Author's POV
Their first afternoon in the new house was anything but grand.
After the broker left, the front door and windows remained open to let the breeze in. The whole place was quiet except for the soft rustling of leaves from the large mango tree at the side of the yard and the occasional bark of a dog somewhere in the distance. Inside, the house smelled of old wood, dust, and a place that had not truly been lived in for a long time.
Gia stood in the middle of the living room, taking in every corner.
The house was old, yes. There were scratches on the walls, and it was obvious that some things would need fixing in time. But it felt airy. It was not cramped. The ceiling did not feel suffocating. The living room had space, the kitchen at the back was decent, and even though the windows were old, the light still came through well.
It was not a mansion.
There were no marble floors, no antique chandeliers, no cold silence trained into the walls of a family that had ruled for too long.
And yet at first glance, Gia already knew she liked it better than many expensive houses she had seen in her life.
Because it was quiet.
And at that point, quiet was the only thing she could trust.
Behind her, Lando slowly sat down on an old wooden chair while Nena went into the kitchen and gently ran her hand over the old table there, as if making sure everything they were seeing was real.
"Anak," Nena called carefully.
Gia turned to her. "Yes, Nay?"
The older woman's gaze lingered on her for a moment before she seemed to weigh her words.
"Are you sure about this?"
It was such a simple question, but Gia understood its meaning at once.
Nena was not asking if she liked the house.
She was asking if Gia was sure about the decision to bring them into her life.
Into her house.
Into a new beginning she did not fully know yet herself.
Gia took a slow breath before answering. "Yes."
Lando looked at her from the living room. "Maybe later, when things are settled, you might decide you would rather be alone."
The corner of Gia's mouth moved slightly, almost not enough to be called a smile.
"If I wanted to be alone, I would not have taken you with me yesterday."
The couple exchanged a quiet look.
And in that silence, Gia knew they still did not fully understand why she had chosen to bring them into this new chapter of her life. She had no intention of explaining it at length. She did not want to unravel the kind of anger that tightened in her chest every time she saw old people left behind by the world.
The simplest truth was easier.
They were there because she did not want to leave them.
That was all.
Gia walked toward the window and looked out into the yard. There was grass at the side that still needed clearing. A few pots were broken. The fence at the back was still all right, though obviously old too. In the distance, children passed along the road, glancing briefly at the house before continuing on their way.
New face.
New gossip.
She already expected that.
"Nay. Tay." Her voice was quiet, but both of them looked at her at once. "There is something we need to talk about."
Nena sat up straighter. "What is it, anak?"
Gia looked at both of them directly.
In the afternoon light, the softness of her face stood out again. Refined. Gentle. Almost too gentle for a woman who could turn cold in an instant. But that coldness was not in her eyes now. What was there was simple caution.
"If anyone asks," she said, "I am your granddaughter."
The couple paused slightly.
Gia continued before they could speak. "Not your daughter. Your granddaughter. I grew up with you. That is why we have the same surname."
Nena stayed quiet. Lando seemed to turn the words over in his mind first.
"Granddaughter," the old man repeated, as if testing the weight of the word in his own mouth.
Gia nodded. "That is more right."
"More right for what?" Nena asked softly.
Gia fell silent for a moment.
She could not tell them the full truth. She could not say it was more believable. Safer. Easier to explain to curious people why there was a young woman with them when they were far too old to have a child her age. She also could not say that she liked the sound of that word more than any title strangers might attach to her when they were not really hers at all.
So she chose the cleanest truth.
"Because I like it better."
Something softened in Nena's face at that. "You are our granddaughter."
Gia quickly turned her gaze back to the window so the moment would not stretch too long.
She was not used to conversations like this.
Punches, threats, or decisions buried inside nameless documents were easier for her. Harder was an old woman saying she was her granddaughter as if everything about it were natural.
"Gia Santos," Lando said softly, as if trying out the new name as well.
The corner of Gia's mouth moved slightly. "Yes."
Silence settled again.
But the silence inside the house had changed.
It was no longer foreign.
It was not familiar yet either, but it felt like it was slowly searching for a place for the three of them.
Gia set the bag she was carrying on the old table in the living room and opened it. She had not brought all of her important things there. The bags that mattered more were in the room she had already chosen for herself and locked properly. What was in front of them now was only the everyday cash and a few things they would need right away.
"We start with what is necessary," she said as she took out a thick envelope of money. "Clothes. Bedding. Pillows. Blankets. A bucket. A dipper. A few basic things."
"Oh, anak, do not buy too much," Nena said at once. "Just a little first."
Gia did not look at her while speaking. "We will buy just a little first. But it will be proper."
"We still have proper clothes," Lando said, though it was obvious he did not entirely believe himself.
Gia turned to them.
Her look was not harsh. It was not angry either. But it carried a weight that people with weak knees and good intentions could not easily refuse.
"Tay," she said quietly, "what you are wearing now has already been stitched several times."
The old man looked down at the hem of his polo and fell silent.
Gia continued, more gently now. "I am not giving you luxury. I am only giving you something proper."
This time, Nena had no answer. She only adjusted the handkerchief on her shoulder and let out a soft breath.
It was not the sigh of an argument.
It was surrender to a young woman with the softest face and a voice used to being obeyed.
A few minutes later, the three of them left the house. Gia had told the driver of the van to wait and help carry what they bought, but he kept a respectful distance so he would not interfere with their conversations. She did not like people who were always too close. She preferred a presence that knew how to step back when it was not needed.
They went first to the nearest market, then to a small department store in the town proper.
From the moment they entered, Gia could already feel several glances turning their way.
Not because of what she was wearing.
Her clothes were simple enough. A plain blouse, dark trousers, and sandals without any obvious brand. But there was still something about her that simple clothing could not hide. The clear skin. The natural lift of her chin. The kind of silence that did not look like it belonged to the place around her.
She also noticed how quickly Nena clutched her bag and how Lando tightened his hand around the handle of the cart.
They were too careful.
Too obviously unused to buying things for themselves without checking the price ten times first.
Gia began at the clothing section.
"Pick what you want."
The two of them exchanged a look at once.
"We do not know what we want," Nena said with a small laugh, though it was clearly true.
Gia rolled her eyes slightly. "Fine. I'll do it."
And that was exactly what she did.
For Nena, she chose simple dresses and blouses with light fabric. They did not look expensive, but they were clean and proper. Colors that suited her age without making her look older. For Lando, she picked a few polos, undershirts, and comfortable trousers he could wear at home or outside.
She did not choose the most.
But neither did she choose too little.
Enough for someone to begin again without having to wear the same memory of hardship over and over.
"Gia," Nena said softly when she noticed the pile growing, "I think that is too much."
"Not yet."
"Maybe two is already enough."
"Still not."
"Anak."
That was when Gia stopped and turned to the older woman.
"Are we going to fight here?"
Nena stared, a little speechless, before Lando let out a soft laugh beside her.
It was a small sound, but enough to make Gia stop moving for a moment.
She could not remember the last time she had heard this kind of laugh beside her.
Not mocking.
Not dangerous.
Not carrying any hidden meaning.
Just the simple laugh of an old man who had grown tired through the day but found amusement in a young woman who refused to lose.
"Fine then," Nena said at last.
After the clothes, they went to the housewares section.
There, the couple became even quieter while Gia moved through the things they needed without hesitation. Blankets. Two pillows for their room. Two thin but proper mattresses they could use for the first night before better bedding arrived. Towels. A bucket. A dipper. Rags. A few containers for the kitchen.
She did not buy a sofa or appliances yet.
Not now.
She wanted to see first what the house truly lacked on the first night. What they needed immediately and what could wait until tomorrow.
Practical first.
Always.
As she was choosing blankets, she paused when she heard a quiet conversation from the next shelf.
"That must be the new one who moved into the old house at the corner."
"Is she their daughter?"
"I don't know. Maybe granddaughter. Do they even look alike?"
Gia did not turn.
She did not need to.
She knew Nena and Lando had heard it too because both of them suddenly went a little still.
Gia picked up a white bedsheet and placed it in the cart before speaking softly, just enough for the two of them to hear.
"I am your granddaughter."
It sounded almost like a reminder.
But it carried enough weight that Nena's back straightened at once.
"Our granddaughter," the older woman replied quietly.
Only then did the corner of Gia's mouth move again.
Good.
By the time they finished shopping, the sky outside had turned orange.
The back of the van was filled with bags by the time they headed back to the house. During the ride, the three of them remained quiet. One bag of medicine rested beside Gia, while another was held by Nena as if she still could not quite believe its contents were really meant for them.
When they reached the house, they did not waste time.
The boxes and bags came in one by one. Gia herself carried some of the things even though Lando tried several times to stop her. She ignored him every time. She was even more careful in carrying them than the driver helping them, and when he tried to take a heavy box of mattresses from her, one look from Gia was enough to make him step back without another word.
Before long, Lando and Nena's room was in order.
Gia spread out the mattress, arranged the blanket, and placed the new pillow at the head of the bed that had once barely had enough proper foam left. In that simple room, the word rest suddenly looked more real.
Nena stopped at the doorway and watched her.
"You do not have to be the one doing everything," she said.
Gia did not look up while fixing the pillowcase. "I can do it."
"That is not what I meant."
That made Gia stop.
When she turned, the older woman was only looking at her quietly. There was no pity there. No excessive softness. But there was a kind of care that did not cling too tightly, and maybe that was what made it feel more dangerous.
"What do you mean, then?"
Nena sighed before answering. "Sometimes the people who always say they can handle everything are the very ones who rarely have anyone do anything for them."
Gia did not answer at once.
Behind her, she heard a soft thud from the living room where Lando was busy arranging some of the bags.
Gia lowered the pillowcase she was holding and looked toward the window.
"I am not used to having other people with me."
"We noticed."
"I am not used to explaining myself either."
"We noticed that too."
A short laugh escaped her then.
Very small.
But real.
"Nay," she said after a few seconds, "do not treat me like a child."
"Am I already done with that?" the older woman replied.
This time Gia could not stop the faint smile.
When they finished fixing the couple's room, the three of them stepped into the living room and stopped there.
The house was quiet.
It looked better than it had when they first entered earlier, but it was still obvious there was much more it needed. The kitchen lighting was poor. The lock on the back door was old. One side window did not close properly. And even though it was not raining, there was one part of the living room ceiling that no longer looked entirely trustworthy.
Gia noticed all of that too.
She did not speak at once.
She only looked at each corner first, as if gathering in her mind the list of things she would not let pass tomorrow.
"Tomorrow," she said at last, "we will buy kitchen things. Cooking tools. Plates. Glasses. A few basic appliances. If there is another good electric fan, we will get that too."
"Can it not be little by little?" Lando asked carefully.
"It is little by little," she answered. "Just not too slowly."
The old man laughed again.
This time, Gia did not look away.
She simply let the sound stay inside the house.
By evening, when the driver had finally left after Gia paid him enough that he no longer needed to ask questions about them, the three of them remained in the living room with the simple dinner they had bought from an eatery.
It was nothing special. Rice, a vegetable dish, a little fried fish, and soup.
And yet at that small table, under a light that was pale but enough, there was a strange feeling of beginning.
While they ate, hardly anyone spoke.
The silence was not awkward.
Everyone was just tired.
After dinner, Nena washed the dishes even though Gia tried to stop her several times. Lando sat by the doorway and quietly watched the yard in the dark.
As for Gia, she stood once more in the middle of the living room.
She looked around.
At the old floor.
At the ceiling.
At the windows.
At the door.
At everything that was not perfect yet but could already begin to become theirs.
For the first time in a very long while, she did not feel the weight of her family's name on her shoulders. There was none of the sound of people who knew how to count price, usefulness, and alliance in every decision. None of the cold silence of large houses that, no matter how beautiful, always felt like they had guards watching your every breath.
There was only the simple house.
And two old people she had called Tay and Nay.
"Gia."
She turned to Nena.
The older woman now stood near the kitchen, wiping her hands with a clean towel.
"Go to sleep early too," Nena said. "You look like you do not rest properly."
Gia lifted a brow slightly. "I only look tired because it is hot."
"No. You look like you have been carrying thoughts for a very long time."
That made her fall silent.
Sometimes simple people were the most dangerous.
They saw what you did not want to say too quickly.
"I'll sleep later," she answered in the end.
Nena only nodded and went back into the kitchen.
No pushing. No extra questions.
And maybe that was what made the night feel lighter.
When the house had finally gone quiet and the couple had gone into their room, Gia slowly walked toward her own.
It was small compared with the rooms she used to have.
But it was enough.
She set her bag down to the side, checked the window lock, then moved toward the bed.
Before lying down, she stood for a moment in front of the mirror.
The same face looked back at her.
Soft.
Gentle.
Dangerous in all the ways people rarely guessed at first glance.
But tonight there was something else in that reflection too, something she had not seen in a long time.
Stillness.
Not peace.
Not yet.
But stillness that did not come from coldness, only from the feeling that at last she had one place she could begin to arrange the way she wanted.
And tomorrow, they would begin again.
More things.
More fixing.
More quiet steps away from the life she had before.
Gia lay down on the bed and listened to the soft hum of the electric fan outside the room and the distant sounds of the night from the road.
In that house, on her first night as Gia Santos, only one thing was clear.
The change was not over yet.
But it had truly begun.