Chapter 8

"Oh dear, it's really cool! It's true that the agents have equipment that is very high tech." she commented.

Rock smiled and simply glanced at her.

"It is necessary." its short language.

It started the car and he immediately drove away. An awkward silence prevails. Gracey picked up her phone and slapped her headset. She intends to do a sound trip instead of being bored. It looks like Rock has no intention of speaking because he is focused on driving. Gracey just simply sing the song she played even her voice is not that good. She doesn’t care.

"I'd rather you be mean than love and lie. I'd rather hear the truth and had to say goodbye. I'd rather take a blow at least that I would know. But baby don't you break my heart slow..."

The vehicle stopped due to traffic. There is work on the road so there is only one lane to go through.

"You like love songs, huh?" Rock said suddenly.

Gracey smiled and looked at her companion.

"Yeah... I'm really laughing because I can give advice to my listeners on their complicated love lives. But myself, I can't give my fool, I was left in tears in the corner. And my pest heart, I have buried. Here it is and I just finished mourning." She laughed.

Rock remained silent. Gracey intends to continue her story about her lost heart. Since she decided to move on, she will continue. Come what may if Rock becomes her shock absorber.

"Ashton is my childhood and he is my best friend. We are okay but lately something unexpected happened... I suddenly woke up that I love him. I was ready to confess to him then, a bomb exploded. I found out that he had a relationship on my cousin Tracey, he didn’t told me. My world collapsed that day. But even so, I still wanted Ashton to know how I felt about him. But Tracey found out about my plan, she stopped me. She said that she is pregnant with Ashton’s baby... So I gave up. I was really unlucky! Is it right that I just keep quiet all this time?" Her tears flowed a bit.

She wipe it. The car started running again.

"I don't know about you." Rock's simple answer.

She was a little taken aback by the answer.

"You're a bad trip! Are you numb or do you just have no feelings?" she added.

"Just think that all that happened because he is not for you. Move on because no matter what you do, you can not change everything."

"Right... That's what I'm doing eh. But the pain really ah? I don't know if I can fall in love again." she said softly.

Rock never spoke again. So she just continued the sound trip. It's a good thing that he didn't give her an annoying comment anymore. Due to the duration of Rock's trip and silence, Gracey fell asleep.

"Graciana, we are here..."

Gracey simply wiped her face and adjusted herself. Her eyes widened when she saw that she was lying on Rock's shoulder. That means she was like that throughout the trip. She got up quickly and shyly looked at Rock.

"Sorry!" she apologized.

"It's okay. We traveled a long way."

Rock got out of the car and she got off as well. It took their bags from the trunk of the car. She looked around. There are only beautiful houses in that subdivision. Simple but with class. The yard where they are is wide. She looked at the house. All paint in white and western inspired design. There are flowering plants all around and the lawn in the garden is wide. They entered the terrace of the house and after that Rock opened the two doors at once. It opened and a simple but beautiful living room opened up for her. Pure antique furniture is used there.

They saw the two children in the living room. One is boy who is about eight years old and a cute girl who is about four years old. There are crayons and paper on the table that they are busy with.

"Red should be the color of hibiscus." the boy said.

"But hibiscus have different colors. I want it yellow!"

"Red is better!"

"Yellow!"

"I thought I was your teacher? Eh why do you know me better?" boy's complaint.

The girl frowned and stubbornly took the yellow crayon and colored the coloring book. The boy did nothing. Rock laughed at the mischief his daughter had committed. As long as it makes sense, it will really do what it wants. Rock dropped the bags on the floor.

"I'm home!" his language was lively.

Angela stopped what she was doing and looked at where they were. Seeing her father Rock, she quickly released the crayon she was holding and immediately ran towards Rock.

"Papa!..." she called out loud.

Rock greeted the child tightly and he immediately loaded it. Her daughter also hugged him tightly.

"I miss you, papa!" Angela's soft language.

"Me too, honey. I miss you. I'm so sorry about last night. Promise, it won't happen again." Rock's soft language to his beloved daughter.

Gracey was touched by the scene she saw. Rock is very different now. It is far from its numb attitude earlier. Angela slightly let go of Rock's embrace and looked at Gracey carefully. It blinked a few times while looking at her. Gracey swallowed and was nervous because the child seemed to be examining her. It looks like Rock.

"Your so pretty." smiling its language.

She smiled at what it said.

"Thank you. You too."

She seems to be very happy with this child.

"Tell me, are you my Papa's girlfriend, huh? When are you going to give me a baby?" Angela asked innocently.

Gracey's lips parted in shock. She did not know what she would answer to the child. She hesitated to look at Rock and it gave her a simple smile. After that, she turned her back on the child.

"Honey, that's harsh. She is a good friend of mine and I ask her to look after you while I'm busy. Her name is Graciana."

The girl smiled and held out her right hand.

"Hello, I'm Angela!"

"Hi... Just call me Aunt Gracey for cute." she smiled at the child.

They shook hands and it played with her hand. It looked at her again and then at Rock.

"Is she the surprise your talking about?" she asked Rock.

"Yeah."

Angela smiled at Gracey and held the girl's hand tighter. She was happy with its gesture but she felt nervous. Seems to have something to think about. Rock turned to the boy.

"Danrick, where is your mother Selya?"

"Sir, in the back, doing laundry. Lola Maring is already cooking lunch. Shall I call them?" polite question of the child.

"Ah, don't. Thank you."

Rock lowered the child and carried the traveling bags again.

"Honey, go ahead and play with Danrick first. Papa will just change clothes and your Aunt Graciana and I will just fix things. Okay?"

"Okay, papa."

"Follow me." Rock turned to her.

"A-All right."

It went up the stairs and she followed it carefully. She looked around. The house is simple but very elegant. They stopped in a room and it opened. It was close to the veranda.

"This guest room will be your temporary room while you are here. Angela’s room is right next to it."

Rock pointed to the door painted pink with flower vines. Rock opened the door and a beautiful room opened up for her. All in cream color. Everything is complete and has its own bathroom. Seems like he wants to live here? The width of the bed compared to her. Triple the size then. King size bed! And its mattress, as if inviting her to lie down.

"Rest for a while. We'll have lunch later."

"All right." her excited language.

Carrying her bag, she went inside and closed the door of her room. When she entered, she seemed to lay down what she was carrying and immediately ran to the bed. She jumped to lie down there and she bounced slightly before she sank into the very soft mattress.

"Wow! I feel like I want to be adopt by Rock! I'm willing to be Angela's babysitter like this!" she said happily.

She took a pillow and hugged it. Smells good! She sniffed the pillow. The smell of fabric conditioner was obviously expensive then. She enjoyed the bed for a while before she finally got up and went out. Since, that's her own. When she came out, she found Rock in the living room watching Angela coloring the coloring book with the boy Danrick. Rock's smile as he stared at his daughter was indescribable. Seems to be in love? It looked at her and she simply turned to look at the paintings hanging on the stairs.

"Won't you rest?" it suddenly asked her.

"I'm fine. I did nothing but sleep on the trip. Maybe you're tired?"

"Nope."

The two women came to the living room. One is quite old and the other is quite young. Rock introduced her to them. To sister Selya and Nanay Maring. They called them for lunch. It looks like she can easily pay her arrears because Rock's housemaids are kind. And Angela, she was very happy with her even though she is talkative. After they had lunch, Rock left after receiving a call. It left Angela to her before he left.

In the evening, Angela went to her room. She said, she wanted her to read it a fairy tale. Gracey snapped a picture of a beautiful woman on the table next to the bed. None of her own took the picture frame. Its curly hair is brown, its skin is white, its eyes are grey with thick eyelashes and it has beautiful lips. She looks like an angel. She admired looking at the picture and she simply caressed it.

"She's so beautiful..." she commented.

Angela looked at her and smiled. It also turned its gaze to the picture in the frame.

"She's my Mama Audrey. Papa said, she died when I was born. Do you think it's my fault?" sad language of the child.

She blinked and looked at the child. She stroked her hair. Angela is a smart kid.

"No, honey... It's not your fault. Do not think such a thing. Your Mom will be sad about that in heaven. I'm sure, she is very happy with you because you grew up beautiful and kind even though you are naughty and talkative."

Angela laughed softly.

"Uncle Rouge taught me that I should ask a question a lot. He looks like my Mama Audrey but his a boy... Papa said uncle Rouge was my Mama's twin-brother that's why they look very much alike."

"Ah..."

She put the frame back on the table. But hse was stunned when Angela stared at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked in amazement.

"Are you sure, you are not my Papa's girlfriend? I can keep a secret, please... Tell me the truth."

She took a deep breath and made a peace sign.

"Baby, I'm just your Papa's friend. I am here because he asked me to take care of you temporarily while he was busy. Why are you teasing me about that?"

Angela frowned and licked her snout.

"Liar! Papa promises me that he will find a Mommy for me, soon." persecuting its language.

She laughed softly and somewhat confused. She was nervous and pleased with the child's revelation to her.