Leaving the place where you’ve spent most of your childhood was never an easy task. It’s a place where, throughout decades, memories were constantly formed. Different people came in and out, laughers shared, tears shed and bonds strengthened or broken. Leaving your childhood house was never a positive experience, and Mei was feeling kind of devastated when she stood by the foot of the stairs and looked at an empty flower shop.

“Can you… give me a moment?” she asked the workers in charge of the move, and they nodded understandingly, closing the entrance door behind them upon leaving.

Mei hurried upstairs and went into her old room for the last time. Although she hadn’t spent much time here in the past years, it was still the room in which she had gone through the bumpy road of her childhood and young adulthood for the majority. In very detail, she could still picture the old furniture in front of her sight like they had never been removed. One blink, and she was looking at empty four walls again. She felt an uneasy flick in the pit of her stomach and quickly left.

Passing by her grandmother’s old room, Mei didn’t bring up the courage to take a last look into it. Instead, she went downstairs again where she had spent most of her time since dropping out of university. Everything was empty and her late grandmother’s flower shop was no more, but behind an end, there always was a new beginning as well.

Stepping out of the house, Mei locked the door with a bittersweet feeling. For the last time in her life.

Giving the moving company’s workers a sign to already drive ahead, Mei pulled out her cell phone and dialed.

“Hello, dear, I already anticipated your call. Did everything go well?”

“Yes, dad, I just locked the door and the estate agent will take care of the rest.”

“Great. If you need anything else… just call me, alright?”

“Alright.”

Mei probably didn’t need to, but she was still happy for her father’s offer. Ever since he had gotten remarried and moved out, they weren’t seeing each other so frequently anymore, but having a family of her own now as well, Mei knew that life always played out like this. By their hearts, they were still connected.

“I have to go pick up Xiao Wei now.”

“Ah, my sweet grandchild! I haven’t seen him in so long and now you’re leaving me again…” Her father sounded really sad despite having seen the little boy last week only.

“I promise you, as soon as we return, I’ll bring him over to your house to play, but don’t complain about him knocking over your wife’s expensive vase again, you know he loves playing soccer with his old man.”

“Who’s the old man here?! My stamina can sure keep up with that of a five-year old!”

They laughed together before Mei hung up and got into her car to drive to her son’s preschool.

“Lu Wei, your mother came to pick you up!”

“Mommy, mommy!” The little dark-haired boy, who seemed to be the perfect image of his father when he was his age, ran over to Mei, his hair a bit dusty and dirt on his cheeks. “Today, I scored six times! Can you believe that?”

“Really?” Mei crouched down and wiped the dirt off her son’s face. “Awesome, I’m so proud of you! You have to tell your father as well, he’s sure going to give you more advice!”

“Here are Lu Wei’s things he forgot to take home yesterday.” The female teacher handed a small bag with a paint box and crayons over to Mei when she had gotten up. “I wish you much luck for you new shop, and I hope it’ll be a success. You’re so lucky to have such a smart, happy son. He wasn’t even sad today like all the other kids. He’s going to enjoy primary school very much.”

“I can totally imagine that,” Mei smiled and ruffled her son’s head. “Xiao Wei, say goodbye to your teacher.”

Xiao Wei nodded happily and turned to his teacher. “Thank you for everything, teacher! I’m so sad I won’t be coming back here anymore, but primary school sure will be fun as well!”

“I’m certain about that,” the female teacher responded. “You’ll do well in school, and maybe, you will become the professional soccer player you’ve always dreamed of, who knows? If so, I’ll make sure to watch every game!”

Xiao Wei nodded merrily and bid his teacher farewell before he followed his mother back to the car where she put him in the children’s seat.

“Mommy,” Xiao Wei started, “I am happy to see grandma Liu and grandma Lu again. And will grandpa Lu will be there as well?”

“Sure he will be,” Mei answered as she drove off. “How could he ever miss it when his most precious grandson comes to visit?”

“I like grandpa Lu, because he lets me play soccer in the garden while grandpa Liu always complains about having to be careful since we have to play in his flat.”

“Then you can be happy now, Xiao Wei, because in our new house, you’ll have enough space to play with your father as well.”

“Really? Are we already going to sleep there tonight, mommy?!”

“Yes, and your room is already done. Are you excited?”

“I am! Let’s go there immediately!”

“Alright, alright,” Mei laughed. “But first we have to head to my new shop, your father is already waiting there.”

“Perfect.” Lu Han put a hook on the last item on the list. “This should be it. Thank you.”

When the moving company’s workers were gone, Lu Han took a close look at the fully furnished shop. There were still a few large boxes lying around which the workers had just brought, but overall, they were ready for the grand opening a few weeks from now already.

Mei’s new flower shop – her very own – was much bigger than the one she had owned with her late grandmother’s. Modern and vintage furniture, which had been chosen by her carefully, went well and harmoniously together, and once the flowers were set up, Lu Han was sure that this was going to be the most beautiful flower shop in whole Beijing.

Lu Han was happy that after months, Mei had found the courage to move on, and he was certain that living this dream of hers would help her get over the happenings that had taken place last year. After her late grandmother’s flower shop had closed down in the aftermath of her death, Mei hadn’t been able to bring up the strength to continue her beloved grandmother’s work.

There was a time where Mei had been grieving so much, she nearly fell into depression, and Lu Han would lie if he said it hadn’t been hard on them back then. Struggling with a toddler, his newly built business and chores simultaneously while his wife couldn’t even get out of bed had brought many sleepless and tearful nights upon them. He now hated himself for this, but during those times, when everything threatened to break down on him, Lu Han had sometimes thought of packing his bags and going somewhere far away. He had regretted these thoughts deeply, and when he had confessed them to Mei, he felt like he didn’t deserve her kind of reaction: She didn’t forgive him, because there was nothing to forgive. She didn’t hold it against him, because she also realized how much of a handful she must have been.

But marriage also meant to work through bad times together, that was what he had vowed to her on their wedding day; to be faithful and supportive, in sickness and in health, and to always make their family’s love and happiness his priority. Forever.

After grief came therapy, and although nothing in the world could bring her beloved grandmother back, Mei slowly returned to the person Lu Han had first fallen in love with again. She was still grieving, and she probably would always do so, but it didn’t hinder her from living her life anymore, and Lu Han was sure this was what her grandmother had wanted as well.

Xiao Wei had played a huge part in his mother’s recovery as well. Fighting a depression-like state after a huge loss while having a little child was never easy, but no matter how many times the little boy had gotten pushed away when he found his mother crying again, he had never given up on brightening his mother’s world whenever he was able to, always bringing her self-made paintings and flowers. Xiao Wei had been too young back then to understand what was happening to his mother, but his childlike naivety was a fresh contrast to their gloomy days.

“Daddy, daddy, I scored six times today!”

Like always, Lu Han heard his son before he even saw him, and in the next moment, Xiao Wei dashed through the door and stood in front of his father.

“Really? That’s amazing!” Lu Han picked the child up and threw him in air while Xiao Wei l