Sam pulls the car into the basement parking lot of Montclair Pavilion, a shopping complex known for its historic and grand architecture and a wide variety of shops.
Leila chooses Montclair Pavilion because it has all kinds of clothing shops and believes that her daughter will find clothes fitting her current style. It is also because it was Thea's favorite place to shop.
They step into the elevator that will take them to the first floor.
Ding!
Theo steps out of the elevator and is stunned.
The architecture here feels completely different from the rest of the city. While the city outside is high-tech, sleek, and fast-paced, Montclair Pavilion is the opposite. Wooden frames and pillars support stone walls, while a glass ceiling lets sunlight pour in.
The place is decorated in a classic medieval style, yet computer panels are tucked here and there—a seamless blend of an ancient world and modern technology.
The shopping complex has five floors: the first and second are for clothing, the third for shoes and sandals, the fourth for accessories, handbags, salons, and cosmetics, and the fifth for food stalls, small cafés, and restaurants.
Theo instantly feels comfortable in the pavilion's atmosphere, but the memories that surface are not his. They belong to Thea, darting in and out of shops, food in hand, laughing and chatting with friends.
He closes his eyes, trying to slow down the waves of images.
Leila notices this and immediately pulls Theo to the side. "Sweetheart, are you okay?"
Theo opens his eyes and smiles weakly. "I'm okay, Mother. Really. It's just… these images of me in this place."
He chuckles. "Apparently, I used to come here a lot."
Leila exhales in relief. "Yes, you did. If it's too much, we can go somewhere smaller and quieter." She's already pulling Theo back toward the elevator.
For some reason unknown to him, Theo wants to stay. He stops Leila. "No, it's okay. I want to stay."
Leila looks unconvinced. She observes Theo closely, as if searching for any clue that he's lying.
And when she cannot find any, she looks at Sam, who is standing not far from them with his back facing them, protecting them from passerby's curious eyes. His straight, ramrod posture seems to convince Leila. She takes a deep breath.
"Okay. We'll continue shopping. But the first sign that you're tired…"
"I'll definitely tell you, Mother," Theo promises.
"Okay. Now let's go find you nice clothes." Leila grins and pulls Theo to one of the closest shops.
------------------------------
Leila and Theo are sitting inside a nice cozy café on the fifth floor. Sam is sitting at a table next to them, enjoying his coffee, oblivious to the many shopping bags of various sizes and colors surrounding him.
Theo is enjoying his tiramisu, his dessert. And Leila is busy looking at yet another bag catalog.
"Thea! Look at this! This backpack is new! It looks really good for you. We'll get it after this!" Leila excitedly tells Theo what she's found in the catalog.
Theo swallows his last bite of tiramisu. "Mother, I believe I have more than three bags in those." He points at the mountain of shopping bags.
"I'm sure we already bought a backpack. And I am certain that we bought a shoulder bag and a tote bag and a clutch and—"
Leila laughs. "We did buy a lot of bags, didn't we?"
Theo chuckles. "I'm not sure it's fashionable to have more than one bag on me when I go out."
Leila sighs. "I'm sorry for getting carried away, Thea." She reaches to hold Theo's hand. "It's just… it's been a while since we go out and have fun together like this."
Theo looks at Leila. Her eyes are glistening a little bit. This happens every time Leila talks about the past Thea and compares it to the new Thea; her eyes would always glisten.
Theo can't blame Leila. The more he spends time with her, the more he's convinced that Thea had distanced herself before the accident.
Theo puts his other hand on top of Leila's. "It's me who should apologize, Mother. For not going out with you more often."
Leila waves her hand. "You don't need to say that. I'm perfectly aware that girls your age prefer going out without their mothers. What do they say? That mothers cramp your style?"
Theo blinks. "I don't understand that reference. And I'm not just saying it. I enjoy shopping with you today. Really."
Theo means it. He does enjoy his shopping time with Leila. The entire time, she never once pushed Theo to choose anything he didn't want. She would suggest the colors, but never the style. She gave Theo complete freedom.
Theo would ask for her opinions every now and then, and she would always make sure that Theo liked the items and that he was comfortable in them.
The only awkward thing that happened was during his time in lingerie shops. Most of the items he had never seen before, and he didn't know their names or functions.
And Theo could only rely on Leila's expertise on the matter. He only asked for the underwear to be simple, plain, and comfortable—pretty much his criteria for all the items today.
And Leila catches on quick. Once she finds out Theo's preference, every item she picks gets Theo's approval.
The only thing they argue about is how many they should buy. Theo keeps insisting he only needs two, while Leila 'rebels' and vetoes that he needs at least five of everything—some even more. Theo still cannot grasp her logic to this second. He has accepted that he may never understand women's logic when it comes to shopping.
Leila finishes her coffee. "Okay, we should continue."
Theo blinks. "We're not finished? There's more to buy? I thought we'd bought everything."
Leila smiles apologetically. "Oh dear. Of course not! We haven't bought skin care and hygiene products."
Theo pales. "What?!"
Hygiene products?!