Your Light (Tu Luz) [Joel Pimentel]

Chapter 21

Dhianna Gabriel

22 August 2013

"Dee, dhianna..." I heard someone calling after me and when I flutter my eyes open, I saw Joel looking down on me with affection.

I moved to the other side of the bed and stretched. I suddenly smile at what happened last night before we slept.

I'm Joel's girlfriend.

Joel's GIRLFRIEND

"...Dhianna. What are you thinking about?" He said, and this time when I was snapped out of reality, he was holding me close to his chest.

"..Us," I answered and somehow the answer changed from life, to us and I smiled.

He smiled too, this time it was the most beautiful smile ever, and I didn't know such angels existed.

When I looked at him, it was like my whole world had been turned upside down and everything around us dissipates to give ways to us.

Gosh, if this is what it's like to wake up next to him, I would want to do it everyday. Every seconds, every year, every minute, for the rest of my life.

"You're so precious." He said, kissing my forehead.

And at that fraction of second, I wonder, boy, do I really love this smiling sweetheart?

Gosh, I sounded confused but somehow, his smile alone could get me through the day.

"You, my beautiful girl.." He said, and I smiled, "..go get ready. Remember? Today is the big day."

Never once, ever since I got to know him had he ever made me feel not beautiful. Every day filled with compliments and ugh, I'm living.

I get up from my bed only to stumble a little, and when I heard Joel's laughing at my clumsiness, I laughed too.

He was shaking his head and smiling, when I was about to go inside the bathroom.

Okay, first thing first, I need to smell good. I mean, I'm meeting his family, right?

Gosh, I'm so nervous.

What if they don't like me? What if I'm not enough?

I shake the thoughts out and take a deep breath.

I quickly get in the shower and did all the essentials. Brushing my teeth, shampooing my hair, shave, and also double cleansing.

After about an hour, I quickly get dressed and put on a light makeup. I put my hair in a waterfall braid and once I'm satisfied with my look, I get out of my room.

When I was walking down the stairs, I saw Joel, sitting on the couch, tapping his feet and nervously looking at his watch.

I smiled. He was as worried as I am.

As soon as I'm downstairs, I walked towards him and cleared my throat.

Suddenly, in a matter of second, he just stared at me, wide eyed and when I thought he would stop he didn't.

I shifted my weight.

"Do I look okay?" I asked.

"Dhi..." He started, "...you look breathtaking. Oh gosh."

He was breathing weirdly and I have this odd tingly feeling in my stomach that somehow makes everything around me flies.

I blushed at his words.

"Shall we go?" I asked, when he's still staring at me.

He snapped back to reality. "Y-yeah."

He looked so cute when he stutter and it somehow makes me happy I had this effect on him.

The drive to his house was quiet, but when we arrived, I noticed him looking very nervous and I shuddered.

If he's nervous, imagine what I'M feeling.

As soon as we got out of the car, he took my hand and we walked inside his beautiful house. His house is not what you could ever dream of.

It has a great Mexican vibe to it and truly a breathtaking structure. I smiled.

When we're inside the house, I was greeted by his mum.

"Hello, you must be Dhianna. Joel talked a lot about you." She said, pulling me into a hug.

"He did?" I asked, looking over him who was looking anywhere else but me.

"You have no idea, mi'ja." She answered and I smiled.

Next, 3 boys came into the view and they all stand side by side in a line, next to each other.

"Dhianna, this is Emmanuel, my big brother, Israel, my second little brother and Gabriel, my baby brother." He said, pointing at each of them.

I smiled, "Hi, I'm Dhianna."

When I realized that Joel's big brother's name is Emmanuel, I suddenly, cringed. They've been so many months since Emmanuel's death and I missed him too much.

Now that there's someone who has the same name as him, makes me feel a thousand of mixed feeling.

"..and last but not least, my grandma, abuela, this is Dhianna." He pointed next to the woman, standing in her apron, outside the kitchen door.

She's so beautiful. Even though she's old it could never eat up her beauty. Age is just a matter of number.

I walked up to her and hugged her. She hugged me with so much love back.

Then she moved on to Joel,

"Joel, ella es muy linda." She said, and I blushed.

"Si, abuela. I'm lucky." He said, looking at me.

I helped Joel's mum and grandma making food throughout the day and I never know, cooking would be so fun.

In the midst of cooking, Grandma Teresa asked me something.

"Dhianna, what do you think of my grandson?" She asked.

"He.." I started, "..he's a great man for sure, abuela."

She smiled, "Do you love him?"

And at that point of second, I stopped whatever I'm doing and thought hard.
"Dhianna..?" She called after me.

"I do, abuela. I do." I answered and in that fraction of time, I know Joel is eavesdropping this and are smiling.

And that made me feel more contented than I've ever been in my life.