HYGTG !      by KissLeclerc
May 21, 2024    #    "Never Liked That Woman."

SOLANA STOOD IN THE spacious kitchen of her villa, the morning sunlight filtering through the windows, casting a warm glow over the marble countertops.

With a sense of anticipation tingling in her veins, she heard a soft knock from her front door. With a quick glance at her reflection in the hallway mirror to ensure she looked presentable, she made her way toward the entrance.

Opening the door, she was met with the sight of her mother, her radiant smile mirroring Solana's own as the two were nearly identical.

"Ma, you look wonderful," She smiled, pulling her mother, Soledad Rinaldi, into a warm embrace. "Good to see you."

The woman returned the embrace, her eyes shining with affection. "My baby." She squished her daughter's face as Sol attempted to fight away her babying.

"So beautiful, so gorgeous, you look so skinny!" Her mom's filipino accent thick as thick as Sol remembers. The comment making her shift uncomfortably, but she knew the woman meant no harm.

With another embrace lingering for a moment longer, Solana led her mother into her villa, the scent of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the aroma of spices and herbs.

"So, I you cooked breakfast!" Solana explained, a hint of nostalgia coloring her words. Cooking had always been a way for her to connect with her culture, a way to keep her father's memory alive. "Longsilog. Just how dad liked it." She presented the beautifully plated sausages paired with eggs and rice.

Her mother's eyes lit up with recognition as she surveyed the comforting scent and the familiar filipino breakfast.

"Oh! It smells good." She took in the scent. "But know, I'm on a diet. So, I'll just have some coffee." Her mother insisted, a frown painting Sol's face with slight disappointment.

"Ma, you should've told me. I could've made an alternative!"

"It's okay, anak. I'll be okay with this." The woman motioned to the newly poured cup of coffee in her hands. "Your dad loved oily foods too much anyways."

"Well, duh." Solana shrugged. "Best part." She let out a soft laugh, her mother slightly unamused but still smirking.

"Ma, it's just a joke." The tennis player playfully nudged her mom. "Come on, at least sit with me." She smiled and pulled out a seat from the kitchen island.

Waiting for her mom to join her, the two exchanged soft smiles before Solana decided to mindlessly dig into her cooked meal. Savoring every taste that reminded her of back home in the Philippines, a place she will always visit whenever given the spare time.

"What is this?" Her mom caught view of a red envelope sat near the edge of the counter, proceeding to reach forward and grab it.

"Oh?" Solana quirked a brow. "Uhm, it's just Charles' wedding invitation." She explained before taking another bite of her food.

"Excuse me?" Soledad glanced at her daughter as she read the invite. "Why have I not received one yet? I would have expected one for me, Leonardo and the family." The woman scoffed.

"What?? You haven't gotten one?" The girl was shocked by her mother's words. Nearly offended .

"Not that I know of." The older woman's tone was bitter as she sipped her coffee. "Ha. Your stepdad helps fund his karting career and everything else, and suddenly we can't even get an invite to his wedding." She pettily scoffed. "That boy."

"Maybe it's on the way." Sol tried to be nice. "There's no way he and Madeline could have forgotten you guys."

"It has to be because of that bitch. It has to be." Her mom snickered as Sol facepalmed.

"Ma! Be nice!"

"No! I never liked that woman." Soledad Rinaldi laughed. "She's a controlling witch. She's bitter, insecure, jealous—Do I need to keep go?" Her filipino accent getting more aggressive.

"Siyang Bruja!" She proceeded to call Madeline a witch in Tagalog.

"Hoy, tama na." The tennis player proceeded to tell her mother to stop in the same language, once again taking another bite of food.

"My god. You really are your father's daughter." The woman snickered, pointing at her daughter. "Always giving others grace when they don't deserve it."

"Everyone deserves some grace, Ma."

"Not that woman." She shook her head. "Her own soon to be mother in law resents her even more." A sigh escaped her lips as she took a pause and laughed.

"I always thought it'd was you that Charles would marry."

"MA." Solana got flustered at the thought, her tagalog continuing to come out in a panic, continuing to mindlessly talk to herself in the language.

"What? It's the truth!" Soledad set her mug down. "You and him were inseparable—Pascale and I thought you two would eventually get together and—"

"That's enough talking." Solana felt sick to her stomach as she pushed her plate away.

"Didn't you have a crush on him?" Her mom kept pressing for answers and adding fuel to the flames. The girl's eye nearly twitching at such a question.

"Do you still?..."

"No, I do not." The girl rested her face in the palms of her hands as her elbows were propped up on the counter.

"Sinungaling." The woman called her daughter a liar.

"Ma, I'm begging you." She glanced. "Please, stop."

"I'm just asking!"

"Well, stop asking!" Sol groaned. "How about we go back to the fact you haven't gotten an invite to the wedding?"

"Right." The woman sniffed through her nose and glanced back at the elegantly designed invite. "There's a plus one allowed?" She read the invite.

"Yeah." The younger girl grabbed the piece of paper from her mother's hands as she glanced at the words all over again. "I was shocked to read that. I would've thought Charles wanted something small and private."

"Who cares?" Soledad was uninterested at that fact. "The question is, will you bring someone?"

"No."

"Nakakahiya." Soledad snickered at her daughter as she called the girl embarrassing in the reoccurring use of Tagalog. Receiving a light smack on the arm with the red envelope in return. "Not funny."

"Bring someone! You need to find a boyfriend eventually, And I'm getting impatient." She groaned. "I want grand babies. Your sister and brother are too young, plus Chiara refuses." The woman mentioned Solana's half siblings and step sister.

"I am ALSO young?" Sol quirked a brow. "Not to mention the tennis career I worked years and years for..."

"I'm getting gray hairs, anak." Soledad groaned.

"You've already got gray hairs, ma."

"Which is why I need my grand babies before I get a full head of it!" She argued. "Oh! Maybe you'll meet someone at the wedding!"

"I thought Chiara had a boyfriend?" Sol brought up her stepsister again. Someone she wasn't very fond of as the two never got along growing up.

"They broke up." Her mom scoffed. "She cheated."

"Oh my god. No?" The girl gasped. "He was a good guy!" Sol was taken aback. "Why would she do that?"

"No clue. My goodness you should've seen her dad." The woman's lips thinned. "Scolding of a lifetime." She tisked. "Ugh, please, anak. I'm begging. You're my only hope right now." Soledad continued to beg her daughter.

"Sobrang dramatic." Solana called her mother dramatic. "You're still young too! Just be patient!"

"Will you ever get married?"

"Oh my god, Ma! Yes, I will!" She groaned before standing up from her seat to clean up and wash her dishes. "Just give me some time. I'm still young. I'm a busy athlete at the moment, you know?" Solana's filipino accent coming out ever so slightly.

"You give me high blood." The woman childishly scoffed, her daughter continuing to just ignore her small rant about wanting grandchildren.

VERA'S VOICE. i'm abt to yap.
soledad valerio rinaldi you are so diva queen but also...

well. generic filipino mom lowkey. (me projecting)

some solana lore for u guyss! her dad passed when she was younger, she has a step dad, siblings and a step sister likkkeeeee yeah. more to come!!!! & obviously named after her mom bc soledad ... sol ... solana. YEAH. + her filipino roots of course.

also anak is an endearing term for daughter / son / my child!!!! so there u go ^_^

another filler tbh
kinda rushed but i needed to include sol's lore!

anyways hello elena! hello belle!
looovvvveeee vvvvveeeerrrraaaa