I’m not going to say that we were finally done with school because time flew by without us barely noticing it.

Back at my place, Violet had been looking lost in thought, even when she was playing with my toes after giving my feet a nice rub.

Now I knew why.

“I think I know what you’ve been thinking about all day. It’s finally setting in, isn’t it? The fact that today we truly became adults.”

“Yeah...” she agreed.

We both stood where we had our second meeting, staring at the billboard with the results of the national exams and overall grades. We had passed with flying colours, Violet having realised her objective of raising her average close to nineteen while I had mine at nineteen-point-four, six decimals above my wife. We did well, and were happy with the results, but at the same time, we were feeling hollow. Those scores had been an objective for so long that now that we were free, it felt a bit like we lost our purpose.

“I don’t believe what I’m just about to say, but... I’ll miss school,” she said as she entangled her fingers with mine.

“Yeah, same,” I agreed, giving her an encouraging smile. “Wanna go on a final round around school?”

We were supposed to be picked up by our friends to go celebrate graduating somewhere, but it still would be a while until they were ready, enough for us to have a leisurely walk.

“Yeah,” she said with a nod. “I want to visit the places that are important for us one final time.”

It was a pilgrimage then, because for me, those were nothing short of holy places.

We were already at one of them and were headed to the next one: the classroom we first met.

As we made our way, Violet wondered if next year they’d finally fix the rooms’ numbering. It was completely irrelevant for us, but still, I found myself curious about it too. A bit sad too, if I’m being honest.

“Do you think it’s open?” I asked her once we got there.

To our surprise, it was, and we didn’t hesitate to get inside.

The room was just like any other that wasn’t a science classroom, but I had chills when stepping inside.

“I think I was sitting here,” she said, resting the tips of her fingers on a desk.

I let go of her hand and sat where I remembered having been my seat on that day. I confirmed that she was remembering correctly, and so did she once she looked back at me.

“You know, out of all the important days of my life, that might have been the most important of them all.”

“Even more than the night we became a couple or our wedding day?”

Yeah, because it was us noticing each other and talking on that day that set everything in motion and led us to our present. Although, I think I might have talked with Violet eventually, but I can’t guarantee we’d have connected the way we did. I might have tried it once, seen that Violet didn’t want to be talked to, and given up on that when there were other classmates more approachable.

“Luckily, you are a meddlesome little imp,” Violet joked as she came to sit by my side.

Thank goodness for that.

Outside, people were going about their daily lives as we watched half-interestedly while leaning on each other. They were walking and thinking about what was going on in their lives while me and her thought about what our lives would have been.

“Where to next?” I asked once I didn’t want to think about more sad stuff.

The library would rank second since it was the place that became our meeting spot for a tryst.

With the corridors empty, our steps echoed through the corridors. Ours, and as we approached the library, someone else’s.

From a corner appeared a familiar female figure.

“And what are you two doing here?” Ms. Prescot asked as we came into talking range.

We explained to her that we had come to check on our grades and were now doing a pilgrimage. We also took the opportunity to thank her for having been such a good teacher to us.

“Thank you but the results are mostly due to your hard work,” she said, sounding a bit flustered.

“No, really, you were a great teacher,” Violet insisted. “You’re great at teaching and were we to have had the same person we had before you, we wouldn’t have been able to perform so well.”

“Yup, I agree.”

“You two... I don’t know if I should be saying this as your teacher, but... I’ll miss you. You and your friends.”

I reminded her that she wasn’t our teacher anymore, so not only could she tell us that, but we could also call each other friends if she wanted. It was cute seeing her getting flustered at the sound of that. She also didn’t say no to my suggestion either.

With a small gasp, Violet remembered and informed her that the classroom we were in five minutes ago was unlocked.

With a smirk, she asked how we came about that bit of information.

“We, erm... we met for the first time there, so... sorry.”

“Humph, as long as you did nothing indecent, I guess I can turn a blind eye. And since you told me about it, I’ll inform you that the library is locked.”

“Oh, that’s a shame.”

“Yeah, you two won’t be able to go snogging in there like you’ve used to.”

“Huh!?” we both gasped in unison.

“What’s with the surprise?” she said with a smirk. “I did see you Abby coming from the library with a very similar glow you had whenever you came in the mornings you had sex with Violet. I just never happened to catch you in the act.”

“...Made love,” I corrected while hiding behind the arm I was hugging. “Violet and I don’t have sex, we make love.”

“T-that’s hardly the problem here! Why are you even telling her that!?” Violet cried out while our ex-teacher laughed.

“You two keep in touch, ok?” Ms. Prescot asked us as she prepared to leave. “As your previous homeroom teacher and now your friend, I wish to know how you two are doing and what path you take from here on out.”

We promised to stay in touch before we parted ways.

Having that lifeline connecting me to my now old school made me feel a bit better, and I was curious if we’d hear her vent and brag about her new students over the years. I could also ask her for advice and tips about my own future students when time comes.

“What now?” Violet asked after confirming that the library was effectively locked and it hadn’t just been Ms. Prescot poking fun of us.

“...There’s one spot close by.”

The spot where Violet and I had our first big argument.

That stairway was two corridors away from where we stood.

It felt like it hadn’t happened outside of a bad dream, but the memory of Violet chasing me back to my place, refusing to give up on me was such a precious memory.

“Didn’t you ask me to take your virginity here?” Violet asked after we sat on a step.

I did ask that out of her.

With a hum, she told me that back then, she might have gone through with it if I hadn’t stepped back. That’d have damaged our relationship in ways I couldn’t imagine, not to mention, my mental health.

Our eyes met and lingered on each other. The mood was just right for a kiss followed by many others.

“...Hey, so... since we are here,” she said, still leaning on me and placing a hand on my inner thigh.

“...Babe, no. Bad! Bad Violet!” I said, crossing my legs and pulling away slightly.

“Yeah... yeah, you’re right,” she said, retreating back into her previous position.

“..."

“..."

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

Her fidgeting, bare legs and with the glances we were throwing at each other, we had two choices: either get up and leave, or go down the stairs to the hidey-hole at the bottom.

“...Can we?” I whimpered.

“...”

Hopefully, we wouldn’t come across Ms. Prescot on our way out.

At the bottom of the stairs was a bunch of school tables. No idea if they were reserves or had been taken out of a classroom, but they provided a nice hiding spot for us to get down to business.

“How long?” Violet asked me after sitting me on a table she had whipped dust off.

I moaned as she nibbled my neck and hugged me tightly that I had this phantasy ever since that day she had a shower in school to cooldown from overheating during the first week of the second year.

She began laughing and showed me her face before telling me that what she wanted to know was how long I’d like to stay there.

I turned all shades of red and pulled her tightly so she wouldn’t see my face. I complained that she sometimes was very misleading, making her laugh again.

It wasn’t all bad because she said that, after hearing me admit it, she now had to really make it worth the wait I endured.

“...Hehe! Hehe!”

“Abby please,” she hushed me, turning even redder. ”Haah, your sister is right... we are like rabbits."

“Hehe! Love you! Hehe! To bits!”

She looked at me, painfully embarrassed by our lack of control, but seeing how happy I was, it softened into a loving gaze before she leaned down to give me a very tender kiss and say that she loved me too.

“Ah! Let’s go sit at the bench where we had our first proper conversation next!”

It was under the shade and it had vending machines from which we could buy cold juice, just perfect for us to sit, cool down, and wait for our friends to come pick us up in Stephen’s car.

“Still, you really aren’t that athletic, huh?” I said as I handed her the can of juice of her choice.

She looked at me in confusion for a bit. She was likely thinking I was referring to her performance just now of us making love before chuckling as she understood what I was actually referring to.

It was the conversation starter we had when we sat there on that day with her out of breath after she came running after me under the impression that I had forgotten about checking my grades and lived far away.

“Thanks to my wife, I’m no longer like that,” she said with a laugh as she opened her can. “Now, I was getting close to a seventeen in P.E, I’ll let you know.”

I was really proud of her growth, not only in her grades, but as a person. Really, she was amazing. So was I, but I wouldn’t be tooting my own horn. For that, I had her.

I thought that, as kids, we had grown almost as much as it was possible, but now, we had to grow as adults. Regarding that, I think, we had a nice head start.

“...Abby?” she said, staring down to her can with a heavy expression.

“...Yes?”

“...”

“...Is it about my mum?”

“...Yeah... are you... planning on visiting her?”

I was. It was the final thing I wanted to do as a kid and the first as an adult. In just a few months I’d be going away, so I wanted to visit her to put a final stone on that part of my life.

After months of thinking about it, I finally knew what I wanted to tell mum. I wanted to tell her that I was happy and that I would keep on carving my happiness with Violet for the rest of my life. I didn’t want her to apologise, nor did I want to tell her everything she did me wrong.

If she was still the same person, I wanted to make her know that I was free from her, and if she no longer was the cruel woman I knew as my mum, I wanted her to know that I was now happy despite of all the things she said and did to me and she could move on from her own past. I saw no point in her torturing herself over the bad things she did to me since her regret didn’t make the past me feel any better, nor would I feel happier in the future. If she no longer was a cruel person, then, I wanted her to build her own future and eventually find the happiness that evaded her for all her life.

“...You really are a better person than I’ll ever be,” Violet said, looking again to her can with a heavy expression.

“Thanks for still supporting me despite disagreeing with my decision,” I told her as I looked in the direction where I used to live.

I was expecting her usual comment about being my wife, but the words she spoke got me stunned.

“Why don't we go there today?” she calmly said.

It was in the spur of the moment, but she had very good reasons to suggest that.

I already knew what I wanted to say, so it wasn’t like I needed time to figure that out, but her next point was the one that carried the most weight.

If we took care of that, then whatever the results might be, we’d have months to deal with it while if we left that linger, we might have the consequences coinciding with the moving and Sophie giving birth. We could also leave it to one of those times we came back for a visit, but then it could interfere with my studies. Summers were out of the question because I intended to use them to do some internship work and spend time with my dear wifey Violet to compensate for the rest of the school year.

It really felt like now was the best time possible for me to face my mum.

“I could also just forget about it,” I said. “It’s not like I actually need to talk to her one final time.”

“...You know better than that,” she said as kindly as possible. “I know you better than that.”

She was right, of course. If I were to run away now...

♥♥♥

Despite some trepidation, regarding Abby, meeting her mum was a success.

Right now, Abby was straddling the fine line between being awake and sleeping, hugging Mr. Sealy close to her face while being the little spoon. It was such a peaceful sound and feeling, her calm, slow breathing and heartbeat. I was a bit envious of her.

After we were picked up by our friends, we went to a pizzeria to have our celebratory lunch, and when we were done there, they dropped us off in front of school again under our request.

We figured we’d give her old place a try before going home, you see? And as fate would have it, we were right.

“Strange, I remembered the house being more… ominous,” Abby said while clutching my hand.

“I’m ringing it,” I told her after giving Abby a moment to steel herself.

The person who opened the door was far from being the one we were expecting, but she was the same person nonetheless.

“What are you doing here?” she asked us, hiding behind the door like a scared child, only an eye staring at our feet being visible.

Abby and I exchanged a look before answering. In my wife’s eyes, I saw pity, something I thought was wasted in that person.

With a sympathetic voice, Abby told her that she came to talk and asked if we could come in when she got no answer from her mother.

We were invited in by her opening the door wide open as she disappeared behind it, still not saying a single word.

We were led up the stairs, and she opened a door to a room, but froze while looking at the knob of the slightly ajar door.

“…No, not here… sorry,” she muttered, closing the door again and passing by us to go down the stairs with us following.

Later, after we left the house, Abby told me about that room. It was her mum’s home office, a place where she had received many yellings and even some beatings, so she was thankful her mum didn’t receive us there. Knowing that, I was thankful too.

Once we got to the living room, I noticed something whose appearance looked out of place.

On the couch we were signalled to have a seat was a red and yellow blanket carelessly tossed over the backrest, a stark contrast to the orderly and bland-coloured space surrounding us. He house had been exactly as I remembered it up to that point, but that little detail set my mind on a trip about its origins. It certainly didn’t feel like something that person would ever buy for herself, so I was wondering if it belonged to somebody else, and if so, who. The thought alone that she had found someone new made my stomach churn bile.

“…Why are you here?” Abby’s mum asked, her weak voice calling me back to reality.

She sat across us, looking beyond uncomfortable in her skin, clutching the knees that she locked her eyes on as she stayed frozen like a statue.

“…I wanted to tell you mum that—”

“Don’t call me that,” her mum interrupted as she looked up. Her eyes were barely holding tears and her face trembled with overwhelming emotions.

I clutched my fists, forgetting that I was still holding Abby’s hands. I only stayed quiet because Abby placed her other hand over ours and tapped it while giving me a quiet request to calm down.

“Why do you want me to not call you that?” Abby asked, her voice trembling a bit.

“…After all I did, I…” was the answer she got, her mum going back to staring at her knees and now also hunching a bit.

My chest swelled with anger again, but not so much towards her as it was towards me. I hated that I felt sympathy for her mum. I hated that, after Abby told her everything good that had happened to her, that person said that Abby did good and congratulated us with heartfelt words. I hated that they agreed on meeting again. I hated that right before we left, she complimented Abby’s dress.

But most of all, I hated myself for hating all of this. I hated not being able to feel happy so, so much.

Abby had gotten more than what she wanted, so why was I feeling like this?

After we got home, Abby asked for us to strip and snuggle in bed, and I thought that’d help me settle down as it always does, but not only wasn’t it working, it was also making me feel worse.

“…Abby? Can we talk?” I asked, feeling like I was at the end of my rope.

“I was wondering when you’d ask me that,” Abby told me in a calming voice as she shifted her body so she’d be on her back. “What’s on your mind?”

I started with an apology. I expressed my regret for not being able to join her in her happiness about being able to move on without a single regret. I then did my best to express the storm inside my mind and heart. I thought and hoped it’d help me figure out what was going on, but it was to no avail.

“Hmm, I see,” Abby hummed when I was done talking, tears barely held in my eyes.

She set Mr. Sealy aside before lifting her body to kiss me and pull my head to rest on her chest.

“What I think is happening to you right now is that you spent so much time hating my mum that now that you were confronted with a completely different person, you can’t accept her as being anything else other than a monster to be hated. I think that you simply can’t understand what to do with all that pent up hate and so, it’s venting everywhere.”

“…That sounds very logical and might be exactly it, but… what am I supposed to do with it?” I asked, still feeling frustrated.

“Give it time,” Abby told me with a kiss to the top of my head. “I’m sorry but it really is all we can do about it. I’ll hear you any time you want to vent too, but really, I think time is what you truly need.”

“…I really hate this,” I said, clutching the bedsheets.

“…I’m sorry Violet, maybe calling you an angel might be putting unneeded pressure on you,” Abby suddenly told me in a sad voice that got me completely off guard.

I asked her what she meant despite it not needing much of an explanation.

She got worried that by calling me an angel, she was putting on me the expectation of always acting in the best way possible without ever being allowed to feel the slightest bad emotion no matter what.

It was far from the truth though, and I made it as plain as possible.

I fully understood that she meant it as a complement to the kindness, love and patience I strive to always show towards her, and that alone, not an expectation for me to be a pinnacle of virtuousness.

“I mean, I try to be that, but you get what I mean,” I said as I started to fumble my words.

“Hehe, yeah, I do.”

“…If anything, you’re more of an angel than I am,” I said, starting to caress her little face that held the smile and eyes I loved so much.

“Even though I’m a mischievous, naughty, little imp?” she asked with a teasing smile.

“Well, I guess you’re a mischievous, naughty, little impish angel,” I joked back.

Abby let out a hearty giggle as she congratulated me for the comeback I gave her.

“…Are you really ok with seeing her again?” I asked as I pulled myself up to be face-to-face with her.

“Yes,” Abby told me calm but firmly. “I don’t see the old me and the present me as the same person, and that applies to her too. I guess that’s why I can manage to try and be friends with her, while you’re having such a hard time accepting all this.”

Yeah, unlike Abby, I couldn’t make that separation. While her present self has a lot of differences compared to her old self to the point of almost feeling like two distinct individuals, to me, they were still the same person in the end.

As for her mother, maybe it time I could since I never spent more than a few seconds with her but… It felt impossible. I wasn’t as good of a human being as Abby after all.

“You really are an angel,” I muttered while thinking about her words.

“Your angel,” Abby chuckled while barring her teeth to nibble my jawline.

“Fufu, yeah. My dear silly little angel.”

I still had the dark feelings in my chest, but while I had Abby by my side and talking to me, cheering me up and supporting me when needed, I’d be able to not be swallowed by them. Just as it should be.