When she opened her eyes, she was already in a magical land. It looked a lot like an amusement park but almost everything is in gold color. Vendors sold food and games in a white and golden stands, even the cotton candy was gold! People were crowding the place; most of them are families who held each other's hands while displaying smiles and laughter all the way.
The sky was clear and blue, as blue as the color of her hair. No rain, not even a cloud dared to appear that day. The wind caressed her cheeks and hair gently. It was a pleasant day. Little Juvia smiled and looked up to face her father. He was carrying her in his arms, looking back at her ever so gently.
She was happy. She didn't want to wake up.
"Juvia," a man's voice woke her up from her daydream. Seven-year-old Juvia turned her head and saw her father who was lying on a hospital bed. She stared at him for a while; some tools were attached to her father's body while all kinds of machine she didn't know were placed beside his father's right side while she sat on a chair on the left side of the bed. He looked so weak it saddened her so much, sometimes she felt she couldn't look at her father's condition for a long time. He was pale, she thought, but his eyes reflected something other weakness. She saw his eyes were filled with life, with love.
"What is it, Papa?" With a sweet voice, Juvia answered him. Her little right hand was holding his father's thumb, something that she always did at night while sleeping. Her father smiled back.
"There is someone I would like you to meet," he said weakly. Little Juvia tilted her head in confusion.
"Who is it, Papa?"
"You'll see," her father grinned. Juvia thought she saw her father winked just now.
"Papa, don't do that! Juvia is curious," she pouted in annoyance. Her father chuckled, thinking that the reaction was really adorable. Yes, he loved her lovable daughter so much.
Just 10 minutes after they stopped talking and kidding around, Jellal, Adrian Lockser's loyal advisor, came with a middle-aged man, apparently as old as Juvia's father, and a young boy. The boy had a straight expression, somewhat cold and distant. Juvia unconsciously squeezed her father's thumb anxiously.
"Good afternoon, everyone!" The man greeted the Locksers cheerfully. Juvia squeezed her father's thumb even more. Adrian Lockser glanced at his daughter for a second before greeting his best friend back.
"Thank you for coming, Silver. I'm sorry for troubling you to come here. I know you're busy-,"
"Now, now, Adrian, 5 years already and you haven't changed a bit. Nothing is more important than helping my best friend when he needs me," Silver Fullbuster cut off. Then he saw the young Juvia and walked closer to her. That time, Juvia no longer squeezed her father's thumb because she was shaking and losing energy to do so.
"Hello, Juvia, you are already so big! 5 years ago you were just a baby. Back then you were cute but now, you're even cuter. Awww, I need to tell Mika that I want a daughter, too! Gray is cool and all but daugthers are the cutest. Don't you think so, Juvia?" Silver started his rambling while making silly faces that soon made Juvia chuckled shyly. When Silver saw her blush, he even jokingly fainted, acted as if she had killed him with her cuteness. Juvia laughed even harder.
"Dad, come on. You're embarassing yourself," the young boy exclaimed. Silver rose from his pretend death and pointed a finger to his son.
"Yeah, right there, Gray. That," Silver stood up and turned his head to Adrian, "is the reason I want a daughter,"
"Gray has grown into a strong boy, I assume?" Adrian laughed from Silver's antics. Silver only shrugged, earning a weak punch to his leg from Gray. Silver let out a fake cry, making Juvia giggled sweetly. Then, Silver made a silly praise for Juvia's sweetness while Gray scolded his father again for his ridiculousness. It went on and on until Adrian asked Jellal to take Gray and Juvia outside the room because he wanted to talk only to Silver.
Outside, Juvia went to sit on hospital waiting chair while Jellal stood a little far away, talking on the phone about company matters. Gray moved to sit beside Juvia, one chair between them. They spent 10 minutes without saying anything until Gray was bored and decided to introduce himself.
"I'm Gray Fullbuster," he took out his hand.
Juvia looked up, surprised. She didn't know what to do because she never had friends before. She didn't know what the hand he took out was for. When Gray saw that Juvia only looked at his hand, he withdrew.
"Fine, if you don't want to become my friend," Juvia jumped a bit, almost cried from the mean words.
"N-no, Juvia wants to be your friend," she timidly replied back.
"Then, why don't you take my hand?"
"Take your hand? What for?"
"Well, my dad told me if I want to introduce myself to a new friend, I need to take and shake their hand,"
Juvia was quiet for a moment before she took out her hand. Gray was quite taken aback by the sudden reaction she gave. However, he held her hand and shook it a little.
"Her name is Juvia Lockser," she said with a very sweet smile, making Gray blushed a bit. Suddenly, he chuckled.
"Why is Gray laughing? Is there something weird about Juvia's name?" Juvia asked, panic started to creep in.
Gray stopped laughing but grinned widely, "No, no. It's just that I have known your name. You say your name everytime you talk,"
"Really? Juvia did?" She asked innocently.
"That!"
"When did Juvia say her name?"
"You just did, silly," and Gray began to laugh again. Juvia didn't understand why he was laughing and her eyes began to watered. H-he just...h-he just called Juvia silly!
"Oi, don't cry! Why are you such a cry baby!" When Gray said that to Juvia, she started crying. Gray was so shocked and he didn't know what to do. Guilty, he began crying, too.
Their combined cry was so loud that Jellal needed to stop his phone call and calmed the children.
"Ugh, wait a minute. I need to take care of something first," why are they crying together, kids are weird, he thought in defeat.
~
"I can't describe how I feel, Adrian. How did this happen?" Silver asked his best friend who was lying weakly on the bed. He stood beside the bed, unable to sit because Juvia's chair was too small. He examined Adrian's condition, beginning to feel troubled, sad, and all feeling he couldn't determine. His best friend was a kind man, too kind. Always apologizing, always so polite even to him, his high school best friend. Back then, Adrian was always the one with good grades. He was kind to other students, helping them whenever they need help. Unlike Silver who was a school jock, obviously, Adrian was a top student. Loved by the teachers, praised and idolized by girls, it was just amazing how they could be best friend even though they were so different.
Silver remembered how Adrian met his wife. He stayed in love until they got married and Silver could see how he loved her very much. He still remembered, even though he wanted to forget it, when Iris Lockser died after giving birth to Juvia. Adrian was more than a mess, almost like a mad man. He screamed and cried and ran amock in the funeral. It was hell, but Silver couldn't do anything to calm him down because he knew it was too tragic for Adrian to keep it to himself. After a week, Adrian was able to calm himself and he started to raise Juvia alone. Silver knew by then, he couldn't be separated from Juvia.
But there he was, looking at his fragile best friend on hospital bed.
"6 months ago, I fainted in my office," Adrian stopped talking, gathering courage to continue. But Silver could not wait.
"Tell me,"
"Brain tumor. Acute,"
Silver knew that it wouldn't be good. He just didn't understand why.
"How long?"
"1 more month, I guess?" Adrian laughed half-heartedly. Silver let out a heavy sigh while he put one hand on his waist, the other holding his forehead. He tried to process the information.
"This...Juvia...what about her? God, Adrian, this is too much for a seven-year-old child,"
Adrian looked away. They just kept quiet until Silver heard Adrian cried. He knew that Adrian had held back his tears for a long time. In front of his best friend, he just need to let his depression out. This was why he asked Silver to come visit him. So Silver could help him.
"I...I sometimes cursed myself. How can I let this happen? Godammit, you told me, this is too much for her. All this time, I continue to live without Iris because I want to make Juvia happy but then this happened. This fucking tumor happened, Silver. I-I," Adrian gasped then took a deep harsh breath, "fucking hate myself,"
Silver stared at Adrian. Soon, his tears fell quietly. Those tears didn't stop.
"Do you know what is even worse? She knew about my tumor, Silver. She could understand what happen. She once cried on my shoulder, screaming that I couldn't leave her alone and I could only hug her while crying my heart out. But since that day, she never cried anymore, Silver. She remained calm but her calm was making me even more suffer. Who am I to deserver her, Silver? She was only 7, for God's sake,"
"You are a great man, you deserve everything you have, Adrian,"
"But she doesn't deserve this, Silver!"
Just like that, Adrian silenced him. Silver could no longer imagine what Juvia's life would be. She had no mother and soon, she would lose her father. It's worst than any curse in the world.
"She matures faster. When other children play and cry and go to elementary school, she is here, with me, keeping me company. I told her to go to school, but she said she didn't want to leave my side. She knew that she needs to spend as much time as possible with me before I go. She won't grow like a normal child," Adrian put a hand on his eyes, while he tried hard to calm his breathing.
"Adrian, stop blaming yourself,"
"I can't. It's my fault, Silver! Everything! Iris and Juvia and-,"
"Fuck!" Silver screamed and walked away a little bit. He turned around so that his back was facing Adrian. He was confused on how to help his best friend. Adrian stayed quiet, trying hard to calm himself and stop crying.
They stayed like that for more than 10 minutes, each thinking about certain solutions to take care of the problem.
"I need you..," Adrian started, leading Silver to walk closer.
"...to take care of my daughter,"
"What do you mean?"
"Right now, I put the fate of my company in the hands of Jellal, my loyal advisor, and Jose, my cousin. They are good enough to run my company but of course, everything will be given to my Juvia when she is ready. The thing I want to tell you is that if anything goes wrong, please help my daughter,"
"You have written your will?" Silver asked. Adrian nodded while giving out an envelope.
"I have signed all the legal documents about ownerships and everything, you don't have to worry about that and I'm not asking you to help me in that case. My Juvia will be put under the guidance of Jellal. One thing I need to tell you, Silver, is that my company will compeletely belongs to Juvia when she is 25 or married,"
"Alright, but I still don't get why you need my help," Silver replied. He took the envelope and studied it for a couple of seconds before asking why Adrian gave him the envelope.
"The thing is, I don't trust my cousin, Jose Porla. He is a really smart man, almost cunning but I can't find anyone else suitable enough to run my company. I force myself to be fully confident because Jellal will be there to put everything under control,"
Adrian, who was lying the entire time talking to Silver, tried to sit up slowly. His bestfriend helped him arranging the pillow to make him comfortable. Adrian said a small 'thank you' before continuing, "But I don't want to take any risk. Here I'm asking you, Silver, if anything happens to my company, you have to help. All the lives of my employees are at stake,"
"I'm sorry to say this, Adrian, but it will be hard for me to take care of two companies at the same time. I can't assure you that I'll be able to fix everything,"
"I can't ask someone else to do this, Silver,"
Silver stared at his bestfriend's eyes; eyes full of hope and yet full of hopelessness.
"Fine,"
"And please give that envelope to Juvia. Not now, but when it is already the right time to give it to her. Or maybe, just in case anything happens to my company, or to her,"
~
Gray and Juvia were chatting and playing around after Jellal had successfully calmed them down from crying. They sat side by side, no chair gap betweet them anymore.
"Where does Gray live?" Juvia asked while clasping her palms together. Her head turned to see Gray in an adorable way while she moved her legs.
Gray's eyes lit instantly when she asked about his hometown.
"I don't remember the name but I live far away from here. My dad and I have to stay in a hotel to visit you. And you know what?"
"What!" Juvia's eyes were glowing with curiousity as she immediately asked.
"My hometown often snows! So it is kind of cold there. Even if fall has just come but I could feel the cold already. But I don't mind, I like it when it's cold and snowy! Do you like snow?"
Juvia shook her head.
"Juvia never touches snow. What snow feels like?"
"You never touch snow before? That's sad. It's really soft like a...uh...like...cotton candy!" Gray said in random excitement.
"Cotton candy! Juvia really likes cotton candy!" Juvia clapped her hands and laughed. Well, children can get excited on random things.
Suddenly, Juvia remembered something and she looked down. Gray noticed her expression and bent down slightly to see her face.
"Juvia? Are you crying again? Oh come on," Gray groaned but Juvia shook her head instantly.
"No, Juvia is just sad because she remembers that Gray lives so far away. That means she can't play with Gray everyday,"
Gray chuckled and then put a hand on Juvia's shoulder.
"Juvia, don't be sad. I'll remember you! Gray will not forget about Juvia," Gray grinned widely. Juvia looked up quickly, flashing a big smile.
"Gray promises?" When Juvia asked, Gray pointed out his pinky to her in which Juvia did the same.
"I promise! And I'm really sure we'll meet again!"