Chapter 92 My Dear Family
The heart, hidden deep within the chest cavity, suddenly began to beat violently, as if it were about to pierce through the barriers of skin and bone, revealing its clear unease to everyone.
No, and perhaps not everyone.
The excitement and fear of seeing that person again were enough to shatter all my usual composure.
"Mimi!"
Like a song, a call to action.
She stiffly turned around, wanting to smile at her mother whom she hadn't seen in a long time, to express her composure and joy, and to show the results of her years away from home. However, she suddenly bumped into a warm and familiar embrace, and couldn't help but panic.
A cool, damp sensation came from my shoulder. I tried to turn my head to look, but they held me even tighter, making it almost impossible for me to move.
“Our Mimi has grown into a wonderful adult.”
A gentle patting sensation came from my back, just like the tenderness that lulled me to sleep when I was a child. My mother whispered in my ear, her voice trembling slightly as she tried to keep it calm, yet I could almost feel the surging emotions within it.
Without asking many questions, I couldn't see my mother's face, but I felt gentle pats on my back, like an electric shock that sent tingling sensations through the back of my head.
Her light chestnut-colored long hair swayed in the wind, rippling like waves, with small flowers adorning it swirling and falling, obscuring the view of passersby.
After a long while, my mother finally loosened her embrace, pulled me to look me up and down, and examined me from left to right. There were small wrinkles between my delicate eyebrows. She muttered in a low voice whether I was wearing too thin clothes, whether I had been eating properly, whether I had been resting on time, whether I could get used to living away from home, and whether I would be bullied, among other trivial matters.
I answered each question in turn, which finally smoothed out the slight wrinkles and allowed the beautiful smile that was as beautiful as ever to bloom on the face that was looking up at me.
In that instant, I suddenly realized that, without knowing when, my mother had become half a head shorter than me. Her once beautiful face, which was hailed as the number one diva of Mermaid Harbor, was like a canvas lightly brushed with charcoal, with traces of wrinkles appearing. Even her light chestnut hair, which seemed to shimmer, had a few gray hairs.
After a long pause, I opened my mouth and finally uttered a simple, "I'm back."
"Mimi, it's good that you're back."
Without asking any further questions, she simply smiled and nodded gently, slowly covering her cupped hands with her own.
There was no awkward distance; everything was understood without words.
After a short pause, the mother turned her gaze slightly to the side and blinked gently, making a gesture.
I knew exactly what that meant. Although I suddenly had a change of heart at the last minute, I still braced myself and turned around halfway to introduce the girl who had been standing quietly to one side, curiously observing us: "Mom, this is a friend I recently met. Her name is Hikari. She heard that I was going back to Mermaid Port, so she came along with me."
The little idiot who was called out immediately stood up straight: "Yes! My name is Hikari! It's nice to meet you! I came along out of curiosity because I heard that Mr. Yumi was going back to his hometown! I hope I haven't caused too much trouble!"
The bright orange color, like a sweet orange, curved and swirled back and forth between me and the girl a few times. Suddenly, my mother showed a smile that I couldn't understand, but she simply picked up the flower basket she had left behind, draped it over her forearm, and then took the girl's arm with her other hand, leading the way with light steps.
Colorful hibiscus flowers surround crape myrtle bouquets, while pure white yucca flowers droop from within, creating a vibrant tapestry of colors within a hand-woven rattan basket.
"So, you haven't seen your dad and brother in a long time, have you?"
My mother turned her head to look at me, who was a step behind, and whispered in the wind, so that I could hear clearly: "Have you missed them, our Mimi?"
"mom!"
He hadn't realized anything at first, but now, belatedly, he caught sight of Hikari's bright, sparkling eyes and couldn't help but feel a surge of heat on his face.
The call, a sound carried over from my childhood, was gentle and affectionate, but it sounded like it was calling to a pet kitten or a child, leaving me unsure how to respond.
I vaguely remember my mother mentioning when I was little that after giving birth to my older brother, she hoped her second child would be a healthy girl, and named her Milani. Although this wish didn't come true, she still welcomed my birth with great joy.
Mimi's nickname has also been preserved, and it is only when the father uses this word that it refers to the mother.
I'm not complaining about the name my parents gave me; I imagine it was a decision they made after careful consideration. It's just that being called by my nickname in the street is still a little awkward.
However, in the end, this could only turn into a short complaint: "I'm all grown up now, I'm 21 this year."
"But in Mom's eyes, Mimi is still Mom's child."
The mother's words trailed off playfully as she led the way across another newly paved stone path.
Compared to the city I remember, the current Mermaid Harbor feels fresh and unfamiliar. The walls of the buildings and the sculptures scattered in the streets have all been renewed. The roads underfoot are no longer muddy and waterlogged in the low-lying areas. The gray-white stone slabs have obvious granular textures, and there are clean ditches on both sides. Even if you stomp your feet hard, you don't have to worry about them cracking like fragile plaster.
Next to the newly built fruit stand is an open-air dessert shop, where heavily made-up actors dramatically toss colorful balls, attracting the attention of passing children.
Perhaps a large part of it is due to childhood memories, but in my opinion, it is all beautiful and pure, full of love and hope.
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