Chapter 300 - 292. Serenity
The grandma’s lunch was as warm as the grandma. It had the familiar feeling of a food made with the person who ate it in mind, just like Ayya’s cooking, or Bassena’s. Zein had calmed down a bit thanks to the esper, but eating warm food prepared with care further soothed his heart.
Perhaps that was why he could partake in the lighthearted conversation around the table, although it was mostly the grandma and Bassena doing the talking. But it was peaceful; a much-needed peace before he met his mother.
"You’re going to see your mother, boy?" the grandma asked after they were done with the scrumptious lunch and Bassena had received the recipes.
Zein liked it that the grandma said it as if Lucia was still alive, and just waiting for Zein somewhere in town. Made it feel less bleak. It felt like the time he visited Bassena’s mother. Despite the sadness that the esper displayed the night before, they visited Svadiva’s grave as if they were just going to her vacation home.
"Yes," Zein nodded with a smile on his face, and the grandma stroked his cheek gently.
"Mm, it’s better to smile and show her that you’re happy," the grandma nodded.
Well, Zein thought he would introduce Bassena to his mother today, so that should be enough happiness to show. At least, her mother would be glad that he had a protector now, instead of fighting to survive by himself.
With the grandma’s nice advice, they proceeded to go to the cemetery together after Bassena took the car from the parking lot. Ria, Sherri, and Hana all ride together in the back seat, giving directions to the driving esper.
Before the cemetery, however, they went to a flower shop; a nice one where they kept all kinds of flowers regardless of the season, thanks to the might of a greenhouse and magic. It was way more expensive, but what was money for two high-profile sentinels?
But they weren’t there just to flaunt their buying capacity. They were there to purchase Lucia’s favorite flower. It was a rare breed of very beautiful hibiscus, carefully cultivated so it had a rich blue hue. Lucia saw the flower once in this particular flower shop, and she used her precious salary to purchase one.
"She would always purchase one on her birthday," Ria told Zein with a soft voice and a complex smile; one which was filled with nostalgic joy and persistent sorrow. "She specifically told us not to purchase it because she wanted to gift herself every year. A congratulation for living another year, she said,"