chapter two

   

Serena was currently standing behind the counter of Minito Gelato at six in the morning with Christmas carols playing quietly overhead in the shop. She didn't want to spend her Christmas there, but she promised Mint that she would help her out at the store if she ever needed her. Well, today was one of those days due to the holidays. Serena regretted agreeing to do something like this for Mint at two in the morning.

"Hello. Welcome to delicious. What can I get started for you?" Serena greeted the customer in her most fake yet polite voice while forcing a smile on her face. "Our today's special is the peppermint chip cookies served with two sides of eggnog gelato and fruit cake pudding."

"Can you sound anymore fake?" Maofah commented from below as he and Nerok were chilling by her feet as they ate another helping of today's special.

Serena slightly kicked the feline playfully as her focus remained on the two customers before who. They were an older gentleman and a younger woman in a leather jacket with three piercings on her right ear beside him. Maofah made a face, but rubbed the sore spot while Nerok laughed at his friend as he continued eating.

"Yeah, could I get two orders of the special for today, please." Ariel's father said while taking out his wallet as Ariel eyed her dad judgingly. "You don't even like eggnog."

"There's a first time for everything." He chuckled as Ariel rolled her eyes, but a hint of a smile showed itself before Ariel faced Serena. "Actually, just one order of the special for him. I would like the smallest mocha gelato that you have, please."

"Will do. Your total is nineteen dollars and fifty-two cents." Serena totaled up their order as she took Ariel's father's credit card and swiped it before handing it back to him.

"Your number is fifty-one and if you would please have a seat anywhere you like, then your order will be out with you shortly." Serena informed them while handing them a number stand.

"Thank you." The duo said as Ariel grabbed the stand and she and her father went to find an open spot.

"So what's the special occassion, Dad?" Ariel asked her father once she and him were settled.

"What ever do you mean, Ariel? I can't take my daughter out for Christmas?" Mr. Li asked with a slight frown almost in a pouting manner which made Ariel slightly suspicious, but didn't say anything. "I can't treat my daughter to a nice dessert some times because I feel like it?"

Ariel crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned back in her chair and gave her dad a look after he had said that. Mr. Li finally admitted the real reason on why they were there.

"Fine,  you caught me. Here you go."

Her father pulled a small and red rectangle box from out of his coat pocket and slid the tiny yet slim container towards his daughter. "Happy birthday."

"You do know that it was a month ago, right?" Ariel mused as he father nodded. "Yes, Ariel, I do, but you know, the business makes me forget some times."

"Right."

Ariel stared at the red box, but didn't touch it. Mr. Li firmly urged her.

"Go ahead. Open it."

Ariel leaned closer to the table and moved the rectangular box towards her before slowly opening to see that it was a necklace inside of it. She pulled out the jewellery while tenderly holding on to the round object at the base of it. It was a black onyx with a red dragon carved on one side and the letter 'A' also in red on the other. Ariel looked at her father skeptically.

"Do you like it?"

"I do, but-"

"Oh, good." Her father interrupted her. "Don't ask questions. Just for now, wear it."

Ariel did as told and put on the necklace. Her father beamed at the sight. Something she found amusing since he never behaved like this in public as he was a stoic and ruthless man, but had compassion for those around him if deemed worthy of it. It kind of threw her off once again, but brushed it aside when Serena stopped by to deliver them their order.

"Hello. Sorry for the wait, but please do enjoy." Serena told them with another force smile while taking the number away. "Would there be anything else for you?"

"No. Thank you." Father and daughter said as Mr. Li looked at Ariel with a smile. "Eat before I have to tend to some business and I won't have time to spend Christmas further with you."

The duo quietly ate their meal in silence and Serena briefly watched them before bringing her attention onto the next customer that just walked in.

"Hello. Welcome to delicious. What can I get started for you?" Serena repeated for the nth time that morning.

"Hey, Dad." Jisoo greeted her father's grave with a sad smile while crouching down on her heels. "Sorry that Mom couldn't make it. She had to take care of something at work even though it's Christmas." She informed her father while placing a bouquet of pink carnations on his stone name plaque after brushing the dust and other things off of it.

"I know it's a little later than normal, but I had to take the bus and because it's Christmas not many were running today. Anyways, I wanted to bring your favorite food, but I didn't have time to make it. Sorry." Jisoo continued to speak to her father as if he was really there with her. "I hope you don't mind these muffins I got at the convenient store near our house."

Jisoo paced a muffin above his plaque along with a drawing she had finished a few days ago. "I drew another sketch of your favorite bird. The lanceolated warbler. I saw one outside my window and thought it was a good sign from you and that's why I drew it." She chuckled to herself while pushing her glasses up and tightening the blue jacket around her.

"I know I was only three when it happened, but I really do miss you, Dad. I wish you were around to see me grow up although others may find me weird."

Jisoo silently stayed that way for a few minutes before a slight gust blew the sketch down a few plaques and she gave chase. Upon catching up to the drawing she saw that it had landed on another plaque, but this one was left alone compare to the others around it. It had no decorations surrounding it like the others. She read the words out loud.

"Goodbye is not forever. Goodbye is not the end. It simply means I'll miss you until we meet again." Jisoo smiled as she liked the quote as her eyes scanned the rest of it. "In loving memory of Melanie Vorasavane. A beautiful daughter and an amazing sister."

Jisoo looked at the plaque and then at the drawing until making up her mind. She went back to where her belongings were and grabbed a water bottle and one of the muffins before returning to Meanie's plaque. Jisoo squatted while placing the image with the two items on top of it so that it wouldn't blow away again.

"Merry Christmas, Melanie. I hope your family visits you soon. Also, that's my dad's favorite bird, but I think this time he'll be okay if I give it to someone else for Christmas."

Jisoo smiled at the plaque that seemed more lively now than it was before she put the drawing on it. Jisoo returned to her dad's and spent some more time with him before leaving shortly after. When Serena arrived at the St. Genevieve Cemetery some time later she was surprised to see that someone had left something on her sister's grave. Even though it was an empty plot, but still Serena felt that respects still needed to pay even if she was the only one that came to visit.

"I see someone left you a nice present, Mel." Serena chuckled as she peered down at the drawing of the bird. "Ohh, that person's quite good. I'm jealous of their artistic skills."

She squatted as she placed an opened can of Dr. Pepper on the other side of the water bottle along with a goodie bag from Mint's shop filled with miscellaneous things alongside the muffin. Serena then pulled out another bag while tossing similar items around her towards the spirits of the other at the cemetery.

"Merry Christmas, guys." Serena wished to the cool air as she saw Nerok fly chasing a few ghost kids while Maofah was happily being petted by an elderly ghost woman a few yards away.

"My daughter gave that drawing to your sister." Jisoo's father came up to Serena as she turned to look at him curiously while standing back up. "Oh, did she? Thank you."

"You know, I've seen you come around all of these years, but not once have I ever seen you interact with your sister. I mean I never really seen her come out at all either." Mr. Yoo commented as Serena shot him a half-smile. "Yeah, she's just like that. Thanks for your concern though."

Serena was about to walk away when Mr. Yoo stopped her.

"Wait."

"Hmm?" Serena turned to face him.

"I was wondering if I could make a request since you're living and well, I'm not and the mere fact that you can see and hear me." He then chuckled nervously. "I also think you may be the rumored Cupid Reaper I've been hearing about and that you can help us spirits with wishes and other things."

"What makes you say that?" Serena asked with a tilt of her head. "You can just tell even if I'm not in uniform?"

"Well, yeah. It's because of your scent."

"My scent?"

"Yes, but you should ask someone else who can explain it better. Anyways, now how about that favor?"

Cupid Serena was filling out a form while sitting at the Cupid Station. She was writing in a request form for Mr. Yoo as his favor was quite simple. It was just the fact that his spirit had long since passed, but he never put in a request until now. So Mr. Yoo was just a special case of time. In a sense he would come to visit Earth some time like other spirits who were granted to do so. Something almost like good behavior if they've done well on Earth and just wanted to visit family and friends that were still living.

Anyways, Mr. Yoo's wish was just having a lanceolated warbler appear before his daughter whenever she was sad, happy, or whatever she was feeling to help her through her day. To let his daughter know that he was always with her even if he couldn't physically be there. After hearing Jisoo's words at the cemetery earlier that day it just made Mr. Yoo think more about it as it was true he wasn't there to see her grow up.

"Okay. Now, that should be all of it." Cupid Serena sighed after filling out everything and even triple checking everything before turning it into the request pile. "Just hope it gets approved before the new year begins."

She stretched her limbs as Maofah woke from his nap while Cupid Serena was doing the form.

"Done?"

"Yeah. Let's go home."

Before they could exit the Cupid Station and back to her place, Cupid Serena heard Nerok's voice in her head to report to the Reaper Station as soon as possible.

"Oh, sorry, Maofah. I gotta go to the Reaper Station."

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