My left hand touches the dewy grass, while the other clutches the pendant as the leaves swirl away.
Times passes. Knees still on the ground, only jolting to look back at the new coming visitors.

The low sun hides itself underneath the lake's surface as a girl and boy paddle towards the willow tree. The boy plays with a goofy smile while blindfolding the girl's joking grunts with his hands.

But it's not the sun completing reverting back its time that makes hope and nostalgia radiate from me:
It's the blue eyed girl and green eyed boy. Mum and Dad. Only a few years older than I am now.

"The hint for the fifth memory is not ours to give, Lindsey. The hint will reveal itself to you."

My knees straighten themselves and arms go to my skirts with a grin wider than I'd like to admit. Forgetting all the sorrows and woes for a second. Forgetting even the ashes and wounds.

Why am I even seeing the fifth memory without Dylan, Allie and Ethan...

The cheshire cat grin lowers itself, as the pendant waves about like a pendulum against my crack. The crack doesn't hurt. It's just there. Hollow.

"Leshy, I swear I'll put your head on a spike if you gift me something expensive," Mum grumbles-- Dad's hands still on her eyes.

He rolls his own and mimics,
"I know you'll do just that, sylph."

A small smile comes out because of their using of leshy and sylph.

A leshy's a green eyed forest deity in... Slavic mythology, I think.
Sylphs are air spirits.

"Thank goodness, but that still doesn't exempt you from one." Mum says-- her own hands on Dad's and the distance between them almost non-existent.

I look away for the sake of my parents' intimacy.

That sounded very weird...

Dad turns and glances at the willow tree.

A bouquet is hidden behind the willow tree, and the journal at the tree's front. No one paying attention to the latter.

Dad slowly removes his hands, while Mum blinks at her surroundings.

"Why are we at the hill at this hour? What if my parents woke up by all those pebbles you threw at my window?" Mum places her hands on her hips and turns to Dad. Who quickly averts his gaze from the bouquet. She squints her eyes at him with a jovial smile, but lets him cover his stuttering with a smirk.
"We both know your parents wouldn't wake up even if there was an air raid. Just like mine."

My fingers play with themselves, while Mum rolls her eyes.

They's so... different than what I'm used to yet... they're still the same...

What a paradox.

I shake my head at my own subconscious.

Mum... she's still like I remember but with a teenage touch that I have, too.

And Dad... he seems less...

I tilt my head.

... less broad shouldered but still with the same cardboard posture I have.

Though, his seems less stern and monitor-like than mine.

"Also... you once said there isn't a spot in London you haven't seen," Dad words shake my reverie and make Mum open her mouth. He beats her to it with an enormous wave of arms.
"But you'll see what I mean in a few minutes..."
His ears start reddening as soon as he finishes and Mum places a hand on her lips-- hiding away her snickers.

"You know sometimes I think I'm the twenty year old and you're the eighteen year old one."

Dad goes up to her-- arms crossed on his chest. He takes one out to fold a wave of hair behind her right ear.
"Technically speaking, I'm still nineteen and you just turned eighteen today."

Mum shakes her head, as Dad places a kiss on her cheek.
Then she just looks at him-- deciding on something.

Dad raises a brow. Stirring Mum back. She shakes her head and says with a hint of a tease,
"Now that I know, I'll only tell you something that's been on my mind for a while after I get my gift."

Dad lifts his head towards the lake and grins.
"Your gift's here..."

Mum follows his gaze-- her irises fluttering-- incandescence emanating from her as she whirls around.

I turn around-- my own ocean blue eyes mesmerised by the beginning rays of the sunrise spreading all across the rustling verdure.

The sunrise transports us both to a fairytale land. Where everything's beautiful and adored. And alive.

Both of us stay still-- the rays reflecting from the embroidery of my dress-- still not catching anyone's eye.

"I... You were right..." a chuckle follows from Mum as she excitedly looks back-- only to find a red eared Dad with a bouquet of bluebells held out in his arms.

Mum's hand goes over to caress the bluebells. Her voice low with honey.
"Why bluebells..."

Dad then caresses that same hand of hers. Gaze fixed on it.
"I once asked you why you liked these so much. You said I'd understand after finding out their meaning..."

His gaze then meets Mum's silent and solemn one.

"They were...
Humility..." He bends down to place the bouquet on the grass. Mum and his hands still remain intertwined.

"Gratitude... and..." He gazes back at the sun.

Mum softly says, closing in the little gap in between them.
"And..."

I almost want to look away, but my eyes are transfixed on them.

Dad carefully puts his free hand at the nape of her neck. Mum presses her lips within her mouth, before releasing them.

"And everlasting love..."
The sun climbs higher and higher with the wind softly blowing.

"I love you, Jenn, and I always will. That's for sure..."

Dad blinks-- as if realising something. His bent arm straightens for a bit, but Mum pulls him back by the elbow. He stays then.
"I... of course you don't have to say anything now. After a bomb like that out of the blue... I ... wanted your birthday to be special and the words just came out after that..."

Mum shakes her head and says,
"Please,  the bomb that was out of the blue was the one that you're  Mrs Knightley's son, the critic for that ballet show."

I can only imagine...

Dad gives a nervous chuckle, but Mum then squeezes his hand.
"I said I wanted to tell you something... It was that if I had, had a flower right now, then it'd be a violet."

Violets mean faithful love...

Dad first tilts his head to the side, but then understands.
The same smile comes back from before.

Mum shakes her head before leaning up and places a peck on Dad's lips.

She laughs at his stunned face, before it turns into the same as he bends down-- this time for a longer kiss.

I shut my eyes and clench onto to the pendant again-- but like holding onto to an oar, rather than a straw.

Holding onto something that I thought even forever couldn't break seven years ago.

Forever still hasn't broken it-- judging by the laughs resounding-- it's just veiled it.

The light shifts from underneath my eyelids-- splashing the same old shade of tea rose from before.

A bark resounds.
Making me turn towards its owner.

Mum and Dad are gone, but my mouth circles into an excited O and shouts,
"Gem!"

Gem runs and jumps-- her golden brown mane flowing-- into my arms. A laugh comes from me as she perfectly besets herself in my arms and licks my cheeks.

Then the same laugh vibrates. But from someone else. Feminine. Gem stops licking my cheek, as İ mumble,
"Henry... Kathy..."

Henry's in the same white suit from before, while Kathy's white chiffon dress is now red with golden at the cuffs.

Reassuring smiles adorn themselves on both my sister and uncle.

Without wasting a second, Kathy rushes over to me and wraps her arms around me. She'd have lifted me in the air, if it wasn't for the small bundle of joy in my arms-- and forms a group hug.

... Between two sisters and a royal package.

Henry actually allows himself a chortle.

Her bone crushing hug loosens before my face turns blue. Concern paints on Kathy's face as she exclaims,
"Are... are you all right!" Kathy steps to my side and wraps an arm across my shoulder.

I shrug.
"Feelings aren't that bad, but they sure are hell."
Gem woofs in agreement.

She gives me a slight squeeze and a dimpled smile.

Meanwhile, Henry looks over at the lake.
He sighs before straightening and fixing his arms across his chest.

"Where will she go?" I ask without thinking-- and not regretting it.

"Home. Wherever that is."
Though, despite the nature of the question and answer, Henry's shoulders and grin is relaxed like mine.

I don't know what comes over me but unbreakable giggles commence their reign.

But then both hers and Henry's eyes fall to the pendant and the crack underneath it. Stunned. Blinking.

I adjust Gem in one hand. One palm under her chest goes over to supports the pendant up, as recognition falls on both their faces.
Though, Henry's is mixed with nostalgia and hiraeth.

Okay, I admit I know that last word by Tumblr teens.

Speaking of Tumblr-ish things...

My head flicks in between the two and say,
"Now, don't tell me I've got some super powers now."
My steady voice betrays and replaces itself with a titter.

"Well, we would have a sequel if you did, wouldn't we?" she jokes and Henry shakes his head.

I look at the willow tree from over my shoulder and see the journal still lying there. It's arrived to its last page with something written on it...

The memories come into my mind. All of them. Henry's second heart attack. Percival and Estelle under the chandelier. Isabelle with the phial.
Henry and Matthew...

But then the memory of Mum and Dad brushes against me. Then Gem jumps out of my arms. Only to stand by my side and wiggling her tail. Something blooms in my chest amidst the hollowness.
"How did something so sad end with so much happiness?" I let my thoughts echo again.

Henry gives a slow nod and quotes,
"The sun himself is weak when he first rises, and gathers strength and courage as the day gets on."

His saying so lets my thumbs slide against the cool silver of the pendant. My fingers tips occasionally touching the hollowed star on my chest.

Kathy and I wobble a bit-- trying to find a balance the difference in our heights. Her being a few inches shorter than me. She points at the crack.
"That's your city of silence. Even there, you're not alone. That's how you saw the fifth memory without Dylan, Allison and Ethan."

Faces of all the three come forth-- one stays longer than the others-- when I look up from the pendant and nod. But not being able to contain my usual monologue.
"You all should have Ph. Ds by now."

"Well, I'm just twenty, so maybe not. But Henry can certainly have one!"

I roll my eyes and so does Henry. Even Gem shakes her head a bit.
But mine then point to her new attire.

Kathy notices and shrugs.
"My dress changed as soon as yours did."

Something clicks in my mind. My lips part.
"Even Dylan wore red when I saw him in my dream. Though, his was paired with green, mine with blue and yours with golden."

Henry opens his mouth to say something, but a voice from the willow tree beats him,
"You three siblings needed some variety in your wardrobe, in my opinion."

Kathy and I whip our heads around. While Henry's crossed arms plummet to his side. Seeing the woman with the same pendant as mine. Followed by a familiar couple...

"Isabelle..." Henry mutters, just as Kathy and I mumble,
"Mum... Dad..."

'Yellow everybody! Yo girl is back with another cliffhanger!

*gets another shoe*

When readers gives you shoes fellas, then make fandom merch outta it xD

Anyway, I think this was my first actual romantic scene in the book. There's one with Isabelle and Timothy, but they're mostly words and pretty solemn.

For Jenn and Charlie's I Love You I wanted to do something special and that explained their relationship (the bluebells) & the overall scene for Lindsey(this Lit student is gonna smack y'all if you don't know what sunrises symbolise).
Some of y'all may disagree that, in real life, such thought and romance doesn't happen blah blah blah.
That's your opinion that should be respected at all costs.

But here, my opinion's that, even though some stuff may seem unrealistic to you, fiction shouldn't lose that spark it has. That persona. That charm.

I wanted to uphold that charm. At least, I 'tried' to xD

The pic for a leshy is below
I just thought it'd go well with Charlie loving mythology and having green eyes and all.

As for the sylph being air spirits, I thought that'd be cool since both Lindsey and Dylan are Aquariuses(that's an AIR sign).

Oh and the video above is 'Dusk till Dawn: Victoria & Albert' by YouTuber albertsliebes.
I felt like it went with this chapter's tone. Plus, the song above may or may not remind me of a certain couple ;)

... who isn't even a couple yet

I'll shut up now.
Actually that couple(me thinks) would be the one y'all least expected xD

I need to shut it.

And oooh the gang's finally complete.
Ammiright?

The quote Henry says is by Charles Dickens, btw.

Anyway, thanks for reading and please vote if you liked the chapter! <3

Here's this week's question:

Do the colours have any significance? The red paired with blue, green and golden (for Lindsey, Dylan and Kathy respectively)?

This question got a bit philosophical, so it's your choice if you wanna interpretate a wp book or not xD

Have a marvellous week!

Love,
MS Zame

And yes, Vicbert is now my OTP XD