For years I endured it, with just imagining how my mom looks like. I really want to tell Dad how I wanted to see her, but he just gets mad at me whenever I opens up. Sometime, when I was ten, I stole a picture of her from Dad's things. Emily saw me, but she just ignored it and waive me away. That same day, I showed her picture to my siblings during our little circle. That's how we call it every night, when we have a bonding time with each other. Being the youngest now, I all tell them how lovely my mom is.
"She is the prettiest lady I ever saw," I proudly tells them.
"Pretty than mom?" Louisa inquires at everybody's direction.
"Mom is pretty charming," I tell, "but Macky is the prettiest," I add honestly.
"Well, that's her name? Macky? What sort of name is that?" Olivia throws back while giving me a sharp look.
That time, I already knew that she hates me because I told Dad about her affair with a Pedro kid in the neighborhood.
"I think it's a nice name," Octavio said to me. "Besides, she's Chinese. What can you say? That's how it is for them. Our names are also weird to them. Right, Heroine?"
Octavio looks to Heroine then smiles to me. Heroine just laugh. "Of course. Sometimes I wonder what's with the Lei on our Suza's name. Now, I sorted it out." With that, Heroine puts his hand on my head and messed my hair.
"Look," I tells them, "My mom, Macky, is the best. She's perfect, and Dad said that she's dearest to him."
"So you're telling us that our mom is not dear to Dad, cause your mom is?! What the hell was that?!" Olivia retorts then walks out.
"Ah, I better go with her," Victoria said as she gives me a sympathetic look. "Just stay here," she mouths to me.
Louisa also follows, together with Aguiluz.
"It's late. A very good night Suza," Octavio said as he kisses me goodnight.
"Well, that makes just the two of us," Heroine said as Octavio exits our receiving room.
"I think she hates me," I said as I looks to him. "Olivia. I told Dad, I saw her with Pedro doing stuffs they shouldn't."
"Well, Olivia is old enough."
"Are you kidding? She's just what? Twenty-one? Dad should know it. He wants us to go to college. We can't let him down. Not now."
Heroine patted my shoulder. "Are you sure you're just ten?"
"I am turning eleven. Next year, I am going to enter middle school. What makes any difference? I am old enough. Besides, you're all going somewhere, and I'll be left behind, with Dad and Emily – I mean, mom - You're mom, back in the country, I will be here with Antoinette. I think I know better. I must."
"I'm not going anywhere if that's what makes you worried."