54

THREE WEEKS LATER

SELENA'S POV

Haxilla runs towards me while holding a bouquet, "I bought you your favorite flowers! Coral roses."

"Thank you," I looked at her and smiled, "Do you want to go to Bay Area with me?"

She shook her head that made my shoulder to fall, "I'm busy for Raven's surprise party," she whispered and shake my shoulders.

"All right, all right, stop it. What are your plans now?"

"I'm planning to tell Wade and Haru to come over, a little reunion to be precise. What do you think?" she excitedly asked.

"Hmm," I hold my chin and acts that her idea is bad. She holds my arm and pouted at me, she's so cute. No wonder we're siblings.

"You don't like it?"

"Did I say something?"

She throws a tantrum, "Just tell me if it's good or bad!"

"It's good. Since Britanny can't do the designing, maybe I'll be the one who will do it," I volunteered, shehugged me tightly.

"Thank you so much!" she moved a bit away from me, stood up while doing some business on her phone, "Stay here, huh? I need to go somewhere."

Nanny Karen sat beside me while peeking at the door where Haxilla walked out. She holds my hand and smiled at me, "I'm glad that you remember all the things happened. Are you sure you're fine now?"

"Yes, I'm okay now, don't worry about me for too much."

She caressed my face with teary eyes, "Your parents are surely smiling right now, you are raised so well as a woman."

I chuckled, she hugged me while tapping my back and caress my head. It's unbelievably comfortable, soothing, calming your messy mind and system, I feel that I'm back for being a child again.

"This kind of hugs you're always looking for every time you are scared or angry," I laughed, she's right, "Hugs and resting your chin on other's shoulder while sitting on her lap are the things that your mom spoiled you."

She began to sob that's why I hugged her even tighter, "Thank you so much for taking of me more than you do to your son," I sighed, "Every time I'm thinking of it, I feel bad for Raven."

"Hey, hey don't say that," she pushed me up to face her, "Raven is so understanding, he understood your situation that you're in."

"But, that time you almost spend your all-time to us instead of him when we're still young, he definitely loathe you that time."

"Do you know who saved you that night?" she suddenly asked. My forehead creased while trying to remember the night that she's talking about. Is it the night where Jaxon's parents killed my parents? Ah, right, I didn't see his face that time clearly because of darkness.

"W-who is it?"

She pointed Raven's portrait at the wall, my eyes widened, "My son saved you that night. I was also shocked when I knew about it, he's only seven years old that time, yet he made another pages of your life."

"So, I owe him my life..."

"Shh, he doesn't want you to think it as your debt to him. He said that he saved you because that's what he needs to do, and he knows how much I love you."

"But, he should hate me that time, right? Because, of course, as a kid you'll think that your mother didn't love you because instead of taking care of you, she's taking care of the other kid." I leaned at the couch while my arms are crossed, "I mean, if I was him, I let that little girl to die so that my mother will finally take care of me."

"But, you're not him," I looked at her, she sighed while looking at her son's photo, "He didn't want anyone else to be in danger, especially you. You're right, he should let you die in front of his eyes, yet he treated you as his younger sister."

Silence covered us for a minute. Raven is really my guardian angel in disguise, he is helping me from the start, he saved my life for many times, even on that time that I can't remember him, I only know him as a high school classmate. It's so embarrassing that I didn't trust him for Haxilla, while thinking of it, my body wants to bury itself in the soil.

"Oh, I heard that you're planning a surprise reunion party for his birthday. Is there anything that I can help?" Nanny Karen asked that broke off the ice of silence.

"I don't know, Haxilla is the one who is planning these things. Perhaps, ask her whole plan for this occasion."

She nods at me, "By the way, I noticed that Jacob is always with you. What's the matter between the two of you?"

"It's not like what you think," I played my fingers while thinking a way to explain this to her without thinking any bad about it, "He's just paying back his friend."

"I see, you should be careful by trusting people, Serena," my heart fluttered when she called me in my real name, it's uncomfortable and sweet at the same time. "You have a heart of sand, that even a wind can crush it."

"That was deep," I chuckled.

"I'm just giving you a warning."

"Nanny Karen," she looked at me, "By any chance, do you have any friends before that maybe has long, soft hair, round eyes and uhm, small body when she's young?"

"Wait a minute," she's staring at the floor while thinking of the woman that I've described, "Are you talking about Gloria?"

"Gloria? One of the maids you're with while my daddy is still at my grandparents house?"

"Yes, why you seemed interested about her?"

"Ah," how can I say this? "Is there a chance that she's just appearing and disappearing at the same time in so quiet way? Like she was suddenly sitting beside you like a ghost."

She laughed so hard to me while I'm looking at her with full of confusion, what's funny to my question? She even teared up because of laughing, is she crazy or something?

"Gloria are still the same. Oh gosh, my stomach and jaw hurts, ahhh."

"What do you mean about it?"

She cleared her throat first, "She's always like that since we became co-workers. Your grandparents almost hit her random things because of that habit of her, she's just always quiet on walking, that's why you didn't notice her coming."

"She's like a spy then. We met at the garden of the hospital last time, my heart almost drop off when she suddenly spoke at my side."

"She's like that, but she knows many things about life. Whatever she said to you, just listen to it, still the decision is yours."

I was about to talk again, but Hershey ran out of her room, "Grandma! My toy broke, look!" she showed her barbie doll, it lost its one arm.

"Alright, we will fix it, okay? Go to your room now." Hershey nodded and ran back to her room. Nanny Karen gave me a hundred dollar bill, what's with her now?

"What am I going to do with this?" I asked while showing her the bill that she gave.

"Buy anything you want, walk around so that your knees are not that weak."

I stared at the dollar bill in my hand. What am I going to do with this? Ah, I'm too lazy to walk around. Someone poked me at my back, it's Nanny Karen, she pointed the door using her lips. I scratch my head because I have no choice, but to follow her.

While counting the things that I bought from a hundred dollar bill that Nanny Karen gave me, my phone rang.

"Yes?"

[How are you now?]

"I'm totally fine. What about you? Where's your son?"

She lifted the camera, so I can see Wylow, he is sleeping peacefully next to his mother. His face is so innocent, his little moves make him more adorable.

"Ohh, he is so cuteee! Hi baby Wylow, I'm Aunt Serena."

[Serena? You're using now your real name?]

I stared at her for a second, "You don't want it?"

[It's not that what I meant. It's just, uhm, how can I put that word? Ah, never mind.]

"Silly, by the way, did Haxilla told you already her plans about her husband's birthday?"

[She said nothing to me about it, maybe she said on Wade.]

"She said that will be a small reunion party, you'll be coming home here! Yeheyy, baby Wylow, you're going to your home."

Britanny laughed while giving Wylow breastfeeding. I'm just smiling while watching them, but deep inside, fear and anxiety eating me. What if I can't become a mother like my friends? What if she'll despise me because she's living a not so ordinary life with incomplete family? It'll be a shame for her.

[Are you okay?]

"Hmm? Yes, of course."

[You're still hanging out with Jacob, don't you?]

"Oum, so?"

[Just be careful.]

"Alright, alright, I get it. I need to hang up now, bye!"

When I hung up the call, another question added on my mind: Why do they always say to me that I should take care of myself after knowing that I'm hanging around with Jacob? What's wrong with it? What's wrong with them?