Part 6

Blythe was standing in the doorway, with a glass of water in hand after the call I had. "What are you doing standing out there?"

"Can I come in?" she queried.

"Sure, Blythe, you may come into my room whenever you want," I say. I made space for her in my bed so she could sit close to me. "Do you have any schoolwork, projects, or anything I can help you with?"

She made a shaky movement with her head. "I missed my room, our old house. What is the point of living here if our old house is still okay?"

"I-There's been a change, Blythe. The age of our home makes it unfit for living in. It's no longer secure. Mama and I have made the difficult decision to move," I'm at a loss for words with her; I realize that's a stupid excuse. I cannot say the bank has seized possession of our home.

"But our old house holds many memories of us. What if our brother comes home and we aren't there?" Blythe fretted.

"Blythe, don't worry; Samuel will be OK. Someone will assist him in coming to this place. You're too young to be concerned with such a serious issue. Her hair was a mess because of me. "Blythe, you need to focus on your schoolwork and not stress out about anything else right now, okay?"

"All right," she said, nodding. "Will Kuya Abel still drop us off at school tomorrow?"

"It depends on him," I replied. "Why, do you want Abel to drop you off the school again?"

"No, he was babbling while driving. I can't concentrate on what I'm reading," Blythe grumbled.

I burst out laughing.

She continued by saying, "Mr. Aron should not have resigned... Since your school is conveniently located near both Allerick's and mine,  can you send us to school-- Oh, you don't have a license to drive, but that's okay, let's just take a cab."

The thought of disappointing Blythe by not taking her to school broke my heart. Tomorrow, one of King Lucien's chauffeurs will pick me up before sunrise. The reason I picked that time was because I didn't want them to see me go.

"Can I just drop you off at school when I get back? Meanwhile, Abel will be the one to drive you. He'll get you to school faster. You will not be late," I turned her head to look at me. "Ate won't be able to take you since we have a school... trip. But this is just for the student council. Ate Mishe and Kuya Abel are not included."

"Will it take a while till you return?" 

"I'm not sure, maybe." I shrugged my shoulders.

Blythe let out an exasperated groan. "Papa has to go out of town for work, and you have to go out of town for school. Why do you always disappear on me?"

"You'll know when you go to high school or become a businessman like our papa,"

"Nah, I hate Papa'sob; it is too complicated; I want to be a musician like Mama." When she mentioned her dream, her mood changed.

"Really?" I couldn't help but hug her since I was so happy to know we had the same dream. "I, too, aspire to be a musician, like my mama, who is a talented violinist. Do you love playing the violin as well?"

"No, I enjoy cello since that is what our teacher teaches us. You should hear my teacher play; he's good, but mama's better," she bragged. "Once I know much more about the cello, I'll apply to Juilliard University. Someday, I'll be a famous cellist..."

Blythe knew what she wanted at the age of thirteen, and she didn't even think about what else she desired. Blythe instantly considered applying to Julliard. I have never thought about applying before. She, who was still in grade school, knew her dream right away.

"Will you also apply to Juilliard?"

"Hmm... I'm not sure. Going to Juilliard is not a top priority at the moment. But when it's all done, I'll try to get us both into Juilliard." Blythe continued to chat till she fell asleep in my room. "Good night, Blythe,"  I tucked the blanket around her, covering her completely.

I had to leave her for a moment to go to Allerick's room. Instead of sleeping, I caught him playing. "Hey, kid, it's late; you should go to bed now. If Mama finds you playing, I'm sure you'll be scolded again." I threatened.

"It's fine," his face seems gloomy.

"Are you sad?" 

He gave a nod. "Don't you love me?"

So I went over and sat down next to him. "Of course I do. Why would you think I don't? I love Mama, Papa, Blythe, Kuya Samuel, and you." kissing him on the cheek.

"Can I sleep in your bed too?" When Allerick got out of bed, the sadness on his face faded and was replaced with excitement. "Please??" Here he goes again, showing his wide eyes every time he pleaded.

"Okay, fine, let's go." I took his hand in mine and led him back to bed.

I couldn't sleep since I had been watching them sleep on my bed that night. Fortunately, I have already packed my things. I won't have any trouble leaving later than dawn.

I looked at the clock on the nightstand. When it was time to go, slowly touched my lips to their forehead. "Forgive me; I'll be back soon. Please don't be upset, I'm doing this to make our lives okay again."

I tried to slip down the stairs unnoticed, carefully reaching for the door before anybody noticed. 

"Good morning, Miss Gemma," Mr. Osiris walked up to me with a smile on his face. "Shall we?" After opening the door for me, the royal guard took my baggage and placed it in the trunk.

Before leaving, I took one last look at the house, the image flashing before my eyes, and I took a few deep breaths.

Dear Mama,

Please accept my apologies for leaving without even saying goodbye. I can't stand seeing you, Allerick, Blythe cry because I'm leaving, and I don't want you to stop me, Mama. Sorry for defying you; I have to do this because I want to help; I don't want us to rely on others. King's offer is our only hope, mama. Please understand... Since Papa gave his life for us, I can do it too. All of his friends had abandoned him. Nobody helped us, so when I saw King Lucien, I believed he might help us. It's difficult for me not to be with you or see you, but it's the only way to get everything back on track. I love you. Please take care of yourself, don't forget to take your medication, and don't let your depression eat you up again.

Love, Gemma