The two of them didn't make it to their bedroom. They were outside. Samantha sits at the edge of the pool. She was sitting outside, dipping her feet unto the waters that filled the built in swimming pool while she was admiring the moon. The perfect necessities are apparently obvious in Gregory's condo.
“I like this view so much.” Her pupils dilated as she admired the moon. "The moon needs the sun to have its source of light. The sun shines regardless—because it's a star.” She moved head to capture a better sight of the moon above.
Gregory was leaning to the sliding door. His eyes were intently fixated on her. “Which one do you like the most? The sun or the moon, Samantha?” He started to ask her the question.
Samantha turned her head to stare to him. She smiled. “Do I really have to choose?? Because for me—I love them both.” She answered.
Samantha saw something that passed his eyes. A glint she couldn't name. As if he remembers something. Something buried, something forgotten. There's still many layers to unveil in getting to know Gregory deeply.
“You're like the moon.” She said to him.
A breath came out of Gregory's mouth but he didn't respond. Both of them—Samantha and Ggegory were indulging themselves with the staring contest that started when they first met. Gregory went to her and sat beside her.
She stared at him and slowly Gregory leans. He started lowering his head and as his head lowered Samantha's eyes went bigger. The corners of his mouth moved but he didn't smile and instead he continued to lower his head before dropping a kiss on Samantha's cheek.
“It's late, Sam. You need to go to sleep.” He reminded her.
Samantha offered him a smile. “I couldn't sleep. I always have trouble sleeping.” She replied honestly.
“But you need to at least try. You're body needs rest, Sam. We did a lot of things today.” Ggegory stared at her with gentle eyes. He uttered his words in a soft manner.
“I'll try then.” She said.
The lovely lullaby from her mother always helped her to go to sleep. The bed time stories from her father lulled her to her yawning. The tragedy struck a deep pain in her heart.
When they were gone, it was hard for her to make adjustments with her new family. It felt like a huge bomb was dropped in front of her eyes. The shackling changes shocked her to her core. Her adopted parents were cold. They didn't give her and sister the loving treatment that they received from their parents. She was holding on because she needed their assitance to survive. But being with them never really made her feel better. She never felt like they were family. She never felt like she belonged.
Her sister Macy who was the biological daughter of her parents was always been the favorite. Maybe it's because, Macy was their real daughter. While her and Grace were outsiders, pesky intruders to their family.
Macy loved to fake her distress towards her and her sister. Her faults were given to theirs. Samantha couldn't dive to the nearest exit whenever their parents will locked them in their house while they will take themselves and their daughter to go outside for their leisure.
She wasn't able to stifle a laugh everytime she felt like being left to deal with the miseries. It was always been tears back then.
When she was older, she learned to control her responses. She learned what makes them tick. She learned how to drive them mad. She did not back down from the oppositions she received from them. It was one of her goals to live the house of her adopted parents and settle for her own nook. So she strive— she did what she can to get herself out of the rut of what once was a home. Now, she learned to drew a boundary. A home is home, a house is a house. A house couldn't be home, especially after everything that happened.
Her sister Grace was a responsible one. She took multiple jobs. She even learned how to juggle an armful of plates in her hand. She struggled. Just like her.
At times, Samantha visits the cemetery. She will sit on the grass and stare at her parents tombstone. She will talk to them about the growing pains, the ones she has trouble weeding out, and plead to help them get out of their situation. She will cry but she will always wipe her tears.
She will held out of her hand to touch the tombs of her parents. Whispering everything that hurt her. And it became a habit she can longer eradicate in her.
She couldn't help but remember them just a while ago when she was gazing at the moon. She remembered how they used to stargaze at night while the whole family was at the balcony. Samantha carried it with her—the love for the cosmos. She loved them so much that she loved everything that reminds her of them when they were still alive.
She gripped her heart and tears were starting to trickle down her face. She misses them a lot. That sometimes she wishes that they will take her with them. Her eyes were opened again. The darkness of the room allowed her to stare at the ceiling and wallow with the pain that her heart was feeling.
She felt someone moved closer to her. She was suddenly pulled out of her reverie when she remembered that Ggegory and her were sleeping in the same bed.
She snuggled closer to him too. Facing his face, giving it a look one last time. She still couldn't sleep. So she let her eyes gaze at him. She traces his face with her lens. Before she pulled the blanket to cover his shoulders with it. Samantha smiled. Gregory was closer than she expected. He was suddenly whispering something as he sleep. An unconscious thing that she find adorable.
She then started to blink. Samantha can feel the feeling of drowsiness seeping through her. She yawned before giving Gregory one last look. Samantha closes her eyes...