One sunny morning roughly 15 years ago, at a lakeside deck situated underneath a big tree, seated on a rocking chair was Adela who was admiring the lake view.
The peaceful silence, the gentle song of animals in the distance, and fresh air a complete contrast to the bustling environnt surrounding her company situated in the mainland.
She ran her hand gently through her hefty belly carrying her second child.
From where the house was in the distance, a little girl was making her way to where Adela was relaxing, the warm sunlight cascade over her dirty-brown hair as they float effortlessly through the fresh breeze.
The girl was carrying a tray with a glass of milk and an unpeeled banana.
"Mama," she called, her voice laced with pure affection. "I've got you your milk and banana."
Adela turned behind her, a gentle expression plastered on her face. "Thank you, Leona. Can you bring it here on the table?"
Leona did her mother's bidding without a retort, even pulling it closer to her mother so Adela could easily reach her snack whenever she wanted it.
Leona sat comfortably on one of the straw chairs next to her mother. Like her Mama, the little Leona also admired the beautiful scenery before them, committing it all to mory.
Later, she turned to Adela's big belly. Leona's eyes, like a pair of suns, gleam with excitent and anticipation. "I can't wait to beco a big sister."
Adela chuckled softly at her daughter's words, a tender expression on her face. "You will very soon."
"Once she cos out, I will play with her a lot. I will go to so many places with her. I will protect her."
"Yeah, I'm counting on you, Leona."
Leona got herself off of the straw chair, kneeling down right in front of Adela as she rested her head over her mother's belly.
"Can you feel her?"
The daughter nodded, beaming a gleeful grin as she continued to feel movents from within her mother's big belly. "She's kicking so much. It's like she wants to co out now."
"You're just like her when you were also in my belly."
"Is that so..."
Leona pulled back to look at Adela's stomach, seemingly falling into thought.
"Mama," she called. "Have you and Papa already decided what her na will be?"
Adela shook her head at the question. "We're still trying to figure it out."
Tilting her head to the side, Leona gave her mother a wondering look. "Is finding a good na hard?"
"It's not about finding a good na," Adela replied. "It's a matter of if a na clicked well with them. Like it was ant for them from the beginning."
"ant for them?"
Adela gave his daughter a resounding yes. "When you call or hear soone's na, you imdiately think of that person you know. And when you think about their na, you will see them even if they're not around."
"I see," Leona said after listening intently to her mother, her forehead creasing with thought. "A na that clicks well with them, huh... I think I understand why you and Papa haven't decided what her na will be yet now."
Finally understanding that giving soone a na wasn't as easy as she initially thought, Leona could not help but wonder; "How did you and Papa ca up with my na, then?"
Adela raised an eyebrow at her daughter's query. "That's an interesting question."
The mother turned back to the beautiful scenery, a fond smile curving her lips as she started to reminisce.
"It was a sunny day just like today. I rember the warm heat of the sun grazing my skin as your father and the others helped out of the car to the hospital as I was on the verge of giving birth to you. Rather than painful like it usually was, the heat was actually soothing. At the ti, we were still thinking about what na would befit you, Leona. When our eyes t just a minute or so after your birth, your eyes imdiately reminded of the sun. Then, I heard from Raymond how your cries are the loudest out of all the babies in the nursery room. Apparently, you were so loud that your cries are reaching out of the room even though it was supposed to be soundproofed."
A shy blush creeped up Leona's neck. "I-I don't cry like that anymore. I'm a big girl now."
A chortle escaped Adela's lips at her daughter's defensive comnt, knowing what she was telling Leona was simply how Raymond told her in exaggeration.
"The heat of the sun, your golden eyes, and your cries that dominated everyone. All these pieces just ca together and I figured it out. The mont I said it for the first ti, I knew it was your na, Leona."
For a mont, Leona was just silent. She was in the middle of processing everything her mother told her.
And then, pumping her small fists, Leona's golden eyes sparkled with awe.
"Wow," Leona said excitedly as she looked up to the bright sky, she raised her arm up as if trying to reach the heavens. "It's like the world itself gave my na. Like I'm connected with the sun."
Adela let out a soft chuckle at Leona's reaction, her lips curving into a smile. "You are my sun, Leona."
Leona turned to her mother and bead a wide, brilliant grin. Then, her expression changed quickly as a thought seed to have crossed her mind.
"Mama, I figured it out," she revealed with enthusiasm. "If I'm the sun, then she'll be the moon!"
"The moon?" Adela raised an eye-brow at her daughter's words.
Leona nodded energetically. "I thought about how my na is connected to the sun. Then, the moon and her ca to my mind. Then, I figured it out! My baby sister's na is Callisto!"
"Callisto..."
That was the first ti Adela uttered the na, but she imdiately understood why Leona ca up with it.
The na Callisto drew her to the thought of her still unborn baby. She could already imagine her second child's cute face even though she was still in her belly.
It clicked well.
"I see. It's decided then. Your baby sister's na will be Callisto."
"But! We can only give her that na if she decides to co out at night and the moon is up and bright. It's a must, Mama."
"That's quite a strict requirent. I guess we'll have to hope she decides to co out at night."
"Yes!"
*
*
*
One sunny morning in the present, in a place that was far from the district of Silangan and the bustling city of Manila.
Standing beside her car in front of the entrance to a lone big house was Adela. The place was surrounded with a wide grass field, mountains standing tall from a far distance, and a single road that stretched as far as the eye can see.
Despite the breathtaking site around her, Adela decided to look up in the sky. She could not help but rember that mont she shared with Leona. It was warm and sunny just like today.
But although it felt similar, it was also rather different for an obvious reason.
Adela reached for her lotus necklace as she closed her eyes, seemingly taking a deep breath as a gentle breeze brush through her dirty-brown long hair.
And then...
Creak!!
One of the gates to the big house opened and there ca out an old woman.
"Pardon the sudden the visit" Adela spoke in a low voice, a fond expression on her face. "Mama."
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