Expect The Unexpected

"MOM! DO YOU MIND? WON'T YOU ASK ME TO ENTER FIRST!" My mom laughed at me because she was too excited to hear about Serene. "Oh, sorry. I was just eager to hear about this young lady you met."

I swear I feel she'll tease me for weeks.

She went inside and prepared food for me while I went upstairs to change clothes and drop my bag. I was about to lie down for a moment, and mom called me.

"Your meal is ready! Come here! I cannot wait to hear about her," Oh my goodness. Why did I even tell her about her? I'm tired from the long travel, plus my shoulders ache because I didn't have the chance to change positions earlier. "COMING!"

As I opened the door, I could smell the aroma of my favorite dish.

Chicken curry.

The scent was enough to make me run downstairs. Even though I had already eaten earlier, I wouldn't have a peaceful sleep knowing that I still hadn't tried the curry before I slept. As I sat at the table, eager to fetch some rice, she suddenly pulled away the scoop.

"Oops, why don't we start the story first? I know you, Leon. Eat and run while waiting for your tales," Now, I know who among my parents I inherited these genes. "Yeah, yeah," She then let go of the scoop, and I began to tell her about Serene.

Minutes passed, and somehow I caught a glimpse of my mom smiling at me as if something was wrong with my face. "Hey, mom? Why are you weird? Stop smiling! I can't continue if you keep looking at me like that," I mean, that was quite uncomfortable, you know. "Look at you, Leon. All grown up. I felt that it was only yesterday when I gave birth to you, and now, you are here, falling in love with a lady whom you met for the first time,"

"Serene... From how you described her, she seemed to be a sweet girl. Out of all the ladies, you have told me. The way you defined this girl, Serene. It was way too different," This was a first.

You know how she looked at me. It was as if someone was proud yet worried. That was the vibe that my mother's eyes portrayed.

"Leon... I carried you for nine months. I know when something is true and what is not. Yet, this Serene was the only one you told me. I felt something deeper..." She walked towards me and caressed my head. "However, I know this kind of feeling might break your heart," She hugged me tightly.

Perhaps, her words were what I needed to hear the most. Yes, I like Serene, but maybe it was something that I felt because of the attention she gave me. She is such an angel. How could no one fall for such a personality like hers?

"Mom, I was thinking of the same thing. Everything happened so fast, and my heart just burst. Being attached easily to someone is not new, as you know," All she did was listen to what I wanted to say. I could feel her worries throughout my entire body.

"But there is something about this lady that made things a bit difficult for me to comprehend," She understood what I meant. "For the first time in my life, I found it. I found it challenging to read someone's mind," As cheesy as it is, what I'm saying is the truth.

"Leon, you wanna know why you are experiencing something like this for the first time?" She responded and answered the question lurking in my mind since earlier. "Because this lady you met, you and her shared the same wavelength of affection that radiates towards your bodies," I don't even know what to believe anymore. Yet, everything seemed plausible.

"That same reason is what made your thoughts clouded that any ideas that popped into your mind disappear immediately,"

"However, my dearest son, you had already been hurt by a girl in the past. You may not notice, but I knew how it changed the sweet little boy," "What I want you to remember always... Do give your love as much as you want, but never, ever forget to love yourself even more,"

A mother's advice.

No matter how many people give you a piece of their mind.

No matter how engaging their guidance is.

No one would ever be able to beat the guidance that came from our mothers. As she said earlier, she carried us for nine months. She felt every single movement from when we were just beings inside them until the day we formed to be human. She felt every kick, every beat of our hearts, every cry inside their wombs.

The level of attachment they have to us will never be exceeded by anyone, even our fathers or soulmates, which had been a running idea for centuries. However, it does not apply to all. But in a general perspective, it is safe to assume that they know what's best for us.

"You should finish up your meal, Leon. Shower first after you eat, then go to sleep. You'll be waking up at the same time tomorrow, so you better not sleep late," Due to our conversation, I forgot that I was eating dinner. "WAH! MY FOOD IS ALL COLD NOW!" My mom laughed at how silly I was and went upstairs. "Just heat it again," She chipped in before heading to their room.

What a wholesome moment with my mom that was...

Honestly speaking, although I found myself close enough to share anything with my parents. There will always be a certain secret that I would never be at ease with sharing. An experience that not only me but people would relate to.

As I was transferring my food to a microwave-safe container, Augustine and the two started a group call. Because I was starving, I declined and focused on reheating my food. Yet, they still called me and rang me ten times before I finally answered.

"What the hell do you want? Didn't we see each other an hour ago?" I grumpily said, as the three shut me up for a new tea had arrived. "Hey, shut up. So here's the thing, I saw the socials of that guy who squeezed your hand, Leo. And they sure share a long history with Serene, from kindergarten till now," Augustine informed me of the unfortunate news.

However, as he mentioned the word "BUT" I was enlightened.

"From my perspective, it is a one-sided crush on your Serene, Leon. There is not that much interaction between Serene and that guy on their socials, only pictures tagged from their circle of friends. But not a single individual photo with only the two of them," HE JUST WHAT?

"YOU JUST WHAT?" The three of them were surprised. "The hell, Leo. Do you realize that we are talking on the phone right now, right?" I didn't mind what they wanted to say, but my mind was focused solely on what I heard. "That ain't what I wanted to know. You saw her socials already?" I asked with a bit of pressure.

"Oh yeah, Zachairy added Calliber to send the pictures. Plus, they created a group chat, and Serene was there. However, they couldn't find your account, so they were asking the three of us whether we could add you to the group. Oh, and especially Serene," Augustine said.

What should I do?

I mean, I wanted to find her socials but not in this way. The scenario was supposed to be me asking her tomorrow if I could possibly add her on maskbook, then she'll type out her username on my phone and add it herself.

MY PLAN IS ALL RUINED!

But on the other hand, she made the first move and quite probably a huge sign.

Still, maybe just an act of friendship? We did click pretty well earlier, quite a number of things that we like. Our personalities seemed to fit well if you ask me. But should I decline the offer and let them do their thing? And just go with the flow of my plan?

"Leo, you there? What do you want us to tell them?" Chance chipped in and asked. "Wait, let me check my account," I went to my room to fetch my laptop. And as I was sitting at the table while eating my reheated food, I saw that my profile in the maskbook was locked, so nobody could have ever seen it. However, they could still leave a friend request, but it is rare for me to accept random friend requests even if we have mutuals.

However, I saw that someone added me again, and it was only half an hour after it was requested. When I checked to see who it was, I was surprised since it was new to me for someone to add me immediately.

And when I viewed the profile to make sure that I wasn't hallucinating.

There I saw it...

A picture of Serene.