Cold hearts

02

Chapter 02: Her soft spot
***

"Ninang Dawn, sana pala, ikaw nalang ang mommy ko." Dawn was taken aback on what Saoirse just said. She placed her teacup on the table before looking at her.

"Why did you said that out of a sudden?" She asked her, still shocked and perplexed at the same time.

"Because whenever I'm with you, I always felt so loved and important. You were the one who's always there for me, you were the one who accepted me despite my unlikable temper and attitude. You treated and loved me as if I'm your own." Saoirse said as she manage to put a small smile on her face.

Dawn was shocked when she saw Saoirse smiled. It was indeed once in a blue moon, it was rare, it was surprising. She never see her smile so genuinely, not even once.

Noticing Dawn's silence, Saoirse just looked away, awkwardly. "Nevermind, just forget what I said, it was nothing." Saoirse anxiously wiped her hands with a table napkin.

Dawn reached out her shaking hands, smiling softly. "You don't know how happy I was with your words, pero sana, if you can love me, why don't you try loving your mom the same way?" Dawn suggested.

"FYI, she's just my birth mom, she didn't fulfill her responsibilities." Saoirse said, straightforwardly as usual. Dawn could only sighed.

"Still, she's your mom, at hindi yun mababago, give her a chance." Dawn said, "she's not even apologizing yet," Saoirse placed her cup on the table.

"I'm not forcing you, I'm just suggesting it, if you can be soft to your dad, Clyde, and me, at the very least, palambutin mo rin yung heart mo for your other family." Dawn said with a small smile.

"I want to, but I can't. There is something stopping me for doing it." Saoirse said, coldly. Saoirse leaned on the armchair, still processing Dawn's words.

"I doubt it, ma pride ka lang talaga, jokes asides, kung love mo talaga, try getting close to them, please, for me?" Dawn pouted at her, cutely, trying to convince her dearest goddaughter.

"Ewwww, stop doing that, it's not even bagay!" Saoirse whined trying to avoid Dawn's childish acts.

"Pwease, Sese ko, do it for me!" Dawn said wiggling her eyebrows. "Fine, just stop doing that!" Dawn was shocked when Saoirse agreed.

"Wait, talaga? Really?" Dawn asked, still shocked, after all, she's just teasing her earlier, she didn't expect that Saoirse will agree.

"Do you want me to change my mind?" Saoirse asked her. Dawn shook her head before hugging her, "believe me dear, you will not regret your life decisions, I'm sure kung gising si daddy mo, matutuwa yun pag nalaman niya na close na kayo ng mga Marcoses." Dawn said.

"Hold on, dad wants me to be close to my mother's family? I thought he loathed them dahil sa issue nila nung mother ko?" Saoirse asked her.

"Only if I could tell you the reason, but it's not my story to tell." Dawn said, still hugging her.

"I love you ninang," Saoirse unknowingly said, Dawn was shocked when Saoirse said that. She smiled before responding, "I love you too, Sese ko." Dawn responded with full of affection.

Unbeknownst to them, Irene was watching the whole time. An unknown tear escaped from her narrow eyes, her heart started aching out of nowhere.

"Don't eavesdrop, lapitan mo yung anak mo," Imee said, holding a glass of wine. Irene turned around after wiping her tear.

"Tsk, why would I do that? What is she even doing here in our house? Wala ba siyang sariling bahay?" Irene asked her.

"It's better for her to be here with you habang nasa hospital pa si Greggy, besides, don't you want your daughter to be here?" Imee asked her, holding back all her gathered anger towards her sister.

"Why would I want her here? Sino ba siya? And correction, I only have two children, and those are Alfonso and Luis." Irene received a harsh slap from her sister.

"Anong karapatan mong sabihin yan? Irene naman, anak mo rin si Saoirse, anak n'yo ni Greggy!" Imee shouted at her.

"Paano mo nakakayang sabihin yan Irene, kung makapagsalita ka parang malaki ang kasalanan sa'yo ni Saoirse ah?" Imee asked her, confused why her sister loathed Saoirse very much.

"Wala kang alam sa hirap ko nung nasa sinapupunan ko yang batang yan! Wala kang alam sa mga nangyari sa akin dahil sa kanya! Wala kang alam!" Irene shouted.

"Why can't you just love her, just for once, iparamdam mo sa kanya na nanay ka niya! Hindi yung kaibigan mo yung gumagawa nun!" Imee retorted.

"Kay Dawn na siya kung gusto n'ya as if namang maapektuhan ako pag wala siya sa akin!" Irene shouted at her, letting her pride take over.

"Alam mo, nag tataka ako kung bakit ka binigyan ng anak ng diyos, eh marami naman na mas deserving na maging nanay ni Saoirse kesa sa'yo!" Imee walked out, frustrated.

Irene was left, mad, furious, and confuse.

"Why did you even smiled at me the moment you were born? If you didn't just fucking smiled at me, sana, sana pinaampon na kita matagal na!" Irene shouted.

Tears began flowing through her cheeks, still sobbing uncontrollably. Irene threw the wine glass on the floor abruptly, scattering small pieces of glass on the floor.

"I'm going to make your life miserable, you're going to regret that you even live here." Irene muttered, glaring at Saoirse who's being embraced by her best friend tightly.

It was already evening and the Marcoses together with Dawn and Saoirse gathered around the dining table for dinner. Irene is sitting in front of Saoirse, glaring at her secretly.

"Do you like kare-kare?" Imee asked Saoirse, "she's allergic to peanuts, Imee, she can't eat that." Dawn said worriedly.

Imee immediately put the Kare-kare away from Saoirse. "Try this sinigang nalang," Imee poured a soup onto her bowl. "Thank you," Saoirse whispered.

"In this household, bawal ang maarte, kaya tigilan mo yang pagiging pabebe mo, serve your own food, hindi mo katulong si ate para pag silbihan ka," Irene confronted Saoirse.

Saoirse tried her best not to roll her eyes, crossing her arms at Irene. She put a smirk on her face, glancing up to her mother. "I don't know kung anong dahilan mo kung bakit kumukulo yang dugo mo, but I suggest you to complain to your sister kasi siya yung nag seserve ng food ko," Saoirse rebutted, coldly.

"Besides, why are you even mad? Are you annoyed because I'm lazy? Or perhaps you're jealous?" Saoirse asked her. Irene looked around and she saw everyone waiting for her answer.

"What happened? Cat got your tongue?" She asked Irene, with the same level of pride that Irene has.

"You know what, nevermind, I'm hungry." Saoirse said, grabbing a spoon before tasting the soup.

At the very first sip of the soup, Saoirse froze. "How was it?" Imelda asked her, Saoirse looked at her grandmother. "Wow, it's tasty, a little bit sour, but delicious." She said.

"Masarap?" Irene asked Saoirse, shocked and a little delighted. Saoirse ignored her question, instead she kept on eating the food in front of her.

Irene's heart began beating fast when Saoirse enjoyed the soup that she cooked for the family. A small smiled appeared on her face, but hide it immediately.

Unbeknownst to her, Imee saw how she reacted. She shook her head, smiling like an idiot. She always knew that Irene had a small spot reserved only for her daughter, but was scared to even express it.

"Kung hindi lang kayo mapride, siguro magkakaayos kayong dalawa." Imee thought before eating again.

...TBC...