Chapter 69 It Has Been Eight Years

Chapter 69 It Has Been Eight Years
Jasmine

It has been an exhausting few weeks, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Lily is back at school, so my dad mostly needs care. I am doing what I can to prevent my mom from feeling overwhelmed. She has been working from home, which she can do until my dad recovers, as long as she visits the office once a week, which is acceptable. I am here for now. Cody’s mom offered to come by when my mom needs to go to work. We are managing everything. I am missing Cody like crazy. He was here last weekend, but I have no idea when I will see him next. He is working this weekend and can’t really afford the back-and-forth. 

I need to return soon to avoid my professors getting tired of me missing class. My dad's mobility has improved a bit, and in another week, his situation should be easier. 

I've been locked in my room for a few hours, studying for a five-thousand-word essay due by Friday. It's Wednesday, so I don’t have much time, and I'm feeling stressed. My mom is caring for my father before she has to pick Lily up from school later today. That's why I came to my room now—they don’t need me right now. It'll still be a late night for me; even after everyone has gone to sleep, I'll stay up working to finish this without interruptions. In the first week or so, Lily slept in my bed with me. She still occasionally does, but she's improving. She's having fewer nightmares, so most nights she sleeps in her own bed now. 

A knock at my door pulls my attention away from my work. It is probably my mum. I call for her to come in. The door opens, and she strolls in, smiling, and takes a seat on the bed. I am on the floor, with all my work scattered around. 

“Is everything okay?” I ask. 

“Yes, everything is fine, but I think you should get out of the house, sweetheart. You've hardly been outside since you arrived. You've helped so much, but you also need to take some time for yourself. Try meeting a friend for coffee or just to get out." 

“Mom, none of my friends are here, remember?” I laugh. 

“Oh, yes, sorry. Then go and get yourself a coffee. You need a little time. I don’t mean to study. Please go out and do something, even for an hour.” 

I would prefer not to, but she's right; I haven't left the house much since I arrived. I take Lily to school and pick her up on some days, but that's about it. It might actually do me a lot of good, especially with a stressful, busy night ahead. 
“Okay. I will go out for a bit. I will make sure I am home before you need to pick Lily up. Do you need me to bring anything home with me?” 

She shakes her head. “No, there's no need to rush back or bring anything. Your dad will be okay for a while when I pick up Lily. I want you to relax and enjoy your free time, without doing or thinking about anything.” 

I nod, and she smiles before leaving my room. I pack my belongings, placing them on my desk as I prepare to go out. I won’t be gone long—probably about an hour. I plan to grab a coffee, take a walk, and then return. I prefer not to be away too long, as I want to maximize my work time and avoid staying up too late. 

As I say goodbye to my parents and leave the house, I put on my earphones to listen to music. I won’t talk to Cody until later because he's busy at work. He hasn’t shared much about what's happening with work or Silver, probably to prevent me from worrying more. If anything serious had occurred, he would have told me. Hopefully, that indicates Silver has backed off. 

I walk slowly, unhurried, appreciating the nice day and the opportunity to enjoy it. It's good to be back here; I do miss home. I wish I were here for different reasons, and that Cody were with me. 

When I arrive at the coffee shop, I remove my earphones and walk inside, waiting in line. Fortunately, there are only a few people ahead, so it shouldn’t take long. 

“Jasmine?”

I hear an unfamiliar voice calling my name from behind. Who could that be? I slowly turn around and see a guy standing there. He's around my age, tall, with sandy-blonde hair and green eyes. It takes a moment, but I realize who he is. He's changed a lot since I last saw him. He used to be small, thin, with messy hair and glasses, but he doesn't look like that anymore. 

“Noah? Is that you?” 

Noah is a childhood friend who used to hang out with Cody and me. He lived nearby, just a few doors down, but his family moved away when we were only ten years old. I haven’t seen him since then. 

He laughs. “It took you a moment to remember me, huh?” 

“Well, it’s been eight years," I say with a laugh. 

“It has been a while. I didn’t expect to run into you here.” 

“I could say the same to you. Have you moved back?” 

“No, I am only here for a few weeks. Do you have time to grab a coffee and catch up?” 

I nod. “Sure, that would be nice.” I smile. 

It would be nice to catch up. I haven't heard anything from him since his family relocated to London for his father's job. 

‘It would be. I'll get the coffee, and you find a seat. What would you like?”

“You don’t need to do that, Noah.” 

He smiles. "I want to." 

“Thank you. An iced vanilla latte, please. Do you want to sit outside?” 

“Sure. It is a nice day.” 

I smile and head out to find us a table. It’ll be nice to have someone my age for company.