Reyona eased, with relief, into the chair her dad pulled out for her.
"Thanks, Dad," she said gratefully, and the latter patted her shoulder affectionately as he said. "You did great. It will only get easier from now on."
"Let's try not to do that so often until you are totally fine, though," Gladys said anxiously.
"Yes, Mom," Reyona said to get the anxiety off her mom's face.
As Toria called the hostess who had led them in and they started their discussion, Reyona couldn't help but think of the strained conversation that she and Celia had.
If it could even be called a conversation at all.
Reyona didn't think she had anything to feel guilty about, but the guilt was well lodged in her chest, and it seemed it was not ready to leave anytime soon.
It started with the cold treatment she had given the woman when the latter came to visit right after they left Rohan's place.
Reyona had reacted to the woman's concern based on her knowledge of her closeness with someone she regarded as a link to her problem.
The woman finally got the hint when Reyona's responses were mostly monosyllabic and dry, and since then, she has not stepped into Reyona's rental home again.
She only waved when she saw any of them passing by, and she had taken Toria to see the baby once.
Reyona always felt like the woman wanted to say more to her, but then she would simply greet them and go on her way.
Until that evening.
Reyona had no idea why she had decided to stop, but she sure knew it added to her increasing guilt about how she treated the woman.
An inconvenience she did not need now when her mind was filled with another dilemma.
She wished that as she regained her memories, she could somehow forget about her most recent memories, but apparently, things don't work that way.
When the doctor came to check on her, she even asked the man if that was a possibility, but the man said it was quite rare and if it would happen, it would have already happened.
He had thought she was afraid of losing her most recent memories, and since Reyona was not about to tell him in the presence of her family that the opposite was the case, she thanked him and kept her thoughts to herself.
Whenever it came to her mind that she was keeping a lot from her family, she just reminded herself that she was doing the right thing.
It wouldn't do them any good if they knew about it anyway; they would only worry and think that she was setting herself up for more pain.
She knew because her head had told her the same thing many times already, but then she couldn't help but get involved.
They were kids who didn't ask to be brought into this mess.
The adults would get what was coming to them, but those children were innocent.
Reyona wasn't wired to overlook the plight of kids in such a situation.
She promised herself that she would treat them just like any other children she found on the street, but she couldn't abandon them.
Especially not when her heart was still very heavy as she remembered the beautiful girl who had captured her heart with the first glance.
The girl might be no more, but Reyona wasn't about to stand aside and watch her siblings thread a lonely path that could lead to a horrible end for them too.
Until their scumbag father was found, she would do what she could.
As the waiter served the first of the ten-course meal, Reyona came to a firm decision.
She would verify Fiona's claims, and then she would take action.
It would be her homage to Layla and to a dying woman who helped her when she could have looked the other way.
It was Reyona's turn not to look the other way.
It was nothing personal.
Having come to that conclusion, she dug into the first course of the ten-course meal that she had watched Toria order in amusement. The succulent goat cheese crostini with fig-olive tapenade blended well with the Zucchini fritters, while the Shallot and pancetta tortilla crisps were nothing to sneer at.
One must admit that Toria had the golden touch in terms of knowing the best places to get the best of things.
Even though Reyona was the one living in Kayooma, Toria knew restaurants, clubs, boutiques, and many other tourist attractions more than her sister.
At the moment, Reyona was not complaining; she simply enjoyed the hors d'oeuvres and the conversation with her family.
She contributed to the conversation, ignored the appreciative looks she got from the other diners, and decidedly kept her mind in the present.
Soon enough, she needed to go to the restroom.
Her dad offered to help her but she looked down at the beef enchiladas he was currently enjoying and told him she would be fine.
"Then let me..."
"I will be fine," Reyona said, decidedly rejecting Toria's offer too.
"I don't know about this. You shouldn't even be walking around on your own in the first place, and you want to..."
"Mom, I will be fine. I will call for help if I need one," she assured her mom as she raised her phone. "See? I am going with this."
They all looked unconvinced but she smiled at them and took in a huge breath as she stood up.
Her legs protested a bit as pain sang through her limbs.
Unwilling to back down now, Reyona smiled at those looking at her anxiously and ignored every other gaze she could feel.
"You can do this, girl," she said, motivating herself as she started to walk.
It was slow and a bit graceless, but she was doing it.
Once she passed her family, Reyona gritted her teeth and wished she could get through the door that led to the restroom as fast as possible, so she could find a place to rest her legs for a moment. She had no intention of doing so right there in the expansive restaurant, where others were probably wondering why she was walking so slowly.
One, two…
She made it to the doorman standing at that door and bared her teeth at him in the semblance of a smile.
The latter bowed in greeting and opened the door for her.
Reyona passed through gratefully and wanted to lean against the door as soon as it closed, but then the door panelling had glass at the upper part, and she was certain the doorman and everyone who chose to look that far would see her, so she kept walking.
She heard the door open behind her, and she was prepared to smile at whoever it was when the latter passed, when she heard, "What are you doing to yourself?"
That voice!
His distinct smell preceded his approach, and before Reyona could fully turn to face him, she felt strong arms wrapped around her back and her calf muscles.
Warmth spread through her as her legs left the floor and she found herself in his hold.
Even as her abused legs sighed in relief, she glared at him. "What are you...?" She looked towards the door and lowered her tone. "Let go of me right now, you brute!"
His face seemed set in stone, and his stride was long, while every single stride made Reyona brush against his broad chest in a way that rubbed her of her breath.
"I say, let go of me!" she said again as she hit him on the shoulder.
She mistakenly hit his shoulder blade and caused more pain for herself but she didn't let up.
"I said…"
He kicked the female restroom open and went in with her. "What are you doing? You are not supposed to be here!"
"The stall, or do you want to retouch your makeup?" he asked dispassionately.
"What makeup?" Reyona retorted automatically.
"The stall it is then," he answered his question.
Then he went to the stall and opened the door while still holding her.
"What are you doing? You are not supposed to come in here."
He ignored her and gingerly set her down. Reyona couldn't hold back the wince as her legs touched the ground.
He held her for a moment until she regained her balance.
"Get out," Reyona snapped at him.
Without so much as a word, he stepped out of the stall.
But when Reyona expected to hear his footsteps on his way out, she heard nothing.
"I told you to get out. Go away," she ordered him.
"You have five minutes, ma'am. If you are not out in five, I am coming in to get you."
He expected her to pee while he was standing on the other side of the door. Is he nuts?
"I am not..."
"Your time starts now."