Tom Fritz ran along the straight, tree-lined path towards the lake. Sunlight filtered through the tall sycamore leaves, casting dappled shadows on him. The weight of 478 emails lingered in his mind, a heavy burden. He felt it necessary to reply to her with a long email, to put an end to the seven years of her youth and to express his apologies and guilt. Yet, he feared it might bring her negative emotions or make her overthink.
Tom Fritz had many thoughts when dealing with this young girl, feeling that he could neither be too light nor too heavy-handed. If it were a stranger confessing to him today, he would have directly refused, giving them a clear answer that there was no possibility. But Bubu was different; they were friends.
This morning, Agnes took Bubu out for a walk. The house was too stifling, and she needed some fresh air, even skipping breakfast. Walking Bubu early in the morning left her in a neutral mood, occasionally distracted. She thought of her beloved Mr. Cat, feeling a sense of regret-a regret of being born at the wrong time.
Seven years… these were seven missed years. Perhaps everything she was experiencing now was something she had to go through. It might give her some creative inspiration, but it also easily led to internal exhaustion if she wasn’t strong enough to overcome it.
She walked with her hands in her pockets, wearing a small jacket and strolling against the morning breeze. Bubu followed closely by her feet with its short legs, not knowing how far they had walked…
Suddenly, Agnes stopped because she saw a familiar figure standing by the lake in the distance. She focused her gaze and then quickly squatted down to pick up Bubu, whispering, “Bubu, look! Is that Daddy?”
It looked like him, but she wasn’t sure. She wondered why someone would stand by the lake so early in the morning.
“Meow~” Bubu obediently lay in her arms and meowed in that direction.
Agnes couldn’t be sure if it was him; although he wasn’t supposed to be here, the silhouette looked somewhat familiar. So, she walked towards the tall figure with Bubu in her arms.
Her steps were light as she held her breath and observed carefully, not wanting to disturb anyone if it wasn’t him.
Tom Fritz stood by the lake in casual sportswear, slightly tilting his head back to bask in the morning glow with a furrowed brow and a gloomy expression. He knew well his grandmother’s stubbornness; this time he truly faced a significant problem.
Agnes approached step by step with Bubu in her arms. When she saw his profile clearly, she confirmed it was him. She noticed his slightly closed eyes and furrowed brow, looking utterly despondent.
“Hey!” She called out while holding Bubu with one hand and grabbing his arm with the other, pulling him back forcefully several meters away.
“Don’t do anything rash! Jumping into the river so early? What hurdle can’t you overcome?” Tom Fritz steadied himself and was surprised to see her.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” Agnes asked anxiously, still shaken and full of concern. “Why would you think of ending your life? Don’t you know how irresponsible that is?!”