“Thank you,” I said quietly, “for sharing your lovely family with me; I am not sure what will happen to me if you do not take care of me.” I could not even sniff because I was sobbing. Having him around me with his arms is an overpowering sensation for me. It is as if I am dreaming.
I overheard him say, “Hey, kid, are you crying? Do not ruin my tuxedo.” I could not stop laughing at what he said.
Because of what he said, I softly smacked his chest. He let out a sigh.
“I can and did share my family with you. But why do you keep requesting more?” I raised my head to look at him, surprised. What was he talking about? It was my first time hearing him speak in such a broken voice, as if he was in pain and I was the source of it.
“What exactly do you mean?” I inquire, oblivious to what he is saying.
He merely gives me a naughty grin. Because the microphone abruptly rang, he was unable to respond to my query.
When I turned around, Aunt Lila and Uncle Sandro were standing in front of the little stage. We halted our dance. I looked up at my elder brother to see whether he was aware of what was going on, but all I saw were his deep, frigid eyes.
To grab people”s attention, Uncle Sandro exclaimed, “Hello everyone.”
“Our gem, Annalise Fay Amana, had finally celebrated her eighteenth birthday tonight. We are delighted to have you join us in celebrating our Annalise”s first steps as an adult,” Uncle remarked with a smile. He looked around and came to a halt when he finally saw me. He gives me a warm smile.
“We had been mourning the death of her parents, Rodrigo and Isabel, for eight years. Because they are our friends, we have chosen to take in their only kid, Anna. We have watched her grow into an individual with a pure heart and a sharp mind.” Uncle said, “She will grow up to be a person that her parents will be proud of.”
Okay, what is going on here? I tug on my brother”s tux to get his attention, and he stares at me so coldly that I almost shiver under his gaze.
“What is going on? This is not on the show,” I said quietly.
Instead of responding to my question, he simply glanced at me before returning his focus to the front. I was taken aback by what he did.
“With our son, Alessandre Atlas Villareal, we have kept an eye on her and guided her. And now, as they turn a new page in their lives, we will always be by their side, guiding them as we always do,” Uncle continued, drawing a scowl from me and a round of applause from the crowd. I am not sure what he is talking about. What the hell is going on here?
“Today is not simply about celebrating our Annalise”s eighteenth birthday,” Uncle added, smiling.
“But it is also a celebration for the engagement of my son, Alessandre Atlas Villareal, and the debutante, Annalise Fay Amana,” Uncle said, his face beaming. Auntie was also beaming as she looked at us.
On the other hand, I appeared to be deaf to what I had just heard. I am beyond shock. Uncle just stated something that I am barely comprehending. My mind wanders while I look blankly in front of me.
Uncle”s announcement enthralled the audience. They begin to converse while staring at us.
Some of them are staring at us with interest, some with surprise, and the majority of them are smiling and clapping their hands, asking us to walk to the stage.
My older brother took my hand in his and tucked it into his arm. He then gently urged me to follow him to the stage, where Uncle Sandro and Aunt Lila awaited us. I had no choice but to stand up. My entire body trembled with fear and shock.
When we arrived on stage, Aunt Lila and I hugged each other. She was still crying as she hugged me, and I was standing there like a stump.
“W-What … What is this Auntie?” I weakly ask, my voice trembling. My voice is scarcely audible to me.
“We will chat after this, Anna,” Aunt Lila replied simply, smiling at me as she tucked some of my hair behind my ear.
I had a look around the entire area. There are a lot of eyes on us. Despite the fact that they were clearly shocked, their smiles stayed on their lips. I noticed Lyka and Aiden”s perplexed expressions. They are looking at me, with a lot of questions.
I want to cry because I do not understand what is going on. And why is there an engagement between me and my brother Alessandre, although I have no relationship with him?
The camera flashes practically blinded me, but my entire body was paralyzed to the point where I could not even cover my face or close my eyes. My older brother and I stood in front of the camera as the photographers rushed to take shots of us. I am not sure where they originated from or why there are so many of them.
I can tell he is tensed up. That is how I feel since his hand is resting on my back and we are almost hugging because we are so close. I looked up at him, surprised, and noticed him staring at someone.
One of the visitors said, “They look nice together.”
They must have mistakenly assumed that my staring at him was romantic, but it is not. I am looking at him while he is looking at someone else. I followed his eyes only to come face to face with a woman who was standing at the door.
She is standing there like a model, dressed in a very sultry gown. It would have been ideal if she had not been crying. Her eyes welled up with tears as she watched us.
I was aware of the woman’s identity. Cassy Esguerra is her name. During my older brother’s senior year of high school, he had a girlfriend. As soon as I realized what was going on, I froze.
My step brother, who is currently alongside me as the paparazzi take pictures of the two of us, as Uncle just revealed our engagement, and the woman staring at us, are still in a relationship. After all these years, they are still together.
When I returned my sight to my older brother, he was still staring at her. Clarisse hurried away, crying. The muscles in his brother”s jaw constricted. My stomach dropped. I am starring at him, while he is staring at the love of his life.
We returned to our seats after Uncle”s announcement. After the program ended, the grownups began to have a good time. They discuss their different companies. While my older brother sat next to me, I was perplexed.
As we sit next to one other, we are both quiet. My heart is hammering in my chest. I cannot breathe because of the crowd, and this location is stifling me to the point that all I want to do is flee.
I am still reeling from what happened. It was supposed to be a modest birthday celebration for me. This is something I never expected to happen. I never expected such a narrative twist to occur in my life.
My relationship with my older brother Alessandre was still a brother only yesterday, even though he does not seem to treat me like one, but we are still siblings. But now I am not sure what is going on.
I am a wreck, and if I stay here any longer, I am going to lose my mind.
Uncle approached older brother to introduce him to the person he was speaking with. I walked out of the venue without looking back after they left. I had to get out of here. I would like to take a deep breath. And this area will not allow me to do so.
I hurried inside the elevator and pushed the button for my level number. When I got to the room where my bag was, I grabbed it and bolted out of the hotel. Every single person I pass is staring at me. Even though the party had not yet ended, they may have been shocked to see me out here. I promptly grabbed a taxi when I exited.
Fortunately, a taxi came by right away, so I was able to get away fast.
I leaned back in the car seat a little too far. The driver gave me a surprised look but did not inquire or say anything about it. Good.
He softly nodded when I showed him where I was headed. I tried to settle my still shaking body by closing my eyes. I stretched out my shaky palm and counted backwards and forwards from one to 10. That is one of the methods I use to de-stress.
Anna, take a deep breath. Breath. Keep your cool.
When the cab arrived at the address I provided, I hurriedly paid the driver and exited.
Soon after, the automobile drove away, leaving me standing under the shaded street lights. I was stunned as I walked. I am more relaxed now that I am alone. The raucous crowd had dispersed, leaving only the deceased to accompany me.
I take a deep breath of cold, fresh air, filling my lungs with the air I can finally breathe. The cool evening breeze caressed my skin. It also makes my long hair dance. I snatched my hair and slung it over my shoulder. When the wind blew across it, I gasped.
I just exhaled and let my hair blow in the breeze. I took my time walking, appreciating the tranquillity of the surroundings. This is exactly what I”m looking for.
A place separate from the throngs of people and from them.
In my bag, my smartphone is buzzing. I took my phone out of my bagand looked at it. Many calls from Aunt Lila and Uncle Sandro have gone unanswered. Lyka and Aiden have texts as well, but I did not read them.
Uncle Sandro”s name displayed on the caller id when my phone called again. I sighed and turned away from the phone. I sighed and pressed the power button on my cell phone. I took it gradually and tried to remember what had happened.
To be honest, I am not enraged by what Uncle Sandro and Aunt Lila did. For me, the word angry is a significant one, and I do not want to feel it for them.
The incidents simply astounded me. My connection with my older brother Alessandre was fraternal only a few days ago, but now I am not sure.
I never expected my birthday party to double as my engagement party. They did not merely arrange for me to marry some random guy; they were serious about marrying me to my stepbrother.
Were they aware that older brother has a girlfriend? Let us just pretend they are unaware of my stepbrother”s relationship with Cassy, but that is not a good enough justification for them to make the decision for us. We have our own minds and make our own decisions. They do not need to meddle in our personal lives any longer.
We already have our own lives. And I doubt Alessandre, my stepbrother, wants me in his life.
I took a big breath and exhaled deeply. I closed my eyes and took in the tranquillity of the surroundings. A smile sprang on my lips as soon as I opened my eyes. Despite the fact that it was extremely late at night, I gently made my way to this location.
Tonight, it is probably over 11 p. m., according to my calculations. When I eventually got at my destination, I smiled.
When I have a problem and need to talk to someone, I usually go here. This is where I am truly at home. The one place where I can just be myself and chat about anything is on my mind.
Talking to them as though they were here with me helps me relax. This is my safe haven. Mom and Dad, my parents.
I sat down in front of the two of their graves after first adjusting my gown. With this ball gown and make-up, I even giggled to myself since I appear like a runaway princess.
“Hi, Mom and Dad. What is new with you two?” I inquire. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them away.
“Please accept my apologies for not bringing flowers with you. I was rushing to see you earlier. I rushed here because I was afraid you would miss me too much.” I answered, slightly giggling, “That is it, I forgot to purchase flowers.”
“Dad, I am already eighteen. Who would have guessed I would be eighteen years old already, right? Is it a happy place for you and Mommy? Hello, Mom. I have been missing you. I am hoping you are seeing me now. Many people have commented on how similar we are.” Despite the increasing pain I was experiencing, I smiled and remarked, “Look, I am even wearing make-up.”
“Oh, how I wish you two were still with me. You know what, I would give anything right now to hug you. Mom, I desperately need your hug. I miss your kiss on the forehead, Dad. I miss the way you reassure me that everything will be fine,” I could not stop the tears from falling down my cheeks, so I let them.
“I have been brave and strong these past years, Daddy. I guess I got it all from you. You thought me how to be strong. But it will be a lot better if you are still here by my side, guiding me at all times,” I stated. I smiled as I stroked their grave.
“Perhaps it is enjoyable where you are right now. Nonetheless, I hope you did not abandon me first. Mommy, I am hoping you just took me with you. I would not be upset or crying right now if you had just taken me with you two,” I added, crying. My chest constricts.
I paused for a few moments before speaking again.
“By the way, Mom and Dad, I am actually having a party tonight. But I walked away from that. I would rather you stay with me. What time is it, exactly?” I dug inside my bag and took out my watch. I smiled when I realized it wasn”t 12 a. m.
“Look, Mom and Dad, I still have twenty-nine minutes until my birthday is over. I am delighted I was able to share this moment with the two of you. Is not it true that I will always be your little girl? Is not it true that, despite my age, I am still your favorite child? Well, you do not have a choice because I am your only child,” I laugh tearfully.
I stared at their graves, hoping that they are in good condition and that they are happy wherever they are. Their smiling faces bring me comfort whenever I remember them.
I knelt in front of Mommy and Daddy”s grave on the lawn. I do not know how many hours I just stood there staring at their graves. I would just regained consciousness when I noticed wetness pouring down my cheek.
I dismissed it at first. I thought it was just my tears, but I was not crying when I felt my eyes. As more water flowed all over my body, my question was addressed. It was not tears that fell, but rain. I closed my eyes and loved the raindrops raining down on my body. It did not matter to me if my gown was soaked. I was content with the rain falling on my now-damp body.
I laughed because the rain was tickling my skin. As it rained, I laid down on the grass and stretched my arms, smiling like a fool. I am not sure what went through my head to have me do this.
I am well aware that I will be sick tomorrow, but I was not thinking about it at the time; instead, I was enjoying the rain soaking on my body. I have not taken a shower in the rain in a long time. Because my immune system is weak and I get sick easily, I always avoid rain. This time, however, it”s different.
I want to experience the sensation of water dripping down my body. It makes no difference to me if I become sick tomorrow.
Tomorrow is still tomorrow. What matters right now is the now.
I am going to try to quit thinking about the future from now on. I am just going to live in the moment the way I want it to be. I am going to live it to the utmost, armed with the knowledge I have gained in the past.
That is something I have not been able to do in recent years. I am constantly so worried about how things will end out that I forget to live in the moment, and as a result, time has passed and I have not had the opportunities that my contemporaries had. I do not want to have any regrets, therefore I am going to enjoy my life to the utmost.
My spirit is ecstatic. I felt as though a huge object had been lifted from my shoulders. As I felt the rain, I grinned. Oh, how I adore it.
But when I could not feel the rain falling down my face anymore, my brow creased. The rain is still trickling into the soil, though. Only in my face do I not feel the raindrops dripping down. When I first opened my eyes, I was taken aback by what I saw.