𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑:
Memories

A SOUND OF A CHILD'S LAUGHTER echoes throughout the park, chubby short legs running clumsily on the playground filled with pebbles, her pigtails tied with gold ribbons with black and orange butterfly clips on the side of her temple, dressed in a white sundress with sunflower prints.

Hiding behind a tree, the child tries to even her breath, releasing a quiet giggle as she puts both of her hands on the side of the thin tree trunk.

Observing her surroundings, she furrows her eyebrows, confused about why the park was suddenly empty.

Carefully moving away from her hiding spot, she was suddenly grabbed by the waist. "Boo!" the man surprisingly says as he turns around the little girl to face him.

A ten-year-old Thalia whines in defeat, "That's unfair. I wasn't even hiding Papa," as she crosses her arms in her chest, frowning.

"I found you fair and square, munchkin. How about that kiss on the cheek now, yeah?" Her papa said teasingly. When he grinned, the large dimple below his eyes appeared.

Karl Bennet.

A forty-five-year-old man, a lawyer, and a good man with a round-face, broad forehead, buttoned nose, stubble beard, with messy black hair, white strands beginning to grow out at the side of his head, sporting black eye-glasses.

Thalia playfully rolls her eyes before placing a kiss on her papa's cheek. Pulling away, she looks at him with her doe-eyes annoyingly and scratches her cheek, "Your beard is itchy. You should shave."

Karl laughs gleefully. Oh, how he adores his daughter, that this bundle of joy means the world to him, how he remembers him and Lilith trying to conceive for years, every result leads to disappointment, losing hope day by day, then she came along, their little miracle.

"Help me shave when we get home. Now, let's go to Mama's workplace," as he carries Thalia in his arms, her arms wrapping around his neck, "Can we buy ice cream?" She asks as she pulls away, looking at him in the eyes. "Please?" while giving him the best puppy-dog face she can do.

"How can I ever say no to you? We'll go to the store before we get home," Karl tells her as they walk across the street. The park is near her mama's workplace, which is the local bank in their town.

A woman confidently standing at 5'11, her hair neatly tied in a bun with light makeup on her aristocratic features, dressed in a cream tie-sleeve button-up blouse tucked in a side slit long pencil skirt, her looks are sharp and intimidating.

However, her gaze softened when she saw the two most important people in her life.

Lilith Cohen-Bennet.

A forty-three-year-old intelligent woman, a bank teller, a loving wife to Karl, and a wonderful mother to Thalia.

Lilith approaches them, her arms wide, expecting a hug from her husband and daughter after a long day of work, that is what she exactly needs, and Karl, of course, complies.

With their schedules arranged accordingly, both of them can watch over their little Thalia. They didn't trust a nanny to take care of their daughter, which is understandable.

"How's playing at the park? Did you enjoy it?" Lilith asks as Karl brings Thalia down to her feet, as the girl joyfully greets her mama with a hug and a big smile, revealing the dimples that she inherits from her papa.

"Papa cheated," Thalia complains while turning around to face her father, which Karl leans down and places a peck on her forehead. Lilith smiles. Oh, how she loves her little family. "How about that ice cream, yeah?"

"Cookies and cream?"

"Whatever you want, my love."

Lilith carries her in her arms while Karl helps her with her shoulder bag, and Lilith looks at her daughter with a smile, "Thalia," her smooth voice suddenly echoes. Thalia tilts her head in confusion, "Thalia," her mother repeats as her surroundings become a blur.

•| ⊱✿⊰ |•

"THALIA," A voice behind her called out, causing her to snap out of her daydreaming slash memories. Thalia looks behind her and gives her colleagues an apologetic look. "Sorry, I was distracted."

Her fellow teacher smiles and says, "Lunch break is over."

"Sure, I'll just clean up and be on my way," Thalia says and receives a nod from her colleagues as they walk towards the exit.

Thalia releases a heavy sigh as she remembers what she was thinking about a minute ago. That was one of the memories she had left of her parents before the tragic car accident happened.

She misses them dearly. Missing someone in heaven is a different kind of sorrow. Grieving never gets easier. You just got to learn how to live with it, and things will get easier and lighter, and you will learn how to grow around your grief.

Looking down at the table, she grabs her phone and scans through her contacts, Carlisle Cullen, it has been two days since she bumped into him, and he constantly plagued her thoughts.

He intrigued her.

Many questions linger in her head.

"How does a person manage to have those kinds of golden eyes?" "His skin as white and cold as snow?" A skin condition, maybe?

And she remembers Alice Cullen having the same exact same set of colored eyes, "Is she his daughter? She is a Cullen," Or maybe it's a trend she knows nothing about.

Thalia thinks she's just getting old with keeping up with these things. She prefers to stay home, resting and sleeping. Her younger self would say otherwise.

She dials the number, and with many rings and her habit of biting her nails when nervous, he finally answers the phone. "Thalia, to what do I owe the pleasure of calling me?"

Thalia smiles as she stands up from her seat, throws her empty bottle in the recycling bin, and says, "How about that dinner?"

Author's Note:
➵ This chapter is dedicated to my late parents.
➵ I also got accepted to my dream school!! Yay me!! <3