Auden smiled at his sister.“Nice to meet you, and what’s the favor?I’ll do what I can.”
Rafa retrieved the grimoire from Aveline and presented it to Auden.
“I need to have this appraised.Do you know anyone who specializes in old books?”
Auden’s gaze shifted from the book to Rafa, but she didn’t touch it.“I have a professor I can reach out to.She’s part of the ISA1.I can set up a meeting.”She held her open palms toward Rafa and asked, “May I?”
Rafa placed it in her hands.Immediately, she braced herself against the weight.“T-this is heavy.”She gasped.“I’ll need some information about this book before I send it to my professor.Can I take pictures?They’ll be for the provenance documents2.But Rafa…” She paused and looked him straight in the eye.“That could take months.I’m sure you know that without the provenance documents, the legitimacy of this discovery can’t be vouched for in an official museum.”
“We could work on the provenance documents in the background while I bring it to the Philippines.I just need it appraised before then so I can declare it in customs,” Rafa said.“I have a friend who can help with customs clearance.”
Auden pursed her lips.“If that’s the case, I’d say you’ll have to wait three to four days for all the clearance and appraisal documents,” she agreed, still holding the grimoire in her hands.“Could you tell me more about this book?”
Within the next hour, Auden expressed her surprise and awe about the grimoire and where they had discovered it.“This is a story you write about in a book, or something!”she exclaimed.She took notes and emailed the details to her professor.“Can you leave it with me for a bit?I’ll keep it safe until my professor can give a definitive answer.”
Rafa trusted Auden, and he could think of no one more up to keeping the grimoire safe than her.“Just keep this between us, Auden,” he requested, and Auden agreed with a nod and a tight smile.
***
Rafa got out of the car holding the cat carrier with Kimmy and Hana, and a bag filled with cat treats, cat food, and their favorite cat toys.“Kimmy likes any empty box,” he said to Aveline, who was trailing beside him.“And Hana loves climbing things and having a view.”
“I know I asked you a million times, but aren’t you being too impulsive about this?”Aveline asked as they trudged up the steps to their home.“Sometimes I think you take a little too much after Dad.”
Rafa considered this.He had a face, and his mother’s personality.But as he grew older, he understood why his father was a certain way and started acting like him.“Maybe I do,” he admitted.“Hey, I’m sorry.I know I told you I’d focus on the business more, but Sal—”
“Don’t worry about it,” Aveline cut him off.“I got it covered.”
“You do?”he asked, a brow raised.
“You’re my little brother; you think I didn’t know this would happen?”she said as she opened the front door and yelled, “We’re home!”
Just then, a swift force grabbed Rafa from behind and hugged him so tightly that he almost dropped the cat carrier.“H-Hey!”he yelled, and when he looked down, he saw two lithe arms around his waist.
“Hey, Rafa!”said a singsong voice
He looked over his shoulder and saw a mass of wavy brown hair and a small face with brown eyes much like his own.“Dichi3!”he gasped.
Sybelle hugged him tightly as they walked through the main entrance.“I took the first flight back when Achi messaged me,” she said, still holding onto his arm.Rafa eyed Aveline, who just flashed him a sidelong smile while walking behind them.
They headed toward the living room and past the pocket garden with their mother’s bonsai trees and orchids.
“Don’t worry, we’ll help Achi run things for the time being,” Sybelle said in an optimistic tone, patting his arm
Then he heard Aveline yelp as another familiar voice said, “Achi!”
Rafa looked back and saw Arthur, his brother, grasping his eldest sister’s shoulders.Arthur was just a few inches shorter than Aveline, and their resemblance was uncanny.
“Arthur!You seriously have to grow out of jump-scaring me,” Aveline whined.
“You know that’s never gonna happen,” Arthur teased, and then Rafa felt a soft pat on the back.
Rafa looked back and nodded with a grin.“Hey, Art.”He reached his free hand out and offered a fist bump, like he always did.
Their mother met them in the living room.“You’re finally all here!”she said, as she smiled at her children.Arthur hugged his mom and offered her a kiss on the cheek.They all followed suit.Rafa had set them up so Kimmy and Hana played around in one room, and when the greetings were done, they sat on the living room sofa and got up to speed with what was happening in each other’s lives.
Sybelle’s calendar was full for the next few months with sustainable fashion brands, editorial features, and photoshoots.She had become a popular influencer recently, making waves for her efforts in sustainable fashion.Arthur was still knee-deep in his term papers and had applied for various apprenticeships.He said he would use this time at home to take a break from his schooling in England.When it was time for Aveline and Rafa to share, Aveline took the lead and explained everything they discovered, leading to the grimoire.Rafa had expected there would be a lot of questions, and there were.
“Does this mean you’re like, a warlock?!”Sybelle asked.
