1st Metamorphosis

"Mom? Where are you?" the little girl asked searching the living room.

" I'm in our room." Her mother called out. Small footsteps thunders down the hallway towards where the their room is.

"Mom, Can you read this for me?" Violina asked while clutching a bunch storybooks on both hands.

"Later, sweetie, I have some work to do." Victoria replied with an apologizing gaze.

"Okay, mom." Violina's shoulders slumps with disappointment then she proceeds to walk back to the living room.

      Victoria does, in fact, have a lot to do with her balancing both doing household chores and working as an employee at a local shop an hour away from their house so playing with her five- year old daughter seemed a bit complicated with her situation. 

"Nonetheless, that child is open-minded." She mumbles.

" I'll have to make it up to her as soon as I'm done with this." Victoria thought, getting a folder out of a nearby drawer. 

       The apartment they're living in is decent, to say the least, for the reason that they don't have too many belongings with them and that the cost of the apartment is reasonable for three people to live in. There are furniture around like a television set, a couch, a study table, a dinning table, etc. The only thing that makes the house a little less like a home is the huge mirror that stands inside the office beside a picture frame of them when it was Violina's first birthday. Victoria remembered telling her husband to get rid of the mirror but Nelson disagreed by saying an excuse that no one will want it. After filing all the papers scattered in her table, She went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

"Why does mommy never want to play with me?" Vi asked to no one in particular. A single storybook held by both of her hands.

She doesn't have time for you. 

"That's not true. Liar. She loves me" She said confidently with a toothy grin on her face.

Does she?

         The little girl's smile vanished and instead began to open the book. Of course, every child will feel that way if his/her parents don't give enough attention to their child. 

Suddenly,The sound of a fist banging the door startled both Violina and Victoria .

" Yes. Yes. I'm coming." Victoria shouted from the kitchen while turning off the stove then mutters annoyingly  , "Who could it be? " , when the banging doesn't stop.

She opens the door and is surprised to see her husband, Nelson, lying on the ground with both a fading stench of alcohol and cigarettes. Victoria's surprised eyes stared at her husband's hazy and drunken eyes.

"Where have you been all this time?" Victoria said with her eyes furrowed suddenly suspicious while Vi stands behind her mother, watching as her father wobbly stands up and fidgets around with a guilty grin on his face.

" In your ever forgiving heart " Nelson cheekily replies, scratching the back of his head but his wife only rolled her eyes at him , apparently waiting for more explanation.

"I am truly sorry - " hiccups  " - Please forgive me because you know how I can't refuse my boss when he asked all of us to come drink with him and you know how he gets when he's drunk...." Nelson rants while swaying lightly with a blush forming on the tips of his ears either because he's tipsy or embarrassed. 

"Daddy!"

         Vi jumps towards her father's open arms that resulted in him stumbling a few steps backward then they both do the puppy eyes on Victoria. "How did that turned him to being somber?" Victoria can only guess.

 " Forgive him already, mommy ", Vi laughs knowing full well that Tori can't resist.

"Fine." Tori sighs but there was a small smile forming on her face.

" Yes!! Thanks, kiddo" Nelson shouts while ruffling Vi's hair.

"Don't shout, Nel. You're gonna disturb the neighbors and get inside or else you won't get dinner" Tori said, already walking towards the kitchen.

" No!! Food is precious. Thou shalt not waste it." Nel jokingly says running  behind his wife and giving her a kiss on the cheek while tickling her waist.

"Stop it." The wife laughs swatting her husband's hand.

" But I want to eat...." He pouts, childishly stomping his foot with Vi beside him whose trying to do (and failing to do so) a straight face.

" Dad, don't act like a kid" 

" What? A kid telling that to a adult. Very funny " Vi's father snorts and then instead gives a big bone- crushing hug to Violina.

       They Laugh. 

       A Happy Family.

       A Comfortable Life.

       A Bright Future.

This is what she wants.

This is what she deserves.

This is what suppose to happen.