The Araneta-Marcoses are on their way to Pancake House for a much earlier lunch - which it's not that far from the hospital. It's gonna be their first bonding na magkakasama silang magkakapatid - except for Sandro since he's still confined - after for more than a decade of being away from each other.
With Simon and Vincent couldn't help but to be excited after their sister accepted their request, 'di naman maiiwasan na makaramdam ng nakakapanibago para kay Anna. Mixed feelings, to be exact. Excited, and... scared? Yep.
On one hand, she sees this as an opportunity na magbo-bonding sila. If going out with them would be the first step para makilala niya lalo, why not?
But there's just one problem...
⋯ flashback ⋯
"Ehh... what about them?" Anna asks, a memory about the last rumor linking to the soon-to-be First Lady suddenly triggered her.
She could already pictured herself surrounded by a crowd of people taking pictures and videos of her, as if she's a celebrity trying to have the quiet life.
"Hey, don't worry about it much, buch. Mom will gonna call us if Pops wakes up." Vinny said, turning his head to Liza who's sitting beside Bongbong, "Right, Mom?" he asks.
"O-of course!" Liza nodded on what her son said, "Ako ang ba—"
"No no no no no. Not like that." pagpuputol ni Anna sa sasabihin sana ng kanyang ina, "What I mean is... what about po yung mga chismosa dun? Baka ako pa ang nandamay sa gagawin nilang isyu because of me, ehhh." she added, biting her lower lip.
Already, it gave her brothers a clue that also triggered their memory.
"Wait." panimula ni Simon, "Are you? The girl na nakayakap ni Mom months ago?" his sister slightly nod her head immediately at his question. Both brothers are aware of the picture that went viral, but they actually had no idea that the one na niyakap ni Liza is none other than Anna.
"Well, that explains a lot." sabi naman ni Vinny as if everything makes sense to him.
"Kaya gusto ko sanang sabihin na... a-ayoko pong sumama sa inyo. Baka dahil po sa akin, lalo lang magiging isyu yung bonding po natin e." sabi ni Anna, hinting a relief(dahil nailabas niya yung gusto niyang sabihin) and guilt in her voice.
"Buch naman," Vinny went towards her sister, hugged her back for comfort and sighed, "Don't think na pabigat ka sa amin because of that. It's always been that way since day one. Well, it is one thing that I don't like as a Marcos, but... what else we can do, buncho?"
"Tsaka, don't mind them too much, sweetie." Liza added, went towards them and held her daughter's hand. "I know it's easy to say pero mahirap. Ganun talaga, anak. You can't avoid them, anyways. But remember na wag pumatol sa kanila-"
"At manatili maging mabuting tao, kahit hindi po sila naging mabuti sa'yo." Anna finished her sentence with these words that almost sounded like the Executive Minister always told them.
It also brought her back in 2016 - almost a year after the controversial situation. After the worship service officiated by the church leader at La Sacramento, California; they went outside of the chapel and saw these people, holding signages and shouting these words at him that shattered his children's hearts, including Anna herself:
"You don't belong in here!"
"A*****e!"
"Go back!"
"EVM! You son of a b***h!"
"Get out! Get out!"
YOU ARE READING
Where My Heart Lies Between
Fanfiction| revised version & under editing | Annaliese Thalia is known for being an active member in the Iglesia Ni Cristo. Growing up from the conservative, yet a big, happy, and a loving family of the Executive Minister; her life revolves around school, ch...
