(TW: Mentions of self-harm)
Maliza
An hour after shopping at the mall, I took a cab home. My mind continued to think about everything else that happened earlier as I sat in the backseat. Like my recurring nightmares, Shaina's weird behavior and Kai coming home after sneaking out last night. When I remembered the bruise on Kai's hand, I pulled down my sleeve and stared at my scars. Seeing them made all the memories of cutting and scratching myself race through my thoughts… I even remembered the time I tried using a razor blade… Almost cut myself deep. If Shin didn't find me, I probably would've died. Just like Malia did.
Staring at my scars, I hoped that Kai wasn't doing the same. I really hoped he wasn't hurting himself like I was all those years ago.
When the car stopped, I paid the driver and stepped out onto the pavement with three bags of groceries. I walked in through the front gate, only to put one grocery bag down to open the door. Turning the knob, I pushed the door open, picked up the one bag that was on the ground and went inside. "Phew… these bags are heavy." I sighed, placing the three groceries on the kitchen counter.
As I unpacked, I started placing the canned food in the cupboard and the cold ones in the fridge, like milk, eggs, cheese and the two sealed, ready-to-eat packs of lasagne.
"Now I can finally rest." I said before closing the fridge and walking into the lounge to relax on the sofa. I sat down, only to then lay down on my side, resting my head on the arm of the couch. I sighed, "Finally…"
While I was laying down on the sofa, I stared at the ceiling, my mind still thinking about Kai and my recurring dream. That girl I kept seeing… Who was she exactly? And why does something about her feel familiar?
I didn't know why I kept seeing that girl in my nightmares… But a part of me wanted to know who she really was. I wanted to know what happened to her...and how I could help her… if I could. I was thinking about so many things that I actually ended up falling asleep.
…
A few hours later, I fluttered my eyes open to find myself sleeping on my side with my head resting on my arm. "What time is it? I must've fallen asleep…" I yawned softly. Just as I was about to get up, I felt something warm on me. Looking down, I saw it was a red blanket covering half of my body. "Wait, is this…?" I paused, examining the blanket. "Did someone put this on me while I was sleeping?"
I sat up, holding the blanket as I wondered about who placed it over me while I was asleep. But then I remembered… Kai was still in his room upstairs.
Getting up from the sofa, I went up there to go check if he was alright. But when I got to his room door, I immediately noticed that it was half open. I opened it…only to see that the room was empty. At that moment, I realized he was gone.
I grunted softly, obviously upset that Kai had snuck out again while I was asleep. "This is the second time that he's been avoiding me." I was about to storm away until I then noticed something white sticking out from one of his drawers. I thought it was just a piece of clothing at first but then I saw a red stain on it... I wanted to just turn the other way and leave the room but… I couldn't ignore this nagging feeling in my head, my mind constantly saying, "He's hurting himself." and "He's hiding things from you."
Unable to bear it anymore, I went into his room and opened the second drawer. To my suprise… I found bloodied bandages along with a jar of cotton wool and a bottle of antiseptic liquid. "What the…? What is this?" I muttered while picking up the bloodied bandage, my thumb tracing across the dried, bloodied stains. "Oh kami, this is…" I was too lost for words, my mind thinking of all possible scenarios that might be happening with Kai.
"I'm home!"
Suddenly, when I heard the door open and Malisha's voice calling from downstairs, I quickly put the bandages back and left the room. I made it down the steps, only to see Malisha close the front door behind her. When she started walking towards me, I soon began to notice… She had a strange look on her face. A look that I couldn't really understand at first.
"Hey, Malisha. How was school today? Did you get your report card?" I asked with a warm smile.
"Yeah, I did… I just… I really could use a nap right now. I'm tired." She didn't smile back, instead she just looked at me for a brief moment and then walked past me. It wasn't long before I noticed the light circles under her eyes as she kept her head down and walked up the stairs.
"Poor baby… she must've had a rough day at school." I thought when I heard her shut her room door. "I just hope she's gonna be okay."
Night
As I was reading a book while lying in bed, my mind kept drifting back to that dream I had that morning. That girl…
Even though it was just a dream, something about it felt off. I tried to ignore it... Even when I was trying to read one of my favorite fairytale books, my thoughts went back to that dream. I sighed, "Maybe clearing my head with a glass of water will do." Swinging my feet off the bed and placing my book down on the nightstand, I got up and went downstairs.
I entered the kitchen, my thoughts still wondering as I opened the upper cabinet door and took out a solid plastic cup. Turning on the tap, I placed the cup underneath it, holding it in place while the water poured into it. When the cup was full, I turned off the tap and started drinking slowly, taking sip by sip.
Suddenly, I stopped when I heard the front door open. Walking into the lounge, I was a little relieved when I saw it was Shaina. "Oh, hey Shaina. Your home." I smiled warmly at her… But Shaina didn't smile back. The look on her face… she looked upset, yet sad at the same time.
"Um, Shaina… Are you okay? You look troubled…" I asked as I walked closer. When she snapped out of her troubled state, she then greets me with a fake smile "Oh, uh… Hey Aunt M." She said, "It's nothing really, I'm just a little tired."
Even though Shaina tried to hide it, I could tell there was something going on with her. "I should probably go take a bath. I feel grimy after such a long day." With that, she walked past me and up the stairs to the wash room.
I knew she was tired after a long day at work… But as an aunt, I really wanted to know what was bothering her. After mustering up the courage, I walked up the stairs and down the hallway. Upon hearing the shower tap turn on inside the bathroom, I stood outside the bathroom, my mind wondering if I should knock or just leave her be. I thought, "...Jeez, I don't know if I should talk to her at this time or if I should just leave..."
"You know, I can hear you from outside the bathroom, right!?" Suddenly, I stopped myself from knocking when I heard Shaina speak from inside the bathroom, along with the sounds of the water hissing from the shower. Of course she heard me. I mean, who am I kidding? She's a Glind. She can read minds…I smiled with a soft chuckle, "Yeah, I know. Sorry…" I apologized, "I actually wanted to ask how you did at work today?"
There was a brief moment of silence before Shaina finally spoke, "It was okay…" Shaina said, sounding hesitant. "I just got my paycheck today..." I looked next to me and saw a chair next to the bathroom door, her purse placed on the seat. Opening the bag, I took out a small paper which was the paycheck Shaina spoke of. Seeing the amount of money that was written on the paper, I was surprised. "Shaina… This is way above your payroll."
"I know, it's a bonus pay."
Despite the fact that Shaina said it was a bonus salary, something about it felt off. The amount of zenni that her boss gave… it was a bit too good to be true unless Shaina did more than just waitressing.
"Well, It looks like you did more than just work, didn't you?" I said teasingly.
"Heh, yeah… I guess I did." Shaina didn't sound happy… Normally, she would be a little shy when I teased her like this. But this time, she sounded like she was trying to hide something and trying to pretend nothing was wrong. At that moment, I couldn't bite my tongue any longer.
"You know, you can tell me all about work if you want. I'm always here to listen." I said, trying to at least offer some comfort. "Is your boss giving you a hard time, Shaina?" Just when I asked, the hissing sounds of the shower finally stopped. There was a moment of silence for a brief moment until Shaina finally opened the bathroom door, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her. "Why would you think that?" She asked, wiping her damp hair away from her face.
"Shaina, I'm not naive. I know when something is wrong." I said, my brows furrowing. "You didn't seem happy when you came back. Even when I teased you just now, you didn't sound happy about your salary." At first, Shaina looked like she wanted to say something… but instead she took the paycheck out of my head. "Like I said, I'm just tired." She insisted, taking her purse from the chair and walking past me and into her room. "I know what tiredness looks like and you don't look like you're tired, Shaina." When I pointed out her recent behavior, she glanced at me, clearly annoyed. "Then what do I look like to you?"
"Like you're hiding things from me," I said, "This morning, you were carrying lipstick, even though you obviously hate it. Not to mention those black lace stockings you tried so hard to hide. You came in here looking troubled and now pretending like nothing is wrong."
"What do you want me to say, Maliza?" Shaina argued.
"Tell me the truth, Shaina. What's going on with you?" I demanded, "Please, let's just talk. Whatever it is that's bothering you, I can help."
Letting out an irritated grunt, Shaina then walks towards me, "There's nothing to talk about, okay? Now leave me alone, I'm trying to get dressed." With that, she shuts her bedroom door in my face. Stepping back, I collapsed onto the chair, feeling defeated. "First Kai is keeping secrets from me and now Shaina…" I murmured, looking at my hands before putting my face in them. "I don't know if I can take this anymore." I cried for a moment until I then heard the front door open and close downstairs. Thinking that it was Kai, I wiped a tear from my eye, trying to regain my composure. At this point, I was fed up… I wanted to yell at him for keeping secrets and shutting me out. When I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, I stormed up from the chair, "I swear Kai if-"
My temper subsided when I saw that it was actually Shin, wearing normal earth-clothes while holding a small gift bag. When he noticed me standing in the middle of the hallway, he smiled warmly, "Oh, thank goodness. I was hoping you'd be awake."
"Shin!" I called out as I rushed towards him, pulling him in a tight embrace. "Oh, I missed you so much. I was worried something happened." I murmured. Shin wraps his arms around me, his other hand still holding on to the gift bag. "Heh, I've only been away for two weeks, Maliza."
"I know, but I feel like I'm falling apart without you right now." Hearing my words, Shin pulled away, looking at me with a concerned expression. "What do you mean? Did…did something happen while I was away?" When he asked, I hesitated for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh. "We… we really need to sit down and talk."
...
After I told Shin that we needed to talk, we went downstairs to the kitchen. Of course, since Malisha was asleep and Shaina was in her room, I thought it was better to talk somewhere private. As we sat by the counter, I immediately told him about everything that had been going on for the past two weeks.
The recurring dream I was having, Kai sneaking out at night, along with Shaina and Malisha's strange behavior when they both came home. Shin's gentle smile slowly faded into a concerned expression as I spoke about everything that had been going on.
"How long have you been having that same dream?" He asked.
"I've been having that dream for about 10 nights now… Honestly, I don't know if it means something or if it's just my sanity depleting." After the kettle was down boiling, I took it off the stove and poured the hot water into two tea cups placed on the counter. "Where's Kai right now?" When Shin asked, I couldn't hold in my frustrations anymore and started venting. "I don't know. Everytime I try to talk to him, he just shuts me out or completely ignores me. Early this morning, he came in with a bruised hand and I tried to talk to him but he won't talk to me."
"He's still going through a lot, Maliza. You just have to give him time." Shin said as he tried to calm me down. "He's been like this ever since we started dating, Shin. Even after Talia died, he won't even open up to me. It's like I'm talking to a stranger…"
Right in the middle of our conversation, Malisha then comes into the kitchen, her hair all messy while wearing an oversized top where the hem hung covered her knees. I immediately regained my composure from my frustration. "Hey Malisha. We didn't know you were still awake."
"Hey, Maliza… Dad. I just woke up." she said groggily while rubbing her eyes, clearly dazed, "Can I have something to drink please?"
"Oh, yes, of course…" At her request, I opened the fridge. But just as I took out the jug of orange juice, Shin got off the stool and walked towards Malisha, pulling her in a tight hug.
"Dad?" She stood there, completely stunned by her father's sudden embrace. "Please tell me you're okay..."
"Dad, I'm fine… I'm just tired from school."
When Shin slowly pulled away, he lifted Malisha's face by her chin… "My dear kai… Look at those dark circles under your eyes… What happened to you?" he asked when he noticed the dark circles under her eyes.
"Dark circles?" Her brows furrowed when I mentioned the dark circles.
"Yeah… you didn't notice?" When I asked, Malisha immediately rushed towards the round mirror hanging on the wall. Her face went from confusion to pure shock when she saw her reflection. "Oh kami… No wonder Ava was acting weird the whole week. All those energy drinks she kept giving me... Why didn't I notice it?" Malisha felt embarrassed at the fact that she didn't realize the change in herself until now. Not only that, her friend tried to help and she didn't even know it.
Shin places a comforting hand on her back, "What time did you go to bed? How long have you been staying up all night studying?"
Malisha turns towards him, clearly hesitant at first before responding. "Since I got my second report..." she then started nervously rubbing her arm as she confessed everything. "The first time I failed, I really did my best but…the second time, I thought if I stayed up and studied harder, I would get a positive result this time. But… now I see how much it's getting to me."
"Malisha, what do you mean? Did you get your report card today?" Right when Shin asked, Malisha's lip started to tremble and her eyes started to water. "I… I failed again."
"What?" When I muttered, she confessed, "I… I opened my report card on the bus, I… I got an F again." Me and Shin both looked at each other with worried glances as Malisha started crying. "Oh, Malisha…" Pulling her in and embracing her, I started softly stroking her back while letting her cry softly against my chest. "I'm sorry… Please don't be mad at me." She wept.
I murmured, "No, shhh… It's okay. We're not mad at you."
My heart ached as I held her close. When I glanced at Shin, I could tell from the sad look on his face that he couldn't bear seeing his daughter in such distress after failing for the third time.
After a minute of crying, Malisha slowly started to calm down as she pulled away from me to wipe the tear streaks on her cheeks. She turns to Shin, "Dad, you're not mad at me, are you?"
"No… no, of course not." Shin said, placing a comforting hand on her cheek.
"Malisha, why don't you go get your report in your room, okay?" When I asked, Malisha nodded weakly, "Okay."
As she went upstairs to get her report card, Shin glanced at me before letting out a frustrated sigh. Obviously he was upset at the fact that Malisha was emotionally wearing herself down because of her grades. Not only that, he couldn't understand why the school was failing her when she tried so hard to pass.
"I can't believe this." Shin murmured, "This is the third time Malisha has been receiving a failed report. Why does she keep failing like this after trying so hard for three months?"
"I… I don't know. But whatever it is, we can figure something out… Right?" Just as I spoke, Malisha then came down the stairs and came into the kitchen, holding her report card nervously in her hands. "Here…" When she handed the report card over to me, my heart sank as I saw that she had received F's on both her maths, literature and history. At this point, I felt angry… Not at Malisha but at the fact that the school is putting my niece through so much pressure and heartache. "This… This is not fair." I muttered while staring at the paper in disbelief.
The whole time Malisha had been staying up all night to try and pass this third term, only to fail again after trying so hard… I couldn't accept that. And I knew Shin couldn't either.
"Honestly, I don't know if I can take this anymore… I tried so hard to pass this time. I stayed up to try and make sure that I got everything right… Now I'm stuck. I'll be left behind. I won't even go into sophomore year with my friends." Malisha murmured as she stood there in front of us, her face looking emotionally worn down.
Handing the report paper over to Shin, I walked over and lifted her chin up, her sad gaze meeting mine. "Don't say that." I said, "You're a smart girl, Malisha. You don't have to push yourself so much to prove it to us because we know how great you are at your studies."
"I don't understand… Then why do I keep failing like this? It makes no sense… Did I… Did I do something wrong?" Malisha asked, her voice laced with sadness and confusion.
"What? No. No, you didn't do anything wrong." Just as I reassured her, Shin then gave the paper back to her. "Malisha, why don't you stay at home tomorrow?"
"Dad?" Malisha was a little surprised by her dad's words. "I don't know what's going on but I promise you, we'll go tomorrow and talk to the Principal about your grades." I didn't know what Shin was planning but hearing the small determination in his voice made me realize he was on to something. "You've been putting yourself under too much pressure these past few months, It wouldn't be fair if you didn't at least take one day off from all that studying." Shin added.
"What? But Dad, I can't just-"
Just when Malisha tried to protest, I interjected, "No, your Dad's right."
"Aunt M?" Malisha looked at me, clearly confused. "Look, I know you've been trying so hard to pass this year but you really need to take care of yourself. I mean, look at your eyes… You're already getting worn down from all the stress. We think it's better if you stay at home until you're okay again." When I spoke, she tried to protest at first but when she glanced at her reflection in the mirror and saw the circles under her eyes, she nodded slightly. "Okay… I'll stay home."
Shin and I both smiled warmly as she agreed to our terms. "Um… Can we eat now? I'm…kinda hungry." When she asked sheepishly, we chuckled. "Okay, of course. But I think you might wanna take a bath before you can eat…" I suggested.
"What? Why? I just woke up…" Malisha didn't understand at first but when she pulled her top close to her nose and sniffed, she cringed. "Oh gosh, no…" she then looked at us, clearly embarrassed, "Heh, I guess I'll take that bath right now then." With that she walks away.
"And don't forget to wash your face too, okay?" I added as she left the kitchen. "Okay, Maliza!" As Malisha rushes up the stairs, I turn towards Shin. "I guess I should probably get started with the food now." I said, smiling at him warmly.
"Of course you should." Shin agreed with a gentle smile.
A Few Moments Later
After an hour of prepping dinner and setting up the table, I immediately started dishing out some chicken alfredo. By the time I was done dishing the food in plates, Malisha was already done with her hair tied neatly in a long ponytail and her face looking clean. Shaina came down soon after, wearing her pajamas while her hair was tied in a tight bun.
As we all sat by the dinner table and ate, my mind was clouded by the thought of Kai. The fact that he wasn't here to have dinner with us. To me, it was obvious he was doing something at this time of night. As for Shaina, she was sitting and eating. Obviously, she was pretending like nothing was wrong when it was clear to me that she was hiding something. I wanted to confront her there but… I didn't want to cause a scene. Not in front of Shin.
"Hey, Dad, Maliza… Where is Kai?" Malisha asked, wiping her mouth with a serviette.
I sighed, "I don't know, Malisha."
"Did he come back this morning or was he not here still?" As she placed the serviette down on her now empty plate, I stood up from the table. "He was… but he left again."
"Oh… Okay." Malisha said, pushing her plate forward. Taking both mine, Shaina and Malisha's dirty plates, I walked out of the dining room and into the kitchen. As I placed the dishes in the dishwasher, I heard Malisha start talking to Shin while I wasn't in the dining room. "Hey, Dad… What's with the gift bag? I saw you left a gift bag in Maliza's room on the bed." She asked.
"Oh, well… It's actually a gift I got for her." Shin responded.
"What's in it?" When Malisha asked, Shin chuckled, "It's a secret, Malisha. I can't just tell you."
"Aww, really?" Malisha sounded disappointed when her dad refused to reveal what was in the gift bag. Honestly, I was a bit curious to know what was in that bag that Shin got for me.
Earlier, I was so caught up with the drama that I didn't even think about it.
"You know Dad, I never got to ask." Shaina starts, "How come you didn't eat? Are you on a diet or something?" From the brief silence I heard, Shin probably hesitated when she asked about why he was the only one that didn't eat.
Actually, I already knew why Shin doesn't eat. The only thing he does is either drink a smoothie, water or something like green or blueberry booba tea. And the reason…
Well, believe it or not, Glinds don't always rely on food like humans or Saiyans do. They rely on water or any form of fluids as a food source. Some Glinds do actually eat but to them, that's considered an alternative option.
"Hey, now that you mention it… we never really see you eat. Not once. How come you don't eat, Dad?" Malisha added, obviously curious to know more.
"Well, did you know Glinds were born from trees, Malisha?" I said as I walked into the room.
She was surprised when I told her, "Wait, what?"
I chuckled, sitting down by the dining table, "Yeah, your dad was born from a Glind tree. And Glinds don't always rely on food. They either drink water or any sort of fluids to survive."
Shaina turned to Shin, "Wait, seriously?"
He blushed when both his daughters looked at him as if waiting for an answer. "Yes, that is true." He said, "But most of us do eat food but that's considered an alternative for our kind if there's no food source where we could drink."
"So, the only reason you don't eat is because you're used to drinking and not eating?" Shaina asked.
"I don't eat. Not at all. I only drink water or tea." Shin admitted.
"Heh, the last time your mom fed your dad food, he cringed so hard at the taste of the chicken and mushroom pie that your mom used to make for you guys when you were little. He really didn't like the taste of it." I explained.
"How do you know he didn't?" Malisha asked.
"Because Malia told me she caught him spitting out the food when he thought she wasn't looking." I could tell Shin was a little embarrassed when I told his daughters about the time he actually spat out my sister's food one time.
"You spat it out?" Shaina laughs briefly, "Naww, no wonder you made those weird faces when you were taking bites out of mom's cooking. You were so cute."
Shin chuckled sheepishly, "It's mostly because I didn't want to hurt your mom's feelings. And it was your 8th birthday at that time."
"Was mom mad when she caught you?" Malisha asked. "She was at first…but when I explained myself, she understood. But that didn't stop her though… She made me spend the whole day with Shaina. Playing, opening presents and even helping her blow out her candles. She eventually got so tired, she fell asleep in my arms. I had to carry her to bed that evening."
Shaina blushed as Shin explained. "I don't think I remember that… maybe it was because of the sugar rush I had when I ate 4 slices of that red velvet cake mom made." she said, taking her cup of orange juice and taking a sip. I smiled warmly, "Red velvet cake is your favorite after all."
"Hey, what about you? What's your favorite flavor, Maliza?" When Malisha asked, I thought for a moment before giving her a full answer. "Well, my favorite flavor is chocolate…but not dark chocolate. Chocolate croissants and pudding are one of my most favorite desserts."
"Mine is white chocolate and strawberry." When Malisha spoke, I immediately thought of my sister Malia. "Strawberry was your mom's favorite too." I said, pulling a gentle smile.
"Yeah, I remember the time mom used to feed me strawberries with chocolate as a treat." Shaina added.
"You were always very energetic back when you were young." Shin said, "Like the time you ate too much chocolate and your mother chased you all around the house because you were running up and down the place like a wild rabbit."
"I was 9, dad." Shaina looked embarrassed when her dad brought up that moment where Malia chased her because she had such an extreme sugar rush that she couldn't control herself. "Kinda sounds like you had zoomies, Shaina." Malisha teased.
Shaina blushed, "I'm not a cat, shut up."
Even though she didn't want to admit it, she knew deep down that it was true.
Shaina was a very wild child when it came to sugar. It was one of the best moments of her life…
Kai, on the other hand… He was a very quiet kid when he was young. But aside from it, he was always very curious about a lot of things. Like the time he was fiddling with Malia's necklace because it looked so beautiful. Or the time he would stare at the sunflowers in the yard because they looked so alive…
Like the sun.
He was so sweet then… Now he's all grown up and we don't even talk like we used to anymore.
…
After we had dinner, Malisha and Shaina went straight back to their rooms. Knowing that Kai might come home, I decided to leave some chicken alfredo for him in the fridge. When I got done with washing the dishes, I went upstairs… Only to find Shin sitting on the edge of my bed, looking a little nervous then normal. The gift bag that he brought with him home was placed next to him.
"So, can I ask what you got for me?" I asked, walking towards him with my hands behind my back.
Shin looked hesitant at first, his face blushing a little when I asked about the gift next to him. But when I was about to take the gift bag, he stopped me. "Maliza, wait." he said, standing up from the bed. "Sit down."
I will admit, the nervous yet serious expression on his face made me worry a bit.
So I sat down by my dresser, looking at him with uncertainty. "So...what's this all about?" I asked.
There was a moment of silence between us… Until Shin finally spoke. "Maliza…" he starts, "Are you happy…with me?"
Hearing those words, I thought I did something… or maybe he did something bad. "Shin, of course I'm happy with you. Why wouldn't I be?" I paused for a moment before asking, "Did something happen? Are you mad at me?"
"No," He interjected, "You didn't do anything wrong. I just... I really appreciate you looking out for all of us. Even though you've been through so much. Malia would've been proud..."
I blushed, "I… I know."
Shin knows I've been through a lot since Malia died, he did everything he could to help me. If it wasn't for him, I would've died from my grief. "Malia always did say that she would've been happy to see me build a life for myself without her someday. And you…you did everything you could for me. Especially when I was on the brink of suicide. You saved me… you gave me another chance to live. A chance to rebuild myself again. And I love you for that."
"I know… Which is why…" Shin paused, taking the gift bag from the bed and reaching in. I was a little nervous at first…
But he took out the small ring box out of the bag, I gasped, covering my mouth in shock.
"I know it's a lot but… You've been through so much after Malia died. And you've been trying your hardest in taking care of us. Which is why I want to give you the happiness you deserve. You deserve love…more than anything."
I was in love the moment he opened that ring box and showed me that beautiful pearl ring, with small diamonds around its structure. Not only that, my eyes couldn't help but water as I gazed at the ring with awe.
Shin got down on one knee, "Maliza… Please, will you be my bride?"
I sat there, my heart skipping beats as I stared between him and the ring. At that moment, I thought of all the times I spent with him over the years… The times he would bring me flowers, take me on dates, have tea and movie nights… All those moments we spent together… I couldn't believe all of that led me up to this moment…where Shin is literally now kneeling down in front of me, asking me to marry him.
"Yes." Hearing my approval, Shin carefully took the ring out from the box and took my hand, sliding it onto my finger gently. I held my hand up, seeing how pretty the ring looked. "It's perfect…"
Just as Shin stood up, I gently smiled, "You really are the sweetest. Thank you."
He blushed, clearly I could tell he was relieved that I said yes to his proposal. "Well, now that we're engaged, is there anything you want to ask me?"
I blushed, "...First, I want you to close your eyes."
Shin was a little surprised by my request, "May I ask why?"
"Just do it." I said, smiling warmly. He looked curious at first but of course, he listened to my wishes and closed his eyes.
As he stood in front of me, I walked closer toward him. Taking his hand in mine, I leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. Shin's eyes opened slightly for a brief moment… He was obviously caught off guard for a second until he then closed them again and started leaning in for more.
At that moment, he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in closer as the kiss began to deepen.
…
This was my first kiss and it actually felt romantic.
To be honest, I never thought my dream would come true after all this time.
...
***
You see… The truth is…
I've always wished that someday… I'd be married and started a family of my own.
Ever since I was young…I was always fascinated by the idea of being married to a great husband and having children. During that time, I was a child…
But when I grew up, I slowly understood that being a wife and a mother at the same time wasn't so easy. Obviously because I've seen it first hand every time Bulma was around, since she is a mom and a wife… And Chi Chi as well.
At that time, I chose to be mindful of what I wanted. I mean, I was still figuring out who I was and who I wanted to be then but… the thought of having a family of my own never left my mind.
…
And my sister knew it. Even though she was protective over me and didn't want me to be on the front lines of protecting our home, she was never neglectful of what I wanted.
That night, on New Year's Eve, while everyone was watching the fireworks, she wanted to know. "Maliza…" When I heard her say my name, I turned to her, "Oh, yes?"
"What do you want to do with your life?" I was confused about what she meant when she asked. "What do you mean?" I asked.
"Well, since you're older now, what do you plan on doing for your future?" When she rephrased, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do. Who I wanted to be...
I thought of a lot of things. Maybe become a nurse, or a teacher…or even a singer.
I wasn't sure at first but when the idea came back to me, I just blurted it out without thinking. "I… I want to start a family. Get married and be a mom."
Malia was silent and kinda surprised when I told her what I wanted. "Are you sure that's what you want?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "I… I don't know. I always liked the idea but… I'm not really sure if…if I'll be a good mom or a good wife." I admitted, scratching the back of my head softly with two fingers.
She wanted to ask further but then she just sighed. Walking closer to me, she then placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. Even if you're not sure if that's what you want, you can always do many other things. Whatever it is, I want you to go for it, okay?"
I raised a brow at her, "Why do you say that?"
"Because… someday, I won't be around to see you live your life. So, I want you to promise me… That no matter what happens, you'll keep fighting…and you'll live your life, no matter how hard it hits you. Promise me…" I didn't know why my sister asked me to keep such a promise but deep down, I knew she was right. Someday, my sister wouldn't be around to always be there for me, so… I agreed to keep that promise...even though I didn't know that my sister would die sooner than I thought.
"Okay, I promise. No matter what." I said, using my finger to cross an X on my chest.
After that, we continued to watch the fireworks… The colors illuminating from every pop and crackle that came from the explosions in the sky. That night, I was looking forward to the future. A future where I had my sister by my side…
But of course, moments like this…don't last.
Maybe I should've known then that Malia meant more than what she led on. Maybe she knew she would die any day…and that she was just saying that because she knew her death would affect me deeply. But…in a way, I'm glad she told me that.
Because now, I understand.
This time, I look forward to seeing a better future. Not just for myself but… for my family too.
...
***
"Hahah! Shin, stop! That tickles!"
As we cuddled sweetly in bed, Shin started playfully trailing kisses all over me, making me laugh and giggle. He chuckled, "Your laugh is always the cutest thing."
For a moment, he pulled away to meet my gaze...and then leaned in to kiss my lips softly with his hand caressing my cheek. Feeling his warmth envelope me, I melted against him, my hands reaching up to touch him. "Shin~" I murmured softly against his lips.
As he started trailing kisses across my jawline, my hands moved down from his cheek to his shoulder, pulling him in closer… But when I felt his hand slip my dress strap off my shoulder, I pushed away slightly. Shin looked surprised when I stopped him, "Is something wrong?"
Pulling my dress strap back onto my shoulder, I blushed, "I… I'm sorry. Can...can this wait? I'm...I'm not exactly ready to go further yet."
Shin looked confused when I spoke, "Further?"
Feeling a little embarrassed, I sat up. "I… I want to wait till we get married. Till then, I'm not ready to be intimate with you just yet."
"Maliza," Shin blushed, "I… I honestly wasn't planning on that… I mean…" He couldn't exactly finish his sentence. Obviously,because he was caught off guard by my words. "I know, I know… I just...I'm just not ready." I said, my cheeks turning pink at the thought of being intimate with Shin.
"I know…" He said, placing his hand on mine, "I'm sorry I scared you."
"No, it's alright." I reassured, "I know you didn't plan going further with me tonight but… I really want my first time to be special. That's why I want to wait until our wedding day comes."
"Well, since you two love each other so much, why don't you just fuck already?"
Upon hearing Kai's voice, Shin and I both looked at the entrance of the room, seeing Kai standing there clearly looking like he was in a bad mood. "Kai!" I yelled, my cheeks turning red when he just told us to just do it like it meant nothing. "What? Am I wrong? It's obvious you're just wasting your time wishing on some stupid fairytale life that'll never be true. So stop dreaming and grow up." With that, he walked further down the hallway.
"I can't believe him!" Upset about how he just disrespected us, I got up and left the room. "Hey! Where the hell were you?" I asked, frowning at him furiously. When he reached his room door, Kai turned to me, "I was out. What's it to you? Don't you have someones dad to fuck?"
"What in the world is wrong with you!?" I argued, "You don't ever talk to me and Shin like that! What we talk about in private is none of your business!"
"Maliza, wait. Calm down…" Shin soothed me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Just let me talk to him."
"But…" I wanted to protest at first but seeing the small smile of reassurance on his face, I calmed down. "Okay… I'll go wait in the room." I said, turning around and walking back to my room.
Upon walking in and sitting on my bed, I started to listen in on Shin and Kai's conversation.
"Look, I don't know what's going on with you but you should never talk to us like that. Especially Maliza." Shin scolded firmly.
"Obviously, you don't know because you're never here." Kai talked back.
"Because I'm a Supreme Kai, I'm not always home and you know that." Shin said, "And Maliza has done nothing but worry about you ever since you started sneaking out every night and day."
Kai sighs, "Dad, I'm fine. I just went out for a walk-"
"You and I both know that's not true." Shin interjected, "Tell me the truth. Where were you?"
"I was out with my friends," Kai said, "Can I go to my room now?"
There was a moment of silence in the hallway until Shin finally spoke. "Fine. You can go."
I was a little disappointed when I heard Kai's room door open and close. I expected him to at least open up to his dad too but… Obviously, he was now hiding things from both of us, even though I was the only one that knew what he was hiding in his room.
Shin looked a little upset when he came back to my room. And in a way, I don't blame him.
I mean, I am stressed out too myself from Kai's constant behavior and to be honest, I wish I knew what he was thinking. What was really going on with him.
"Well, you were right." Shin said, sitting down beside me on the bed, "He is hiding things from us."
I sighed, "I told you."
"I know…" He then places his hand on mine, "I'm sorry that Kai acted the way he did earlier. He's never like this unless...something happened."
"I just...I really wish I knew what he was thinking. What he's feeling right now…" I whimpered softly, a tear running down my cheeks as I put my head down. Seeing my sadness, Shin began to comfort me, holding me close and wiping my tears away.
That night, I realized something…This wasn't just the beginning of my dream…
It was the beginning of the challenges I had to face along the way.
...
To Be Continued...