"You're here!", my beaming Mom opened the door for us. Eric leaned over to kissed her soft cheek.
"You look so radiant today", Eric complimented her.
"It's my new hair cut, do you like it?", she said, blushing.
"It becomes you. You look younger like a sixteen year old", then he winked at her as I rolled my eyes. Such flattery in the middle of the day.
Goodness.
"Nicolaa?", mom. I didn't noticed she saw me doing that.
I was mortified and embarassed, being caught doing a childish antic.
"Hi mom. I missed you", I smiled awkwardly then gave her a kiss on her other cheek.
"You look pale", she touched my forehead. "Are you sick, darling?", still frowning.
"No mom, I'm fine", I assured her.
"She hates me", Eric blurted out.
"I do not!"
"She doesn't love me either", he pouted. Jutting his lower lip out.
I gave him an angry glare for being the childish one now.
"See?", he complained while pointing at me.
"Nic...", mom gave me a warning.
I took a deep breath.
Why does she always choose his side?
She's my mother!
But before I could explain, someone interrupted us.
"Hey bro!", Shawn, holding a steaming bowl of soup and a spoon and grinned smugly at us.
"Shawn?!", me.
"Hey! What's up?", Eric.
Eric went over to him and they shook hands while I was looking at mom with astonishment.
"What is he doing here?", I asked in a loud whisper.
"Tori invited him over", mom said smiling. Acting as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Oh? Okay...", I was left puzzled.
Something was going on with those two. And my husband doesn't even look surprised to see his brother here.
My eyes squinted.
Hmm... I better find out what's up with them, quick.
The two handsome Morrisons were laughing at each other's stories and were left sitting on the sofa while I followed mom towards the kitchen, where we found a busy Tori stirring something in a pot.
"Add the carrots now", mom instructed her.
"Hi Nic", Tori smiled at me while she poured the carrots into the pot.
It was a miracle to see my little sis cooking. She never does that. Maybe she wanted to impress someone.
"Why is Shawn here?", I inquired, matter of factly.
"Nic!", mom gave me a pointed look.
"He's my friend", Tori explained. "Why? Is there a problem with you two?", she frowned at me, same as mom.
"What?!", I gave mom an innocent look. Then gave Tori an innocent smile. "I'm just asking".
Then Tori's eyes became wide and then she blushed.
"You think that Shawn and I—", I raised my left brow at her. "No, we're not!", she denied stonily.
"Hmm, are you sure?", me.
"B-but I thought you and Shawn are together?", mom asked Tori, puzzled.
"We're not mom, I explained that to you earlier. Just because we're hanging out, doesn't mean we are in a relationship. We're friends, plain and simple. You don't have to add some spice on that! What's wrong with you guys?! Geez!", she turned her back at us and started stirring the pot again, while me and mom exchanged teasing looks. Not buying what she declared.
Mom cleared her throat.
"You're at the right age now and I think it's about time you find yourself a boyfriend..."
"Mom!", Tori. Pissed.
"Don't mom, mom me. After all, you graduated in college with honors and you found a new job so yes I think it's all good now. Go find yourself a comely lad", mom, nodded her head in emphasis.
"You have our blessings", I grinned at her.
"Seriously guys?! You want me to parade myself infront of those 'men'?!", she said scathingly.
We grinned.
She gave us a disgusted look then rolled her eyes.
"Okay, the next time I go out with my friends, I'm going to wear skimpy, little, skin-tight outfits and search for true love in a bar."
I giggled and hugged her.
She was my ever so serious younger sis and I knew she hates being teased. Sometimes I thought her mind was more mature than mine though she was our bratty baby in the family.
"We love you and we only want your happiness Tor."
"P-lease! Why are you bugging me about that?! I told you Shawn is not my boyfriend and never will be! Okay?! Period!", Tori flung her hands in the air for emphasis.
"Someone's got her knickers in a twist", mom.
"What?!", Tori and I, mortified. Our mom never say those kind of things. Not before though.
"Just kidding", mom grinned.
Tori snorted while I shook my head.
"Hey Tor, you better pay attention to that", I changed the subject and pointed at the pot, "Or we won't have anything for lunch."
Tori nodded her head, dismissing us. After a while she interrupted mom and my conversation because she wanted to know regarding how to prepare the dessert next.
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After lunch, we decided to drink hot cocoa outside the garden set kiosk looking over mom's beautiful garden. Tori and Shawn volunteered to do the dishes. Actually, it was Tori who volunteered first and he seconded. I noticed Morrison Men were fond of cleaning the kitchen.
I would ask Eric about it next time. Maybe they weren't allowed to do that in their house. With all those servants around, no wonder they were dying to slave themselves in the kitchen when they got the chance.
"I decided to go on a trip outside the city with my friends next month", mom announced. Smiling at me and Eric, who was seated tightly near beside me eventhough there were other chairs around.
"Where to?", I asked, sipping my cup of choco. It surprised me to learn that mom is going out with her friends again after dad passed away. Maybe, just maybe, mom is fully recovered from losing him.
"Vegas."
I paused for a while before I placed my cup on the table infront of us.
"Would you like me to make some arrangements?", Eric offered her.
"It's okay Eric, we already made some. We were suppose to go last year but Maria's husband got sick so we postponed the trip for a while."
"Did you book your flights already?", I inquired.
"Yes we did, but actually Doris and Eunice said it is much better if we go to another place. They said we old people don't belong in those casinos and disco thingy you young people go to nowadays", she laughed timidly.
"Where would you like to go?", Eric smiled fondly at her.
"Somewhere serene and calming", mom took a deep breath, "The ocean is much preferable."
The sea, oh how I miss our honeymoon Barbados trip. I wish Eric will take me back there.
"You can go to Hawaii", Tori suggested.
I was extracted from my daydreaming. She and Shawn joined us with the latter holding a cup and eating what I could guess was the famous Tori fruit salad.
"Good idea", Eric.
I nodded my approval, and gave Eric a glance. He must have read my mind.
"Honolulu has a lot of famous beach resorts. Eric's family owns-"
"I promised you'll love it", he cut me off, looking at mom avidly. "I can fly you there myself if you want."
"Fly?!", mom gasped. Stunned.
"Eric's a... A pilot", I told mom, in a shy voice, bit my lip. She looked as if she just swallowed a sea slime. She was so astounded with the news for I never told her how the rich, yummy stranger I married spent his past time, which literally means flying a private plane, race a car, counting fashion models as his arm candies, etc. Things that most carefree, hot men I-don't-give-a-shit lifestyles were.
Well, I forgot to do so and besides I was unaware of that fact, not until I snooped into his past or went into his office and found out about them myself.
"I can take them there, I know you got a
lot in your plate nowadays," Shawn said, still engrossed with his dessert. He glanced at mom. "I can fly a plane, too. I'm free the day after tomorrow", Shawn grinned. "You want to tag along, Tor?", his green eyes twinkled in amusement spotted her.
"Huh? I don't know. I got work to do, remember?",
Tor.
"Oh come on, you'll enjoy it, I promise. I'm a good pilot myself. You don't have to worry about me crashing the plane," Shawn chuckled.
"Shawn...", his big brother reprimanded him.
"Sorry, just teasing. So, what say you woman?"
"Wom--?!', Tori took a deep breath. "I told you countless times not to call me that!"
"Tori...", I reprimanded Tori.
"Sorry", Tor. She kept her eyes averted from mom and I.
Silence.
After awhile...
Mom cleared her throat.
"Well now, I won't say no to you Shawn, thank you so much for the offer love. I'm going to tell my friends about it", then she frowned. "Hmm... I wonder if we can refund our plane tickets?"
"I'll take care of that', Eric offered, and gave me a wink.
I smiled at him. In this case, refunding the plane tickets was just a phone call away from him.
"Thank you, darling", mom replied.
"You can stay in our hotel in Honolulu if you want", Shawn grinned before devouring another spoonful of fruit salad.
"Y-your hotel?!', mom asked incredulously. Her eyes were as huge as the sun itself.
"He meant by the hotel where we usually stay every time we have our vacation there during summer", Eric, gave him a warning look.
Tori and I kept our silence. We thought mom will have an inevitable heart attack once she would find out that she was currently sitting together with two of the sought after, richest men in the country.
Shawn was left puzzled. He must be wondering why Eric wouldn't tell mom about their properties then he shrugged. But the grin never left his smug handsome face while he was chewing. He glanced at Tori and he gave her a cat kiss with his eyes which made Tori blushed furiously.
I saw their reactions and smiled to myself.
Shawn was a remarkable, gullible man indeed and my sister wasn't immune to that, much as she tried to avoid it. An unspoken attraction was blooming between these two. As much as how many times and angrily she denied it, Tori was attracted to Shawn as much as Shawn was attracted with Tori.
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When we reached home, I immediately sought a private bath for myself in the bedroom. I needed a quick, cold shower before going to bed with him. I felt so icky after that long travel due to heavy traffic from 'our house' to 'our house'.
I smiled timidly to myself.
What a confusion?
While the cascade of water was pouring down on me, I couldn't help but think of what mom and I discussed before Eric and the rest joined us for hot cocoa.
Mom and I spoke about us having a family of our own. She was demanding for a grandchild but I jokingly told her it was under a heavy processed. Then her attention was diverted towards the tall, gorgeous man I own, or rather, who owned me.
"Eric is such an amazing guy", she smiled fondly while we were both watching him as he inspected every flowers and wild orchids in my mom's garden. He had a penchant for those, particularly roses. His landscaped garden was a mighty proof of that.
"I see a bit of your daddy's traits in him. The same type of a charmer, witty, responsible, hardworking and stubborn."
"Yes, he does", I took a deep breath and sighed. She was't the only one who said that to me about him.
"No wonder you were so drawn to him", she continued. "Do women buzz around him like flies all the time?", she teased.
I nodded awkwardly, unknowing how to give her a proper answer. I wanted to scream and tell her uhuh uhuh uhuh but I declined.
God, that Portia woman was in my head again. I was so insecure when it came to her.
I managed to smile though but it didn't quite reach my eyes.
She paused and stared at me for a long while. Then gave me an assuring smile and reached over to squeeze the back of my hand.
She must have sensed something was amiss between Eric and I but she didn't pry. Mom patiently waits until you were ready to open up to her regarding your problems.
"Your father and I didn't have a smooth sailing relationship, Nicolaa. We had our bad times in between, too. Our beginning was a fairytale, a story out of a romantic novel. But you see, it wasn't that perfect as you thought it was. There is no perfect relationship in this world my love, only perfect moments, so cherish and make the most of it. If I didn't chose and love your father, I wouldn't have you and Tori. My two precious daughters, his princesses", she stopped and stared at me. "Love is priceless. Love is enduring. Love is beguiling. Love is forever. Don't be afraid of loving your man, Nicolaa. For he is the key to your happiness."
I nodded, blinking rapidly.
Trying to hide away the silent tears that started welling up into my eyes.
Oh, I love him alright.
So much, it hurts.
But does he love me the same way, too?
Or does he even love me at all?
For he never said it.
Not one bit.