The joyful face of sister Rosette emerged in front of us. She is the founder and CEO of La Clara, a well-known boutique in the Philippines. Sister Rosette is a talented fashion designer who has been invited to numerous major fashion shows throughout the world. Her designs gradually gained international recognition.
“Greetings, Aunt Lila!” she smiled as she kissed Aunt Lila on the cheeks.
Aunt Lila smiled warmly at her niece and replied, “Hello to you as well, sweetie.”
Rosette turned to face me after greeting Auntie. When she motioned for me to approach her, she smiled brightly. She extends her hands toward me, as if she wants to hug me. I smile as I shake my head. I approached her and gave her the hug she was looking for.
“Aww, my little Anna, you are still as beautiful as ever,” she remarked as she continued to hug me.
What she said made me giggle. She is ten years my senior, yet she treats me as if I were her younger sister. She wants me to be with her because she is the only daughter of four siblings. She used to go to Aunt Lila”s place on a regular basis. Even though we were ten years apart in age, that is when we started to get close.
After we parted hugs, I added, “And you, too, ate Rosette.” She escorted Aunt Lila and me into her boutique with her arm around our shoulders.
“You do not come to our house very often, Sette.” Aunt Lila sat on the sofa and said, “We do not bond very often anymore.” In the chair in front of us, Sister Rosette sat.
“Please accept my apologies, Auntie. I have been preoccupied with taking care of my boutique. You know, I have to work hard,” she replied, laughing.
We all laughed out loud at what she said. Even though she did not have a man, she made it sound like she was raising a family.
“You sneaky little thing. You are a workaholic to the core.” Aunt Lila replied, shaking her head, “You also inherited from your cousin who had nothing to do but work,” sister Rosette burst out laughing.
“You are right, Aunt Lila. Taking a day off from work is not difficult.” I tease her, “Besides, your crew can handle a day without you.” She merely teasingly sticks her tongue out.
“Oh my goodness. I have had enough of my love life. Let us talk about the cause for your visit to me now,” she remarked, smiling and teasingly looking at me. Her brows waggle up and down, as if she is mocking me.
“I was not even informed last week that there would be an engagement at your party, Anna,” she teased.
My cheeks flushed. I am a little nervous about talking about it. Add to that the fact that Aunt Lila, who is always smiling, is observing my reaction.
I am starting to feel like a defenseless cat who is being teased by these two.
“Hija, what are your thoughts about the two of them? Isn”t it true that they look great together?” Auntie inquired of sister Rosette, who was staring at me dreamily. She even poked me in the side to tease me.
“You are absolutely correct, Auntie. You know what, I have been secretly shipping these two since then,” Rosette, the big sister, stated. Even as she sat in her chair, she clapped her hands.
I cannot help but shake my head at how they are acting. Their juvenile behavior has even beaten high school students.
Aunt Lila smiled as she tucked my stray hair behind my ear. “Tell me about it, hija,” she said.
I cringed at the sight of the two of them.
“Can you tell me when the wedding is? Oh, I will make room in my schedule for that day. I would not miss it for the world!” exclaimed big sister. She seemed to be even more excited than I, who will be the one to marry.
Aunt Lila smiled and said, “We still do not have an exact date, but I’m sure the two will get married before Christmas.” Sister Rosette smiled even more.
As I listened to them talk about Alessandre and myself, I just gasped, as if what they were talking about was not right in front of them. When the two are together, they will never run out of gossip and anecdotes.
It would be good if I was not the subject of their discussion. I wish I could keep up with their stories, but they cannot stop taunting me because they are both so thrilled about my forthcoming wedding to Alessandre.
“Good for her, Auntie! Anna”s Christmas is not going to be cold anymore! She will have someone to hug during the cold season. Tsk, you sneaky little fox. Auntie, she will even marry before me,” sister Rosette said, her face wrinkled. Aunt Lila just laugh at her remarks while my cheeks becomes redder.
“Oh, Rosette, please do noy tease Anna anymore.” Aunt Lila laughed at my reaction, “See how her whole face is blushing.”
“All right, Auntie,” she promised, “I will stop teasing her.” As a result, I was able to release a deep sigh of relief. Good.
“Anyway, we did not come here just to say hi.” Aunt Lila remarked, grinning from ear to ear, “We arr wondering if you could design and make Anna”s gown.” Sister Rosette smiled and nodded.
“Auntie, I will gladly accept the job. It gives me great pleasure to sew the wedding gown for my favorite younger sister, Anna,” said Rosette. When she noticed that I was looking at her, she gave me a wink.
She walked away from us and said she”d go grab the gown brochures for me to chose from. She was already carrying the three brochures when she returned. Auntie offered us one when she placed them on the table.
“So, have you considered a design for your gown? Do you want a sultry gown or something more conservative?” She inquires.
I gave it some thought. I am not a big fan of revealing clothing. I prefer clothing that covers the areas of my body that need to be covered. I would not describe myself as a conservative woman.
“Would you like anything similar to this?” as she showed me her bridal gown designs, she said.
When she showed me the extremely exposing outfit, I almost passed out. I was taken aback by the fact that I could see practically half of the model’s chest.
The garment appears to have been saved on cloth, but sister Rosette claims that the gown was made exactly like that. She even made a joke about my reaction.
“You know what, you should start feeling good about yourself. Wearing exposing clothing is OK. There is no harm in doing so. Besides, you do not have to be embarrassed of your body,” she remarked as she examined my entire body.
“You have the curves and the figure that ladies desire,” she went on to say.
What she said made me squirm. She is true; I am not sure I trust my body enough to wear exposing and sensual attire.
I am not used to it either, aside from the fact that I lack confidence and do not think those kinds of outfits will look good on me. I also do not want to draw too much attention to myself by wearing those kind of things.
What other people might remark adds to my apprehension about wearing exposing clothing. Let us be honest. There are many people around us who, in the way they monitor our movements, act like CCTV cameras. Plus, we live in a country where people are conservative and often closed-minded.
As a result, I appreciate women who are brave enough to wear anything they want, regardless of what others think. They strike me as strong and empowered women.
“Sister Rosette, I a. looking for something simple and minimalistic. It is fine for me to show some skin, but not as much as in the picture,” I responded, pointing to the image she had shown me earlier, which had over half of the chest exposed. She made a funny face at me.
“It appears that the gown is not covering anything, eh? In my opinion, it is more like a bra and slacks than a gown,” sister Rosette burst out laughing at what I said.
Aunt Lila, who had been gazing at the sample wedding gowns in the brochures with great interest, turned to face us.
“That is too much for my sanity,” I remarked, glancing at the image in question.
“Aww, my little Anna, you are such a baby girl,” she patted my hair. Her gesture made me grin. When she is delighted or proud of me, she likes to pat me on the head.
“Do not worry, I will make your gown just how you want it. I will put all of my fashion designer talent into making your wedding gown,” she said with a grin, and we both chuckled.
She stated that she will show me the design of my gown next week. When Auntie”s phone rang, Sister Rosette and I paused in our conversation. Aunt Lila smiled as she replied. Aunt Lila”s phone call with the individual she was speaking with lasted a few minutes as well.
Sister Rosette and I stared at one other and shrugged at the same time since we had no idea who Aunt Lila was talking to. Auntie smiled as she hung up the phone and turned to us.
“It was Alessandre who called me.” Auntie smiled as she replied, “He is meant to pick up the two of us.”
Rosette, the big sister, screamed her approval for what she had just heard.
“Wow! That is wonderful! ” She remarked, dreamily smiling.
I merely give her a shake of my head. She enjoys making fun of me. While we waited for Alessandre to come, we just talked.
Alessandre was simply hunting for a parking spot, Aunt Lila explained, and then he would come here. Rosette, my older sister by heart, tells a lot of stories, but I cannot hear her because my mind is racing. My heart skips a beat whenever I think of him.
Instead of concentrating on Alessandre”s arrival, I tried to concentrate on Aunt Lila”s words. The majority of the conversation revolved around my approaching wedding.
Rosette, my older sister, inquired about my wedding in great detail.
“Mom,” said a chilly baritone voice.
When we heard the voice, we were laughing so hard because of older sister Rosette”s story about her past lover. I turned to face the source of the voice, and there I saw the man who was causing my heart to beat irregularly fast.
As I observed his completeness, I held my breath. With his typical solemn expression, he stands at the door to big sister”s shop. But that did not stop others from staring at him. He attracts everyone”s attention.
I cannot say I blame them; Alessandre looks particularly dashing in his business suit and with his hair styled in a professional fashion. He is just standing there, yet he is confidently standing with his hands in his pockets, like a model.
If he had modeled, the modeling business would have felt threatened.
Aunt Lila, his mother, greeted him with a smile. As she approached him, he kissed her cheeks. Rosette, my older sister, and I both approached her at the same time.
“How is life, cous?” asked sister Rosette, smiling.
He replied with a faint grin, “Life is fine, Rosette.”
My sister walked over to him and hugged him. I was amused by what they had done. This two cousins have always been close.
Sister Rosette smiled at Alessandre and said, “I heard you are getting married.” He just gave her a menacing grin. She gave him a slap on the arm.
“Hey, do not hurt my darling girl,” she said. “I will truly reject and forget you as my cousin when I see her crying,” she told Alessandre as she hugged me.
I am embarrassed, which is why I lowered my head in response to what he said; I know she understands that our marriage is purely for business purposes and that there is no love between us.
After saying our goodbyes to sister Rosette, we went to an Italian restaurant.
We were planned to eat supper there because it was already beyond six o”clock in the afternoon, but we remembered Uncle and decided to just take the meal out. For much too long, we were unaware that we had.
Aunt Lila said to me as I was ready to enter Alessandre”s car, “Anna, go ride in Alessandre”s car.” I was rushing to get into the car that Auntie and I had taken to the mall earlier, but I guess luck was not on my side today.
“What?” I ask, puzzled. Aunt Lila gave me a friendly grin and motioned to Alessandre”s automobile. I shivered.
“But…” I added, a smile on my face. I kept a close eye on Aunt Lila”s face to see if she was serious about what she had just said. As she took me to Alessandre”s car, I gasped. I was told to ride with Alessandre on the way home. Before I could finally get inside Alessandre”s automobile, I noticed his joyful smile.
He has been watching and smiling at my idiocy the whole time.
The entire ride, Alessandre and I were in complete silence. No one dares to say anything between us. When I just looked at him, I saw that he was just relaxing while driving, and he didn”t seem bothered by the fact that it was just the two of us in this confined area again.
While I was nervous and restless, he was relaxed and even had the audacity to whistle.
Throughout the journey, I prayed that we would be home soon so that I could be free of him sooner.
He grinned and continued, “You look incredibly stiff, Anna. Do not forget to breathe. I am not going to eat you. Well, not unless you allow me to.”
His gaze remained fixed on the road, but he maintained his unpleasant grin. Instead of paying attention to him, I focused on what we were traveling through.
Because there is not much traffic, the vehicles move quickly. Thank you, God. If I were to stock up on traffic with Alessandre, I am not sure what I would do.
When I realized I was calling him by his name without addressing him, I got goosebumps. Big brother naturally came out at me. It was as though that is what I should have called him all along. Surprisingly, I do not mind calling him by his first name.
When I first called him big brother, I was a little frightened. He does not seem to like it when I call him that.
We arrived home after what seemed like an eternity of sitting behind him in the passenger seat. I tried to open the door before the car came to a complete stop. When Alessandre gave me a menacing look, I came to a halt.
Uncle Sandro was discovered watching television in the living room. Alessandre and I both greeted him and kissed him on the cheek.
After that, we had dinner together. The men are talking about business as usual, while Aunt Lila and I are silently listening. When they did not mention Alessandre and I”s wedding, I felt at ease.
Our meal came to a close with little action. It was just a regular meal for us. After dinner, I walked upstairs to my room. Uncle, thankfully, did not inquire about the outcome of our walk.
I am too exhausted to respond, and the reality is that the word marriage has already entered my mind and I am so done with that word.
People have been asking me if my engagement with Alessandre is true or not since Uncle Sandro announced it. My classmates are likewise interested because some of them have been invited to the party and have most likely heard the announcement.
I am exhausted right now. When I got to my room, I went straight to the bathroom. I am exhausted from today”s events, and a warm bath will at the very least help my body rest.
I have already got the bathtub ready. I was submerged in a matter of minutes. As my body and the mild water collided, I grinned and let out a big sigh.
I sat in the bath tub for almost an hour. I almost fell asleep in the bathtub, eh? Fortunately, I was awakened.
I chose to clean my body because I was already tired. I walked out of the bathroom after taking a shower. Since no one could see me, I did not bother folding the towel over my body. I am also too lazy to get up and pick up the towel on the rack.
My entire room was slightly dark when I emerged from the bathroom. Only two lamps offer light across the space. I was astonished because I remembered turning on the light in my bedroom before entering the bathroom. What is the status of the closure now?
I switched on the light in my bedroom. When I saw Alessandre lying face down on my bed, I was stunned. He is only wearing a boxer and no shirt. I burst out laughing.
My cry stunned him, and he leapt to his feet. He rushed up to me and swiftly covered my mouth. He signaled for me to remain silent. I tried to break free from his clutches, but I could not. Aunt Lila came knocking on my door later.
Aunt Lila worriedly said, “Sweetie, are you okay? I heard you cry.” I did not say anything immediately away.
“Anna?” she inquires once more. Before responding to her, I cleared my throat.
“I-I”m alright, Auntie,” I replied anxiously. “I just noticed a cockroach here in my room, but I already killed it.”