Love Fatefully

Chapter 3 - Sofia

Coming back to my childhood home for a long time feels nostalgic. I miss everyone especially my parents. I always thought that the darkness will consume me once I'm back but thankfully it didn't. I guess all wounds heal faster than you realized it.

"Sofie honey! Why didn't you tell me that you are arriving tonight?" Aunt Nina opened the front door and walk towards me. I guess she saw me from the window. 

I smiled and hug her tightly. "Please don't worry too much. I'm fine, I don't want to disturb you anymore. I'm sure you have more important things to do." I reasoned.

She looked at me sternly. "Nonsense! You are much more important than whatever schedule I have now. We haven't seen you for years, my dear. I think I know my priorities thank you very much."

We were laughing when Bella came running towards us shouting my name. "Aunt Sof! Aunt Sof!"

I turned and went to her for a hug. "Oh Bella, how I've missed you." 

"Come on Aunt Sof, I have a lot of things to show you." Bella excitedly pulled me towards the house. I can see that she has grown a lot. "Look at you. You look so beautiful, dear. You have grown so much since I left."

I'm so happy that I have seen them again. They had not visited me in the convent since the day I entered. The convent has strict rules in terms of visitation. The family can only visit once a year for a limited time only especially if the sister is still in training. They said that the sisters in training don't have strong convictions yet and they easily get distracted and if they see their families often they might get tempted to leave and break their vows. But on my part, I asked my family not to visit me as I need time for myself and I'm also worried about my grandmama as she can't travel far anymore because of her age.

"Where is grandmama?" I asked while entering the house. When I got inside I've noticed that nothing has changed but I feel like it's no longer my home. Is it because I have been gone for almost five years? Or is it because I no longer feel my parents’ presence in the place?

"Grandmama is still at the hospital." Bella answered.

"She's still there? Why? I thought there weren't any critical complications with the fall. Is she ok?" I asked Aunt Nina worriedly.

"Don't worry Sofie, mom is fine. She's recuperating and she'll be able to leave the hospital as soon as her doctor permits her to leave." She said without looking at me.

Why do I feel like something is not right. "But Aunt..."

"Come on Sofia, let's bring your things upstairs. You should take a rest. First thing in the morning, we will go to the hospital to visit mom. Okay?"

I sighed. "Okay, Aunt Nina." I looked at her and noticed that she has dark circles under her eyes. I don't want to bother her more as she looks stressed. It's already late anyway, I'll just speak to her in the morning. 

I woke up at five am and prepare myself for my morning routine. I went to the bathroom to clean myself and get dress, then I went back to my bed and do my morning prayer and meditation. At around seven I went down and went to the kitchen to fix everyone their breakfast. 

As I was eating my breakfast, I saw Aunt Nina entering the kitchen already dressed for work. "Good morning Aunt Nina. How is your morning? Did you sleep well?" 

"Oh wow! Good morning Sofie." She looks at me and then at the table and looks at me again. I don't know why I feel like she's scrutinizing me right now.

"Uhm...Did you made all this?" She asked unsurely.

"Yes! Sorry did I overdo it? I'm not sure what you and Bella like so I cooked these." I look at the table. I think I did cook a lot for three people. I made five sunny-side-up eggs, scrambled eggs, slices of bacon, sausages which I cooked in three different kinds, pancakes, toasted bread, mashed potatoes, sliced fruits, apple pie, fresh croissants, hash browns, and grilled tomatoes. 

I look at Aunt Nina sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I'm just so used to cooking big portions for breakfast because of the sisters in the convent."

"No Sofie, it's fine." She laughed softly and patted my head. "I'm just shocked that you can do all of this. You can't even cook those kinds of bacon without burning them." 

We both laughed. "Yes, I remember. But during my stay in the convent, the sisters taught me how to cook and do daily chores. We have assignment rounds, sometimes I'm assigned in the kitchen for a week, in the garden, or sometimes inside the convent. Aside from the peace that I have found there, I have also learned a lot of things." I told her happily.

"As much as I want you to stay here Sofie, I'm just so happy that you found what you were looking for. I'm sure my sister and your dad are proud of you now." She said with mist in her eyes.

"Oh Aunt Nina, thank you for supporting me. I know I left you alone with this big responsibility. I'm so sorry." I hug her while crying softly.

"Now, now, don't cry. Bella might see you crying. You know her." Before she could finish her sentence we heard a loud wail behind us.

"Oh Bella honey, please don't cry." Aunt Nina runs towards her daughter to console her. 

"Aunt Sof is crying. She's sad." Her cry becomes even louder.

"No...no Belle, I'm not crying." I tried to reason out. Every time she see's someone crying she would cry too especially if that someone is close to her. Bella has a soft heart and is very emotional. 

"You're not? But...but you have tears in your eyes."She said while hiccupping. 

"It's tears of joy honey. Aunt Sofie is just happy that she's here with us." Aunt Nina is brushing Bella's hair with her hands to calm her.

"Really? I'm so happy that you're back too." She came to me and hug me tightly. "Please don't leave us anymore Aunt Sof. Everyone is leaving me."

I feel a tug in my heart. My poor Bella, I know she still remembers that accident even though she was just five when it happened. It changed our lives drastically.

"I won't leave you, Bella. You know I always tell God to visit you, to send you my hugs and kisses so that even if I'm far away you will still feel that I'm just near you."

"You do?" She looks at me with those sad eyes.

"Yes, my love. You, Aunt Nina, and grandmama are always in my prayers. Always." I told her with a smile.

"I love you, Aunt Sof."

"I love you more, sweet Bella."

"Oh stop with all this. You're going to ruin my mascara." I heard Aunt Nina sniffing.

We all laughed. "We should finish our breakfast now so we can visit grandmama."

It's early in the morning and we're all emotional. I hope it will be lighter when we see grandmama.