Various flowers and roses lined either side of the path, their beauty still vibrant and spectacular. Tessa leaned forward to smell the fragrant lilies, then moved to others along the path, their perfume scent tickling her nostrils.
“Aunt Becky really had a beautiful oasis,” Kerry spoke as she leaned forward to inhale the flowers as well.
“She did,” Tessa agreed. “God, I miss her so much and Uncle Samuel.”
“I miss them too,” Kerry added. “It makes me so sad not to have them here, and now that Mom’s sick…I’m so scared to even think of her leaving us.” She sighed heavily.
“Then let’s not think about that but rather enjoy the time we have left with her. Life is short, but the memories we make will last for a lifetime.”
“You’re right,” Kerry accepted. “I want to make the most of our time with her before her memory fades into deep darkness.”
“How is it going with Diane?”
Tessa smiled broadly. “It’s going great, actually. We’re having a wonderful time getting to know each other better. It has been wonderful.”
“I’m happy to hear that, Sis. You two deserve to be happy.”
Tessa hugged her sister, and the two left the garden, heading back to the patio. She could see that more of their relatives had arrived and were already drinking and walking about.
“Hi, Mom.”
She heard her daughter before seeing her, but her heart swelled with joy at the warm greeting. “Hi, sweetheart,” she greeted Diane, rubbing the forearm across her chest as her daughter hugged her from behind. When Diane released her, she turned to look at her. “You look so fabulous, my dear. I love the outfit.” She looked her daughter up and down with a look of approval. Diane had on a mustard-green top that sat well against her creamy white skin, along with a pair of skinny white jeans and bronze sandals.
“Thanks, Mom.” Diane smiled broadly. “You look beautiful too, by the way,” she complimented, gesturing to the flowing, floral maxi dress and white sandals. Her hair was curly and loose, which went well with her overall look.
“Thank you,” Tessa replied. “Oh, before I forget, the funds are now available for you to access. You can start getting ready to expand the space into your bistro.”
“Wow, thanks, Mom. That’s great news.” Diane smiled.
Tessa held her daughter’s cheeks between her palms and looked earnestly into her eyes as she spoke. “I want you to always choose to do whatever makes you happy, knowing I will support you one hundred percent.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Diane replied, her eyes glistening with overwhelming tears of joy. “It means a lot coming from you.”
“Any time, sweetheart. I love you.” Tessa smiled.
“I love you too,” Diane responded before the two embraced.
The two separated and joined the party that was now in full gear. As usual, her father was already by the grill, this time with Daniel and Brian.
Tessa took a slice of the chocolate cake her daughter had brought— her favorite—and a can of Sprite. Taking a bite of the sumptuous, deep velvety taste of the cake, she moaned with satisfaction. Like Kerry, Diane was very good at making pastries.
She turned around just in time to spot Justin walking toward her, and her heart sped up in her chest.
“Hi. You look beautiful.”
Tessa felt her cheeks warm, and her lips automatically lifted into a smile as goose bumps painted her skin. “Thank you,” she managed to breathe out. “You look beautiful too— I mean, you look great. You look great.” Okay, his presence definitely had her flustered. She’d had some time to think about how she really felt about him and had decided to tell him that she wanted to try the dating thing with him, but with him so close, all her senses had gone haywire.
“Let me get you something to eat, or drink or both. Whichever you prefer,” she spoke rapidly. She cringed at how nervous she sounded.
“A drink would be nice,” Justin requested.
“Okay.” Tessa turned and went toward the igloo. “Oh crap.” She hit her forehead in trepidation. She turned and marched back to him. “What would you like to drink?” she asked.
“Why don’t I come with you?” he suggested, his eyes twinkling with laughter. Tessa simply nodded, and the two made their way over to the igloo. He fished out a Sprite like her and popped the top before turning it to his mouth.
Tessa watched the liquid moving down his throat, mesmerized by its undulation. She quickly averted her eyes when his head came down, and his gaze landed on her.
“Tessa.” Kerry walked up to her with a mischievous grin. Tessa’s eyes narrowed in warning.
