𝚂𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚂𝚊𝚍𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜

Chapter-59

"It's already that day?" Mom sighed.

"It is!" Kenji smiled.

The day was here, I was helping Kenji load the last of our bags in the boot of the car. It was time for us to head to the airport, it was time to get back to Monaco. Dad had already left for work, Sofu was standing there with a smile on his face and my mother looked so anxious.

"Nothing to worry about! We'll all be meeting again very soon." Laura hugged mom, hoping to get rid of the frown on her face.

"Yes of course." Mom finally smiled, "but Emiko, it's you I'm worried about."

"What are you worried about? It's not my first time." I laughed.

"I know. But every trip so far has been...Eventful. Are you sure you want to go?"

"Mom. I get your worries." I took her hands in mine. "This is something I need to do for myself and for Kenji, who will decorate his house if not me?"

"This is not a joke!" She shot back.

"See. This is the last time. After everything is settled I'll come back. This will be the last time I go to Monte Carlo in..." I tried to think of a reasonable time frame.

"Three years." She said. "You won't go back to that place that keeps making you sad for the next three years after this trip."

"Fair. But how will I see Baba and my friends?"

"They can fly here! Besides Baba will always be here!"

"What!?" I looked at my mother and then at Baba in confusion. "What's going on? Someone tell me!"

"I've made my mind Emi." Baba said, "I want to spend as long as I can here. I want to fix my ancestral home, live there with my sisters while we still can."

"But your shop-"

"I can run a shop here too!"

"Whose idea was this? Telling me literally fifteen minutes before I leave for my grandma's home that she's relocating?"

"We didn't have plan on telling you until it was all set in stone." Mom said, "but I guess my big mouth just had to blurt it."

We said our goodbyes and started our drive to the airport. The whole time all I could think about was Baba, how much she must have craved company, how she would have craved being around her family. While it was still hard to process the choice she made, it was sensible. She needed a lot of love and support right now, what better support system can you have than women who have gone through the same life experiences as you?

Her project seemed pretty cute. I imagined my Baba and her sisters all looking at their childhood home, thinking about the times they'd spent there and how they're going to bring back those happy and carefree days. Whatever she chose to do, all I hoped for her is to be happy, for her to be able to experience wonderful things she deserved.

Now I had two things to do in Monaco, decorate Kenji's new apartment and contain Baba's house into little carton boxes. I was definitely going to tear up while doing the latter, I had so many fond memories of my school days with that house. It was the one place in Monaco I could truly call home.

***

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to  Nice Côte d'Azure Airport. Local time is 3 pm and the temperature is 20 degrees Celsius."

The static at the start of the announcement woke me up, we really were here! One last time for the next three years, or so my mother made me promise. We de boarded and headed towards the helipad, now I wasn't one to be all flashy and tacky, but if I could afford taking my family to Monaco as quick and comfortably as possible, you best believe I would spend the money for it.

"It must be so nice to be so rich." Kenji smiled.

"The first time I travelled like this was with... Charles, and it did feel a lot more comfortable than driving, using the bus or train to get to Monaco." Even saying his name stung a little.

But I looked at the outcome possibly, sure he made me experience a lot of my first luxuries but I certainly didn't need him to buy them for me. I could very much afford them myself if I had the heart to shell out all that money.

By the time we got home, Siya was exhausted and fast asleep. All of us freshened up, grabbed a bite and let our family know that we had reached. Once I was well rested I would decide how I would deal with all of the stuff in Baba's shop. She had already given me instructions about what the shipping company would take care of, the rest was up to me. I knew being allowed to make all these decisions by myself would bring out the hoarder in me.

I texted Charlotte and Matteo to let them know I was here and dying to see them, almost instantly I had replies.

You: I'M HERE AND I'M HERE TO SEE YOUUU I'VE MISSED YOU SO BAD

Charlotte: YOU'RE HEREEEEEEEEE

Charlotte: bringing jet lag remedies to your place rn we're hanging out the minute it all wears off

Teo: WHAT ITS DECEMBER ALREADY??

Teo: How are you? How was your flight? Let's meet asap

You: Ahahah! I love the enthusiasm! My flight was great! Let's meet tomorrow for lunch because rn I'm about to pass out from exhaustion

Charlotte: get a good night's rest! Sweet dreams! We'll see you tomorrow

Teo: yeah good night! Sleep tight!

At first it got a little difficult to try and fall asleep, considering I spent a good portion of the flight zonked out. But the exhaustion of travelling, having to clean up the house a little bit really got to me. I managed to get some rest at last.

I woke up before the others did, it was nice to have this moment of quiet time to myself. I wrapped up in a shawl and walked out to the balcony, watching the sun rise was nice, it was calming. It finally sunk in, I was really here.

The next to rise was Laura, she liked waking up before her kid did. She needed time for herself before Siya woke up and required all her attention. We discussed our plans for the day over a cup of coffee.

"So what are your plans for today?" She asked.

"Not much, I'll probably open the shop and sort through the things roughly. There's a lot in there I'm hoping to pocket for myself." I smiled slyly, "And of course keep stuff aside that I think you'd like to have in your new apartment!"

"Ah! I hate that I have to go to work today, the fun we'd have diving through all that antique decor."

"We can just send Kenji to slave and have the time of our lives!" I joked.

"I wish. But sadly as his boss I'm expected to set an example or something." She rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"So that settles our plans for today huh? You and Kenji are off to work and clean the store. Gosh this trip is just as uneventful as I need it to be." I smiled.

It was really so nice to be back, to be in Monte Carlo just as Monte Carlo. Not some place where miracles or nightmares went down. Monaco didn't have to love me back, as long as it was nice to me, I didn't mind.