Five days after Noelia’s recovery, the bakery was closed temporarily. The family were going on a vacation. Each family had saved up enough money for a vacation at a beach resort in a different city.

  “Hurry up, Noelia!” Sebastian yelled.

  Everyone hurriedly packed their bags before they could miss their reservation. They had made a reservation which they o be on time or else their reservation would be celed. They all put their things into Sebastian’s car and then Manuel’s car arrived outside the bakery.

  “Mother! Manuel and Isabe are here!” Sebastian shouted.

  Manuel and Isabe ehe garage, Manuel greeted his mother with a smile and Rosa responded with a warm greeting and a hug. Rosa looked at Isabe and with a cheery smile.

  She asked “Isabe! How are you today?”.

  “I’m fine, ma’am…” Isabe responded with a dead tone.

  “Haha… great…” Rosa nervously replied.

  Then another car arrived outside the bakery. They looked outside and saw Norris’ car parking in front of the bakery. Elena and Norris were seeing the car.

  “Oh great… he’s invited.” said Manuel with an irritated voibsp;

  Rosa pulled his ear and said “Okay, Manuel. you stop with that attitude?”.

  “Ouch, alright alright but you not do that infront of my wife?” Manuel replied in pain.

  “Mother! It is good to see you again!” said Elena.

  “Mija! It is also good to see you, how have you been tely?” Rosa asked cheerfully.

  “I’m fine, mother,” Elena replied.

  Sebastian closed the trunk and asked if everyone was ready. Everyo into their respective cars, Sebastian’s five year old son ‘Diego’ wao sit with Rosa. Sebastian’s wife Mira handed Diego to Rosa and Diego seemed to be very happy. They ughed at the adorablehen they drove to the resort. The jourook two hours, Sebastian looked at Noelia through the rear view mirror.

  “Are you thinking about Maria, Noelia?” he asked.

  Noelia’s face turned red immediately and he de.

  Sebastian ughed and said “Sure you do,”.

  After a two hour jourhey finally arrived at the resort. They took their things and bags from the trunk aered the resort. They went to the reception table, Sebastian cimed the reservation they made and was handed keys to their rooms. Sebastian asked everyoo pair up then he distributed the keys. Sebastian paired with his wife and his son as well as with Rosa and Noelia while Elena and Norris paired up with Manuel and Isabe. Manuel was dismayed but he had to keep it to himself. They all went to their respective rooms and unpacked their belongings. After all that was dohey gathered up and started their vacation.

  “Alright everyone, you guys do whatever you want today,” said Sebastian.

  Rosa, Elena and Isabe went to the massage room, Isabe asked Manuel if he wao tag along but Manuel deed. Sebastian and his wife went together with their son which left Manuel, Norris and Noelia alone.

  “I should have joihem in the massage room,” said Manuel with regret.

  “How did I get stuck with you, four eyes,” said Norris.

  “How did I get stuck with you, one eyed ogre,” Manuel tered.

  “Listen here, myopia. Do you want your beaten up body to be visible to the naked eye?” Norris tered back.

  “Did you just insult my eyes?!” said Manuel furiously.

  “e on, don’t fight. Let’s do something together,” said Noelia trying to diffuse the situation.

  Manuel and Norris quickly turheir heads to Noelia with an angry look which terrified Noelia.

  “Well this bastard ’t cooperate!” said Manuel.

  Norris and Manuel simultaneously stared at each rily. Noelia sighed that his sister was right about how they fight like little children.

  “Alright guys calm down, maybe we should try eaining ourselves,” Noelia suggested.

  “Talking to myself is more eaining than being with this thing,” said Norris while pointing to Manuel.

  After some mihe three women fiheir session in the massage room. Noelia was sitting down, Norris and Manuel were trying to not look at each other even a ghe three women were relieved that nothing happened outside.

  “How did it go? Was it well?” Elena asked Norris, Norris just nodded.

  “Dear?” Isabe asked Manuel.

  Manuel answered “Same as him.”

  While they were talking, Noelia told his mother that he would be going to the pool. Rosa looked fused, Noelia couldn’t swim so why would he go to the pool. Noelia told her he would only dip his legs into the pool to chill it. Rosa let Noelia go there which he did. Noelia dipped his legs into the pool a a nice relief. Suddenly someone jumped in and actally spshed Noelia.

  “Oh man I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to spsh you,” said the person.

  “It’s alright,” Noelia replied.

  The person looked at Noelia and asked “Are you not going to swim?”.

  “I… I ’t swim,” said Noelia embarrassingly.

  “That’s fine, I teach you,” the person replied.

  “O-oh, thanks,” said Noelia.

  “By the way, my name’s Jayden but you call me ‘Jay’. What’s yours?” Jayden introduced himself.

  “It’s Noelia.” Noelia replied.

  Jay taught Noelia how to swim, Jay helped the struggling Noelia with basic swimming teiques.

  “Woah there, just rex. You don’t have to try that hard at first.” said Jay

  “Then what am I supposed to do?” Noelia replied.

  “Be patient a me teach you. Remember, you asked for it.” said Jay again.

  Jay tinually taught Noelia on how to swim properly. Jay admitted that Noelia’s first time oor but he said that it was still fine because it was the first time. Noelia o go back so he bid Jay, he went to his room and took a shower. He ged to his vacation clothes then he exited the room to meet with the others.

  “Took a while,” said Rosa.

  “Yeah, I uedly had fun at the pool.” Noelia replied.

  “That’s great! What did you do?” Rosa asked.

  “Learning how to swim!” said Noelia.

  “Really?!” Rosa asked in shock.

  “Yes really, I met someone aaught me how to swim. Well, at least the basic teiques, I guess.” Noelia replied

  “Anyways, the family are going to have dinner right now, would you like to e?” Rosa asked.

  Noelia nodded so both Noelia and his mother went together to the table where the rest of the family were at. The family were idoor restaurant at the resort, tonight’s menu was seafood. They were also served with ut water which they enjoyed. Elena stared at her husband who was drinking ut water.

  He noticed his wife staring and asked “Elena, why are you staring at me like that?”.

  “I just found it cute seeing you drinking something.” Elena replied with a smile.

  Norris hid his blushed fad let out a sound “Tsk.”.

  Elena giggled and Noelia was watg the two of them. He thought about him and Maria doing that together but he snapped out of it. Noelia looked around the atmosphere at the diable, he saw Diego pying with his food while Sebastian and his wife were trying to stop him. Elena staring at Norris, Rosa enjoying her food and Isabe staring at Manuel with aionless look but at least has a smile in it.

  “Noelia, is everything alright? You haven’t touched your food.” said Sebastian.

  “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll eat my food.” said Noelia.

  After the dihey ehey felt full then they saerformance was about to start. They were curious so they decided to wait for a performahe performance finally started and it was fire dang, the dancers were dang with a fiery iy yet with grace. Everyone was mesmerized by the performahey cpped as they were satisfied with the performanbsp;

  “Oh man, I think a fire spark nded on my arm. No wonder why it smells like cigarettes.” said Sebastian “Could that be you smoking, Norris?”

  “Seriously…” said Norris

  After the performahe family felt tired and decided to just sleep. All of them went to their respective rooms. Most of them eheir room leaving Norris and Manuel alohey gred at each other at a distahen their wives pulled them inside and dragged them into their rooms.

  “You guys act like little kids.” said Elena and Isabe in unison.

  Noelia woke up to see everyone was still sleeping. He noticed someo the baly and he reized it to be Maria. Noelia called out her no response. He jumped out and ran to the baly to see no one. He looked at the baly to see Maria again at the neighb baly. He went to jump over the neighb baly but he fell down from it and he screamed as he was falling at a fast rate.

  Noelia immediately woke up with sweat, he realized it was a dream a out a sigh of relief. Everyone had already woken up except for Noelia. Sebastian came out from the bathroom and instructed Noelia to immediately ge a dressed as they o get breakfast.

  The family reached the breakfast area, Sebastiao fis while the others find some breakfast. Noelia suddenly stumbled upon Jay who was also getting breakfast. Jay wasn’t expeg to see Noelia whioelia also had the same statement.

  “So, what are you going to eat for breakfast?” Jay asked.

  “Probably just a sandwich, maybe I could add eggs too.” Noelia replied.

  “Alright then. Well anyways, I’m going to head bay seat. I’ll see you around!” said Jay

  Rosa appeared behind Noelia which jumped him. Rosa asked if that boy was his new friend and Noelia said that they just met. He met him at the swimming pool and he was the one who taught him how to swim. Rosa gratuted Noelia for actually getting a friend.

  Sebastian got the family seats and they had their breakfast. Suddenly Diego tried to say something but no one uood. He was saying something while pointing to the beabsp;

  “Me want beach!” said Diego, pointing at the beach

  Norris let out a ugh and said “Yeah, just wait till you’re older so you get them, boy.”.

  “Norris! He said beach.” said Elena.

  They went to the beach after finishing their breakfast. Sebastian and his wife went with Diego as well as pying with him. Norris and Eleo the seashore to have some fun with the water. Maagged along with Isabe who was colleg seashells.

  “I didn’t know you like colleg seashells,” said Manuel.

  “There are some things you do not know about me…” said Isabe with a dead tone.

  Noelia watched his elder siblings with their spouses from a distating at the sand. He noticed his mother was also watg and suddenly she shed a tear.

  “What’s wrong, ma? Are y?” said Noelia panically.

  “No, I just yawhat’s all.” said Rosa.

  Noelia had a feeling that something wasn’t right but seeing his siblings happy, he decided to just keep it to himself and py along. After fun at the beach, they went to a restaurahe resort for lunch then they went to explore the area he resort.

  Sebastian spotted a poster about a festival event that was held in two days. The family agreed on going to the festival and the wo days when the festival was held, they all went there. The festival was massive with various eais ranging from games, music, caricatures, pys, ary stands and much more.

  Norris saw some sort of a ival game. He po get something for Elena so he went to the stall. The stall was a shooting game, Norris was fident that he could win. Before he could py, he asked if it was rigged but the keeper didn’t give him a solid answer.

  “Alright then, I guess I’ll use something in my pocket.” said Norris, pulling something from his pocket.

  The keeper became afraid and tried to call the poliorris immediately pulled his hand from his pocket and revealed nothing, he was only joking around.

  “But seriously… Is it really rigged? I’m not down if it is.” said Norris threateningly.

  “It’s ned, really! I’m telling you!” said the keeper.

  Norris believed and was handed a gun. He precisely hit all the targets in one go and he was rewarded with a rge teddy bear. He went to Elena and surprised her with the item he won. As he gave her the stuffed toy, Elena was heavily blushing.

  “Aw, you don’t have to do it. How did you mao get one?” asked Elena.

  “Well… There’s some stand and I do have some experience from my job,” said Norris fidently.

  Sebastian and his wife apaheir son on the carousel while Manuel and Isabe went to a haunted house. Manuel hesitated to go in as he was afraid so Isabe decided to go alone. Not wanting to be alone, Manuel had no choice but to go along.

  Manuel screamed a lot by the jumpscares he got. One jumpscare frightened him so much that Isabe had to carry him as he was shaking. They had fiheir session and Manuel was relieved. Isabe ehe haunted houses as she likes the scary decorations. Manuel was still shivering even after they got out.

  “Were you scared, my dear Manuel?” Isabe asked.

  “What?! Scared?! No way, I’m just cold.” said Marying to act brave.

  “But you’re wearing long sleeves and trousers.” Isabe replied.

  “Well uh, yeah but uh. I’m just cold, alright!?” said Manuel.

  Noelia was left with his mother as they went to walk around the festival. They went to a caricature artist and asked to be drawn. They were hahe result and were amused. Rosa liked her drawing even if it’s distorted. Noelia, oher hand, gave a nervous grin as he felt weird with the drawing.

  The family went to grab snacks and regroup in an area. Rosa watched her children who had grown up and married to their spouses. Rosa excused herself to the bathroom, Noelia told Sebastian that he was going to buy drinks but iy, Noelia po follow his mother.

  Noelia followed his mother and saw her standing at a beach sidewalk. Noelia got a glimpse of her g.

  “Ma.” Noelia called out from behind “Are you actually g, what’s wrong?”

  “It’s nothing, mijo. I just need some fresh air.” said Rosa.

  “Mom, if there is something, you tell me. I’m your son.” said Noelia.

  “Seeing your siblings grow up and have spouses made me reminisce about the time with your father. It has been so long that he’s no longer here. I felt lonely…but I still love him, that feeling is what brought me tears…I missed him.” said Rosa.

  Then multiple tears came out from her face as she slowly fell to the ground and began sobbing. Memories about her te husband began to flood in and made her cry more. Noelia hurriedly rushed to fort his mother.

  “It’s okay ma. Even though pa isn’t here with us physically, I’m sure he’s with us in spirit as always.” said Noelia, hugging his mother.

  “Yes… I’m sure too. Your father would be proud to see you all grown up.” Rosa smilingly replied.

  Noelia and his mother returned baoelia also bought some drinks on the way. The family had fun at the festival and decided to return to the resort to get some shut eye.

  “It would be nice if father was here too.” said Sebastian while walking.

  “I’ll bet it would be much more fun with him around.” said Elena.

  “Yeah, I missed him actually. I wouldn’t get picked on by Norris if he was here, father’s a real strong man,” said Manuel

  “Really? Do you have to say that when you could just say something else…?” Norris replied.

  Rosa heard what her children said and was gd that they still remember their father. Deep down in their hearts, there would always be room for him. They returo the resort ao their separate rooms to sleep.