Chapter 5 Farewell to Mother

"He used those stones to scare off those kids, even though a few of them were unwilling to leave and wanted to get closer, they were all scared off by his fists."

At that time, she was still very young, only eight years old. The memory of an eight-year-old could only be so clear, perhaps it was an embellished fantasy, but Emma remembered the appearance of that boy clearly. His curly brown hair, maybe it was chestnut, a tall nose, none of that mattered. What mattered were his eyes. They say the eyes are the windows to a person's soul, and Emma saw his beautiful soul through those obsidian-like eyes.

"He was only a little taller than me, about half a head taller. But those kids who threw stones at me, some of them were nearly a hundred pounds. If it had turned into a fight, maybe he would have gotten hurt." Emma carefully recalled everything that happened that day. "But he didn't back away, didn't think he couldn't take on so many people, didn't even think about whether he would be targeted. He just rushed over and scared off that group. He asked if I was hurt and carefully helped me bandage myself up."

It was in that moment that she fell in love.

"Then what happened?" Florence couldn't wait to hear the rest. At eight, they hadn't met yet. Eight-year-old Florence was still at home, taking care of her alcoholic father every day. "You didn't ask his name or meet him again?"

Emma shook her head. It was just a beautiful interlude. The gods took pity on her, covered in wounds, and gave her a gift she could only fantasize about but never have.

She never met that boy again, never got the chance to ask his name or where he lived. She stood up, and the boy brushed the dirt off her when she fell, asking if she wanted him to take her home. She just shook her head absentmindedly at the time. She watched the boy leave, his figure disappearing from her sight, only then did she realize she hadn't asked him anything.

"You never mentioned this boy to me!"

Emma rubbed her temples. "Darling, I just told you, I was only eight at the time. We didn't meet until we were thirteen. It was like a dream to me. After that, I don't even remember what he looked like or what happened that day, I just knew that it seemed like someone had rescued me from a nightmare and gave me a gentle afternoon."

If it weren't for Florence pressing her today, "Have you ever liked anyone?" she wouldn't have carefully picked this dream out of the wasteland of her memories.

Florence was a bit melancholic. Emma had rarely smiled since they met, and she couldn't imagine what it was like when she first fell in love. Anyway, Emma was her best friend, and she hoped she would be okay.

The two of them looked for a while, finally finding a replacement for the broken plate, when Emma's phone in her pocket suddenly rang.

She had a bad feeling in her heart.

Florence quickly took over her things, urging her to answer the phone quickly. She looked at the caller ID, it was her mother. "Hello, Mom, why are you calling now?"

"Emmie..." her mother's breathing even sounded weak. "The sunshine is so beautiful today."

Emma didn't know if her mother was speaking nonsense now, but as long as she was willing to say something, Emma was willing to listen. "Yes, the sunshine is very nice today. Do you want me to take you out to soak up some sun?"

"Yes. I remembered that we were going to have dinner together tonight, and then I saw how beautiful the sunshine was outside, so I wanted to look around."

"I'm coming back now. Don't move, I'll be home soon."

She gestured to Florence with her eyes that she might have to go back home first today. Florence nodded understandingly and went back with her things. Emma quickly turned back home, wanting to see her mother's condition as soon as possible.

Emma's mother was already sitting up, leaning heavily against the head of the bed, gazing at the warm sunlight outside the window, she had never loved the scenery of this world so much, she had been fixated on too many unnecessary things for many years, being abandoned by her partner had put great pressure on her body and mind, she hadn't looked at the world properly for a long time, nor had she treated her daughter well.

Emma, who had just rushed back, pushed the door open panting, "Mom, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I just suddenly felt that the sunset was beautiful, so I got up." She had never been so soft and gentle. "Didn't you say you had a part-time job today? Is it okay to come back so suddenly?"

"It's okay." Emma walkedtowards her, wanting to push the wheelchair closer. "Florence will cover for me."

Her mother didn't know about Emma's social life, nor did she know who Florence was. "Is she your colleague from work?"

"Not only that. I've known her since I was thirteen. We've been good friends for a long time and relied on each other."

Her mother smiled, "My Emmie seems like she could do well without a mother."

Emma silently pushed her onto the lawn, squatting in front of her, gently cradling her thin face. "Don't say that, Mom. I love you, and I want you to be okay."

Her mother clasped her hand, "I'm sorry, Emmie. You should have grown up well, but because of my selfishness, you wasted the best years of your life."

Emma pressed her face against her mother's leg, which was now just skin and bone, aching her. But it was her only source of warmth now. She closed her eyes, feeling the scent of flowers in the air, the breeze brushing against her cheeks, she wanted to cry. She felt her mother's life slowly slipping away as she leaned on her.

"Will you forgive me, Emmie?"

"Of course, you will always be my mother."

"Will you listen to me, go and live with your father and study well in school, okay?"

"...Yes, Mom."

Her final wish was finally granted. Her mother seemed to have no more attachment to this world. She closed her eyes and took a shallow breath, "The world is so beautiful. It's a pity I didn't realize it before. I'm really sorry, Emmie, I was supposed to have dinner with you, but I couldn't make it in the end."

Emma didn't reply, her tears gradually fell on her mother's leg. She knew her mother had left her.

"It's okay, Mom." Her mother would never hear those words again.

She didn't know how to face this. After losing her mother, she still had a lot to deal with, but right now she couldn't do anything, she just wanted to be with her mother.