business, what I do with Erina,” Pauline said stubbornly.
“Of course, Pauline. You know what’s best for Erina.”
“This is your café, you can’t just leave it.” Pauline said, on the verge of tears.
“That’s why I’m asking you to take care of it while I’m gone.”
“But you might not co back! Is it dangerous, whatever you have to do?” Pauline wasn’t going to give up trying to convince her to stay.
“No. My plan had always been to travel. I received a good opportunity, and because it might take a while, I need soone trustworthy to take care of the cafe.” Athyst smiled, hoping she had convinced Pauline.
“Carol. Do You think I’m stupid?” Pauline looked angry now.
“Of course not.”
“What aren’t you telling ? I thought you were my friend but you…” Pauline couldn’t control her emotions any longer and began to cry.
“Pauline, I’m sorry I’m upsetting you. The truth is, Gray left. I woke up and he was gone.”
“You’re chasing after him?”
“No. He received a reprieve and went back to his rightful place. I just think it’s ti I find out who I really am.”
“Carol…”
“Pauline. I’m sorry, I can’t tell you everything right now. But please believe, you are my friend. That’s why I’m asking you for this favour. This café is really precious to and you’re the only one I can trust to take care of it.”
“Will you co back when you find yourself?” Pauline asked, sniffing back the tears.
“If I have no choice but to co back, then I will return.”
“I hope that doesn’t happen,” Pauline said.
“What?” Athyst was shocked at Pauline’s response.
“It seems like whatever you are searching for is very important, so I hope you find it and don’t get to co back.” It seed like Pauline subconsciously understood Athyst’s dilemma. She could sense that Athyst would beco so happy that she wouldn’t have to co back here.
“I’ll still miss you,” Pauline said sadly. “But you could still co visit. You would be able to do that, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Don’t forget to write.”
“I won’t.”
“I’ll not be responsible for going bankrupt when you’re not here,” Pauline said stubbornly
Athyst laughed. “It’s ok if it does.”
“How can you say that it’s ok for the cafe to go bankrupt!” Pauline was shocked.
“Nothing’s more important than a friend,” Athyst replied.
Pauline hugged Carol for a long ti, tears streaming down both lady’s faces. That day Café Carol, run by Athyst and Gray, closed for the last ti. A few days after Athyst left, Café Carol, run by Pauline and Erina, opened.
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