As they watched their kids run and play, living their lives completely, Alex and Ravine shared a table at the backyard in the evening when the sun was setting and the air was getting cooler.
“Hey, um…” Alex voices out as Ravine smiled at her daughter playing with the little children.
They were Dan’s grandchildren, little sunshines born to George and his wife. They were three years and five years of age. Both held her hand as they tried to swing the woman on the tree, later jumping on her lap as Zayn helped them play with the lovely girl.
Ravine turns to look at Alex, her smile falling as the man suddenly forgot how to speak.
“What is it?” She asks in a cool way, no wonder that Cassandra loved her cool mom like an idol.
Alex purses his lips together as he held her hand.
“I never really got to say sorry to you for losing your kid-”
“It’s alright. I prefer not talking about it. It’s a loss that I had to recover from.” Alex grows quiet.
He tilts his neck to look at the young girl playing with the two kids as well. Her laughter was like medicine to his old age. It was a flowery bed of youth that he couldn’t help but love like a father.
“Say,” he turns back towards his ex lover who slowly moves her gaze back towards him. Her smile was fading again, something about her disinterest in him pinches his heart like ants.
“Cassandra came over to our house yesterday. She is such a sweet kid, Ravine. You taught her well.”
“Hmm, I’m happy to hear that. I wouldn’t hear nothing less about my lovely daughter.” As Ravine spoke about her daughter and her upbringing, Alex couldn’t stop wishing for a daughter like her as well.
“By the way, meet my son, Ravine.” The woman lifts her eyebrows as she sees the young man approaching them.
“Hello, Christopher.” She knew the name by thought, although meeting him for the first time as the timid guy stands beside his father.
“Papa talks a lot about you, Ms. Ravine. He told me how you both were once inseparable.” He says, he shifts his gaze along with Ravine who was constantly looking at her daughter.
“Your daughter is very beautiful, Ms. Ravine.” The old woman lifts her eyebrow as a warning. Until now, Alex didn’t know that Ravine could look so scary with just her facial expressions.
He trembled in his bones under her spine chilling gaze as well, he elbows his son in the gut.
“That’s not how you say she is pretty, Chris.” The young man was hunched over as he speaks with a dry voice, leaned over.
“I- I mean… it only proves to me that Ms. Ravine was beautiful as well. Ouch.” Alex chuckles as he makes his son sit beside him, rubbing his back.
Ravine was blushing under the shadow, it was hard for her to keep up with the mask.
“Ravine, I have to ask you something. Could you please… um… follow me?” Taking a deep breath, the woman follows Alex as she gazes at her laughing and joyous little sunshine before going back into the big palace like house of the Johnsons.
“Uh… Cassandra and Christopher both need something parental to them. I’ve been playing the role of his father ever since he was a 7 months baby. He’s never felt the love of a mother, even if our family’s women have been taking care of him like their own son. It’s just not the same for him, Ravine.” Ravine hears to his words as she breaks out into a bitter smile.
“You never let go of your habit, do you? You never tried to beat around the bush, and that’s what makes me so attracted to you.” Says the girl. She had a pocket in his dress as she pulls out her thick blunt and lights it up.
Alex stares at her unhealthy habit as he snatches the blunt out of her mouth.
“If you have something to punish me with, do it, Ravine. But please… give me another chance with you. It’s been thirty six fucking years already.”
Ravine sighs at the stubborn man as she admits her defeat.
“I’m sorry, Alex. But we can’t do this. Even if it’s for the sake of our children. I… I can’t do this.” She says, getting to her feet to exit the room.
“But wait,” his words stop her from twisting the doorknob. Releasing the puff from her lungs, she looks at him over her shoulder.
“What is it?”
“I… still couldn’t figure out why you came over to our team room and wished with a kiss for my match. That… that released a winning drive, a power in me which I never knew i had. Why’d you do it?” The man asks.
Ravine turns around, that was an interesting question.
And an interesting memory for her as well.
She takes the blunt from her mouth, blowing the smoke out as Alex squints his eyes to watch her silhouette against the sunset from the window beside.
“Because that was the last time I would see you, and was probably the last time I would have been breathing as well. I hated my life back then, Alex. I hated hating on the Johnsons for no reason at all.
I was just… driven by my parent’s words. They manipulated me too well, Alex.” His question was opening up the wounds that he didn’t know were left unattended in her heart.
For the rest of the party time, Alex and Ravine stayed in his room as she talked more and more about her life.
At some points, he was jealous by the way she talked about her late husband. It was as if he was the greatest man alive (he indeed was, I loved him).
And on some narrations from her, he felt like she deserved everything from happiness to pleasure and nirvana, and everything that came in between as well.
He was begging the gods to allow him to be with her for one last time.
And his wish… shall be granted.
By a 17 year old female mastermind.