HEART FOR HIRE ✓

Forty Two

Before I know it, days turn into a week and I have to return to Church Hill. Weird enough, I am not nervous or anything like I was the first time I left home. In fact, I feel happier to be leaving home.

I do love being home because I'm pampered and I don't pay for anything at all. But the more I spend time away from home, the more it becomes foreign to me. It's more like my parents' house instead of our home.

It's the final night I'm spending home. It's been a very long week - with me finally telling my parents about Zion because I couldn't possibly explain why I could afford such expensive wine bottles if it wasn't for him. As expected, my dad immediately demanded to meet him but that's a topic for another day. My parents ended up hosting a small party for friends and close relatives to celebrate my father's award and mum's visitation from the chef. It was almost unbearable - like Rosalia's birthday party- but luckily, I had Zion on video call the whole time, so, the night went faster than how it started.
Of course there were the nosy relatives that won't stop poking their noses into my business but I didn't have to say anything to them because one look from my mum effectively shut them up.

"Naty," I hear my little sister calling from outside my bedroom. If anything, she is the best highlight of my stay this week. She's made me smile the most. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," I yell, loud enough for her to hear. "Come in!"

She comes in while dragging her feet on the cemented floor and sits on the only chair in the corner of my room.
"Are you really leaving tomorrow?" she asks in a small voice.

"I have to go baby."

"I'll miss you."

"I miss you everyday, Naomie. You know that dad and mum will let you call me anytime, right?"

"I know," she looks away. "This is stupid."

"What is?"

"I know that you have to go and I promised myself that I wouldn't cry. But here I am, crying!"

"Hey," I leave the bed and walk to her, quietly putting my arms around her small fragile body. "I'll be mad if you don't cry for me. So, if you wanna cry, please cry. Okay?"

She nods and lets out sniffles.

"Do you wanna watch Full House with me?"

Almost immediately, the sniffles stop and Naomie looks up at me with a smile.
"Yes please."

***

"This is so sad," Naomie points at Uncle Jesse and Michelle saying goodbye to each other when Jesse had to move out after his wedding. "He should have taken Michelle with him!"

I know what she means. This situation we are in equates to what Michelle and Uncle Jesse were feeling. Naomie doesn't want me to leave, no matter how much she wants to try to hide it. And neither do I want to leave her.

"I know," I sigh. "It could have saved them such a painful goodbye. But remember that Uncle Jesse is going to start his own family with Aunt Becky and Michelle understands that. He has to start his own family and go."

"But isn't Michelle his family?"

"Of course she is. But when you grow up, you learn to get out of your comfort zone, do new things and make your own future. That's what Uncle Jesse is doing."

"I really don't want you to go, Naty."

"I know. But I really have to go. Besides, if I play my cards right, I can always ask mum and dad to bring you to visit. Doesn't that sound awesome?"

She giggles. "Super awesome!"

"I also have a friend I think you will like. Her name is Rosalia. You'll see her when you come to visit."

"I'm so excited!"

And just like that, all the crying and sadness is all forgotten, maybe not, but ignored. We watch Full House until late, Naomie insists that she wants to spend the night with me and for the first time since she was born, I actually accept. We snuggle together and when the 6am alarm rings, I slowly remove myself from her hold, replace myself with a pillow and just like that, I have no idea when I'll see her again.

*****

The first thing I do when I arrive at my apartment in Church Hill is to call home and let them know of my safe arrival. Next, I clean. It's surprising how a house can get so dirty even after being uninhabited for a full week.
After cleaning, I text my friends and Zion too and then take a nap.

I wake up to texts from Jeanette informing me that she won't be back in town till tomorrow, Alex sending photos from Vidcon and not a reply from Zion - even though it shows that he read the messages.

What's confusing about the whole situation is that he is the one who's been so excited about my return and now that I have returned, he decides to ghost me. Maybe he's busy? What if he is tired of me? Am I being to clingy? Probably. Maybe he will reply later. I shouldn't be overthinking like this.
I have better things I should be thinking about.

As if reading my mind, my phone pings with a new notification. The number is not saved in my phone but I recognize it from the night when it's owner called me. It's a message with an attachment.

I shouldn't have opened it. I mean, even the sender should have sent me running for the hills but I still open the message anyway. Then I click on the attachment.
It's a photo. Aimee is seated on Zion's lap and the background looks like both of them are at a party.

And the sender is Aimee.

What the hell is this? I throw my phone on my bed and run my fingers through my hair. So, while I was excited to return to my boyfriend, another woman was making plans with him and he couldn't wait?

I'm such a fool. I should have known!

So, without thinking, I pick up my phone again and text the number I didn't think I'd be texting in a long time.

To Juliana: Send me the design school admission details.

So, I'm sorry I made references to Full House. If you haven't watched it, I'm so sorry. If you've watched it, lesssss go!