As Zed and I finally closed the truck and walked home with Bae restlessly playing on Zed's back, my mind played back to the events of today. Connor, specifically.
I wanted to doubt that it was Connor we truly saw back there but I knew my eyes were not playing tricks on me and it was Connor that we saw. And he had seen Bae too. Was he able to tell it was his daughter from the first sight?
"What are you thinking about, missy?" Zed asked, bringing me back to reality. Bae tugged playfully at his ears and he laughed and pretended to bite her hand. The little girl giggled and I smiled as I watched her dimpled happy laughing face.
There was no doubt she is Connor's daughter. She was his replica.
I sighed again and walked on.
"You seem to be lost in thought ever since he showed up. What's your plan?" Zed mentioned again.
I watched our feet as we walked on the neatly paved road that I had gotten to familiarize myself with over the past three years.
"I am thinking...we don't tell Kenz a word about what happened today." I raised my head to look at Zed looking at me with a confused expression.
"Why? Don't you think she has been waiting for this so long?"
I hugged my body and let the gentle wind cut through my free hair.
"Look. Jojo's hair flies!" Bae pointed at my hair with a giggle and Zed and I laughed at her.
"Your hair flies too." I tugged at her cheeks and ruffled her long ash grey hair playfully and she laughed on.
"No. It doesn't fly."
As we approach the house, my smile faints down and my countenance turned serious again.
"I think Kenz is safer without him. You know everything they did to her after they found out about her pregnancy."
He kept silent at my words and I was glad my words were. beginning to sink into his head.
"I don't want her to risk her life anymore. I think they are better off being the way they are now."
I paused as we reached the doorway and I watched Zed's face closely for any signs that he understood.
"Please, Zed."
The door opens suddenly and Kenzie's curious face greeted us. She looked from Zed to me suspiciously and for a moment, I thought she had heard our conversation.
"What's up? Why are you guys hanging around the doorway?" She asked and Bae struggled to get off Zed's back and hop on Kenzie's body.
"Mummy!" She laughed. Kenzie smiled back at her and picked Bae off Zed, holding her to her body. You could see a few of their similarities up close. Same ash's grey hair. Same fox-shaped eyes.
The rest were Connor's.
"Jojo gave me burgers." Bae tugged at Kenzie's hair as we walked into the house and I was glad for the distraction. Once again, I gave Zed a discreet zip-your-mouth sign and he shrugged in surrender.
"Really?" Kenzie and Bae were still talking. "Grandma made dumplings and Tofu for dinner."
"Yummy!" Bae squealed in delight and Kenzie laughed. I smiled from behind.
Kenzie's relationship with Bae was the perfect mother-daughter relationship. At first, when Kenzie had Bae, she doubted herself and thought herself the worst mom ever. But I had always thought different. She was the best mom I have had and I wouldn't want another even if I was given the chance.
Pattering footsteps rushed from upstairs to join us and Suzy's happy playful face came into sight.
"Hey, guys." She strode past us and landed in Zed's arms. Zed held her by the waist and kissed her on the lips.
"Ewww." Bae laughed and the rest of us laughed at her shyness.
"Girls!" Miranda's voice came from the kitchen, loud and clear. "Dinner time!"
"You should wait for dinner before you leave," Suzy told Zed who replied without shame. "You know I never turn down your mom's delicious foods."
"I have a date in a few minutes. I don't think I can make it to dinner tonight."
A smile fell on Kenzie's face as she looked at me intently as if trying to unravel a secret she did not know about yet.
"Carla...are you seeing someone?"
I laughed at the way she called my name.
"Maybe," I answered with a shrug. "His name is Min-Jin and he speaks good English too."
"Hmmm." Kenzie nodded her head at the information I had given her. "Interesting."
"But remember..." Suzy chipped in without warning. "No kissing or fondling or touching on a first date."
"I can't promise you about the no-kissing part." I began to walk back towards the door again.
"Don't tell me you have plans of kissing him already." Suzy gasped and I laughed
"Maybe."
I rushed out of the door before they could bombard me with sermons and I laughed as I ran off.
This was my family. And I would never let anything or anyone make us unhappy ever again.
"The class would be most attended by students of business administration and finance. The head of the department..."
"Reece." I sighed a frustrated sigh and paused wearing my tie. "I haven't been sleeping. I know all the little details. Just get the car ready, will you?"
Reece nodded. "Alright, sir."
I sighed in relief when he left, glad of the breathing space now. I honestly did not want to be at the university anymore, to be honest. If I could boycott the program and find my way back to that food truck again, I wouldn't hesitate to.
That child. Those hazel grey eyes and ashes grey hairs. That smile. I needed to see it for myself again. There was absolutely no way I would believe that child wasn't mine or that Kenzie wasn't here. I could feel it. I had felt a connection with the little girl. And felt the presence of Kenzie somewhere close. I will find her. I am sure I will.
.....................
Reece dropped me by the foot of the department building and I fixed my tie and tugged on my tux.
"Is this even necessary?" I frowned and Reece watched me from the rear mirror with a smile on his lips.
"You've been preparing for this for weeks, sir." He reminded me and I sighed again. I had been preparing for weeks did not mean I wanted it anymore. The thought of Kenzie and the little girl had overtaken everything else.
Reece alighted from the car and turned around to open the door for me. I inhaled and exhaled deeply one more time before stepping out of the car. As I did so, I met the eyes of countless students and could not help but notice the way they gushed and drooled over my features. I gulped nervously. If only people knew how much this made me uncomfortable, they'd stop it.
"Hello, Mr Meyers." An older man and a mid-aged woman walked toward me and shook my hand in a welcome greeting. "Thank you for stopping by our school."
I fake smiled. "It's an honour."
I allowed them to lead me into the building and finally into the large lecture room. I could hear the female students gush again as I stood on the pulpit before them and I cleared my throat and prepared to speak.
"Hello everyone."
The gush finally quietened down as I spoke and I sighted a long red-haired girl give me a wink and bite her lips seductively. I looked away again.
Jesus Christ.
"First of all, let me appreciate every one of you for welcoming me into this prestigious school. It's an honour to be among such pretty and handsome faces."
The students clapped and whistled and I smiled as they did so. When the clap died down again, I continued.
"Before any other thing, let me use this opportunity to, first of all, introduce myself. I am Connor Finn Meyers. CEO of Stars World Entertainment..."
I was cut short by loud pattering footsteps that ran into the room and all eyes turned to look at the disrupter.
"Oh my God. I'm so sorry sir. I tried to make it on time but traffic was so bad..." The voice of the student explaining to me caused me to turn my head to look in her direction and that was the moment I knew that when you have found the one your heart had always been yearning for, the whole world stops moving. Time stops and you are only left staring at that one most precious thing in your life.
Because, it was at this very moment, that I found her.
As we strolled in the park, I felt a sense of dejavu and the memories of the last time we walked in the park years ago and got soaked in the rain flooded through my head.
I smiled to myself as I realized I hadn't lost it fully. Of course, there was a future for us. There had always been a future for us.
And it had found itself to me again.
"You know..." Connor spoke first. "I always knew I would find you. Just never thought it would be today and in the university too." He chuckled to himself and that dimpled smile comes up. "I almost didn't make it."
"Me too." I wanted to add that Bae got a fever last night and I almost missed class because of that. But I kept my mouth sealed. This wasn't the right time to say things like that. We had just met after three whole years and taking things slow was what would be best for us.
Especially when he thought I had miscarried the baby.
"Why? I didn't know skipping lectures was your thing." He gestured to an empty bench and we both sit on it.
"I don't skip lectures." I defended myself.
"Oh, but you were planning to."
I laughed a small laugh and he did too, our rhythm making a beautiful sync I never thought I would hear again.
"Uh...hi." A couple walked up to us and with the way they were smiling so close to each other, I could tell they were just newlyweds.
"Could you please take a photo of us?" The husband added, politely.
"Alright." Connor took the film camera from them and got up to take photos of them. They posed for the camera and Connor took the shots in a few clicks.
"Thank you." The young lady retrieved the camera from Connor again, her smile warm and kind. She looked between me and Connor and commented. "You are one beautiful couple."
Connor and I laughed a weird laugh and I could feel the heat on my cheeks burn to the tips of my ears.
"Uh...No. we're not..." Connor made to talk but the woman cut in again.
"What about we take a photo of you both too? It's an instant print camera."
Connor looked at me as if asking for permission. I smiled back and got up from my seat to join them.
"Sure."
Connor looked a bit surprised at my answer and the couple took a few steps from us, readying themselves for the photo.
I stood close to Connor and felt his hand slip to my waist as the first click came. I laid my head on his shoulder for the second click and Connor looked at me, his eyes containing a surprise. The third click came and the couple walked to us again.
"You both are a perfect match from heaven." The man commented as his wife printed out the pictures and handed them to me.
"Thank you." I appreciated the woman and they waved at us and finally left.
"Oh my God, look at that couple. How hot!" I could hear two girls giggle as they walked past us and I smiled and watched the photos of Connor and me.
It was beautiful.
"What if all of this is a dream?" I asked, still looking at the photos. "What if we wake up and realise that none of this ever happened?"
"Then, I would be glad I got to experience this kind of feeling with you. And I will keep looking for you because then I know...I will find you someday."
I raised my eyes and looked at him. He took my hand into his and stroked it gently.
"You don't know how much I've missed you, Kenz. How many sleepless nights I've had because of you? At first, I was angry at you for leaving. Then I blamed myself for letting you leave. Then, I blamed myself for not chasing you enough. Then I hated myself for..."
I tiptoed and felt a sense of nostalgia hit me as I planted a gentle kiss on his lips.
"You talk too much like your daughter."
His eyes softened and fluttered as my words hit him.
"My...my daughter?" A small laugh of joy escaped his lips. "That child was my daughter?"
I frowned a little.
"You've met her before?"
He nodded.
"Yes. She wasn't easy to ignore. She was...impeccably beautiful."
I smiled at his words and he planted another kiss on my lips.
"I'm never letting you go again, Kenz. Never again."
