Chapter 9

　　“Dad,” Thomas begged, “Mommy is sleeping. I might wake her up when I go back. Please let me play with the little girl for a while, then I'll go back when Mommy wakes up.” 　　He stepped back. 　　“Uncle, please let us play for a while.” 　　Luna’s voice was sweet and soft, and a normal person would find it hard to refuse her. 　　Sean was silent. The little girl was adorable, with puppy-dog eyes that anyone would find hard to say “no” to. Still he wanted to refuse. 　　Vera began to intercede for the boy. “Mister, let the children play here for a while.” 　　Sean couldn’t embarrass his child in public, so he had to compromise temporarily. 　　“Alright. I won’t stay with you. I’ll pick you up in a while.” 　　“Thank you, Dad.” 　　The boy was very excited, and ran over with a smile on his face. Sean looked indifferent as he turned and went back to his first class cabin. 　　The little girl cheerfully introduced herself. “Hello. My name is Phoebe Luna Qin, and my family calls me Luna.” 　　“Hello Luna, my name is Thomas Qiao, and my nickname is Tommy.” 　　The boy sat in between them, happily greeted Luna, then turned his head and greeted Vera Qin politely. 　　“Hello Auntie, you can just call me Tommy.” 　　“Hello Tommy, that’s a good name.” 　　Vera smiled at the little boy in front of her. 　　Wearing jeans and a pair of canvas shoes, he looked ordinary at first glance. But she noticed that his clothes were big name brands. Usually, parents avoid buying small children expensive clothes since they outgrow them so fast. Vera’s eyes finally fell on the boy’s left forearm, but he was wearing a long-sleeved coat. She was a bit disappointed. 　　The two children seemed to get along very well, chatting and laughing about things she could not understand. 　　Vera could not keep her eyes off the boy. For a long time, she was reluctant to look away. 　　The boy was eventually taken back by the man, and she didn’t meet them again until they had gotten off the plane. 　　The plane landed steadily. After four years, breathing the air of this city again, Vera felt a pang of sadness. Her heart stirred, still aching from the memories after all of these years. 　　After four years, she had finally returned to the city where she was born and raised. 　　On the airport highway, Vera stared out of the car window. Her heart got heavier as they drove past where her father had died. 　　“Dani, take me to the cemetery first. It’s been four years, I should visit my parents.” 　　“Yeah, I figured you’d want to visit the grave. I have all the flowers ready for you.” 　　Daniella Tang was Vera’s best friend, and college classmate. 　　Vera Qin has been away for four years, and this was the first time they have met again in four years. 　　“Dani, you have been sweeping my parents’ grave for the past few years, thank you so much.” 　　“Thank me again and I'll throw you on the highway,” Daniella said jokingly. 　　“Aunt Dani, I’m obedient, please don’t throw us on the highway.” 　　Daniella laughed. She was such a sweet, well-behaved child. Now she also wanted one. 　　Luna was a bit scared of the beautiful woman driving the car, as this was the first time she met someone like her. 　　“Oh, my little beauty is scared? Don’t worry, Aunt Dani would never leave you behind.” 　　Luna finally smiled in relief. “Mum, Auntie won’t leave us behind. Auntie was just joking.” 　　“Well, Auntie is always kidding. She is Mommy’s best friend, why would she throw Mommy out of the car? She’s taking us to see your grandparents.” 　　As soon as she mentioned her parents, Vera Qin’s smile faded away. 　　If her parents were still alive, they would have seen her little girl. That would have been a blessing. 　　Worried, Luna asked, “Mummy, will grandpa and grandma like me?” 　　“Yes, they will like you,” she assured her daughter. 　　When she came to her parents tombstone, Vera could not control her tears, and everything from four years ago swept over her like a tide. 　　Vera squatted on the ground and put the flowers in front of the tombstone. She looked at the pictures of her parents on the tombstone. She wept for a while. 　　“Dad, Mom, I’m back.” 　　“Auntie and Bianca are very good.” 　　The sudden departure of her parents had placed a heavy burden on her shoulders. 　　“Mommy, don’t cry.” 　　The warm little hand gently wiped away the tears from the corner of Vera's eyes, allowing Vera Qin to find some comfort. 　　“Mommy misses grandpa and grandma. The two people in the photo are grandpa and grandma. Say hello to them, Luna.” 　　“Hello, grandpa and grandma, I am Luna.” 　　Luna bowed deeply. 　　They left the cemetery and drove back to the city. 　　“It seems that a lot has changed in four years.” Vera choked with emotion. 　　“Yes, it has changed a lot, but haven’t you also changed? You used to be more...stylish. But now you’ve done a complete 360, it looks like.” 　　Daniella glanced at Vera in the rearview mirror. 　　When she’d picked her friend up at the airport, Daniella thought she was the wrong person.