Never Judge



"Where is Al?" Ayanna asked as they waited at the foyer for Cara to come down.

"He still hasn't left his room." Ray frowned as he pulled his wife into a hug.

"He must want to say goodbye to her." Ayanna frowned as she looked up the stairs. 

"Ayanna. . ." Ray sighed as he heard a commotion upstairs.

They both looked up, worried that something bad had happened.

"I'll go check it out." Ray offered as he climbed up the stairs. 

"Alrich Lawrence, open this fucking door and say good bye to me!" Cara's voice echoed through the hall.

Ray could hear her sobs even from where he stood. 

"Cara, he hasn't come out in two days." Ray heard Eric sigh as he stood next to the young woman. "Uncle Ray has tried everything to get him to come out, but he won't." 

"I'm leaving today." She cried out. "How can he not say goodbye?"

Eric pulled Cara in his arms and slowly patted her back as she cried. 

"I think he's in denial. If he doesn't see you leave then it's like you never left." Eric sighed. "I promise, I'll talk to him, then maybe we can visit you."

"Cara?" A small voice said as Angelica stepped out of her room.

"Angelica." Cara sobbed as she stretched out her arms, offering Angelica a hug.

The young girl quickly ran up to her and jumped into her arms, hugging her tightly. 

"Please don't go." Angelica cried. "Al will be so sad."

"I think he's already sad, Angelica. And mad, probably hates me right now." The young woman told the little girl as she carried her in her arms.

"He doesn't hate you." Angelica cried as she buried her head in Cara's shoulder. "I think my brother loves you."

Cara blushed at Angelica's words. 

Ray on the other hand couldn't help but smile. 

They all assumed that the two youngsters had developed feelings for one another, they either just didn't understand what it was or they didn't want to admit it.

Either way, only time could probably tell. 

"I think your brother deserves someone better than me." Cara said with a sigh as she placed Angelica back down. "He's so smart and strong, and I'm stupid and weak."

"You're not." Andres said as he fully opened the door to his room. 

Cara looked up at her friend's brother and gave him a concerned look. 

"You're not stupid. I've seen you in school. Plus Al always said you were smart." Andres told Cara as he scratched the back of his head. "Are you really leaving? It was kinda nice having another sister around."

"Another sister?" Cara asked.

"Yeah, you've become like a sister to us." Andres shugged.

"And if Al marries you, you'll really be our sister." Angelica declared.

Ray couldn't help but laugh at his daughter's words. 

"Don't be silly." Cara said, shaking her head.

She stood up straight and looked back at Al's door. 

She gave it a firm knock and pressed her head on the door.

"Al, please." She pleaded, hoping he could hear her. "I'm leaving in a few minutes, I just wanted to say goodbye properly." 

She stood for a few moments, hoping Al would open the door, but it didn't.

"Cara. . ." Eric sighed. "I'll tell him you came by, give him your number, your address, I'll even take him to you if we can go."

Cara shook her head and knocked again.

"Aldrich Lawrence, you're my best friend. You are probably the most important person to me and I hate that you are ignoring me!" She shouted. "Open the door and say goodbye properly!" She cried out.

"He won't open it." Ray said from behind Cara. "You have to go." 

Cara frowned as tears began to fall from her eyes. 

Ray reached out and pulled her into a hug.

"Cara, you were the one that asked to leave, remember?" He reminded the young woman. "When you are ready, give us a call and you can come back. Your dad will still live here or he'll be set up somewhere else, but you will always have a home here."

Cara nodded as Ray released her from his hug.

"Get her bags." He told the maids who quickly sprang into action, some taking the bag she had been pulling with her through the halls, while the others checked her room.

"Let's go." Eric nudged Cara as they walked down the hall.

Ray looked back to check if his son showed any signs of coming out of his room, but the door remained firmly closed.

He sighed and shook his head. 

He knew his son was making a huge mistake by not saying goodbye to Cara, but Ray wanted his children to make their own mistakes.

They had to find their way in the world. 

Everyone was already downstairs ready to say goodbye to Cara by the time Ray got down. 

"All set?" He asked as he looked at his wife who was hugging the young woman tightly.

"Wait, I have something for Cara." Eric told them as he produced a box. "It's actually from Al, not from me." He blushed.

Ray smiled knowing that his son had asked his cousin to do him a favor. 

"Open it." Eric said as he gave the gift to Cara.

"Why couldn't he have given it to me himself." Cara sighed as she took the box from Eric.

She gasped as she saw the contents. 

"He's crazy." Cara gasped as she took out the necklace with an emerald ring hanging on it.

"Let me put it on you." Ayanna offered as she took the necklace from Cara and helped her put it around her neck. "I'm sure he'll miss you and he'll regret not saying goodbye."

Cara nodded as she began to tear up.

She looked up the stairs hoping that Al would suddenly show up, but he wasn't there.

She had said her goodbyes to everyone and yet Al was still nowhere to be found.

"We should go." Peter said as he cleared his throat. "The maids have taken the bags to the car."

"You'll see that she arrives safe?" Ray asked Peter. 

"Of course, she's my daughter after all." Peter said with a sad smile on his face. "I'll get to see my sister too, which is nice."

"Half of the security team will fly with you, another half was hired locally. Get back as soon as possible, we still have work to be done." Ray told Peter who simply nodded.

As the car pulled out of the driveway, Cara continued to look out the window, hoping that Al would come out to say goodbye.

She was hoping he would chase after her, telling her not to leave.

Even until the last moment, when they boarded the Lawrence family's private plane, she kept hoping to see Al.

But as the plane took off her heart broke. 

Al never showed up.

He never said goodbye.