MARRY YOUR KILLER
Chapter Eighty: The Sister
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The morning came gray and quiet.
Care sat in the garden, her hands in her lap, her face turned toward the sky. The flowers were blooming. The grass was green. The steps where Jay and Keifer had sat were new. She had been home for three days. Cole had found her in a small town in the province, hiding in a cheap room, her father gone, her money gone, her hope gone. He had brought her back. He had held her. He had told her she was home. She didn't feel home. She didn't feel anything.
Cole was in the kitchen with Percy, making breakfast, his voice low, his laughter soft. He was giving her space. He was letting her breathe. He was waiting. He was always waiting.
She heard footsteps behind her. She didn't turn. She knew who it was.
Jay sat beside her on the steps. Her hands were in her pockets. Her face was turned toward the sky.
"You're thinking," Jay said.
Care looked at her. "I'm always thinking."
Jay smiled. It was small. Tired. Real. "Same."
They sat in silence. The garden was quiet. The birds were singing. The sun was rising. Care looked at Jay. At her face. At her eyes. At the woman who had been her sister for years. The woman who had saved her. The woman who had loved her. The woman who was her family.
"I found my father," Care said. Her voice was low. "He was hiding in a small town. He was scared. He was alone. He told me about my mother. About why she left. About why she gave me away."
Jay's face went pale. "Gave you away?"
Care's hands were shaking. Her voice was cracking. "I was adopted, Jay. The family I grew up with—they weren't my real parents. My real mother gave me away when I was a baby. She was young. She was scared. She couldn't keep me. So she gave me to a family who could take care of me. A family who could love me."
Jay stared at her. Her face was white. "Care. What are you saying?"
Care took a breath. Her hands were shaking. Her eyes were wet. "My mother's name was Jeena. Jeena Mariano. Your mother, Jay. The woman who raised you. The woman who has been your mother your whole life. She's my mother too."
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The garden went silent.
The birds stopped singing. The wind stopped blowing. The world stopped moving. Jay stared at Care. Her face was white. Her hands were shaking. Her heart was pounding.
"My mother," Jay said. Her voice was low. Her voice was breaking. "My mother is your mother. Jeena. My mother. Your mother. We have the same mother."
Care's face was wet. "We have the same mother."
Jay's hands went to her face. Her breath was fast. Her heart was pounding. "She never told me. She never said anything. She never—"
Care took her hands. Her fingers were cold. "She didn't know. My father told me. He said she was young. She was scared. She gave me away because she thought it would keep me safe. She thought I would have a better life. A safer life. A life she couldn't give me. She never knew where I went. She never knew who took me. She never knew—"
She stopped. Her voice cracked. Her face was wet.
Jay pulled her close. Her arms were around her. Her face was in her hair. "You're my sister. You're my sister. All this time. All these years. You were my sister."
Care held her. Her hands were shaking. "I'm your sister."
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Keifer found them in the garden.
They were sitting on the steps, their hands together, their faces wet, their eyes on the sky. He walked to them. He knelt in front of Jay. His hands were on her face.
"Jay," he said. "What happened?"
Jay looked at him. Her face was wet. Her eyes were bright. "Care is my sister. My biological sister. My mother—Jeena—she's Care's mother too. She gave Care away when she was a baby. She didn't know where she went. She didn't know who took her. She didn't know—"
She couldn't finish. Her voice cracked. Her hands were shaking.
Keifer pulled her close. His arms were around her. "I'm here. I'm here."
Care watched them. Her hands were empty. Her face was blank. Cole walked to her. He sat beside her. His hand was in hers.
"Are you okay?" Cole asked.
She looked at him. Her face was wet. "I have a sister. I have a sister and she's Jay. She's always been Jay. She's always been my sister. And her mother—my mother—she never knew. She never knew I existed."
Cole pulled her close. "She knows now. She'll know now."
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The house was full when they walked in.
Percy was in the kitchen, his hands full of plates, his face bright. Aries was beside him. Ella was at the table. Lyra was in her corner, Alex beside her. Freya was with Erdix. Rakki was with Ci N. Grace was with Denzel. Kit was with Mayo. Mica was with Calix. Honey was on the screen.
Jay walked to the center of the room. Keifer was beside her. Care was behind her. Cole was with her.
"Care is my sister," Jay said. "My biological sister. My mother—Jeena—is her mother too. She gave Care away when she was a baby. She didn't know where she went. She didn't know who took her. She didn't know she had another daughter out there."
The room was silent. Percy dropped his plates. They crashed to the floor. Aries stared. Ella's hands went to her mouth. Lyra's face was blank. Her eyes were not.
Percy walked to them. His face was wet. "You're sisters? You're actually sisters? Jay and Care? My sisters?"
Care looked at him. Her face was wet. "We're actually sisters."
Percy pulled them both close. His arms were around them. His face was in their hair. "I have two sisters. Two sisters. Both of you. My sisters."
Aries walked to them. Ella walked with them. Their arms went around Percy. Around Jay. Around Care. Around the family that was growing. The family that was healing. The family that was home.
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Lyra was in her corner.
Her hands were in her pockets. Her face was blank. Her eyes were on Jay and Care. Alex was beside her. His hand was in hers.
"She has a sister," Lyra said.
Alex looked at her. "She has a sister."
Lyra was quiet for a moment. "I never had a sister. I never had anyone. Until I found them. Until I found her. Until I found all of them."
Alex pulled her close. "You have them now. You have all of them. And they're not going anywhere."
She leaned against him. "I know."
---
The night came.
Jay stood at the window of the study. Her hands were in her pockets. Her face was turned toward the garden. Keifer was behind her. His arms were around her waist.
"You're thinking," he said.
She leaned against him. "I'm thinking about my mother. About Jeena. About how she never knew. About how she gave away her daughter and never knew where she went. About how Care grew up without her. About how we were in the same house. The same family. The same life. And we didn't know."
Keifer kissed her hair. "You know now. And you're not going to lose each other. Not ever."
Jay turned to face him. Her face was wet. "I have a sister. I have a sister and she's Care. She's always been Care. She's always been my sister."
He pulled her close. "I know."
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Care was in her room.
She was sitting on the bed, her hands in her lap, her face blank. Cole was beside her. His hand was in hers.
"You have a sister," Cole said.
She looked at him. "I have a sister. And her mother—my mother—is Jeena. The woman who raised her. The woman who has been in this house. Who has been in my life. Who I've seen every day. And she never knew. She never knew I was her daughter."
Cole pulled her close. "She knows now. And when you're ready, you can tell her. You can meet her. You can—"
Care pulled back. Her face was wet. "What if she doesn't want to know me? What if she doesn't want to see me? What if she—"
Cole took her face in his hands. "She will. She's your mother. She's been looking for you. She's been hoping for you. She's been waiting for you. And when she knows, she's going to love you. She's already loved you. She never stopped loving you."
Care held him. "I hope so."
---
The next morning, Jay went to her mother's house.
The ancestral home in Alabang was quiet. The garden was blooming. The windows were bright. Jeena was in the garden, her hands in the soil, her face turned toward the sun. She looked up when Jay walked in.
"Jay," Jeena said. "You're here."
Jay walked to her. She sat beside her. Her hands were empty. Her face was calm.
"I need to tell you something," Jay said.
Jeena's face went pale. "What is it? What happened? Is everyone okay?"
Jay took her mother's hands. Her fingers were warm. "Everyone is okay. But I found something. Something about you. Something about our family."
Jeena waited.
Jay took a breath. "You had a daughter. Before me. A baby girl. You gave her away when she was young. You gave her to a family who could take care of her. A family who could love her."
Jeena's face went white. Her hands went cold. Her eyes went wide. "How do you know about that? How do you—"
Jay squeezed her hands. "I found her, Ma. I found your daughter. My sister. She's been with us this whole time. She's been in our lives. She's been our family. And she didn't know. And you didn't know."
Jeena's face was wet. Her hands were shaking. "Who? Who is she? Where is she? Is she—"
Jay smiled. It was small. Tired. Real. "She's Care. Care is your daughter. My sister. She's been here. She's been with us. She's been family this whole time."
Jeena's hands went to her mouth. Her face was wet. Her body was shaking. "Care. My baby. My baby girl. She's alive. She's here. She's—"
Jay pulled her close. Her arms were around her mother. "She's here. She's alive. She's been waiting for you. She's been hoping for you. She's been wanting to meet you."
Jeena held her. Her face was in Jay's hair. "Take me to her. Please. Take me to my daughter."
---
The house was waiting when they arrived.
Care was in the garden. She was standing by the steps, her hands in her pockets, her face turned toward the sky. Cole was beside her. His hand was in hers.
Jay walked through the gate. Jeena was behind her. Her hands were shaking. Her face was wet.
"Care," Jay said.
Care turned. She saw Jeena. Her face went pale. Her hands went cold. Her heart was pounding.
Jeena walked to her. Her steps were slow. Her hands were shaking. Her face was wet. She stopped in front of Care. Her hands reached out. Her fingers touched Care's face.
"My baby," Jeena said. Her voice was low. Her voice was breaking. "My baby girl. I never stopped looking for you. I never stopped hoping. I never stopped loving you."
Care's face was wet. Her hands were shaking. "You're my mother. You're really my mother."
Jeena pulled her close. Her arms were around her. Her face was in her hair. "I'm your mother. I've always been your mother. And I'm never letting you go again. Never."
Care held her. Her hands were shaking. Her face was in her mother's shoulder. "I found you. I finally found you."
Jeena held her tighter. "You found me."
---
Jay stood at the edge of the garden. Keifer was beside her. His hand was in hers.
"She found her mother," Jay said.
Keifer pulled her close. "She found her mother."
Jay watched her mother hold her sister. Watched the woman who had raised her hold the daughter she had lost. Watched the family that had been broken become whole again.
"I have a sister," Jay said. "I have a sister and I'm never letting her go."
Keifer kissed her hair. "Never."
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The sun was setting when Jeena left.
She stood at the gate, her hands in Care's, her face wet, her eyes bright. "I'll come back tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after that. I'm not going to miss another day. Not ever."
Care held her hands. "I'll be here. I'll always be here."
Jeena pulled her close. "My daughter. My beautiful daughter."
Care held her. "My mother."
---
The night came.
The house was warm. The lights were soft. The family was together. Percy was in the kitchen, making dinner, his voice loud. Aries was beside him. Ella was at the table. Lyra was in her corner, Alex beside her. Freya was with Erdix. Rakki was with Ci N. Grace was with Denzel. Kit was with Mayo. Mica was with Calix. Honey was on the screen.
Jay was on the sofa. Keifer was beside her. His hand was in hers. Care was beside her. Cole was with her. Their hands were together.
"You're my sister," Jay said.
Care looked at her. "I'm your sister."
Jay pulled her close. "I always wanted a sister."
Care held her. "You always had one."
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END OF CHAPTER EIGHTY