Magdalena

Chapter 17

"Happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to you." They all sang in unison as I feel myself tearing up. It's been a long time since I've seen my family, we may not be complete but at least.

"Ohh, our baby sister will cry." I was pulled into an embrace with my older siblings.

Anthony, my oldest brother is the most masculine in the room, he have grown so much working as a gym trainer, he had always wanted to be one and I'm so happy that he have reach his dreams.

He cleared his throat after we have taken our place around my table, they have connected or rented a table to make it bigger, they have cooked my favorite that made me jump in enjoyment, being silly in front of them, it feels like I'm a kid again.

"Happy birthday not so little Len." He started as he reach for our father's hand who's beside him, we did the same thing to the point that we have circled the table hand in hand, my brother always and will always be the who will start a prayer for everyone's birthday or just a normal meal back then.

I closed my eyes and what shock me is those grey eyed girl I have seen so many times in my dream, even though I keep seeing her, she still makes me nervous, she's been saving me in every danger my mind would create, but she was different right now, maybe because I'm conscious? It's just weird that I cannot feel everyone around me until I realize I am laying on a bed, an unfamiliar feeling of mattress.

I look up to see her eyes, strangely I feel a heaviness just below my stomach because of those alluring set of storms, it didn't made me feel scared when it turned red with a hint of gold specks and the next thing I know is she's leaning down, kissing down my throat-

"Amen." I almost jump out of my seat when their voices rings in my head, feeling frightened, I can't believe I just had a vision of my student bedding me while praying!

I take a deep breath and smiles big enough to cover the lust I can't hide but tried to.

I'm crazy.

She's just a teenager who is a normal human living her human life like what we do and here I am with my mind making scenarios of her being a vampire, saving my life in every danger you could imagine.

We have started eating, filling out our plates with different dishes my family have cooked for today. It is okay for me to eat rice because my mother is a filipino, rice is life but ever since I've moved here, I have been eating less and less but if there is a certain craving, I do not stop myself.

"How's everything, Danny?"Daniela or Danny for short. I looked at my older sister who smiles big at my father, I just know she's about to say something good.

"I just got my master degree, dad." She smiles proudly and so the rest of us. Being a doctor have been her dream since back then and I couldn't be more proud of my big sister. She didn't say anything after that, she's like that actually, the quite type, but my brothers are the opposite, she's usually the one who shuts the three of them.

Anthony, even though he's the oldest, he is the loudest one. Clint and Mark are also loud, they are the craziest trio as what my father call them, Danny and me are the sisters who shuts them if they are too loud, but today is an exception and we barely see each other so we let them be.

"And your modeling career, Clint?" I look at my father who seems so shock to what he have heard, it was Anthony who asked.

"I've been doing great." He smiled.

"Guys you should come and see Clint walk and model, with those other models, it looks so extravagant, and I am Clint's trainor to keep in shape." My brother oblivious with my father's gaze spoke.

"What happened to your architecture?" I didn't hear anything other than curiosity in my father's voice which I'm happy to hear.

"I quit, dad. I discovered that it is not what I want, but I've been studying business and modeling is just a side hustle, once I graduated, I'll build my own business." My brother looks so proud with this which I'm delighted.

"How about you, Mark?" I asked my brother who shows me a tattoo of a small coffee cup on his wrist that made my eyes go wide with excitement.

"Remember when I told you that once I already build my own cafe, I'll have a tattoo this coffee cup you have drawn on my wrist when you were a little kid? Well baby sis, I just did." Overwhelmed by the thoughts of it, I hugged my brother tight, feeling the proudness seeping through me, I am so happy for my brother for reaching his dreams. All of our dream and seeing my father smiling so brightly and proudly makes it more emotional for me.

And he was right, it was me who have drawn a coffee cup on his wrist when we were little, Mark is the fourth son that's why we get along more as he is close to my age.

Growing up as the youngest is really hard, the pressure I have put to myself because my siblings are out there reaching all their dreams and they are almost there and here I am, not even half of my own. But they never made me feel pressured, it's just me who's doing it.

"You know mom would be so proud of you, Len." I heard the soft voice of my sister as she looked at me warmly that I didn't control my tears anymore. I feel someone's hand in my back, trying to comfort me.

"We know that you have been blaming yourself for our mother's death, Len. I just want you to know that you are not at fault, you know something happened before the doctor said it right? Everything was unclear, but despite all those chaos, you came out of this world strong and brave, you are the most precious thing that ever happened to us.

I was a sobbing mess while my sister is talking and my brothers and father are comforting me, I'm happy to hear that, a conclusion, a start for me to let go of it, because even though twenty years have passed, it still lingers in my head, if I wasn't born they could have still have a mother.

"It is not your fault okay? Please don't ever blame yourself for something we can't control. We love you so much." They just know what words to say and I couldn't bw more grateful for that.

It will be hard, moving on and letting go of what was painful that have happened in the past, but you got to do it in some point, for myself,for the people I love, for my family. The thought of Carina makes me smile and I'm wondering why she would pop out of nowhere in my mind.

A knock can be heard pulling me out of my trance as I look at my dad asking him if it is his boss which he shrugged his shoulder on, I was confused as to who it is but my eldest brother was already at the door, ready to open it and the person who was knocking on my door is the person I thought I'll never see again.

"Enrico!"

Hey guys! I'm really sorry for updating not often as I used to when I was writing Love and Lies, or not updating at all, I'm still finding ways on how to retrieve my old account Mangofloatttttt and if you know how to retrieve that account, please let me know or just message me, it would mean a lot to me and I would be able to publish all the chapters of Love and Lies, stay alive! Lovelots🦕🦕