บท 196: It Runs in the Shi's

Nana: 5 Years Old

One morning, Nana rubbed her sleepy round eyes awake from a very peaceful dream. She hopped out of her princess bed and kissed her fluffy dolls, "Morning, Mr.Uni! Miss.Poof! and Darling Moonie Booney!" She hugged her stuffed animals energetically.

She yawned, stretched, and went to the bathroom to wash up. Smiling, she watches her small cup fill up with water, "Hehe... hello water~You're pretty today like every day~"

"Hmmm hmm Hmmm~" She hummed My Little Pony's theme song while brushing her tiny teeth. She was easily fascinated at her age by the littlest thing around her. After wiping her face dry, she smiled at herself in the mirror, "It's a beautiful day since it's Saturday! Yay! Hehehe!" She made different facial expressions while looking at her clean teeth before quickly getting dressed after feeling her tummy's call for food.

"Let's see~ Unicorn! Pegasus! Or~ this super cute bunny ears hoodie?" She covered her eyes and randomly pointed at one of the outfits on her bed. "Oh... nah~ I'll go for bunny today~~ Sorry Pegasus, I'll wear you tomorrow~"

Knock Knock

"Morning Nana, breakfast is ready~" Shi Xue walked in and saw Nana struggling to pull her head out of the bunny hoodie. "Hahaha, here sweetie."

"Wah! I thought I was going to get lost in there, but mommy rescued me~ Hehe mommy is Nana's angel~" She wrapped her tiny arms around Shi Xue's neck and kissed her cheeks, "Morning Mommy~~"

"aigooo~~ mommy doesn't need breakfast after seeing you. You learned these sweet words from your daddy, didn't you hmm?" She pinched Nana's nose gently and returned the kiss. "Let's go eat breakfast~ Your grandma is already downstairs waiting for you."

"Grandma?" She held Shi Xue's hands as they walked downstairs slowly.

"Silly, didn't you ask grandma to come play with you just last week?" Shi Xue wondered if Nana got the short-term memory from her and smiled helplessly at her daughter's confused expression.

"Ah! Right! Grandma is here to play with me~~ Hehehe~~" She actually didn't remember saying anything last week, but played along.

"Nana....you're definitely my child, alright... " Shi Xue couldn't help her giggle when she saw through her daughter's forgetful nature. 'Haaa, my daughter puts on her adorable bunny outfit and then a super brainwashing expression. Who would be able to pinpoint her forgetful nature? This is how Zhi Hei falls for her every time....'

"Goood morning dadddy, brother, grandmama and every big brother and sisters~~~" She loosened her hand from Shi Xue's and ran to the couch where everyone else was. She had a habit of greeting every butler and maid as older brothers and sisters, tugging every one's heartstrings wherever she went.

"Morning sweetie~" Nana gave her father and grandma a morning kiss on the cheeks with the biggest smile on her face. Zhi Hei picked her up and placed her on his lap, "Mwahh, how did our little princess sleep last night? Good?"

"Yep! Very goood!! Nana had a very good dream with an old grandpa giving me a table of my favorite foods~~" She leaned comfortably into her father's chest like always.

"Nana, remember that you can only do this in dreams. No, actually, not even in dreams. If any strangers give you food or approach you, don't trust them unless they are our family friend." Zhi Hei was worried that his daughter would be too careless around strangers after listening to how easily she opened up in her dreams.

"But that grandpa isn't a stranger~ I saw him before in other dreams and he told me that he was my grandpa. I saw him in a picture with mommy when mommy was little." Her big round eyes blinked innocently with her fluffy bunny ears drooping on the sides of her head.

Everyone in the room were stunned by the little princess' descriptive details about her dream and the grandpa she dreamt of. She said that grandpa was very gentle and waved her over for some food. He played with her and told her a lot of stories about when Shi Xue was little. He said he was living in a faraway place and has been watching over everyone in the family.

"Nana, you... how did the grandpa look like?" Shi Xue took out a whole album of pictures with multiple people and her in it. She wanted to make sure that Nana actually knew who she was talking about.

Nana flipped through the album while humming a long "mmm" sound until she came across the one family photo of Shi Xue as a baby with her parents. "Aha! This grandpa here, but older! He said mommy would know what he is talking about because he talks to you in your dreams too!"

"....." Nobody said a word until Wei Wei and Nana's stomach growled loudly. "Ah right! Breakfast! Breakfast!"

After eating breakfast, Nana went back to her grandma's house while Wei Wei followed the couple to grocery shopping. As they walked around the garden, Nana suddenly said, "Ah! Grandma, look look" She pointed towards the tree and excitedly dragged her grandma along.

"Nana, wait! Where are we going?"

Nana stared up on the tree for a little while and placed her tiny finger to her lips while nodding to air, "Grandma, there's something under this tree for you."

"hmm? Dear, there shouldn't be anything...." Nana took the nearest gardening tool and dug until an old dusty bag showed up. "Look grandma!" She took out the mysterious box and gave it to her grandma with a wide smile.

"Look at you, let's go back inside and get you washed up. We'll open this box later. But Nana, how did you know that there is a box there?" She asked curiously.

"This is from grandpa. He was sitting on that tree. Didn't you see?" She blinked confusedly while washing her hands with soap and wiping her face.

While Nana continued washing herself, Xiao Ling (Nana's grandma) sat on her bed, observing the box. She whispered, "Is that really you who told Nana...?" The box was already cleaned up and there was a lock on it. She frowned seeing the lock since she didn't have the key to it. It looked like a customized type of lock.

"Grandmama~ I'm done~ Why do you look sad?" Nana ran to her and rubbed her grandma's head like her parents always does when she felt upset about something.

"Nothing, dear. It's just that... this box has a lock on it. Without a key, grandma can't open it." She sighed, wondering what was inside the box.

"Grandma, you have the key." Nana looked at the empty space beside her grandma and giggled, "Grandpa says the key to the lock is the bracelet he gave to you on one of your year anniversary. The 'Forever And Ever' bracelet."

Gasp

"Nana... I didn't even tell Shi xue about this. Could it be possible..." Xiao Ling couldn't believe her ears. All along she only thought Nana might be kidding around, but things got weirder as she said different things that others wouldn't have known about.

"Grandpa told me." She pointed at the space next to her and nodded twice, "Grandpa says he misses you, but you can't see him. He says he's always been there when you were smiling, crying, talking to him, walking around, and being picky about your food. He wished he could be there physically and touch you, but he can't. He says he loves you, and this box was his anniversary present for you for all these years."

"Huh...?"

"He said there are different presents in this house that you never noticed and if you open this present, you can find the others." Nana translated after looking back and forth from the empty air to her grandma, who was still trying to process what's happening.

Xiao Ling found her bracelet and unlocked the box. Inside the box were letters about everything he remembered since they've first met. From their first date, her first outfit, first embarrassing moments of each other, first kiss, and everything else that followed. Inside the box was another small box holding a brooch inside.

"Xiao Ling, if it's possible, one day, we'll meet again."

Teardrops escaped from her eyes, startling Nana. "Grandma, don't cry. Grandpa likes seeing your smile the most. He says that you are his sunshine, so don't cry. Nana will take good care of grandma." Xiao Ling hugged Nana as she sobbed, "Thank you Nana. Thank you."

Nana wiped Xiao Ling's tears away, "Mwahhh, pain pain fly away... the sun will make it brighter every day" She tried cheering her up by making funny faces or doing what her parents do for her when she cried.

"Grandma is okay now. Nana, can you tell me where grandpa is?" her raspy voice sounded heart wrenching.

"Mm.. grandpa is there." she patted on the bed.

"Thank you, dear. She sat down beside the empty spot and said, "Hubby, we meet again, but I can no longer see you. I promise that I will try not to cry as much or be picky about my food anymore. So don't worry about me. But if only you could leave me some hints that you're here. These presents.. I'll scavenger hunt them one by one for our anniversaries to come. I love you."

That night, Xiao Ling brought Nana back to her home and told Shi Xue that it runs in the Shi family that every girl in every generation would be able to contact their deceased ancestors who want to reach out. This gift may stay or fade depending on fate. Therefore, the voice that Shi Xue had heard from long ago that were thought to be premonition dreams were all her gift. Now, Nana also has it, but it's not clear for how long she will continue having it.