Chapter 3 Ghost from the Past

Lemon didn’t expect the scene she saw when they returned to the suite. Letty was on the bed, leaning on the headboard with a wineglass in her hand.

‘Is she crying?’

She looked at Dahlia, seated on the loveseat, with her forehead creased. “We saw your Dad,” Dahlia stated, glancing at Letty. “He was already there when we arrived.”

Lemon walked to her mother and combed Letty’s hair with her fingers. “Are you okay?” she asked worriedly. She nodded before pushing herself to sit up, still leaning on the headboard.

“I was surprised to see him there,” Letty said, sniffing. “He said he's been looking for us for years, but your Uncle Rigo and Aunt Ena won’t tell him where we were. Your father knew we were returning because the real estate agent was his friend. He said he just tried his luck today,” Letty narrated, sobbing in between.

Lemon can see pain, anger, and sadness in Letty’s eyes, and she has to force herself not to cry with her. “What did you tell him?” she asked, but her mother could only shake her head.

“Your mom ignored him. He didn’t even get a sigh out of her,” Dahlia informed her, chuckling.

“I can't bring myself to talk to him. I can’t even think of anything to say to him. I wanted to jump at your father and scratch his face nonstop, but I stopped myself,” she sighed.

Lemon hugged her, and Letty returned it, “I love you, Lemon,” she whispered.

“I love you too, mom!”

That was one of the many things she didn’t like about her mother. She doesn’t know if Letty was a martyr or if she was just naturally kind.

Lemon witnessed how she suffered when her father left them back then. But she also knew Letty could easily forgive him once he explained.

She can still recall how Letty became both a workaholic and an alcoholic during their first months in France. She can’t work without a glass of whiskey next to her.

That was why Lemon couldn’t help but worry. Not just for her mother but for herself, too, especially when she thought of the possibility of her father wanting to return to them.

She was scared for herself as she might take after Letty. She might easily forgive whoever will hurt her in the future.

Lemon was worried for Letty because after meeting her father after a long time, she might return to how she was before. Letty might start drinking and overworking again.

Lemon was not asking her not to forgive him. She was just her daughter, and he was her husband, more so if she still loved him.

But for her, Letty should give herself time to reconsider things first. She was just hoping she won’t accept him back right away.

Even Lemon was unsure whether she could accept the man back into her life again. No matter how they explained it to her, she couldn’t understand why he left them for another woman.

She won’t be able to accept the truth that she and Letty were never enough for him to keep their family together. He still chose to go with someone else.

That night, Lemon slept next to her mother, hugging her tightly. She could feel her sobbing in her sleep, and her heart ached for Letty.

She can't afford to see her suffer because her father chose another woman over her mother. She can’t tell her mom, but up until now, she still can’t forgive her father for what he has done.

The following morning, although Lemon stayed up late looking after her mother, she quickly got up when Kale called her. It was only past eight in the morning.

At the pool the other day, they talked about going to church in the morning, so she had no choice but to start preparing to leave. She decided to just catch up on sleep when they were back.

Aside from church, they needed to go to the mall to buy their school stuff. They didn’t even have a notebook, and their class will start on Monday.

Letty and Dahlia were already up too. They will drop Lemon and Kale off at the church before heading to the shop.

But, of course, before anything else, Lemon had to check her phone first. She was a little disappointed when she only received one message. But she realized she wasn’t in France anymore.

And that one message was from Kellen. ‘Good morning, cuz! Happy Sunday!’ After replying to her, Lemon headed for the bathroom to get ready.

She thought of inviting her cousin over to their suite or the mall. But she wanted the day to end fast, too, so Lemon decided to put it off for next time.

Lemon donned a striped, boxy tee, skinny jeans, and casual kicks. Kale’s outfit was almost the same though he picked a polo shirt instead.

It was how he usually dressed up when going to church. According to him, it was his semi-formal attire.

After getting dressed, they both headed downstairs. They ate breakfast for almost an hour and exited the hotel.

“Good morning, Lemon! Where are you off to?” Yel greeted and waved.

“Good morning! We’re going to church.”

“Who is he, fille?” Letty asked from behind.

Lemon turned to face her mother and pointed at the young man to introduce him, “This is Yel, Mom. Yel, This is Letty, my mother, and Kale’s mom, Aunt Dahlia.”   Letty nodded at Yel with a smile, but Yel’s reaction weirdly changed after the introduction. He was smiling at first, but then that smile slowly faded.

His forehead suddenly creased, and Lemon noticed a glint of anger in his eyes as he looked at Letty. He also didn’t say anything more after she introduced them to him.

After a few seconds, Yel bid them farewell, and since she was a bit confused, Lemon nodded in acknowledgment. He left them without even looking back.

‘That was strange…’