Back when we were kids, my sister and I had to use bikes to keep up with Dad's walking speed. The problem with that, however, was that when we rode our bikes, Dad would be forced to jog to keep up with us.
Years have passed since then. Now that Lily and I are older, we can all maintain the same pace. At least that's how it should have been.
I walked beside Dad while Lily skipped ahead, her eyes wide as if the street lights were stars she'd never seen before. Dad watched her with a fond, lingering gaze. I, meanwhile...
"Lily, what are you doing? You're looking at everything like it's your first time seeing it. You've been through this neighbourhood countless times in the years we've lived here. Stop being childish."
Lily spun around, pouting with practiced drama. "Stop being a killjoy! It's different seeing these things at night and when walking with you two! You just don't get it."
Lily turned back around and ran further ahead once more.
Ever since we left the house, Dad hadn't said a word. He just continued walking as he gazed affectionately at Lily… and at me.
I tried to avoid his eyes, keeping my own fixed forward.
He seemed to realize that at some point and kept his gaze solely fixed on Lily. My heart gave a faint pang as I noticed the subtle strain in his smile, but I didn't dare to say anything. Neither did he.
The only sound that could be heard during our silent walk was the rhythmic thud of our shoes and Lily's occasional, bright giggles.
Eventually, we arrived at the convenience store. Dad held the door open for both Lily and me. I tried to take it from him, but he stubbornly refused and wouldn't let go until I was inside. I guess this was part of Dad's pride.
Out of respect for that, I resigned and went in. He followed shortly after I did. Coincidentally, this was the same convenience store I tried to stop by when I ran into Mei a few days back.
The first thing the three of us did when we entered the store was head straight to the ice cream aisle.
"Wow! Some things never change!"
Lily pressed her hands against the glass as she stared intently at a specific flavour. Of course, it was the same chocolate-flavoured ice cream, even the same brand we used to get years ago.
"Move," I said, pushing her aside to open the freezer.
She tried saying some things about how I was being rude or whatever, but it all fell flat in my ears as I grabbed three bars of the ice cream, the cold plastic crinkling in my hands.
I couldn't help but chuckle.
Wow… this takes me back…
I paused for a moment as I stared at the ice cream, memories from years ago quietly surfacing in my mind.
Every time we got one of these, all three of us would find a nearby park and sit on the swings while eating it. Well, it was more like Lily and I were swinging while eating it. Dad just had it resting in his mouth as he pushed us.
Looking back, it probably wasn't the most comforting way to eat your ice cream. Yet, he did so with his usual bright giggle each time.
I took a deep breath, then got up and walked over to the cash register.
Dad's hand landed on my shoulder. "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" I asked sarcastically, brushing off his hand. "I'm going to pay, obviously."
Dad stopped, his eyes wide while he looked directly at me. His daze only lasted a few moments, however, as he snapped out of it and took a step back with a more serious look than usual.
"I'm grateful for that," he said, making sure he considered my feelings. "But… I want to pay."
I get that he has his own sense of fatherly pride, and even if there are a few ripples in our relationship, a Son has his own pride.
"Well, I brought my wallet," I said with a dismissive shrug. "And I don't want to bring it for no reason. You can pay next time, though."
The smile on Dad's face softened ever so slightly. "Did you just say… next time?"
I stopped, replaying the words in my head. Huh. I guess I really did say next time... It wouldn't have been the first time I've lied to my parents—I am a teenager, after all—but just this once, I wasn't going to let this lie stay as one.
"Yes, next time," I said with a slightly annoyed tone, turning away from him. "So this time, it's on me. Whenever we go again, it'll be on you, deal?"
Dad blinked repeatedly as the words sank into his head. Suddenly, a contagious, obnoxious laugh erupted from him. "Okay… okay! Then, next time, I'll treat you! Hihihihi!"
I rolled my eyes, acting like I was all the better. Even now, his laugh was so unbelievably contagious that it made me want to laugh too. Before I could let it slip, I rushed over to the counter and paid for the ice cream.
Lily and Dad were already waiting for me outside, so I left the store and handed each of them one bar.
"So, where do we eat this?" Lily asked, unwrapping her treat.
Now that she mentioned it, it was a good point. There weren't any parks nearby, so we couldn't fully live out our childhood memories, but there was a place to sit at the very least.
"There's a bench nearby," I said with bits of ice cream in my mouth. "It's in an alleyway, though."
Lily tensed as a deep shadow loomed over her petrified face. "An… alleyway?"
I reacted to her reaction before I could even think. "What? Scared of a little alley? I didn't know you were still afraid of the dark."
That was a lie. Of course, I didn't forget.
Lily tightly gritted her teeth, almost biting through the popsicle stick. "Of course I'm not! Let's go there right now!"
Acting as if she were the leader, Lily barged off in a random direction.
I waited until she had some distance between us before calling out to her. Not too far, but far enough that she'd be annoyed. "You're going the wrong way."
She stopped dead in her tracks. Even from this far, I vividly heard Lily's dissatisfied, yet embarrassed grunt. She spun around, wrinkles creasing her already ugly face.
"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING EARLIER?!"
She didn't even wait for my reply as she stomped back toward us, somewhat hurriedly. I guess being that far from us at night for only a few seconds was enough to scare her, as she didn't complain once she returned.
Now that Lily was being productive, I led the way toward the alley. It was a three-minute walk, so it wasn't too far away. Yet, by the time we arrived, Lily was already slouched over, out of breath.
Dad, meanwhile, glanced around with glittering eyes, as if he were returning to his childhood. "Ohh, I used to hang out in places like these with my friends all the time. It takes me back!"
Lily took a fearful step away from Dad with a distraught look on her face. "Dad… were you a thug?"
It was obviously a joke, but Dad didn't laugh.
"No, we were just poor," he answered, his usual bright tone dimmer compared to only a few minutes ago. Still, he didn't hesitate to keep going, and he never dropped his smile. "We couldn't afford movies or whatever, so we hung out in places like this! Maybe people your age don't find fun in things like this, but I still look back on it fondly."
Lily let out a gasp, genuinely surprised while also a little sympathetic. I didn't react at all. It wasn't because I wasn't shocked by the news; I've just heard this before. I don't claim to know everything about him, but I've eavesdropped on a lot of his and his siblings' conversations when we have a family gathering. So I have a general idea of what his childhood was like.
Eventually, we found the bench and sat down, eating our ice cream together. Dad would occasionally glance around the place, as if seeing memories of his childhood self right in front of him. He seemed to be having a good time.
Lily, on the other hand, was trembling in fear nonstop. Since the alleyway was rundown, it inevitably produced a few creaking sounds here and there. With every passing one, Lily would squeeze her eyes shut.
Normally, I would've been teasing her, but watching Dad comfort her... I decided to hold it in.
As we ate our ice cream, I found myself glancing around the alleyway. No matter where or how much I looked, we were the only ones in there.
Eventually, I gave up and leaned back against the bench, putting all my attention on my family.
For the first time in a very long time, I had a good time with them.
For the first time in a long time, it felt... easy.
If only it could be like this forever…
But that's nothing more than a delusion. Good times always come to an end. Little did I know… that the end was already getting closer.