Past, Present and a Possible Future

"Hey-hey.... wake up." Voices. Loud.

"Like right now.... come on Issi." Uh-huh.

"Hey.... I know you are awake. Now get up." In a minute I swear.

"Haaaa .... ok. I am going to count to three if you don't get up by then I won't teach you how to drive- ever." What?

"Oneee...." Wait- wait.

"Twoo..." Open your eyes, Isa!

"Th- ".

For what it's worth it was a good sleep. This is why I can only get my hand to tap on the bed while the rest of my body refuses to let go of the comfort it has grown into.

"I don't have you pinned, tapping won't get you out of this. Come on now. Get up! Move."

You have no idea how hard I am trying! I feel him removing my covers. There is not a single ounce of energy in my body that has the will to stop that even though it physically hurt me to have my body slowly exposed to the cold air in my room.

He gets into the bed and hugs me from the waist while resting his head on my shoulders. It was comfortable. Like a blanket replaced by another one.

I knew I spoke too soon when he starts to lean his entire body weight on me.

"I'm up. I'm up"

"There you go, now go get dre- "

"Let's go! Let's go! Come ooonnnn!"

She jumps out of her bed and starts running to her door at lightning speed not before throwing away the covers that she once was buried under ever so comfortably.

"Whoa, whoa there, missy. Where are your shoes?"

"Leo, we don't have time for this! We have to go now! Let's go! Come ooonnn"

She whines giving her big brother the best sympathy eyes while standing in front of her door holding the handle and wearing her favorite blue strawberry pajamas.

"We've talked about this Issi. You know we can't do that. You need to wear your shoes if you want to go out. It's dirty out there."

"But- "

"No, no. No buts. Shoes missy" He points at her blue slippers with feathers.

'This kid and her obsession with blue. She's going to regret her outfit choices when she grows up.'

"I don't want them to get dirty."That's a solid fact right there.

"Then wear something else."

"But I don't have any blue shoes that match my pajama." Valid point.

"You do I can already spot three more pairs in your closet."

"But the shade is wrong!"

"The sh-... haaa.... "

The older one of the two sighs while looking at the ground hands on either side of his waist. This escalated way too quickly and now it will take a while for sure. Just when he is done building a case in his favor a familiar voice shouts from downstairs.

"Hurry up! What is taking you so long?"

"We will be right there" Lie. We're never leaving the house at this point.

"Just wait in the car."

"Oh no! No! No! No! No! No! NO!" With each reply, you could hear the foot-stomping getting closer and closer to where they were until the door swung open with an owner of a very annoyed face blocking the entrance.

"Alex! Could you please be quieter? Now go wait down-"

"What does she want now? We can't be late just because she acts spoilt. What is it now? A plushie? Sweets? Her stick?"

"Shoes." The accused of the scene looks at the newest addition to the investigation nonchalantly, then some realization hits her.

"I almost forgot my stick!" She runs off to the other side of the room without any further discussion.

"No wait- "

"For the love of-. "

Both were a day late to stop her. The younger brother mouths a quick 'sorry' feeling somewhat guilty for worsening the situation.

The eldest of the three takes a breath ready to go full 'chicken crazy' on them. That's what the other two call it at least. Then he debates himself out of it since it's not worth it.

"I'll meet you downstairs. Try to speed things up."

Leonardo looks at his brother rather unamused for acting like it's not his fault their sister ran back in delaying them even more. He waved his hand off indicating he heard him and then turned on his heel to go further into his sisters' room to help her find her priced possessions and hopefully get her outside before wasting more time.

Unfortunately for her even with Leo's help, they couldn't find her stick. Which she was upset about. This became evident to Ales by how she got into the back seat of Alex's car, made no comment about the music that was playing, and didn't even plop her head out of the window when her brother rolled it down without her having to even ask for it.

The last straw to her brother's patience was when he asked her "Whom do you think is going to win today? " and her response was "Probably you."

All she heard was her brother talking to someone on the phone. She thinks her name was mentioned but is not sure since the roaring of the engines in the waiting line was far too loud. She has her blue blankie with her expecting her brother to drop her off with her older brother who usually waits at the entrance to pick her up. Usually at this portion of the ride she would ask her usual question "Am I still not old enough to ride with you?" and Alex would always say "Not yet tiny".

It became a thing, like saying good luck. So when the entrance gate became visible she got ready to open the door even though she didn't see her older brother standing anywhere near.

"Where do you think you are going little pig?" 'Pig'? He's being nice? What's going on?

"Come to the front seat and fasten your seat belt. You are racing with me today."

Isn't it amusing how when you space out or get lost in the trance detached from reality you start to sometimes reminisce in your memories and just smile to yourself forgetting that those memories are supposed to cause you pain by reminding you how broken the truth is?

The most bitter part of reliving those joyful memories is how dreadful you feel after you escape from that daydream. That is unless you have a better reality. Which in her case is far fr-

"Madam your coffee." She looks rather confused for a second at the coffee then the person who interrupted her trance. The stranger in the brown apron with slightly messy hair looks at her- expecting something? "Can I help you?" She didn't mean to sound rude but that's her usual tone.

"Oh- um- ye-I- Madam I am sorry. I-I work here."

"Oh yeah? Who said?" His eyes grow bigger.

"No! No! I mean I would like to work here Madam. I-I-I am a college student" 'Cute'

"And I need money and I was trying to find a job but-"

"That's enough. God, you had one job. Why are you stuttering she's not going to eat you. Haaaa... Nevermind I'll do the talking you go mop the floor or something." The manager of the coffee shop, Erica shoves him away from my table.

"Oh I-I am s-sorry I-I-"

"Yeah. Yeah, I said move it."

I watch him leave. He's tall maybe 6 feet on a good day, has broad shoulders, and isn't that masculine but not skinny either from the looks of his butt-.

"Stop it. You look like you are going to eat him."

"I was not the one who lied to him otherwise."

"Easy. He's the new hire."

"Yeah, that's what I keep hearing too. Who appointed?"

She sighs holding her hips on either side knowing there's no easy way out of this.

"Look the kid is good and smart enough to mind his own business. He was in a tough position and just needed some help."

"Boyfriend?"

"What? No-"

"Unrequired love?"

"Wha-?"

"Baby daddy?"

"WOULD YOU STOP?"

I smirk at her flustered look. All red and ready to pop. Then her color slowly fades away to a pale look. I see the realization of whom she raised her voice to sink into her. See this is why I love her. No matter how close we are she knows where the line is. Even though most of the time I don't mind it.

"I apologize." She looks down at her feet.

"It's okay love. What do you want from me?"

"Let him work here. Please." I smile at how her confident demeanor changed into a nervous one in a matter of seconds.

Her family is under my protection. I would never let anyone run this coffee shop unless I trust them. Her not understanding this has become the source of my entertainment. So I push more.

"And why would I do that?". I can almost see the wheels in her head turning.

"When I used to live in California there was this Older couple living across from us. They were very friendly and when Jhon passed away- I was- " Oh shit. Maybe today I made the wrong call.

"I understand you can keep him," I say getting up to leave and keeping a thousand-dollar bill on the table as a tip.

What? He did say he needed money. Looked pretty urgent to me.

"Wha-? What? I'm not done. You can interview him if you want. He is a good kid." She sees the bill I kept.

"What did I tell you about over tipping? You can not spend your money this recklessly. Put down a twenty or something."

"I don't have the time." I wasn't even listening to her, to be honest. I just hope it made sense.

"What? That makes no sense!" Apparently not.

By now she has been nagging me to the front door. My bodyguard sees me and opens the door and I turn around to give her a quick peck on the cheek to which she somehow gets angrier. I step out of the building when I hear a soft "wait".

I turn around to look at her, She looks surprised that her voice was even heard.

"Do you have to do this?" I see. So when she called in the morning asking me to swing by the shop this was the real reason.

"Open the shop, Erica. It's well past your opening time."

"Don't change the subject. This is a big deal. This is going to cause so much...." She looks around finally realizing I'm halfway out the door and that this conversation is very public. So she lowers her voice to say the last word.

"Bloodshed"

"There was always bloodshed, don't act like you didn't notice those blood stains in my clothes when I came to check on the shop after handling 'business'. Unless you thought I was paintball fighting all day it wouldn't be so hard to fig-"

"I know! I know!" She takes a heavy breath to calm herself.

"If you knew, why the fuck are we having this conversation?" because you are starting to piss me off right now.

"Don't you get it? This is different. This is going to cause so much more bloodshed. This is no battle this is war. A war that has no ending if they say so-"

"If 'they' say so?" Her voice is dark and detached.

" Which side are you on Erica?" Issabella looks at her challenging.

"You know that's not-"

"Which. Side."

"Yours! Obviously yours. Why would you even ask me that?"

"Try to keep it that way. If not, there's just going to be extra bloodshed than anticipated."

She looks stunned for a second and then proceeds to take a step back wiping the front of her apron and looking down. "I-I don't mind you threatening me. At least you are here in front of me. Safe"

Oh. Oh. I am such a dick.

"I thought this through." Don't worry.

"With all due respect Ms.Issabella." Ok ouch.

"I don't trust promises. The last promise ended with a funeral. It didn't even have a body." I see her eyes start to well up.

"You are like family to me and I don't want to see a single scratch on you. Which I know in your line of work is too much to ask for. Do know that there are people waiting for you back home and even if you end this madness you will still have a home and loyal people who would quite literally die for you." By now her tears are running down her cheeks.

I feel some part of me break a little. I know where she is coming from. But that part is insignificant compared to the pain that I use as fuel for my anger.

So I just smile at her unable to give her a proper reply.

I bid farewell and thoroughly explain to her why I can't take blueberry muffins with me and that I won't get hungry.

I get into my vehicle which speeds away quickly. We arrive at our destination. My bodyguard who was in the front passenger seat quickly gets down to open my door.

I wait in my seat even after the door is open. I look at him knowing full well he has something to tell me and I can just tell by the look on his face that he is currently having a debate in his head on whether to tell me or not.

"Jacob is it?" He looks at me shocked.

"Yes, Madam."

"Out with it."

"I don't know what-"

"Don't waste my time. What do you have to tell me."

"Forgive me madam I know we have a plan but it doesn't feel right to send you in alone. You need your protection. We can't take this big of a risk."

"Who gives you orders?"

"Madam please I am not quest-"

"Who?"

"You madam."

"Have I ever led you astray?"

"No, Madam."

"Okay then it should be easy to trust me on this"

"Yes, Madam. We will wait for your call"

I nod at him and make my way toward a beginning to an ending.