Cixous's POV
With my chin proudly held up, I walk with elegance as the heels of my shoes make sounds and all. I remove my sunglasses and smile at the person in front of me.
"Welcome back, Cix" Vri gave me a warm welcoming smile before spreading her arms asking for a hug.
"I'm back, Vri.." I responded before leaning in for a warm hug.
It's been five years. I've overcame a lot of hardships and struggles and I've worked to the very best of my abilities for the whole years that passed, I didn't waste my time idling around in Seattle and now I've finally came back from where I started. Not as the eldest young lady of the Gremory Household but as myself, as my own person.
I've achieved lots of irreplaceable achievements throughout the past years and I earned it through my own hard work. But I guess my greatest and most favourite achievement is,
"Where's my son?"
"Mommy! I missed you!" Veighn Yeshua, my son, cheerfully came running to me from behind Vri. I pick him up with both my arms before wrapping him in a tight embrace.
"I missed you too, VY." VY as in 'v' for victory is obviously the abbreviation of his name, Azu suggested it and we just gradually got used to it since Yeshua doesn't really care of how we call him.
When we departed for Seattle, the news of my expulsion from the family was all over the internet and the news with different varieties of headlines with unknown reasons, the press tried to dig dipper but they found nothing, my disappearance was also hidden from the public and I guess Grandpa did it to prevent tarnishing the good reputation of the Gremory Household.
Days after we settled in Seattle, I found out I was days pregnant with VY, I was shocked to my very core but I was happy nevertheless, it was only me and Vri who knows about it but all my close friends eventually found out about my pregnancy, they didn't ask me any questions but I'm sure they were filled with lots of it before, they were just considering how I'd feel.
Yeshua became my anchor to reign my emotions and to motivate me, he became the very source of my happiness and determination to overcome any hardships that comes in my way. Vri and the others helped me raise Yeshua, taking care of him and buying stuffs he needs without even asking me. I'm really grateful that I don't know how to express it. All in all, I was just glad they were all there when I needed them the most.
"Did you behave, baby?" I softly ask before lightly pinching his a bit chubby cheeks. He arrived here a week ahead of me with Azure and Vio, VY is a smart kid so I wasn't that worried about him, I'm more particularly worried about how would Azu and Vio would act around him. I guess I can rest assured that they won't bicker while Yeshua's around but it still makes me worry.
"I behaved very well, Mommy. But Tito-ninong and the others were pampering me too much"
I arch an eyebrow at myself because of how matured Yeshua sounds. Oh well... He knows when things are too much so I guess it's to he expected that he'll complain but still...
"You didn't bring Ali?"
"Oh, she's with Midnight" Saglit na lang akong napatango. Ali is Vrianna's daughter, she's a year younger than Yeshua and Vri doesn't like to talk about Alistair's father just like me. Before we walk towards the exit of the airport I gave Yehsua my sunglasses since he was asking for it as I carefully drag my luggage since he was riding on top of it and he seems to be enjoying it so I don't have the heart to refuse him.
This country haven't changed one bit. I just wish I won't get entangled with some troublesome people during my stay here or else I'll force myself to fly back to Seattle with my son. But I already cut ties with the Gremory Family so I guess that won't happen, ang pamilyang 'yon lang naman ang alam kong magdadala ng kaguluhan sa buhay ko. They're a lot handful.
Pagkalabas namin ay saktong parada ng itim na hummer sa harap namin, flashy as ever, it's definitely Midnight, in our circle of close friends, he's the only one who uses flashy cars in every occasion.
"Hey, beautiful, get in"
"Hi, Tita-ninang!" Ali peak from inside the car with her hand holding the arm of her bunny stuffed toy.
"Hi baby!" I wave at her before smiling gently, "Night, mukha kang gago" Pambabara ko kay Midnight making him chuckle and I made sure to whisper and cover Yeshua's ears so the kids won't hear the word I said, I don't want my them to learn how to cuss at a young age, feeling ko ang sama kong parent pag ganoon.
Midnight stepped out from his hummer and put his arm around Vrianna's shoulder, "Anong problema nito? Bakit nakasimangot?" I shrug my shoulders to answer his questions, "Sinong hanap mo si, Azu-Fuck, ouch!" I covered Yeshua's ears again for him not to hear what Midnight shouted, good thing my son is an understanding one.
"I don't care about that guy, nagtatakha lang ako kung bakit buhay ka pa" Vri removed Midnight's arm around her shoulder right after she stepped on his foot and elbow hit the poor guy's abdomen.
Somehow, I always find myself sorry for the guys were friends with since they somewhat always get themselves hit by us, girls. Pero hindi naman kami nananakit without a reason and we weren't really serious but I just feel sorry for them every time it happens.
I carry Yeshua up and Midnight took care of my luggage before we get in his hummer. Vrianna gave her phone to Ali so she and Yeshua can watch cartoons. "Are you breathing? Why are you here? Hindi ka ba busy?" I ask Blizzard who was comfortably sitting on the shotgun seat. He's wearing his suit but it's all messed up so I guess he just finished working and went straight here from work.
"Barely. The last case I handled was so stressing. The judge was bribed by the criminal's parents but luckily there was enough evidence to put him behind bars. That bastard, playing games with me..tss."
Bliz looks so stressed and worn out. He is an attorney so to be stressed out with those kinds of cases are normal occurrence for him, specially if the criminal's parents are politicians who have wide range of connections or rich people who can bribe the judge but I guess some of those types of people still can't win against the ruthless attorney, Blizzard Vitalis.
"The main reason you look trashed right now is because you don't have love life" Midnight started the engine of his car after he buckled his seatbelt. Lovelife huh... I don't think Bliz is the type of person who'll be interested in that kind of stuff when he's so busy.
"I'm still dating your sister, you didn't know?"
"Wait, I thought you two broke up last year... Oh, the foster one.." Blizzard smirked at Midnight who was so surprised that he froze the car in the middle of the road. I'm also in awe but I'll keep it to myself, whoever woman is dating Blizzard is sure to have a rough time with a weird taste of men.
Midnight maneuver his car again towards Vri's condo unit where we'll be staying. In-offer ni Azu na bigyan ako ng bahay but I wasn't sure if I should accept it, he helped me a lot already so I decided to settle in Vri's unit in the meantime until I saved enough money to buy my own house.
Ali and Vrianna's almost always alone in their condo but that doesn't feel like it when some of our friends are their neighbors, I don't know why but they said that it's more convenient that way even though they already have their own houses. Nung dumating kami sa loob ng unit, some party poppers welcomed us with our friends scattered around the unit.
"Welcome home, Cixous!" They each express their own way of welcoming me one at a time. "Where's VY and Ali?" I pointed at Blizzard who have Yeshua and Ali in his arms with the other boys playing with them.
Yeshua's most loved and pampered when we're all gathered together. He doesn't seem to like other girls his age, since when we were in Seattle, he was avoiding or rather treating them insignificant but that doesn't seem to be the case with Ali, he likes her, or to specifically say, he treats her like a real little sister, they almost look alike so some people mistake them for siblings which they don't really deny.
"Those two really look alike, sure kayong hindi pareho tatay ng dalawa?"
"Gago ka talaga Azure" Maviz hit Azu's head with a throw pillow because of the nonsense he's spitting. Well, I'm not really a hundred percent sure and besides, I don't even know who VY's father is, the memory from that night last five years ago is still as hazy as ever. It just makes my head ache when I try to recall anything.
"So what's your plan now? Hindi mo talaga balak tanggapin yung bahay ni Azu?" I shook my head at Axeuz's statement. That will be too much. I'll feel like I'm taking advantage of his kindness na pag tinanggap ko yung bahay. I'm already a lot indebted to him, I don't wanna add more.
"She's staying here with me.." I lightly smiled at how Vri pulled me to get closer to her, well, she doesn't have any company here except for Ali so I guess it's fine, "but how about your work?"
"Oh, I already took care of that. My last boss assigned me in our branch company here so no worries"
I'm a journalist under State Trend Magazines and I've been working there for quite a while now, the company has branches all over the world so relocating is not really a problem for me, the main hurdle right now is getting along with the new employees I'll be working with from now on.
I just hope they're not unreasonable people and just purely easy to get along with.
The editor in chief in the branch here in this country is a friend of my last boss who's also the owner of State Trend Magazine,he recommended me not because I'm a friend but because of my skills and capabilities.
Although I took business management in college, I still managed to push through journalism. I travel a lot before because of this job so Yeshua is usually left with Azu, Vri, Axeuz or whoever friend is free but it's mostly Shan who was almost always like living with me in Seattle before. My traveling expenses were solved by my boss and he gives me extra bonuses and my pay is also quite high so I really have no complaints with my job. The only problem is whenever I have someone to interview, I mess up a bit because of my own habit of forgetting people's faces right away.
"Is that so? You're Damon's favorite employee so I guess that's good" Caleb is Damon's brother. I only recently found out about it since they don't really see each other that often and their surnames are different too.
The night when the party was over, after taking a bath, VY helped me unpack my things right before I tuck him to bed, "Mommy, are you alright?"
"Hmm? Of course, why do you ask baby?"
"Nothing, I just figured that I should ask.." Yeshua always asks me this before he sleeps if ever I'm with him. I actually find it sweet that he's caring for my well being, I mean it's only normal since I'm his mother but he's being too mature for his age. "Goodnight, mommy. Sweet dreams, sleep well and I love you"
"I love you" I kiss his forehead before fixing the blanket wrapped around the both of us. The day come and it was a noisy and annoying, to be honest.
"Sure kang kaya mo na magluto? Cix, I don't think VY and Ali can eat cinders" My lips automatically pouted after hearing what Vri said. She doesn't trust me with food at all! Well, back then I couldn't cook so it's a given, I suppose.
The only thing I can probably cook without messing up before is boiling water...or if you can really hardly even call it cooking, "You know what, just leave it to me. Ano sa tingin mo pinapakain ko sa anak ko kung hindi ako marunong magluto?"
I've change already, you know. I already know how to cook various different types of dishes, I'm actually pretty confident with my cooking skills now so all she have to do right now is watch me and get amaze.
"Uh, fast food?"
"Gosh, Vri! That's so unhealthy, don't tell me you're always feeding Alistair food from fast food chains?"
Once or twice a week is the maximum times I let Yeshua eat food from a fast food chain since I knew from first glance that it won't be good for his health, pero hindi ko na lang alam kila Viona at Azure kung puro sila fast food last week when I was MIA.
"Of course not! Nagluluto minsan sila Vio dito 'no! Pero kasi Cix...nag-aalala ako para sa pagkain..."
"Tita-ninang, you don't have to worry. Mommy is the best cook!" Yeshua gave Vrianna a thumbs up. It seems that Yeshua overheard our conversation from the living room so he got curious and went inside the kitchen.
We all woke up late earlier probably because of sleeping late last night, it's a good thing that it's still not past lunch though so we still have a lot of time to prepare food. I offered to make Yeshua a glass of milk but he insists on doing it himself.
It would seem that my son is not fond of me spoiling him, but making milk for him is not even worth of considering as spoiling! I guess he just wants to independent? But what's this feeling of being irrelevant...?
We left Yeshua and Alistair in the living room as they watch some cartoons together but I guess Vrianna and I were really loud that VY overheard us.
"Is Yeshua's taste buds alright? Hindi mo naman siguro nilason to 'no? Hoy, Cix!"
She forced me to hit a nerve kaya napilitan akong paalisin siya sa kusina. I push her until we reach the living room with Yeshua following us from behind, Ali was so occupied in the cartoon movie she's watching that she doesn't even pay attention to her mother who's trying to get her attention now.
I lightly sighed and head back to the kitchen to start cooking our lunch. Vrianna have her shift later today so I suppose I should make the lunch fast and light in the stomach.
I open the door of the fridge to check what I can cook and I found a bowl of peeled shrimp and some vegetables. Well, ayos na siguro to, I washed the veggies and the shrimp before cutting the vegetables in it's right sizes.
After some time, the sinigang shrimp I'm cooking was finally done, I transferred a portion of it in a bowl and served it in the dining table. I already put plates and utensils beforehand and made fruit shake for all of us.
"Hoy, in-order mo yan, 'no?"
"Kapal mo. Let's just eat" I helped Yeshua and Ali climb up on the chair since they still can't quite reach it. Naglagay ako ng kanin at ulam sa pinggang nila bago ako umupo sa sarili kong upuan at kumain.
"Hala, ang sarap. Cix," I turn my gaze towards Vri who looks like she's savoring the taste of the food she's eating, I arch an eyebrow at her, "Pakasalan mo nga ako tapos ipagluto mo ako araw-araw."
I rolled my eyes at her, "Sure, when's our wedding?" Nakisakay na lang ako sa joke niya. Of course, Vrianna doesn't mean that, and more importantly we don't swing that way. After lunch, pinaliguan muna ni Vri si Ali before taking a bath for herself since she have work later.
"I'll leave Ali to you. Alis na ko,"
"Sure. Ingat ka"
Vri showered Ali lots of kisses on her cheeks before standing up. She's not particularly late on her shift but it looks like that she's in a hurry to leave, she's wearing her maroon scrubs paired with a grey nike sneakers and her hair tied in a messy bun. Vrianna works as a nurse mostly 24/7 in Arcadia Medical so she has to leave Alistair with Vio if ever she's free or with Mavi.
Ali looks like she's used to it so she doesn't cry anymore whenever Vri is leaving. I still remember how Vrianna exaggerated the story where she first left Ali in Maviz's care and Ali started to cry like crazy loud and she didn't know what to do. Fortunately, the little kid gradually got used to it but still sometimes misses her mother.
I won't blame her though. Sa trabaho ni Vrianna, halos kulang na lang ay huwag na siyang umuwi at sa hospital na lang tumira but of course, she can't just leave her daughter.
Yeshua, Ali and I were all comfortably watching a cartoon movie again in the television when my phone rang, it was Azure so I immediately answer the call, "What's up?"
"I'll pick you and the kids up later at 2 in the afternoon. Get dressed lightly, isu-surprise ko kayo"
:)