STRINGS (UNDER REVISION)

Chapter 2

Her heart's beat quickened when Lukas's dark caramel eyes found hers, drowning her with his deep and intense stares. And then he suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him, dissolving every little space between them with his eyes still not leaving hers. It's like he's hypnotizing her. And when she finally let herself be enchanted by him, Billy jolted from her sleep because of the continuous ringing of her phone on the bedside table. It was her alarm.

She reached for her phone and turned it off to go back to sleep but his two boys who had their arms around her didn't let her. She had to wake up to prepare for everything.

Billy shut her eyes closed for a moment as she tried to remember her dream. Why was Lukas on her dream? She wondered. Shaking the thoughts off, she got out of the bed to go start her day.

First, she prepared her children's uniforms and bags. Then she went to the kitchen to cook for breakfast. While doing so, she would alternately clean the house and do some laundry. She's actually juggling from one work to another.

Growing up, Billy always had that dream of becoming a princess. And that she would live on a big palace, ride a horse, and marry a prince. But she couldn't remember when she stopped dreaming about it. When did she lose her dreams? Her ideals? And herself? When did she stop dreaming? She couldn't remember.

"At what point did I become an extra and not the heroine of my fairy tale?" she asked herself.

Well that is what expectation and reality are.

She woke her sons and told them to go get ready for school while she's cooking their breakfast. It's a routine that she had yet to master ever since she and her sons father got separated. She had to do everything all by herself.

"Red! Rex! Come out here and eat your breakfast na!"

She then ran to her room to get ready as well. It's the day of her interview for the job Anna got for her.

"Mama, don't forget about our camp tomorrow." Rex reminded her while she helped him with his collar.

"Bukas na ba 'yon, nak?"

Rex nodded and took his bag. "We'll go horse back riding, right?"

They were going to Tagaytay. Once a month, they would always plan an out of town trip together specifically on fridays because the kids has no school the next day since it's weekend.

"Noted, young Mister." She smiled and kissed his cheek which Rex immediately wiped off the side where she kissed him with the back of his hand.

"Mama, malaki na po ako." He whined that made her laugh.

"Why do you hate it so much? Okay lang naman sa kapatid mo?"

"Red is still a boy, Mama. I'm a grown up man." Rex proudly said.

Billy raised a brow at her son's remark. "Should I just find another man to kiss kasi ayaw mo ng magpahalik sa akin?" She teased. Rex hated it so much. He would always tell her that she'll only have three man in her life. His dad, him, and Red.

Rex annoyingly shook his head. He cupped her face and kissed her instead. "Don't kiss me, Mama. I'll kiss you." Then he smiled charmingly, melting Billy's heart.

She pinched his cheek and told him to call Red so they could leave.

"Auntie Mina will pick you up later, okay? Don't leave the school without her. Understand?"

Red and Rex nodded their heads. They kissed her goodbye and then ran inside the campus.

"I love you!" She yelled, giggling when Rex rolled his eyes at her. She immediately left the campus after that so she wouldn't be late for her interview.