Joan walked into the house with a small box in her hand. She sighed when the fine aroma of bayleaf hit her nostrils. Her mom was making her famous chicken fried rice with bayleaf as the major ingredient for its unique aromatic scent.
She put the box on the small table in the living room, then looked around for any sign of her father but saw him nowhere inside. Joan removed her jacket and put it on the sofa. She stood in the middle of the room, taking in every detail of her parent’s living room. She remembered when she and Camila were staying here before her marriage, but now she stays with her husband.
“Oh dear, do you want to give your poor mother a mini heart attack?” Flora’s voice broke through her reverie. Joan turned to her mother, a smile on her lips. “I thought it was a burglar when you didn’t enter the kitchen after getting in,” she chuckled.
Joan walked to her mom and wrapped her arms around her in a warm embrace. She pulled away, looking into her mom’s pretty eyes.
“I miss you already, mummy,” her voice cracked.
Flora chuckled. “You’re here to see me, right? The door is always opened for you whenever you want to come.”
“I know; thank you, mom.” She wrapped her arms around her mom again for a second, then pulled away as they walked inside the kitchen. “Where’s dad?” she asked when she sat on the counter. “I didn’t see him in the living room.”
“Oh, he’s in the room. I think trying to rest or have some work done,” she tells her daughter. Joan nods and joins her mom in cooking. “You know the both of you are the same when it comes to working. Always working like there’s no tomorrow,” Flora laughed.
“We are taking things easy,” she told her mom.
“I heard you; please go set up the dining table; this will be done in no time,” she instructed.
Joan washed her hands and packed some plates and spoons with other utensils for the dining table. “How about Camila? She’s not home?”
“Went out with Miles,” she responded and got a whistle from Joan.
“I am so going to tease her,” Joan grinned and danced her way to the dining room.
She kept moving her hips, legs, and shoulders to the rhythm of the song she was playing in her head.
“Someone is happy,” she jumped when her dad’s voice came from behind her.
She turned to look at him, a small smile on her lips. She stopped what she was doing and took a step to him for a hug, but stopped herself when she remembered her conversation with Santiago two days ago. The smile was gone, and she looked away, not ignoring the sad look on her father’s face when she stopped herself from hugging him.
“What’s wrong, baby? Did I do something wrong?” He took steps towards her, till he was a foot away from her.
Joan hugged herself, still not looking at her dad. “I need to talk to you about something after dinner,” she murmured.
“Is everything good?” His brows furrowed, and his eyes held worry.
"Yes, sir,” she breathes out, then takes a step to her right so she can finish getting all the necessary things to setup the dining table.
Gary wondered why his daughter behaved to him in such a manner and tried to think of what could have made her behave like that.
“Joan, tell me if I did something bad. I feel bad for how you’re treating me. I am sorry if I did something you didn’t like,” he said as soon as she entered the dining room.
Joan stopped in her tracks to look at her dad. She was hurt by his decision to sell their company without consulting her as one of the founding owners of the company, but now she felt anger gradually crawling inside her. She can’t explain why but she was mad at him.
“Maybe an explanation about why you decided to sell Anderson Co. months ago would be great,” she replied and stomped to the table, arranging the plates, cups, and utensils.
Gary was taken back by her words, and it made him frozen, rooted to where he stood. Joan turned to him, expecting an answer from him, but the shock mixed with the guilt expression on his face made her weak to the bones.
She vowed never to make her parents worry or cry because of her, and she’s doing the exact same thing.
Sighing, she walked towards him to say something, but her mom came in carrying a dishingpot filled to the brim with the food she cooked. The aroma of the food danced in the air, lessening the tension around.
“What’s going on?” she asked when she noticed how tensed they both looked.
Gary snapped out of it immediately and forced out a smile. He reached out for his wife’s hand, then pulled her closer and kissed her knuckles.
“Everything is okay, baby,” he said, looking at Joan, who was trying to force out a smile. “We were talking about something,” he clarified.
Flora looked between father and daughter, still not convinced by his answer.
“Is Santiago alright? The doctor said he’ll be out today, right? He’s fine?” worry was evident in her feature.
Joan smiled. “He’s fine, mom. "It’s just business stuff,” she said with hope her mom wouldn’t question further and thanked her star when Flora sighed in relief and smiled.
“Oh, I am glad to hear that. You will pick him up after dinner?” Joan nods, “Good, I will pack some for you to take along for him. Let’s eat; I know you both are hungry.” She led her husband to the table, and he helped her sit on the chair before he sat at the head of the table to her right.
Joan sighed and sat opposite her mother.
Flora stretched her hand to her daughter and held her husband’s own. “Let’s pray”
…
“I doubt she’ll be that mad not to come pick you home.” Daniel shook his head when he, Santiago, and Sebastian walked out of the hospital to the open air and towards Daniel’s car.
“She is mad at me, brother,” Santiago sighed.
“What’s the reason?” Sebastain asked. He didn’t look like he cared since he was typing away on his phone.
Santiago rolled his eyes and entered the car. Sebastian followed suit, including Daniel, who was in the driver’s seat.
“Forget about it.”
Daniel turned to glare at him. “What did you do?”
“Please, I don’t need that question now,” he stopped him before he completed his question. “I need to go home so I can rest as much as the doctor recommended for me.”
Sebastain met Santiago’s gaze in the rear mirror, then he looked away, focusing his gaze on Daniel.
“Man’s tired. Least we could do is take him home so he can have his rest.” His voice was low and firm. Wanting no contradiction.
Daniel sighed and started the car. Sebastian met Santiago’s gaze again and smiled when Santiago nodded his thanks to him.
‘I will get to the root of this and expose whoever is behind this madness,’ he promised himself, and he closed his eyes as he leaned back on the chair.