Before Dawn

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

VINCENT JONES CHILLMAN opened his eyes gently to look around. His grandmother was fast asleep and was snoring a little. It's almost midnight and his Dad who asked permission from him earlier and he said he will have a dinner with Miss Selene outside. Vincent agreed and jumped up and down with glee because his father would have someone to date with already.

But his Dad keeps on insisting it was a friendly date and nothing more. But after he's gone and on the way of fetching Miss Selene, Grandma Elise told him he's Dad would be on a date with Miss Selene and he's just too shy to accept it in his self. Vincent didn't understand what it means that his Dad didn't know that he wants to date Miss Selene already but Vincent giggled because he's happy.

With his pajamas and a toy car on the left hand, Vincent slowly moved to open the window curtains. He wants to see the stars because he's Mom told him that when she's gone and he misses her, or he wants a hug or his Dad scold and beat him because he's a naughty boy he would just look up and stare at the stars and his Mom's there, looking down at him.

Vincent was young and he didn't grasp the concept of death but he knows that once a person closes his or her eyes, lied down inside the coffin and then bury his or her later on, then the people would not see them again. He cried when he's Mom died because he still wants to eat her homemade lasagna, play with Dad and the two of them will splash his mother with water. His Mom would keep an angry, stoic at first but will splash them back with water later on. Then his Dad would run away while carrying him.

When his Mom close her eyes and stopped breathing, Vincent knows those moments will never happen again and that's why he cried. It was painful and sad but the words of her Mom about stars rang in his head all over again.

Since then, if he can wake up by midnight, he will sneak and stare at the window and smiled at his Mom knowing his mother was smiling back at her from the stars. His Mom is the brightest star because she's so beautiful and sexy and she would tuck him to bed and sing him song until he fell asleep.

Vincent looks up to his Dad too. His mom's death brought to his Dad, to him and even to Grandma Elise. Vincent knows that his died was crying every night when he's already asleep. It just stopped when he met Miss Selene.

Typically, he knows Miss Selene a long time ago. He has seen her face in the photographs. One day, when his Dad was on work and he was staying at home at his Mom because she was sick, she called him.

Vincent wants to play but he remembered his Dad always reminds him to follow his Mom. He pouted and got up from the floor where his toys were scattered. His mother was wearing a big hat that's enough to cover even her forehead and Vincent didn't know why. She said it was because of the chemo and he answered 'did the chemo shave all your hair, Mommy?' and his Mom just laughed and kissed him in the forehead.

His Mom cradled him in her lap and showed him a picture of a woman.

"Who is she, Mommy?"

"She's Selene Adams. Your Dad's first love. She's has also a good heart." His Mom smiled painfully.

"What is first love?"

Bernadette pinched his cheeks. "You'll understand everything when you get older. I just want to tell you that Selene can be your new friend when you got to meet her someday. And even when that day comes and I'll be gone, you will feel only a little halo inside your heart because someone was there for you and your Dad."

Vincent just nodded and kissed his Mom on the cheeks and lips.

He stared at the picture again trying to memories the girl's face.

When he and his Dad were on the grocery store, Vincent looks around and tried to search for candies but a certain face caught his attention. It was Miss Selene. Vincent went away and approached her. His Mom is right. She was nice and beautiful. She's sweet too, because she bought him food and all of them are his favorites and Miss Selene even helped him find his dad.

Her family was nice too especially Shyan who promised him a day of playing without a break.

Vincent search for the brightest and biggest star that twinkled right before his eyes. He smiled. "Mommy, I already meet Miss Selene.You are my Mommy, but is it alright if I want her to be my Mama?"

***

Thomas Philips was nursing a third bottle of beer with two burnt and used cigarette on the ash tray while staying on the house porch that night. After Selene's miscarriage, he moved out of her hometown and return to his to live with his Mom.

His relationship with Martha is on the rocks because of what he did to Selene. Thomas knows he made a mistake and he needs to apologize to Selene for all the trouble he caused and for breaking her heart. Can the world blame him? Her?

Vincent gulped the beer in one toss and set the bottle aside harshly. Then he light another stick of cigarette, put it in his mouth and blow the smoke away without minding the cigarette pack warning how smoking can harm one's health.

He loves her. He thought he love her.

When he first saw her on Martha's office, Thomas knows he's ready to fall in love again and to move on from the heartbreak his first love brought. She already had a family and the least thing he can do is to be happy and support her in everything.

Thomas wanted to take it slowly because he maybe a jerk who likes to play with girl's heart in high school but he changed. He doesn't want to hurt Selene or make her a rebound because it's unfair for her. Martha threated him too that if something happens to Selene because of him, she would interfere. Thomas's sister said that Selene is a good friend and even if she's not, Martha's conscience would bug her forever because she's the sole reason why the two have met. Martha fully knows the personality of her brother.

But when he and Selene became official and got engage, Martha was one of the happiest for them.

Thomas knows he loves Selene and he imagined himself waiting for her in front of the altar. He almost forgot his first love.

Until Selene suffered a miscarriage and it triggered everything for Thomas.

He was angry for himself, for the destiny and for Selene. Why can't the world let him be happy? His heart was shattered by a woman for decades and when he's ready for the new start of his life and an unexpected incident happened. He was angry at himself because he's working and if he stayed at Selene's side that time maybe it didn't occur.

Thomas can't help himself to be angry at Selene because she didn't take care of herself knowing she's pregnant and at this moment, it's not only her who owns her body.

Thomas shouted at her even he saw pain and tears in her eyes. He treated her coldly after and Selene was trying her best to fix their relationship even if she's hurting.

The love he had for his first love came back, maybe it didn't disappear, and it just hid in the deepest corner of his heart and it resurfaced because he is in pain.

He loves Selene but Thomas didn't just know what went wrong. If it is their actions and decisions or the love that was supposed to bound two broken souls but rather keep them apart and he wants to figure it out soon.