"You?"
Tinitigang mabuti ni Lena ang larawan. Saka niya tiningnan ng mataman si Cyrus.
"Yes. Me." He pointed at the picture. "This was taken three years ago, wasn't it?"
Tumango siya. "Pero pa'nong--"
"My girlfriend died that day. Cancer," he explained, his face pained. It's as if the woman died yesterday and not three years ago.
"Oh. Sorry."
He exhaled. "Okay lang. Anyway, is this for sale?"
Her lips twitched. If people don't stop asking her that, she might give in and consider selling. "No. But it's yours if you want it. I shouldn't have taken that without your permission anyway."
Right after saying that, he reached out and took the picture from the wall, which totally caught her by surprise.
"I don't want people to look at it," paliwanag nito.
"Uhm... okay."
He finally smiled. "Thanks, Lena. Martin's right. You're quite talented."
"Thanks."
Cyrus headed out, with the picture tucked under his arm. She looked at the empty space on the wall above the words "Purple Rain". She knew that people will start looking for it. But it bothers her more that its absence ruined her display. Mukha tuloy kinapos ng design dahil tatatlong litrato lamang ang nakalagay sa dingding.
--
Kinagabihan, umuwi si Lena sa bahay ng mga magulang para sumalo sa hapunan ng mga ito. Lacey was already there. Nakabukod din ito ng bahay. Ayaw kasi nitong palaging may nakatutok na camera sa bahay nila.
Naghahain na ng pagkain nang dumating siya. Sinalubong siya ng yakap ng bunso niyang kapatid, si Aaron Nikola, kasunod ang mga alaga nilang aso.
"Missed me?" She asked her ten-year old brother.
"We're with you earlier," he pointed out.
"E, bakit ang higpit mong makayakap?"
Nikola grinned. "Okay, fine. I kinda missed you."
Ginulo niya ang buhok nito at saka dinukot ang tsokolateng pasalubong niya.
"Don't share it with the dogs, okay?" paalala niya. Nang tumango ito ay pinuntahan naman niya ang iba pang kapatid.
Lacey's looking glamorous as usual. Logan Lawrence, the middle child, was already eating. Kenna Camille, the fourth one, was helping out in setting the table.
Lumapit din sa kanya si Martin at yumakap nang mahigpit. She pretended to be grossed out, which made him laugh.
Martin's practically part of the family. Anak kasi ito ng best friend ng mga magulang niya. Her godmother, Martin's mom, made everything possible for her parents. Kaya ganoon na lamang ang utang na loob ng mga magulang niya rito, especially her dad.
May kasunduan ang mga ito na ipakakasal kay Martin ang anak kapag naging babae. She turned out to be a girl, but that didn't happen because Martin's head over heels in love with Lacey.
Noong una ay ayaw ng mga magulang niya na magkatuluyan ang dalawa. Her godmother also objected. Ayaw kasi nitong masira ang career ni Lacey, na noon ay nagsisimula pa lamang sa showbusiness. Lacey was supposed to be teamed with a young actor for several projects. Kailangan pa raw na magkunwaring nagliligawan ang dalawa para madagdagan ang kilig factor.
Martin was absolutely against it.
In the end, Lacey went solo. Her career suffered because of that but everything went back to being okay after a few months.
