Thalassa's gaze was glued to the window. Outside, the sky was cloudy and the wind whipped through the trees, perfect weather for overthinking.
She sat on the sofa, her eyes reddening. The quiet room was broken only by Darien's gentle voice as he leaned against the wooden door that connected his room to the living room.
"Still hoping he'll come back?" His voice was soft, warm.
Thalassa shook her head, coming back to herself. She reached for a cup of coffee on the nearest table and took a sip, letting the warmth seep into her cold hands. Slowly, she spoke.
"Is it wrong?" Her voice trembled, distant.
Darien's gaze sharpened on her face, then he chuckled lightly.
"Of course not."
Thalassa's icy blue eyes flicked to him. His face was warm as always, but somehow, despite his constant presence, it didn't feel close. She lowered her eyes and finished her coffee, placing the empty cup on the table before standing.
"Where are you going at this hour?" Darien asked, noticing she was wearing her thick fur jacket.
Thalassa didn't answer. She wrapped a black scarf around her neck, hiding the diamond necklace beneath it. Opening the front door, she stepped out of her grandparents' mansion, her eyes fixed on her phone as she texted Ivy.
She walked until she reached a nearby café and claimed an empty seat. Few people were around at this hour. Her thumbs flew across the pixelated screen.
"Ivy, are you still on the way?"
"Kind of. I'll be there in a few seconds. Traffic's bad, seems like everyone has their own plans tonight," Ivy replied.
"People are disgusting," Thalassa typed, closing her phone as a worker approached.
She ordered a warm latte and cappuccino. Her mind wandered back to that night, the memory hazy yet sharp enough to make her fists clench, knuckles whitening. Anger threatened to surge again.
The doorbell rang along with her order. Ivy stepped in, scanning the café until she spotted Thalassa in the corner. She walked over and sat down, her face as still as ever.
Ivy took a slow sip of her cappuccino before speaking in her calm, measured voice.
"What is it? What did you want to tell me?"
Thalassa's gaze lingered on a rain puddle outside. She opened her mouth, then paused, hesitating.
"When—" she started, then stopped herself before continuing more slowly.
"Where's your dog?" Her eyes searched Ivy's sides, but the dog was nowhere in sight.
Ivy pointed outside. Thalassa followed her gesture, spotting a German Shepherd happily playing in the rain. She let out a relieved sigh, then mustered the courage to
ask again.
"Have you ever remembered someone even though you don't know his face or his voice, but you're certain he exists?" Her tone was patient.
Ivy's green eyes widened. A blurred memory of a girl giggling while a couple hugged her flashed across her mind. She shook her head lightly.
"No... " Ivy said simply, her face remaining stoic. She glanced toward another table, avoiding Thalassa's gaze.
Thalassa noticed and asked again.
"Were you abandoned?"
Ivy began to sweat, her pupils dilating. She gripped her cup too tightly and turned her head.
"I said no… let's not talk about this anymore," she replied, her voice firmer now. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.
Thalassa's icy blue eyes narrowed.
"Okay. I'm sorry."
Ivy simply nodded in silence. Outside, the rain slowly stopped. Ivy's dog entered, wagging his tail as he approached her. Ivy allowed herself a small smile, patting Siba's head.
Thalassa glanced at her watch.
"3:28 AM."
She sighed and stood, her heels clicking against the floor as she approached the cashier.
"That will be 37 Euros. Thank you," the cashier said.
Thalassa pulled out a bag of cash. "Keep the change," she said, then walked out with Ivy.
Ivy walked beside her, Siba prancing excitedly ahead. Thalassa's hands were tucked into her thick jacket, her midnight-blue hair falling loosely over her shoulders.
"You really love spending your money at fancy cafés," Ivy said.
Thalassa's voice was soft. " A lot."
She smiled before finally parting ways. Pushing open the heavy gate, she returned to her grandparents' mansion. Slowly, she made her way to the television room and sank onto the sofa
"Weekend are soo.. boring," she muttered, lying back with soft cookies beside her. She flipped through channels and accidentally stopped on the news. She was about to change it, but something made her pause. Her eyes narrowed as she focused.
"A new company from Canada, led by Vian and his right-hands assistant Theo, has received much attention for it's business progress. The company head is said to be kind and warm. People admire not only his looks and personality but mostly on his company perfomance that were solid and stable. Moreover.."
Thalassa's eyes widened. The man on the screen looked familiar, achingly close to her, though she couldn't place him. Suddenly, Darien turned off the TV. Thalassa glared at him, shouting,
"Brother! Why did you turn off the TV!? C—can't you see.. he looks just like our.. older brother!" Her voice shook, hands trembling
Darien tossed the remote aside and spoke firmly,
"Thalassa, he left us. He abandoned us. Stop talking about him and go to sleep. It's late"
Thalassa's eyes reddened. She bit her lip, furrowing her brows, and stormed to her bedroom in frustration. Sitting on her bed, she hugged her pillows tightly.
"Did he really need to be that mean?" she whispered.
She decided to forget it.
Tomorrow would be another day.