Chapter 23: Chris's Daughter

Lucia hugged Leo's back without the same awkwardness as before. Somehow she felt very comfortable being beside Leo like this. Maybe it's because Leo is straightforward and knows how to shake off awkwardness with his stupid jokes.

"Shall we find a cafe?" Leo asked.

"What for? We haven't even showered and brushed our teeth yet, Leo!"

"Forget about showering and brushing your teeth. No time for that! We have to find a place to eat first. Aren't you hungry?"

"How are you? I'm a little hungry! But what to eat so early?"

"Why ask what you want to eat? Of course there's plenty we can eat. All right, I'll take you to that place!"

"What place do you mean?"

"That place! Don't you remember? We used to ask for leftovers there!"

"Leftover food? I've eaten leftovers, haven't I?" She muttered. Lucia didn't remember the place Leo said. But it looks like the place really exists.

"All right! Then we're going down there!" Leo said while driving his motorbike towards 'that place'

And the place Leo meant was a crepes stall on the side of the road. Lucia was dumbfounded, she remembered this place and as Leo said, the five of them used to come to this crepes shop every weekend at 10 am after riding their bikes to ask for crepes that failed to sell.

Usually there are crepes that are not in good shape, too ripe or too sweet that cannot be served to buyers and usually they will wait at the kitchen door while waiting for the salesman's uncle to give it to them.

The owner and seller of this crepese is a middle-aged man who is kind and liked by the children because he often gives free crepes. Uncle Roney, a lonely man who lost his wife and two children in an accident. He decided to decide to open a crepes shop in memory of his two children who really liked to eat crepes.

Lucia looked at the crepes shop where their favorite meal used to be

Not much had changed from this tavern, everything still looked the same since the last time Lucia came to this place.

Lucia stepped towards the door, but Leo immediately stopped her by pulling her hand.

"Where are you going?"

"You said we were going to eat here?

"We do eat here! But not through this door!"

"What do you mean?"

"Through the back door!"

"Wait a minute! Don't tell me, we'll be waiting at the kitchen door?" She said, starting to get suspicious. Lucia really hoped that Leo would just tease her a little.

"Hahaha... you're right! We're going through the kitchen door!"

"Oh my God, are you crazy? Could it be that you also want to say that we will wait for leftovers food?"

"Hahaha... that's right!" Leo giggled and thought that was a good idea to do. Without him thinking that Lucia was ready to clench her fists to hit Leo really hard today.

Punch...

“Ugh…” One fist hit Leo in the stomach who wasn't prepared to take a hit.

Time seemed to stop spinning, like a slow motion scene, Leo backed away holding his stomach.

"You idiot! You really have no brain, huh?" Lucia who wasn't enough with just one punch, immediately attacked Leo with a curse.

"Ouch, it hurts so much! Why do you always hit me?"

"If you don't get beat up, you won't notice! Don't ask me to do something embarrassing like that! If you don't have that much money, you can talk to me frankly! Not by asking for leftovers!"

"Who are you calling moneyless? Are you underestimating me? I can buy this place if I want!"

"So, why do you have to ask me for leftovers food?"

"I just want to do the things we used to do!" Leo said with a sad smile. The gentle look in his eyes made Lucia feel guilty for hitting him.

Leo's words made the atmosphere awkward. Lucia touched her elbow and lowered her head to hide her regret.

"Then, I'm asking for having misunderstood and hitting you!"

"You should be aware too! Weren't you the one who had the idea of ​​asking for leftovers? Bryan who was rich was even forced to join in for fear of being hit!" Leo started to tease Lucia by bringing back all her crazy ideas from the past.

Hearing Leo's words made Lucia forced to retract her regret for hitting Leo.

"I want to go home!" Lucia said as she walked away. Leo hastily withdrew her hand before Lucia actually left.

"Don't go home yet! I want some crepes!"

"You eat it! I don't want to!"

"Come on, let's eat together!"

"No! Let go of my hand!" Lucia insisted on going and refused Leo's invitation to ask for leftovers which she thought would be a shame to have to do it again when they were 28 years old.

"I won't let go until you say yes!" Leo acted childishly by grabbing Lucia's hand and causing a commotion that made everyone around the place immediately notice them.

"No...! Let go of my hand...!"

"Lucia? Leo? What are you doing?"

In front of them, Chris stood with a confused look holding hands with his daughter.

"Chris?"

***

"Is that so? So, Leo wants to ask for leftover crepes like he used to?" Chris said while holding back his laughter.

Seeing Chris' reaction made Lucia think even more that asking for leftovers when they could already afford it was ridiculous.

"You must also think that it's very embarrassing, don't you?" Lucia asked resignedly as she studied the cute girl whose face closely resembled Chris when he was a child.

"Stop saying it's embarrassing? It was your idea!" Leo protested.

"Even though it was my idea it was the kids! We're too old to beg for food like that, Leo!"

"There's no such thing as too old! You're just being arrogant!"

"Tsk, you've been talking nonsense all this time, huh? What should you do with your mouth?" Said Lucia who was starting to lose her temper and grabbed the collar of Leo's t-shirt.

However, Lucia's annoyance seemed to have to be endured considering that there was a little girl who had been observing her ever since. Lucia fell silent and smiled awkwardly at the little girl.

"Are you the kindest aunty in the park?" Asked Molly, Chris' daughter.

Lucia and Chris fell silent and for a moment, Lucia thought back to the time she met a little girl and her father in Rottenbir Park that afternoon.

"Molly, when did you see Aunt Lucia?" Leo asked who was actually more curious than the two of them.

"In the park with you, Daddy! I fell and Auntie helped me and made me stop crying!" Her answer is plain. Lucia had no idea that Molly would still remember her face. It seems that her intelligence has decreased from that of her very genius father.

Chris smiled, he seemed to be starting to understand the good Aunt his daughter said. Two days before the high school reunion, he and his daughter Molly played in Rottenbir Park. Molly fell and a woman helped her up and made her stop crying.

"The pain is gone! Isn't that right, Lucia?" Chris said while saying the soothing words she said that day.

Lucia smiled awkwardly, this situation left her at a loss as to what to do. But as Molly approached her and smiled at her, Lucia felt warmth sink into her soul.

"Aunt Lucia, are you my mommy?" Molly asked a frontal question that took Chris, Lucia and Leo by surprise.

How could she say that Lucia was her mother? Where did such thoughts come from? Lucia was very nervous and she knew very well, trying to explain something to a small child was no easy feat.

"Molly, don't confuse Aunt Lucia. Will you, honey?" Chris tried to tell as best he could without any meaningful explanation. While Leo could only look down while holding back laughter at Molly's innocence.

"Molly, I'm your dad's friend! That means, I'm your Aunt. You can call me Aunt Lucia. Do you understand, honey?" Lucia said softly. Her firm and stern demeanor took a 180 degree turn when dealing with a small child.

"So, you're not my mommy? Daddy, Aunt Lucia isn't my mommy is it?" Molly didn't seem able to take Lucia's explanation for granted. She was only four years old, there were so many things she didn't understand.

Seeing his daughter who seemed to be about to cry made Chris confused. He was afraid that if he tried to explain it back to Molly it would only make her cry even more.

"Honey, Aunt Lucia is not your mommy! Don't confuse Aunt, okay?"

"Why not my mommy? Then, where is mommy? Why isn't?" Molly started to whine and it seemed like something bad. It can be seen from the expression on Chris' face that looks panicked.

"If you stay like this, let's just go home okay?" Chris tried to persuade his daughter who didn't seem to want to listen to him.

"Oh God, how is it?" Leo whispered. He could sense something bad was about to happen.

"What do you mean?" Asked Lucia.

"Molly will have a tantrum when she's in a bad mood. If she does, she'll cry until she has a seizure!"

"What?"

"Do something! Poor Chris! I don't know what to do!"

"A-alright!"

"Huaaa... Where's my mommy? I want my mommy...!" Molly started to cry loudly and as Leo said, she was crying really bad.

"Molly, don't cry!"

"I want mommy...!"

"Calm down, honey? From now on, I'll be your mommy!"

***