Seasons

Affirmations

Michelle's POV:

"Girl, heading home na. Enjoy your stay sa Mexico!" Samantha cheerfully said and approached me for a tight hug.

"Thank you for helping and supporting me, Sam. I really had no idea that you'd come here." I paused and withdrew from the hug. "I wanna go home too. I am so homesick."

"Hay, would've brought you with me kung wala ka lang Mexico errands. Pahabol naman kasi." Samantha joked around. Luckily, she was speaking in Tagalog, so there are only a few people who're likely to understand us.

"Ingat pauwi, Sam. Tell the girlies that I miss them," I softly said, remembering that my other friends are still in the Philippines, yet they manage to extend their warmest support for me.

"Will do, Dee! We're proud of you, okay?" Samantha once again said to uplift my spirit.

"Thank you so much. That means a lot."

"While you're feeling homesick because of your distance to our country..." I sensed that someone is behind me, and Samantha did look at that person. She smiled at him and energetically waved her hand. I turned around to see who it was, and it was Mama J.

"Hello, girls." Mama J greeted us with a beso. "Michelle, come to the room. Someone is looking for you."

I tilted my head in confusion but also decided to just go on and not ask questions because Mama J seems to have something to discuss with Sam. I waved at Samantha for the last time before excusing myself to head back to the room.

When I opened the door, my team wasn't there. The room is kind of empty, but when I went to the bedside, I saw Anntonia sitting in the vanity chair and is already starting to do her glam routine.

"Good morning." I greeted.

I went to the bed so that I could sit while watching her, but she covered her face with her hands.

"What's wrong?" I stood up and took the chair in front of her so that I could see her up close. I was holding both of her wrists to convince her to remove her hands, but she was really persistent in covering it.

"Noooo.." Antonia said in her grumpy voice. I bit my lip to stifle a grin because she sounded annoyed too.

"Let me see that gorgeous face, please." I said in a tiny voice. I looked outside to check if my team was there, and luckily, there's none. I really don't want them to see that I act silly around her. Only because I can sense that my makeup team is already getting hints and instead of asking me, they chose to tease me.

Anntonia then removed her hands and showed her face to me. Her eyes are a bit swollen; I don't know if it's that because of lack of sleep or she's been crying last night.

"I look pathetic." Anntonia said, commenting about her looks.

"You mispronounced gorgeous."

"Of course, you'll say that, but in fact, I look like a mess. I have to look well before we have the flight to Mexico, but I look so ugly."

"Have you seen your face? That's absolutely ethereal already. Why are you feeling like you're not?"

"My eyes are swollen."

"You can always wear shades if you want to hide them. It won't affect your overall appeal. Still the prettiest."

She pouted at me and stared at herself in the mirror. I stayed silent to let her have the time to appreciate herself in her own perspective while I admire her through my own eyes too.

I mean, her eyes really looked like they just finished crying. I leaned forward and held her cheek to kiss both of her eyes. I know it wouldn't make too much difference, but I can only think of that way to assure her that it wasn't as bad as she thinks. I stepped backward after and came back to my seat, and she was just staring at me with too much softness in her eyes.