GoodReadIt was Kenneth. Dressed in a crisp white shirt, he was standing not too far away with a white towel in his hand.
"Kenneth?" Upon seeing her, a hint of surprise washed over Kenneth's face before he walked towards her.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"You're here to pay your respects to Bella, and you didn't even give me a heads up. If I'd known you were coming today, | would've stayed away." He offered a wry smile, then began to wipe Bella's headstone with the towel in his hand, gently and meticulously.
It was clear that out of all the headstones, Bella's was the cleanest. It was obviously tended to regularly.
"Do you come here often?" Dorothy asked, observing how familiar he was with the routine, as if he were the caretaker of the place.
"When | have nothing else to do, | like to come by and check on her," Kenneth replied after ensuring the headstone was spotless and then casually plucking a few tufts of grass that had sprouted nearby.
Dorothy felt a pang of guilt. She hadn't done as much as Bella's own daughter. It was Kenneth who picked up her slack. "Thank you, Kenneth." "Thank me for what?" He raised an eyebrow, folded the towel neatly and tucked it into his pocket. "Bella was fond of me, and | admired her indomitable spirit, too. All of this has nothing to do with you. You don't need to thank me." "Kenneth, —" "There's no need to say anything,” Kenneth cut her off gently, "Don't shoulder all the responsibility yourself. Since I've already said it's my own will, you don't need to feel obliged. Actually, | should be thanking Bella. Sometimes, | come here and talk to her when I'm feeling down or troubled. It's a way for me to relax." Dorothy lowered her eyes, "You really don't have to do this, Kenneth. | can't give you anything in return.” "Am | asking for anything? Dorothy, I've long since stopped wanting anything in return." Kenneth stood quietly in front of her, his tone tinged with self-mockery and loneliness, "Don't take away this last bit of solace from me." He had already retreated to the edge, even restraining himself from calling her too often. What more did she want? Dorothy kept her head down, knowing that no amount of persuasion would be of any use.
He had persisted for so many years. If he were the type to heed advice, it wouldn't have come to this.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"I won't disturb you any longer. Have a good talk with Bella. I'll drop the towel off at the storage locker and wait for you down below." "Alright." Dorothy nodded, watching Kenneth walk away, his figure shrinking with distance until it disappeared.
She placed the flowers in front of the headstone and then sat down beside it.
"Moth, I'm here." Whenever she called her mother Bella before, she would get a stern look for not calling Mom, yet Bella's hand would always reach out to touch her head.
Bella had always been stubborn in her ways.
Dorothy doubted her mother ever really spoke softly or calmly.
She remembered back in middle school, hiding the fact that she was working part-time. When she got back to the hospital late at night, she thought her mother would be asleep. Until one night, when she was half-asleep, she felt someone stroking her hair with such tenderness and care.
She heard her mother's sigh, and a whispered apology filled with guilt.
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