THE HEIR'S REVENGE

chapter 63

After visiting my mother, I had a bit of strength to do what I had to do. It took me a while to adjust after seeing her but I was glad that I did.

We got home as fast as we could and we meant Henry at the door.

“What's up?” I asked, my heart suddenly beating fast. I just couldn't believe that there was another problem. He smiled at me in the weird way that he always does.

“Why are you smiling, Henry?” Lily asked.

I was also shocked to even see Henry smile. I've never seen him smile when there was nothing good happening. He was always serious like he didn't care.

“Come on, Henry. Tell us.” Lily was now jumping.

I was also curious. We went into the house to find Mrs. Park making some pancakes.

“Pancakes?” Lily screamed in excitement.

I was also excited for Mr. Park's pancakes too. She was a good cook and it made sense that her pancakes would be delicious.

“What are we celebrating?” I asked Mrs. Park when I went a bit closer to the kitchen. “It seems everyone in this house seems so happy.”

“Well, there are quite a lot of things to celebrate.” Mrs. Park smiled sheepishly at me.

Something was wrong. In a good way, I guess.

“You have a visitor.” Henry finally said in that low tone that was always serious. My heart was almost running to my stomach as I listened to him.

“Who?”

Henry didn't know that I was already thinking about the worst things that could happen. Was it Victoria or Emma or was it Daniel?

I didn't want to see any of these people. I just wanted to receive some fresh air, eat some pancakes and just have some peace.

“You have to go meet your visitor.” Mrs. Park was still cooking but still had that funny face she normally had when she was going to do something goofy.

I decided to take the first step.

If Henry and Mrs. The park was this funny then my visitor wouldn't have to be Victoria or Daniel. They'd never be this glad to have them as visitors.

Then who exactly was it?

I decided to be brave enough to go meet whoever my visitor was.

I went outside to the veranda to see who it was. I looked carefully from my right to the left and then I saw her. She seemed like a familiar face and she actually was.

It was Yemi and today she was in her uniform. She looked like a soldier fresh out of the oven looking extremely pretty.

I watched her for a moment, never letting my eyes leave him. She was such a beautiful woman inside out. I watched her watch the flowers with a particular interest that I couldn't explain.

She just seemed like she was checking something.

She heard my footsteps on the veranda and turned around.

When she saw me her face changed completely. Not the professional face she always had at work. Just her. Warm and natural and happy to see me in the simple honest way that she had stopped hiding since Fenwick Street.

"You went somewhere early this morning," she said.

"I did," I said. "How did you know?"

"Henry called me," she said. "He said you left early and that you might need company when you got back." She looked at me carefully the way she did when she was checking if I was really okay or just saying I was okay. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," I said. And I meant it this time completely. "I am actually alright."

She studied my face for one more second.

Then she nodded once like she had confirmed something.

"Good," she said.

From behind me I heard small feet running very fast on the floor inside the house and then Lily appeared at the veranda door at full speed.

She saw Yemi and her whole face lit up.

"YEMI," she screamed.

"Why are you screaming," I said.

She completely ignored me and ran past me to Yemi who caught her with both arms and picked her up like she weighed nothing.

"You came," Lily said into her shoulder.

"Of course I came," Yemi said.

"We went to see brother's mummy this morning," Lily said, pulling back to look at Yemi's face. "It was very cold but we went anyway and I brought a drawing."

Yemi looked at me over Lily's shoulder.

I looked back at her.

Something passed between us that did not need words.

"That was very brave of both of you," Yemi said to Lily.

"I know," Lily said. "Can we eat now? Mrs Park made pancakes and I have been waiting very patiently."

"You have been waiting for approximately four minutes," I said.

"That is very patient for me," Lily said.

Yemi put her down and she ran back inside immediately.

I looked at Yemi.

She was smiling.

"Pancakes," she said.

"Pancakes," I agreed.

We went inside.

The kitchen was warm and loud and full of good smells.

Mrs Park was at the stove finishing the last batch of pancakes and Henry was setting the table which was something I had never seen Henry do before because Henry always arranged for other people to set the table.

But today he was doing it himself and he was doing it with the specific attention he brought to all tasks which meant the plates were perfectly spaced and the cups were all facing the same direction.

Lily was sitting at the counter watching Mrs Park cook with the focused attention of a food inspector.

"Are those the big ones or the small ones?" Lily asked.

"What do you prefer?" Mrs Park asked.

"Both," Lily said immediately.

Mrs Park laughed.

I sat down at the table. Yemi sat beside me. Not at the far end. Right beside me. She put her bag on the chair behind her and looked around the kitchen with the expression of someone who was happy to be exactly where they were.

"This house always smells good," she said.

"That is Mrs Park," I said. "She takes it very personally."

"I heard that," Mrs Park said from the stove without turning around.

Yemi smiled.

Henry brought the orange juice to the table and poured it into everyone's cups including his own which was unusual because Henry normally did not sit and eat with us. He always ate separately or after everyone else.