"Mija? Is it really you?" Her mother walked toward her with a look that
Paloma could not quite place. "Gracias a Dios!"
"Yes, mama." Paloma walked into her mothers arms. "Estoy aqui."
Miguel looked at his younger sister in disbelief. It had been so long since he'd seen her last. Sure, the family got monthly pictures and updates of how Paloma's life was going, but to see her in person, in the flesh, a bit overwhelming.
It brought tears to his eyes.
Finally.
Everyone was where they were supposed to be. It had been so long since they had truly been together.
Luis' eyes misted over as he watched his mother embrace his youngest sister. He watched Paloma put her arms around her mother's body, but for a mere moment he saw something in Paloma's eye. It was a look he didn't understand. There was no smile on her face, at a time like this? Soon, however, that look was gone and was replaced by Paloma stepping back with a small grin.
"Mana?" Miguel smiled and took his sister into his waiting arms.
He still called her that name. Paloma wondered if they would all remember. It was their nickname for her. "Mana" short for "Hermana" which in Spanish means "sister."
She long to be that once again. She had lived the past ten years of her life with her aunt and uncle, who never had children. Though she had four brothers and sisters at home in Harmony, she never knew just what it was like to truly be a sister. It had been so long since anyone's every called her "sister".
She brushed her thoughts out of her head, and faked a smile as she stepped into his embrace.
"Miguel", she started, "you've grown. I can't believe how tall you are now."
"Look at you?" Miguel smiled at his sister. "I wouldn't recognize you in a crowded room. You've changed so much!"
That hurt.
She didn't allow Miguel to see how his words shook her. It was understood that her physical appearance had surely changed, but to hear her brother say that, it hurt. But then again, it was Miguel. He had a tendency to not think before speaking. She knew he meant no harm in it, so she decided to brush it off.
Luis however saw the expression that played on Paloma's face when she head Miguel's comment. He now knew what it was, and he wasn't pleased that his sister was hurt.
"Miguel's just playing around." Luis laughed as he threw his arms around his embracing siblings. "Of course we would know it was you. Even if you were a hundred yards away, we'd recognize you!"
She had to smile a bit at that. It was always like him to try and ease the tension in the room. That much about him had never changed.
As their embrace broke, she finally noticed the person that she came to see. With all the tubes in his arms, the machines that were monitoring him, and the black and blue bruise on his forehead, she still recognized him.
It was the "other" rogue-sibling.
She stepped forward, leaving the others behind watching her walk toward him. She couldn't help but let a tear escape from her eye when she stopped beside his bed. She brought her hand to his face and smoothed back his dark hair.
"Antonio?" She whispered. "I'm home."
He had always been her "rock". Her protectorate. Whenever she skinned a knee or fell off her bike, Antonio had always come running. He'd rush in and pick his sister up off the ground and carry her to safety. For some reason, he was the one she could remember the clearest. It was his eyes and his smile and she missed so much. He'd been sure to keep in touch with her through the years, though he never spoke a word to anyone else back home. He'd send her birthday and Christmas gifts every year, though he never remembered that she had grown up. In fact, she remembered, just this last Christmas she got a "My Little Pony" doll from her eldest brother. She couldn't help but break out into laughter when she opened the package and found the pink horse inside. No matter though, Antonio's presents were the most special. He was the most special. And now, the brother who had made every effort possible to protect her from all the world's harm was lying on a hospital bed with who knows how long left to live.
And she couldn't to a thing about it.
As the thoughts ran through her mind, she knelt beside him and clasped her hands in prayer.
Praying that God would send a miracle.
Praying that she wouldn't ever have to see him like this again.
The emotion's couldn't be held onto much longer, and she broke down in mid- prayer. The sobs escaped her body as she reached out for her brother's hand. Her mother and other brother's saw the pain in Paloma's actions and they all ran to her and took her into their arms.
"Antonio will be okay, Mija." Pilar knew how close the two were, and to see her daughter like this was tearing her up inside.
"Mana, it's okay." Miguel ran his hand over his sister's hair. "We all have faith that he'll get better."
"They're right." Luis sniffled, this wasn't how he wanted his family's reunion to turn out like. Not in a hospital. Not beside his dying brother's bed. Not like this.
Not like this.
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{ *A/N* Theresa will appear in the next chapter, I promise. Don't think I left her out. If you remember from the show, she's a little wrapped up with kicking Ivy out of the mansion! LOL! }
"Yes, mama." Paloma walked into her mothers arms. "Estoy aqui."
Miguel looked at his younger sister in disbelief. It had been so long since he'd seen her last. Sure, the family got monthly pictures and updates of how Paloma's life was going, but to see her in person, in the flesh, a bit overwhelming.
It brought tears to his eyes.
Finally.
Everyone was where they were supposed to be. It had been so long since they had truly been together.
Luis' eyes misted over as he watched his mother embrace his youngest sister. He watched Paloma put her arms around her mother's body, but for a mere moment he saw something in Paloma's eye. It was a look he didn't understand. There was no smile on her face, at a time like this? Soon, however, that look was gone and was replaced by Paloma stepping back with a small grin.
"Mana?" Miguel smiled and took his sister into his waiting arms.
He still called her that name. Paloma wondered if they would all remember. It was their nickname for her. "Mana" short for "Hermana" which in Spanish means "sister."
She long to be that once again. She had lived the past ten years of her life with her aunt and uncle, who never had children. Though she had four brothers and sisters at home in Harmony, she never knew just what it was like to truly be a sister. It had been so long since anyone's every called her "sister".
She brushed her thoughts out of her head, and faked a smile as she stepped into his embrace.
"Miguel", she started, "you've grown. I can't believe how tall you are now."
"Look at you?" Miguel smiled at his sister. "I wouldn't recognize you in a crowded room. You've changed so much!"
That hurt.
She didn't allow Miguel to see how his words shook her. It was understood that her physical appearance had surely changed, but to hear her brother say that, it hurt. But then again, it was Miguel. He had a tendency to not think before speaking. She knew he meant no harm in it, so she decided to brush it off.
Luis however saw the expression that played on Paloma's face when she head Miguel's comment. He now knew what it was, and he wasn't pleased that his sister was hurt.
"Miguel's just playing around." Luis laughed as he threw his arms around his embracing siblings. "Of course we would know it was you. Even if you were a hundred yards away, we'd recognize you!"
She had to smile a bit at that. It was always like him to try and ease the tension in the room. That much about him had never changed.
As their embrace broke, she finally noticed the person that she came to see. With all the tubes in his arms, the machines that were monitoring him, and the black and blue bruise on his forehead, she still recognized him.
It was the "other" rogue-sibling.
She stepped forward, leaving the others behind watching her walk toward him. She couldn't help but let a tear escape from her eye when she stopped beside his bed. She brought her hand to his face and smoothed back his dark hair.
"Antonio?" She whispered. "I'm home."
He had always been her "rock". Her protectorate. Whenever she skinned a knee or fell off her bike, Antonio had always come running. He'd rush in and pick his sister up off the ground and carry her to safety. For some reason, he was the one she could remember the clearest. It was his eyes and his smile and she missed so much. He'd been sure to keep in touch with her through the years, though he never spoke a word to anyone else back home. He'd send her birthday and Christmas gifts every year, though he never remembered that she had grown up. In fact, she remembered, just this last Christmas she got a "My Little Pony" doll from her eldest brother. She couldn't help but break out into laughter when she opened the package and found the pink horse inside. No matter though, Antonio's presents were the most special. He was the most special. And now, the brother who had made every effort possible to protect her from all the world's harm was lying on a hospital bed with who knows how long left to live.
And she couldn't to a thing about it.
As the thoughts ran through her mind, she knelt beside him and clasped her hands in prayer.
Praying that God would send a miracle.
Praying that she wouldn't ever have to see him like this again.
The emotion's couldn't be held onto much longer, and she broke down in mid- prayer. The sobs escaped her body as she reached out for her brother's hand. Her mother and other brother's saw the pain in Paloma's actions and they all ran to her and took her into their arms.
"Antonio will be okay, Mija." Pilar knew how close the two were, and to see her daughter like this was tearing her up inside.
"Mana, it's okay." Miguel ran his hand over his sister's hair. "We all have faith that he'll get better."
"They're right." Luis sniffled, this wasn't how he wanted his family's reunion to turn out like. Not in a hospital. Not beside his dying brother's bed. Not like this.
Not like this.
************************************************************************
{ *A/N* Theresa will appear in the next chapter, I promise. Don't think I left her out. If you remember from the show, she's a little wrapped up with kicking Ivy out of the mansion! LOL! }