Nate could hear Auntie May’s laughter from outside the gate. He thought she’s having another lunch with the ladies from her group in the church. To his surprise, she’s only having coffee with Dina. The two have grown closer these days.“How come you’re back already?” Auntie May asked as he's getting out of his car with those still fresh yellow tulips in one of his hands.Nate smiled at them but held back a little. After the small tiff with Dina last night, he’s not prepared to see her as early as now. “There’s something in my stomach. I had to rush back,” he said.“Those are beautiful flowers,” Auntie May said upon noticing the flowers.Nate looked at flowers with disappointment. “I wasn’t able to give them away,” he said.“You left without meeting your friend?” Auntie May asked. Dina quietly listens to the conversation. She too wasn’t expecting Nate to arrive around this time.Nate shook his head. “I couldn’t but I called her. I told her I couldn’t meet her today,” he said.T
“Are we all good to go for the viewing tonight?” Lora asked her team.“Yes, Ms. Lora. Everything is ready for tonight,” her assistant confirmed.“How’s the attendance?” Lora asked.“Only one has not confirmed. Nate Romero,” her assistant said.Lora sighed. She feels that the tiny hope is fading completely.“That’s fine. Our bosses are the important guests. Finally, this project will be over and we can plan for the next one soon,” she said.Cela’s entourage waits for her at the lobby of her place.“Wow, the gang is complete!” she said. “I’m staying here. We’ll wait for you to come back after the viewing,” Nanny Rita said. She’s holding her new born baby girl.“That’s a good idea. This cutie must take care of my place,” Cela said of Nanny Rita’s daughter. “Besides, your mother knows everything and beyond than what we are about to see in the viewing,” she said.“Good luck! Everything will be good,” Nanny Rita said.“How are you feeling, sis?” Rolan asked.“I’m okay. Everythin
The blue sky with the setting sun and the cool breeze make a perfect late afternoon at the park. This is one of those moments when it is certain that nothing will ever go wrong. It’s like the answered prayer that finally came after years of waiting, longing, and enduring sadness.Anyone can stay in this moment forever.Cela looks at her picture from her phone. She smiles at how she looks on the picture taken more than a year ago on the day of the viewing of her last book that was turned into a mini movie aired on television. One of the guests snapped a photo of her while trying to collect the roses that fell on the floor after she tripped. The picture is not bad at all. She turned into a meme that is rarely seen as beautiful rather than funny. She feels good about it and the memory of that night becomes a constant reminder for her to move forward and get what she deserves.“Hello,” she picked up her phone.“Hey, I’m leaving my hotel now. I can pick you up from your hotel,” Nat
"Cela!!!" Ivy screams in excitement as Cela enters the room. She caught everyone's attention in that small space that fits only a few people.Cela waits for what Ivy has to tell her. Her face does not show any kind of emotion despite Ivy's obvious exaggerated greeting."Good news, good news, not-sure if good news," Ivy started saying. She can't contain her excitement.The lines on Cela's forehead begin to show. Nothing makes sense to her. "Just tell me."Ivy is used to Cela's lack of emotion. As her editor, she's mastered handling her so well."Your second book is selling faster than the first one. Only three branches of the bookstore have not confirmed the final sales yet as of 5PM today but the other seven already did!" she told the first good news."Really?" Cela asked in a casual tone but a smile shortly appeared on her face after realizing she's having a back-to-back success.The other people in the room are more expressive of their excitement than her."I just had a call wi
"Finally home!" Cela said to herself as soon as she stepped inside her apartment. It's still bare but already messy. Papers are everywhere and trash cans are full of empty soda bottles, instant noodle bowls, and take out containers. The evidence of working almost non-stop prior to the release of the second book are still inside the house. She couldn't even find time to take them out.She sits on the sofa and tries to enjoy it this time. She wants to release all the tensions she had while visiting her old house. Both her brother and nanny were convincing her to stay for the night, which she didn't want to plus some familiar visitors came in late and all of a sudden, she was bombarded with the usual invading questions she didn't want to deal with. Here in her own nest she feels safe. No one can bug her here. She won't allow that.As she tries to enjoy the cozy sofa without having to think of the following day's activities because there should be none, her eyes saw the bag that Na
Cela woke up effortlessly despite having very few hours of sleep. They say old habits die hard but it's a good thing that the early morning sky is worth waking up to. It's a treat."Good morning, Ms. Cela," Hyun excitedly greeted her on the phone while looking at himself in the mirror. He hates that he fell asleep without putting his facial mask on. "I'm sorry, I only saw your message this morning," he explained."Good morning, Hyun," Cela greeted him too. "I'm the one who should be ashamed for bugging you after I told you yesterday that you should ignore work related matters during this break.""It's okay, Ms. Cela. By the way, the team went clubbing last night and we had so much fun. You should join us next time," Hyun said."That's good to hear. You deserve to have fun. You should have told me about it early on so I could contribute," Cela said."I'll take note of that for next time. By the way, what is it about?" Hyun asked."Oh, actually I have a favor to ask from you," she
Cela spent the entire Saturday afternoon browsing movies and series to watch on cable channels and streaming sites. She ordered and ate a lot of her favorite foods. She did everything she could to keep her mind away from the thought of meeting Nate for the first time after so many years. It's now past midnight but she's wide awake. It may be an old habit that will take more days to change. She wants to keep her phone out of her sight but that's another habit that will not go away any time soon. She hates the frustration brought by not being able to see Nate's profile. Like her, he keeps his account private. She wonders if he also tried even once to find her all these years and did he also get frustrated when he couldn't view her account? Will meeting her also bring him excitement like it does to her? Monday finally arrived. It's the most anticipated Monday in her life for as long as she could remember. She thought she just experienced the slowest Sunday in history wanting
"Hey, where am I? Why is it dark here? Am I dead?" Cela asked herself. "Oh, no, no, no…it can't be. I can't be dead. I still have so much things to do that I haven't even started yet," she continued talking to herself in the dark.Hyun nervously waits outside the emergency room. He just called Ivy and asked her to rush to the hospital. "Hyun?" Somebody called him but the voice is not familiar. He turned around and saw Nate."I followed you here as soon as I learned about what happened," Nate explained. "Where is she? Who's with you?" he asked.Hyun could not answer immediately. He is still shocked and confused at what happened.Another voice called him. This time, it's Ivy. "Nate?" Ivy asked. She too knew Nate from high school. She's just not sure why he's here."Ivy? You're here too?" Nate asked. "Let's talk about that later. Anyway, Hyun, please tell me what happened," Ivy asked. Hyun was about to answer when Rolan came rushing. He looks very concerned but is tryin