| 68 | You're My Only Confidant

[ S E R A P H I N E ]

“Where is he?”

“Nasa kusina pa din.” [Still in the kitchen.] I sit up and stare at my mother's name on my phone until the black letters blur. I'm alone here in the living room, lounging on the sofa with my new textbook, waiting for the drilling noises to stop.

They're not helping this stupid headache in any way, but I can't really complain. After all, not one room in this house belongs to me. I'm just the cook and part-time maid. Gardener, too, sometimes.

“Making dinner?” my mom asks on the other end, sounding genuinely curious about Dominico's pastimes. “He cooks, too?”

“Tapos na 'ko magluto. Wala na naman sa mood. Ayaw makipag-usap.” [I already cooked. He's not in a chatty mood again.]

“Bakit?” [Why?]

“I dunno,” is all I say, not bothering to feign a pleasant tone.

Dominico and I haven't really talked last night. And the other night. I'm still not sure why he came home so late.

My first guess is: he's been working on some backlogs. But my gu