The next morning, I decided to drink coffee to make myself alive and have a courage to tell Noah. I even get conscious of what I should wear but, I didn’t bother myself to think and I just wear what I felt like to wear and be comfortable. 

“Oh, good morning dear.” Aunt Sandra says when she got here in the kitchen and drink water because she went out to jog this early morning. She was wearing a blue sports bra and black leggings. She is really sexy, fit and healthy. She also doesn’t have wrinkles, maybe, she got botox for it. I wonder, if I got married, will I be conscious on myself?

“You drink coffee? I thought you like juice in the morning. I made some bacon and ham sandwich, eat that before you go.”

Yeah, she’s right. I never drink coffee in the morning, "Um, I just needed coffee right now. So...” I said and drink my coffee until the last drop. I pick up my sandwich and kissed her on the cheek, “I gotta go. I will be late for my bus!”

“You sure you don’t want me to drop you off?”

“Nah. Bye, love ‘ya!”

“Love you too!”

I treated her like a mom and she also treated me like her daughter. Ever since what happened to me, I'm now comfortable around her and whenever I saw her, she kinda reminds me of my mom. Talking about my mom lessens the pain that I was holding on this past few years. 

I have been staring at my sketchpad while waiting for my professor. I am almost finish sketching this and I want someone to interpret this for me. I guess, I want someone to understand what I am feeling through this drawing. My mother was a painter and she taught me well. I'm the only one in the family who inherited her talent. She said that I can do whatever I want and choose freely if I wanted to. I breathed heavily because of the thought, no one can interpret this drawing. 

The professor have just arrived and she started the class. 

I look out of the window as soon as the class is in the middle of lecture. The white crystal have been started to fall from the sky and I smiled with the flashbacks in my mind. Family is very important to me. My brothers were always at home when its just a normal day and in Christmas, it is a very special for me. I felt complete.

Now, my mom is not here anymore, my Christmas day is a worst day for me. 

After class, when I am about to leave the room, the girls in front of me were giggling and chatting about someone.

“Who is his girlfriend?”

“In our class? Seriously?”

I got curious and when they turn left, I saw who are they talking about. He wave and smiled at me. I smiled back at him and I look at those girls, gossiping.

“Oh, her?” 

“Seriously?”

“Hey,” Noah is not giving a shit about everyone. His eyes were only fixated on me and he smiled like there is nothing going on around. As for me, I wanted to feel that way but, living my whole life, getting all the attentions from the others mostly because of my brothers being famous, I really wanted to become invisible.

Sometimes, I really don’t care what others think of me and sometimes I care because I just wanted a peaceful life. I am used to hear those lines like “Is she really belongs to that family?”, “I heard she’s only an orphan.” Like all my brothers were good looking and hot, but I really don’t care as long as they don’t bad talking about my family.

Everyone is staring, gossiping and talking about us. We walked in our way at the corridor while the students are still talking.

“Don’t mind them. Just think of me.” He said and I smile.

“No. I really don’t care.” Lie. I care. Noah Taylor is a famous football athlete. Well, I’ve searched him on the google and he is really good at it. I am glad that he is not a jerk like Zeus.

I also search my name or a “nickname” they gave for me like the hyperventilating girl and thank God, it has been deleted. Entirely.

And I am thankful for Noah saving my dignity. I suddenly felt a warm and soft hand from a guy who is entirely gave me a crazy feeling. I look at my hand that he is holding and up to him. He really don’t care and I just smiled and look forward, confident.

It was like a slow motion when people talk behind your back and there is one person who sees you. Only you.

Despite all the dark gossips, he still chose to be with me. 

Athena, did you forget?

I just slam that thought because this is the moment that I will tell him about myself. He deserves to know and to be fair to him. As we walking in the streets, snow flakes where falling in our way and his hands still warm and holding mine. I take a deep breath and stop from my tracks.

He look at me over his shoulder, wondering.

"What’s wrong?”

“I have something to tell you.” 

I said between my breath and he smiled, “I know a place and you will like it.”

I nodded and he leads the way, still holding my hand. We reached the store where the finest bread in London sells and has a beautiful structures. 

“This is where I use to work before and you will going to love the—”

“Is it N.T who I am looking at?!” The tall, black guy with tattoo on his right arm, approach us.

“Hey mate.”

“Mate!” They hug each other like they haven’t seen each other for decades, “How’re you mate? Its been ages ago since you’ve come here!” 

He is very energetic.

“Family.”

“Ohohoho! You’re still that man I know!” He landed his eyes on me, “Who is this pretty lady?” 

“This is Athena. Athena, this is—”

“Harry. Nice to meet you.” He extends his hand and I shake them, “You have a beautiful girlfriend.” He let go of my hand and I still smiling, "You look familiar.” He said then I narrowed my eyes.

“Have we met?”

“Oh wait wait! You are that girl with Thomas Harrison!” Okay. That photo Thomas posted on his Instagram. He did recognize me. Shit, “I thought you were together.” He look at me then he look at Noah, confuse.

“Oh, he's just my friend. We’re not together."

He nodded, “Oh, you did a good decision mate. He is really a playboy and a jerk. He is a good for nothing, selfish guy who only thinks about himself.”

It feels like my heart felt ache and was struck by those words. So, I slam the table and glare at him, “You have no right to judge him like you know him his whole life. What makes you think you are not? Huh?” I scoffed and walk away. How dare he talks shit about Thomas. He didn’t know anything. 

“Athena!” 

I felt bad because of what happened. I blame myself for his suspension.

“Athena..." 

Noah holds my arm and I stop from my tracks. I take a deep breath and look at him. His face were soft and worried, “What happened?” I lick my lips and bite my lower lip, “Come here.” He hugs me, gently caress my head and kiss it. I hug him for a second then push him, gently.

“He got suspended because of me. He punch that asshole and he’s the one who got bad credit. I-I felt responsible for what happened and he still helping me with my project.” 

“It’s not your fault. If I were him, I will do the same. Or worse. Thank god you stop me from doing that.”

I smile a little and caress his arms, “Alright.” 

“Do you want to go somewhere?” 

I take a deep breath and nod. I think of a place that I wanted to go and that is what I have been planning to go to.

Now, I can.

“I love paintings and my mother used to have a gallery of her own. I wanted to continue her work but I chose to close it because it felt like a remembrance of her death.” I said to Noah when we are strolling inside the art museum.

“You were remembering a great painter. Your mother was a great painter and so are you. You have a great talent and your drawings were easily to interpret.” 

I scoff at him and smirk, “Oh! No one understands it and you haven’t seen them.”

“Try me. Also, I saw what you draw then.” He confidently said while smiling. I just remember that he saw my drawings at the coffee shop. I make an ‘oh’ mouth and nod at him. 

“Then, tell me what it is.”

“Okay. Let me see your drawings again.”

“I will show it to you tomorrow at the coffee shop.” 

“Alright, then.”

I stop from my tracks and look at the human size painting. I stared at it and the vibes of this painting gave me a chills. I don’t know why. We were staring at it and he spoke as if he knew her all along.

“She’s... broken. And... sad.” I look up at Noah who is on my right side, “She has too many deep cut inside, longing for forgiveness, and impossible to reach.” He looks at me, “She is something and while I am looking at her, I want to reach her hand and not letting them go.”

“Sinking into the ocean, she felt too responsible for the gravity of the surface. Are you still want to be part of her between?”

He smiled. A smile that gave me calmness, "Yes, wherever the gravity falls even deeper.”

“Athena!”

A woman’s voice suddenly cut our meaningful messages. I cut off at his stare and look at the woman who is now approaching us. 

“Hey, I am so glad that you came here. Athena, I really wanted to talk to you..."

I reach her hands and squeeze it, “It’s alright. I wanted to apologize for the other day. I was so rude to you not hearing what you wanted to say to me.”

She smiled, “Don’t worry about that, dear.” I smiled and she hold my face.

Noah leave us for a moment to let us talk to each other.

“I am so worried about you when you leave the hospital the other night.” That night, “I wanted to tell you everything but... you don’t let anyone in.” She told me. I realized, she is right. Even my mother has no idea what I’d been through with my past relationship. I was like, smiling everyday whenever I face my mother because I don’t want her to hold my burden as she is already suffering on her own. I just... wanted to lift it all by myself because... because...

She hold my hand and I stare at it, "I don’t know what you’d been through all these years but I am sure that you are a strong woman and brave girl I’ve ever known.” I look at her, and I bit my lower lip to push away my tears, “Your mother always think of you and care for you.” I gasped for breath because I felt I am running out of air, feeling suffocated, “The last piece of her work is the resemblance of you. Her greatest artwork. It is you, Athena. The woman of scars with a strong heart and mind.” 

My whole world is sinking into the bottom of the sea as I realized all this years, the painting that I am looking for and the interpretation of it, is all me. 

“I... I..." 

Amelia hold my hands and squeeze it as my tears fell from my eyes. I remember when I asked my mom about the painting. The woman in the painting, I told her that she looks so sad and broken. She just smiled at me and said, “She’s still happy.”