Habang naglalakad ako papasok sa site kasama si Apinya, the early sun streamed through the skeletal frame of what would soon be a finished office, casting sharp lines across the floor and filling the place with warmth and anticipation. The buzzing sounds of drills and the dull thuds of hammering hit me all at once, reminding me of just how close we were to seeing this space fully come to life.

Inayos ko ang aking hard hat at tumingin sa paligid, soaking it all in. These were our plans—mine and Ar. Marco's—a whole layout revised and designed over countless late nights, frustrating meetings, and, honestly, a few too many coffees. Seeing it in the flesh like this was something else. My fingers were itching to touch every surface, to trace the lines of a space we had created on paper but which was now real, standing right before us.

"It's amazing to see it come together, isn't it?" I murmured, more to myself than to Apinya, who had already whipped out her tablet and was snapping photos. Hindi ko man lang sinubukang itago ang pagmamalaki sa boses ko. The light was flooding the room just as we'd planned, catching the edges of the beams and casting shadows across the freshly plastered walls.

Lumingon siya sa akin, tumango bilang pagsang-ayon. "Yes, it's beautiful! You and Architect Marco did such a good job. Now I understand why Architect Roman was pushing the deadlines so hard—totally worth it, don't you think?"

I smiled, feeling warmth spread through my chest. "Yeah, to me, it feels like every corner of this place tells a story. You know that feeling when something you worked so hard on finally becomes real? There's nothing like it."

Naglibot kami, tinitingnan ang bawat bahagi ng mga opisina, huminto sa mga lugar kung saan ginagawa ng mga manggagawa ang huling mga detalye. Marco and I had been stubborn about those details, insisting on certain elements that didn't exactly make the builders' lives easy. But standing here now, seeing the way the light hit those features, it felt worth it.

At one point, Apinya and I stopped to watch the crew working in one of the main meeting rooms. The ceiling design—a painstakingly intricate element Marco had pushed for—was being carefully installed. I knew this room would end up being one of my favorite spots, with its high ceiling and warm lighting, a quiet oasis in the middle of a bustling workplace.

"Great job, sir," I said, addressing the foreman who was directing his team through the installation. Binigyan ko siya ng mabilis at taos-pusong ngiti. "Almost there na po tayo, mukhang walang palya." Ay, nakalimutan ko. Hindi niya maiintindihan ang Tagalog.

Pero sa kabila nito, tumango siya pabalik, may ningning ng pagmamalaki sa kanyang mga mata. "Thank you, ma'am. We're making sure to follow every detail in the plan you and Architect Marco gave us."

Nang marinig ko iyon, parang...totoo, siguro? Parang lahat ng oras at pagsisikap na inilaan namin sa mga rebisyon na ito ay nagbunga, hanggang sa pinakamaliit na detalye. I stole a glance at Apinya, and the smile she returned told me she understood exactly what I was feeling. This was more than just a project; this was a piece of us.

As we started heading back toward the entrance, Apinya turned to me, a mischievous grin lighting up her face. "So... this means we're almost done with this project, right? Think Architect Roman will let us have a small celebration after this?"

Tumawa ako, umiiling. "Hopefully! But knowing him, he'll probably hand us another revision to work on before we get a chance to relax."

"True!" she laughed, rolling her eyes. "But come on, even if it's just for coffee, we should celebrate this. We deserve it."

Walking out, I paused one last time, looking back over my shoulder at the offices we'd designed. They looked solid, ready, and close to completion. I could feel the pride swelling in me again, and for a split second, I let myself savor it. I knew this feeling wouldn't last long—soon, there'd be more revisions, new designs, another project on the horizon. But for today, this was enough.

As Apinya and I turned to leave, my phone buzzed sharply in my pocket. A quick glance at the caller ID told me it was one of the site coordinators. I put the phone to my ear, already feeling the familiar spike of adrenaline that came with unexpected calls on-site.

"Tek Shan, we have a bit of an issue in one of the offices. There's a problem with the ceiling paneling alignment," the coordinator reported, his tone tense.

"Alright, I'll check it out," I replied, giving Apinya a quick, apologetic smile. "Duty calls again. You can head back if you want. I'll catch up with you later."

"Good luck, Shan!" Apinya waved, heading toward the exit as I pivoted back inside, pulling up the plans on my tablet, mentally preparing for whatever was waiting.

Lost in thought, I turned a corner quickly and didn't notice the stray metal rod lying on the ground. My foot caught on it, and before I could react, I was tumbling forward. The impact hit me hard, a sharp, searing pain shooting up from my ankle as I collided with the floor. Nalaglag ang tablet mula sa aking mga kamay, kumalabog sa tabi ko habang hinahawakan ko ang aking binti.

"Oh god..." I gasped, the pain unbearable, twisting in waves through my ankle and up my leg. I could barely process it. Lumabo ang aking paningin, at naramdaman kong may mga luha na sumisibol sa aking mga mata, hindi ko maawat.

I was still in shock, struggling to pull myself together when, out of nowhere, I saw a figure racing toward me. At first, I thought it was just another worker, but then I caught sight of his face as he got closer. It was East.

East? Here? I thought, confusion mixing with the haze of pain. I hadn't seen him on-site all day; I'd assumed he was off inspecting something somewhere else.

He knelt down beside me, his face etched with concern as he reached out, his hands gentle as he examined my ankle. "Shan! Ayos ka lang?" His voice was calm but urgent, an anchor in the middle of my muddled thoughts.

I shook my head, biting my lip to hold back the tears. "H-Hindi ko alam. It hurts so much."

Without hesitating, he placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "It's alright, I'm here. Let me check your ankle." His touch was steady as he carefully lifted my foot, examining the swelling that had already started to appear.

"Can you move it at all?" he asked, his gaze intense but kind.

Humugot ako ng mahinang hininga at sinubukan, pero ang galaw ay nagpadala ng isa pang dagok ng sakit pataas sa aking binti. Sumigaw ako, at agad niya akong pinigilan. "Alright, alright, don't push it. Just breathe."

Tumingala ako sa kanya, hindi pa rin makapaniwala. "Hindi kita nakita buong araw. Akala ko wala ka dito sa site ngayong araw."

He gave a small smile, one that seemed to carry so much more than he was letting on. "I was just in the back, handling some things. When I heard you'd come to check on the ceiling issue, naisip kong dumaan at tingnan kung kailangan mo ng tulong. Guess I was right," he said softly, still studying my injury.

There was something in his eyes that I couldn't quite read—concern, yes, but also something deeper, something that almost made the pain feel lighter. It was strange. I felt safe, like he'd somehow catch me every time I fell.

***

The hospital room had a faint hum of machinery and antiseptic smell, and as I lay there, I couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. My ankle was swollen, elevated on a stack of pillows. I tried not to look too closely at it, focusing instead on East, who sat beside me, calm but with a focused worry in his eyes. He wasn't rushing or panicking, just staying by my side with an intensity that made me feel... cared for.

The doctor examined my ankle, pressing in a few spots as I winced. "It's a pretty bad sprain," he said, looking at both of us, "but luckily, no fractures. You'll need to stay off it for at least two weeks, maybe more, depending on how it heals. Lots of rest, and no weight-bearing for now."

East nodded, absorbing every word, his face serious as he listened. "We'll make sure of it, Doc," he said, glancing over at me.

I was trying to laugh it off, feeling awkward. "So... I'm sidelined for a while."

Ngunit bahagyang umiling si East, binigyan ako ng tingin na lumambot habang nagsasalita siya. "No, it's just a small setback, Shan. You'll be back on-site in no time."

The nurse came in with a pair of crutches, showing me how to use them, but as soon as she handed them to me, I felt completely uncoordinated.Napansin ni East ang aking pag-aalinlangan at agad na kumilos, inabot ang mga saklay sa kanyang kamay.

"Let me help," sabi niya, ang boses niya ay banayad, halos nakapapawi. He moved to my side and adjusted the crutches, glancing up to meet my eyes with a reassuring smile. "You don't have to worry about anything for now. I'll take care of it."

I nodded, a little overwhelmed by his kindness. "Thank you, East," bulong ko, inilipat ang bigat ko para subukan ang mga saklay.

"Dito, sumandal ka sa akin," he said, steadying me. I felt his hand come to rest on my arm, firm and secure. His support was strong and comforting, and I allowed myself to lean on him a little more, finding my balance.

"Alam mo," sabi ko, sinisikap na magdagdag ng kaunting katatawanan, "hindi ko talaga naisip na ganito matatapos ang araw ko."

He let out a small chuckle. "Neither did I, but hey—maybe I'm just meant to be your knight in shining armor today."

I rolled my eyes, feeling a smile tug at the corners of my mouth. "Isn't that a little dramatic?"

"Maybe," he said, shrugging as we made our way slowly out of the room. "But I didn't think I'd be racing across the site like a madman just to find you either, so I'm leaning into the role."

I laughed, but it was short-lived as I leaned too hard on my foot, wincing from the sharp pain. Agad siyang lumapit, mas humigpit ang kanyang pagkakahawak. "Dahan-dahan lang," sabi niya, puno ng pag-aalala ang kanyang boses. "Just lean on me. I've got you."

As we made our way to the car, he helped me settle into the seat carefully, and once he was in the driver's seat, he turned to look at me, his face serious again.

"Shan, you don't have to thank me for today," sabi niya, tahimik ang boses. "Gusto ko lang siguraduhin na okay ka."

Ang kanyang sinseridad ay hindi ko inaasahan, at sa isang sandali, ang tanging magagawa ko lang ay titigan siya. "Well, thank you anyway," I replied softly, a small smile breaking through. "I really appreciate it."

As he started the car, he reached over to adjust my seatbelt gently, his fingers brushing my shoulder. "Let's get you home," he said, giving me one last reassuring glance.

The car ride was mostly silent, but it was a comfortable silence. Every so often, he'd ask me how my ankle was feeling or if I needed anything, and I'd give him a quick, reassuring nod or a quiet answer.

When we arrived at my place, he came around to open my door, and before I could even reach for my crutches, he lifted me up in his arms. I let out a surprised gasp. "East! I can walk with the crutches!"

He just shook his head. "Shan, you've been through enough today. Just let me do this." His tone left no room for argument, so I sighed, surrendering.

Habang buhat niya ako paakyat ng hagdan, tumingin siya sa akin, may nakakalokong kislap sa kanyang mga mata. "'Wag ka lang masasanay na binubuhat kita. Sa bigat mo hindi ko alam kung hanggang kailan ko kakayanin buhatin ka," pabirong sabi niya, may ngiti sa kanyang mga labi.

I laughed, resting my head against his shoulder for just a moment. "Fine. Just this once."

When we reached my door, he set me down carefully, watching me to make sure I was steady. "Alright, Miss Independent," he teased, "think you can handle it from here?"

Ngumiti ako, nakasandal sa pintuan. "Oo, sa tingin ko kaya ko naman."

But as he turned to go, I felt a pang of gratitude, and before I could stop myself, I called out, "East?"

He stopped, turning back to face me, eyebrows raised in question.

"Thank you," I said quietly, looking into his eyes. "For everything today."

Tumango lang siya, malambot ang kanyang tingin. "Anytime, Shan." And with that, he was gone, leaving me standing there, feeling unexpectedly moved by his presence and his quiet, unwavering care.