Brother And Sister

Leonard began to explain his situation, saying that he met his wife when he was still young and got married to her. 

This part was true. He was 23 years old when he married Helayna Selene Bardin who was 22 years old at that time.

They met in College, fell in love and followed the next logical step to them at that time, to get married.

Both of them didn’t have any close family members so they were eager to start a family of their own.

So they supported each other in their careers to save for their future children.

Leonard graduated Business Administration while Helayna graduated Nursing a year later which is their fourth year in marriage.

Life was sweet for Leonard. He had a wife who understood him, supported him and cared for his needs.

Helayna settled into the role of a wife while still pursuing her career.

Both of them were making enough money. They were able to buy a house together though not so luxurious. It was enough–rather, they could already provide for a child.

But Helayna had a hard time getting pregnant.

Just when Leonard thought that he could either accept that he will never have his own child, or that he could bid his wife farewell and start a family with someone else, a dream he didn’t want to let go of, Helayna suddenly showed him a positive pregnancy test.

This was in their seventh year as a married couple.

Leonard was relieved and overjoyed. He thought it would never happen.

His relationship with his wife became even better as the pregnancy progressed.

However, the journey wasn’t easy.

There were quite a few times that Leonard had to take Helayna to the Emergency Department because of sudden bleeding.

Each time they would have to stay in the hospital until dawn then they would be discharged and be reminded to get enough rest, do exercise and eat healthy foods.

All these Helayna tried to do.

Then she gave birth months later to Hera .

For a time, Helayna had to recover her health, so she stayed at home and took care of their newborn daughter, Hera, while her husband became busy as their breadwinner.

Leonard thought it would be a good idea to let Helayna take care of Hera while she’s still a toddler and not in school yet rather than pay a nanny or send her to daycare. It would just cost more.

It worked for them.

Leonard however didn’t expect to be especially close to his colleague, Rebekah Webb as they worked at the Smart Finance company.

Who would have thought that the beautiful and vivacious red-haired Rebekah and her piercing blue eyes would choose him, a married man with a two year old child.

Hours and projects together, they became even closer to the point where they found themselves becoming more intimate than they should.

Leonard however didn’t explain in all details. In fact, he embellished it so much that it even sounded like one romantic fairy tale where Rebekah is the rightful princess and that Helayna was someone he had to stay with out of duty.

Leon had been curious about his older sister. But he just had no way of contacting her.

There’s also Leonard and Rebekah’s reminder to not make this information public.

They had revealed that Leonard’s first wife is in bad health, that any time, she might go to heaven.

“Is this why you’re not marrying mom yet, dad?” He had asked Leonard at that time.

“Yes. Your older sister doesn’t know and she already is sad enough that her mother would soon leave this life, we don’t want her to be even sadder, right?” Leonard told him.

“But wouldn’t she feel better if she knew that she’s not alone?”

“...No. There will come a time for that. But not right now. Just be patient, okay? For now, I want you and your sister to have good grades.. So when you meet your older sister, she would also be proud to have siblings like you. Okay?”

Leon nodded, determined to make this true.

He didn’t know however that on that same night, his parents had an argument in their bedroom.

“Really.. Wow.. Good words, huh..” Rebekah scoffed at Leonard.

“What? What is it now?” Leonard massaged his temples.

“Why did you have to say those words to your son? You make it sound like they have to be worthy of being called siblings of your dear daughter!” She seethed, her fiery red hair looked like flames around her angered face. It was as if she was spitting fire every time she spoke to him.

He sighed. “What are you on about? I just want him to focus on something else.. I don’t want him to try to connect with her without telling us!”

“Are you screaming at me?” She gasped, looking at him with eyes wide and her brows pulled together.

Leonard slapped his own forehead. “No.. I didn’t scream at you Rebekah. Calm down.” He sighed.

“You calm down! Tell me honestly, is that woman really dying? Or are you just making up a story so I don’t leave you yet..” She stabbed his chest with her pointing finger with a long dark burgundy nail. Her glaring blue eyes seem to suck his soul.

“Shhh.. quiet down, will you? The kids will hear you!”

Rebekah gnashed her teeth in frustration.

“You don’t want them to hear? Then what the hell are you doing? How long have I waited? What if that woman is just making this up?”

“Why would she make it up? An incurable disease.. You think anyone in their right mind would make it up? For what?”

“Well clearly she already knows about us!” Rebekah slumped on the seat, kicking away her heels.

Leonard paused. He turned to look at Rebekah. “No. I’m sure she doesn’t know. There’s no trace of you anywhere in our house.” He said firmly.

But instead of being assured, Rebekah looked at him with hurt in her eyes.

Leonard had no clue what was on her mind now. But for them to simmer down from this argument, he decided to pacify her first.

Else, this redhead wouldn’t stop.

This is however what made him attracted to her. She’s very lively. She made him feel young.

Whereas Helayna had always been gentle, understanding–that there were days when he wished he had work instead of being in boredom with her at home.

In the room next to them, Leon had no clue that his parents had just argued and is now making up like nothing happened.

He spent his days like this, and trying to excel in school so he could be as smart as his older sister.

And now that years have passed and he is already 11 years old, he was full of anticipation as he’s about to meet the sister that his father had always talked about.

Leon waited for his father to share what his conversation was with the girl in the room.

“Come on.. Let’s set the table first..” Leonard said instead.

Leon wordlessly followed him.

‘Is it still not the right time?’ He pondered.

Rica on the other hand was still as cheerful as usual.

She looked around the house and noticed the unfamiliar face of a woman.

Hair that is almost silvery, small button nose, full lips that was perfect on her small face, arched brows above the almond eyes the color of silver blue framed by long eyelashes.

Rica’s jaw dropped as she gazed in awe. ‘Pretty!’

Although her father had always said that he loved her and her mother’s hair color, her classmates had teased her about it saying she looked like she had tomato juice on her head.

She prefers this lady’s hair color instead.

‘A fairy!’ Her eyes were wide as she stared at the photo.

She then began to look at other photos.

There were photos of Hera from years ago, when her mother’s health was not as bad.

‘Ah! Big sister!’ Her eyes brightened as she recognized the girl in the photo. It’s the same photo as the one her father showed them before.

She looked again at the lady in the other frame.

‘They’re like twins!’

Hera was like a mini version of Helayna after all. If there’s anything she inherited from her father, it’s only the hair color which is dark brown. The rest was all similar to Helayna’s features.

Except for Hera’s eyes which are jade green.

Leonard’s eyes were azure.

He had always wondered where Hera inherited it from.

Tracing Helayna’s ancestry was even more difficult than his since she was an orphan.

So they just left it as one of the mysteries.

Rica and Leon’s eyes were the same color. Blue but not as piercing as Rebekah’s. It was closer to Leonard’s azure instead. But their hair at once glance could be described as red, only that it’s darker than Rebekah’s and closer to brown like Leonard’s.

“What are you looking at?” Leon sat on the couch close to Rica who stood as she watched the picture frames on the coffee table.

“Look, Leon.. That’s big sister, right?” She pointed at Hera’s photo.

Leon rolled his eyes. “You call her big sister but you don’t call me big brother? What is this? You haven’t even met her in person but you’re already playing favorites?”

“Hihihi.. Come on–that’s her, right? Do you remember a long time ago–so many days, when I was still small when daddy showed us this picture?”

“Pfft.. Wow.. you remember that? You were still 2 years old at that time.. That’s three years ago..”

“Of course! Because I’m a smart kid! Hehehe.. I’m like big sister Hera..”

Leon pouted. He really felt discriminated against.

“Ehhh.. shut up, will you? You keep saying big sister this.. Big sister that.. She’s only half your sister! You should look up to me more!” His voice rose and his eyes glared at Rica.

The latter jumped in fright. Her eyes watered and soon she burst into tears and wailing. “Uwaa…Huhuhu… You don’t love me! I hate you, Leon! I don’t like you! Huhuhu.”

Leon felt guilty as soon as he heard his sister cry but her statements made him angry again. He turned away from her instead of consoling her.

The loud crying finally got the attention of Rebekah and Leonard.

Both ran towards the living room from their bedroom.

“Kids! What’s going on? Leon! What did you do? Rica–what happened? What did Leon do to you?” Rebekah pulled Rica closer, narrowing her eyes at Leon.

“Hmp! I didn’t do anything to her!” He crossed his arms.

Leonard massaged his forehead and glanced at Hera’s room. ‘What would she think?’

At that moment, Hera was about to open the door when she heard the screaming and crying then the scolding.

Her hand dropped to the side, choosing to wait until the commotion died down first.

“Leon, say sorry to your sister so she can stop crying.” Leonard said. “Rica, stop crying now..”

However, Leon didn’t budge at all.

“Le–on..” Rebekah said, her voice lowered and fuller.

“Tsk. Fine! Sorry, okay! Happy?” Leon snapped.

“Leon! You! Don’t talk like that!” Leonard scolded, stomping his foot on the ground.

“I already said I’m sorry. Even though I didn’t hurt her.. She is just being dramatic as usual.”

“Huhuhu.. I don’t like you, Leon! I don’t want you to be my brother anymore!” Rica pointed at Leon.

“You see! Who wouldn’t get mad when she’s saying that to me?!” He in turn pointed at Rica.

Rebekah’s eyes widened.

She held her daughter’s hand, making her put down her raised finger. “Stop it, Rica. That’s not very nice. You don’t talk to your brother that way. You know your brother loves you very much. You’ll break his heart when you say that.”

Rica turned to look at Leon as if checking if he really was heartbroken.

To her surprise, she indeed saw that his eyes had turned watery and his lips trembled and pouted.

“Sorry, Leon..”

Leon didn’t say anything.

“Leon.” Rebekah warned him to not overdo it. “Go, Rica, hug your brother. And call him big brother.. You know he likes it when you call him big brother like a cute little sister you are.”

“Okay..” She nodded. Then she walked up to him and hugged his thigh. “Sorry, big brother. I love you, okay? Don’t be mad at me anymore? You love me again, right?”

Leon squeezed his eyes shut for a moment then opened it. He lifted his hand and placed it on top of her head gently. “Mn. Sorry too.”

Leonard sighed.

He always admired how Rebekah can make the two make up right away. The house is never quiet. Just the way he likes it.

A while later, the door creaked open.