Cliche (Candy Stories #5)

Chapter 25: Heart in your hands

TCWDM: Happy Dec. 21! Matatapos na po ito. Thank you for being patient with me and Aurora ~

***

I woke up a little less sad, a little more brave, and the right mix of eager. But that didn't mean I wasn't nervous. In truth, I felt all kinds of weird—the butterflies in my stomach were at war, my knees were jelly, and I was forgetting how to breathe. Nagbibihis at nagme-make up pa lang ako nito.

Si Maxwell kasi.

___

From Maxwell:
Estimated time of arrival ko ay 8:40.
If on time, let's have breakfast?
If late, let's have lunch?
If I make you wait, please wait,
tapos babawi ako. ^^

____

Huminga uli ako nang malalim bago tumingin sa sarili ko sa salamin.

I was wearing a pouf pink dress and pink pumps that Celine and I chose for today. My make-up was minimal but okay . . . I think. I had my hair on half updo, adorned by a jeweled headband. It was weird because for the first time, I was thinking I'm a little pretty.

Nang parang nakahinga na ako nang ilang ulit, enough to survive Maxwell later, I went out of my room. Nagulat pa ako dahil nasa pinto sina Dad at Kuya. They looked like they were discussing something, then stopped when they saw me. They both quietly assessed me.

I swallowed naman.

"I don't look . . . too dressy po?" I asked them.

Dad swallowed before his eyes glistened with tears. I bit my lip with the emotions in his eyes.

"Why, Daddy?" Lumapit ako sa kanya at tiningnan ang face niya. "Are you going to cry? Why? I look hideous po?"

"No, baby. You're just so pretty," he said.

I swallowed the emotions in my throat. "I'm not pretty before?" I asked softly.

"You are, you are. But you have a glow in you today. Something I never thought . . ." Dad's voice trailed off. "Naalala ko ang mommy mo the first time we went on a date. She's glowing so beautifully, I think I gaped for full five minutes."

I smiled. Kung naalala niya si Mommy, then that means I'm really okay today.

"Baka sa date din ang punta mo, Aurora? Ipapakilala mo muna dapat sa amin ni Dad bago ka yayain sa kung saan-saan. Baka mamaya, hindi mapagkakatiwalaan ang kasama mo."

I don't know if I have to lie. Susunduin ko lang naman si Maxwell sa airport . . . but I sort of confessed to him and he had been confessing to me since college even though we're not yet an item—I think—and our breakfast or lunch today might be sort of a date so . . . kailangan niya ba agad magpaalam kina Dad at Kuya? Kung si Maxwell, it might be easy for him to do. Kaso ako? Kaya ko ba'ng iharap siya kaagad sa kanila? Kahit kauuwi pa lang niya from New York at hindi naman siya magtatagal?

"Aurora?" untag ni Kuya.

"Uhm . . . May susunduin lang akong . . . friend." Or boyfriend yata. Hu-hu.

"Friend lang? Sure na?" si Kuya.

"Friend!" Pa lang yata. Hu-hu.

"'Wag mo nang masyadong biruin itong kapatid mo. Baka mamaya ay nandiyan na ang Grab sa labas," sabi ni Daddy.

"Opo nga, Dad." Kumabit ako sa braso ni Daddy at ngumiti sa kanya. We started walking to the living room. "You trust me po, 'di ba?"

"Na hindi maligaw? Medyo, anak."