I wake up in a surprisingly somber mood on Ancestor Day. Thoughts and memories of Gran and Pop-Pop flood my emotions. I wish they were here to meet Me-Me. I know they would have loved her. Even my father crosses my mind. Today, Me-Me and I will be moving into the house that I inherited from a father I only met once. His parents – my grandparents, who probably never even knew I existed, once owned the home. Me-Me says that we need to make the place our own, but the ghosts of memories that never included me will forever haunt me. I’m not quite sure how I can ignore that.
After my shower, I decide to surprise Me-Me with breakfast, but in the safest way possible – so I order delivery. The first person I see when I make my way down the stairs is Merlin – which immediately makes me feel guilty about being with Me-Me last night – knowing he probably would not have approved. I greet him quickly, avoiding his gaze as much as possible, and hurry outside to get my delivery.
I sit down on the bench outside and send Me-Me a text to let her know where I am. She meets me outside and sits down to join me for breakfast.
Melisa: Thanks, Kaby! What a nice surprise.
Kai: You’re welcome. *pause* Are you packed up and ready to go?
Melisa: I’m packed, but I don’t know if I’m ready for this vacation to end. There’s so much ahead of us. It’s a little scary.
I know what she means. Our carefree days end once we leave Mt. Komorebi. Our future will consist of planning a wedding, marriage, careers, bills, home maintenance, and possibly kids. It’s a lot to take in, and I’m not surprised that it’s as heavy on her mind as it is mine.
I blow her a kiss to soften the mood a little.
Kai: It’ll be fine. We’ll take it one step at a time.
Melisa: I know, and at least we’ll be doing this together.
Together makes it all feel doable somehow. We finish up our food and head inside to say our goodbyes.
There’s no avoiding Merlin. I step up to him first.
Kai: Thanks for inviting me on this vacation.
Merlin: I’m glad you came. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you, and I look forward to you becoming an official part of our family.
Kai: Me too.
I turn to Jay next. Although we shared a room this whole time, we didn’t really get a chance to get to know one another as much as I would have liked. I hope we’ll get that opportunity in the future. We do a special handshake and talk about seeing each other again at the wedding.
Me-Me steps up to get hugs from her father and brother next. I know it has to be tough for her because Henford is quite a long way from Newcrest, where her parents live. We’ll have to rely on flights and holidays to see them again.
I sit down on the couch, and Jay shocks me by coming over and sitting next to me.
Jalin: Uh, before you go – can I ask you a quick question?
Kai: Sure, what’s up?
Jalin: How long did it take you to know that my sister was the one for you?
I think about the question for a moment, but not because I don’t know the answer. Instead, I want to figure out how to tell him the truth without it sounding cliché and corny.
Kai: I think a part of me knew as soon as I saw her – before I even spoke to her for the first time. But, there was a moment after my Pop-pop passed away. I was having a tough time dealing with it, and suddenly Me-Me was there – at my place. I had no doubts about her being the one for me after that.
I don’t know if my answer helped Jay at all. He doesn’t respond; he just sort of sits there in a thoughtful way. I guess he’s thinking about the girl he met here in Mt. Komo.
Unlike with Jay, Lia and I had plenty of opportunities to get to know each other. We’ve grown close during this trip. We hug.
Kai: Thanks for everything, Lia.
Jamelia: Call me, sis.
Kai: Sis! I like the sound of that.
There’s no way I’m leaving without saying my goodbyes to Jalisa. I step over, and she embraces me.
Jalisa: It’s been a pleasure, Kai! My daughter is fortunate to have met you.
Kai: Thanks for having me.
Jalisa: I wish I could stay longer and help you two plan your wedding, but I’ll do what I can from home.
Melisa: It’s okay, mom. We know you have our backs.
Kai: My mom is more than willing to help us out. I could give you her cell number if you want to coordinate some things with her.
Jalisa: I’d love that.
Me-Me steps away as I give Jalisa ma’s contact information.
Melisa: *to Lia* Can I talk to you for a moment?
Lia and Me-Me step over to the side and speak in lowered voices. Although I’m not trying to listen in, I can still hear a bit of what they are saying.
Melisa: I owe you an apology. I’m sorry for what I said to you when we first arrived.
Jamelia: It’s okay. You were right, and I’m sorry too.
Melisa: I appreciate everything you’ve done for Kai and me. I wanted to know if you’d be my sim of honor – at our wedding.
Lia thinks a moment.
Jamelia: Thanks for asking. You know I’d do anything for you, but I don’t know if I can commit to that right now.
Melisa: *slightly disappointed* No?
Jamelia: I’m not saying no. I just don’t want to commit right away and then not be able to do it. Let me think about it, okay.
Melisa: Yeah, okay.
I can’t imagine why Lia would turn Me-Me down, but I can already tell that Me-Me is very disappointed. We grab our things, say one last goodbye and head out the door.
(Generation 3 Chapter Summaries)
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