THE GOOD SISTER

Chapter 20 - Uppercase

The drive to their restaurant was a mere ten minutes. Seeing Dei doze off, Richard dropped off his dad at the restaurant and took her home first to let her take a nap for at least an hour before getting her ready to meet his mom.

He carried her to Rizza's room and lay her down gently on the bed, took off her shoes and lay down beside her. In a short while, he too fell asleep. She was already in the shower when he woke up. He got up and went to his room to prepare for dinner.

He waited for her in the living area, sending a text message to his dad that they would be on their way in a few minutes. When she emerged from Rizza's room he whistled. She was wearing a nude colored dress and pumps, her hair loose and make-up light. Still, she looked nervous and looked at him for approval.

"Do I pass the look test?"

"Of course! Way past the standards, sweetie. Come, dad just messaged me, hinahanap na tayo."

The restaurant was similar to its Tagaytay counterpart, the distinct Filipino vibe evident in the interiors. Richard's mom looked incredibly young, like she was only in her late thirties. She was very stylish and pretty, almost like a male version of Richard.

"Mom, this is Dei. It's her first time here in Miami."

"Hello, Dei. Richard can't stop talking about you. I can see why."

"Mom! Grabe, here we go......"

"What? I'm just telling the truth. Go to your dad, leave us girls so we can talk about you."

"Mom, I'm warning you......."

"Ay sige, you want me to tell her about the time you—"

"Whatever that is, stop.......sige na, I'll go find dad. Geez."

Dei was immediately put at ease with the playful banter between Richard and his parents. His mom gave her an idea of how Richard was as a child, how he was sickly and bullied in school but grew up to be a varsity basketball player.

By the end of dinner, Richard shared his plans with his parents.

"Mom, Dad.........I'd like to relocate to Manila."

"Son, the moment you told me you'd be bringing Dei here, I already expected this," His mom said tearfully. "Dei, don't get me wrong, I'm ok with this totally, but I'll miss my baby boy. I already miss him as things are now."

"Mom......I'll visit. I promise. There's facetime, we can chat everyday if you want."

"Sorry, sorry.........I'm such a drama queen."

Mother and son hugged, and Dei saw how good a son Richard is to his mom. He never got embarrassed for her tears, nor did he chide her for feeling that way. Instead, he tried to understand her and gave his assurance that he would make it as bearable as possible for her.

"Dei........my son is making such a huge leap by leaving his comfort zone here. My only request is for you to please make it worth his while. Please love him as much as he loves you. I hope that whatever challenges you both face, you will try to work hard together to fix it."

She opened her arms to hug Dei as well, and this is where Dei's tears fell. Such acceptance for her, even after meeting her only for the first time, showed how unselfish his mom was. She hugged his mom tightly, her heart warmed by being sandwiched between mother and son.

"Dad.......I know you and mom are busy with the business but I wish you'd visit Manila too. Dom and Rizza miss you too. Besides, you haven't gone home in a long time."

His dad was misty-eyed as well. "Sige son, we'll plan it. I want to see the kids too. Maybe this Christmas we can spend it there."

-----

On their way back to the Faulkner residence, Dei was quiet. She was reminiscing on happier times when her family was still together. She reflected on what went wrong, and realized that although her dad was a good man, he may have neglected her mother, to the point of her looking for companionship elsewhere. She felt Richard's hand take hers.

"Everything ok, Dei?"

"Yes. I just realized maybe my mom had reasons for turning to someone else when I was younger. Maybe dad neglected her in his dedication to work."

"Is it too late for them to fix things?"

"Yes it is. My mom already has someone else, and dad seems ok being on his own. They're civil naman when together. I want to introduce you to them too."

"Sure."

They arrived at the house both silent, lost in their own thoughts. He turned her face him and ran a hand through her hair.

"Dei..........this thing we have together, it's serious for me. I want us to have what my parents have. I hope you want the same thing."

"I do, Jay. I will do my best to keep us together. I'll support you with anything you want to do."

They kissed, feeling happy that things were falling into place for them.

"Rest na tayo. I have a meeting with my publishers tomorrow, I'll bring you along, ok lang ba? I'd like to introduce you to them."

"What time is the meeting? I'm almost done with your first book, just five chapters left. "

"Afternoon pa naman. You think you can finish the remaining five by then?"

"Yes, give me two hours tops."

"Baby........." He pulled her close. "Mom and Dad won't be coming home tonight. I think they purposely left the house to us for privacy."

"And?" She was biting her lip to keep from smiling.

"You want to sleep in my room?"

"Sleep talaga ha?"

"Hmmm........sleep........din."

He swept her off her feet and carried her to his bedroom, amid her squeals and laughter.