We're happy for you, Mia," Rosanna said joyfully after she informed them about her upcoming wedding to Erik.
"I'm sorry if I only told you now. We've been busy taking care of the preparations, so I only had the chance to visit you today," she added.
Just then, Dahlia entered Rosanna's office and placed three glasses of cold orange juice on the table. She tightly hugged Mia while smiling.
"It feels like just yesterday when you first applied here to help your mother get medical treatment. And now, here you are getting married. We're happy that someone like Erik will be with you for a lifetime, Mia," Dahlia's tone clearly showed her happiness for Mia.
Upon hearing Dahlia's words, Mia's memories quickly flashed back to the hardships she went through after Erik migrated to Canada with his parents.
*****
TEN YEARS BEFORE
"What are you saying that you won't go to school anymore, Mia?"
Despite the obvious difficulty in speaking, Mia's mother, Rosita, insisted on saying that. It further weighed on Mia's heart.
"I need to find a job to provide for your medical expenses, Nana," she replied, trying to hold back her emotions.
Rosita shook her head consecutively and smiled, gently holding Mia's hand. "Accept it, sweetie. I want you to be practical. Prepare for your future. So that when I'm gone, you won't suffer if you manage to finish your studies," she said.
Mia immediately felt a warmth building up in the corners of her eyes upon hearing her mother's words. Her mother's lung cancer had progressed to stage three. That's why she didn't hesitate to decide to stop studying and find a job to seek treatment for her.
"It wouldn't hurt to try, Nana. I want you to get better," she replied, hoping that somehow she could convince her mother.
A kind smile formed on Rosita's lips after hearing her response. "I know you want to try, my child. But this is my body, and I can feel whether I'll get better or not. That's why I'm telling you to be practical. Accept that there will come a time when I'll be gone."
As Rosita said those words, Mia could no longer hold back the tears that she had been trying to suppress since earlier. "Please don't say that, Nana. I'm not ready yet, I can't do it alone," she said, tightly holding her mother's hand.
Rosita made an effort to get up from the bed, and when Mia saw it, she immediately moved to help her. "You need to toughen yourself up, Mia. I know you're brave, so you'll surely overcome any challenge. Continue your studies and pursue your dream of becoming a veterinarian," Rosita insisted.
"But what good would all of that be if you're no longer here?" Mia asked, crying.
A gentle smile formed on Rosita's lips before she spoke. "I'll be happier if you finish your studies, Mia. That's what you need to do, so I hope you listen to me," she emphasized.
Mia, still in tears, shook her head. "I've already made up my mind. I can continue my studies anytime. Perhaps I just need to take a break for now, for you. Let me do this, Nana, for you. Please, I don't want you to die. I can't handle it yet!"
Finally, her previous silent crying turned into a restrained sob, and she tightly hugged her mother.
After saying those words, Rosita fell silent, and Mia understood what she meant. Mia was immensely grateful.
Just as she said earlier, she couldn't continue going to school while her mother's illness was progressively overwhelming her. She needed to be practical, yes, but not for the reasons her mother mentioned.
She needed to be practical in a way that she had to pause her studies to work and provide for her mother's medical expenses. She knew Rosita's condition was serious. But just as she said earlier, she wanted to try. Because even though her mother often said she wouldn't get better since they found out about her illness, Mia never lost hope.
The next day, Mia began her job search. Since she hadn't completed college, she struggled to find a well-paying job. She made multiple copies of her resume and started handing them out to any possible place she thought would accept her. But she knew it still wouldn't be enough to cover her mother's medical expenses.
There was a public hospital where her mother Rosita sought treatment, but even then, she would still need to spend money on medication and food. Mia sighed, contemplating her options.
"What's that?" a woman asked Mia.
She was standing in front of Pegasus, a well-known nightclub in their area.
"I-I am applying for a job," Mia said in a shy voice.
The woman's gaze swept over Mia from head to toe. Then she lit her cigarette and took a puff.
"You can work here. Beautiful, tall, fair-skinned, sexy, and fresh. Are you still a virgin?" the woman asked, surprising Mia with her last question.
The woman chuckled softly when she saw Mia's reaction. "Looks like you're still a virgin."
"N-No, that's not the kind of job I had in mind," Mia replied, trying to explain.
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Then what?"
"Maybe there's another job, like being a waitress or a dishwasher," she suggested.
Dahlia, the woman, released a soft laugh before speaking again. "What did you say? With your beauty, you're wasting the opportunity to earn by settling for being a dishwasher. You know what, come with me," she acted for Mia to follow her.
"Where are you taking me?" Mia asked.
"To the owner of this club. By the way, I'm Dahlia. What's your name? You seem very young," she said.
"I'm Mia," Mia answered, revealing her age to Dahlia.
Dahlia didn't respond after that. And just as she said, she brought Mia to the office of the club's owner, whom Mia learned was named Rosanna.
"What can you do?" Rosanna asked Mia.
"I wanted to be a waitress, or maybe a dishwasher," Mia politely replied.
Mia noticed the exchanged glances between the two women in front of her. Then Rosanna pursed her lips before responding to what Mia said.
"It seems like you're just forcing yourself to do this," she said in a kind and gentle tone.
Mia shyly lowered her head. And when she remained silent and didn't speak, Rosanna continued with the other things that she wanted to tell Mia.
"I think you have a deeper reason for considering this. If it's okay with you, I'd like to know. Because based on your resume, your background is impressive. And you're a college student. Veterinary Medicine is your course. A scholar, wow! That means you're smart," Rosanna expressed her admiration for Mia. When Mia lifted her head, she saw the same emotion reflected in Rosanna's eyes.
"My mother has cancer. It's stage three, and I need to get her treated," Mia's voice cracked as she admitted the truth to Rosanna.
A moment of silence passed between her and the two women. Despite being strangers, Mia felt their genuine sympathy for her current life situation.
"All right, if that's the case, you're accepted. I'll make you a waitress here," Rosanna finally said after a long silence.
Mia quickly wiped her tears. "B-But, won't I have to entertain male customers in that case?" she asked, unable to hide the concern in her voice.
Rosanna and Dahlia both shook their heads consecutively, though a beautiful smile remained on Rosanna's lips.
"It's still up to you if you agree to entertain customers. It can be quite lucrative, to be honest. But it's even more profitable if you opt for a take-home basis. With your beauty, fifty thousand might be modest for you in just one night. I have to tell you this because it's part of my job. I'm not saying you should do it. Okay?" Rosanna explained.
Mia swallowed hard after hearing everything. Fifty thousand was a substantial amount. And if she could earn that much every night, it wouldn't be far-fetched to afford her mother's treatment at a private hospital. But she also couldn't take that. She knew that in exchange for that large sum, she would have to compromise her integrity as a woman.
"Okay, I'll be fine with being a waitress," she finally decided to say.
Rosanna nodded understandingly, and Dahlia did the same.
*****
The following evening, Mia began her work at Pegasus. Since she was used to always telling the truth to her mother, she didn't hide the fact that she was working at the club as a waitress.
"What did you say? You're going to work at that club as a waitress?" her mother asked, unable to believe it.
Mia released a sigh of frustration as she finished brushing her hair in front of the mirror. When she was done, she approached her mother, who was sitting by the side of her bed.
She was wearing a simple white shirt and jeans. She knew that her mother would lecture her even more if she saw her wearing a miniskirt and a blouse without sleeves for work. So she decided to change at the bar. She knew that her colleagues did the same because Rosanna herself had taught her that.
"Nana," Mia sat down next to Rosita. She took her mother's hand and gently squeezed it. "It's not what you think. I'll be working as a waitress there, not interacting with the customers directly," she explained, trying to reassure her mother.
Rosita angrily pulled her hand away from Mia's grasp. "Even so, I'm sure that's where it will all lead, Mia. Didn't I tell you? You don't have to do this because I can feel it in my body that I won't recover! Just let me spend my remaining days seeing you do your normal activities as a student!" Her mother's voice ended in tears.
Mia understood her mother's reaction. But she also knew deep down that she didn't have to let her emotions dictate her actions.
"Nana, I know myself well. And if you trust me, I promise you that I won't do what you fear. I will remain an honorable woman, just as you wanted and taught me to be," she spoke truthfully from within.
Mia knew that her mother believed in her promise. Because after she said those words, she saw a sense of calmness in Rosita's face.
"I want you to succeed in life, Mia," her mother said, wiping away her tears.
Although it was painful, and even though she wanted to cry at that moment, Mia held back her tears. From now on, she knew she had to strengthen her resolve. Because she believed that her strength would come from her mother.
After a few more moments, Mia said her goodbyes. She would be back the next day, so she had already prepared her mother's dinner, which she left covered on the table. Before leaving, she kissed Rosita on the head, smiling as she walked towards the large door.
*****
PRESENT DAY…
A bitter smile crept upon Mia's lips as she reminisced. Then, she glanced at the two women in front of her.
"To me, both of you are still the most beautiful sisters in the world," she said, her eyes welling up with warmth.
While Mia managed to hold back her own emotions, Dahlia and Rosanna couldn't. Within moments, both of them were in tears. And Mia knew why. They were happy for her.
"Continue your studies, Mia, just like your mother wanted back then," said Rosanna, wiping away her tears.
"Erik said he would help me get back to school," she shared, unable to contain her excitement as she mentioned her boyfriend's name.
Once again, Rosanna and Dahlia exchanged meaningful glances.
"As I said earlier, I'm happy that Erik will be with you for the rest of your life," Rosanna reiterated.
"Yeah, he really loves you. His handsomeness and wealth are just bonuses," Dahlia chimed in, visibly thrilled by what she said.
Mia nodded, catching the contagious excitement of the two. "Tomorrow, make sure you won't be absent, okay?" she said to them.
"Of course. You know you're our youngest sister, right?" Dahlia replied, standing up and embracing her tightly.
Mia didn't say anything more after that. She simply reciprocated the tight hug with Dahlia before bidding them farewell. She still had to buy dinner for herself and Erik. Meanwhile, her boyfriend had gone home to talk to his parents.
In her final thoughts, Mia's heart was filled with longing. Despite everything, she still hoped that Erik's parents, especially his mother, would accept her and their relationship.