✔FORGOTTEN [sowjin ; taewon]

023.

Julia wanted to go home at this point. Returning to where she made memories with Luno made her guilt increase more. It was too painful to hear their stories about her and Luno. This place had many memories of them. 

"Are you okay?" Theo asked when they are done in the tailoring shop. He was now holding a box and papers in his hands. She looked pale that it concerns him. "Are you feeling sick? Should I take you to the clinic?"

"N-No, I'm fine." Julia forced to smile up. "Looks like you are done?" 

"Yes. But there is a place we need to go..." Julia prayed that she won't bump someone else who knows their story. She doesn't need to hear their stories about them. "..to the orphanage where my  mom grew up."

She was not liking this idea at all. 

20 minute ride and they reached now the orphanage home where she and his mother grew up. As Theo drives, she got to know that his mother was adopted by his rich grandparents because they can't bear children. Adoption is a choice for them so they came and adopted his mother. His grandparents where kind, humble and down to earth. They raised his mother and treat her like their own child. They never go wrong adopting her for she seems returning the favor and become heir and successfully run the company until she died because of accident that left him all alone. Theo didn't even mention his dad so Julia didn't bother to ask for maybe it was a private thing for him.

"Here we are.." Theo said, putting on the brakes. "I think I went here already. I was a kid back then." he said.

"Must be there a coincidence we also meet back then?" she wondered. What are the odds you can meet and bump into each other? Besides it's a small world after all.

"Maybe." he said, unsure of it. "Let's meet them. This will be a short visit and we will go back." That made Julia relieve to hear that. 

The gate widely opened as if they were welcome anytime in the orphanage home. The home was 10 meters away from the church that you can hear a faint sermon from the inside of it. Kids were playing and there were 2 nuns watching and playing with them. She wished that none of these nuns or someone here, became her friends before.

One kid noticed them and stop to tagging his friends. The 2 nuns noticed them too and asked the kids to greet the visitors. They ran to them, smiles plastered on their faces, too happy to have visitors to come by.

"Hello, kids." Theo greeted them first and soon the kids greeted him back. Theo showed the big bags he was holding that made the kids yelled in excitement. 

"Hello there." one of the nuns, presume to be a bit older than them, came forward and greeted them. "Are you here for a visit? Adoption?" she asked. 

"Ah no, you've got it wrong, Sister." he said. "I came here to meet Mother Superior. Is she not busy?" 

"No. She's available at the moment. I will take you there to her." she said and asked the kids to calm down. They were all pointing the big bags from Theo and he has no choice but to give to open of the nuns to distribute the small gifts he has for them.

Mother Superior was surprised that she will be having visitor today. At first, she didn't recognize them but when she take a closer look, she smiled and happily greeted them.

"Theo, it's been so long since you went here.." Mother said as she hugged him which he returned it back. He was glad that she was still remembered by him even when the last time he went when he was a kid.

"I'm happy that you remember me, Mother." He said.

"Your mother always send me pictures of you so there is no way I couldn't remember you." She replied. She take a look behind me and she was eager to see her again. "Hello there, Julia."