At Rutherford, California...
Abbey sat calmly on the counter stool, watching her brother, Adan, devour the meal she and Halley had cooked earlier.
"Ate, can we phone Daddy po again?" Adan said unexpectedly.
"Shh, Dan, we are not supposed to talk about it, remember?" Abbey rushed to cover his mouth while peering around just to ensure no one overheard them.
Adan questioned her why spite of the fact that his lips were still covered.
"They shouldn't know we can phone Dad, Dan. He also told us that."
Adan nodded, thinking there had to be a surprise plot, so Abbey cautiously took her hands from his and made sure her brother wouldn't bring it up further.
"Are we going to surprise them—" Adan couldn't help but wonder.
"Yes, Dan, so please stop asking now," she said with a brief smile.
"Oh okay, po, can we at least call him ate? Please."
Abbey sighed as she caressed his face then peered over once more to assure no one was around prior to actually phoning her father's number.
*phone dialing*
"Adan!" they heard Audrey call out, "there you are!" she exclaimed as she entered the kitchen.
As they both stare at Audrey, Abbey briskly dismissed the phone call.
Audrey smiled at them before approaching Adan, saying, "Would you like to come with me and Tito Em? We're off to the grocery?"
"Yes, Tita, I want to come po!" answered Adan.
"Good," she chuckled, "Abbey, do you want to come?"
"Thank you, Tita, but there's no need na po to invite me as well."
"Sure? You're welcome to come if you want—"
"No, seriously, no po. I'd want to stay here na lang po," Abbey meekly refused, "and also, I have other things to do po kasi, but Dan and Tito Emman may accompany you."
"If you say so," Audrey said, "Hal will be staying here as well. She's in your room lang. Are you two comfortable here alone?"
Abbey sincerely persuaded Audrey they would be secure at home. And so they simply waited until Dan finished his food prior to actually leaving Abbey and Halley at home.
"We'll go ahead na ha, and tell Hal we'll be right back."
"Sure, Tita, I'll tell her. And please drive safely as well."
-----
Later, Abbey kept strolling back and forth, debating whether or not to contact her father, given that Halley was just upstairs.
Why am I making such a huge deal over this? It's not like I'm doing anything wrong, she reasoned herself.
She paused for a moment and then dialed Greg's number. It didn't take long for him to respond.
"Hey, what's wrong? Did anything happen to you?" Greg wanted to know.
"No, Dad," Abbey said, "I'm totally fine."
"Then why would you call me twice? You dropped the call before I was going to answer it."
"I'm sorry, I just have to. I'm being cautious as you advised."
YOU ARE READING
Last Photograph
FanfictionHalley Gomez had spent her entire life escaping her nightmares thus that she'd never remembered them, but she had no notion that those flashes of her contained a significant part of her past. Abbey Martinez, experiencing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy...
