THE BLACK ACE

Chapter 1♠

Presently...

Fifteen years after

Emilia's POV

Art. The most beautiful aspect of life, the desire to make art is universal. People make art everywhere, and they seem to have been doing it for as long as they've been around. Just like me, since my childhood.

One beautiful reason for making art is pleasure. I enjoy making art and I enjoy looking at it because there's beauty in it. I think about portraits of people and I don't wait another second to start sketching it out. I look towards the other side of my room and smile.

I had done a beautiful portrait of my mother. Dark auburn hair, brown eyes and soft lips. I stare at the picture for a while before placing it down. I covered it back up and took it to my mini studio. I had a collection of paintings.
I hadn't even gotten into my room, when I heard the replica of my mother's voice call for me.

I make my way downstairs and I find her scowling at me, hands on her hips and her feet tapping on the wooden floor.

I roll my eyes at her gesture and make my way to the kitchen table.
"Good morning to you too Aunt Lina"

I help myself with hot brewing cup of coffee and a toast.

"Girl, you scare me at times. I thought you had left already, without having breakfast"

"Really?" I raised my brows at her. "Shouting my name won't bring me down at seven in the morning", I glanced at the wall clock and groan.

"Really now?! You called me down for breakfast at seven? My class starts by 10:00am today" I groan further.

She sighs and walks towards the sink to wash her hands. She takes a napkin and dries them.

"Let me see, you were in the other planet am I right? I didn't mean to disturb you, just wanted to remind you that you'll be twenty soon, need to get to class on time and the usual"

I roll my eyes once more at her amusing way of referring to my art studio. She was right though, the studio was another world for me. I would get lost in a particular painting and not pay attention to anything else. I recall her telling me times without number that I resembled my father.

My father.

I cringed at the word. It was a topic I wanted to avoid for the rest of my entire life.

"I know Aunt. I'm not annoyed, trust me" I approach her for a hug, and my heart instantly melts at her touch.
She pulls away and lifts up a paper bag and shove it in my face. I jiggle with excitement at the aroma I so dearly love.

"Peanut butter sandwich?" she raises her eyebrows. I couldn't help but smile in return.

"Peanut butter sandwich forever" I reply.

Aunt Carolina was my guardian angel. A woman I wouldn't trade for anything. My best friend, my mother and confidant. Having one of the best restaurant on the northern side of Los Angeles was more than a title.

I reach for the paper bag and was about heading to my room when I heard panting and heavy footsteps coming my way. I look down at my visitor and squat to embrace him.

"Hey boy, where the hell have you been huh?" I ruffle his fur.

"I still don't know how you managed to get along with him, heaven knows I'm still so scared of him"

I couldn't help but laugh at my Aunt's reaction to almost everything.
"He's my dog. What do you expect?"

"I see now.. I don't recall it being like that from the beginning. Let me see, yeah it was the scared little girl with a beastly dog and--"