“No. Now get up and clean yourself. Lazy.” Nathanya contradicted and tried breaking free from Taylor’s hug. Taylor let out a sigh before getting up and took all the remaining clothes and towels.
“Where are you going?” Nathanya asked her.
“To your parents’ bathroom. Unless you want me to use your bathroom instead.” Taylor answered, unconsciously teasing Nathanya. The latter blushed and moved her gaze away from her.
“Ate Briana had used it. So you have no other choice.” she told her.
"Lead me to your room then." Taylor said. Nathanya immediately got up and led her to her room.
Once Taylor was inside, what she saw was a simple but clean room. There are some books that
were neatly arranged on a shelf in the corner. What caught her eyes the most was the family picture on top of the study table.
"Is this your family?" Taylor asked though it was pretty obvious. Her heart was beating fast as she looked at a familiar face in the frame. It's not the face of Nathanya, but rather, it's the face of her father.
"Yes. Why?" Nathanya asked her.
"Is… is this your dad?" Taylor asked again, pointing at the familiar person. Nathanya nodded and her heart started beating wild again.
"What's wrong? Do you know my dad?" Nathanya asked. Taylor put the picture frame back to where she picked it up.
"I have seen him in our house before. He's pretty close to my mom and dad. His name is Nathan, isn't it?" Taylor said. Nathanya's eyes enlarged after hearing her father's name.
"How come we didn't know your family if he's close to you?" Nathanya asked.
"I don't know. Maybe he has his reasons." Taylor answered before heading to the bathroom. It's been a bloody night. Good thing that Nana Ester's eyes were somehow poor, that's why she didn't noticed the blood all over her. She scrubbed her skin hard, as if she wanted to rip it apart and replace it. Even though her skin had turned red because of the scrub, she can't feel any pain. She had gone numb. She had lost Lace, Drake, Callix and Lalaine in just one day. The water from the showered kept flowing all over her body, blending with the water coming out of her eyes. After half an hour, she finally decided to dress up and come out of the bathroom. What met her after coming out was the sleepy face of Nathanya, who was still waiting for her to finish bathing before she could take her turn. Seeing that Taylor was finished, Nathanya suddenly became alive, awoke and alert. She immediately stood up and grabbed the towel and was about to head to the bathroom when she noticed the redness of Taylor's skin.
"Is the water temperature that high? Did it burn you?" She worriedly asked, inspecting the skin of Taylor. She saw that it was odd to have some scratches if she's burned by the water.
"Did you scrub too hard? Look at your skin. It's almost bleeding now." She said as she pulled Taylor towards a chair near her study table. She opened her drawer and saw her first aid kit was still there. She's a clumsy lady so she really prepares kits like this in case her clumsiness attacks. She applied some ointments on her skin while scolding her continuously.
"Don't scrub your skin too hard next time, okay? Look what happened." She said while cleaning and keeping the oinents away. Her back was facing Taylor now. She was about to turn around and go to the bathroom when she felt a pair of arms being wrapped around her waist.
"I'll take a bath. Let go. I smell bad now." Nathanya said.
"I don't care. Stay here for a while." Taylor said and buried her face on Nathanya's shoulders, her warm breath giving a tingling feeling to the latter.
"I want to take a bath. Now let go." Nathanya said before successfully breaking free from Taylor's hug. She immediately ran to the bathroom and locked the door. Her heart was beating like a drum and that skinship initiated by Taylor drove her crazy. Fortunately, she was able to survive that night.
They all woke up late the next morning, maybe because they’re all exhausted. Taylor is the first one to wake up and saw Nana Ester cooking their lunch now.
“Oh. Did I awaken you up?” Nana Ester upon seeing her. Taylor shook her head and pulled a chair to sit on.
“I also came this morning to prepare your breakfast but you were all sleeping so tight and I thought you might wake up at lunch time maybe. I guess I'm right.” Nana Ester informed her with a smile then continued cooking.
“Do you need my help?” Taylor asked using her usual tone.
“Oh, you know how to cook?” Nana Ester surprisingly asked.
“I know a few stuff. I’m not as good as you though.” Taylor lowkey praised the food they ate last night.
“Your name is Taylor right? Taylor Venice Calderon?” Nana Ester asked that got Taylor thinking since Nathanya and Briana only introduced her using her first and second name so how can she tell her surname.
“How did you know my full name?” Taylor asked. Nana Ester smiled before answering.
“Because I know your family. Your dad’s name is Travis and your mom’s name is Tyronia right? And as much as I can remember, you have two older brothers, Tyrone and Tyler? You may not remember me but I was an aunt of your mom. It was your dad who referred me to Nathanya’s dad. So basically, I am a grandmother of yours.” Nana Ester explained. Taylor was enlightened and happy to know that she still has a relative alive and can’t fight the urge to hug her.
“There. There. My dear. It must be a hard life for you isn’t it?” Nana Ester muttered after being hugged all of a sudden. Taylor didn’t say anything but kept hugging her. Meanwhile, Briana, Nathanya and Jade almost woke up at the same time and went to the kitchen to see the scene. After noticing that someone was watching them, Taylor released Nana Ester.
“You wake up on time. Let me serve your food now.” Nana Ester said and with the help of Taylor, they immediately finished setting the table and serving the food.
“Eat with us.” Taylor invited Nana Ester, who happily took her seat beside her. As they eat,
Nana Ester explains her connection with Taylor. The other three were amazed at how small a world can be.
“That’s why Ate Venice knows dad. Turns out our family was actually entangled from the very first place. Fate is really something.” Nathanya said.
They continued eating and since they had nothing to do after, they decided to stroll around the area for a while.
“It’s really nice here. All the people were greeting us even though we’re strangers.” Jade said, praising the townspeople. They were walking towards a place where trees were shielding them from the sun. They were peacefully walking when they suddenly heard someone crying, a child's cry to be specific.Taylor looked around but found no one. She decided to look behind the trees and on the third tree she checked, she saw a child, around seven years old, female, pale and shaking. She immediately picked up the child. When the other three saw her, they immediately lended their hands. Since they were a little far away from Nathanya’s house, they asked permission of one of the houses near them if they could let them in. The owner of the house immediately accepted them inside.
“Isn’t this child named Leysie? What is she doing in the woods?” the owner of the house asked.
While preparing some porridge for the child.
“You know her?” Nathanya asked.
“Who will not? She’s a nephew of the town’s chief. So that’s why there were a lot of people
walking around yesterday. They may be looking for her.” the owner said as she pours the porridge in a small bowl.
“Maybe we shall bring her there once she’s awake.” Briana said, just as the same time as the door burst open.
“I heard Leysie’s here?” a woman around forty asked and Taylor’s heart raced after seeing her, a very familiar figure.
“Tita Vicky?” Taylor asked.