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Chapter 1

"This is all of it." Hilda, Kelsey's mother, said softly. Kelsey and Hilda both stared at the money they had on the counter by the kitchen. They regarded the small amount of money that they had saved in case of emergency. "Maybe, I should just find another job."

"No, mom, you are not getting another job. It's bad enough that you're working already, I don't want you to tire yourself out. Besides, if you get another job, who would take care of Ace and Kyle? They need you here, mom." Kelsey said as she counted the money on the counter. There was around five hundred dollars and it was just enough to pay for their ramshackle apartment.

"But what are we going to do? sweetheart, Kyle is getting another chemotherapy by the end of the month. I don't know if we are able to pay the fees. And what about his medicines. Then there's the groceries, and the apartment and the electricity and the-"

"Mom, mom, mom!" Kelsey interrupted her mother. "Relax." She said as Hilda took three deep breaths. "Just relax, okay? I'll handle it, everything will be fine. I'm sure I can find another job that pays well. Just let me handle everything, okay? Trust me on this one. I'll take care of it." Kelsey told her mother although she had no idea what she was going to do or where she was going to find a job since she didn't even graduate from college.

Kelsey always wanted to be a chef. Ever since she was five, her passion for cooking was noticeable. She would always help her mother out in the kitchen and cook the best meals. When she finished high school, she was very determined to go to a culinary school. She was doing great and she loved her classes. But she didn't get to finish her schooling. She was supposed to graduate last year but her ten-year-old brother, Kyle, got diagnosed with leukemia cancer. Kelsey wanted to be a chef but unfortunately, they didn't have the money to pay for her tuition fees and she had to find a job to help her mother to pay the bills. Hilda was against the idea of her daughter stopping her studies but she had no other choice.

Hilda was a very kind mother. She was loving, caring and patient. Her children were always her first priority. She would buy them the necessities that they need before she buys stuff for herself. Her children always get what they needed and what they must have. Although it was hard for her to give it to them, she was a very strong and determined mother.

Kyle was Kelsey's ten year old brother. Just a year ago, the poor boy was diagnosed with a deadly cancer called leukaemia. The whole family was devastated knowing that his life was in danger. But Kyle had never showed his family any fear. He was a fighter and everybody knew it. Kelsey was rather proud of her brother because he would always be smiling and making jokes around even through the worst scenarios. He would never fail to make his family laugh through hardship.

Ace was Kelsey's five year old little brother. Hilda adopted him when he was only three. She was surprised to see a little boy walking around the market place at ten o'clock at night. He was crying and sobbing when Hilda had found him drenched by the sidewalk. Her heart melted from the sight of a little boy who desperately needed her help. She immediately took him in and adopted him when she found out that his real mother left him in an orphanage but Ace didn't want to be prisoned inside the orphanage and left without permission. Hilda, being the considerate woman that she was, decided that she would adopt the kid.

Their family was a little more unusual and chaotic but nothing that the Parker's couldn't handle. Especially from all the past events that they've been through.

Kelsey and Kyle's real father, Lucas Montenegro, was a very wealthy man. He grew up with silver spoon shoved in his mouth. He got whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted it. His family owning the largest and most successful business in the whole country gave him a good reputation. Lucas was supposed to inherit the business when his father stepped down but everything changed.

He suddenly met the most beautiful and most caring woman in the planet, and her name was Hilda. He knew that he loved her that moment he set eyes on her. He was in loved with her and he wanted to marry her. However, the problem was that she grew up in a low income family. Her family didn't have the cash and the bling that Lucas' family owned. She was simple but extraordinary at the same time.

Lucas' parents didn't approved of their relationship, of course. But Lucas fought for her. He turned down the position of becoming the heir and the owner of their business for Hilda. Soon enough, they got married without the blessings of his family. His father practically disowned him.

For fourteen years, they were happy with Kelsey being around. She was thirteen during the time and she was absolutely a daddy's girl. Lucas would spoil her whenever possible. Everything was going well until Lucas' grandfather got a heart attack. Before his grandfather's death, he begged his grandson to take over the company again. It wasn't something forced, but definitely a promise to fulfill. Lucas had the hardest times and decisions on whether he should go or not.

Unfortunately, he chose the wrong path. He chose to inherit his family's business again. However, his decision had some sacrifices that he had to make. He knew that his parents wouldn't just let him back in his life. He was asked by his parents to leave Hilda in exchange for the company. It was a tough decision but he had to leave. He wasn't only doing it for his grandfather, he was also doing it for his family.

He tried to make Hilda understand why he was leaving, but it seemed like she couldn't really wrap the situation around her head. When he left, it was absolutely devastating not only for Hilda, but to Kelsey as well. She would always see her mother sobbing during day times and hear her cry to her sleep at night. Kelsey was like stabbed repeated in the chest every time she heard her mother cry. And the only person she blamed was her so called father. She couldn't believe that he would leave her in her condition. What Lucas didn't know was that Hilda was pregnant with Kyle during those times. She was going to tell him but was distracted when she found out that he was leaving them and never got the chance to tell him about her condition.

Since Kelsey had to go to school, Ian Parker, their next door neighbour, insisted to look after her mother. She knew that Hilda was in good hands because Ian was a very kind man. He was married but got a divorced with his wife. They never had children so he wasn't really obliged to be in contact with her.

Ian and Hilda got closer to each other and Kelsey noticed it. Her old mother was beginning to unleash once again. The mother that she knew and loved who was always happy and smiling. And it was all because of Ian. Not very long, after Hilda gave birth to Kyle, Ian and Hilda got married. Ian had asked Hilda and the kids if it was okay if he gave his last name to them. They agreed with this and from then on, Kelsey and Kyle Montenegro changed to Kelsey and Kyle Parker. Ian and Hilda been married for about seven years when the tragedy happened.

Ian was on his way to England for the murder case he was working on when his plane crashed on the way there. Hilda completely panicked when she heard the news and it tore her heart apart. It was also upsetting for Kelsey and Kyle but they tried their very best to comfort their mother and keep her happy.

When the incident happened, the Parker's financial problems grew more. So Hilda and the children decided to move to an apartment, ending them to their now ramshackle home. Hilda didn't like the fact that Kelsey and Kyle were not comfortable with the sudden change of houses from a homey house to a falling apart apartment, but the siblings never complained to their mother. They understood their situation and tried to keep the family going.

Kelsey, once again, regarded the money and put it back on the jar. She gave her mom a reassuring smile and Hilda returned it. She knew how determined her daughter was and she didn't give up too easily. Hilda was always a proud mother because she knew she raised her children the right way with proper treatment. They grew up with integrity, dignity and could handle to be completely independent.

"Don't worry, mom. I'll figure something out." She told her mother and took the jar to put it back in the secret place in their closet.

~ * ~ * ~

"Hey, Margie. I just called to ask you if you know anyone who's hiring. Please call me back as soon as you can, thanks." Kelsey said as she leave a message to her friend and hanged up the phone.

She let out a sigh and straightened her clothes. Once she got the wrinkles out of the way, she took her purse and a folder full of copy of her résumé. Today, she was going for a job hunting. She wanted to get a part-time job to help her mother to pay for the bills at home. She just hoped that today someone will hire her.

The moment she got off of the bus, the fresh breeze of spring collided with her body. She voluntarily smiled and scanned her surroundings. She was currently in downtown and she looked at different stores that could possibly hire her.

She started giving her résumés out to different restaurants, clothes stores, jewelry stores, even cafes, but all the managers told her that they would just call her for an interview if they needed her. She went to the very last store around the place and she got the same reply.

When she was completely out of hope, she left and came back home thinking what a day of wasted time. When she got home around five o'clock in the afternoon, her mother was still at work. She usually came home at seven o'clock depending if she would visit Kyle in the hospital. Usually, when she did, she gets back at around nine.

Since Kelsey figured out that her mother would visit Kyle because he had a chemotherapy the next day, she decided that she would cook dinner instead. She started gathering all the ingredients she needed and heat up the pan. When she was finished cooking, she placed a whole plate of fried chicken on the table and covered it. Then she put the lid on the soup so the steam wouldn't come out and remained warm. Ace would love their dinner.

Speaking of Ace, Kelsey went to knock on the neighbour's door to get him. Since Kelsey worked in the morning and her mother worked in the afternoon, Ace would usually stay at their neighbour's apartment until she gets back from work. Their neighbour, Paulina Freeman, didn't mind Ace staying there at all since she also had a son who was the same age as him.

"Hi, Mrs. Freeman, I'm here to pick up Ace." Kelsey greeted as Paulina beckoned her in.

"Of course, please, come in." She said as Kelsey noticed the boys playing with toy cars in the living room. Kelsey sat on the sofa and watched the two boys.

"Kelsey!" Ace practically screamed jumping on her lap. He hugged her tightly sucking the air out of her lungs.

"Too - tight - Ace!" She tried to say in between breaths. When Ace had release her, she quickly took a deep breath and kissed him on the cheek. "How was your day?" She asked enthusiastically. Usually, Ace had the most outrageous stories. He would tell her what he did that day as if he was telling a story from a fairytale book. Sometimes, it even seemed like he was way too smart for a five year old kid.

"It was great! Me and Pearson played all day. Paulina even taught me some cool stuff. Like when you light up magnesium, it will make this very bright light, kinda like a flashlight." He said with his movie-sounded-like voice. Paulina used to be a scientist, but when she got pregnant to Pearson, she quit her job to take care of him.

"Wow, that's very impressive. Did you do experiments?" She commented ruffling his hair with her hand.

"Yes, it was so much fun!" He squealed enthusiastically as he jumped up and down in excitement. Kelsey chuckled at her brother's peppy mood and beamed at him.

"I bet it was." She said as she saw Paulina entered the room with a tray of chocolate chip cookies and glasses of milk. "Okay, why don't you play with Pearson some more." She suggested.

"Okay!" He screeched leaping his way to Pearson, who was busily playing with his cars. Paulina set the tray on the centre table and handed a whole bag to Kelsey.

"Thanks Mrs. Freeman, but you shouldn't have." She said genuinely.

"It's fine. I know how much Kyle and Ace love those cookies."

"Thank you so much. I'll make sure Kyle get some." She said grinning gratefully at Paulina.

"Your welcome. You and your family are always welcome here. Especially Ace. I can tell Pearson enjoys his company. And I really do hope that they will go to the same school. I am actually planning to enrol Pearson to the day care three blocks away. You should do the same for Ace. He seems to be the type of kid who likes learning." Paulina suggested as the two of them regarded the children eat some cookies and drink some milk.

"I really want him to go to school. But I'm afraid our budget is a little too tight. That's why I am looking for a job right now. If you know any openings, Mrs. Freeman, can you maybe...." She trailed off looking hopefully at Paulina.

"Of course, dear. I will tell you right away if there's any hiring." She assured her as Kelsey smiled at her. "You know, you're really lucky with that brother of yours." She said nodding her way to Ace. "Your mom is really lucky she found him wandering off the streets. There's only a couple of special kids like him around the world. They're very rare."

"What do you mean?" She asked creasing her eyebrows together.

Paulina laughed softly. She thought that the Parker knew that Ace was a very special child. "Didn't you ever notice? Ace has a photographic memory. Everything he has read, seen, or heard is permanently stuck in that little head of his and his brain absorbs all the information. He will remember them word for word or even what you were wearing yesterday."

"Are you sure? I've never really notice before?" Kelsey asked in bewilderment and amazement.

"Let's try it out, shall we?" Paulina asked as she turned to Ace, who was quietly munching on his cookie. "Ace?" She said as he looked up with those innocent, moss green eyes and adorable chubby cheeks. "Do you remember what you read on that big book this afternoon?" She asked him slowly as she referred to the gigantic science book she had. "You know, about those cells?"

Ace regarded the two ladies in front of him and tilted his head on the side. He looked at Kelsey who was waiting for him to answer. "Cells are the basic building blocks of all living things. The human body is composed of trillions of cells. They provide structure for the body, take in nutrients from food, convert those nutrients into energy, and carry out specialized functions. Cells also contain the body's hereditary material and can make copies of themselves." He said as he continued to munch on his cookie and stated all the facts without batting an eyelid.

Kelsey was completely flabbergasted. She stared at her brother in awe with her jaw dropped open. She couldn't believe that Ace was blurting out facts out of nowhere. She couldn't even memorize a sentence of what he just said by only reading it once. He was absolutely a genius!

"See, photographic memory." Paulina said grinning widely at Ace. She let out a chortle and waited for Kelsey's reaction.

"T-tha-that is nearly i-impossible." She stuttered still staring at Ace. Being astonished and amazed were completely an understatement. She was way beyond amazed. She was way beyond flabbergasted.

"This brother of yours is very special. As soon as possible, I recommend that he attends school to enhance his skills. I'm sure that he will be very successful one day."

"I'm sure he will." She said, grinning wildly at her brother, who was sitting on the floor oblivious of the ladies' conversation. "We better go, thanks again for the cookies." She said hugging Paulina.

"No problem, I will be expecting this smartypants tomorrow afternoon." She said ruffling Ace's hair as he beamed at her.

"He will be here. Come on, Ace, say good bye to Pearson." Kelsey said resting her hand on the top of his head.

"Bye, Pearson!" He said waving his hand frantically. "See you tomorrow, Mrs. Freeman!"

"See you tomorrow, Ace. You be good now, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Take care." Paulina said at Kelsey.

"You too, thanks again for this." She said lifting the bag of cookies.

"No problem." Paulina said shutting her door shut.

When Kelsey and Ace were inside their apartment, Kelsey quickly stopped him and carried him to the couch. He giggled when she lifted him and sat on the couch.

"How did you know all those stuff about cells?" She asked him skeptically.

"I don't know." He admitted shrugging his shoulders. "I just read it from the big book that Mrs. Freeman has."

"You know, I'm very proud of you." She said sitting down on the couch and giving him a sloppy kiss on his chubby cheek as he giggled in response. "You are the most intelligent kid I have ever met." She stated as she started tickling him. He laughed loudly as he tried to tickle her as well.

For about two minutes, the two were just tickling each other, until Kelsey's phone rang. She stood up from the sofa and took her phone from the centre table. She looked at the caller ID and it read 'Margie'.

"Hey, Marg." She answered.

"Hey, Kels. Sorry I only called you now. But I heard your message. Sorry, I was really busy at work. Speaking of work, do you still need one?" She asked as she could hear the TV playing on the background.

"Yeah, I need it big time." She sighed desperately.

"Okay, lemme just call Bryan." She informed her. "Babe, Kelsey needs to talk to you!" She screamed on the other line as she covered the mouth speaker, but unfortunately, Kelsey still heard the loud yell. She even flinched from the sound. Kelsey heard some movements on the background and some breathing after.

"Hey Kels, what's up?" Bryan's deep voice asked over the phone.

"I need a huge favour. I really need a full time job. Do you think you've got any?" She asked hopefully as she watched Ace plays with a couple of his toys on the couch.

"Let me check." He said as Kelsey heard some rustling of paper. "Mmmh, what about a gardener mower?"

"No, I don't think I even know how to use a mower." She admitted.

"Assistant dentist?"

"I know nothing about teeth, Bryan."

"Okay, so that's a no. What about a worker at a call centre?"

"Not good with public speaking. Nor computers."

"Scientist?"

"Not qualified for the job."

"Child care assistant?"

"That's sound pretty good. But are there any other options?" She questioned biting her nail anxiously.