SELEN munched her food with a hand propped on her chin. She was now out from work and having dinner at the restaurant. Her grandmas were busy closing the restaurant while she eats at a corner.
“Stop propping your hand on your chin when you are eating.” Nana Violy pulled her hand away from her chin and sat on the chair across her. “How’s it going?”
She pierced the meat with the fork and brought it to her mouth.
“So-so,” she replied as she chewed the meat.
Her grandma’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean by that?”
She heaved a sigh. “It’s between good and bad. Good because the love potion is slowly taking effect. Bad because there was this kid in Sage’s home that he fosters. And guess what, he calls me a witch.”
“It’s just a kid, dear. What could a child do to you?” Nana Violy patted her knuckles. “You know the kids nowadays they like to call someone names.”
“Should I charm him too?”
“Of course.” Her grandma smiled.
“Then I must not sleep tonight and make a charm potion—”
“Your natural charm will do, Selen. No need for another potion.”
“NANA, I’M leaving for work!” Selen shouted as she went down the stairs to go outside the house.
Nana Cora was not feeling well that day, so her grandmas decided not to do business. Meanwhile, she has to leave because she was working for Sage.
Selen walked past her bike because the tire was flat yesterday, and she hasn’t brought it to the vulcanizing shop. But then, took steps backwards after realizing something. She parked it beside the house yesterday, and now it was on their front porch.
“Nana!” She came back inside the house.
Nana Violy, holding a ladle, appeared from the kitchen. “Yes, dear?”
“Who brought my bike to the front porch?” She pointed outside.
“Oh, didn’t he tell you? Reinald changed your tire early this morning.” Her grandma smiled.
“Rei?” Selen fished his phone and called him.
But just like yesterday, he was not answering her call.
“You and Reinald had a fight, don’t you?”
She looked at Nana Violy and sighed. “It’s just… a misunderstanding. Did he tell you?”
“He didn’t say anything. I just noticed that he was sulky.”
“I guess he really gone mad.”
“You should sort things out, Selen. You and Reinald have been friends for so long.”
“Yes, Nana.” She heaved a sigh and headed out.
Selen was about to hop on her bike when she suddenly heard consecutive honks in front of their house. She saw Sage’s car pull over in front of their home.
He got off of his car and strode towards her.
“You don’t have to pick me up. My bike’s tire is okay now.”
“Leave your bike here and come with us.” Sage held her by the wrist and tugged her to his car.
She could not ask where they will go because she was busy counting her heart’s erratic beating since he held her wrist. The warmth of his palm was too much to ignore. It was not just the butterflies in her now. Selen could also feel something running up and down her spine.
Sage opened the door to the passenger’s seat when they reached his car. From there, she had a glimpse of Sean sitting on the backseat as he played with his teddy bear.
“Hi, Sean,” Selen greeted before hopping in.
But the kid did not even bother to look in her direction.
“Sean wants to go to the park. I thought it would be nice to go on a picnic,” Sage told her when he positioned himself in front of the steering wheel.
She looked at the opposite way as she suppressed a grin. Selen, Sage, and the little kid Sean on a picnic in the park would be perfect.
SEAN was playing hide and seek with the other kids he met in the park while she and Sage were busy setting up their food on the picnic mat. She was surprised at how friendly Sean was with the other kids when he treats her like a villain.
“Is this the first time you took Sean home?” Selen asked after a while.
“Hm.” Sage took off his shoes so that he could sit comfortably on the mat. “He’s a new kid in the orphanage. Sister Mira said his parents died in a car accident a couple of months ago. Sean was sent to the orphanage because no relatives would want to take him in.”
“Poor little kid…” She turned her gaze in Sean’s direction, who was hiding side-way behind a tree. “This year will be his first Christmas without his family.”
“That’s why I took him. I know the feeling of losing your beloveds, and then, waking up one day they were gone.”
She turned to him again.
“I lost my parents the moment I came to this world,” she said somberly. “But I grew up with my two grandmas beside me, who loves me dearly. Is it true that Marceline raised you?”
“Well, her father was my legal guardian since he was my mom’s only brother and my dad was an only child. But she did raise me because we were always together growing up. She became my mom, my sister, my friend, and now my manager.” Sage handed her a canister full of strawberries.
“Thanks.” She smiled and gladly accepted it.
Sage called Sean and beckoned him to come over.
The kid was wet with sweat when he plopped down on the picnic mat. Selen was about to take Sean’s bag to get a towel, but Sage grabbed it first. He brought out the towel and dried the kid’s sweat. Then, he changed Sean’s clothes and started feeding him. And she just watched them.
Sage would be a loving and caring father to his future kids. She knew that because the way he cared about Sean says it all.
“Dad…” Sean pulled the hem of Sage’s shirt.
“Hm, yes?” He looked down at the little kid, whose head was now on his lap.
“Sean wants strawberries.”
Selen picked a strawberry from the canister and gave it to Sean, but the kid just threw it away.
“What the—” she mumbled out of disappointment.
“Sean, that’s bad. You shouldn’t do that. Selen is daddy’s friend, so you should treat her the way you treat daddy, okay?” He caressed the little kid’s head.
“Evil is not friend.” Sean turned to her. “She poisoned Daddy.”
Her eyes widened. Did Sean see her yesterday when she put the love potion on Sage’s drink?
Selen was relieved when Sage laughed.
“Silly. Daddy’s still alive.”
“He must have thought that the sugar I put in your juice yesterday was poison.” She laughed exaggeratedly. “Kids and their wide imagination.”