Never Not You

Prologue

Prologue

Six-year old Izzie took a last glance at her family's house. Mula kasi ngayon ay sa kabilang siyudad na sila maninirahan.

Her father received a promotion at kasama sa benefits nito ang house and lot na lilipatan nila.

Yakap-yakap ni Izzie ang paboritong lion na stuffed toy habang nasa byahe papunta sa bagong bahay.

She's an odd child dahil ang mga babaeng kaedad niya ay nahihiligan ang mga Barbie at cute na teddy bear.

What she likes is the fierce and ferocious king of the jungle. Cute din naman daw ito. Everything she owns is either yellow or something that has a lion on it.

She says that she's like the furry animal, matapang. Yun din naman ang sabi ng kanyang mga magulang, that she's a brave girl.

Hindi siya umiiyak tuwing tinuturukan ng vaccinations. Hindi rin siya nagwawala kapag natatalo sa laro o kaya ay nasusugatan. That's why her parents compared her to a brave lion dahil katulad niya raw ito.

Mukha rin daw kasi siyang leon lalo na noong sanggol siya. Mataray ang kanyang mga mata na maikukumpara sa mata ng mga pusa.

Izzie's father, Michael is behind their pick-up's wheel and her mother, Donita is in the passenger's seat habang siya ay nasa second row at nanonood ng Dora the Explorer sa TV sa likod ng headrest.

Isang episode pa lamang ay nakarating na sila sa bagong bahay. Ito ay village na exclusive para sa mga mariners na katulad ng kanyang ama.

Lahat ng gamit nila ay nasa loob na ng bahay at nauna nang ilipat nitong mga nakaraang linggo.

Izzie went down their car and stared at the two-storey house in front of her. Sa tingin niya ay mas malaki ito sa nauna nilang bahay na ikinatuwa niya. Mas malaki na ang kanyang malalaruan.

Inikot ni Izzie ang tingin sa buong kalye. Her cat eyes stopped at the house next to hers, particularly to a boy around her age.

Nakasakay ito sa bisikleta na may trainer wheels habang may nakaakay na babae sa likod nito. The lady helping him must be his mom dahil nilapitan ito ng mommy ni Izzie at binati.

She walked towards her mom, closer to the boy. Napatingin ang batang lalaki sa kanya nang makalapit siya.

They stared at each other. The boy looks cute. He has white skin and chubby cheeks. His eyes have a natural dark line on his lids kaya nagmukha itong suplado.

The boy blinked while staring at her, none of them uttering a word, until Izzie brought her hand up shaped into a claw habang yung isang braso ay nakayapos padin sa kanyang stuffed toy.

"Rawr," Izzie growled at the boy, who flinched at her voice but still kept staring.

Izzie heard their moms' laughter in the background, her attention still on the boy.

After a few seconds, Izzie has decided.

She wants this boy to be the king of her pride, while she, the lioness, is the queen.