Chapter 12
The birds were singing, as the early morning sun pierced the cluttered bedroom. Vi could feel the warmth cascade across her face as she stirred awake. Eyes still closed, the vision of Caityln laying beneath her filled her vision. The way she looked so vulnerable, yet so excited, so free, filled her with warmth that had nothing to do with the summer sun. She could lay in bed all day if it meant she got to picture Caitlyn, and the face she made when she finally reached her peak.
But the universe had other plans, as Vi felt a large object being launched onto her body. She quickly threw her eyes open, as she grunted in pain. Looking around all she could see was large amounts of hair flooding her vision, while a manic laugh echoed throughout the room.
"Jinx, what the actual fuck?"
Jinx propped her small scrawny body on Vi's chest, while she looked into her sister's eyes. "You got in late last night."
"So?" Vi said as she threw the smaller girl to the floor.
"I just wanted to make sure you're okay." Jinx said, as she stood up and dusted herself off. "You hardly ever come home late, and you never sleep in."
Vi threw her legs over the side of her bed, feeling annoyed and embarrassed for Jinx interrupting her very private thoughts from the night before. "Yeah well, its summer."
Vi then stood up and went straight into the bathroom, ignoring Jinx's questions about where she had been, and what could possibly keep her out so late. After using the toilet, Vi turned on the shower, deciding not even Jinx could ruin this high she was on. She stepped into the old tub, as hot water cascaded over her body. She allowed the warm water to sooth her tired body, as she lathered her hair with her favorite shampoo. The smell of wildflowers filled her nose, as she was brought back to the field with Caitlyn, where she first kissed her.
After deciding it wasn't the most appropriate time to take care of her growing needs, after thinking about a naked Caitlyn nonstop all morning, she quickly stepped out of the shower and toweled herself off. Once inside her room, she pulled on an old white T-shirt, followed by an old pair of sweats. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the house. Something she always enjoyed waking up to on Sundays. Especially because during the week, she was usually out of the house, and on her way to the farm before a single person in her house was awake.
Just as she was about to grab herself a mug, and sit out on the porch, she heard a knock on the door. She looked over at the small clock on the far side of the wall, and wondered who could be coming over so early on a Sunday. Just as she was about to go check, her bedroom door was flung open.
"Vi." Jinx said, looking concerned. "Your friend Caity is here, and she is pretty upset."
"What?" Vi said as she quickly pushed passed Jinx, and ran to the front door, where she saw Caitlyn with tears in her eyes, as she wrapped her arms around her body.
"Cait, what's going on?" Vi asked as she grabbed Caitlyn and brought her back into her room for more privacy.
"They're…they're sending me away." Caitlyn said through sobs.
Vi grabbed for the box of tissues on her nightstand, handing them to Caitlyn as she tried to process what the younger girls was saying. "What are you talking about?"
"This morning, I was in my mother's room, and I found these in her nightstand." Caitlyn said as she handed Vi the documents she pulled out of her purse.
Vi looked over the papers, fear, anger, and despair all fighting for dominance, as she realized what she was looking at. "Why….Why would they do this?"
"I don't know." Caitlyn cried, as she fell back onto Vi's bed, her hands covering her face.
"This ticket, its only 10 days away." Vi said, as she looked at the one-way ticket to England with Caitlyn's name on the top. "And when did you apply to Oxford?"
"I didn't." Caitlyn sobbed, as Vi tried to process what this meant.
Vi swallowed the lump forming in her throat, as she sat next to Caitlyn. She looked over the plane ticket, and the acceptance letter, willing them to change. 'There was no way this was happening, not after a perfect summer. Caitlyn was supposed to finish high school, not go to college. 'We were supposed to keep fantasizing about building a life far away from prying eyes. I was supposed to finally get my happy ending.' Vi thought, as she gripped the documents tighter. She wanted to scream, to cry, to fight, anything but sit here feeling helpless, as she watched the young woman she was quickly falling in love with, fall apart right next to her, while she could do nothing but watch. She had no idea what she could say, what she should say. So instead, she let the papers fall to the ground as she turned and held Caitlyn in her arm.
Her shirt was soaked by the time Caitlyn sat back and wiped her eyes. She looked so young, so fragile, so broken, Vi thought as she tried to think of what to say. Caitlyn slowly pulled away before bending down and picking up the papers, placing them back in her bag, as she looked at Vi who still hadn't said a word in what felt like forever.
"I don't want to leave you." Caitlyn said, as more tears fell from her eyes.
"I don't…" Vi said as she had to fight back the urge to start sobbing herself. "I don't want you to leave either."
"I just don't understand. I thought things were getting better. I thought my mom was finally happy again."
"So, they haven't told you why they are doing this?"
"No, I just found these this morning. My mother said she wants to talk after church. I assume that is when they are going to break the news."
"Can you fight it? Can you tell them no?" Vi asked, as her heart raced.
"I don't know. If my father stands behind my mother on this, I won't have a choice but to go."
Vi's mind raced with possible ways out. Trying to come up with a plan on the spot, not wanting to leave anything to chance.
Caitlyn looked up at the clock. "Oh no, it's getting late. I need to get going."
"You can't." Vi protested. "You can't just leave. We have to come up with a plan."
"We will." Caitlyn said as she wiped her eyes on the tissue. "Tonight, after they talk to me, I'll sneak out."
"Okay" Vi said, still to shocked to prostest. "I'll meet you at the corner of your street at 10:00?"
"Yes." Caitlyn said as she stood up.
"Wait, don't you need a ride back? How did you get here?"
"I road my bike. I can ride it back, its mostly down hill back to my house."
"You sure?"
"Yes, but thank you Vi." Caitlyn said, before leaning in to kiss Vi on the cheek.
Vi walked her outside, as she watched Caitlyn pick up her bike, and walk it to the road. She stood watching, as her heart began to break. She didn't know Cassandra Kiramman well, but she knew she was the kind of woman that once she decided on something, there was no going back.
Vi walked back into her house, feeling like she was lost in some kind of haze, as she watched Jinx and Mylo fight over the remote to the TV. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion, as she made her way back to her room. She slowly lowered herself to her bed, where she finally allowed herself to break down.
She grabbed for her pillow, quickly bringing it to her face, as she screamed into it, while tears fell down her cheeks. She wasn't sure how long it had been before she heard a crash in the living room, pulling her from her own self-destructive behavior.
Normally she would run out, and yell at her two siblings, but right now she didn't have the energy, all she wanted to do was crawl into a ball, and pray this day was all a bad dream. She closed her eyes, willing sleep to take her back, as she no longer wanted to be awake, when she heard another knock on the door.
She lay on her back, hoping it wasn't Caitlyn coming back to deliver even worse news. After minutes had passed, she heard Claggor's voice, telling Jinx to go and get her. Jinx entered the room, just as Vi sat up, not looking pleased at the intrusion at all. "What is it?"
"Some mean looking lady is at the door talking to Claggor, he wanted me to come get you?"
"What?" Vi asked confused as she quickly pulled herself out of her bed. Vi exited the room, rounding the corner, when her eyes fell on Cassander Kiramman, standing in her living room, talking to a very annoyed looking Claggor.
'Oh fuck', Vi thought to herself, as she entered the living room, where Caitlyn's mother looked like she was doing her best not to touch anything, probably worried she would catch something if she did.
"VI" Claggor said a little too loudly. "Mrs. Kiramman was wonder if we would join her family for dinner this evening."
"Oh" Vi said as she stepped further into the room, her legs feeling like jelly after just learning this woman was about to send the love of her life thousands of miles away from her.
"Yes dear, me and my husband would love it if you could accompany your brother to dinner tonight at our home. We would love to get to know Claggor better, and we hear your father has been rather busy lately."
"Um, yeah….okay." Vi said, unable to process what was actually happening.
"Okay?" Claggor said, as he looked at Vi, confused as to why she didn't come up with an excuse as to why they couldn't make it.
"Fabulous." Cassander said. "Dinner will be served at 4:30, please arrive a few minutes before that, and," she said as she paused and looked between the two of them. "If you could dress in your Sunday best."
Vi nodded, as Cassandra made her way out. She wanted to stop her, to ask why she was sending Caitlyn away, but she knew she couldn't. She knew it would only make things worse. So, she stood there, looking like an idiot, as Claggor's eyes glared into hers. If looks could kill, she knows Claggor would have killed her right then and there for agreeing to such a thing.
As soon as they could hear the car pull away, Claggor let it all out. "How could you?" He shouted, as he began to pace. "I'm not dating your friend. I told you this was going to end badly. What if Lisa finds out?"
He rattled on for almost 10 more minutes, as Vi just stood and let him get it all out. When he finally tired himself out, he sat on the couch and began to sulk. "Why Vi?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to say."
"I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to play this game anymore."
"I know." Vi shouted. "Don't worry you won't have to for much longer. Her parents are sending her back to England." She said as she bawled her fists at her sides.
"What?" Claggor asked as he sat up, surprised by Vi's sudden outburst.
"Caitlyn found out this morning. They are sending her back in just over a week."
"Then why do the dinner? Why try and get to know me?" Claggor asked confused.
"I don't know." Vi said as she sat down next to him on the couch. "This doesn't make any sense."
Vi sat trying to come up with a reason as to why Caitlyn's parents wanted to meet the guy she was supposed to be dating if they were just going to send her away. Especially if they were going to break the news to her right before this dinner, wouldn't that make for a very awkward, and unpleasant evening?
Caitlyn sat in the back of her parent's car, as they made their way home from church. She knew what was about to come next, but she didn't know yet what she was going to say to try and change their minds. Once her father pulled into the driveway, she sat unable to pull herself out of the car. How could she face them, knowing that they wanted to send her away.
"Come on Caitlyn." Her father finally said, halfway to the door.
Caitlyn slowly removed herself, as she walked slowly to the front door. Her mother and father were chatting about the service, like they weren't just about to ruin her life. Once inside, her mother walked into the kitchen to check on the roast, she had put in the oven before leaving for church. "We are going to be having company for dinner, so make sure to clean yourself up."
Caitlyn nodded, as she made her way to her room. After redoing her make-up, she gave herself a small pep talk in the mirror, promising herself that she wasn't going to let them control her life, that she would stand up for herself, that she wouldn't let them send her away without a fight. She straightened her dress, before heading into the living room, where her father was reading, and her mother was working in the kitchen.
She sat herself on the couch, trying to control her breathing, before speaking up. "Mother, isn't there something you wanted to discuss with me?"
"Oh yes dear." Her mother said, as she removed her apron, and made her way to the living room. "Dear, please put down your book."
"Yes," Her father said, before closing the book. "We have some exciting news."
"Exciting?" Caitlyn said, wondering what was so exciting about sending her back to England against her will. Could her parents really be this far removed from reality, she thought.
"Yes, see I found out last month that I am due to go to Dallas for a medical conference."
"How is that exciting?" Caitlyn asked confused.
Her father looked from her to her mother, with a giant grin on his face. "Because I want you to come with me." He finally said.
"Why would I do that? I have no interest in a medical conference."
"Of course you don't." Her father chuckled. "But you won't be coming to the conference with me."
"Then what will I be doing?"
"Well, while I'm at the conference you will be staying at a ranch."
"A ranch?" Caitlyn asked, still feeling confused, but also becoming frustrated at the lack of information her father and mother were giving her, that is until she finally caught on to what they were talking about. "You mean…..I get to go see Aunt Katie?"
"Yes." Her father said.
"Are you serious?" Caitlyn asked, feeling overly enjoyed.
"My conference lasts 4 days. Aunt Katie is meeting us at the airport, where she will take you back to her ranch, while I do my work thing."
"When?" Caitlyn asked, completely forgetting about the one-way ticket to England in her name.
"We leave tomorrow afternoon."
"Tomorrow, that's so soon."
"I know, I wanted to tell you sooner, but I only got the final approval a couple days ago. I didn't want to tell you, just in case I wasn't able to go." Her father said.
"What about my friends, my…Claggor?"
"We will find time for you to say goodbye." Her mother said with a smirk. "But for now, how about you go start packing a bag, dinner is in an hour, and I told you we have company coming."
Caitlyn was lost in thought as she tossed clothes into a suitcase. She hadn't seen her aunt in over a year, and she was finally getting to see where she lived. She had no idea what she was supposed to wear while visiting a ranch, so she threw in multiple pairs of trousers along with a couple of skirts and blouses. Just as she was about to grab her toiletries, she heard a knock on the front door. Probably her mother's dinner guests, she thought as she closed her suit case and made her way to the living room
Her mother and father were greeting the Tallis's as Caitlyn walked in. She saw Jayce standing arrogantly as he looked over at winked at her. She quickly rolled her eyes, before her mother motioned for her to come over and greet their guests. Caitlyn did as she was told, putting on a polite smile, as she held out her hand, and greeted the Tallis's like they were old friends. Once all pleasantries had been exchanged, Caitlyn went to sit at the kitchen table, hoping to get this dinner over with as quickly and painlessly as possible.
"No Dear, we are still waiting on our other guests to arrive." Her mother said, motioning for Caitlyn to join them at the couch.
'Other guests', Caitlyn thought. She knew her mother didn't exactly have a lot of people that were dying to come have dinner with her, so she questioned who it could possibly be, when there was another knock on the door. Caitlyn sat in the chair, while her mother made her way over to greet her hopefully final guests.
"So glad you could make it." Cassandra said as she stepped aside to allow her two guests to enter the home.
Caitlyn looked up, and nearly fainted when she saw Claggor and Vi step into the home. Claggor stood tall, wearing a suit jacket that was clearly way too big for him. Most likely belonging to Vander, probably only used to attend funerals, as it still carried a heavy musty smell, and a layer of dust. Followed by Vi, who you could tell tried to at least do her hair, and wore a nice pair of slacks, followed by an old blouse, that was clearly not her size or style. Caitlyn wondered if Vi even owned a dress, let alone a nice blouse, and if not where did she get it.
Claggor stood, looking nervous as ever as he shook Mr. Kiramman's hand, and thanked Mrs. Kiramman for the invite. Vi stuck out her hand, just as she looked over and saw Jayce sitting smugly next to Caitlyn. Her heart sank as she realized this was no ordinary dinner; this was officially the dinner from hell. She swallowed her fear, as Tobias shook her hand, and introduced him and his wife. "You look familiar, don't I know you from somewhere?" Tobias asked.
"I deliver your milk sir."
"Ah yes, that's it. Well come on in. I'm not sure if you know the Tallis's, but they will also be joining us for dinner tonight."
Claggor looked at Vi, hoping she would give him the signal to run, to turn around, bust through the door and never look back. But Vi just looked at him, before following Caitlyn's mother to the dining room where she sat everyone at the table.
They owned a large dining table, for only being a family of three. Cassandra clearly used to entertain at one point, before she allowed fear and judgment to stop her. Cassander and Tobias sat at the ends of the table. Jayce, his mother and father, sat on one side, with Jayce being sat on Cassandra's end. While Caitlyn, Clagger, and Vi sitting on the other side, Vi sitting across from a very smug looking Jayce.
"So," Tobias said as Cassandra placed the roast in the middle of the table. "Tell me Claggor, Vi, do you know the Tallis's?"
"Yes." Vi said as she stared Jayce down.
"Oh good." Caitlyn's father said, completely oblivious to the tension in the room. "That saves us the trouble of trying to get to know each other."
"So Claggor, tell me, how long have you and Caitlyn been dating? Every time I ask her; she avoids the question."
Claggor began to sweat as he looked at Caitlyn's father. He was not prepared for this, and he wanted nothing to do with it, but somehow, he found himself stuck in the worst place imaginable. Between his fake girlfriend and her father, at the most uncomfortable dinner imaginable.
Vi sat, as she watched Jayce's face turn into a smug grin, as Claggor froze, unable to come up with a number, or even word for Caitlyn's father.
"I told you father; we aren't really dating. At least we aren't super serious. We are just having fun and getting to know each other." Caitlyn said, saving Claggor from himself, as he let out a large breath.
"Kids these days." Jayce said, his eyes never leaving Vi's. "Just use that as an excuse to date around, wouldn't you agree Vi?"
Vi gripped her fork, she knew exactly what Jayce was doing, and she wasn't going to allow him to out Claggor and Caitlyn, not here, not right now. "I think its smart. They are young, too young to be in a serious relationship with only one person. I think it's a good idea to be friends first, to date other people until at least after high school."
"Well, I would have to agree with that." Cassandra said. "But let's eat before it gets cold."
The group dove into the dinner, the adults making small talk, while Vi and Claggor both kept their eyes down, hoping this dinner would be over fast, when Jack, Jayce's father, mentioned his nephew coming home. Vi's grip on her trousers tightened, while her other hand griped her fork so tight, her knuckles began to turn white. Claggor looked over at her, trying to give her a comforting smile, but she wouldn't look over at him. She just stared down at her plate, as she listened to the police commissioner talk about how his nephew got delt a bad hand. How he was grateful for his title, and his ability to help his nephew get out of prison early so he could get his life turned back around.
Vi wanted to scream. She wanted to take her fork and stab it into this man's arm, if only to get him to shut up. She couldn't believe this was happening. Couldn't believe she had to sit here and listen to this man defend his asshole nephew, and to make it worse listen to Caitlyn's parents nod and offer their sympathy for the family.
Caitlyn knew this was bad. Knew Vi must be freaking out inside. She wished she could offer her, her hand, but she was sitting next to Claggor and her father. She tried to look over at Vi, but her head was down. Caitlyn could see her taking deep breaths, as her back rose and fell with each large intake. She wasn't sure how much more of it Vi could take, she knew she had to do something.
"Yes, we are glad he is able to get his old job back. He actually got out a few days ago. I was able to get him out a little early so that he could see Jayce, before he goes back to school." Jack said casually.
Vi immediately looked up to see Jayce staring at her with a smug grin. She moved, ready to wipe that grin off his face, when she felt a large hand tighten around her leg. She looked over to see Claggor looking at her concerned. He shook his head. A small gesture no one else noticed as Vi sat back in her seat.
"He starts work tomorrow; the lad can't wait to get back out there." Jack said, as him, Tobias, and their wives were still lost in conversation, completely oblivious to the seen playing out in front of them.
Vi's heart sank. She thought she had more time. More time without the monster returning to ruin her life. She needed to get out of there. She couldn't sit at this table any longer and listen to what was unfolding. She just needed an excuse, anything, it didn't matter.
"I'm going to Texas". Caitlyn blurted out, pulling everyone from the current conversation.
"Caitlyn, Dear, that was very rude. You know you should interrupt adults when they are talking." Her mother said, as she scolded her.
"I am very sorry mother; I am just so excited."
"Texas?" Jack said, as he looked at Caitlyn.
"Yes, my father has a work conference there, and I will be visiting my aunt. They surprised me with the news just this afternoon."
"That sounds lovely." Mrs. Tallis said, as she took a sip of her wine.
Vi, no longer ready to run for the door, froze. Trying to process the new information. She knew Caitlyn was going to have a talk with her parents, but she was ready to hear England, not Texas. She leaned forward, trying to get a good look at Caitlyn, who turned her head slightly, letting their eyes meet for a brief moment.
"Texas". Vi said surprised.
"Yes, my aunt owns a ranch near Dallas." Caitlyn said to the group, but really only talking to Vi.
"That sounds…..amazing." Vi said, relieved she hadn't said England, but still confused after their talk this morning.
"I am very excited, I haven't seen my aunt in over a year. Only problem is I leave tomorrow."
"Tomorrow." Vi said, almost choking on her bread.
"Wow tomorrow." Jack said as he looked Tobias.
"Yes, trip has been planned for a while, but I only a couple of days ago got clearance from my team to attend. I had a few surgeries I had to make sure I could move around, before leaving the hospital for a few days."
The group began to chat about Texas, Jack telling them all a story of him breaking down out there once, and the amazing hospitality of Texans. Both Vi and Claggor continued to eat their food in silence, occasionally giving a head nod, or a sounds great, as the conversation continued.
Vi definitely appreciated this conversation to the last, but the thought of Caitlyn leaving so quickly, and for so long didn't sit well with her. Especially knowing that Brian was now returning to work, weeks before she had planned. She continued to eat in silence, only looking up occasionally, just to be met with Jayce still staring her down. She hated how arrogant he acted, especially with his Police Commissioner father sitting just one person away from him. She knew he wouldn't be acting so smug, if it were just the two of them.
Finaly dinner came to a close. Vi relaxed a bit, knowing her and Claggor were about to get out of there, when Cassandra got all excited, and mentioned dessert. Vi sighed, as she saw Claggor tense back up. She knew she was going to owe him huge for this. They sat as Cassandra placed a large chocolate cake on the table.
"Wow, this looks amazing." Jayce's mother said, as the rest of the table nodded in agreement.
Caitlyn's mother began slicing the cake and delving it out. Vi noticed her giving the men much larger portions, as she sliced the cake thin for the woman, Caitlyn's piece looking even smaller than hers. Caitlyn thanked her mother before taking a small bite. Vi watched as she then slid the plate to the side, only having just barely tasted it, while the men dug in, and the woman pretended to eat. Vi knew fancy woman were always careful about what they ate, especially in front of each other, but this was just stupid, and she wasnt going to play along. She took her fork and picked up a large bite, placing it in her mouth. She looked at Jayce who was looking at her like she was crazy, before looking at Caitlyn's mother who looked shocked that a woman would ever consider taking such a large bite of cake, let alone in front of others.
Vi let the chocolate melt into her mouth, before taking another, and finishing her cake in just two bites. "That was amazing." Vi said with a smile as she swallowed her last bite. Truthfully, she couldn't stand that taste, way to bitter for her liking, but she wasn't going to follow some ridiculous rule, that woman couldn't enjoy dessert like men. And at the very least it was an act of defiance towards the woman who was possibly taking away the love of her life.
"Thank you Vi." Cassandra said, a little taken back by the scene before offering coffee.
Caitlyn's mom then brought a pot to the table, as she served each person a small cup. The parents then began talking about work, while the four young adults sat in silence. Caitlyn kept trying to steal glances at Vi, trying to gage how she was feeling, but every time she looked over, Vi and Jayce were staring each other down. Caitlyn looked at Claggor, who looked like he was about to have a heart attack if he didn't get out of there soon, sweat dripped from his brow.
"Mother, father, would it be alright if me Claggor and Vi went for a walk?"
"Sure Caitlyn, but don't forget about Jayce, he is our guest too." Her mother said.
"Yes mother, I was just hoping to be able to say goodbye to my friends before I leave tomorrow, and I don't think Jayce cares to hear some sappy goodbyes."
"On the contrary, I would love to join you all, get up a stretch my legs for a bit." Jayce said, as he stood.
Vi rolled her eyes, as her and Claggor stood as well. She knew Jayce was just being an ass, but she was grateful to at least leave this table. The four of them made for the door, as the adults continued their conversation.
Once out into the street, Claggor turned to Vi. "We need to get out of here."
"I know, just let me talk to Caitlyn, just for a minute, then I will get us out of here I promise." Vi said as they walked to catch up to Caitlyn and Jayce.
The walk was slow, Jayce mostly talking about himself while the others pretended to listen, Vi constantly looking for an opportunity to pull Caitlyn aside, but Jayce stuck close to her. "Please Vi." Claggor said, as he adjusted his oversized suit coat.
"Fine, just go ask Jayce about what he's studying in college. That should give me a chance to talk to Caitlyn."
"Fine." Claggor said through gritted teeth.
Once Calggor got Jayce talking about himself, he completely forgot about Caitlyn, allowing her to fall back to walk with Vi.
"I'm so sorry." Is the first thing Caitlyn said as she stood next to Vi. "I had no idea my parents would show up to your house, and invite you to dinner, especially the same night they invited the Tallis's over."
"Its fine." Vi lied. But she had more pressing matters. "Texas? Tomorrow? What happened to England?"
"I don't know." Caitlyn admitted. "I came home from church ready to fight for my right to stay when they presented me with that news."
"So, are they still sending you away?"
"I don't know." Caitlyn said, just as Claggor turned around and gave a glare, making sure Vi knew of his discomfort. "We can talk more tonight. I'll still sneak out to meet you."
"Okay." Vi said as she let out a breath. "I need to get Claggor out of here before he kills me. Can you tell your parents that I got sick or something?"
"Sure." Caitlyn said, as she looked up at Vi. All she wanted to do was pull that older woman into an embrace and thank her for putting up with her mother. Caitlyn stood back and watched as Vi walked up to Jayce and Claggor, grabbing her stomach, and acting like she wasn't feeling well. She watched as Claggor smiled, before grabbing Vi, and helping her back to their truck.
"Tell your mother thank you for dinner, but I better get Vi back before she throws up on herself." Claggor said, as he practically ran Vi back her truck.
Caitlyn waved, as Jayce came walking back to her side to join her. "Well, isn't that a shame, I was hoping to get to talk to Vi more." Jayce said as he waved bye.