Chapter 31: Overlapping Memories (Part3)

That morning, the scent of sizzling eggs wafted through the air as Popuri descended the stairs, rubbing the lingering sleep from her eyes. She followed the aroma to the kitchen, where she stopped abruptly, startled to see her mother standing at the stove.

"Mom?" Popuri's voice was tinged with concern as she rushed over. "Why are you cooking? You're supposed to be resting!"

Lillia turned, her delicate features soft with a warm smile. "Good morning, sweetheart. Don't worry about me. I took my medication, and I'm feeling much better today."

Popuri frowned, crossing her arms as if to scold her, but the sight of her mother's rare energy and happiness made her relent. "If you say so… But don't overdo it, okay?"

Lillia chuckled softly and nodded toward the table. "Rick's out working on the coops, taking care of the chickens. I thought I'd make you breakfast before he got too busy to eat his."

Popuri reluctantly sat down at the table, watching as Lillia carefully placed a plate of eggs and toast before her. She murmured her thanks, though her gaze lingered on her mother, watching for any signs of fatigue.

As she ate, Popuri felt her head growing heavy. Her fork moved slower with each bite, and she blinked hard, fighting the sleepiness that threatened to overtake her.

Lillia noticed immediately, her motherly instincts sharp. "Popuri, are you all right? You look exhausted."

Popuri shook her head slightly, trying to brush it off. "I'm fine… It's just…" She hesitated, pushing a piece of toast around her plate. "I've been having trouble sleeping lately."

Lillia set down the dish she was drying, her brow furrowing with concern. "Trouble sleeping? Why, dear? Are you feeling unwell?"

Popuri hesitated again before sighing, her shoulders sagging. "It's not that. I've just been having… odd dreams. Dreams that feel so real, like memories I don't recognize."

Lillia tilted her head, her soft pink hair swaying with the motion. "Odd dreams?" she repeated gently, her tone encouraging Popuri to continue.

Popuri nodded, her voice quieter now. "They're strange… I see places I've never been, people I don't know—or at least, I think I don't know them. But they feel so familiar, like they're part of me somehow."

Lillia sat down at the table, her eyes warm with concern as she reached out and placed her hand gently on Popuri's. "Could it be that you're having dreams about a boy?" she asked softly, her tone probing yet kind.

Popuri's head shot up, her expression shifting to one of irritation. "Mom! Don't start with that!" she snapped, her cheeks flushing. "After what happened with Kai, I would never trust anyone with my heart again!"

Lillia chuckled lightly, unfazed by her daughter's defensiveness. "I know, sweetheart. But I can't help worrying about you and Rick. We don't know if your father will be able to find a cure for my illness… and I need to know that you and your brother will be taken care of when I'm gone."

Popuri's irritation softened into a heavy sigh as she slumped in her chair. "I know, Mom. But what Kai did… it really hurt. It's not something I can just forget."

"I understand," Lillia said, her voice gentle but steady. "Heartbreak is never easy. But you have to remember that not all relationships are going to end the way yours with Kai did. Sometimes, things fall apart because they're meant to lead you to something better."

Popuri gave her mother a skeptical look, but there was a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes. "You make it sound like you know what that feels like."

Lillia smiled wistfully, her gaze drifting to the window as if looking back through time. "Oh, I do. I remember my first love."

Popuri blinked, her curiosity now fully piqued. "Wait… Dad wasn't your first love?"

Lillia laughed, the sound soft and bittersweet. "No, he wasn't. When I was your age, I was head over heels for Basil. He was kind, adventurous, and had this incredible passion for nature. But… he chose Anna. I was heartbroken, and for a while, I thought I'd never recover."

Popuri leaned forward, her irritation forgotten. "You were in love with Basil?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Lillia nodded, her expression serene. "Yes, I was. And when he married Anna, it felt like the end of the world. But looking back now, I realize it wasn't. If Basil hadn't chosen Anna, I might never have met your father."

Popuri tilted her head, her brows furrowing slightly. "Dad?"

"Yes," Lillia said with a soft smile. "Your father, Rod, came into my life when I least expected it. He wasn't like Basil at all—he was quieter, a little awkward, but he had the biggest heart. He made me laugh when I didn't think I could anymore, and he taught me what it meant to be truly loved."

Popuri was quiet for a moment, absorbing her mother's words. "So… you're saying that even if things don't work out, something better might come along?"

Lillia nodded, squeezing her daughter's hand. "Exactly. You're still young, Popuri. Your heart will heal, and when the time is right, someone will come into your life who will treat it with the care it deserves. Don't let one mistake—or one person—keep you from believing in that."

Popuri's lips curved into a curious smile as she studied her mother. "You always say Dad swept you off your feet, but you've never really told me the whole story. What was it like when you two met?"

Lillia's expression softened instantly, her face bathed in the warm glow of memory. "Oh, your father…" she murmured, her voice thinning for a moment as though caught on a tender thread. She leaned back in her chair, eyes distant, the faintest blush coloring her cheeks. "It was such a peculiar day. My father had just posted a sign at the ranch, looking for extra hands. And then—there he was. Rod. As if the wind itself had carried him into Mineral Town. He was a mystery at first, but unlike anyone I'd ever met. Shy in manner, yet so… charming. He had this way of looking at you that made the rest of the world fall quiet."

Popuri tilted her head, caught in her mother's reverie. "He wasn't from Mineral Town? Where did he come from?"

"Flowerbud Village," Lillia replied, her smile deepening as she returned from the haze of memory. "He told me he'd worked on his friend's ranch, so he was skilled with animals and farming. It made sense that he came here searching for work, but…" She paused, her gaze glimmering with amusement. "I always suspected he had another reason."

Popuri arched an eyebrow. "What reason?"

Lillia laughed, a sound both delicate and musical. "Me, of course! He took the job at our chicken ranch almost immediately after arriving. He'd pretend it was just to keep busy, but it was obvious. Every day he brought me flowers—wildflowers from the mountains, delicate blooms from the riverbanks, even the simplest garden blossoms. It was as though he was speaking a secret language through them, one only I could understand."

Popuri's smile blossomed, her heart warming at the image. "Wait… is that where my name comes from?"

Lillia nodded, eyes shining with affection. "Yes. Though I'd wanted to name you Arisa. But he was insistent—Popuri. He adored how flowers could brighten a room, how their variety and fragrance could comfort the spirit. He said I reminded him of a bouquet, something vibrant and full of life. That's why he wanted you named Popuri—after potpourri, something delicate, beautiful, and enduring."

Popuri felt a warm flush in her cheeks. She had never heard this side of her father before. "That's… actually really sweet," she murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Oh, it gets better," Lillia said, her eyes sparkling with delight. "What truly amazed me about your father wasn't just how thoughtful he was, but how brilliant. He had this incredible mind, always tinkering with ideas. He was fascinated by machines and wanted to find ways to make life easier for farmers and ranchers. He teamed up with Saibara, and together they invented the mayonnaise maker, the cheese maker, the butter maker, and even the yarn maker. You know those machines everyone uses now? That was your father's genius at work."

Popuri's mouth fell open. "Dad invented all of that?"

Lillia chuckled at her daughter's astonishment. "He did. He didn't like to brag about it, but he was very proud of what he accomplished. He believed in hard work and finding ways to help others. That's what made me fall in love with him even more—his heart was just as big as his mind."

Popuri sat back in her chair, trying to reconcile the shy, charming man her mother described with the image of her father she had always known. "I never knew Dad was such an inventor… or that he was so romantic."

"He was," Lillia said softly, her voice tinged with a mixture of pride and longing. "And he still is, even if he's far away right now. He's the kind of man who will do anything for the people he loves. That's the Rod I fell in love with, and I see parts of him in you and Rick every day."

Popuri's heart swelled with a new appreciation for her father. "Thanks for telling me, Mom," she said, her voice quieter now. "It's nice to hear about him… and about how much he loves us."

Lillia reached across the table and squeezed her daughter's hand. "He does. Never doubt that. And no matter what happens, I know you'll find someone who loves you the same way. You deserve nothing less." Popuri smiled, feeling a little more hopeful, as if the weight she'd been carrying had lifted just slightly. Maybe, just maybe, her mother was right.

Lillia gave Popuri's hand a gentle pat, her smile warm but insistent. "Go on, sweetheart. Get dressed and ready for the day. The morning won't wait for us, after all."

Popuri nodded, though her mind lingered on their conversation and the dreams that had been haunting her. She made her way upstairs to her room and began changing into her regular clothes. As she pulled on her blouse and straightened the hem of her skirt, her eyes caught her reflection in the mirror.

For a moment, she stared, her mind drifting. The image of the other Popuri—the one from her dreams—flashed before her eyes. That other girl looked so similar, yet felt like a stranger. Her posture, her expressions, even the way she moved seemed so unlike her own.

"Who are you?" she whispered softly, her voice almost lost in the quiet of the room. Her fingers brushed against the mirror, as though reaching for the answer. But of course, there was none. Only her own reflection stared back, as puzzled as she was.

Sighing, she shook her head, pushing the thoughts aside. "It was just a dream," she told herself, though the pit in her stomach said otherwise. With her outfit now neatly in place, she descended the stairs, her feet moving more hesitantly than usual.

As she reached the bottom step, Lillia turned from her spot at the kitchen counter, holding a slip of paper and some money. "Oh, Popuri," her mother called, her tone gentle but purposeful. "Could you run an errand for me? I need a few things from the store."

Popuri stopped in her tracks, tilting her head. "Of course, Mom. What do you need?"

Lillia handed her the list and a few coins with a grateful smile. "It's just a few things we've run out of. I'd go myself, but I want to rest a bit more before the day gets too busy."

Popuri glanced down at the list and nodded. "I'll take care of it."

Her mother placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Thank you, sweetie. Take your time—and maybe stop by the square if you feel like it. You've been cooped up here so much lately. A little fresh air might do you some good."

Popuri offered a faint smile in return, slipping the list and money into her pocket. "Alright, Mom. I'll be back soon."

As she stepped out the door into the crisp morning air, Popuri couldn't shake the feeling that today might not be so ordinary after all. The weight of her dreams lingered at the edge of her thoughts, tugging at her curiosity like an invisible thread pulling her toward something she couldn't yet understand.