Thirty-nine

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"I got pancakes and scrambled eggs!" Max called out to Beatrice before she took out the coffee pot from the bar counter and pour the hot brewed coffee on some customer's mugs. She smiled from table to table, had some conversations to others and laugh together with them. 

The sound of the bell was a signal for Max that Beatrice was done, so she has to take up the orders. As she approached the food by the bar counter, she caught sight of the replay of the She's One in a Million on their little television. The one where she missed two nights ago. 

There, she saw Brittany talking about the lunch date that  Ian planned for her. 

"It was pretty. Too simple for my taste though." She said. 

"Max, the orders!" Beatrice called her attention.

"Right! Yes. The orders." Max quickly took the orders and began serving the orders. When she went back to the counter and watched the television. This time, it was Emilia that was talking.

And seeing her, made her miss them. She didn't heard anything that has been going on with her friends there. The show was her way seeing them again and along with it were memories-and guilt.

She felt guilt when she has to leave without saying goodbye. They were true friends-despite of their differences. When things have gotten dark for Max, she lift her spirits up and to just to be herself. She was wrong about them-not all wealthy people are narrow-minded, shallow or judgmental. 

  The scene changed to Emilia walking along the pavement. She was wearing a white midi dress and Max wouldn't even argue that she looked beautiful. She always do.

And then she remembered the night when Emilia came back to the Mansion, crying. She was wearing the same dress that night and this.

"Pancakes and scrambled eggs, dear!" Beatrice called out.

""Y-yeah." Max replied, her eyes glued to the screen. Emilia continued to walk and when she reached the area, the setting and the ambiance just took Max breath away. There were large trees and there hanging . were hundreds of mason jar lanterns, illuminating the area.

"Kid, you've been-" Beatrice went towards Max, trying to get her attention. She looked at Max, looking dumbfounded. Following Max's eyes, she trailed it up and had herself looking at the television where she saw the romantic setting. 

"Isn't beautiful? Like some kind of fantasy?" Max said, under her breath.

"Yeah. He really is a romantic." Beatrice said, watching too, looking star-struck but the thought of her starving customers made her wake up from the fantasy and back to reality. "Hey, Joey! Quit talking there and serve these!"

Completely unaware of her surroundings, Max continued to watch Emilia walking slowly and looking around. But unlike Max's reaction, she rather looked anxious. 

Why does she looks scared? Max wondered. She watched her walking until she saw Ian standing, looking dashing in his white suit. He extended his arms towards her and kissed her cheeks. He asked her what's seems to be bothering her and Emilia told him that everything's fine and smiled at him. Together with linking arms, they walk towards a dining table with red roses as its centerpiece.

God, they look so good together. Max thought with her chest starting to get heavy. She finally sat down as she watched both of them had dinner together and she noticed that Emilia, who always look confident and poise, was surprisingly not herself. She keeps asking Ian to repeat the question and eats just a little of her food. 

"What's going on now?" Joey asked, watching beside Max.

"Emilia's acting odd." Max said.

"Well, we noticed too. You didn't watch last Wednesday?"

"I wasn't able to watch this part. I was at the rooftop."

"We didn't even understand it even. I think it has something to do again with their past. I guess they're fine now." Joey said as she patted Max's shoulder before serving some tables again.

Max continued to watch, wanting to go deeper. She watched them to another scene where Ian took her towards a large arc of red roses. This time, Max gasped and finally understood why Emilia was anxious the whole time; why she was not her self the moment she arrived; and why she arrived at the Mansion crying.

Could it be this is how Ian proposed to her? Max thought, shaking her head from side to side.

"Remember this?" Ian asked, looking at the arc. Emilia didn't say anything  but the moist of her eyes were enough to tell that she did and it was painful to continue anymore.

On television? Seriously? He's unleashing his emotions in front of a camera? Max thought and exhaled when she realized she wasn't breathing.

"Don't do this, Ian." Emilia said, her voice croaked.

"I just wanted you to remember."

"I always do. Everyday, Ian. I made a mistake and I'm..." She stopped and look away.

Max watched Ian approached her, and cupped her face with both of his hands to wipe away her tears that escaped. She expect him to unleash some anger but he didn't but instead he smiled and embraced her. 

"I'm sorry for everything." Emilia said. The scene slowly moved away from them and slowly faded until the whole screen was black. Although disappointed, Max knew that there was something more. She knew they had a deep conversation after that because she saw Emilia crying and it was not some sobbing but rather a cry of someone that was broken, in pain and regret.

 "I think I have the hardest situation here," Emilia said, "It's hard to bring something back when it didn't end up good between us especially, since it was me who broke his heart."   


"I am Michael Anderson and this is She's One in a Million." the male host said, as the music began and thus, showing the 10 girls of the show.

"He's actually quite good-looking in person. You'll be amazed at how perfect his teeth are." Max said, watching the television at the same time, eating a handful of popcorn. 

"Ohh!! That's my sister right there!" Sam and Jesse exclaimed when they saw Max smiling on the screen. Max could only shake her head and chuckle at her brothers.

"So, what would happen this time?" Jesse asked.

"C'mon, bro. No spoilers." Sam told Jesse.

The scene began to show the sunrise by the beach; with the sounds of the hawks and the whistles of the soft breeze and of course the waves by the shore. 

"It's hard to wake up feeling light after an elimination. After Brittany left, it was then I realized that there are only a few weeks left." Casey's voice was heard as the scene of the beach continued.

"The quietness of the Mansion was quite sad for me. Makes me want to bring back those days when those girls were still here." Max's voice said after which her brother cheered again. 

The scene changed to Max and Casey's room where Max was already awake and does her usual morning routines: stays by the balcony and watch the sunrise. 

"What are you doing by the balcony?" Sam asked, since the camera couldn't show anything beyond the inside of the room.

"Just watching the sunrise. The morning air was always crisp and it calms me down." Max replied.

"Good morning, girls!" Mr. Richfield greeted the three ladies as they were by the gazebo. "Top 3, huh? Isn't it exciting?"

"Yes." All the ladies said, smiling.

"Now, the sequence of this week is Casey. You would be the first one dear." He said to Casey. "Next would be Emilia and then you, Max." He smiled to them and wished them good luck before he left them.

"Where you take him, girls?" Casey asked them as she crossed her legs together.

"I don't know. You?" Max asked.

"I don't know either. All though I wanted to have a tropical setting." Casey said as she looked up, thinking.

"Somehow, I wanted to go to a coastal setting." Emilia said, looking at the marbled floor, looking spaced out.

"Then why don't we all three have our dates by the sea?" Casey exclaimed, hopping out with a grin on her face.

"That's actually not a bad idea." Emilia nodded. "What about you, Max? Where would you take him for a coastal setting?"

"Hmm." Max looked around the place and she knew what was going in her mind as she watch herself. 

"Just over there." She said, pointing out the beach below them. 

"Wow. That's so you, Max." Jesse commented before he took a sip on his coke.


The next scene began as Casey walked with her casual white blouse and khaki pants and a straw hat towards a deck. She looked happy; almost skipping as she headed towards Ian who was by the boat.

"Ready?" Ian asked, smiling at Casey.

"Of course!" Casey grinned before Ian extended her a hand and helped her to the boat. Ian began to untangle the rope and sailed towards the center of the lake. Max watched them talking casually and smiling as they sailed together. Look how happy she is.

Then the two took out their fishing rods and began fishing happily. They laugh; got excited; and cheered when one of them has caught a fish-most especially Casey.

"You know, I think Casey's the type who thirst for adventure. I mean-look at her. She looks so excited and happy." Jesse commented once again.

"I know, right? It's all over her face." Sam said and Max couldn't agree more.

"It was fun. I really had a blast. I don't get to do things back at home since well-I am expected to do lady-like things but somehow doing things was kind of full filling for me. I'll never forget this day." Casey said, smiling and Max could hint a shimmer on her eyes. "Even though I smelled like fish." She ended with a laugh.


Emilia was in the next scene together with Ian as they walked together hand in hand by a cottage house with a garden with yellow flowers and out far was already the lake. 

"Ohh. What's with the walking hand in hand?" Sam noticed.

"Maybe what happened last week somehow resolved things?" Jesse guessed.

Max, however, continued to watch the scene of the two, walking towards a large tree and into a shaded area where there was a table for two and out looking towards the lake. She watch them had a seat; Ian offered to have Emilia took a seat before him and they began talking casually with smiles on their faces. 

Why am I the only one thinking that they look awkward? Max thought to herself as she watched them had their lunch. 

"Well, I hate to admit Max but they look good together." Sam said. "No offense."

Max gave a scoff. "Please. You think I don't know that? I am fully aware that they look good together. Even I was able to think that that competition was over for me. I mean, look at her. Even though she's wearing a simple yellow summer dress, she looks absolutely gorgeous." She stopped, watching Emilia and Ian had their lunch normally as if last week never happened; as if their past never happened that it almost made Max think that they could actually be back together again.

"You shouldn't have said that." Jesse hit his brother with a pillow.

"I'm sorry."

"We usually do this when we wanted to have time for ourselves before. And now we did, it was wonderful. I was glad we did that." Emilia's voice said as the two had their walks by the garden and out looking towards the lake.


"Ever since I got into the Mansion, I've always looked at that sunrise by the beach below. It's what I do first whenever I woke up in the morning. It's refreshing and it feels good. I just stay by the balcony and just admire the serenity and peace." Max said, smiling over the camera. Her brothers immediately cheered in their seats. "The finale is coming and I might go home and so, I wanted to have the moment with him where we're the only ones there. I wanted to watch that sunset with him by that beach."

Ian was seen by the Mansion, heading towards the beach, with his hands on his pockets with a smile already in his face. 

"I always look forward what she's going to do next." Ian's voice was heard and Max could feel her chest getting heavy as memories started to rush inside her head. She remembered everything; that spot where there was  a large blanket was on the sand, pillows all over, a picnic basket and a bucket of beer. There were lanterns randomly surrounded them and that bonfire. 

She remembered the way she gave him a smack on his lips after he commented of how beautiful she looked in her lacey summer dress.

"Oh. You finally wore that summer dress." Jesse pointed out. "You look great there, sis."

"Thanks." Max managed to say. She continued to watch and at the same time, predicting what would happen on each scene. And when she saw Ian watching her with an unaware smile she could no longer handle the pain. "Look, the bowl's empty. I'm going to get some more." She stood up without even waiting for her brother's reply and head towards the kitchen where she began to fill the born with popcorn. 

She could hear herself inviting Ian to go have a swim with her on the beach. She knew she was in a swim suit already; exposing her three flying birds to him and even to the world and remembered perfectly how she didn't care at all. She remembered how fun they were having as they has a swim together.

And then she heard Casey's voice.

She rushed back towards the living room and she saw Casey and Emilia talking with each other as they were by the gazebo, watching them. They were watching us?

"Well, whoever is Ian's going to choose, I would be happy for them. I know she'll be good to him." Casey said, before she looked away. Emilia continued to watch Max and Ian as they were by the bonfire, talking with each other before she smiled.

"I completely understand if ever Ian's not going to choose me and I don't mind. It's been a long time since I ever saw him that happy. I'm happy if he's happy." Emilia said before she left.

"Did they just...?"Sam's eye widen before he slowly turned to look at his sister who stood there, not moving and not even making a sound. She just continued watching the scene where she played to Ian with her ukulele along with rolling tear on her cheek as she heard Ian's voice:

"I know she has been blaming herself for her mistakes and wrong decisions. Somehow, I wanted to show her that it doesn't have to be. I just hope she's see it the way I see it." 







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