Chapter 5
Midnight Thoughts and Mother’s Warmth
(Arushi POV)
My eyes fluttered open, heart still racing from that strange dream. I sat up abruptly, beads of sweat forming on my forehead. The air in my room felt thick, suffocating, like remnants of the dream still lingered.
I turned my head towards the clock on my bedside table.
4:00 AM.
Tangina. Ang aga pa.
My throat felt dry, parang ilang oras akong hindi nakainom ng tubig. I sighed before getting up, my body still heavy from sleep. I lazily dragged myself out of my room, heading towards the kitchen.
Tahimik ang buong bahay, only the soft hum of the refrigerator and my light footsteps echoed in the space. Pero pagdating ko sa kitchen, napansin kong may tao doon.
Mommy Auburn.
She was sitting by the counter, a cup of tea in her hands. Even in the dim light, she still looked as elegant and composed as ever. Her dark hair cascaded over her silk robe, and her eyes—sharp but warm—landed on me the moment I stepped in.
I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I went straight to the fridge, took a bottle of water, and drank deeply.
After a few gulps, I placed the bottle down on the counter, then walked over to her. I leaned in and pressed a quick kiss on her cheek.
Mommy Auburn blinked, obviously caught off guard. Then, a teasing smirk spread across her lips.
I rolled my eyes, pero hindi ko napigilang mapangiti nang bahagya.
“Cheesy agad? Hindi ba puwedeng sweet lang?” I said, sitting on the stool beside her.
Mommy Auburn chuckled. “Of course, you’re sweet. But it’s rare for you to randomly say ‘I love you’ out of nowhere. Something’s definitely up.”
I pursed my lips, debating if I should tell her about the dream.
About her.
Pero knowing Mommy, hindi siya titigil hanggang hindi niya ako napapagsalita.
I sighed, playing with the cap of my water bottle. “Wala lang. I just had a weird dream.”
Her gaze sharpened slightly. “What kind of dream?”
Napatingin ako sa kanya, hesitation creeping in.
Mommy Auburn’s expression remained calm, but I could tell she was intrigued.
I nodded. “Oo. Pero kanina, may nangyari.”
She set her cup down, encouraging me to continue.
Mommy Auburn’s brow lifted. “And you don’t remember writing it?”
She hummed, deep in thought. “It could be your subconscious playing tricks on you. Maybe you’ve seen or heard that name before, tapos it resurfaced sa panaginip mo.”
I leaned back against the counter, sighing. “Or maybe I’m just losing my mind.”
Mommy Auburn chuckled softly and reached out, tucking a loose strand of my hair behind my ear.
I frowned. “Like what?”
I stared at my bottle of water, rolling her words around in my mind.
A deeper meaning…
Could this be more than just a dream?
Or was I simply overthinking?
Either way, I had a feeling that this wouldn’t be the last time Haneul would visit me in my sleep.
And somehow… that thought both intrigued and terrified me.
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It's early in the morning
but here we are—gathered around the dining table for breakfast. The warm aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air, pero tahimik lang kaming lahat habang kumakain. It was one of those rare peaceful mornings where no one was arguing or making a mess.
At least, for now.
I was casually slicing my toast when Mama Primo suddenly broke the silence.
Napataas lang ako ng kilay, then looked at Citrine, who was too busy munching on her bacon to care.
Mama smirked. “That girl needs supervision,” she added, sipping her coffee.
Citrine rolled her eyes dramatically. “Mama, I’m behave, okay? No need to watch me like I’m some wild animal.”
I almost snorted. Behave? What a joke.
Mommy Auburn, who was stirring her tea, suddenly chuckled. "Primo, as if you weren’t the same back then. You were such a pain in the ass too," she said with a smirk.
Mama Primo gasped exaggeratedly, placing a hand on her chest as if she was deeply offended. “Excuse me? I was an angel during my youth.”
That made me, Citrine, and even Mommy Auburn look at her deadpan.
Citrine, always the dramatic one, burst out laughing. “Pft, Mom, sinong niloloko mo?”
Napailing si Mommy Auburn habang natatawa. “Primo, wag mo nga kaming lokohin. I still remember you sneaking out just to flirt with girls. Huwag mong sabihin sa’kin na behave ka.”
Mama Primo smirked, casually taking a bite of her food. "Eh ano ngayon? At least, I had fun."
I shook my head at them, listening to their conversation while silently eating. Ang weird lang. I was so used to seeing them as our mothers, pero ngayon, parang dalawang teenagers lang silang nagbabanatan.
Citrine gasped dramatically. "Omg, ano nangyari? Spill the tea!"
I raised a brow, suddenly curious too.
Mama Primo groaned. “Auburn, wag ka ngang nagkukwento ng past life ko!”
But of course, Mommy Auburn just smirked at her, clearly enjoying herself.
Citrine almost choked on her juice. “shit! Mama, totoo ba ‘yan?”
Napahinto ako sa pagkain ko, staring at Mama Primo in disbelief. "Seriously ?"
Mama groaned, covering her face. “Shit, Auburn, ang daya mo! Wag kang ganyan sa harap ng mga anak natin!”
Mommy Auburn laughed. "Ano ka ba, they should know the real you. Para alam nilang kanino sila nagmana."
Citrine wiped a fake tear. "Damn, Ma. I’m so proud of you."
Mama Primo rolled her eyes, pero may natatawang smirk sa labi niya. “Tigilan niyo nga ako. Let’s eat before I regret sitting at this table.”
Napailing na lang ako, hiding my small smile. Our family was… chaotic, to say the least. But at moments like this, kahit puro asaran, I couldn’t deny that I liked it.
And for a short while, I forgot about the faceless girl in my dreams.
At least… for now.
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