Finding Zenith

⋆˚࿔ Chapter 1 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

A Twist of Fate

[◉¯]⊹ ࣪ ˖

I fidget with the key as I stare at the familiar door, the Christmas wreath reminding me why I've found myself standing here in the first place.

You can tell them when you're ready.

I hear laughter echo behind the door, and I find myself wanting to run away from a potential confrontation while still longing to be a part of it.

They wouldn't know from the get-go. Get out of your head, Talia, it's Christmas for goodness sake.

With a shaky breath and a quick release of my shoulders, I twist the key in.

I plaster a smile on my face as I swing the door open. "Hello, I'm home!"

Like a wave, I'm hit with an overwhelming amount of questions and I feel like I'm drowning.

"How's med school going?"

"Have you looked into applying for residency near here?"

"Have you decided what to specialize in?"

The word bombardment is an understatement as I try to answer their questions as vaguely as I can. It's barely been a minute, and I am already overwhelmed by my relatives.

It's Christmas. You need to be patient. Patience is a virtue. I am the embodiment of pati—

"Hayaan mo siyang magpahinga naman!"

My father waltzes into the foyer and envelopes me into a bear hug. "Welcome home, mi hija." I sink into him and breathe in his cologne, my extended family seems to take it as a sign to leave.

"Thanks, papa," I whisper, finally pulling away.

"Your mother has prepared you some food," he starts, his hand on the small of my back as he leads me towards the kitchen. "You should go see her, she's been excited for you to try her sinigang again."

I send a smile as I walk the rest of the way to the kitchen, and overhear my father bark orders to my elder brothers to come down and bring my bags up.

My mother's back was facing towards me as I saw the steam swirl around her. I can't help but feel nostalgic as I remember seeing her like this when I would get home, and she'd be off work for that afternoon. "I heard you were in need of a supertaster?"

She jumps out of her skin for a second, but I watch as the smile blooms on her face as the recognition finally sets in. "Oh, my lovely daughter, you're finally home!" The lid of the pot clatters on the counter as she squeezes the life out of me. "Med school must be dreadful, you look like you've starved yourself," she scolds, and I feel my heart rate pick up.

"Yeah, you know... All those late nights and endless studying."

She ladles some of the soup into a bowl with steamed rice. "Well, it's a good thing that you're on break for a bit then."

I feel guilty for lying, but I continue to smile as I go through the motions of being home. With that, I settle on my usual seat and listen to my mother chatter as I eat the food she places in front of me, the warmth slowly spreading from my centre. If I pretend that side of my life doesn't exist for a while, maybe, just maybe, it will become easier.

"I ran into Mrs Sato the other day in the grocery store," I hear my mother mention, my spoon freezing mid-motion as the name hits a chord I haven't felt in a while. "She mentioned that Kairo was home..."

The tomatoes floating in my soup seem all the more interesting as I feel my mother's gaze on me. I pick my words simply. "That's good, I guess... Last I heard he was doing well as a trainee."