[A/N: Added Chris and Grace character cards; show them your love.]
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"Thank you, I will push this after your birthday."
The clerk with a smile took the cash Chris was handing him and then wrote page after page; he was paying the credit loan he took yesterday in cash while applying in advance for an independent account. In three days it is his birthday, and never in his life has he needed something this urgent.
"The tax papers are all validated, sir. The bank will issue you a waiver when you file taxes next year. If you choose me as your personal banker, I would love to help you out more in this."
"Sure, my name is Chris Harper. Nice to meet you, Sean."
Reading the nameplate, Chris gave his hand to the blonde-haired middle-aged man. Sean smiled and shook the hand politely, adding 'Parker' as his last name in the process.
"Now that we are friends, I will tell you this: with an income like that, I can give you a $100,000 credit limit."
Luring was a job Sean was good at. While Chris smiled broadly, he was not that tempted because he might never run out of cash, but taking such a card won't be a bad idea in the long run.
"Let's do it, Sean. Next time I am here, I will be eighteen. Prepare the card while I pack my cash reserves."
Chris stood up, taking his school bag. He nodded; seeing Sean's confident smile, he walked downstairs. The sun was slowly going down on the horizon, but he couldn't see it because the buildings were blocking his vision. He didn't mind. Swiping his car handle a few times, the snow moved, and he got inside the car.
*Ring-Ring*
"Dad?"
Frowning his brow, he looked at the screen; his dad never calls him, no matter how late he is. Receiving the call, he first heard some shouting, and then the phone was placed in someone's ear.
"Chris, come to the diner. Your class is finished, right?"
"Yes, is everything alright?
"Yeah, just come here."
*Beep*
Dan's frustrated voice came from the other end; he was not in the mood to argue with Chris.
"What the hell happened?"
Muttering under his breath, Chris started the car. The day looked fresh, and the snow of the morning seemed to be melting nicely. The mint Mazda dashed through the empty roads and reached the alley in just a few minutes.
Parking his car beside a black sedan, he somewhat understood what was waiting for him; locking his car, he tried to peek through the diner glass, and sure enough, there she was in a red suit and black shirt.
"Melissa, I said I am not going to sign this absurd thing; you drove two hours for nothing."
"Dad, I am just giving everything to you and Chris; I don't want this diner."
As soon as Chris opened the door, he heard the father and daughter disagreeing with each other. Chris looked around, and Tina just shook her head while Kayla served the regulars with ease; she didn't look even slightly bothered.
Standing in front of the giant Dan was a young woman; she looked tired, but her eyes had all the energy in the world. She also had a lean body, and her smile was contagious. Chris just stood at the side so that they could be more tired and finish it up.
"Chris, do you want a soda?"
"Are you kidding me, Kayla?"
With a teasing smile Kayla went inside the kitchen; she didn't have the slightest intention of serving Chris a soda; she just announced his presence to the room.
"Chris??? You're here, Dad. We will talk about this later. Chris is here. Want to give me a hug?"
Her frustrated face instantly turned to one with joy as soon as her eyes landed on Chris; she smiled broadly, then walked two steps and opened her arms. Chris, with a slow walk, entered her embrace.
"I wish you were that small baby Chris, who would always hug me and say how much you love me; now even hugs are a luxury."
As she tightened her grip on the hug, she felt nostalgic, and this hug was after three months, so Chris didn't mind the shyness much; he had already had a greater episode in school early this morning in the school, so this was nothing compared to that.
"You do know this line is a sitcom classic, cringe!!"
Chris whispered in his sister's ear; the hug was very warm. Chris also wanted this to last longer; it's just now that he was all grown up, he can't ask for it.
"I know. That's why I've memorized it carefully."
Melissa's teasing whisper was quite the contrast, but both siblings felt the bond they have shared all these years. She soon let him go; her eyes were moist, although she was not crying, but she was not talking either. She was afraid she would choke on a word.
"Wanna go upstairs?"
Melissa nodded her head hearing Chris; she felt proud and emotions she can't even explain now.
The family room was in the middle, while Chris's room was the first in the back. It was Melissa's room, which connects with the family home from inside, so that door was never needed.
"It's like giving away your daughter in marriage."
"What?!!"
While walking upstairs, Melissa suddenly said something so absurd that Chris was shocked; he was not sure how to feel about it.
"So did you give Gracie my present?"
"No, I forgot about that. I was almost short on money too; I lent a few thousand bucks to a friend. No worries, he already returned it, and it's back in the account."
"Well, I don't care about that money. I will visit Gracie this time. I got a paid vacation for a week as a reward, so I have a lot of catching up to do with you guys."
Melissa sat on the couch; she threw the red blazer towards her room. Chris, shaking his head, picked it up and, folding it gently, placed it in the rack beside the dryer.
"We went public."
"You did? Wow, Gracie has changed; visiting her is now my number one priority. Don't tell me you kissed in public to maintain her persona."
"No way!!! Ahahahaha."
Seeing Chris's expression, she rolled on the ground while clutching her stomach for a full five minutes.