MELISSA

It was an hour before midnight and she was peering through the curtains to check if the caterer has arrive at the driveway.

No sign of them.

She glanced at her watch and took out her mobile phone from her dress pocket. She dialed their number.

No one answered the call.

She tried again. But no one was picking up.

She let out a frustrated sigh.

She was the one who insisted on getting this caterer for the New Year's eve party. She booked them because Michael was a partner in this catering venture, which of course, her mother didn't know about.

And now they were late.

" What are you doing here? " Martha asked when she spotted her walking back and forth in front the main door.

" I'm waiting for the caterer, Nana " she told their nanny, fidgeting with her hand. " I think they're late."

The old woman wave her hand dismissively at her. " It's New Year's eve, " she said. " Of course they're late. Now don't worry about it and join everyone outside."

" But-" Melissa said, worry still etched on her face.

What if the caterer didn't come? What if it's already midnight and they were still not here.

" Stop worrying, " Martha chuckled. " The new year is almost here. You should be enjoying yourself out there.

Melissa nodded and reluctantly headed outside the garden where the festivities were coming along.

The place was converted into an enchanted garden. Fairy lights were dropped mid-air. The shrubs and trees were covered in glowing net lights. There were customized wooden chairs and tables strewn everywhere. Thousand led washlights were scattered everywhere projecting a dim ambiance.

Melissa walked to the makeshift bar and saw her brother seated on one of the customized wooden stool, drinking a bottle of beer.

" Aren't you a jolly sight, " Melissa chuckled as she took the stool beside him and signaled the waiter for a drink. " Strawberry Margarita please."

Marco rolled his eyes at her and took a swig of his bottle.

" It's an hour before the New Year, " Melissa told him as she looked at their little cousins running around the garden. " If you sulk when the new year comes, you'd be sulking the entire year. So cheer up."

At least, that's what Nana said.

" What do you think they're doing there? " Marco asked out loud in response.

Melissa turned to him and arched an eyebrow. " What do you think they're doing there?"

Marco shrugged and shifted his gaze on the men who were setting up the fireworks.

Her brother was referring to Robby and Mia. They flew back to the capital a few days ago and will be spending the New Year with Robby's family.

She was as surprised as Marco was when their father actually allowed Mia to go. It was after all the holiday season and it has always been the family's unspoken rule to be together on Christmas and the New Year.

" I don't get it, " Marco muttered staring straight ahead.

Melissa's looked at him curiously. " What don't you get? "

Marco took a gulp of his beer once again before answering.

He looked at Melissa. " I don't get Robby. How can he do this when he saw what happened to you. Not hear, Iz. Saw with his two fucking eyes!"

He took another drink before going on. " I don't get Mia. It's not like she didn't know what happened to you. She was there when you were in the hospital for days."

He was shaking his head, an unreadable expression on his face. " I don't get Mom and Dad. " he mumbled as his gaze landed on the table where their parents were laughing with their aunts and uncles.

" How can they approve of the two of them as if they knew Robby will never do anything to hurt Mia? How in the world can they possibly know? How can they let Mia leave just like that and have her spend the holiday with a guy they barely knew?"

Melissa looked at her brother in amusement. " You do realize the guy you're bashing is your best friend, " she mused out.

" Was my best friend, " Marco corrected her.

" Was, " she echoed.

She looked at her brother who was looking out the garden, his jaws clenched tightly.

Melissa took a deep breath before talking.

Maybe this was the perfect time to finally have a heart to heart with her brother about all these.

" Marc, " Melissa started. " I know I wasn't a pretty sight after Alfred-,"

Marco scoffed and gave her a sidelong glance. " This is not about you, Iz " he cut in. " So don't go there."

" But it is, " Melissa retorted as she looked at her brother pointedly. " This is all about me and what happened two years ago."

" This is not." He snapped and finished his drink.

Melissa held his arm as she looked at him pleadingly. " It has been long over, Marc. So please let it go. "

Marco shifted in his seat and Melissa's hand fell off his arm.

" What are you talking about? " He demanded irritably as he turned his stool to face the bar.

" I made a horrible mistake of falling in love with Alfred. But that was me." Melissa could not be deterred and faced her brother so she can see his side view. " But after everything that had happened, I'm okay now."

Marco let out a low growl when he heard Alfred's name.

Please let him understand. Melissa prayed silently before saying anything.

" Mia doesn't have to suffer because of what happened to me," Melissa continued willing Marco to listen to her. " And Robby doesn't have to be compared to Alfred because they are two very different people. "

Marco's head snapped to her face.

" I watched you throw your life away because you were hurting over that bastard, " Marco said angrily. " I watched you almost die because you felt that no one cared about you. I watched you struggle for a fucking year trying to get over that asshole. "

His voice was bitter and he looked at her incredulously. " And now, you want me to watch another sister go through that again? "

Melissa sighed as she touched Marco's arms.

"I'm sorry if I put you through all that, " Melissa told him softly. " I was naive and I didn't want to listen to anyone. I'd be lying if I say that I knew what I was doing then."

" But please, Marc, let it go. "

Marco finally looked at her with a sad expression on his face.

" I can't, Iz, " Marco shook his head. " And I can't just sit here and watch Mia commit the same fucking mistake. I am not going to let that happen again. "

" But it's not your choice to make, " Melissa countered eyeing his brother cautiously.

" The hell it's not, " He scowled at her.

" It's really not, " Melissa repeated shaking her head.

He was silent for awhile as he looked away. It was a moment when he finally spoke.

" I can't believe I let Alfred do that to you. I should have known how he was going to be from the stories I heard about him.  " Marco heaved a deep sigh before going on. " But I let him fucking hurt you, Iz. And I'm so sorry."

He rested her elbows on the table and dropped his forehead on his clasped hands.

" If something happens to Mia this time, If something...I can never forgive myself." he mumbled in a pained voice.

Melissa's eyes widened and softened at the same time, understanding dawning into her.

" What happened to me was not your fault, Marc, " she told him softly but firmly. " I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you. I'm sorry that you got suspended from the fraternity. I am sorry that you had to see me break down. "

Marco turned his head to look at her.

" Maybe I needed to feel all that; love, wonder....hurt...sadness...loss. I needed those moments so I can learn from it. Please don't blame yourself for what happened. I made that decision and I am not blaming anyone for it."

" And as for Mia, she's old enough to make decisions for herself, too, " Melissa continued in a soft voice. " If she gets hurt in the process, it's not your fault. She made the choice to be with Robby with her eyes wide opened. "

" She's a smart girl, Marc. Have more faith in her. "

Marco continued to stare at her mutely. Unblinking. Then Melissa saw something flickered in Marco's eyes and disappeared.

" I don't know, Iz, " he muttered.

Melissa reached for her brother's hand and took them into hers.

" Remember that afternoon at the playground? When this group of bullies took our lunch boxes and Mia was pushed to the ground? " Melissa began in a quiet voice. " I remember you, in that yellow Batman t-shirt coming to our rescue, never mind that there were six of them and twice your size. You got into a big fight, shiners and all, but you managed to take back our lunch boxes."

Marco grunted at the memory.

" You were our hero, " Melissa continued. " I remember Mia and I following you around for weeks, adoring our older brother who fought with the bad boys in school."

" The two of you squatted in my room for days, " Marco recalled.

Melissa laughed at the memory. " Yes, yes. I remember invading your tent and you'd be so mad at us, you'd walk out. "

Marco nodded. " I remember that,"

Melissa nodded as she watched her brother's face broke into a small smile.

" You were our hero, Marc. I guess, no matter how old we're both going to be, you will always be our hero; that one person who will always have our back, no matter what. " Melissa told him seriously.

" But we are not kids anymore. You cannot pick a fight with every person who steals and breaks our hearts. That's just not how the world works now. "

Melissa saw Marco's shoulders slightly slumped.

" You need to let us go, " Melissa said in a gentle voice squeezing her brothers hand. " You cannot fight our battles for us. We need to learn how to fight our battles, in our own time and terms. Sometimes, we need to be our own heroes. "

It was awhile before Marco said anything.

" I know, Iz." Marco said quietly. " It's just hard to see you two get hurt. "

He took a deep breath. " And it's harder to just watch and let someone hurt you. I don't think I can just sit back and do nothing. I really can't. "

Melissa smiled at her big brother ruefully. " Marc, "

" Look, I'm sorry if I've been tough on both of you. I can't promise to be cool every time a guy knocks on our doors... but...I guess I can try. "

" That's good enough for me, " Melissa nodded her head.

" But please, " Marco said in a warning tone eyeing her pointedly. " next time you get yourself a boyfriend, make sure he's nothing like Samaniego. "

Melissa threw back her head and laughed.

Old habits die hard.

" I love you, big brother, " Melissa said affectionately as she jumped out of her seat and into Marco's arms.

" You better not quote me, Iz. I will fucking deny tonight ever happened. " Marco muttered.

Melissa smiled when she felt Marco hugged her back and mumbled something that she could not make anything of.

At that very moment, she knew that everything was going to be alright.

" Since we seem to be in this heart to heart mode tonight, " Melissa said slowly once she has gotten back on her seat. " How are you really, Marc? "

Marco looked at her weirdly. " What kind of a question is that? "

" Well..., " Melissa started as she formulated the words in her mind. " Since we've started Uni, I know things have been different. Especially for you. Things are just not how it used to. "

Marco drank from his bottle and looked at her quizzically. " Where is this going? "

Should she go for it? Should she bring Ari up? On New Year's Eve?

Melissa took a deep breath. " I know things aren't the same without Ari, Marc. "

Marco's face hardened at the mention of her name. He glared at her for a moment and then looked away.

" Marc-"

" Don't go there, Iz, " he said quietly.

There was something in his voice that stopped Ari from launching her tirade. It wasn't anger. It wasn't exasperation either.

Sadness. That was it. His voice was tinged with sadness and Melissa's heart ached for him.

She bit her lower lip as she looked at the side of his face that was visible to her.

It was a bad idea to bring Ari up. She thought guiltily. It has been three years since her family suddenly left town and they've never heard from her since.

It was an understatement to say that Ari's sudden departure broke Marco. It didn't just break him, it changed him. She was afterall his bestfriend and even if he will never admit it, his first love.

Melissa has a simple theory. Ari's sudden disappearance from his life was the reason for everything that Marco has become: afraid of commitment and overprotective of his loved ones.

" I'm sorry, " Melissa mumbled and then placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. " Whenever you want to talk about it, you know you can talk to me, right? "

Marco grunted a response and Melissa took that as a yes.

Shelving the heavy stuff, they were back to finishing their drinks few minutes later when Tamara came running to them, sparklers on hand.

" Happy New Year everyone!!! "

Tamara sped past them screaming Happy New Year again and again.

Melissa and Marco looked at each other and grinned.

" Happy New Year, Iz " he said and raised his bottle of beer to her.

" Happy New Year, Marc, " Melissa clinked her glass of margarita to his bottle.

Sipping their drinks in comfortable silence, they both watched the fireworks lit the dark sky.