"H-How did it get to this point?" Noah inwardly stutters, surprised to see Ernestina bring out a large bottle of vodka.
BAM!
His jaw drops
"M-More!?" His voice cracks in disbelief, amazed to see a large bottle of vodka in the center of the table.
Mabel, Iris, and Ernestina are sitting across from each other, and Noah stood up to join them.
Deep down, he had the urge to cry out to Belen. But the more he thought about it, the more he thought to himself, "damn! She probably knew this would happen! Is that why she didn't come?" He wondered, but at the same time thought, "no, there is no way. She said she really had to speak to her father...alone."
He takes a deep breath, blinking quickly because his eyes felt a bit dry, "I hope everything goes well," he lets out a deep sigh.
"Is something on your mind, Noah?" Ernestina asks, handing him a shot glass of vodka.
At this point, Noah couldn't tell the difference between water and alcohol but took it in one shot.
"Aaaagggh!" He heavily grunts, poking his numb tongue out like a dog.
The three saw this and couldn't help but giggle, making him blush in embarrassment. He quickly turned away as his face flushed bright red.
"You're so cute, Noah!" Mabel cheekily laughs, refilling his shot glass.
Like a cat, he timidly turned to see their laughing faces.
Three shots later, Noah realized that the music he eventually got used to was lowered.
Ernestina talked to Mabel and Iris, who were resting their head and the other their elbows on the table.
From the looks of it, Noah was able to guess they were probably having a serious discussion. He didn't say or do anything. Instead, he listened in quietly like a mouse.
Sure he looked about ready to pass out but fortunately, thanks to his past drinking habits, he gained high alcohol tolerance in Korea, so he was able to uphold himself.
In other words, he was most likely a vodka shot away from blacking out.
He childishly laid his hot head on the cold marble table. It was refreshing since his whole face was burning.
He simply stared at the three women sitting in front of him with dead fish eyes.
It sure was a spectacle since the three paid no mind to him.
Luckily Mabel somehow sounded as if she were sobering up but would head to the refrigerator to grab another beer at random times.
Noah gave up trying to stop Mabel since she finally left him alone.
He didn't want to let her know that he was still conscious enough to take another shot.
Noah internally cried, begging for Belen to answer his texts and phone calls but no answer.
As he flipped his phone over on the table and flapped his lips like a horse, the three women stared at him.
He caught their attention by mistake and simply tried to play it off, "uh haha, It's getting late."
Ernestina bewilderedly blinks, "hmm, so it is."
"What's the matter, Noah? You gotta go already~?"
"So...Belen is really not coming, is she?" Mabel sadly relaxes her beer on the table.
Noah alarmingly props his head up, "that's what you're all waiting for?!"
Iris bitterly sighs, "well, I'm not," she says arrogantly, crossing her arms.
Ernestina breaks the ice by carefully asking, "where is she anyway? What's keeping her from spending time with her mother and sisters?"
Noah sensed her sarcastic angry tone.
Just as he opened his mouth, Ernestina guesses, "she's with her dad, isn't she?"
He closed his eyes to prevent her from guessing correctly and pretended to yawn, "I-I don't know, she's swamped this time of the year."
Ernestina arrogantly scoffs, "she's not the only one who's busy. We all have a life, but we can all come together at least!"
Mabel dumbly nods, "I tried, but she only wants to distant herself from us" she stares at the beer, "because we're failures."
"That's not true!" Noah suddenly shouts, scaring the three to look his way.
Though his cheeks are flushed red, he firmly states with dizzy eyes, "…Belen. She is just hurt. It will take her some time before she can fully open up to you guys…"
Ernestina huffs, "she honestly thinks she's the only one who suffers. We all suffer, Noah. Look at Mabel. She could be at the hospital with Emma. Iris could've left if she wanted to. And me," she proudly points to herself, "I've suffered as well!"
Mabel sighs, trying to calm her mom, "Ma, I don't think that's what he meant. He's probably referring to Emiliano's death," she lowers her gaze.
"Noah. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but you need to know this." Ernestina's voice cracks from holding in her tears, "You may not know this, but I had a daughter named Iran. Her name may sound similar to Iris, but well," she deeply sigh, ready to tell her story, "will you listen?" she sadly smiles at him.
Noah had a blank look on his face and only nodded.
She went on to reveal, "Iran Eori Astares was my first daughter when Edy and I first immigrated to the United States. Iran was our firstborn daughter. But she was born sickly, something about her heart not being fully developed. I'm still unsure about it all since I knew nothing of English back then. And I only heard it from Edilberto. He understood a lot more," she pauses for a moment noticing that she's caught Mabel, Iris, and Noah's complete attention.
She musters up the courage to reveal, "Iran was a charming child," a soft smile formed on Ernestina's face, lighting up the whole room. "Iran was able to talk at just the age of two already!" she softly chuckles, "She was brilliant and observant. Iran was only two years old when I had Mabel. But" she looks at Mabel, "she was only an infant, I'm sure she doesn't remember."
Mabel slowly shakes her head. Ernestina continues her story, "Well, Iran was just about to turn three in two months. At that time, we lived in a small, narrow apartment. To be precise, we actually shared that apartment with a few of Edy's co-workers. OH!" she gasps, "at that time Edy was just beginning to work on opening a shopping mall with his friend Reuben. Anyways, he was busy, and when Iran had a doctor's appointment, I was often left alone and had to take her on my own. It's not a problem taking her by myself, but when you don't understand the language and can't read, it becomes a hassle. I'd take the same route to the clinic and then stop by McDonald's," she frowns, "Iran disliked going to the clinic, but the only way I was able to convince her was that I'd take her to McDonald's afterward."
At this point, Ernestina couldn't hold her tears in any longer, and little by little, a few tears streamed down her face, but she continued, "Iran…was always happy. She was my everything. I idolized her, Iran was my first daughter" she chuckles.
"It was not until a month later that her condition grew worse, and her appointments were starting to become every day. We couldn't afford to keep her in the hospital. Edy's mall was beginning, so we saw no income."
She took a moment and crossed her arms while leaning against the chair, "It was October. I did my best always to take her to the clinic each day. I don't know if she knew, but it was finally the last day I took her to the clinic. After that day, Iran was in critical condition, and they had to operate on her quickly. The doctors operating on her claim to have made a mistake. Ugh, I still don't know what it was. At least that's what Edy told me. We had no idea what to do. Iran died because of a mistake?" Ernestina violently wipes away her tear as anger seethed in her eyes, "How can a doctor make such a crucial mistake. It caused my daughter's death!" she does her best to calm down as a few more tears fell onto the table.
She sadly notices Mabel's tears. Ernestina bites her lip to keep her from wailing and continued, "Don't cry, mi Chula" she said, sincerely grazing Mabel's hand.
Mabel could only sniff as her tears trickled, "mm" she nodded.
"Her birthday. Iran Eori Astares passed away on the day of her birthday, heck!" Ernestina couldn't keep herself from wailing and tightened her fist, "the last day, I was going to take Iran to the clinic…I think she knew. Because during that week she was not her bright self anymore. She'd hide in the corners and beg me not to take her. I think she knew very well that day was going to be the last time she'd ever be at home with us!"
Ernestina burst in tears, quietly wailing. Mabel just kept crying with her eyes closed. She couldn't stop her sniffs. On the other hand, Iris looked quite numb or somewhat surprised but wore a blank expression on her face.
Noah's eyes only glistened. He was able to keep his tears in. But he couldn't help but feel Ernestina's agony. He knew that what Ernestina experienced is unknown and very much unbearable for a mother. Noah respectfully listened and only nodded attentively, but his emotions were twisting full of pain on the inside and feeling sorry for Ernestina about everything she had to go through.
If he were have heard this story on his own, maybe he would've let himself cry. But he felt the need not to cry so his emotions wouldn't get in the way of Ernestina from telling the story.
He was afraid that if he were to start crying like Mabel, then he could've drowned in his own locked-up emotions. There would be no stopping him, and he'd miss the whole story.
Ernestina saw this and, for the sake of Noah, continued, "When she passed away, that week I remember coming home, and Edy's brother was living with us at that time. Suddenly, after Edy left for work, I remember hearing the radio speaker turn on by itself. I looked at Edy's brother, Alex, and asked if he was the one who turned it on, and he would deny it wasn't him. I continued crying for months, I couldn't let go of her, but every time I cried, the radio speaker would turn on. It wasn't until Alex told me that maybe Iran was trying to tell me not to cry for her and let her go. I think he was right because every time Iran woke up, she'd run up to turn the radio speaker for music."
After minutes of silence and sobbing from both Ernestina and Mabel, Iris finally broke the silence and curiously asked, "Ma, is it true you guys filed a lawsuit and won?"
Noah's eyes widened, surprised.
"Yes, your father did. I don't know much about the details, but your father's boss helped us out a lot during that time. Thanks to his guidance, we were able to win. I think it's best you ask your father, Iris."
"Hmm," Iris merely nods, "but ma, if Iran died when Mabel was about to be one year old. And you mourned her death. How did you have me? I mean, why so fast? Weren't you sad?"
Mabel shockingly stares at her mother in shock. Noah had no idea what the problem was and blankly stared at Ernestina for answers.
She could no longer hide the truth from them and exposed, "it was your father. Edy couldn't keep his urges and manipulated me. I convinced myself that I would no longer have children and Mabel would be the only one. But Edy." She annoyingly sighs, "he told me that if I were to have another child, then that child born to me would be a reincarnation of Iran."
She angrily scoffs, shaking her head, "and I fell for it. That's when you were conceived Iris," she stares at her sadly, "I named you Iris in remembrance to Iran. But you were not her. You two were complete opposites."
Iris's pupils shook, alarmed to learn this haunting fact.
Ernestina explains, "that's why you and Mabel are about a year apart. I fell for your dad's lies."
Noah was strangely disgusted by what he heard. He couldn't process what in the world would make Belen's father so cruel enough to lie to a woman who just lost their child. As a man, Noah wished to understand Edy from that perspective. Nonetheless, Noah imagined himself in that same position if Belen were his wife, not even he would have the energy to want to have more children.
The fear of losing a child again would've been unbearable for both him and Belen. He suddenly got goosebumps as he came back to his senses.
The apartment suddenly felt cold. Mabel disappointedly sighs as she got up to close the windows. Iris stayed speechless. Her mouth completely shut as she forced a shot down her throat.
Ernestina finished blowing her nose and wiped away her tears, "Emiliano's death is something I can't begin to describe."
Noah immediately stretched his muscular arm to pat her hand, "it's okay," he says thoughtfully in a gentle low voice.
Ernestina smiles at his sweet gesture and nods, "that's right, there is always next time."
Noah has no idea who, but after an hour, the party music resumed, and after sobering up, Mabel, Ernestina, and Iris began drinking again.
He, too, got into drinking until there were no more beers and only the boxes remained. At this point, Noah is utterly wasted, drunk.
The four of them constantly fought over the bathroom, but Mabel continuously ran to the toilet. He barely had to use it because he knew the more he walked, the dizzier he became.
His tongue became wholly numb, and half of his face felt paralyzed. That was his limit. He felt himself slowly blacking out, his red eyes droopy from forcing himself awake.
Their speech was a bunch of mumbles and broken, but they could still understand one another.
"So, tell me, Noah," Ernestina sloppily asks, "why does Belen not like us? Since you know her so well!" Her tone sounded sarcastic, but maybe she was secretly jealous and wanted to know the truth.
Mabel lazily adds with her eyes shut, "hey!" she huffs, "what does she think she is? Why does Belen treat us like insects? Is she afraid I might be after the mall? If so, then I want you to tell her the that I am not interested at all! Alright Noah~!" she pouts pretending to look angry.
"mm," he merely nods, trying to hold his head up with his hand, "Belen does not hate you all. She…" he stares at the table, murmuring, "she is just lonely."
Iris cruelly spits out, "isn't that why she has that fiancé? What was his name again?"
Mabel stutters to answer, "E-Everthst Foxxs!"
Noah inwardly rolls his eyes, "she has no intention of marrying him. She's talking to her dad right n-"
Ernestina's eyes open in surprise, "ahh! So she's with her dad! Ha! I knew it. I'm not surprised. She always clings to him as if he were such a great father."
"She and her fiancé look close enough. I thought they were really dating. Have you met him yet, ma?" Iris casually asks.
"No, I haven't. Ay! This girl is not answering my calls!" Ernestina scowls at her phone as she tried calling Belen, but she didn't pick up.
Mabel suggests, "Noah, why don't you call her? I'm sure she'll answer you~!"
"I will try" he reluctantly pulls out his phone, but his blurry vision is keeping him from correctly selecting the correct phone number Belen should be carrying. If he calls her work phone, then she will not answer. But if he were to call her other phone, then maybe there'd be a chance she'd pick up his call.
He leaned against the table as he slapped the phone on his ear, listening to the constant ringing until he overhears an irritating voice, "Hello? Noah?" a man's deep voice resounds, making Noah grunt in disgust, "What are you doing answering Belen's phone?!"
"Noah? Are you drunk?" Everest asks.
"Shut up! Pass me, Belen!" he irritably demands.
Everest responds in the same way, "what the f*CK is your problem?! Belen isn't here. Why are you-"
"If she's not there, then why are you answering her phone?!"
"Are you F*cking drunk right now?! Get sober, you idiot! You called me!"
"NO! I CALLED BELEN!!" he yells angrily, gritting the phone.
This was probably the first time Ernestina saw this mad side of Noah. She almost wanted to interrupt and tell him its alright.
But before she could, Noah immediately hung up and started texting someone. Ernestina stayed hopeful that maybe by using him, Belen would show up.
After he finished texting whoever it was, Noah slammed his phone on the table without missing a beat and took another shot of vodka. His posture looked like that of an older man with his back hunched and legs wide open.
Mabel only encouraged his wrath but soon after ran to the bathroom, vomiting all over the floor. Iris saw this and decided it was about time she stopped drinking, or else she'd end up like Mabel, who is passed out in the bathtub like a bum.
Ernestina was sober enough to look after Mabel but not as strong until the doorbell rang.
If they all had wolf ears by now, their ears would've propped up, alarmed by the doorbell ringing. Mabel, who passed out in the bathtub, forced her eyes open and struggled like a worm to get out of the tub. All they could hear was a bunch of thuds as she fell and bumped onto the marble toilet and tub.
Iris quickly ran to the bathroom to help Mabel as Ernestina went to answer the door, "may I help you?" she timidly asks.
Noah forced himself to stand and ready his things, thinking perhaps the one at the door is probably Belen.
But much to his surprise and disappointment, his jaw drops as his brows increasingly furrow to see Everest Fox at the door.
"Oh!" Ernestina moves to the side, "is he someone you know?"
Noah grits his teeth annoyingly, "what are you doing here? Everest Fox!"
She gasps, taking a second glance at the tall white, blue-eyed man standing at the door dressed in casual yet sophisticated clothes.
Her eyes sparkled as she took a closer look at Everest's handsome facial features. His notable feature was his marble blue eyes. She stared at him in total admiration as if he were some statute.
Everest noticed her stare and physically looked down to meet her gazing eyes with a smile, "sorry to bother you at this time, ma'am. I came to pick up Noah."
Ernestina shyly yet shamelessly muttered in Spanish, "ay Papi me Puedes llevar a mi~" thinking that Everest wouldn't understand.
Everest only giggled, "sorry ma'am, maybe next time," he flirtatiously winks, making her blush red because that means he clearly understood what she said and meant. Ernestina was bewildered and realized only after they both left that Everest Fox is the fiancé Mabel mentioned.
"El es el fiancé de Belen!?" she asked in disbelief to Mabel and Iris, who were in the bathroom.
"ah, you finally met him?" Iris asks while struggling to help Mabel sit on the floor of the bathroom.
"If he's white, tall, and blue eyes, then yeah, it's him, ma."
"He's soooo handsome! Y entende Español!" Ernestina shockingly claims, still blushing from embarrassment.
***
Noah put up a fight and did his best to struggle against Everest because he refused to go home with him. Everest was done with Noah's childish ass and dragged him quickly to the car.
On their ride home, the car was silent, but Everest couldn't stop pinching his nose from the strong scent of alcohol. It was a worse stench compared to when Belen got drunk. He thought for a moment if Noah dove into a vodka pool because he couldn't understand how someone can get the strong smell of beer and vodka on themselves.
Everest was in his right mind, but the smell was so strong it made him nauseous until he lowered the windows.
Noah felt the cold wind slap his face multiple times. He didn't mind at all. It was refreshing since he was boiling, but soon enough, his stomach churned, and he started gagging.
Everest got so alarmed, he pulled up into a corner of the freeway and loudly yelled at him, "OPEN THE F*KING DOOR! OPEN IT! YOU BETTER NOT VOMIT IN MY CAR!!"
Noah was so annoyed to hear Everest's nagging but eventually threw up. Hearing him puke made Everest gag a bit as well, but he instead closed his eyes as if that would do anything.
He noticed and instead covered his ear, "disgusting sh*t!!" he squinted.
That was the only time they stopped on the freeway because afterward, Noah felt a lot better and laid back on the passenger seat with his eyes closed.
Everest would glance at him every once in a while to make sure he was okay. But secretly, he kept looking over at Noah in suspicion of whether he was sleeping or dead because the way he laid with his arms at his stomach made him look like a corpse.
It freaked Everest, but they were finally at the gates to their home, "We're here, get out!"
Before Everest stepped out of his car, Noah grips his wrist, scaring Everest to flinch in response, "what the f*CK man!"
"Why did you come?" he glares at Everest's annoyed expression.
"Sh*t!" he clicks his tongue, "you really wanna know? First! Get out, and we'll talk inside," he then mutters, "I don't want you throwing up in my car."
***
"Want some coffee?" Everest kindly offers as he began boiling water in a pot on the stove.
Noah is in the living room internally groaning while massaging his head, "I'll make myself tea," he answers hostile.
"Suit yourself," Everest grabs a glass of water and walks over to sit down on the sofa across from Noah.
"that's what I get for trying to be nice," Everest whispers to himself, knowing for a fact that Noah can completely hear him.
"So tell me, why did you pick me up? How did you know where I was?" Noah asks, furrowing his brows.
Everest proudly sips his water as if it were tea, trying to mimic the royals, "I'll tell you how, but I need to know," he seriously asks, "are you sober?"
Noah angrily slams his hand against the glass table between them, "do you believe me now?!"
"AHAHAH!" Everest unknowingly starts laughing, "you almost fooled me! Fine! You win!" he raises his hands in surrender.
"Stop lollygagging and tell me!" he demands.
Somehow seeing Noah all flushed from anger amuses Everest, "you won't believe me unless I show you proof," he shrugs, pulling out his phone and scrolling through it making Noah wait.
"Well?!"
"Dang! You and Belen really are alike! Calm down!" Everest finally taps his phone screen and passes it to Noah.
His furrows only twisted with confusion the more Noah recognized the text message, "how" he looks at Everest flabbergasted.
"I-Impossible! I know I sent that message to Belen! You're trying to fool me, aren't you?!"
He sighs, "gosh! Is it that hard to believe something you did on your own? You made a mistake!" Everest grins, amused to see Noah so flustered.
Noah, at this time, pulled out his phone and began to match his messages and calls to Everest.
His eyes shook, unable to process what had happened. Everest stood up and swooped his phone away from his grasp.
"Now, do you believe me? You were the one who called me first and sent me that message."
"I-I," Noah stubbornly stammers, "I was wrong," his back hunches.
Everest felt terrible for being right, but it felt terrific to see Noah's weak state. It pleased him so much he felt like furthering his embarrassment.
"I wanted Belen to pick me up," Noah childishly admits glancing at the glass table.
Everest can see his sad expression from the reflection of the glass and reluctantly sits back down, "when are you finally going to tell her your feelings?" he calmly asks, crossing his legs.
Noah scoffs, relaxing his back against the sofa, "as if that'll make a difference. She doesn't see me that way."
"Not yet?"
"Maybe…Or maybe not ever," Noah bitterly admits feeling defeated.
"Don't you have to try harder for her to like you?"
"…"
"don't give me that look!" Everest confidently says, "You like her, right? Then you have to try harder for her to see you the same way."
Noah looks at him, confused by his stupidity, "that makes no sense."
"You love looking down on everyone," Everest arrogantly smirks, "take her out on dates. Do something she'd never expect from you. Make her fall for you. Honestly, if I were you, it'd be easy since you know everything about her."
"Hmm," Noah grins, "but she does not know much about me. She's done so much for me, I don't know how to repay her. I'm already using her money to search for my parents," he grunts, massaging his forehead.
"Y-You're looking for your parents?" Everest asks, surprised.
Noah regrettable sighs, "yes, I am. I was abandoned in South Korea, in the snow…"
His story sounds similar to what happened to Everest, "when? What year?"
He glared at Everest sharply as if telling him not to ask any further when Everest admits, "a-actually the same happened to me," he says sullenly.
"But you have parents."
Everest scratches his cheek, unsure if whether he should reveal this truth or not to him, "my mom used me to run away and left me in the snow. Is that how mothers treat their children nowadays?"
Noah didn't say anything because Everest's tone sounded serious. He discovered a new similarity he now shared with Everest, especially when he saw his distant, sad eyes.
Those were the same eyes he saw in himself. Hearing that truth come out of Everest's mouth made Noah feel a bit more comfortable knowing that it wasn't just him this happened to. But it didn't make him curious to ask further because, unlike others who try to pry their noses into other's business. Noah could tell that just revealing that little fact was something Everest is not proud of recalling.
All Noah could think of was finding his parent's whereabouts. That was it. What alarmed him was how? It's been four years, and he still has yet to see any clue whatsoever, but he immediately recalls the vivid dream he had when he fell sick.
Could he use that as a clue? He didn't want to get his hopes up and gave up on that thought.
Noah fell deep in his thoughts when he failed to realize that Everest had gone to his room, leaving him all alone in the living room. He noticed the sun slowly poking out and saw a cup of tea sitting on a coaster on the glass table.
"When did I?" he takes a sip, "yeah, I didn't make this," he laughs, "he must've left it there," he chugs it down, making his throat hurt, feeling like a furnace.
He felt much better and stretched as he stood up, "I have to get ready for work," he says excitedly.