FORTY SEVEN--- LOVEBIRDS

After that night, my parents started to go out more often, together. They fixed several dates for each other, like a newly wed couple. Sometimes, I'd catch them stealing glances at each other. It was a new era. During these moments, mom's migraines lessened. She started to gradually stop her medications because her health had improved, her stress levels had drastically dropped. Even I was excited for her, and I thought it'd last. But it didn't. We enjoyed it while it lasted though. You know, there's a popular saying that you can not change anybody. It's not possible. It's also very hard for someone to change his attitude while already married. I used to wonder if mom actually dated Cameron first. I didn't remember that she once told me about her experience. She was raped by Cameron on the night of her invitation to their modelling agency. I don't know if the pregnancy was me, or maybe she lost it or aborted it. I don't know, and there's no way mom's gonna answer me if I ask her again. Cameron raped her and never regretted it. The worst thing was that, his mother caught them. She heard her wails. Cameron had covered mom's mouth while he had a field day on her, but her voice was still heard. Immediately his mom saw them, she chastised her son. She felt bad for Ruby, but since the deed had been done, and she didn't want her son reported and labelled a rapist, she gave her a lot of money. Compensation money of course. It wasn't as if mom was greedy or didn't want justice. The thing was, her mother was too poor to hire a lawyer or drag issues to court. She was also not healthy as at then. Trying to seek justice might just make things worse, she might just let the sleeping dog lie, and wait for Karma. Besides, hearing that her only daughter was raped by someone whom she respected and idolized, would break her, and probably give her a heart attack, because she was all she got. So, after much thoughts, Mom decided to accept the compensation- that is, the job at the agency and the money, and of course, without telling her mom what happened. Cameron and his mother also sealed it with marriage, so that my mom would not be able to betray them. Maybe he had his way again since she was working alongside him, and so, she quit the job, but then was called back by her abuser's mom who didn't want her son's reputation to be soiled, despite that she felt bad for the victim. So, she made them get married. But he was not ready for commitment, because he was irresponsible and wanted to have other women too. He wanted to flirt and be free. But, he had to get married, to her, of course so that his reputation would not be soiled. There was a big contract he would win. It was a Support For Women Modelling contract. He had to model to advocate for women, especially single mothers, and he was going to gain a lot of prizes and also, his net worth would quadruple. That would open him to more opportunities for hire, from different countries and agencies, because his shoots will be in the country's daily magazine. His two businesses would also boom, and he'd be open to take substantial loans in future, and also work hand-in-hand with international organizations, and attend conferences worldwide. In short, he'd not only be a celebrity in his city, but in the whole country and whole wide world. It was a huge opportunity, of course, and he didn't want his unruly act to ruin it, so, the only thing to do was cover it up. He therefore consented to marrying Ruby, that is-- my mom , and she had remained silent about it for nine years and running. I was not even going to ask mom if all these things were true, I don't want to see her cry. I was merely thinking out loud, I didn't know if that was how it was. I didn't know anything about them actually, other than they were my parents and they worked in so-so-so places. I overthink, right? I guess it's something you do when you live under the roof of a monster everyday. You never know his next move. Today, he's all nice and sweet, Tomorrow, he's a total jerk. Like I was saying, mom and her husband went out together everyday for almost all of the rest of summer. It was either a lunch date, dinner date, shopping, pool or spa. Cameron even took mom to the gym. She got some flabby skin on her stomach after she had her babies naturally, but it was not anything disgusting or highly conspicuous. She could still wear a bikini. Mom actually liked her body, I mean, what's there not to like? She's drop-dead gorgeous, though sometimes, she whined about her stomach. I caught her once or twice looking at it in the mirror and trying to suck it in. She had never thought of gyming however, she only stopped taking junks. But now that her 'beloved' husband wanted to 'try things again' with her, she consented. So, she went to the gym every weekend with him Both of them barely had time for me. It was as if I was not even there. Like I was just in a cinema, alone, seeing a movie about a couple living their best lives. I enjoyed their new relationship but I felt ignored. It was amusing but it hurt that they did not exactly carry me along. Cameron bought me a lot of stuff, and rubbed my hair affectionately, every now and then, but there was nothing more. Apart from going to the gym, they also visited a certified marriage counselor and therapist in Dr Brown's hospital and counseling center, every first and second days of the week. They were barely home. It went on like that for weeks. Mom would go 'dump' Jamie and Pamela at the daycare/babysitting centre, ask Mike to watch over me, or at the best, put me under the care of one of our trusted neighbours, and then, she'd go out with her 'husband', sometimes in a little too revealing attire but most of the time , decent and corporate. They got matching attires too. Took several pictures. Cameron even showed her off to his friends. I even expected that mom would resume modeling for the PEYTON MODELS. I wonder why mom called herself, Ruby PEYTON, instead of Ruby Gonzalez. She didn't have to bear his name or make me carry his name. I was going to change it as soon as the memories I was purged of, returned. That's for sure. My parents' new relationship felt so real and beautiful that anyone would have thought it would last. Now, I start to wonder how Jack must have felt when mom, one evening told him to back off for a while, because, she was "hitting it with my man". It was one of those rarest evenings that both of them were home. Mom was in the guest room, making a long list of calls, but the only one I was interested in, was her call with Jack. As usual of me, I was hiding somewhere around the guest room. Cameron was in the living room playing video games. Some minutes before, he had made me try on a fitted gown he bought for me, with matching hairbun and shoes. Although those things were expensive,- (the set was a total of $1900. Yes, one thousand, nine hundred dollars), I didn't fancy it that much, but I didn't show it of course. I didn't fancy it because there were many more gowns in my wardrobe. He kept saying to me , 'this gown has a Gucci belt It's of Gucci brand, you have no idea what you've got. Even these shoes. I buy all of your stuff from Gucci" I just smiled sheepishly. I felt that he was just wasting money. I hadn't even worn most of the dresses in my wardrobe. My reason was that, they showed my big stomach when I tried them on, and even when mom said it was really pretty on me, I smirked. I wanted a dress that hid my big stomach very well, and also didn't reveal any part of my chunky thighs or knees, but I had none. If Cameron gave me the $1900, I'd do something better with it. Even at 8, I was already reasoning like that. After he commented on how pretty I looked in the dress, he took pictures of me and uploaded them on Myspace and the other apps he had on his phone. It didnt occur to me that he never called me pretty until them. He then focused on his video games. With a straight face, and so I became invisible again. I didn't know how to express it to these people that I mostly did not want expensive gifts. I just wanted them to cuddle me, play with my hair and kiss my cheek every morning, and also take me to the pool or amusement park, or a museum of old paintings and sculptures. Or buy me candy and drawing palettes. Only candy and drawing palettes. Like Mike did. Candy(with less calorie) Drawing pencils Plus maybe cat family wallpapers Not expensive fitted dresses that'd make everyone see how fat I was. Or Shoes that fit so perfectly you'd see how chubby my feet were. And not pizza or any other junks. You will never blame me for running to Mike's apartment all the time. He sure knew how to be a father. So I left Cameron in the living room and went behind the door of the guest room where mom was. My 'daddy' did not notice when I left. Video games are surely one hell of a distraction. If I got married, I wouldn't let my husband play video games. Or maybe he could only do it once in a year. I hate nonsense.