Chapter 96 - First Anniversary of Death

Regardless of people's feelings, days turned into weeks and weeks into months. In a blink of an eye, autumn left its place to winter. The colorful leaves fell off from the tree branches, leaving them b.a.r.e, while layers of snow gradually piled up on the ground, burying the scenery in white. Soon, winter vacations started, and students were dismissed from their respective schools, sent back home for the next few weeks. In other words, it was Christmas time.

But it also meant that Mrs. Brown's first anniversary of death was growing nearer, and the atmosphere in the house became bleaker with each passing day. Still, Misha did his best to smile and lift everyone's mood, scolding his father whenever his hands got too close to a bottle of liquor and teasing his sister at the slightest opportunity. With Yuki's help, he cooked everyone's favorite meal in turn and also organized a few gaming competitions, knowing they would all have a good laugh out of it.

The boy became the little sunshine that kept his family from drowning in sorrow. He distracted their minds however he could, which often resulted in Gabriel having to handle his silly pranks and childish taunts. But at least, Misha wasn't as nasty as before. His antics were annoying, of course: however, they didn't get on Gabriel's nerves. This time, the boy made sure not to go too far and banned everything related to bugs, meaning that he didn't bury insects in the man's food. He just wanted to make things fun, not anger-inducing.

Well, that was for Gabriel. As for Stephan, the poor lad still had to deal with the child's naughty deeds whenever he dropped by, and because Misha pulled his sister in, Stephan had to face pranks much worse than usual. Lately, Misha and Masha would often take time in the evening to brainstorm their next prank, combining their twisted ideas to create something monstrous.

Dealing with only one sibling was already taking quite a toll on Stephan's mental health, so when the two conspired together, it felt as though all hell had broken loose and his mental health crumbled. Sometimes, Stephan didn't know whether to be horrified or in awe at their never-ending imagination. He could never predict what they would do next, even though he himself was quite creative.

In short, the siblings' pranks were about to drive Stephan crazy, making him wonder what he did to deserve such a terrible fate. In all honesty, nothing. His dramatic and over-the-top reactions were simply hilarious to watch, and the siblings loved to bother him, although it was also true that seeing him rush to Gabriel's side to cry in his arms and complain irked Misha a little, just a little. As a result, his pranks became nastier and nastier, creating a vicious circle. But despite knowing what would happen, Stephan still popped up at their house every so often, almost begging to be beaten up.

And today, Misha acted as livelily as yesterday, sharing his ideas on what to do next to torment Stephan, but his antics didn't have the same impact as they had the previous days. How could they? Tomorrow morning, they would go to the cemetery to lay flowers at Mrs. Brown's tombstone. His family tacitly decided not to celebrate Christmas Eve this year and mourn instead, though they did put and decorate a Christmas tree in the living room.

To make matters worse, a bit before noon, they learned that Fredrick had a heart attack last night and breathed his last in his sleep, leaving this world to be reunited with his wife. Mary had told him to take his time before joining her and their daughter, but life without his lifelong love was too hard to bear. His old bones couldn't take it.

No one was in the mood to celebrate anything, and the day was shrouded in gloom.

Sighing, Misha rolled over in his bed, trying to fall asleep despite the depressing thoughts swirling about in his head. As he did so, he scurried closer to the edge of the bed, and his eyes landed on Gabriel, who was soundly sleeping in his futon. Why was it that that guy could fall asleep no matter the situation at hand while he couldn't? It was a little frustrating, though he knew that habit of his would be quite helpful for tomorrow night. If Gabriel slept like the dead, then he certainly wouldn't wake up after Misha left the room to have his little chat with Santa Claus.

Despite the year that went by, Misha hadn't abandoned his plan to ambush Santa Claus and ask him to send him back in time. Because of the man's poisoned gift, Misha had the chance to be reunited with his mother, enjoying the warmth and unconditional love he had missed so much. But now that he had lost her a second time, the pain and the void she left behind were much more unbearable than they had been in his first life. Sometimes, when his thoughts wandered to her smile and gentle eyes, what little was left of Misha's heart seemed about to shatter. The hope of seeing her again was the only thing that had prevented him from losing his sanity.

Of course, going back in time meant that his sister and Yuki's relationship would cease to exist, and they would become strangers. That thought made him waver from time to time, but he always recovered his determination soon afterward. He told himself that he would make Camille and Masha break up no matter what and arrange for his sister and Yuki to meet again and fall in love a second time. If given a chance, Misha was confident they would still fall for each other in a different timeline. In his eyes, they were made for each other—the perfect couple.

Sliding his hand underneath the pillow, Misha touched the cold wristwatch with his fingertips. It was still hidden between the wall and his bedhead, and he had to stretch his arm to its limit so that he could brush its case. Misha would only take the golden watch out of its hiding spot tomorrow night when midnight was just around the corner. Otherwise, he feared Gabriel would see it and ask questions he couldn't answer. Although he had more than a year to think about a suitable lie that would explain why he had an a.d.u.l.t-sized watch in his possession, he hadn't thought of anything, well, anything good enough. What could Misha say? He was a lousy liar.

"I'm doing the right thing, aren't I?" whispered Misha, gently stroking the golden watch.

Of course, no one answered him.

***

The boy tucked on his little necktie as he walked toward his mother's tombstone, standing between his father and his sister. Gabriel and Yuki had also come, but they tactfully stayed behind the family of three, maintaining a reasonable distance between them to give the family some privacy.

Today, the sun shone bright and the temperature was mild. It wasn't a typical cold day of winter; instead, it was strangely warm. The sky wasn't grey, nor was it white, only pure blue. And so, the men decided not to wear a coat over their suits, while the girls only put on a jacket over their black dresses, keeping it half-open. This morning, they had all dressed up to pay their respects to Mrs. Brown, carefully choosing their clothing and paying attention to their appearances.

Three days ago, Alexey went to the hairdresser to have his hair cut, something he hadn't done for months, too busy with work, while Masha visited several stores with Yuki to buy the perfect dress, one she knew her mother would have loved. As for Misha, he put on the small suit Gabriel had bought for him a year ago to attend Mrs. Brown's burial. At the time, Alexey hadn't recovered from the shock of losing his wife, and it was Gabriel who had taken care of many little things, like preparing the child's clothing. The boy hadn't grown up much in one year, and the suit was still the perfect size, neither too tight nor too wide.

One after another, they laid down white tulips on the grave. Alexey helped his daughter to 'crouch' as it was a difficult task for her; her knees could barely bend, as rigid as steel. Then, he helped her stand up, and they stood beside each other in silence. No one knew what to say, and they simply stared at the tombstone with reddened eyes. They all wondered what they should tell her. They had thought of many things, but once in front of her grave, nothing came out of their mouths.

"It has already been a year," eventually whispered Masha. "I—," she paused and took in a deep breath, "I don't think I ever thanked you for saving my life, mom. So, I want to tell you now. Thank you so much for saving me. Life is hard without you, but you see? I didn't give up, and I'm able to walk on my own again. Your daughter is doing fine, you don't have to worry about me. So… I hope you can rest in peace."

A sob escaped her lips at those last words, her voice breaking in the middle of the sentence. Masha rubbed her eyes and smiled apologetically at her father and brother, trying to push down the urge to burst out crying. In response, her brother stretched a hand and took hers, gently stroking it with his thumb, while her father affectionately patted her back.

They both knew how hard it had been on her this past year. No matter what they said, Masha couldn't shake off the guilt of her mother's death. She would have to shoulder it for the rest of her life. Even if they told her that it wasn't her fault but the drunk driver's fault, they knew it was no use. She couldn't help herself. If she hadn't crossed the road, her mother would still be alive and well, standing by her side. That was a fact that couldn't be changed, and her disability reminded her of it every day.

The stuffy feelings that tightened his sister's c.h.e.s.t, Misha knew them well. Once upon a time, he was the one who had to face them. A few hours before transmigrating back in time, he had been crouching in front of his mother and sister's tombstone, all alone. At the time, it was lightly snowing, not like today's sunny day, and resentment filled his heart. He hated himself for running in front of a car and causing his mother's death. He hated himself for not noticing his sister's distress until it was too late. And most of all, he hated Gabriel, who he thought was the cause of all his sufferings, even hoping for his demise.

Now, things were different. The father he had cut out of his life stood by his side, as well as his dead sister. His deep hatred for Gabriel had become what Misha believed to be love, and though he stood before his mother's grave, he had hope in his heart. Tonight, he would ambush Santa Claus and once again go back in time. And this time around, he would succeed not only for himself but also for his sister and father. Misha wanted his family to be reunited and laugh together.

When they prepared to leave the cemetery, Misha glanced back at the tombstone one last time. Smiling, he inwardly promised, 'Mom, please wait for me a little longer. I swear I'll save you.'

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