Chapter 3

THREE YEARS AGO…

She stood at the waiting area in the airport terminal, waiting for Auntie Marilyn to arrive. The flight’s landing was a bit delayed, so she had to wait for a few more minutes.

Nova fished her phone from her jeans’ pocket when she felt it vibrated continuously. Her mother’s name was flashing on the screen.

“Yes, Mom?”

“Isn’t she there yet?”

“There was a little delay, so I’m still waiting—oh, Auntie Marilyn’s here! I’m hanging up, Mom. We’ll see you later.” Nova ended the call and shoot her phone inside her pocket as she ran towards her aunt.

They hugged each other tightly the moment they reached each other. Auntie Marilyn’s hug was tighter than hers.

“It seems to me that you really missed me,” she told her aunt.

Nova distanced herself a bit so they could see each other’s faces. It has been twenty years since they last saw each other.

“You look the same as the last time I saw you, Auntie. And what kind of sorcery is this, huh? You look even younger,” she said with a smile.

“Oh, Nova!” Auntie Marilyn shook her head and laughed. “I’m flattered, anyway.”

It was her time to laugh.

Her aunt caressed her cheek and tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear.

“You’re no longer that little child who always cries whenever she wakes up that I’m not on her side.” She did not know, but there was this sadness in her voice. Perhaps Auntie Marilyn longed for those days in her childhood when they were still together. “You’re a full-grown woman now. Look how fast you’ve grown.”

“Of course, it’s been eighteen years since you left.” Nova grabbed her aunt’s suitcase and held hands with her. “We have a lot to catch up, Auntie.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“So, we better go home because Mom is waiting for us. She cooked all your favorites.” She beamed.

***

“Do you have a boyfriend, Nova?” Auntie Marilyn asked in the middle of their meal.

They were now at their house, enjoying dinner with family. Of all the questions her aunt could ask, that one question was chosen.

She picked up her wineglass and took a sip before responding.

“I don’t have one.”

“I kinda didn’t expect that kind of answer from you, darling.” Auntie Marilyn waved her hand graciously. “You’re a fine young woman. Men must be blind.”

“Yeah.” Her lips twitched. “Most men failed to see the beauty inside a woman. They tend to focus on the outside. You know some are always after a night of sex—”

“Nova,” Mommy Esther reprimanded her.

“What? I’m just telling the truth.”

“Don’t stop her, Esther. She’s free to say whatever is on her mind,” said Auntie Marilyn.

“Well…” Her mother heaved a sigh. “It’s not the time for you to hear her rants. You should take a rest first because this niece of yours has a lot of stories to tell. Right, Nova?”

She gave them a slow nod.

Auntie Marilyn laughed. “I’d love to hear those rants. Would you mind sleeping with me tonight, Nova? Just like the old times.”

“Oh, of course. I’d love to.”

“Great.”

“But you should head to your room first because I still have to do the dishes.”

Dinner was done after a while. But instead of heading to her room, Auntie Marilyn stayed at the kitchen with the company of a bottle of wine and watched her do the dishes. They were silent the whole time. The only thing that could be heard in the four corners of the quiet kitchen was the clanking dishes. Knowing her aunt, she would not stop talking about many things, whether she already heard about it or not. Nova was intrigued by her aunt’s silence at that moment, but she just let it that way. Perhaps she was exhausted from the long flight, and she just wanted to stay with her.

She grabbed a kitchen towel after she was done and dried her hands before turning in her aunt’s direction. Nova caught her Auntie Marilyn spacing out while holding the empty wine glass.

She snapped her fingers. “Auntie, are you okay?”

Auntie Marilyn shook her head and turned to her. “I’m fine. I’m just thinking about something.”

“What is it?” Nova sauntered towards the kitchen counter and joined her aunt there. She sat on the stool across her. “Care to share?”

Her aunt wagged a hand. “It’s just a random thought. There is nothing special about it.”

Nova heaved a deep sigh. Of course, she did not buy that. There was no way her aunt would space out like that if it was just a mere random thought. She was certain Auntie Marilyn was hiding something from her. Her instinct never fails her.

“Auntie—”

“Nova,” her aunt cut her off. “I don’t want to pressure nor force you. But…what are your plans in the future?”

Her brows slightly furrowed. Plans? Was her aunt referring to her dreams and goals in the future? Well, she has a lot. Not just for herself, but for her parents as well.

Just when she was about to answer, her aunt spoke again.

“When I was your age, my family and friends, as well as other people, used to tell me to get married and have kids. And you know what, just like you, I’d just shrug it off and tell them that I’m happy with my life.” Auntie Marilyn reached for her hands and gently pressed them. “I always told myself that I have my siblings, and I have a niece like you who’s almost like a real daughter…But now that I’ve reached this age, I suddenly have a lot of what-ifs.”

Auntie Marilyn was her mother’s eldest sister who took care of her since she was a baby until she was seven. Nova’s parents were both working back then, so her aunt was the one who took care of her. She was so attached to Auntie Marilyn, her parents even got jealous of her, so they decided to retire from work and focused on taking care of her. But her affection towards her aunt did not change through the years, even though she went abroad to work. Nova’s love for her parents was always equal to her love for her aunt.

“Do you regret the decisions you made back then?” she asked afterward.

“So-so.” Auntie Marilyn smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. She pressed her hands again, and this time, it was firm. “I know your views are different. But I don’t want you to end up like me. Go and get yourself a man and build a family.”

“Auntie, I—”

“You’re an only child, Nova. If you choose to be an old maid in the future, you’ll be lonely. No one will stay by your side during hard times, and you’ll find yourself sulking in a corner, hugging your legs in the dark.”

She gaped at her aunt. Those words meant a lot, and she could read between them.

“Auntie, care to tell me what’s the matter?” she asked anxiously.

“I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, last stage.”

Her eyes widened. Nova was beyond shock. Was it the reason why her aunt suddenly came home after so many years? She came back just when she was about to die. With the thought of losing someone dear to her, tears sprung in her eyes.

“D-does Mom knows about this?” Her voice almost trailed off.

Auntie Marilyn gave her a slow nod.

“And no one told me about it—”

“I told them not to.” Her aunt cupped her cheek. “I don’t want you to be bothered about it.”

“How can I not worry about you?” She started sobbing. “You know how much I love and care for you.”

“I’m sorry.” Her aunt pulled her for a hug.