𝑹 𝑶 𝑺 𝑨 𝑳 𝑰 𝑨

002

R O S A L I A | 32
2005 | Present

Rosalia was a hardworking woman.

When her mother died she was immediately thrust into the world of early adulthood.  She had no time for parties and barely any for school which caused her to drop out. Most of her 20s she was forced to take up jobs to be able to pay for rent and put food on the table for her and her brother. Just work, It was like she had given up what were supposed to be the most exciting years of her life to make sure she made enough money for them to make it to tomorrow.

She wrapped a towel around herself pushing the shower curtains aside before cautiously stepping out the shower. She had only been in there for five minutes and the water had already went cold causing her to shower in cold water. Rosalia quickly tiptoed out of the tub, she briskly dried herself off, trying to dispel the lingering sensation of the cold water against her skin. The faint footsteps of someone going the stairs caused her to pause, she quickly slipped into her work clothes before stepping out of the bathroom.

"Marco?" she called out, hoping for a response, but there was only silence in return. She made her way to his bedroom and opened the door gently, she found her brother sprawled on his bed, groaning and burying himself under the covers.

"Where were you yesterday?"

There was no immediate reply from her brother, just a deep sigh escaping his lips as he turned away, unwilling to answer. Lately, He had been staying out late without any explanation, returning only at the crack of dawn. Whenever she tried to question him, he would dismiss her concerns with a casual brush-off. She let out a breath shutting the room door behind her.

Rosalia left the house and continued on her way to work. The small takeaway shop that stood at the edge of town, the pay may not have been much, but it provided her with a steady income to keep the lights on and food on the table.

"Hey pretty lady" Yara cheesed.

As well as being her colleague Yara was one of Rosalias only friends. Like Rosalia, Yara's father was of Angolan heritage but her mother was Portuguese so her skin was a sun kissed golden hue. The curls of her recently cut hair cascaded around her face, adding a touch of playfulness to her appearance. She had a curvaceous figure and a petite frame standing at 5'4", in contrast to Rosalia who stood at at 5'9".

Yara was also huge extrovert. Though not very quiet herself, Rosalia liked listening to people talk so Yara's animated chatter never bothered her.

Rosalia placed her bag in her locker before taking her apron out. She tied the apron at her waist before taking a hold of the boxes on the floor. Yara raised her brows as she observed her friend.

"What's that face about?"

"Marco again?" Yara guessed knowingly, while a heavy sigh escaped Rosalia's lips.

"He's hiding things from me," she confessed, her voice laced with a mixture of frustration and worry. In the past, Rosa and her brother were were inseparable, he'd tell her about everything, from his first crush to his first heartbreak.

"Rosa—"

"He leaves the house at late at night and doesn't come back untill the next morning-" Rosalia let out another sigh. "He barely even talks to me"

Their conversation reached its pause as they reached the back of the shop, Yara carefully placed her load down, before assisting Rosalia with her set.

"He's young" Yara began, her voice softened "He's going to be out there having fun and doing whatever teenagers do these days, if it's serious I'm sure he'd tell you"