Page 155 of Overdue I Love You's
“Honey, you won’t believe it! We found Mr. Cartwright’s will! We can help Nova…”
His voice fades away when I get up. Hair all over the place, heart dripping all over my other organs. I hear what he says and it’s confusing, but I also can’t hear it because behind him are all of the reasons for my love, growth, and heartbreak.
CHAPTER 31
When I was twelve, I used to make up curse words because I wasn’t allowed to say them. Whenever I smelt fish on my clothes or in the air, I saidfannyfish. Eventually I learned what it meant, but never told my sisters because I loved hearing their problems and stress transform into guffaws. No weed, cocaine, or illegal substance gives me the same high their laugh does.
It’s worse when my soul craves them, and they spawn out of thin air.
Nadine and Rosa move pastTatayand pull me into their arms.
If you asked me what it feels like? Being cocooned in a safe place where there’s no light or darkness, no wind or water. It’s what I imagine the core of love to feel like once you peel away all its layers, the germs of others’ love, and years of pain. This is what lies underneath.
Raw, suffocating, and monumental.
“You little shit,” Rosa heats my neck.
“Goodness, Rosa. Did you brush your teeth?” Nadine pretends to gag on the other side of me. “I need a hazmat suit ASAP.”
“Shut up,” Rosa mutters. “I’m trying to have a moment here.”
“So am I.”
“I hugged her first.”
“We literally hugged her at the same time.”
“No,” Rosa stubbornly says. “I did.”
Nadine pulls back. That’s when I notice her bump. It’s big enough to pop. “Nova, who hugged you first?” She raises her brows, convincing me it was her.
“Don’t put her on the spot,” Rosa pulls back. “You know she’s gonna say you.”
“As an unbiased person of the trio, I’m saying neither.” They bring a smile to my face by keeping everything the way it always is.
Rosa’s cherry, brown hair is in a bun at the top of her head. She looks like she hasn’t slept since she was born.
“How are you guys here?” I ask them. Nadine can’t travel, according to Sunny. And Rosa’s a surgeon. She doesn’t get time off like that.
“Our baby sister needed us,duh.” Nadine does a quick penguin walk over to give Ma a hug.
“Well, technically Ma told us about this situation, so we came.”
Everyone looks at Rosa like she wasn’t supposed to tell me that.
“Oh, erase that from your brain.” She rolls her eyes, mutters something about not telling her whatnotto say, then hugs Ma after too.
While they do that, I move toTatay. “Hi.”
“Hi back, my pretty girl.” He kisses the top of my head, then brings my hands to his lips, pressing a kiss there.
I’m full of love. “I saw the frames,Tatay.”
He sobers up quickly. “We didn’t want you to?—”
I shake my head, trying to interrupt and comfort him. “It’s okay. Ma told me. I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know.”
Then he opens his arms, and I can’t remember the last time Ihugged him.
