Tale of the Lotus Heart
Chapter 38

"As for how I got here, the charm you wear in your hair was given to you by me for your protection. Whenever it activates, I'm notified immediately. I'd almost given up hope of replaceing you when it alerted me. I hoped it was you, but I was ready to be disappointed," he explained.

"Did you call me Aivi, is that my name?" I asked. He smiled softly as he wiped the tears from his cheek as he sniffled.

"Yes. You are Aivi, and we have two beautiful children: Tyrian and Amethyst," he said. He looked around before coming closer to me.

"Here, take a seat. I'll try and see if I can restore your memories," he said as he sat me on the floor of the barn. He made weird motions with his hand before pointing his index and middle fingers at me. A rush of calm energy flowed through me. I found myself closing my eyes and a movie about me played on my eyelids. The more I remembered, the more emotional I got. After the reel finished, I opened my watery eyes and looked at the man I loved.

"Yong?" I said in realization. He was my forever. Everything we went through, every happy moment. How could I have forgotten. I stood before jumping into his arms. He held me close to him with a sigh of relief.

"How are the twins? What happened while I was gone? Wait... you said I've been missing for 800 years? I've only been here a year in mortal time," I rambled.

"The twins are fine. When they started walking and talking, I sent them to live and be trained by Floral Goddess Peony. I didn't want to fail them like I failed you," he admitted as he hung his head. I placed a hand on his cheek gently.

"It wasn't your fault. Your mother caught me off guard. And your charm wasn't stronger than the Abyss. But you shouldn't blame yourself," I assured him. I heard Ronald go into the house before I looked back to Yong.

"Come with me," I said as I held his hand in mine. I led him to the house and went inside.

"Margaret, Ronald..." I called. They came to me only to look at Yong.

"Sara, who is this?" Margaret asked.

"My husband, Yong. He found me. And I found out that my name is actually Aivi. I got my memories back," I explained. Margaret smiled as her eyes got watery.

"I guess that means you'll be going home soon," she said. I could tell she was happy but also a bit sad.

"I have children I need to look after," I answered.

"Because you were both so kind as to take in my wife and provide her shelter and food, I'll be sure to repay you to show my gratitude. In this lifetime, you'll never have to want for anything. If you so chose to stop farming, you'll be properly taken care of. And when you pass from this life, you'll be reborn as immortals, to live out your days in the Heavenly Realm with ease," Yong said to them. They were confused by his words but it was to be expected. The realms weren't common knowledge to everyone. He pulled something out of his robe and handed it to them. It was a blank check.

"No amount is too high. Write in whatever you see fit for your needs," Yong explained.

"We couldn't... Aivi was a joy to have around, we appreciated the company, and it's not like she stayed for free. Aivi always picked the freshest and best looking apples. She was a great help to us," Ronald refused.

"I'm not lacking money. I want to do this to show my appreciation," Yong replied.

"We'll take it, but there's no guarantee that we'll use it," Margaret intervened as she accepted the check.

"Whether to use it or not will be your choice. There's no expiration date for it, and you can even deposit it for a billion dollars if you want," Yong said.

"Oh right, the clothes I arrived in?" I asked. Margaret handed the check to Ronald before taking me arm.

"I'll go get it for you," Margaret offered as she led me to my room. Margaret reached to the top of the closet before pulling down my gown and robe.

"I'm glad you found your family, Aivi. Who would've guessed that you come from royalty. I guess you casually wearing this expensive-looking dress should've been our biggest clue," she joked as she handed my clothes to me. She had no idea how much she hit the nail on the head with her joke.

"Margaret... I'm grateful to you for taking me in. I know you're hesitant to use the check, but please keep it in a safe place to use when you need it. Like Yong said, we're not lacking money, and he really is royalty. You'll come to know it when you're reborn, but until then, I'll be sure to visit you. I'll even bring my children to come play and meet you guys," I smiled softly at her.

"Oh right! You got all your memories back. Can you tell me about your children?" She asked. I took a breath as I began to change clothes.

"Last time I saw them, they were just born. I had twins. One boy, Tyrian, and one girl, Amethyst. I was away for a long time because of my accident. They probably look eight years old now," I talked. I pulled my robe on over my dress and went to the vanity to fix my hair.

"Do you remember how your accident happened?" Margaret asked as she came over to help me comb through my long hair.

"Yong's mother didn't approve of us. We were planning our wedding, when she tried to kill me. I woke up on your land," I answered honestly.

"I'm sorry to hear that. You seem like a bright and well mannered young lady. I would love to have you as a daughter-in-law," Margaret said with pity.

"I may not be your daughter-in-law but we're still family," I assured her. After my hair was fixed and my clothes straightened, we went back to the living room where Yong and Ronald were talking amicably.

"Yong, I want to bring the kids to meet Ronald and Margaret later," I said.

"After we settle our things, I'll be sure to bring them back," Yong promised. He came to my side and took my hand in his.

"Ready to go home?" He asked. I smiled lightly and nodded.

"Margaret... Ronald... thank you for everything," I said before we left to fly back to the Heavenly Realm.