My Love Journey's
Dad's Birthday

"... happy birthday to you!" We closed in unison, then applauded after my father blew out the candles on his birthday cake.

I came forward to hold her and put a kiss on her cheek. "Happy birthday, dad."

"Thank you, thank you everyone." said my father with wet eyes, I couldn't imagine how much this moment meant to him.

We gathered in the dining room, enjoying my father's birthday cake and some other snacks while reminiscing about the funny story of Louis and I in our childhood.

I'm happy that Paul has been able to adapt to my father and brother, who are his big fans, but I haven't seen him talk to Lucy yet. I don't know what he's hiding from me. Lucy looks very trying to be sweet, but I haven't been able to see her true nature. I'm sure he also had a difficult past when he was really stuck in rehab, and I'm pretty proud of the relationship between him and my sister.

"Oh, dad, Paul and I have a little present for you" I said as I remembered what we had prepared for him, then I ducked down to grab a small totebag in my chair.

My father shook his head while smiling softly. "I'm so grateful you guys came here, you shouldn't bother to prepare another gift."

I handed the totebag to her, waiting impatiently to see her expression as she looked at the contents. "Chocolate!" He took out a box of chocolates from Pierre Marcolini, his smile expanding. "You always remember my favorite."

"How could I have forgotten? Since childhood my dad always filled the fridge with chocolate." I said with a subtle laugh, linking my fingers to Paul under the table.

Then my father took out a small envelope from the same totebag. "And what is this?"

I really could barely hide my feelings of joy knowing she would really like that. I smiled at Paul, who was also smiling at me. Giving gifts to others is one thing I love most, I love seeing the change in expression of everyone who receives them.

My dad started opening the envelope. He scanned the piece of paper from inside with furrowed eyebrows and turned to Paul and I.

"The ticket was watching my club's home games for a whole season" Paul said. "You're gonna sit in the best chair with somebody, whoever you're taking."

"really? Is this real?" My father laughed with a happy face mixed in disbelief. "Geez, this is impossible!"

I squeezed Paul's hand gently to express my gratitude to him. It was a great surprise for my father because he was, for some reason, very passionate about Paul's football club a long time ago. Bayern Munich's.

I turned my gaze back to my father, who was now smiling with sparkling eyes. "I don't know how to say thank you to both of you, it's so hard for me to tell."

"We're glad you like it, dad. I'm just trying to give you something you like, even though it's Paul's idea." I muttered, smiling back.

Paul cleared his throat. "I have some kind of good feeling" he said, laughing.

Louis and Lucy gave a beautiful bouquet of flowers of various types and a delicious chocolate cake with a mixture of raspberries.

My father, as a man with a strong sense of responsibility, never intended to leave us. She fought so hard to raise Louis and me in addition to her obligation to make a living.

The sun had already set and we would soon return to our respective rooms as soon as we finished cleaning the kitchen. I went to the bathroom, and when I came back, I saw Louis and my father sitting in the living room watching the news. "Where's Paul?" ask the two of them, because he didn't join in there.

"Still tidying up the kitchen with Lucy" Louis said, turning his head with a fleeting smile. He also seemed happy at what we did for my father.

"Oh, okay." I'm a little confused as to why Paul and Lucy are together, but I hope they can at least have a proper conversation.

I stepped into the kitchen, the few glasses that did not make me feel warm. As I approached the kitchen door, I sharpened my hearing at the murmur I heard from behind the door, which was strangely sealed shut. There was no good reason I could think of why the door was closed because we always left it open.

"You have to pay more" I heard Lucy's voice speaking.

"I'm not gonna do it. It's a violation, you have to stop before things get more chaotic and you can't possibly deal with it." Paul's voice sounded calm, also angry at the same time.

I cringe. What does it mean by violation? They can't talk about drugs, right? There's no way a brilliant athlete like Paul would take drugs, he'd get caught and his career would be ruined.

I shook my head, threw out all sorts of bad thoughts, convinced myself that I was just drunk and unknowingly imagining something weird.

"How do you think he'll react if he finds out about this, baby?" lucy said, in a completely different tone than I had heard before.

Something hit me. Something so powerful makes me want to kick someone who calls my lover 'honey'.

"I'll pay you, it's just..." Paul exhaled a rough breath, but I immediately cut and opened the door.

Paul was sitting on one of the chairs at the kitchen table while Lucy stood opposite him with both hands folded over her chest. They're staring.

"I'm going to start the dishwasher, thanks for helping, Paul" Lucy said with a smile on Paul.

He sighed, lowered his hands to his hair, took his eyes off me and looked down at the table before him. I watched Lucy as she turned around and started the dishwasher.

Like a fool, I was standing there. Confused and waiting for Paul to say something. After a while, he got up and galloped towards me. Now he looks a little scary. "Paul's..." I got more confused as he walked by and passed me by.

I turned the direction to see him go upstairs, his back muscles obviously looking very tense. "I'll run for a while." he muttered in an icy tone.

That was the last word he said to me that night. I don't know what's going on between Paul and Lucy, and there's nothing plausible I can catch from their chatter. If this isn't about drugs, then what is it about?