1. Cocoa
"MARIAAAAA!" She smiled widely at the cutie who called her name even when she's not comfortable with someone calling her by her first name. However, when it comes from the girls' mouth, her name sounded beautiful.
"Baby!" she called then hugged the beautiful raven haired tightly.
The girl giggled.
"You're k-killing m-me." The girl acts as if she was being choked by someone.
She laughed. "I'm sorry, baby. I just missed you." She pinches the cheeks of the raven haired girl.
"Ouch!" The girl stepped back a little. "That's too much." The girl pouted.
"Cute," she said, smiling sweetly to her.
"Nope. Gorgeous. I'm gorgeous," the raven hair corrected the redhead with one hand in her waist.
"Whoa? Is it just the wind or are you just really full of yourself?" She mimicked the other girl's action with a teasing smile. Actually, the raven haired was just telling the truth.
"Come on let's go home." The raven hair chuckled with the redhead's reaction. "I'm sure Dada badly wants to see you." She then walked towards the exit of the airport but stopped and added, "And don't call me baby because I'm a big girl now, big hot sister." Then walk away.
"Ha-ha! No! You're still my baby because you're my baby sister, Silvia Josephine." Maria purposely says the raven haired girl’s full name to get her attention. Silvia doesn't like to listen to her second name. No, she despised it. Maria doesn't know why.
And yes, she stood there and glared at her big sister.
"Awe, come on Josephine, let's go home." Maria grinned and grabbed Silvia's hand heading to the car outside that was waiting for them.
Silvia smiled to the immaturity of her big sister. Though she had it all, beauty, fame, job, almost everything but lacking one thing... a girlfriend!
Yeah! She's gay. So what? I still love her as my sister.
+++
MARIA
It’s been seven years since I went back to this country. I admit I missed everything about this place.
There's not a lot of improvement but still, as they always say, there's no place like home.
I decided to go home for the sake of my father's wedding. He is now engaged with this woman, whom I never met, two weeks ago but their relationship lasted almost a year now. I don't know. I'm not sure. I lost count. All that I know, that this "El-el" girl is making my dad so happy and I guess I'm fine with. We never really meet. My dad and I will only talk about her over the phone but I can sense in Dada's voice that he is really in love with this woman.
As for Silvia, we seldom talk about this "El-el" girl but Silvia said that the woman was sweet and kind. Well, I guess I just needed to see and find it out myself.
So, I'm just here to meet his fiancé and good luck to them if they can convince me to stay here for good. I sighed. The ride home was long. I hate when I think too much.
"Are you alright?" Silvia asked while staring at me. We were at the backseat of the yellow hummer. My sister probably noticed my heavy sigh.
I nodded and smiled. She smiled back.
"So, you're staying for good, right?" she said, looking straight to my eyes. I saw hopeful stares at her light green eyes.
She got her father's eyes. I said to myself.
"I don't know. Perhaps? If I'll find something interesting in here," I said, teasing her.
She raised one of her eyebrows. She acts like that when she doesn't like my answer. Ha-ha! She can never force me. Although I love my sister and you can say we're close but she can be a b***h sometimes if she can't get what she wants. You can say she's spoiled because we're rich. Did I just say rich? No, my dad is a billionaire. That's why this beautiful bratty child gets whatever she wants. But that was just some side of her; the truth is she's soft hearted and sweet.
You can say I'm open to them. My dad and my sister know that I am gay and their fine with it. They accepted me. That's why I love them truly also.
"Oh yes, you will," Silvia said with a determined smirk. Uh-oh, someone has a plan.
I smiled and I said to myself. "This better be interesting."
The brat has her bratty smirk looking at me. We talked about random things not aware that we have arrived at the mansion.
It looks more beautiful than ever. The two guards on the gate bow their head while we pass the electronic gate bars. We pass the big fountain and the beautiful green lawn and flowers while heading to the entrance into the mansion. The two-storey mansion with its black, brown, white combination has its very striking and elegant beauty. It's also bigger than the last time I saw it. At least Dada's taking care of it because it's the only memoirs he has from his parents before they left him to go to heaven. And yeah, I almost forgot the fortune as well. Thanks to them! Ha-ha.
The seven maids, five guards, two men that I don't know who they are, were lined up in front of the head maid, Manang Linda. Ever since Manang Linda was sixteen she was working at Stuart's and been treated as a member of the family. She has one child named Josielyn that is the same age as Silvia and her husband died five years ago. She's the best nanny ever. She's kind, loyal and understanding. Manang Linda is in her mid-forties now.
I smiled when the driver opened the car door. "Thank you, Manong Jim." I smiled at him warmly. He is also one of the trustful drivers we have. He's serving the family for thirty years; he is in his fifties now.
"Welcome, Senorita. Welcome home," he said, smiling warmly as well.
I stepped outside the car and walked to the entrance onto the mansion and was greeted by the people earlier including Manang Linda.
"Thank you, Manang. I missed you," I said and hugged her.
She hugged me back and said, "You're taller now, hija, and more beautiful. Are you sure you don't have someone special in your life now?"
"No, manang. Not yet," I said when we were heading inside the mansion.
"Oh! They're missing someone who is extremely gorgeous in here," she said. I smiled hugely at her cockiness about me and I like it, honestly.
"Eh? Excuse me, Manang? I thought I'm your favorite here? Manang?" Silvia interrupted jokingly and pouted.
Manang Linda laughed. "You, jealous girl." She poked Silvia's cheek. We laugh at her childish demeanor.
"Well, where's Dada?" I ask when we're in the living room.
"Geste! Hija!" a handsome man in his mid-thirties calling me at the bottom of the stairs.
"Dada!" I came rushing and hugged him. I missed this man so much.
Maybe you're wondering why my dad's too young to have me. Well, we'll have a lot of time to talk about that.
"Let's go to the dining hall," he said, smiling.