Loving a Believer

Chapter 7: His World

I was awakened by the sunlight striking my face, my eyes immediately blinded by its incandescence. I sat up with my eyes closed, trying to put my head back together even if I wanted to sleep further. I reopened my eyes before looking around and my eyebrows furrowed. This room was not familiar at all.

I slapped my forehead. I remembered I agreed to sleep in the Hunt family's home after celebrating the New Year with them last night.

I decided to wash up before going out of the room. Thank goodness, there were clothes in the cabinet and Tita Thalia told me that I could use them. I didn't know whose clothes these were, though. It might be Ate Peachy's since she was the only younger woman in this house.

I came down the stairs and saw Storm and Mark sitting on the sofa while watching television in the living room. When Storm saw me, he beckoned to me, telling me to sit with them. Mark was between us, watching an anime entitled "Fairy Tail".

"Hinahanda pa ang breakfast," he told me.

"Sino siya, Daddy?" Mark suddenly asked him, lifting up his gaze on Storm while pointing a finger at me.

"She's your Tita Fara," Storm replied.

"Tita?" he innocently asked. "Ano mo siya, Daddy?"

"She's..." I saw in his eyes that he didn't know know what to say. "Uh, she's my girlfriend. Y-yeah, girlfriend," he said. Tumingin siya sa akin nang makahulugan, tila sinasabi niya na makisakay na lang ako.

Mark turned his gaze on me, staring at me like he was recognizing my face. I awkwardly smiled at him.

"Is she Demi?" Mark asked in a curious manner. Storm seemed surprised at the child's question.

"She's not Demi," nag-aalangan na sagot ni Storm.

Who's Demi?

"But I thought your girlfriend's name is Demi?" the child asked. He looked so innocent while asking questions.

Storm smiled a little. Napangiti naman ako dahil nakuha ko ang ibig sabihin ng bata.

I turned my eyes on the television and watched the movie, though I had watched it already last time. It was on an episode where the monster Deliora was freed from the ice that sealed him and Gray decided to sacrifice himself.

"Handa na ang breakfast!" we heard Ate Peachy yell from the kitchen.

"Come on, let's eat some cookies." Storm carried Mark before he turned to me. "Tara," he told me.

I followed him to the kitchen. I was a bit hesitant because I wasn't used to this set up. I used to eat breakfast alone. We started after prayer - Storm leading the prayer again - and I had a great breakfast with them. I felt like I wanted to be with them every morning like this.

"Si Peachy ang sasama sa akin ngayon sa check-up ko," Tita Thalia said to Storm. "Samahan mo si Fara rito."

"Okay."

***

Here I was in the living room, sitting alone on the sofa and waiting for Storm who was currently taking a shower in the bathroom. He would drive me home. Ate Peachy, Mark, and Tita Thalia left the house already while Tito Travis started working at his office.

I looked at the pictures hung on the wall of the living room. I saw a picture of Mom and Tita Thalia - the same as the picture I saw in our house in Las Vegas - and there was another photo that caught my attention. It was a photo of three men on the seashore. My eyes widened as I stared at the picture closer. One of them was Tito Travis standing in the middle while the two men on his both sides were identical twins―Dad and Dad's twin who was named Franco. Even though they were identical twins, I could still recognize who Dad was because Tito Franco looked like a happy person while Dad had a poker face.