Fading Echoes

Special Chapter 4.4

The house buzzed with excitement as Irene and Greggy left for their friend's wedding in Amanpulo. Their three kids—11-year-old Lui, 7-year-old Lia, and 4-year-old Liam—were left in the capable hands of Imee, her husband Tommy, Bong, his wife Liza, and their parents, Ferdinand and Imelda.

Imee's sons, Sam, Mike, and Luke, were already wrestling with Lui over a video game on the living room floor. Meanwhile, Bong's sons, Andy and Borgy, had their own plans, casting mischievous glances at little Lia, who was busy arranging her dolls in perfect rows on the couch. As the only girl among all the boys, Lia was used to getting teased—but that didn't mean she liked it.

"Lia, do you want to play hide-and-seek?" Borgy asked with a sly smile, already knowing what was coming.

"No," Lia replied suspiciously, clutching her favorite doll to her chest. "You always hide too good."

Sam chimed in, "We could show you where to hide better. Or... you could be 'it.'"

Lia frowned, knowing full well that being "it" meant she'd never catch up to the older boys. "No thanks."

Just then, Ferdinand, seated in his favorite armchair, noticed the exchange. "Leave your cousin alone, boys," he said with a grin that held a hint of a warning. "She's the only princess in this house, after all."

Lia smiled triumphantly, sticking her tongue out at Sam and Borgy, who rolled their eyes but backed off.

"Come here, Lia," Imelda called from the dining table, where she was flipping through an old photo album with little Liam perched on her lap. "Look at this picture of your mommy when she was your age."

Lia's eyes lit up, and she ran to her grandmother's side. "Wow, Mommy looked just like me!" she said, her voice full of wonder as she traced her finger over the old, faded picture.

Liam, meanwhile, looked up at Imelda with wide eyes. "Grandma, can you tell me a story?"

Imelda smiled, brushing a hand over Liam's curly hair. "Of course, sweetie. But first, let's get you some snacks."

"Snacks!" Liam exclaimed, jumping off her lap and running toward the kitchen, where Imee and Liza were busy preparing sandwiches and juice.

Tommy strolled into the room, chuckling as he watched the kids. "I don't know how you handle all of them," he said to Imee as she poured juice into little cups.

"Years of practice," Imee quipped, handing Tommy a sandwich. "And help from everyone, thankfully."

As the kids gathered around the table for snacks, Borgy and Sam, still full of energy, decided to kick up their teasing a notch. They slid closer to Lia, smirking.

"Hey, Lia," Borgy whispered, "there's a spider under your chair."

Lia's eyes went wide, and without hesitation, she jumped up, letting out a little yelp. "Where?!"

The boys laughed, but the sound of Ferdinand clearing his throat from across the room made them stop.

"Boys," he said firmly, "enough. Teasing isn't how you treat a princess, now, is it?"

They exchanged guilty glances, mumbling;

"No, grandpa"

"No, lolo"

Imelda pulled Lia into a hug, kissing her head. "Don't worry, sweetheart. No spiders here. Your kuya's just like to play tricks."

Lia huffed, crossing her arms, but a smile slowly crept onto her face as Lui passed her one of his sandwiches. "Here, Lia. I'll sit with you. You can't let them get to you."