Chapter Text
"Mama, do you believe in reincarnation?" Angelia asked while looking at her mom through the mirror. The oval-shaped mirror was old, older than her mother, she was told. Its wooden frame, painted white, was now cracked. It had permanent stains around it, but Angelia loved how it served as a frame with a vintage effect, so even though her mother had suggested multiple times that they replace it, she kept saying no. It was her grandmother's dresser, passed down to her mother and now hers. There was no way she would let it go. Secretly, she hoped she could pass it to her daughter one day too.
It was late at night, and they were doing their usual routine before going to sleep—Romaria brushing her daughter's hair. This had been a scene in their home every night since Angelia could remember. It was one of her most awaited times of the day. There was something calming about having her mom slide her fingers through her hair as they talked about anything and everything.
Romaria did a few more brushes before she was finally satisfied with how smooth her daughter's hair was. She ran her hands through her brown, silky hair, similar to hers, and her fingers gently combed the two front sides, placing it so that it framed Angelia's cheeks. Romaria couldn't believe how much time had flown by; it seemed like it was just yesterday when her little angel was born. She could still remember vividly the first time that she held her in her arms. She was so, so small, so innocent. She had her eyes, the almond brown color that somehow became Romaria's light ever since.
It was right at that moment that Romaria told herself that she would do anything to protect her. Now looking at Angelia's reflection in the mirror, she realized that her baby had now grown. She was now a young lady, almost eighteen. She could already handle herself, but that did not stop Romaria from wanting to safeguard her from all the hurt and pain.
"I believe human lives are like loops," Romaria sat down on Angelia's bed right beside her dresser. Angelia looked at her mom, interested to hear her answer.
"Our lives start at one point, go around in a circle until it completes the round and goes back to the beginning. A whole circle is formed—a life ends and another one begins, and though it is the same circle, it's a different time and a different line."
Angelia nodded, her mother's words settling in her.
"I hope we'll still be family in our next lives, Mama."
Romaria opened her arms as her daughter reached in for a hug. She settled her head on top of hers.
"Me too, my angel. Me too."
---
"Louis, I swear to the gods, one more '5 minutes' and I'm
leaving you." Ryul watched his brother go around the living room, collecting his things and putting them in his bag. He sighed and looked at his watch. "I'm late for work."
Louis zipped up his bag and jumped in front of his older brother. "Alright, I'm done!"
When did he get so tall?
Ryul rolled his eyes. If only he didn't love this big chunk of a boy that was his brother, he would've left him ages ago.
"Kuya, you're not going to be late. You're just always early." Louis put his arms around his older brother while they were walking out of the condo.
Ryul did not bother answering him. It was true that he was always early. He didn't like getting stuck in traffic, so he preferred to leave early. And because that resulted in having a lot of time before his shift started, he often spent it in the convenience store right on the first floor of their office building.
"Alright, alright. I woke up late, that is my bad." Louis walked ahead towards the car. "But I slept late doing worksheets. Can you blame me?"
Ryul sighed. He really couldn't blame Louis. He knew how much the boy had worked hard last night. He had slept early around ten in the evening, and when he got thirsty and went to the kitchen to get a drink, he saw Louis in the living room, sitting on the floor with his worksheets spread out. He looked at the digital clock sitting above the microwave and saw that it was already 1:31 AM. He contemplated offering help, but he knew Louis would ask if he really needed any.
Ryul took an empty glass, opened the fridge to get the carton of milk, and poured it into the glass. He quietly walked towards Louis, not wanting to break his momentum. He was a few steps away when his younger brother looked at his feet and up at his face. Ryul smiled at him, placed the milk on the table, and messed Louis' hair.
Louis smiled at him. Even though his brother could be strict at times, he has so much admiration for him. He has been independently taking care of both of them ever since they moved into the city — Ryul for his work, and Louis for his studies.
"Drink your milk, finish your homework, and rest," Ryul told him before facing away, walking back to his room.
"Thank you, Kuya."
Woojin found Ryul on one of the chairs facing the road inside the convenience store.
"You're smiling like a fool," he stated, even before Ryul saw him. He quickly looked at Woojin, knowing his voice very well.
Woojin was his batchmate when they entered the company as fresh graduates. They quickly became friends even outside of work.
Ryul had always been the quiet type to people not close to him. He'd always been goal-driven. For so long, he thought he couldn't afford to make friends, didn't have time to make friends, but now with Woojin being both noisy and nosy, he found a friend, a brother. He was able to break Ryul's barrier and bring out the goofy side of him.
"What's up? What got you so happy early in the morning? Weekend good?" Woojin sat down beside him and placed his coffee on the table.
Ryul snickered. "Nothing, I'm just now realizing that Louis has really grown up. Not the kid that I used to tease just to make him cry anymore."
Woojin gave a small laugh. "You just noticed that? Are you kidding me? That boy is two towers taller than us now."
When Woojin met Louis two years ago, the boy was shorter than him. Woojin would only see him once in a while when he came over to spend time with his brother. Back then, Louis was still living with their parents. But now that he's starting college and is living with Ryul, he sees the boy every time they hang out in Ryul's unit. Woojin is an only child, and he somehow found a younger brother in Louis too.
Louis calls Woojin the cool, swaggy kuya. Meanwhile, Ryul is the cute, swaggy kuya, he said.
Ryul felt betrayed the first time Louis said it.
Why was Woojin the cool one and not him? And he's not cute, is he?
Ryul would like to think that cute is the last thing to describe him.
Woojin found it funny that Ryul still wasn't over Louis' description of them.
He shook his head and patted his friend on the shoulder, signaling both that it's fine and that he had reached his workstation.
Their workstations are at the end of their respective rows and are parallel to each other, not really far, but you would still need about 5 steps to reach Ryul's.
Ryul dropped his bag under his desk. He looked at the empty desk on his left.
It's been about two weeks since their co-worker James left the company. He was a bit of a talker, so when he left, Ryul's work hours became a bit quiet.
Ryul shook the thought away and turned his computer on.
Time to work on money that isn't his.