"I'm hoping to meet your family soon, Hope," sabi ni Kevin mula sa kabilang linya.
"You can meet them tomorrow. Pick me up?" Sagot naman niya habang nagbibihis para sa dinner. In few minutes ay dadating na ang pamilya ng isa pang Fontanilla.
"I would love to. But sad to say, I'm caught up with another project tomorrow."
"But it's Sunday."
"I know. Kaya rin ako napatawag para sabihin sa 'yo na hindi kita maihahatid sa San Gabriel."
Nalungkot siya kahit papa'no. She somehow misses her boyfriend na after niyang sagutin noong isang araw ay hindi na niya ulit nakita.
"Babawi ako. Doon na lang tayo magkita sa Myca's. I have a lot to discuss with you "
"Okay." She sighed.
"Bye. I love you."
"Bye. You too."
She ended the call at humarap sa salamin.
"That guy over the phone is your boyfriend. Siya dapat ang lagi mong iniisip, Hope. Hindi ganitong kakababa mo lang ng telepono ay si Kaden agad ang nasa isipan mo! That's called cheating!" Pinagalitan niya ang sarili habang isinusuot ang shirt dress niya.
She sighed once again. Naupo siya sa harap ng vanity at nag-umpisang ayusin ang buhok niya. She was putting a bobby pin at the backside of her head when there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," sigaw niya para hindi na niya kailangang bitawan ang buhok na maingat niyang ginagawang bun. She was so busy with her hair, she didn't see when a dashing Dr. Kaden stepped inside her room with a long stemmed red rose in his hand.
So she was surprised when she saw his reflection in the mirror while standing behind her.
"Kaden!" Napalingon siya sa binata but when she did, she realized how close he was to her.
"Hopie," he smiled habang iniaabot sa kanya ang rose. "Everyone's already in the dining hall."
Napakurap siya para bawiin ang tingin sa gwapong doktor na pinsan niya rin.
"Thanks!" Tinanggap niya ang bulaklak bago yumuko, a familiar pain was cutting through her heart. She wanted so bad to hug him but she couldn't. "I'm sorry for taking so long. Let's go?" Nang mag-angat siya ng paningin, sinigurado niya that she was wearing her best smile.
Kaden smiled and offered his arm which she took without hesitation.
*****
EVERYONE in the dining hall, a place reserved for the family's weekend dinner, stood up when she and Kaden entered.
Eight new faces greeted her warmly while the ninth person who happened to be a gorgeous woman in her early twenties just smirked at her.
"I'm your Uncle Peter-" her uncle stood up to give her a hug, the rest of his family following behind him. "This is my wife, Gina. My kids, this is Zandro, Amy, Paolo, Brianna, Gela, Miko, and Sidney." Everybody hugged her except Brianna who received a glare from her mother kaya napilitan ding yakapin siya.
Hindi siya sanay na marami siyang kamag-anak kaya medyo na-overwhelm siya. Hindi niya nga namemorize ang pangalan ng mga pinsan niya maliban syempre sa nag-stand out na si Brianna dahil kung tingnan siya nito ay parang kalaban siya at hindi kamag-anak.
"Hi, Kaden!" Maarteng bati nito sa binata na nasa likuran pa rin niya sabay hawak sa braso nito.
"Hello, Bri!" Kaden fondly patted Brianna's head to the latter's disappointment. Naka-pout na bumalik ito sa pwesto nito sa mahabang mesa.
Sinundan niya ito ng confused na tingin. Why would she even act that way towards Kaden?
"So everyone, go to your seats and let's eat," anunsyo ni Agusto na ikinatuwa ng mga bata bata pang Fontanilla.
Hope sat between lola and Kaden.
She was happy na hindi masyadong pormal ang mga nakatatanda. They began talking about random subjects. Most were the kids' performances in school, parental advice, personal lives but never about business which Hope really appreciated.
"Kaden, is the wedding still happening?" Tanong ni Peter sa pamangkin
"Yes, Uncle. It's in a couple of months." Tugon ng binata at kahit alam naman ni Hope iyon, masakit pa rin sa kanyang marinig ito mismo kay Kaden. Lalo na dahil habang kinokompirma nito iyon ay nilalagyan nito ng pagkain ang plato niya.
"Good. We will clear our schedules for that big event then."
"That would be a huge thing for me and Zoey, Uncle."
"How about you, Hope? Are you in a relationship right now?" Tanong ni Sandra, who of course remains a family.
"Y-yes, Tita," she answered.
"When are we going to meet him?" Tanong ni lolo.
"He's busy, lolo."
"Well he should make time," saad naman ni lola.
"I will tell him."
"Great. How about you Kassey? When are we going to meet that SWAT boyfriend of yours?" Tanong naman ni Edsel sa panganay na babae.
"Dad, how will I bring him here when all of you are like you're going to grill him alive?" Katwiran ng pinsan niya.
All the elderly reacted. Napangaralan si Kassey, pati lahat na ng pinsan niya nadamay.
"They're always like that," Kaden whispered to her.
"So, did Zoey go through interrogation then?"
"Zoey is a family friend. So not really a big deal."
"Oh..."
"Excuse me?" Sabay silang napalingon ng binata sa nagsalitang si Brianna. Hope realized na ito na ang pinag-uusapan. "Kassey and I are different. I only like Kaden. All of you knew that," she stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest.
The statement surprised Hope. Napatingin siya kay Kaden na napatuwid naman ng upo. Did Brianna just say that she liked her eldest cousin?
"I'm sorry?" Hindi niya napigilang tanong.
All eyes were directed to her.
"Stop being a brat, Brianna," sabi ni Agusto.
"I was just saying... Don't compare me with Kassey."
"You make it sound like I'm doing a disgraceful thing," sagot ni Kassey.
Pero bago pa magkainitan ang dalawa, sinaway na sila ng mga matatanda. Everybody moved on to another topic. Pero si Hope na-stuck pa rin sa issue ng forbidden feelings ni Brianna kay Kaden. Why didn't anyone tell her na hindi pwede 'yon?
In the end, Hope decided na baka infatuated lang si Brianna kay Kaden kaya hindi na nila ito pinansin.
After dinner, everyone complemented her Beef Caldereta. Manang-mana raw siya sa kanyang ama. The elderly people proceeded to have their coffee at the porch. Habang silang magpipinsan naman ay nagpasyang magswimming sa pool. Magbonding daw sila. She didn't refuse kasi aalis na rin naman siya bukas. Okay na rin na kahit papano makilala pa niya ang mga pinsan niya.
Naupo siya sa gilid ng pool habang nakababa sa tubig ang kanyang mga paa. Hindi siya nagbihis ng pangswimming dahil wala naman siyang planong maligo. While her cousins wore their respective swimming attires. Not to mention the girls were too sexy in their swim suits.
"Aren't you going to join the rest?" Tinabihan siya ni Kaden, nakasandong puti ito at swimming shorts.
"I actually enjoy watching them."
"Mas mag-eenjoy ka if you will join them."
She didn't answer but looked at her cousins who were like little children playing in the water.
"Just now I'm wondering what it would've been like to grow up knowing all of you."
"Do you want this? To be a Fontanilla?"
"It's not like I have a choice, right?" 'But if I would be given a chance to choose my family, I would choose the one that does not include you, Kaden... You're the only reason that's making it difficult for me to accept all of them...' She wanted to add but she didn't. Instead, she turned to him to find his gaze on her. "I mean, I have no choice but to accept the fact that you guys are my family."
"Are you really leaving tomorrow?" He asked, tucking a hair strand back behind her ear but his eyes were not leaving her eyes.
"I guess."
She couldn't let go of his gaze until she felt tears starting to burn her eyes. The bitter memory of Rain looking at her like that flashed in her memory.
"Why don't you join them, Kade?" She asked dropping her gaze.
"And leave you alone? I'm your only friend here," pabiro nitong tanong pero nag-alis naman ng suot nitong sando, displaying his well toned abs in her face. She couldn't remember Rain having those. Pero hindi ibig sabihin na mataba ito.
"Don't flatter yourself. There's Kassey and the rest," umirap siya sabay iwas ng tingin habang nag-dive naman sa tubig ang binata.
Pinagmasdan niya lang itong makigulo sa mga iba nilang pinsan. She could see how they were raised na malapit sa isa't isa. That's the thing she missed while growing up. Wala siyang pinsan. She was contemplating kung gaano ka-close ang mga ito sa isa't isa when she noticed how Brianna clings to Kaden like some obssess lover and not a close cousin.
Pero bakit? Hindi ba nito naiintindihan na hindi pwedeng magkagusto sa kamag-anak?
"Come on, Hopie, show us your swimming skills. Hindi ba't lumaki ka sa tabing dagat?" Kaden snapped her thoughts, she realized na nakabalik na ito sa pwesto niya.
"Kaya nga, Hope!" Sabi naman ni Kassey.
"Join us," Kellen, Gela, and Sidney chorused.
Before she knew it, her cousins were gathered in front of her while wearing slightly devilish grins.
"Ahm.... No." Nahuhulaan na niya ang balak ng nga ito kaya dali-daling itinaas niya ang paa at akmang tatayo na sana when Zandro and Paolo who without her knowledge had sneaked behind her, pushed her to the water. Napasigaw na lang siya as she completely lost her balance and splashed in the cold water.
She was still wearing her shirt dress and she ended up soaked much to the amusement of her cousins.
"That's absolutely funny! You should have seen your face!" Gela giggled.
"Yeah! So ugly!" Brianna blurted out, sinaway naman ito ng ate nitong si Amy.
"She's prettier than you," their brother Miko said at dahil doon ay naghabulan na ito at si Brianna.
"Take it back, you traitor!"
"Kid's keep it low!" Sigaw ni Amy and followed the two.
"It's fun, right?" Kaden said behind her.
"Yeah!" She was smiling when she turned to him. "I'm so going to miss them!"
"You still haven't changed your mind?"
"Come on, you know that I have my life already planned out in San Gabriel," Pinilit niyang ngumiti, why does she have this feeling na ayaw nitong umalis siya? "Kevin already started a business there."
"Do you really love Kevin?" There was a hint of pain that flashed in his eyes but it was too quick she wasn't sure she even saw it.
"I can learn to," honest niyang sagot at nagpasyang umahon na.
"Hep! Where are you going?" Hinarangan siya ng naka-cross arms na si Kassey.
"Nilalamig na ako," sagot niya.
"Because you're not supposed to wear this while swimming!" She eyed her dress. "Take it off!"
"What? No!" Matigas niyang tanggi.
"Take it off." Kassey repeated, nakangisi na naman.
"No," ulit din niya.
"You're taking it off yourself or we will?" She put two fingers on her mouth and made a whistling sound to call the attention of their other cousins.
"Kassey!" She protested.
"Kas, stop it," Kaden told her sister with a serious tone.
"You're a fun buster!" Kassey pouted and swam away.
"Thanks," Hope murmured.
"Let's get you something to dry yourself."
"I can manage, Kade," suddenly, she didn't want him near her. Na-o-overwhelm na siya na lagi niya itong kasama. She was starting to think na bumabalik si Rain. And it's not good.
"Okay." Tiningnan muna siya nito bago sinabi iyon saka siya tinalikuran.
Hope took a deep breath.
'That's right, Kaden. Act rude. Believe me, you're helping me this way...' Umahon siya at halos tumakbo palayo.
She couldn't have him again. She knew it. But why was her heart being so stubborn?
*****
HOPE didn't see Rain when she left the next day...
"It's for the best," she convinced herself, thankful that everything's over.
She remembered telling herself na makakamove on lang siya kapag nakita niyang masaya na talaga si Rain. Well, he's already getting married. And if that wasn't enough, he turned out to be her cousin.
Now, there's no reason to hold on to the past. Ang kailangan niyang gawin ay magfocus sa future niya kasama ang iba.