Finding My Voice In Her Skin

"Joseph, come here!"

After the heartwarming moment shared between mother and daughter, Joseph was summoned by her mother, who stood in line at the counter.

Joseph had been sitting on a chair, engrossed in a mobile game. When her mother called, she hesitated, feeling a pang of laziness and even a flicker of irritation.

She clicked her tongue softly but knew she had to respond—it must be important, after all. Besides, she had to maintain some semblance of being a good daughter, or else she might risk getting kicked out of the house.

Reluctantly, Joseph stood up and shuffled over to her mother. Her annoyance was evident in her slightly lowered eyes, giving her a kuudere aura.

This subtle shift in demeanor caught the attention of a few people in line, but Joseph couldn't care less.

Their stares weren't her problem.

"What is it, Mom?"

Joseph asked impatiently.

She knew she shouldn't sound so brusque, but her mobile game had been interrupted, and that was enough to sour her mood. Was it really wrong to feel this way?

"Here, hold these,"

her mother said, handing her the shopping basket filled with dresses and other outfits—some for Joseph and some for her mom.

"These?"

Joseph glanced at the basket, her brow furrowing slightly.

"Yes, I want you to take over the line. I'm heading to the food court to order us some food and reserve a seat,"

her mother explained.

A bead of sweat formed on Joseph's forehead.

She was torn. Did she really have to step into the line? If she refused, her mom might get upset, and the sweet moment they'd shared earlier would be ruined. On top of that, she might even be tasked with buying the food herself.

It was a lose-lose situation.

Doomed if she did, doomed if she didn't.

Joseph had no choice.

"Fine,"

she conceded, her voice tinged with defeat. There was no room for argument.

Her mother smiled gently and handed Joseph 8,600 PHP—5,000 for the dress and the rest for the other items in the basket. It wasn't much, just a sleeveless top and a skirt. Joseph peeked at the basket, noting how pretty the clothes looked.

"Then I'll be going. What do you want to eat?"

her mother asked. Joseph blinked, momentarily stunned by the sudden question. Her brain took a second to process it before she responded.

"Hmm... shawarma would be nice,"

Joseph said, closing her eyes as she imagined savoring a delicious shawarma.

"Joseph, real food,"

her mother interjected, her tone firm. Joseph's daydream shattered as she opened her eyes to see her mother's serious expression. Of course, her mom wanted ulam and rice. That was to be expected.

"Guh... then, uh, lumpiang shanghai? And chicken with rice?"

Joseph suggested.

Her mother nodded quickly and left.

Joseph couldn't help but wonder what had gotten into her mom today. She was acting so strangely!

Joseph tucked the 8,600 PHP into her pocket, making sure it was secure to avoid misplacing it or falling victim to theft. She glanced ahead and noticed that the line had moved. Originally, there were four people ahead of her, but now there were only two.

It shouldn't be much longer now.

.

..

...

Two minutes passed, and finally, it was Joseph's turn to pay.

She handed over the shopping basket, and for a moment, the cashier froze.

Was she...

mesmerized?

Joseph couldn't help but tuck a strand of her silver hair behind her ear, hoping to snap the cashier out of it.

"Uhm..."

Joseph murmured, breaking the silence.

"Ahh, sorry, miss!"

the cashier apologized, snapping back to reality.

She began scanning the items and removing the security tags. Joseph offered a gentle smile, reassuring the cashier that it was okay.

"That'll be 8,540 PHP,"

the cashier announced after finishing the scan.

Joseph's eyes widened slightly.

Were clothes always this expensive?

She rarely bought her own clothes, usually leaving the task to her mom while she played mobile games or stayed at home.

She handed over the 8,600 PHP from her pocket, and the cashier quickly counted out the change. Joseph double-checked the amount, smiled, and said,

"Thank you po—grrrgle!"

Just as she was about to finish her sentence, her stomach let out an embarrassingly loud growl. Joseph froze, her cheeks burning as the cashier giggled. She glanced behind her and noticed some people looking away while others stifled laughter.

'Ahhhh! Embarrassing!'

Joseph screamed internally. She wanted to vanish into thin air.

As soon as the cashier placed her clothes into the Forme carton bag, Joseph grabbed it and bolted out of the store. People turned their heads, watching the silver-haired girl as she hurried away.

.

..

...

"Huff, huff... I'm here!"

Joseph had arrived at the food court in record time, thanks to her sprinting. In SM malls, the food court isn't always on the ground floor—it could be on the second, third, or even fourth. In this particular branch, it was on the second floor, tucked away in the far right corner of the building.

Luckily, it wasn't hard to find, and Joseph, being a local, didn't have any trouble locating it. Still, she couldn't help but pause for a moment to catch her breath as she took in the scene before her.

"Wow, there are so many people,"

she muttered under her breath.

It was no surprise, really. The clock was inching closer to 6 p.m., and the mall was flooded with students—from preschoolers to high schoolers—wrapping up their day and flocking here for dinner with their families.

'I should call my mom,'

Joseph thought, though she realized she probably should've done it earlier. But between the fluster of running and the exhaustion catching up to her, it had slipped her mind. Pulling out her phone, she unlocked it, navigated to her contacts, and tapped on her mother's name.

Ring, ring, ring...

The call connected.

"Ma, where are you?"

Joseph asked, her eyes scanning the sea of tables and people.

"Ah, Joseph! I'm on the far left. I'll wave my hand so you can spot me,"

her mother replied.

Joseph's gaze darted across the room until she caught sight of a hand waving in the distance. There she is!

With a quickened pace, Joseph made her way over, breaking into that adorable, slightly awkward half-run as she approached her mother.

"Ma~ I'm back!"

she chirped, handing over the change from the clothes she'd bought earlier.

"Did you count the change properly?"

her mother asked, taking the money gently.

"Yes, Ma. I made sure,"

Joseph assured her with a nod.

Her mother meticulously counted the bills before nodding in approval.

"Very good. Now, come and eat."

It was only then that Joseph noticed the spread of food on the table. Her eyes lit up when she spotted the lumpiang shanghai on her side of the table.

"Wahh! Thanks, Ma!"

she exclaimed, a genuine smile spreading across her face. But just as quickly, she caught herself and covered her mouth, her cheeks flushing. Since when did I become so expressive? It wasn't like her, especially after all the family fights they'd had. But then again, maybe it wasn't such a bad thing.

When she glanced at her mother, she was met with a look of mild shock. Her mother seemed almost frozen for a moment, as if she'd just witnessed something extraordinary.

"I-It's fine. Go ahead and eat,"

her mother finally said, snapping out of her daze.

Joseph couldn't blame her for being surprised. With her long silver hair and that radiant smile, she probably looked like some kind of ethereal being. But there was no time to dwell on that—Joseph was starving!

Without another word, she grabbed a spoon and dug in, savoring every bite.

Seeing her daughter began eating, Joseph's mother also began eating. 

"But Ma, it's kind of a pain when you keep calling me Joseph... I'm not a man anymore,"

Joseph said after swallowing a bite of food. She had raised an important point, and her mother couldn't help but glance at her, considering her words.

"Then what do you want me to call you?"

her mother asked, her tone gentle but curious.

"Uhh... how about Angel? It's part of my second name, right? Angelito?"

Joseph's mother paused for a moment, then nodded. It seemed she didn't have any objections.

"Okay, I'll call you Angel from now on," s

he said with a soft smile.

Angel couldn't help but smile back, feeling a warm sense of affirmation from her mother.

"Still, Ma... it's such a pain,"

Angel murmured as she picked up a piece of lumpia and some rice.

"What is?"

her mother asked, tilting her head slightly and resting her chin on her hand.

"People keep staring at me. It's making me self-conscious..."

Angel's cheeks flushed as she averted her gaze, focusing intently on her plate to avoid meeting her mother's eyes.

Her mother couldn't help but smile, a soft glimmer of pride in her expression. After all, her daughter was beautiful—radiant, even.

"That's because you're so pretty. Don't worry, your mama will protect you," she said with a light laugh, reaching out to boop Angel's nose with her finger.

"H-hey!"

Angel protested, her blush deepening as she pouted and gently swatted her mother's hand away. She took a bite of the chicken leg, using the food as a shield to hide her embarrassment. But despite herself, a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Maybe seeing her mother this happy wasn't so bad after all.

"Tita."

A voice interrupted their little moment, and before Angel could react, someone approached her mother. The young man took her mother's hand and performed mano, gently pressing her hand to his forehead as a sign of respect.

When Angel finally caught sight of the young man's face, her eyes widened in surprise.

I-It's... my best friend!