The airplane cruised smoothly above the clouds, but the little boy sitting in first class was feeling restless.
"Daddy," the boy tentatively called out to the man sleeping beside him.
"Daddy."
Seeing no response, the boy gently nudged the man with his hand.
"Hmm." The man woke up. "What is it?" His voice was calm and restrained, but it lacked warmth.
"Daddy, I need to go to the bathroom," the boy spoke timidly.
Merrick glanced at the woman sitting on the other side of the boy. Seeing that she was also asleep, he got up and took the boy to the bathroom. The boy seemed quite independent, managing on his own in the bathroom while Merrick waited outside.
In the first row of the economy class, a little girl around four or five years old sat by the window, gazing curiously at the endless expanse of clouds.
"Mommy, those clouds are so pretty."
"Yes, they are very beautiful." Lydia followed the direction of the girl's pointing finger and agreed, indeed finding the view quite spectacular.
"Mommy, when we see clouds from the ground, they're always moving. Why aren't these clouds moving?" the little girl asked in her soft, curious voice.
"It's not that they're not moving, sweetie. We just can't see it. Clouds are always drifting with the wind." Lydia's gentle and melodious voice drifted into Merrick's ears as he stood outside the restroom.
That voice…
Merrick frowned and turned his head toward the source.
"But Mommy, I can't see the wind either. Where is it? Did it go home to take a nap?" The little girl looked up with innocent confusion.
"Yes, Nyla, you're so smart. The wind got tired and went home to rest." Lydia smiled indulgently, marveling at the simplicity of a child's world.
"Mommy, there's a boy over there watching us." Nyla suddenly turned around and pointed at the two figures standing by the restroom door.
Lydia followed Nyla's finger and met the man's gaze. She didn't recognize him, but he gave off a cold aura. However, the little boy beside him was quite charming.
She gave the boy a warm smile and waved at him kindly.
"Daddy, can I go play with the little girl over there?" The boy looked up at his father with hopeful eyes.
"The plane is still in the air. Let's go back to our seats." The man took the boy's hand and started to walk away.
"Daddy, Mommy is sleeping. If I go back, I'll wake her up. Let me play here for a while. I'll go back when she wakes up." The boy pleaded, taking small steps backward.
"Uncle, please let the little brother play with me for a bit." Nyla's sweet, soft voice was hard to resist.
"…." Merrick fell silent, wanting to refuse but finding himself unable to think clearly in front of the little girl.
"Sir, please let the children play here for a while." Lydia noticed the boy's reluctance and spoke up on his behalf.
Merrick's face remained stern. Not wanting to embarrass his son in public, he reluctantly agreed.
"You stay here for a bit. I'll come back to get you soon."
"Thank you, Daddy!" The boy was thrilled, his face lighting up with a big smile as he ran over to Nyla.
Merrick gave one last indifferent glance before returning to first class.
"Hi there, I'm Nyla, but my family just calls me Nyla." She greeted cheerfully, her bright personality shining through.
"Hi, Nyla. I'm Geoff, and my family calls me Geoff too." The boy sat in the middle seat, then turned politely to Lydia. "Hello, Auntie. You can just call me Geoff."
"Hello, Geoff. What a polite boy you are." Lydia took another careful look at the boy in front of her.
The two kids hit it off immediately, chatting and laughing about things only they seemed to understand. Lydia, on the other hand, kept her eyes on the boy, unable to look away for a long time.
Eventually, the boy was taken back by a man, and they didn't see him again until the plane landed.
As the plane touched down smoothly, Lydia breathed in the air of the city she hadn't returned to in four years. An indescribable feeling washed over her, and her heart ached faintly.
She was back.
On the airport expressway, Lydia stared unblinkingly out of the car window, her thoughts heavy.
"Belinda, take me to the cemetery first. It's been four years; I need to visit my parents." Lydia's voice was filled with sorrow.
"Of course. I knew you'd want to go there first. I've already got the flowers ready for you."
"Belinda, you've been visiting the graves for me all these years. Thank you so much."
"Come on, don't be so formal with me. If you say 'thank you' again, I'll leave you on the side of the road." Belinda joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Auntie Belinda, I'll be good. Please don't leave me on the roadside." Nyla quickly tried to please her, a little frightened.
"Oh, my little beauty is scared?" Belinda laughed as she drove. "Don't worry, Auntie would never leave you behind."
"Mommy, Auntie won't leave us behind. She's just joking," Nyla said, finally smiling in relief.
"Yes, Auntie is joking. She's Mommy's best friend; she would never leave Mommy behind. Nyla, Mommy is taking you to meet your grandparents." At the mention of her parents, Lydia's smile faded.
"Mommy, will Grandma and Grandpa like me?" Nyla asked worriedly.
"They will, sweetheart. They will definitely like you."
Standing in front of her parents' gravestone, Lydia could no longer hold back her tears.
With tears streaming down her face, she placed fresh flowers before the stone and slowly knelt. Looking at the photos carved into the granite, her voice trembled.
"Dad, Mom, I'm back."
"Auntie and Xavia are doing well. You don't need to worry about them."
"Mommy, don't cry." A warm little hand gently wiped away the tears at the corner of Lydia's eyes, bringing her a small measure of comfort.
"Mommy misses Grandma and Grandpa. Nyla, these two people in the photo are your Grandma and Grandpa. Say hello."
"Hello, Grandma and Grandpa. I'm Nyla." Nyla greeted them earnestly and gave a deep, polite bow.