"I don't want to fight. Will you leave me alone if I tell you that Friday was the anniversary of my parents death? Let me grieve in peace, please."

He turns and walks away. I watch him leave dumbfounded.

Asher appears from the same direction Kystan left to. "Let's go get lunch." He says when he reaches where I am still standing. I let him lead me back to the others. We meet Jade and she gives me my flip flops and clothes to put on which she brought for me.

"What happened?" Jade asks me.

"I'm still processing." I say. She nods and just leads the way. We take a nine minute walk to Côte Brasserie.

We sit at a table of six. Kystan is also here but he doesn't say anything or even look at me. I do the same too. I try to engage in a conversation with Jade but I find myself continuously glancing at Kystan. He catches my gaze once but he looks away immediately.

The food comes and I don't have that much of an appetite anymore. I manage to eat just a bit and pass the rest to Luca. He takes it happily.

After lunch, we head back to the beach. I swim for a while but then I get tired and sit by Jade.

"Jade. Am I a bad person?" I ask her.

"No. You're not." She answers without hesitation.

"How come I keep on getting a temper and hurting Kystan?" I ask.

"I don't know. But I know you're a good person." She answers with uncertainty about what I am talking about. "You'll work it out, okay?" She says and pats my hair.

By now it is getting late and we still have a two hour drive back to the city. Jade and I decide to leave early. She goes to say goodbye to her boyfriend as I pack our things and take them to her car.

We drive back while listening to Justin Bieber songs. She drops me off at my apartment and leaves. I pour myself some milk and take it with leftover muffins.

I am compelled to look through my drawers. As I am looking through the second drawer from the bottom, I notice a cloth peeking out but I can't put my finger on where I know it. I pull it out and I catch a whiff of Kystan's scent. I remember the jacket Kystan gave me that time in the hallway.

I can't believe how long it has been. Just two months ago we didn't know each other but look where we are now. Him grieving his parents death and me being a jealous monster who can't even be supportive but rather pick a fight with him.

I hold the jacket and fall back onto the bed and wonder how the heck I became like this. I think of going over but I can't right now. I try to text him but I'd rather say it in person.

The next morning, I wake up and get dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I have to work today but fuck it, I won't go. As I am doing my makeup, I see Kystan's jacket on my bed. I put it on too despite how humid it is. Maybe when he sees me wearing it he will be more inclined to understand?

I catch a taxi and head to the loft. I ring the doorbell twice before Asher opens and leads me inside. "Where did that jacket come from?" He asks with surprise.

"I had it." I answer.

"I thought he had lost it." He muses.

"Speaking of which, may you call Kystan for me?" I am nervous like heck.

He looks at me wearily, "He left early."

"Did he go to work or-?" I leave the question hanging.

"No. I don't think so. But I don't know where he is either."

"Oh. Thanks." I say "I'll get going." I say and head back outside.

Asher answers when I am far down the driveway, "Okay."

I sit in my car wondering where on earth he could be right now.

At the back of my mind, I recall of a place he used to like as a child. Maybe he is there. I head to the National Gallery.

The parking situation at the Gallery is frustrating; I have to stop a block away because of a bunch of school buses blocking the way to the actual parking and I can't really wait for them.

I walk the rest of the distance to the fountain. I see Kystan instantly. My guess was correct.

I increase my pace and go around the fountain to where he is sitting. A few paces away, I see a small head peeking out beside him. He is sitting with the cutest little girl, with her big eyes, long curls and plump cheeks. Clad in a purple dress and lilac legging, she looks the cute neon ball ever, not to forget her bow.

I am instinctively drawn to them. Before I know it I am standing in front of them. I want to touch her cheek so bad but that would be creepy as heck.

Their attention shifts to me. "Do you mind if I join you?" I say.

"Nope." The cute girl says. I sit down beside her. With a little glance above her head, I see Kystan looking at me with surprise. "This is my new friend, Kystan. What is your name?"

I focus my attention back on her, "I am Liza. What's your name?"

"Ayla." She answers enthusiastically. Her name is so beautiful. "So as I was saying," She turns to Kystan, "I went to Hollow pond last week with my mom and dad. And we went in a boat and my brother caught a big fish but I was so scared of it." She says in that cute voice of hers while counting her fingers after everything she mentions.

"That's amazing. I went there long ago too." Kystan's whole attention is focused on her, I can tell he is good with children. "What about you, Liza?" She turns to me so suddenly, I have to think a while before answering.

"I haven't been there." I admit.

"Jeez, you're missing out." She says much to my surprise. She sounds so much like a teenager. I find myself laughing. I notice Kystan laughing softly too.

"Anyway, do you have a girlfriend?" The question is directed to Kystan. Kids these days know too much.

"Yes, I do." He says. I catch his eye above her head. The smile he gives me sparks hope in me again. Maybe I didn't mess up too badly.

She notices it though, "Is Liza your girlfriend?" You can't hide anything from her!

"Yeah." He answers. My heart swells with happiness.

"Then why aren't you holding hands and kissing or something?" She asks with utter puzzlement.

I decide to answer, "I was a bad girlfriend yesterday. I said many things I regret saying and I was insensitive to Kystan's emotions. So I came to apologize." I pause, "Finger crossed that he forgives me, right?" I cross my fingers.

"Of course he will forgive you." She says and turns to Kystan. "Please Kystan." She gives him puppy dog eyes. I give my own impression of puppy dog eyes and we both look at him.

"Stop it you two." He says and looks away from us with a smile on his face. "You two shouldn't have met." He tries to look away but we know we have succeeded already. He looks back at us, "I was also a bad boyfriend. I went away instead of coming to talk to you and I even raised my voice at you and I shouldn't have. I'm sorry." He says earnestly. I nod.

I feel a small hand tugging at my hand. Ayla pulls my hand and Kystan's towards each other and she lays it on top of his. I am amazed at how simple all of this became because of a special little girl. Kids might be amazing after all. Kystan squeezes my hand and I do the same. I look at Ayla and see her giving us a look of admiration.

"Excuse me." A man walking by catches our attention. "I am a professional photographer, and I saw you guys and I loved how beautiful your family is. I am wondering if it would be okay to take your photo."

Family? He thinks we are a family? I wonder what it would be like to have a family with Kystan.

"I love pictures."Ayla says with excitement. "Let's take a picture."

"Sure." "Okay." Kystan and I answer at the same time.

"Perfect. Now let's find a pose for you guys." He says as he gets his equipment out of his bag. "I got it. So you, the father, put her on your lap and you, the mother, get closer and hold hands with the little girl." We do as told. "Smile." And he clicks a couple of pictures.

"One more. One more." Ayla says while bouncing up and down.

"Alright." The photographer says. "Let's spice it up a bit." He studies the place for a while and tells us to go to a garden nearby. "Okay, so the parents, you will lie down facing each other and get close enough to almost kiss, but don't. And the little girl you will be lying across from them kind of looking at them with your head resting on your palms." I help Ayla with her pose and we also lie down and do as told. He snaps a photo perpendicularly from us, facing Ayla directly.

"Perfect." He says after taking multiple photos. As he takes the photos, I take the moment to look at Kystan again, from close up. The way he is focused on trying to do any and everything for Ayla. He said, catches me at it. We lock eyes and for a moment, I see everything fall into place. When he smiles I know everything is forgiven. "I'll produce them now if you want." The photographer says interrupting the moment. I get up and dust off my pants.

"Yeah. That would be great." Kystan says. We go back to the fountain and resume our seats but there is a different ambiance between us.

"How did you two meet?" I ask them.

"Our school had a trip to the gallery and I wasn't really interested in it so I snuck away from the group and found him here."

"Snuck away? Your teachers must be worried about you." I am alarmed by how cool she is about all this.

"I don't think so." She says nonchalantly.

"Here are your pictures." The photographer says. "Would it be okay if I posted these on my instagram? I am trying to build my portfolio. I'll do some polishing and all that, if you accept, of course." He hands me two copies of the photo.

I look at Kystan for his opinion, after all he is the one with the most at stake since he is a model and is quite well known. He just shrugs, Ayla is excited as always. "Sure."

"Okay thanks. Have a great day." He says and leaves.

In my peripheral vision, I see someone who looks like my mother coming towards us. I look in that direction and sure enough, it's her. She is coming with a frantic looking woman.

"Ayla!" The other woman says when she is close enough for us to hear. Ayla turns to her.

"Oh no." She mumbles. "Hello Ms. Tammy." She says in a chirpy voice.

"You're in trouble young lady. Why did you leave the group?" Ms. Tammy says angrily.

"I was bored." Ayla answers. It angers Ms. Tammy more. Meanwhile my mom is on the side fighting the urge to laugh.

"I told you she was safe." Mom says.

"She was with strangers!" Ms. Tammy says with exaggerated frustration.

"They are my friends. And you told us to make friends so that we can be happy." Damn.

I can't hold it in anymore, I burst into guffaws. Ms. Tammy looks at me with annoyance. She grabs Ayla's arm and forces her to stand up. "You're going with me." She leads her away.

I remember the photos I have in my hand, "Ayla catch." I toss one of them to her. She catches it smoothly and stashes it into her bag before her teacher notices.

"I love when kids come." My mom says amidst laughter, "Their paranoid teachers just make me laugh."

"Seriously, she was overreacting." Kystan says, "Isn't she the one who should make sure they don't sneak away in the first place?"

"True." I say. "Kids have learnt new tricks." I muse.

"They have." My mom says in affirmation. "What are you two doing here?" She asks with bewilderment.

"We came to talk." Kystan answers honestly.

"About what?" my mom asks.

"Mom." I say in protest.

"Okay. Let me leave. I have files to look through anyway." She says.

"It was nice meeting you Mrs. Mur- I mean Dina." Kystan corrects himself when mom gives him an eye.

"You too." She turns and goes back to work.

We are finally alone. I fail to get something to say despite everything I had planned while coming here. His eyes lock with mine, he doesn't say anything just stares. I break eye contact. "Come with me."

I look up immediately when he says that. From his expression, I can't gauge whether this is good or not. Fear assuages me. What if he breaks up with me before we are together for a week? "Sure." I answer anyway.

When I reach the car I wait for Kystan who is a few steps behind. He walks to the driver's seat and I tuck myself into the passenger seat.

We hit the road in silence, but as we proceed I connect my phone to the car and put on music. Kystan seems relieved when the music starts, it lessens the tension.

An hour into the trip, I've run through half of my playlist and I'm pretty sure we are not still in London.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"You'll see. Just a few more minutes." He says and lightly squeezes my hand.

Forty more minutes and I start seeing the ocean, or is it the sea, I don't know. The surrounding gets more populated than where we had been going through. We enter a town and a few minutes into the road, he takes a turn into a parking lot. He turns off the car. I look around and all I can see is a shabby looking store.

I look at Kystan quizzically. "Where are we?"

"This was my mother's favorite place, where I grew up." He says while keeping his gaze ahead.

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