Her Family
Jasmine felt loved at that very moment. A feeling of warmth engulfed her thawing heart as she smiled at her brothers. This truly felt like home.
The two young men sat on either side of their older brother, Max. The main chair at the end of the table was left vacant for the head of the house, their father Edgar. This was a routine that the family adapted for a while now. They would have at least two meals of the day together, no matter what.
The three young men started to bicker among themselves about something pointless, however, Jasmine watched them fully amused. She never thought that she would be a part of a family, especially not one as lively as this. Almost all her life, she had been living in a lonely orphanage.
Yes, it was true that being an orphan was not her fault, but what she had been through had made her believe otherwise. She was often bullied, even among fellow orphans, for not having anyone to visit.
Whenever she fell ill, Jasmine would have to endure and nurse her own self back to health. There was no one around to take care of her, much less dote upon her. Luckily for her, she was blessed with a brilliant intelligent quotient.
The people she once trusted and loved had betrayed her. It was after the almost dying incident two years ago, that she came to accept the facts that she had once turned a blind eye too. They had always used her.
Her so called 'best friend' lied to her repeatedly as she naively listened to her poisonous words. The only man she had ever loved, more than anything in the world, betrayed her love on many occasions.
She had given up her dreams for him. She had sacrificed her own happiness just to make him happy. But where did that sacrifice get her? It only gave her a broken heart and a dead spirit. This was the truth that she had been trying to bury deep inside for the last two years.
A tear slipped out of her eye but before it fell, a warm hand wiped it away. A soft peck replaced the place where the tear had been. Her red rimmed emerald eyes drifted up to see that it was her father.
Edgar spoke softly with a warm grin, "Darling, those of the past are not worthy of your tears nor of your love. You are just like a strong warrior. Not everyone could survive what you did. So my baby princess, don't be sad alright? You will make your old man sad too."
The three sons were watching them quietly, yet even though looking on in silence, they were the best to display their support of their princess. A soft chuckle left Jasmine's lips as she saw what the boys were trying to do for her. It was something she hadn't gotten used to yet. "Guys, let's eat, shall we? Our old man must be so hungry from all the posing I made him do this morning. Besides, you still have to help me look like a queen for my upcoming events."
Her words broke the silence as the men followed her instructions. She was their beloved Princess after all. Whatever she wanted, she got. As the family ate their breakfast, Emilio could no longer contain his excitement. "Princess, shall I have the honor to select your gowns and be your make-up artist? I promise to make you look like the Queen that you are."
A giggle escaped Jasmines lips. She covered her mouth with a napkin, and a mock cold look took over her face. "I will think about it! Your taste in fashion concerns me."
Emilio's fork froze midair. How could he accept such an answer? He wanted his princess to be his muse. A pouty frown itched onto his handsome face. He was about to open his mouth to complain when he heard another childish giggle.
Jasmine couldn't contain her delight anymore. How could the most sought-after make-up artist in the country be lacking confidence when it came to dealing with her? Of course, she wanted him to be her designer and make-up artist. No one could make her look better than he would.
His pouty face had made her smile and she couldn't keep up her ruse. Seeing this was the case, Emilio felt his heart filled with warmth. Max, Travis, and Edgar watched this little teasing display with amusement.
Emilio blushed lightly and thought, "I am glad I could make you smile princess."
The table soon became silent once more, however, it was a comfortable silence. Suddenly Max's phone pinged. He ignored it at first but it continued pinging. The rest of the family looked at each other questionably before their gazes fell on the culprit.
Edgar had set a few house rules for his kids and one of them was that phones were strictly not allowed at the table. Max had somehow been the first to break that rule after so many years of living by it.
"Young man, did you forget the house rules?" Edgar asked with a strict tone.
Max sheepishly scratched his head. "I am sorry father. I have been away from the hospital for some time and am starting to become a bit anxious."
Edgar eyed his eldest child as a knowing glint appeared briefly in his eyes. This was the first time that Max had lied to him so smoothly or so he thought. Not wanting to intrude, he ignored the lie. "I'll forgive you, this time. You should check it out. It's probably important."
Max picked his phone from under the table and opened it to see what the issue was. A loud gasp escaped his lips as he saw the contents of the message. He slowly placed back the phone and his eyes looked straight at Jasmine. "Jazz, how do you think the art gallery will go?"
Jasmine immediately became alert. Her eldest brother rarely called her by her name or nickname unless it was a serious issue.
"I-I think it would be fine as long as I have my family's support." Jasmine replied. "Besides, you have taught me to be confident and courageous these past years. Thanks to all of you, I can now face any and every thing that comes my way. Why the sudden question though?"
"Jazz." Max said slowly. "I just discovered the guest of honor will be your ex and his plus one would be no other than your best friend turned enemy. I am a bit worried. Can you handle it all? It's been two good years since you interacted with them."
For a moment there was pin drop silence but this time it was not as comfortable as before. The men watched Jasmine's reaction to the horrid news she just received. On the surface she looked unaffected.
The truth, however, was that Jasmine's heart had grown colder to such things. Her face betrayed nothing as she spoke, "I am as ready as I could ever be to face them, brother. But first, I want to make them look for me. In the course of the two years that have passed, I have been growing career wise. I would like to create an international network for my work and gain recognition."
"You see, I was ridiculed for being talentless by the very person I forewent my talent and dream for. Now, I would like to remain just a name without a face to the world until I am ready to forgive and forget or to make them pay for the pain I went through."
A smile formed on Edgars face as he sent Jasmine a thumbs up. "You can count on us for anything, love. Anything. You are no longer alone. You have Max, Emilio, Travis and I."
The boys nodded in agreement to their fathers words. This evoked a smile to return onto her face.
"Thank you." Jasmine answered.
They finished their breakfast in silence and dispersed to their duties after they were done. Jasmine walked back to her room and went into the studio that was connected to her bedroom. The pleasant sounds of her playing the piano soon filled the mansion as the rest of the morning progressed.