Meet Nana Lolita

I woke up because I could feel the rays of the sun on my face. I did not open the window last night, so how come? I tried to open my eyes, and when it did, I was startled. I saw a shirtless man standing beside the window, looking at me.

I almost jumped in fear. Reule was standing there, and his stormy gray eyes felt like he was undressing me on his head.

"Oh, sorry! I did not mean to wake you this way. I don't want the food to be cold, and it's already ten in the morning," Reule reasoned.

"You did not learn how to knock?" I said, annoyed at what he did.

"I did. I tried knocking thrice and left when you did not open. But on the fourth time, I decided to open the door. You sleep like a dead person."

"Sorry! I must have not fully recovered from exhaustion."

"I thought of that, too. How is your head?"

"It doesn't hurt anymore. Thank you!"

"Good! I will just grab a shirt, but please come down to eat."

"Okay, I will."

Reule walked out of the room and closed the door. I rushed to the toilet, washed my face, and combed my hair. I was glad that I had chosen these jammies to wear last night. It got cold in the early morning, and Reule forcefully entered the room. At least he did not find me almost naked.

I went downstairs and saw him already sitting and drinking coffee. A middle-aged woman appeared from the kitchen with a pitcher of orange juice in her hand.

"Thank you, Nana!" Reule said.

"You are always welcome, Rolito!" Nana replied.

When she turned, she smiled and said, "Oh, there she is! You are finally awake. How are you feeling?"

I smiled back and said, "I am feeling good now. Thank you!"

Reule was looking at me with that stormy gray eyes of him that always made me feel uneasy.

"Wren, I would like you to meet Nana Lolita. She was my nanny, and until now, she is still with me. Nana, this is Wren," Reule said.

"Hello, Nana Lolita! It's nice to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, senorita Wren! Oh, you poor girl. You were hit so bad you have some bruises. It was a good thing that my boy Reule have found and saved you."

I almost wanted to tell her, "Yes, your boy saved me, but he wanted to pay him with my body. Can you tell me which one is worse?"

I just smiled at her. Then, she said, "Come and sit. You better eat well so that all your bruises will heal. Doctor Castro had confirmed to me the day before yesterday that you did not incur a severe injury. You need rest and eat healthy food."

"Thank you," I said with wonder how can she be so nice and take care of this brat Reule. How did she survive all of these years?

"Would you like some orange juice, senorita?"

"Yes, please! Thank you!"

Nana Lolita poured me some orange juice and put a slice of apple pie on my plate.

"I just baked this apple pie this morning. Eat it while it's still hot. It would not taste good when it's cold."

Nana Lolita sat across me. She took a slice of the apple pie and smiled before eating.

"You know, you two seemed to look good together."

"Nana! She might choke because of what you said," Reule said.

"I am sorry. I can't help but notice. And it's the first time you ever brought a lady here in this house. It usually a lady would come here on its own."

I find it hard to believe, but maybe it is somewhat true. Lila might have come here without any invitation. For some reason, I am still intrigued as to why he had never brought a lady here. It would not be that hard; like Lila, she would immediately say yes.

Reule was quiet while eating. I keep questioning what is on his mind. Was he thinking of what I felt about him last night? Or is he really this cold?

I eat slowly, giving a glance to Nana Lolita with a smile. She is friendly like a mom, but I cannot be that chatty with Reule around.

"Did all of the clothes fit you?" Reule suddenly asked.

"I think so. I did not try all of it yet. Thank you, though," I answered.

"I choose those for you. I hope you like it," Nana Lolita said proudly.

"Oh, you have chosen beautiful clothes. Thank you, Nana Lolita," I said with a smile.

Reule smiled but remained quiet.

"I have a daughter, which I think is as old as you. I imagine both of you have the same taste and size in terms of clothing."

"Oh, how old is she? Where is she now?"

"She is only twenty-one and studying in a university. Adriana looks up to Reule like an older brother. They are very close, which I love because I treat them like my own."

"I can feel that you are a great mom."

"Because she is," Reule said, looking so grateful.

"Thank you, Rolito! I have called him that since he was a baby because it sounds cute. Rolito has not been very good at expressing his emotions since he was a kid, but he is loving and kind. I took care of him like a son that I never had, especially when he lost his parents when he was just a teenager."

"Sorry. I did not know that."

"It's okay. I still have someone I can call my mom and sister," Reule said, looking at Nana Lolita with a smile.

We all were quiet for a second, then to break the silence, I said, " Nana Lolita, your daughter must be as kind and beautiful as you."

"Oh, she is! She wanted to meet you, but you were still asleep when she left for school. She will be here later at night. Please join the barbecue and bonfire later."

"What is that for? Do you have some sort of celebration tonight?"

"No, it's just a routine I imposed. Thrice a week, we do an evening run to check our surroundings and to exercise. After that we do some barbecue, drink some soda and beer while having a bonfire. I don't want my pack to feel its work. I want them to enjoy and look forward to it," Reule answered.

"Sounds fun! On my previous pack, we almost do the same, but it's every week."

"You can join the barbecue and bonfire. But I would suggest you not join the run."

"That is a good suggestion, Rolito. It would help if you still recover your energy, and your feet might still swell. But I would love to see you tonight," Nana agreed to Reule's suggestion.

I thought it would be nice for a change and a breath of fresh air outside is what I wanted right now. So I smiled and said, "I would love that."