7th Kiss

We were now at the dining table. Mama was extremely joyful. I would occasionally steal glances at Joseph, but he remained unreadable. Thankfully, I was sometimes distracted by Joshua's persistent teasing. We took our seats, and I froze when I realized where I was sitting. This was the same seat I used to occupy.

"Why? I don't want to!" I heard Joshua protest. He stood up from his chair and sat next to me. I bit my lip. So that's why. Joseph swapped seats with Joshua. Mama clapped her hands.

"Let's eat! Let's eat!" Mama exclaimed. "I'm so happy right now. We're complete."

We began to eat. Joshua and I were sitting side by side, facing Joseph and Mama. Meanwhile, Papa, Joseph's father, was at the end of the table.

"So, Arianne, I heard you went to New York. Tell us about it," Mama said. I reached for some food, only to realize that Joseph was reaching for the same dish. We locked eyes, his gaze piercing. I decided to back down.

"Um, you go first," I shyly said. He simply shrugged and took a piece of meat.

"Arianne, go ahead and share," Mama encouraged me. I smiled.

"It was quite challenging there," I began.

"Why, Arianne?" Papa inquired.

"Well, everyone is so good at speaking English. I get tongue-tied," I admitted. Mama and Papa burst into laughter.

"Tsk... What a klutz," Joshua whispered as he continued eating. I chose to ignore him.

"One time, I was buying vegetables. I asked the vendor, 'How many?' She said, 'There are a hundred pieces of vegetables in the stall'," I recounted.

"What was the issue?" Joshua asked.

"Well, I meant to ask how much each cost. So, I ended up paying for a hundred vegetables," I shared. Mama laughed again.

"You're something else, Arianne. I'm glad you survived there," Mama said.

"Oh, yes. Chito helped me a lot," I said, smiling. Mama, Papa, and Joshua paused their eating and all asked at the same time...

"Who's Chito?"

"Chito is my classmate from nursing school. He even visited here once," I said.

"Which one? The handsome sassy gay?" Mama asked.

"No, not him. That's Aries. Chito is the one who always shouts at me," I explained.

"Ah, the good-looking friend of yours. So, he followed you?" Mama inquired. "Does he like you?"

I didn't answer Mama's question. It felt too awkward to admit it in front of them, especially with Joseph present and still eating, seemingly absorbed in the TV playing in the dining area.

"Oh... So, he does like you," Mama continued, as if I had answered her earlier question. I gave her a smile. "Are you two dating?"

I nearly choked on her question. Was it really okay for her to ask that?

"No way!" I quickly refused. I noticed Mama, Papa, and even Joshua exchanging glances.

"Tell us about Chito, Arianne," Papa requested.

"Chito is kind," I started, reminiscing about him. "But he wants me to be more independent. He thinks I rely too much on others. He doesn't want me cooking because he claims I'm too salty and that he might die from eating my food."

I laughed at my own words. It was funny to recall Chito's expression when he said that.

"You're living in the same house?!" Mama asked, alarmed.

"No, we're neighbors. He bought an apartment next to mine. I need him especially at night," I explained. "Actually, I often get attacked by my medical condition. Sometimes my vision becomes blurred, and I can't see anything. During that time, I called him. I'm thankful because he came

right away."

"Wait, both of you live next to each other?!" Mama exclaimed in disbelief.

"Not in the same house. We're in adjacent apartments. He bought an apartment right beside mine," I clarified. "I need him because of my condition, especially during the nights."

"W-what? What do you do at night?!" Mama asked. I smiled gratefully. The truth was that I would often experience severe attacks of my medical condition. My vision would suddenly blur, and sometimes, I'd lose my sight altogether. When that happened, I would call Chito. I was grateful that he would come over immediately to help.

"Oh, because--" I was about to explain, but Joseph abruptly turned up the TV's volume. He turned it up loudly. He effectively cut off our conversation. Mama scolded him, saying, "Joseph, we're having a conversation here!" But he continued eating as if he hadn't heard anything.

A flash news segment appeared on the screen, and I was startled by what I saw.

"M-ma! That's Chito!" I exclaimed, pointing at the television. Mama turned her attention to the TV, but Joseph suddenly turned it off.

"Joseph, we're watching that!" I couldn't help but exclaim. He shot me with a menacing look. It was scary. Why was he angry? Did I say something wrong? It felt like he wanted to strangle me. So, I just lowered my head. Silence enveloped the room. We continued eating. I covertly watched Joseph; his brows were furrowed, as if he was lost in thought.

After we finished eating, I excused myself. The night deepens and I must go home now.

"Mama, Papa, I need to go home," I said.

"Oh, really?" Mama replied, sounding a bit disappointed. "Joseph, could you take Arianne home?" Mama suggested.

"Joshua, didn't you want to experience driving my car? I'll allow you. Take her home," Joseph told his younger brother, Joshua. I saw Joshua's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Fine b--Ouch, Mama! Don't pinch me, that hurts!" Joshua exclaimed as Mama pinched his ear.

"Seems like you forgot that you needed to help me," Mama said, pulling him towards the kitchen.

"Pa..." Joseph called out to his father.

Papa seemed to know what Joseph was about to ask, as he shook his head immediately.

"Sorry, son. I'm out of gas," Papa said before entering the kitchen.

Joseph's frown deepened. What was wrong with him? Did he really find me that unbearable to be around? We left the dining area and headed to their garage. We approached his car.

"Shit! Ma!" Joseph cursed angrily. I turned to see what had upset him so much. Oh no! The tire had a massive hole in it.

"Oh, why, Joseph?" Mama asked. I noticed Joshua subtly pointing at Mama.

"Did you do this?" Joseph asked Mama.

"Huh? N-no, why would I do that?" Mama stuttered.

"Ma, seriously?" Joseph said with a frustrated tone. Mama pulled Joshua back into the house.

"Uhm... Joseph, it's okay. I'll just walk," I said. Since this was an exclusive subdivision, only a few vehicles could enter, and I'd have to walk to get out.

I didn't wait for his response and started walking away.

Hmp! Did he think I was doing this because of him? Well, he's mistaken.

As soon as I stepped outside, I regretted my decision. The streetlights were too dim. I suffered from night blindness, but I decided to keep walking. I didn't want Joseph to feel obligated. It was clear he didn't want to give me a ride or even stand near me. I clutched my chest. It hurt.

I had walked quite a distance when a dog approached me. I wasn't scared of dogs, but this one seemed angry as it barked loudly at me. I was about to turn back when I accidentally bumped into something soft. I recognized the cologne scent even before seeing him.

"Joseph..." I didn't know if he could hear the joy in my voice. I felt relieved that he was here.

I felt his breath on my neck, tickling me. I wasn't sure if I was hearing Joseph's heartbeat or mine. It seemed like my heartbeats were intertwined.

"You should've waited for me. You always leave even when I could've accompanied you," he said. I wasn't sure why, but his words carried an underlying message.

Suddenly, rain started to fall on us.

"You should sleep at our house tonight," he said while holding my hand. We ran back towards his house. A mixture of nervousness, excitement, and happiness coursed through me. For what reason? I didn't know. I truly didn't know.