Why Does Love Hurt?

Mariely was in her room when someone knocked on her door. She opened the door for the person knocking on her room.

"Oh, brother? Why?" Mariely asked immediately.

"It's nothing; Mom just wants to talk to you." Nathan replied to her question.

"Okay, brother," she said and nodded.

"El," her brother called calmly. 

"Yes?" She asked, following her brother to the living room where their mother was waiting.

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself, okay? We're not asking you to be the top scorer in the board exams. All we ask is, do your best, okay?" Her brother said and reminded Mariely.

She only just smiled. "Yes, I will do my best." She just nodded.

"And also, Sis, if you don't pass, don't get depressed, okay?" Nathan asked her this while messing up her hair.

"I'll try not to get depressed." Mariely laughed quietly back then.

"Above all, time management, okay?" It keeps reminding her. Nathan used to do that.

He just nodded back then. "Yes, sir."

"Mom," he called to their mother.

"Oh, how were the two days of teaching?" Their mother asked this after she hugged her.

"It's okay, Mom, it's tiring, but I just need to keep fighting." She said happily to her mom.

The mother just nodded. "Your first review is on Saturday, Mariely. Are you ready?"

She nodded. "I can handle it." She answered.

"Don't get pressured, okay? Just relax, okay?"

"Yes, Mom, my older brother already said that." She giggles while saying it.

"Is that so? That's just a reminder for you. You know we're always here for you, right?"

"Of course, I already know that, Mom." Mariely just smiled then. 

"You're slowly reaching your dreams, El. I'm just a little too worried that you might be an old maid." She heard her father's voice jokingly saying it.

Mariely just laughed at that time at what her father said.

"Dad, I'd rather she be an old maid than get married." Nathan, who was crossing his arms at the time, replied.

"Nathan, please let your little sister be. Since High School to College: No one is courting El because El's suitor is afraid of you. Above all, let another man take care of your sister." Her mother said.

"Mom, I won't just give my sibling away like that." At that moment, she recognized the seriousness in Nathan's voice.

"Brother," she tried to stop herself from laughing. "Don't worry, no one's courting me, and besides, brother, I'm not even the type to be courted. I'm not beautiful, brother." She said this jokingly.

Her brother suddenly slapped her on the head. "Who said you're not beautiful? Only a blind person could say that."

"Look at my brother, he's so supportive." She only just hugged her sibling.

"Brother, just calm down; your behavior is due to the fact that you're about to get married." But brother, I'm still your little sister, right?" She asked whether she is allowed to be affectionate with her sibling only occasionally.

"Yeah, you'll always be my little sister." Nathan then hugged her and kissed her on the head. "That's why I won't let any man who wants to court you hurt you." Nathan said to her.

"They're really going to get a punch from me; they don't know how I took care of you and loved you. May God forgive me when the time comes for someone to hurt you." As he said that word, the embrace around her tightened.

She just let it go because she might not be able to hug her brother so tightly again, especially since he's about to have his family.

"Brother. You're really the best big brother." Mariely said.

"I know that. Sis." It pinched her cheek.

"Don't worry, your brother will always be here even if I have my own family now. You are welcome in our house soon, and of course, you still have to take care of your nephews." He said this jokingly.

She just laughed. "You're too stingy, brother. You might as well have me be the nanny for your children." She just laughed about it.

"Come on. That's enough. That wedding is still a long way off. Additionally, the wedding is still 6 months away.

"You two are really like siblings. Eat now."

She and her sibling just laughed. She was led to the table to eat.

***

"Mom," he greeted his mother, who was once again engrossed in her work. 

"You're home now? I thought you were going to Clover's bar?" His mother asked him as if it surprised her.

"Nah, he's probably tired of drinking and having flings with all sorts of women." He replied. "Where's Dad?" He asked next.

"Your dad is out of town for their business." Becca casually replied to his question.

"How many days are they out of town for?" He asked next.

"I think three days." His mom answered it while doing work. 

"Oh." He only said and nodded.

"Zean, don't come to my office anymore." Becca said it to him.

"Why?" he asked. He knows the reason already.

"Oh, I know why you go to the office or school; it's because you're looking for a woman for entertainment." Becca's arching her eyebrows at him. 

"I don't act that way; they're the only ones who care about me, Mom." He added, dismissing the comment with a shrug.

"Yeah, whatever, get your life together, Zean. You've played so many hearts and broken them many times." She merely shakes her head in response to his reminder.

"Tsk, you're the only woman I love, Mom."

"You're joking, son." Frank heard his mom's voice while he was looking at her.

"By the way, Mom, do you still remember the classmate with the last name Celestial?" Frank suddenly asked her mother.

"Yeah, he was your classmate in high school, right? He has a younger sister who is overprotective of her sibling. But he's as successful as an architect." Becca is saying it while remembering that detail.

"Yup, I met Nathan, and as usual, he's still hostile towards me." He just chuckled a little.

"He's angry with you because you have different perspectives."

"He's the brother of the new teacher you accepted yesterday." He said it to his mom. 

His mother was slightly surprised. "Really? Is that Faith Mariely?" Asked him.

"Is that her name?" he asked.

His mother took some documents and looked for something.

"Yes, ah, that's why; they're siblings. They have a resemblance." His mother says while looking at the picture. 

He, on the other hand, looked at and stared at Mariely's picture.

"I can't believe that she's the sister of Nathan. She's not as good-looking as her brother, Mom, while his brother is overflowing with sex appeal." He just laughed and shook his head.

"Well, at first, she didn't have any sex appeal, but she's beautiful; she has natural beauty. She lacks sex appeal, but I like her beauty." His mother said so.

"Natural beauty, huh? I'm going into my room first, Mom." He's saying goodbye to his mother.

His mother just nodded. He immediately took off his clothes and got dressed.

Is that right, Faith Mariely? It came to his mind. He just smirked at what he was thinking.

He recognized it when she was still in her second year of high school. She's waiting for her brother outside their school. They have a two-year age gap; he was in his fourth year of high school then. Nathan is the most snobbish of them. He's snobbish but kind.

They met back then because Nathan let his sister in because her brother was still working on something.

What Zean will never forget is being told that he has a bad attitude, is arrogant, and is condescending.

He saw in her eyes that she was frustrated. He always tells her she's a crybaby, and she's very close to her older brother.

Sometimes they were even suspected of being lovers. But Nathan has a girlfriend other than Nadia. Nadia just laughs when she hears that, because she knows it's Nathan's sister.

They're getting married soon. Tsk. It's really proven they meant each other. That was all he could say back then.

When will I get married? He just laughed at his thoughts. Hmm. It doesn't seem right for me to have a family. These days, it's difficult to trust people, especially women. He just shook his head at his thoughts.

Sigh! Let me sleep. I have many things to do. He immediately dozed off and slept soundly.