Erin was much different from thest time ir saw her, was during her mother’s burial. She had sat alone on the bench, dressed all in ck, not speaking to anyone who approached her to share their condolences. ir remembered thinking Erin was really strong, if she had lost her mum, she didn’t think she could hold it together just the way Erin did. ir hadter caught Erin crying after she thought that everybody had left. She had wanted to walk up to her, to console her and tell her everything would be fine. But ir wasn’t the judge of life, she couldn’t predict if everything will be fine. She also wasn’t sure the exact words to say to Erin, there rtionship was kind of a forced friendship, so instead she had walked away and called her mother instead to check on Erin.


    She had on the brightest smile when she saw ir approaching. “ir!” She walked over to them quickly, giving her a hug. “It’s been like… Well, a really long time,” she said after she had pulled back.


    “Yeah, it’s been long. I didn’t know you were back in town, not till my mother just told me few minutes ago. When did youe back


    “I came back just yesterday, thought I shoulde check up on how everything is going around here…” She snapped her fingers like she just remembered something. “Another reason, I’m here. I heard you got married.”


    ir froze, looking at her mother who was behind, she held an equally surprised look as ir. “You knew I got married?”Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    “Of course, everyone knows this. I heard it from Stacey, you remember Stacey from our ss right? Yeah, she was the one who told me. She said she heard it from someone else… I can’t remember who. I’m just offended that I wasn’t informed, I know I said I was very busy, but I could have made out time for this.”


    “Sorry, I… He wanted to tie up things really fast, before I could even settle to think of who I wanted to said the wedding invitations to, I was already saying ‘I do’ on the alter.”


    “A, you and Richard finally did it. I always knew you two would get married one day, if there was a perfect couple out there, it would be you two.”


    ir didn’t know how to respond to this. She didn’t know if Erin was saying this because she knew ir didn’t get married to Richard and just wanted to get her to admit it. “Uh, it’s not Richard. Richard and I broke up, I moved on.”


    “Erin how about we wash our hands and go in? The sun is really harsh today, I can continue with thister.”


    “Ok then, I’ll help you pack this inside.”


    “No need, let’s just leave it out here to dry first, I’ll attend to themter. Let’s go in, I believe lunch should be ready by now.”


    ~~~


    “So Erin, tell us what you’ve been up to since you’ve been away.” Irene asked as they ate. “I was starting to think you’ve forgotten all about us back here.”


    “Oh no,” Irene said. “That’s not even possible. I haven’t been doing much really. I got this really nice apartment in this quiet street, which is good for me, because with I need the piece to make my videos.” Asides from her monthly paying job, Erin was also a YouTube artist, she usually made ASMR videos, for reducing anxiety, stress and inducing sleep. “I also have a new roommate now, so much better than thest one.”


    “Thest one?” ir found herself saying before she even realized it.


    “I mean Jennie,” she told her. ir just nodded, though she had no idea who Jennie was. “Let’s just say she was an nightmare. Things were pretty rough for me after mum passed away. I had ti quit my job and for awhile, I struggled really hard financially, she didn’t make this easy for me one bit.” Erin chuckled. “We were always fighting and luckily for me, she finally left. Which is good, because I didn’t n on leaving.”


    “Oh, that must have been horrible for you dear, having to go through all that after Maria passed away. You should have stayed back, you know you are always invited to stay, you’re like a daughter to me.”


    “I didn’t want to be a bother,” Erin told her, a bit embarrassed. She looked at ir, who wasn’t eating but staring down at her te. “Also, I didn’t think ir would like that idea at all.”


    “Why would you say that?”


    “Let’s not have that discussion now.” After a moment a silence, she cleared her throat and asked, “So, tell me about this new man in your life, what’s his like?”


    “He is alright… Erin you know I would have no problem with it if you had decided to stay here with us.”


    “Really?”


    “Yes. I don’t even leave here, I don’t care about who does.”


    “It’s just that I always got this feeling that you didn’t like me that much. You never really look so enthusiastic to talk to me, and other times it looks like you would rather be somewhere else like the graveyard, than speak to me.” Although sheughed, you could see it in her eyes that she was pained by that. ir looked to her mum, who was still staring at her food other thing to stare at, she had decided that she wasn’t going to jump into the topic.