章 271: Leaving Soon!
Time - 09:10 PM
Ethan and Lia stayed in the living room with the TV playing cartoons. Little Lia watched the show, while Ethan sat a few inches away from her, checking his mobile phone, replying to text messages and unanswered calls.
"Dad?" Lia called, after spending much time with her American friends.
Ethan paused to attend to her.
"Who was that?" she asked.
Seeing her mother leave in a hurry, Lia had no time to react. Upon the unknown visitor leaving with her mother, Ethan told her to watch cartoons till bedtime. The father didn't seem to care to explain what happened earlier, and it made Lia wait till it settles down.
Within a few minutes following their departure, Lia chose to ask her father.
Ethan looked over at the unbothered Lia with a blank face showing no emotion. The father glanced at the television to see if the show was boring:
The chaotic family members whose father is an inventor. His innovation fills their whole house, and the family members use it to their convenience. The wife being a great cook, uses her husband's crazy creations in her daily life.
What a perfect couple! - Ethan conceived a flick second.
They have three kids- a freewill girl, a nerdy big sister, and an introvert youngest brother.
Their neighbors appear to be a family of elegance and class, and the show deals with everyday lifestyle with these two complete counterparts. How the adventurous family and their conventional neighbors bond together despite the indifference was the concept of the show!
It is a pretty neat play with comical gags, good messages, decent adventures, and colorful animation that can pique any kid's interest.
And still, Lia shows no enthusiasm.
The few seconds he spared to understand the show, Ethan learned that it did not matter to Lia as she's still weighing of the earlier scene.
"Do you want to know who it was?" Ethan asked.
Lia nodded.
Ethan kept his mobile inside his pant pocket to reply.
"That person is your mother's sister!" he answered.
Lia's face lit up, almost feeling deluded from not knowing such relevant characters until now. A mixture of delight and disappointment made her upset.
"Her name is Gigi. I don't much about her either, nor have I met her until today," Ethan added.
The poor girl felt being left alone in her whole life, that now after discovering new family, and relatives made her even more unsettled.
"That means, that person is my aunt?" she asked, her heart wrenched in defeat.
Ethan admitted.
"I understand mama was under a lot of pressure and pain, but somehow I am feeling bothered by not knowing all these people, father," she exclaimed in an unapologetic tone.
Ethan couldn't argue with that, and his smile revealed his inability to respond.
"Don't be sad, dear. Since you are staying here with your mother, you will have a lot of opportunities to spend time with your grandparents, aunt, and so," he cheered the little one.
Ethan is the only child, and it let Lia never experience the blood-related aunt or uncle bond. Now that she witnessed it, Lia appeared elated underneath all the revelation.
***
Ethan checks the time and calls for Lia to go to sleep without staying awake any longer and watch TV despite her disinterest.
Ethan tucks Lia in bed and reads her new book.
"How are you feeling? Not sleepy yet?"
Lia shook her head.
"A little!"
Ethan took the time to stay next to her and petted her soft to let her fall asleep comfortably.
"What am I going to do?" he mumbled.
Lia blinked at his words.
"You are already such an angel, sweetie. Do you know that?"
Ethan's voice almost sang to his lovely daughter, and it made Lia smile.
"I am going to miss you, Lia," Ethan dropped.
Lia's smiling eyes arrested at once, and it grew wider to the weight of the news she heard.
"What?" the little one sprinted from her sleep.
Ethan anticipated the worrisome time he needs to face when Lia realizes him leaving soon.
"Are you leaving?"
"When?"
"Father, why?"
Lia outbursts. Her emotions exploded into a frenzy.
Ethan soothed her to calm down.
"I kept telling you all the time, honey," Ethan appealed.
"When?" Lia shouted, almost on top of her lungs.
"Now, calm down, don't shout," Ethan sternly said.
His serious face made Lia sit on her bed without displaying much action.
"Don't you remember?" Ethan spoke.
"The very first night, when we went out to an Ice cream parlor after our dinner, I told you that I'm leaving Monday."
Lia tried hard to recall and somewhere down in her memory lane, her father's words inscribed in small font that was hard to read.
Her face frowned to her swelling tears.
Ethan found it hard to speak as he caressed her cheeks with tender and love, calming her down from crying out.
"I kept telling you often so that you would not feel bad for me leaving so soon, dear," he explained.
Lia did not react or answer to him. Her face fell gradually, and she refused to look him in the eyes, for the little one failed to suppress the dominating tears.
Instead of letting her be, Ethan carried Lia to his chest. His wordless action broke out the final barrier that subdued the rising tears, and finally, Lia cried.
Her soft wails and some sniffs let Ethan not talk anymore and focus on comforting her.
"It's alright!"
"Lia is a good girl, right?" he kept softening to her and sang her some songs.
"It's alright. Papa rushed to visit my little angel this time. For the next occasion, I plan to take long days off from work to be with my sweetcakes, okay?" Ethan proposed in his most calm yet soothing tone. Lia's cry dropped, and she nodded with a soft sound.
"Such a good girl, aren't you? My little honey bunny! My comrade!" Ethan's nicknames for her endlessly went as he added new ones to please her daughter.
After several efforts to finally achieve, Lia was in her bed, properly lying as she gripped tightly on to her father's.
"Next time, you have to stay longer," Lia sadly said.
"For sure!"
Lia looked at him with her little doubtful eyes, and Ethan promised her that he wouldn't betray his words.
"If I leave tomorrow, then the next time I ask for a holiday at work, they will grant me generously. I don't want to miss spending time with my sweet angel on Holidays. I definitely won't miss your first school performance on stage, huh?" Ethan's words, at last, pleased his child, and she dozed off to sleep as she received several pinky promises from her father.
Ethan picked her up and covered the blanked cozy to watch her sleep peacefully. Those kind eyes that just cried made her feel bad for putting his daughter in such a spot. However, the reality is harsh towards him as well.
***
Meanwhile, the sisters descended the stairs at their own pace. Gigi went down first as Giselle followed her. She kept focusing her gaze at Gigi's hair.
The last time she saw, her sister grew her hair pretty long, and now, it got razed to a short sleek bob with a long bang on one side that covered her right eye half.
"Why did you cut your hair?" she asked out of curiosity.
Gigi kept taking down the stairs, and upon asked a question, she paused for a second before putting her feet below to the ground.
As she continued, she revealed her answer.
"That's because it was the first thing that made my cheater husband like in me. He said, and as I quote, "You pretty long hair suits you the most, and I love watching you and your hair dance like the wind!" my ass!" Gigi cursed to the sentence that once made her blush naively.
"Since it was tough getting rid off him, I wanted to erase his memories along with the things that made me remind of his wicked face. That's why I cut my hair! And I don't plan on growing it either," she said.
Giselle almost fell sad for those long locks as it looked beautiful for her sister. Despite his bad behavior, he did admit to one truth, and that was Gigi's beautiful long hair that made her appear like a mighty goddess.
They reached downstairs, and Giselle invited Gigi to come in to at least share a few words with Ethan and to meet her daughter, Lia.
Gigi agreed, and she entered to find Ethan alone in the living room.
"Lia slept already?" Giselle asked.
"Yes, she fell asleep a few minutes ago."
Giselle cried from almost not letting Lia to meet her aunt.
"It's alright! I'll take a look at her for now, let her sleep. She has school tomorrow, right?" Gigi asked.
The two ladies went straight to Lia's room and found her sleeping soundly.
Gigi took a deep stare at the resting child.
"She does resemble you more than that guy," she remarked aloud, and Giselle poked not to be offensive.
"How wonderful for you two to be so friendly, so unlike me," Gigi exclaimed, and a smile entered her face after watching Lia for longer.
"Just by looking, I can say that she is like you but has her father's traits in your weak areas," Gigi smirked devilishly that almost angered Giselle to hiss.
"Enough, let her sleep, and you can meet her later," Giselle urged and walked out of the door.
Gigi remained by Lia's side, and in the absence of her mother, she took the opportunity to give gentle strokes at her soft cheeks and planted a light kiss on Lia's forehead before leaving the room.
Lia wriggled in her sleep slightly, but ignored the cause of it and continued to sleep in comfort.
Coming out of the room, she saw Giselle and Ethan. Walking to greet Lia's father, Gigi faced trouble from her attitude earlier.
"I'll apologize for my rude words from before. I was little off at that time," Gigi begged sincerely, and Ethan let it go.
"It's fine."
The two shook hands formally. Giselle stayed in between the two but a little far away to let them chat frankly.
*****
Sunday night, returning late to home was Lillian Grey, in her comfortable casual attire. The long flight bought sharp headache and severe jetlag, for Lillian did not care to even lounge on her favorite spot in the house and went straight to her room to finally fall on her warm, comfortable beg. The sight enticed her to sleep for eternal, but Lillian's mobile buzzed twice to spoil the fun.
A deep, loud sigh, she displayed as a response to the notification.
Lillian's eyes appeared deadly, and she picked the mobile to unlock and read the message.
The messages were from Jenna.
Jenna - 01:12 AM
One more sit down interview, and you are over for the long rally, Ms. Grey. This magazine has been our partner for a long time, and they kindly adjusted to fix the schedule to our liking. I hope you are in your best behavior despite spending the past week traveling all around for interviews and events.
Lillian glared at the message when she noticed another one left unread.
Jenna - 01: 12 AM
It is the last interview, and you are free afterward, so please, I beg you to do it well and not cause Mr. Ricardo or me any more trouble, Ms. Grey. Please bear with us!
Lillian read both the messages and threw her mobile away on the bed as she face-palmed herself on the fuzzy surface.
"Give me a break!" she cried loudly and soon drifted to a night of sleep from deadly exhaustion.
クリエイターの想い 
ljack_ace
ljack_ace So, those who wanted Lillian, here we go! You better be prepared for my girl!!!
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