Time and Fallen leaves

11:11

Erin was awoken by a smell of vanilla and cinnamon.

She was somehow reminded by the orphanage. They used to bake cinnamon roll every autumn and sell it to the market. Erin remembered how their pastry would sold out immediately because the town folks wanted to pinch Milo's round cheeks.
Isang ngiti ang pinakawalan ni Erin nang maalala ang nakaraan.

"You're awake"

Agad na namulat si Erin at napabangon sa pagkakahiga. Bumungad sakanya si Jade na nag-bihis na ngayon ng kanyang comfy clothes. Her eyes roam around the room and notice that this isn't her room. The walls were covered in light pink, the vanilla and cinnamon she smelled earlier were from the candles displayed on top of the side table.

Tumingin siya sa gilid to see who spoke, it was Jade. Erin can't help but feel dismayed that it wasn't Leeon. Hindi nakawala sa paningin ni Jade kung gaano nadismaya ang dalaga.

"He'll be here soon. He's still dealing with tita"

The mere mention of the headmistress sent shivers down her spine. Tila namuo nanaman ang luha nito upon remembering what happened earlier. No, it wasn't a dream —but Erin wished it was.

Maya-maya ay bumukas ang pinto at sumilip si Leeon. Sumikip ang dibdib ni Erin at tila sumakit ang sugat nito sa tuhod nang magtama ang kanilang tingin. He awkwardly went inside at inilibot ang tingin sa kwarto as if it's his first time here.

"Si tita?" Tanong ni Jade, breaking the silence.

"Business"

"Iwan ko muna kayo"

Hindi manhid si Jade upang malaman na kailangan ni Leeon kausap si Erin ng mag-isa. Of all people who should be talking to her, it should be him. Mas lalong nabingi sa katahimikan si Erin nang sumara ang pinto paglabas ni Jade. No one dared to utter a word. Nakatitig lamang si Leeon sa dalaga na tila iniiwasan siya ng tingin.

"How's your knee?" Pagbabasag ni Leeon ng katahimikan. Despite looking down, Erin could see Leeon sit on a chair that Jade sat on earlier. Ramdam ni Erin kung gaano ka tense ang binata, it's like he's calculating his every move given how sensistive Erin is.

"It's fine" ipinakita ni Erin ang kanyang tuhod na balot ng gauze. She wanted to scoff, really? You're asking about my knee?

"I'm sorry" napapikit nang mariin si Erin nang maramdaman ang pag lubog ng kama sa kanyang gilid. Nakaupo na ngayon si Leeon sa kama, Erin could see his arms attempting to reach onto her —but Leeon hesitated. "I'm sorry you went through all that"

"Hindi mo kasalanan" hindi niya kontrolado ang ina niya. Leeon was expected to bring home a girl who's at the same par as their, instead, he brought an orphan. Someone who doesn't even know how the real world works, much more the business world. Tinanggap niya na agad na hindi siya magugustuhan ng headmistress no matter what she does.

The only question is, does Leeon still like her?

Erin flinched when Leeon took the courage to hold her hand and squeezed it gently. Ito nanaman, ito nanaman ang puso niya na tila matatanggal sa kanyang dibdib sa sobrang lakas ng tibok.

"Kalimutan mo na ang sinabi ni mama" it's not that easy. What happened earlier is now engraved in her mind. His mother didn't even said anything that offended her but she perfectly made her feel that she doesn't belong here, not with Leeon. Erin was okay with being an orphan, in fact, she was proud, because she was raised to be humble. But Erin was slapped with reality, that people like her will never blend in with people like them no matter how hard she tries.