The sun was about to set when Rachel and Justin finally returned. From afar, they saw Regina sitting in a wheelchair at the homestay’s entrance craning her neck and looking around.
“Sis!”
Rachel frowned but did not answer when she heard Regina calling out for her.
Regina was not angry at her lack of response and kept waving her arms at them frantically.
When Justin and Rachel came closer, she shot Justin a dirty look. “Where did you bring my sister to? Why were you gone the whole afternoon? Look at the time now!”
Justin replied calmly, “The sun’s not even set.”
“So? It’s not safe in the mountains. You must be back before sundown next time, by 5.00PM.”
“5.00PM?” Rachel gave Regina a look. “Why does it matter to you when I get back? Also, we’re not from the same family.”
“How are we not? We were born in the same family!”
“A family divided by the ocean?” Rachel’s comeback made Regina lose her temper.
Rachel went into the homestay as she was done dealing with Regina’s antics. Justin could not do anything but look at Regina, who had just received a scolding. “Do you need help?”
“I don’t need your help!”
“Okay, sure.”
He was going to follow Rachel in. Yet, just as he was about to reach the steps, he heard Regina’s flustered voice sounding behind. “How will I enter if you don’t push me in?”
Justin looked over his shoulder and asked, “How did you get out in the first place?”
“It was obviously the waiter who pushed me out.”
There was a local young man among the servers. He had tanned skin and looked like a simple and good-natured lad. He would blush whenever he saw Regina.
Despite being a nitpicker, she was beautiful. So, it was natural that she got special treatment.
Justin glanced down at the steps and saw a board on top of it. It definitely wasn’t there when Justin and Rachel left in the afternoon. So, there was a high possibility that the young man put it there for Regina to go up and down the steps in the wheelchair.
It was a pity, though; Regina, the little princess, despised the wheelchair. She did not want to touch the wheelchair at all, so she could only wait for someone to push her around.
“I thought you didn’t want my help?”
“Can’t I take it back?”
“Sure. Of course.” Justin didn’t bother arguing with her this time.
He was in a good mood after the walk in the afternoon. Then, when he knew that he would be staying here with Rachel for a more extended period, his mood brightened even more. Then, he pushed Regina into the building.
Alas, Regina was still talking incessantly. “You’re not allowed to bring my sister out anymore. If you want to go out, you must bring me along. Or else!”
“Or else what?”
“Or else, don’t even think about going out!” Regina’s threat did not hold water, but Justin did not challenge her anymore.
The homestay’s owner was a lovely lady. After they left in the afternoon, she specially prepared a few more dishes for Regina.
“You guys are back.” The tanned staff came out from behind the counter, and as expected, he blushed when he saw Regina. “The food will be ready in a bit. Sis made some fish soup for you.”
He was referring to the owner of the homestay as he was her cousin. He looked to be around the age of 15, similar to Regina.
Humph! Regina turned her nose to the sky and did not even say thank you.
“Say thank you.” Justin reminded Regina.
Nevertheless, she was unhappy at his reminder. “Are you teaching me how to do stuff? We’re paying for our stay here! There’s no need to say thank you. Why are you so extra?”
The young man was nice and just shook his hands, saying it was fine. Justin still thanked him but turned around and told Rachel what had happened.
The restaurant was on the first floor, so when Rachel came in, she picked a corner seat by the windows and sat down. It was the perfect spot to watch the beautiful setting sun on Somerset Mountain.
“What happened?’ she asked.
Justin told her, “The owner especially made some fish soup for her, but she didn’t want to thank them.”
She furrowed her eyebrows and probed, “Is that so?”
Regina refused to back down. “We’ve already paid them, so why do I need to thank them again?”
“They didn’t need to go through all the trouble to make you something special. Do you not understand, or are you just acting dumb?”
“They were the ones who offered it.”
“So? Does that mean you don’t show appreciation to them? Are these the noble manners you’ve learned growing up? Who taught you this?”
Regina bit her lips and glared at Justin. “You’re such a tattler!”
“Now, you’re blaming others too?” Rachel reprimanded as she poured a cup of tea for Justin and ignored Regina’s cup in front of her on purpose.
Regina could feel her face burning. Despite feeling embarrassed, she knew that she was in the wrong, so she pouted and looked at them with puppy dog eyes. “You guys went out the whole afternoon, and I was alone. I thought you were leaving me for good and left the mountain.”
“We’re not planning on leaving for the time being.”
“Then, how long are you staying for?”
“Not sure, but you can leave first,” Rachel said as she picked up her cup of tea. “There’ll be someone here soon to bring you home.”
Regina immediately insisted, “I’m not leaving. If you’re not leaving, then I won’t leave too.”
“Whatever floats your boat.” Rachel did not want to talk about this anymore. Regina was not bothered by Rachel’s blatant indifference. Moments later, she bashfully went up to Rachel. “Sis, I know why you don’t want to leave. I–”
Before she finished her sentence, she glanced at Justin and prompted him. “Why don’t you check when dinner is ready?”
Justin knew she wanted some privacy with Rachel, so he walked away laughing to himself. “Sure. I’ll take a look.”
Rachel made a face at his compliance. “You don’t need to go.”
“It’s fine,” Justin explained. “I needed to tell the owner that we’re staying longer anyways.”
After he walked away, Regina continued the topic.
“Sis, I know you’re worried about leaving your child behind. We can bring her with us. We have our very own Royal Academy, and it’s safer there. With numerous programs–”
“Charlotte wouldn’t like it,” Rachel interrupted and looked coldly at her. “Not everyone will like the things that you like.”
“Then, what does she like?”
“She likes Riverdale, Samuel, her teachers and friends at school, her parents, her aunt, and her uncle. Do you think you can give her all those things?”
“But I’m her biological aunt!”
“She doesn’t know you.” Rachel’s words were harsh, but it was the truth.
Regina knew she could not convince Rachel through her child, so she continued, “Are you going to waste your life taking care of other people? Caring after a company that may be bankrupt anytime now and two children as well as that man who hurt you in the past?”
“Sis, I know it’s hard for you to accept father and me, but think about it. If you stayed in Riverdale for the rest of your life, would you be able to live for yourself?”
Outside the window, the last rays of the setting sun were hanging over the hills and disappearing in the next second. Then, the dark sky would fall; the moon would rise and bring with it the silent night.
Rachel asserted, “Regina, I won’t be leaving with you. The person you said who could not live for themselves isn’t me. It’s him.”
