Preparation

(3 months later)

The leaves sway in tune of a happy melody coming from a window on the second floor of a mansion where a young beautiful girl sings with a voice that could make any heart flutter with bliss.

"It's not until fall that you fly…" a soft vibrato vibrates across the room.

Angel stopped singing, then closed the book she was holding as soon she heard footsteps getting closer to her room.

*knock knock*

"Come in." she said and a sweet blossoming smile runs across her face as soon as she saw the mahogany door opened presenting a tall and handsome youth.

"Big brother!" she put down her book then ran towards Lanken, he picked her up like a doll, holding her close to him.

"You are still pretty light my dear Angel…" Lanken said in a neutral tone but you could see the softness in his eyes.

Angel pouted and Lanken found it cuter when she do these kind of actions. A small smile drew itself on Lanken's face as he continued speaking.

"How are the preparations coming Angel? Do you need your Big brother for anything?" Hearing his question, Angel shaked then nodded her head making Lanken confused by her gesture.

"Yes and No Big brother."

"No because Mama and Papa are keeping things under their eagle-like watch, everything are almost settled, I just have to perform well when the time comes and Yes because you'll be my escort along with Brother Andrew and Loius, Remember? So you have to look absolutely the best so that people could see the Godly looks of my Big brother!" Angel proudly said with her chin up.

He just tapped her cute little nose with his finger lightly then said, "Silly… it's your night, you're the one that's going to shine. Remember to keep your head up and give them your loveliest smile."

"Yes Big brother! But how do I do the loveliest smile?" Angel asked.

"You just have to remember the first day you had with us when you found your home in our family, that's how you mustered your loveliest smile the last time I've checked." He said in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

Angel giggled due to her Big brother's antics.

*knock knock*

"Young miss it's time for your dance lesson." A butler called out from the other side of the door.

Lanken put Angel down and held her hand as they proceed to open the door. As they opened the door Mr. Marken, the butler, bowed in courtesy.

"Young master, Young miss." Mr. Marken greeted both Lanken and Angel, they nodded their head as they acknowledge his greetings.

"Hello again Mr. Marken!"

"Yes Young miss, hello again." Mr. Marken smiled then led them the way to the ballroom area on the first floor.

Mr. Marken told Angel her schedule this afternoon that are consists of dancing lesson till 2:30 pm, then 3:00 to 4:00 pm for the piano lesson. Not that she's bad at it, in contrary she was a prodigy because she absorbed the lessons like a sponge with water, she's just continuing the lessons because she thought it was fun and as to not forget learning. She's a natural when it comes to music, like moving to the beat, going along with the melody and be in tune perfectly. She caught up with her studies too and even learned more than what she should have learned according to her age. She's a total package but she never slacks off, she also worked hard to get there. Attending practices, working with her stamina and health, she does advance studies garnering praises from her instructors and everyone in the mansion.

This routine lasted for 3 months and in a week she'll be 8 years old this year.

"I've got this." Angel held her fist high with a determined eyes which made Lanken and Mr. Marken smile full of warmth while looking at their precious princess.

"Yes you do my dear Angel." Lanken patted Angel's head gently.

Angel went to greet her dance instructor then started their lesson while Lanken and Mr. Marken went back to their individual businesses.

Angel finished her afternoon schedule and had dinner with the family.

After that she went back to her room to take a warm bath prepared by the maids to wash away all her fatigue.

"It's nice… this thing called family."

Remembering every moment that happened this last 3 months with them.

Going shopping to fill her wardrobe with her mother and aunt, it was very tiring, yes, it almost took a day and they weren't even finish as they browse in their laptops to "online shop" as they called it.

She and her cousins, Big brother Andrew and Loius, often played in the lawn, sometimes they roleplay as pirates, sometimes they were knights and wizards, and they even put up a little stand selling lemonade to the maids, gardeners, and other people in the mansion.

Angel laughed as she recalled her Father's face because she put too much lemons on his drink, it was very funny, he didn't get mad, he also laughed at her mistake too.

She was scared though, she thought she will be beaten because of her mistake but it didn't happen which made her realize that this is not her old family that she feared.

She also enjoyed her time with her Big brother Lanken in the library, it was quite and serene, Lanken don't talk much but sometimes they had interesting conversations about literatures, science, and sometimes Lanken read her stories before she went to sleep, not often though since he is also busy studying for school and learning how to handle the family's business.

Everything was more than she could ask for, and she was glad that God gave her a chance to live this life.

*yawn*

"I better finish up and go to bed." Angel got out of the shower and wore her pajamas holding unto her rabbit plushie then went to bed.

"I can't wait for my birthday next week, I hope I'll meet lots of people though I'm scared because last time I was mobbed with torches and stakes."

She recalled her last moments in her last life then shakes her head to try and forget.

"It will not happen again, with my family by my side, I won't be afraid again." Angel drifts off into the wonderland with a smile on her face.