by Yuriko Hime
“Hey sissie!” she greeted, hooking her left arm on mine. We went all the way to the car in silence. She turned to me once we were ready to go. “I missed you Glace.”
I hid my smile. “Who knew that you’d be saying those words to me?”
She rolled her eyes but didn’t complain. “Daddy had a nasty way of bringing us together.” The reminder made me cringe. It was many years ago when our dad pulled a stunt on us so we could finally patch up. I thought we’d turn back to being enemies, but here we were, closer than ever. Denise proved to be a good sister, something that I didn’t expect. She didn’t leave me when I needed her most.
“What project are you working on now?” I asked, staring at the road as she started the car. We pulled out of the parking lot.
“I finished a pictorial a while ago. I’ll be doing another one next week,” she said. “Say thanks to Eris for being my mentor.”
“Tell her that yourself,” I said. When our other friends went to college, Denise was lost and didn’t know what to do with her life. I had this crazy idea to introduce her to Eris. My best friend instantly saw potential in Denise. Because Eris was a good manager, she made my sister into a model like her, and here we were, a hundred of modeling gigs later. Denise was quickly making a name for herself in that field and even had a few billboards with her face all over it.
“So how’s my baby Dulce?” she asked. We turned to the left, in the direction of our favorite restaurant. “I was so busy with the pictorial that I haven’t talked to her in days.”
I stifled another smile and looked out the window. Denise was still in love with my girl, even after all these years. I let her be, knowing that deep in her heart, Denise understood that Dulce was always mine to keep. “She’s busy too,” I said. “She’s going to release a cookbook soon, with all her recipe and cooking advice. Dulce is making a name for herself like you.”
“Sounds great. Quit worrying too much Glace. She’ll be here soon.” If only, I thought darkly.
“It’s almost five years. I don’t get why she’s not coming home.” Frustration was in my voice. Frustration. Longing. Disappointment. “I just want her back.”
“Trust her,” was all Denise replied, as if she knew something that I didn’t. She parked the car outside the restaurant. “The moment you give up on her, I won’t hesitate to get her for myself. Even if you are my sister. Even if I love you. Because Dulce is the kind of person that you never let go. And don’t you forget that.” She unbuckled her seatbelt, got out of the car.
I joined her. “I won’t give you the satisfaction, or anyone else.”
“Good,” she muttered with a smile, heading inside the building.
?????? Days Left
Chapter 39. Love In The Making
Glace
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. A tinkle of glass. All of us turned to my dad who stood up from the couch, a wine glass in his hand. He had the widest smile on his face. Raising his hand he announced, “A toast for my daughter Glace who just won her first Academy Award. Cheers!”
“Cheers!” everyone said, following his example as he drank the contents of the glass. After a collective congratulations from all of them, which I shrugged off with a polite smile, they resumed with their activities. My gaze went from person to person. Andrea was there, looking beautiful as usual, her hair pulled up. At present she was talking to my dad like an old friend. When you think about it, they definitely were. They have known each other for roughly six years.
At my immediate right were Tim and his boyfriend Fabio, talking animatedly. Probably flirting, judging from their close stance and the way they interacted with each other. In one corner of the room stood Patty and Eris. My best friend was looking at Patty like she wanted to eat her. Boy, that expression on Eris' face never gets old. She was so attached to the blue eyed girl. They looked beautiful together.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder, followed by a warm hug. Cinnamon scent. “Denise,” I murmured just as she took a step back.
“An Oscars Award. Oh my God!” she gushed, looking genuinely ecstatic for me. “I can’t believe my sister won something that big.”
“Yeah, well it’s about time don’t you think?”
“Uh huh.” She looked concerned. “You don’t look so good.”
“What?” I touched my face. “You think I have the flu?”
Denise rolled her eyes. “You’re supposed to look happy. You won a freaking award! What’s wrong with you?” A pause. “Is this about Dulce?” Bingo!
I avoided her penetrating gaze. “She said she’d visit in time for the awards night. Yet she’s not here is she?”
My sister bit her lip. She opened and closed her mouth, as if she wanted to argue with me. “I’m sure she’s just busy. Wait a bit more ok?”
“I’ve been waiting for six years,” I said bitterly. How could I not be bitter when it felt like Dulce didn’t want to come home? I took a deep breath. Losing my cool on this important day was not an option. “I want her to come home. That’s all.”
Denise patted my shoulder. “She will. Don’t worry.”
Patty and Eris, as well as Tim and his boyfriend joined our small group. They gave each other sad knowing looks before turning to me. What was their deal? My dark mood increased a notch.
Eris forced a smile on her face. “There’s my little award winning talent,” she said proudly. Why was she trying so hard?
“Congratulations Frio,” Patty said with a small smile. Compared to Eris, I was thankful that she wasn’t pretending to be all happy-happy joy-joy. “You deserve everything.”
“Of course!” Tim chimed in. “I expected this from the start Frio. Just know that I was rooting from you. I was a fan,” he said while fanning his face. “At one point I even became the head of your fan club. But now Dulce is the president.”
“Thanks,” I muttered glumly when my girlfriends name was mentioned. The mood couldn’t turn sourer. Patty elbowed Tim discreetly.
As if it couldn’t get worse, my dad and Andrea walked to us, bringing their false joy that I wasn’t really in the mood for. “Glace."
“Yes dad?”
“Remember what I told you about that new show?” he said. "We’ll be shooting in two weeks.”
“What is it about?” I asked. I really had no idea. Eris, as my manager, talked to dad about it without consulting my opinion. They made plans, agreed on some things, and in the end, I couldn’t say no. To top it off, whenever I asked them about it, they were all hush hush and secretive.
“We’ll make the arrangements next week.” His reply was vague. Too vague for my taste.
Andrea leaned in for a hug and whispered so only I could hear. “It will be good for you. I promise.”
A week later, I found myself inside a coffee shop, wearing my usual disguise. I was standing in line for a quick drink. The photo shoot that I’ve been doing for another magazine has ended, and despite all odds, I managed to escape the waiting paparazzi outside the building by going out back and wearing a hoodie over my head. Damn. Those people were vultures.
Taking my phone from my jeans pocket, I dialed Dulce’s mobile. A ring. Another. I groaned. My girlfriend hasn’t been answering my calls for the past three days. It was either she didn’t want me anymore, or she was too busy to even check her phone. Both sounded too horrible. Yet the former would kill me if it was true. The thought of her not loving me would shatter my whole being.
Just as I was tucking my phone back to my jeans, the guy in front turned around and poured coffee all over me. Fudge! Rather than helping like I expected him to do, he made his way out quickly. What a total ass, I thought as I wiped my hoodie. Lucky for him it wasn't scalding hot. Eris would enjoy seeing him squirm in court if it was.
“Are you alright miss?”
I stopped what I was doing, too shocked. Call it Déjà vu. My heart pounded uncontrollably against my chest. Could it be? I turned around, sporting the biggest smile that even Helen of Troy would be proud of. “Dulce?�
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The face that greeted me wasn’t her. It was a woman about my age, giving me a concerned look. “Are you ok?” she repeated.
It took a few seconds before I found my voice. Disappointment oozed from my every pore. “I’m ok. Thanks.” With a subtle nod of my head, I was out of the café, and back to my car. It took everything I had not to cry out in anguish. It was right there. Right in that damn place where I met her again. But this time she wasn’t there to help me. She was thousands of miles away pursuing her dreams.
I gathered my wits and returned home. Dejected. Lonely. On the point of breaking down. I wanted to hold her badly. God, please send her back to me. I would do anything. Absolutely anything at all. I didn’t know if I could survive the ache any longer. Once more, I dialed her number, only to get a weird beeping noise. With a sinking feeling in my stomach, I realized that she must have cut off her mobile. Did she do it so I wouldn’t contact her?
I stared at the black jewelry box on the table beside me. Dulce shattered it before, turning it into a dozen pieces on the floor. I replaced the box with the exact replica, which now sat proudly on my desk. Its content was too important- the ring she gave me when we were children. I gasped in surprise as I opened the box carefully. It was missing! The ring was missing!
I dropped on all fours and frantically searched for the one thing that I’ve cherished all those years. It wasn’t on the floor. It wasn’t in the drawers. A peek in my walk-in closet told me that it was absent from there as well. It took me countless hours searching, and yet the ring was nowhere to be found.
Totally disheartened, I collapsed to the bed, hoping that the angels would take pity on me and bring the ring back together with Dulce. I curled into a ball, hugging myself, pretending that she was beside me, until I fell asleep.
I had a weird yet pleasant dream. That night, the angel paid a visit. It borrowed the face of my girlfriend. She was wearing a white flowy dress, leaning against the doorframe while looking at me. As the angel walked inside the room, she smiled, her gorgeous brown eyes gleaming. The wind blew inside the open windows, making the light blue curtains flutter, bringing to me her wonderfully fresh scent.
The angel went to bed beside me. She stroked my face and gave me feather light kisses on the lips. “Glace,” she whispered. Everything turned smoky. My eyes blurred. In a second, darkness consumed me, taking me back to deep sleep. It was morning when I woke up. The angel was not there.
I rolled out of bed and stretched. My back was a bit sore from all the searching I’ve been doing the other day, yet strangely I felt refreshed. It must have been from the beautiful dream I had. I dialed Dulce’s number again. The same beeping noise sounded from the other line. All the wonderful vibe the dream gave turned into disappointment. I walked inside the bathroom, preparing to start another day without her.
In the afternoon, I went to the cemetery, straight to the small hill where Dulce and I first met. What was I doing there? Perhaps I missed her so much that my feet brought me to that location. I dialed Andrea’s number. She’d understand what I was going through. She always did. No answer. I called Patty, Eris, and then Tim. All of them didn’t answer. Didn’t anyone want to talk to me? Denise crossed my mind. She would listen to me. A couple of rings sounded before she finally picked up.
“Hello?”
“Can we please talk?”
Hesitation from the other line. “Look Glace, I’m busy today. Maybe another time.” Lies. From her tone alone, she was avoiding me. “I have to go ok? Bye.” The line went silent before I could even say another word.
That was the last straw. The phone sailed in the air as I threw it in anguish. Hot salty tears poured from my eyes. I sat on the grass, feeling miserable because of everything that has been happening. Who needed an Oscar when your girlfriend didn’t want you anyway? I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. More tears poured down, one after the other. The sky was so clear, yet here I was, alone.
I shivered as the wind blew. It carried a strange sound. A ghost? Could this day get any worse? Another blowing of the wind. This time, the sound was nearer. Closer. Then clearer. It felt like a bucket of ice was poured all over my body. A familiar voice. My mind must have been playing tricks on me.
“Hey stranger.”
I turned my head slowly until my gaze landed on her. There she was, standing like an illusion, a few feet away from me. Dulce was wearing a pale blue dress that highlighted her reddish hair. The cloth clung sexily on her curves. The body of a woman. She was all grown-up now, and the mere sight of her left me gasping for air. Fearing that it was my imagination gone wild, I blinked my eyes rapidly, earning an endearing smile from her.
“This is not a dream.” She laughed. The sound of her voice was like a million bells tinkling.
My voice was raspy from all the emotion I was feeling. “When? How?”
She took one step closer. “I got back yesterday.”
“That wasn’t a dream?”
Her eyes twinkled. “No.” She took another step forward.
“Are you here for good?” I waited for her answer while holding my breath.
Dulce shrugged and walked nearer. “I guess so. I did wrap up everything in France. Said goodbye to friends. Thanked the people who helped me up. Brought all my clothes with me. Plus, Henry gave me a very promising offer.”
“What do you mean?”
Dulce tried to hide a smile. Holy Mother of Heaven, she looked beautiful. “Oh you know, Henry told me that a certain someone and I would do a cooking show together.” She bit her lip innocently. “If you don’t want to do it with me, I guess Henry and I should find a replacement. But I doubt anyone can replace you. Not for me anyway.”
I processed the information she said as my heart galloped like a wild horse. “I. . . I don’t know what to say.” My voice was trembling so bad. It was embarrassing.
“How about you come here and give your girlfriend a hug?” She smirked. When I didn’t move, she cocked an eyebrow up, then started walking in my direction like a girl on a mission. Dulce was right in front of me in a few steps, though she was careful not to touch me. Perhaps she felt like I would explode if she did, which I was definitely in danger of. “What are you so scared of?” she asked, searching my face.
“That this is too good to be true and you’ll leave again.”
We stayed silent, staring at each other for what seemed like eternity. I was rooted on the spot. Leaves were probably growing on my hair. Dulce stood there, more beautiful than ever. She was so close that I could feel her warmth, seeping from her clothes. Her vanilla scent was making me dizzy with happiness. I was desperate to touch her, feel her, and kiss her. Yet there I was, frozen. My arms were stuck uselessly to my side.
She was the first one to break the silence. “My Peter Pan. . . Glace I. . .”
“What?”
She took a couple of deep breaths. “I don’t know how to say this properly.” Her lips trembled. She avoided my gaze. When she looked back, Dulce was on the verge of crying. Her face was all pink from keeping the tears in. “You deserve better,” she choked out. “But I. . .”
The ache I felt for six years while waiting for her was nothing compared to the searing pain that washed over my body. “Are you breaking up with me?” I managed to get out in a sort of strangled cry. “Is that what you’re trying to say?”
The look she gave me was a cross between complete shock and pain. For a moment there, I thought she would break down, but she managed to calm herself enough to whisper, “No. God no.”
“Then what are you saying?”
She laughed nervously as tears began to stream down her eyes. Was she going crazy? It took me a moment to realize that Dulce got hold of my hand and slipped a gorgeous silver ring on. “I’m so out of it right now Glace. I’ve even practiced for this day and made preparations with our friends and family. To say it in this kind of place is unthinkable, but I couldn’t wait.” She looked me straight in the eyes. We were both trembling. “
What I mean to say is.” She swallowed hard. “I can’t live another day without you. Can you do me a favor and be my forever?”
My mind was a complete blank. I had a vacant look as I digested what she said. And then slowly, it dawned on me, like the sun rising from the sky. All those years apart when we were kids were not wasted. All those years I have waited while she pursued her dreams meant something. It was for this day. The day when we would meet again. For keeps this time.
The only rational thing to do was to close the remaining distance between us. I pulled her to me. “You know the answer to that.” It was the one real thing in my life. The fact that I loved her. And hearing her say that she wanted me too made me crazy with joy.
“I thought you got tired of waiting," she said. "I was so nervous. I didn’t know what I’d do if you said no.”
I forced myself to let her go so I could wipe her tears. “And here I was thinking that you didn’t want anything to do with me anymore Dulce. If I’ve known that you were going to propose, I would have done it first.” My face fell. I needed to break the news to her. “I’m ashamed to say that I lost our ring. The one you gave me when we were kids.”
She reached deep inside her dress and showed me a necklace. It held the ring that I was talking about. “Looking for this?” She smirked, a twinkle in her tear-streaked eyes. “I took it when I got back because I wanted to replace it with that.” Dulce pointed to the engagement ring on my finger.
“Oh. But where was the ring I gave you before. Our promise ring.”
“You mean this one?” She laughed, wriggling her finger in front of me. There it was, the one I gave her on Christmas day. So many rings. So many promises.
“You’re so full of surprises Dulce.”
“Remember that on our honeymoon.” She giggled. “Oh fudge. Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?”
“Everyone is waiting for us at your house. I was planning to propose there, but you looked too hot that I’ve completely forgotten," she said sheepishly. “I couldn’t wait to become your wife.”
