Split Apart

"Th-that's impossible! How could that be true?" I stammered. Carmine is the product of a 100 and a 55 rank? Nobody could've ever guessed he has anything below 100 in his blood. He's been the most breathtaking one to me for years and I'm not the only one who'd say so. He was carved by the Gods, who would themselves deem him their favorite masterpiece and best work of art ever made. Different might really be what everyone craves without realizing it.

"There's two questions that come from this. How he's alive, and how his scan score is 100. That's what you're wondering, right?" Connie knew exactly what I was thinking, and I nodded to tell her she was correct. "His dad died during my pregnancy, so when I was at the hospital I told the doctor I didn't know who the father was. I wasn't married yet so they didn't pressure it. Never did get married. They allowed his birth because they didn't want to kill a child that was of the standards. If he failed the scan test, they'd kill him anyway. As for how his scan score ended up 100, I'm not sure either. That's pure luck. I always thought he did look more like his dad, but I guess he looks like me. I don't think my fiancé was ugly because of his score either. Your worth can't be said by a number. It's about preference."

"He's a perfect mix, Mrs. Connie. You must be very proud of what he's become." My face beamed as I complimented him. She nodded proudly, but again, neither of us were quick to continue a conversation. Once I decided I wanted to, I knew I'd bring a change in the topic and I wasn't sure how to go about it at first. My posture stiffened, and she noticed. She looked at me like she knew there was something on my mind. It motivated me to talk. "Why does it seem like you know about my parents so well? I get that feeling from you. Did you know them?"

"Analyn and Lyndon Yu? Right?"

I exhaled the breath of air I didn't know I was holding. "Yeah?" All I could manage to do was let her know she was spot on. It's been so long since I've heard their names out loud. They were never into cringe or corny names, so that's how they called each other most of the time.

"They'd always sneak out of their hideout with hoodies, sunglasses, and masks, to keep themselves hidden, and I'm sure you did for a while too after they passed. People don't really pay attention enough to be suspicious of that unless they're certain it's a celebrity, but I was suspicious because my fiancé did it too." She held her breath how I was. "So I approached them. They were afraid at first like they have the right to be but I gave them some meals and clothes, and if I couldn't, I directed them to places they could find them. On their last day when they got caught and I couldn't stop the arrangement no matter how hard I tried, the day you showed up in the forest and they told you to run, they told me to make sure you lived. I felt bad because for so many years I couldn't find you. I didn't know where you went off to or what happened to you, but they were certainly sweet people. We ended up good friends."

"They were good people." I shut my eyes, leaning into the backrest of the couch as I agreed. "And you are too. You've been providing help for me all this time, even when I had no idea."

"You're a good person, Arizona. That's why you can receive good things." She briefly ended her speech, pondering on something I couldn't assume by only her expression. "And that's why Carmine fell head over heels for you."

I furrowed my eyebrows trying to take it as normal as possible. How could she say such words so casually? And after all I heard about last night? It didn't make any sense. "C-Carmine's not-."

"Do you like my son, Arizona?" She didn't let me finish. She asked me so directly I knew I was blushing before she got to the end of her own sentence.

"He likes Nica. I heard-." him say it himself. I couldn't say the last four words out loud. I didn't want to admit it, because if I heard it in my own voice and from my own mouth, that'll hurt more than it did coming from him. Because that means I'm really taking it for what it is, and not for what I hope it to be. Besides, admitting that I overheard the whole conversation wasn't what I intended to do.

"That's not what I said. That's not the question I'm asking you." Connie was persistent to get the answer in the form she wanted it and I knew I wouldn't be able to fight her aura. Her and Carmine both had such strong spirits.

"Yes." I didn't have a choice but to say it. "I like Carmine." When it slipped off of my tongue I didn't know how to act or how to continue. She was nodding as if she expected it. It felt funny to watch, so I felt the need to say anything. Anything at all. "But I saw Nica. She's such a beauty, she's talented, her and Carmine have a close relationship so she must be a friendly girl, and she's intelligent. I can tell by how she carries herself."

"And you're saying you're not any of those things? You are every single one of those things too." The tone of her voice was so kind the first thing that came to my head was that it had to be sugar-coated and there had to be a lie in it somewhere, but she must've known that I wasn't convinced. "You heard Carmine and I's conversation last night didn't you? That's what you were about to say. I was kinda hoping you would. He said every quality he's talking about is about Nica, but you did hear what he said, yeah? That this girl is his opposite. Him and Nica live similar lives. It's you and him that live differently."

"I can't believe that. I mean, I know we're different, but every person is different. Maybe him and Nica have their versatile things and that's what he's pointing to. That's too much to wrap my head around. Maybe it's a misunderstanding." I shrugged it off. Or I tried my very hardest to. If I went for it, and she was wrong, I'm gonna fall from even higher than I'm already going to.

"I know my son extremely well, Arizona, and I wouldn't tell you this for no reason. Nica is a good person. She lets her beauty and her social status get to her head sometimes, but she's beautiful inside and out when you work around that. She's lovely and charming, I do know. I can't reject that idea." I started to think at this point that Connie may have given up and was about to admit it was a prank that was supposed to be funny but that didn't happen. It went in the other direction. "But even though humans can't read hearts, I about have the power of an Angel when it comes to reading Carmine's and I can tell what he wants even if he refuses to admit it."

"I don't know, Connie. Nica's known Carmine for a long time. I'm a new part of his life. Y-you really think that Carmine wants to be with me?"

"Don't say 'me' like you're not worthy, don't degrade yourself. And this isn't about time. It's about feelings, so yes, I do think so. I'm actually extremely certain."

"I think the chances of that are at zero percent."

"You can think whatever you want, Riz, but there's so much that proves what I'm trying to tell you." She bit her lip as she tried to figure out how she wanted to explain her side of the story to me. She wanted me to see Carmine's intentions from her eyes, and she was doing whatever she could to make that happen. "For example, Carmine announced to the paparazzi that you're his girlfriend, despite there being a contract he signed that he'd promote as Nica's boyfriend until the advertising of his series is done. I know that you guys aren't dating, because he would've told me beforehand, but he'll be in trouble for telling the media that. But there's options he could've chose from. He could've said you were relatives. Distant cousins, or something like that. Why do you think he didn't?"

"Probably the pressure. That's it. He said the first thing that came to his mind." I raised a brow. This, I didn't know where she was going with.

"Unlikely. Carmine is pretty good under pressure. He didn't used to be, but he learned to after being in the spotlight." Connie stood up from the couch, her arms up over her head to stretch out her shoulders. She took a peek into the fridge. It made the conversation much more casual, which I was thankful for. "The thing about Carmine is he's very careful about how his answers will affect the future more than the present. If he says you're related, that'll screw up his chances with you in the long run. He'll get attacked for sure, especially with the morals of his fanbase, which I honestly hope anyone would have, but he said girlfriend because whatever happens to the rumor as of now, in the future finding your way to each other wouldn't be so hard to explain."

I hummed a tune that somehow amounted to my disbelief, when I got up to follow her to better hear her. I grabbed a glass of water with efforts to get the rock in my throat to disappear, but it didn't do anything. This sort of topic was unavoidable when it came to making me anxious.

"I guess it's not easy for you to accept. But I want you to promise me one thing." She ate from an opened bag of chips she found in the pantry.

"Which is?" I tilted my head when my curiosity grew. I could imagine Carmine doing the same and I noticed how his habits were starting to rub off on me.

"Try to pay attention to the little things when it comes to him." Connie requested. "He's the kind of person that can't tell a lie. He'll try, but the truth comes out if you pay attention. Even if he lashes out on you, ridicules you, and laughs at you, notice the little things and the evidence will be there."

"What am I supposed to look out for?" I questioned. She faced the open hole of chips at me, gesturing me to grab some, and I took a handful.

"I don't know, Riz. That varies depending on the person, but you'll know when you see it. You'll surely know." She chewed for a moment, covering her mouth with her hand. "Just to illustrate, maybe you'll notice how he'll give you the pieces of toast that are perfectly golden brown and take the burnt or the ones underdone for himself. Maybe you can tell a story thirty times and he'll laugh the same way he did the first. Maybe he'll save the cherries on top of his milkshakes for you even though it's his favorite part. Maybe he'll pretend he doesn't like the yellow Mike and Ikes once he learns that it's your favorite so that you can have every single one."

"And that's supposed to help me, because?" I didn't fully follow. I thought I did, but I wanted to be sure. I wanted her to confirm.

"Love is in the little things. Once he knows what your preferences are, he'll put them above his." I stared up at the ceiling as she said that. She made sense, I couldn't argue with it, and it made me want to think about it longer. "With Carmine especially. By now you'll know that he's a man of very few meaningful words but very many meaningful actions."

"Yeah. I couldn't miss that if I tried."

Connie smiled so wide her eyes smiled too. "Sometimes that's the most bothersome thing. He might seem too perfect, and I'm not saying that because he's my son but because that's what the actor life does to you. People idolize him so much it's easy to forget he's human, but he's had a hard life like you've had a hard life. It's not an excuse to act rashly, and at times I know he does, but I do know that he's a good person if you're willing to work with him. If he notices that you're noticing his actions, he could start to talk and verbalize what he feels. In fact,"

"In fact what?" I let her know she was listening when she didn't go on quickly.

"In fact, give him seven days max. Really pay attention to him. All the truth will come out. Or a day could be enough. He's been bottling it up inside and denying it for a good period of time, he might burst sooner than you think, and let me know if you need any kind of support when he does. I'm happy to help. Remember that."

"Okay, Ms. Connie." I agreed, and in a whisper I added, "I really hope that you're right."