THE MIRRORED WEREWOLF MODEL

#3 Home Bittersweet Memories

The silence going back home is so awkward and unbearable for two people claiming to have been out clubbing. Sandra is busy taking selfies with her phone on the passenger’s seat pretending Chloe doesn’t even exist as the driver. It is clear she is still sullen by what Chloe did at the club earlier on. Poor Chloe, she now must endure the flashbacks of her first days in a relationship with Anthea the entire trip to Sandra’s place. She normally puts on the volume of her car radio on full blast whenever she is driving alone but now she can't because of Sandra’s mood swings. She would do anything not to find herself in this kind of quietness because it always leads her pondering over Anthea, hence she stalls the visits to her parents’ home because they bring back those bittersweet memories of her forbidden relationship with Anthea.

Anthea is Chloe’s first woman lover who was forced to immigrate to The Bahamas, a country outside United states. It is within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic. Both Chloe and Anthea were at their early teenage stage when they started experimenting a woman to woman relationship and their romance lasted till the last days of their high school when Anthea was sent away by her mother. And as far as Chloe can remember, that was her first and last time to experience what real love feels like. They managed to keep their relationship a secret until Anthea's Mom caught them making out one day after school inside Anthea's room. That's how Anthea got to leave New York City, leaving her parents behind to continue being Chloe's next-door neighbours.

Because mothers often lie to shield their loved ones, especially their kids, that’s what Anthea’s Mom did. She kept what she saw a secret from everyone including Anthea’s dad and Chloe’s family believing it was very taboo and shameful to her family. To date, no one in the neighbourhood knows the real reason behind Anthea's sudden departure except for Chloe and Anthea's Mom. After that ordeal, Chloe has since been struggling to find love again. To her, Anthea was the woman of her dreams and if the world wasn't this cruel as she regards it, she and Anthea would have tied the knot by now.

"I know I did the unthinkable but pretending like I'm invisible won't help either." Says Chloe as she snaps out of her dream world and back to reality.

Sandra glares at her and continues pouting for the camera of her phone pretending not to have heard a word.

Chloe sighs loudly as she parks the car outside Sandra’s house and turns her head towards her direction, hoping Sandra will also turn instead Sandra pauses her camera and dials Heaven to come meet her by the gate as she climbs off the car.

"Ohk, I'm sorry." Chloe apologized.

Unfortunately her gloomy words and cold apology fell on deaf ears. Sandra has already made her way inside the house and shut the door behind her.

Chloe, now feeling stung and not sure what to do next or which direction to take. She rests her head on the steering wheel for a while before driving off just to unwind. She lifts it up again after what seemed like 15 minutes, looks up at the time from the car dashboard. It's already late to go to her parents' home but again she's thinking this could also be a perfect time to spend an entire night with her sisters without any interruption from Anthea’s Mom, unlike when it is daylight where Anthea's Mom will be making endless and irritating knocks to their home pretending to check up on them whereas she is just keeping tabs on her specifically, perhaps to confirm her sexuality. For Chloe, seeing Anthea's house alone makes her shudder, she can't bear the thought of bumping into Anthea's parents especially her antagonizing Mom. If possible, she would do anything not to ever see Anthea's mom again in her life.

(Inside the Hemiltons’ home)

Few minutes after everybody in the house went to bed after losing patience on waiting for Chloe for what seemed like a decade. Charmaine's loud scream pulled everyone, including the toddlers out of their bedrooms. They are now all compressed at the door, embracing Chloe like how they did four years back when she came home after winning the pageant. All her sisters' kids are lining up in front of her fighting for their turns to be in her arms.

"Oh, my word, it's such a full house. Please don't tell me I woke all of these rascals up." Chloe says, getting Chesley's two little daughters aged between two and three off her waist to pick up Charmaine's one year old son whose both arms are hanging on air crying to also be in her arms.

" Aunty Chloe, is Uncle Kevin coming with us for ice skating tomorrow?" asks Christie's five-year-old daughter with bright smile all over her innocent face. Chloe takes a deep sigh not knowing how to respond. Chloe’s Mom quickly comes to Chloe’s rescue by removing the one year old from Chloe’s arms, also leading the rest of the rascals into their bedroom.

"Bedtime guys, aunty Chloe will still be here tomorrow morning when you wake up." reaffirms Chloe's mom.

All four sisters are now left alone sprawling on the couches in the lounge catching up exactly like how Chloe envisaged earlier on. Charmaine as always, is sitting on the same couch with Chloe, leaning on her shoulder. She still can't get over the fact that her eldest sister is a public figure and owns a modelling company. She always blames her dad for his genes, saying he failed her otherwise she would be following on her sister's shoes if not being the next Naomi Campbell.

"So good to see you again big sis." Charmaine says as she leans more closer to Chloe.

Chloe smiles, also leaning closer. "Yeah, it feels so good to be home young sis."

"look at you, you are glowing. Are you sure you have really broken up with Kevin?" Asks Chesley, giving Chloe that uncertain look.

"Why must everyone see through me that I'm hurting? Of course, we broke up.” Chloe responds rolling her eyes.

"So, who's the new guy?" Christie jumps in.

Charmaine, upon noticing a change in Chloe’s mood after Christie’s question, she quickly asks Chloe an inappropriate question to distract her from answering. "I see the applications are now open for new Miss USA competition. Can I hand in my application?"

"Yeah Charmaine, you will make a perfect fit.” Chloe sarcastically responds.

"You should also consider plus sized models." Adds Charmaine.

After Charmaine’s last statement, all the three sisters couldn’t help it but look at each other and laugh their lungs out.

They all chat for almost two hours and then each one of them stood up to their own bedrooms. Strange that all their rooms still look the same way as before when they were leaving under their parents' roof.

The first thing Chloe's eyes caught when entering her room is a black and white portrait of herself and Anthea mounted on the wall facing the head of her bed. The portrait was drawn by Anthea during their school days as she was a pro in drawing. Tears start to roll down her face as she sits on the edge of the bed and intensely stares at the picture.

"Big sis, I'm struggling to sleep. Can I joi… Charmaine cuts her sentence as she barges into Chloe's room to find her still not changed into the pyjamas, instead she is sitting on top of the bed that is still made and intact. Chloe immediately bends down pretending to untie the shoelace of her sneakers so she could hastily wipe off the tears from her eyes.

"I was just having a brief prayer before I sleep." responds Chloe, body still bent over. "And why are you not sleeping?" Adds Chloe.

"I don't know, I guess I missed you so much. Can I sleep with you?" Charmaine slowly moves closer to sit next to Chloe on the bed with no intention of taking a no as an answer.

It's Chloe's first time to come home since her six weeks of breaking up with Kevin. Besides, Chloe has always been Charmaine's favourite sister growing up.

"Yeah sure, why not?" Chloe says, standing up to change into her pyjamas, shying away from Charmaine's eye contact.

Charmaine then prepares the bed and they both cuddle and sleep peacefully till the next day.