"Hey, Morriah!" bungad ni Mando nang makalik sa reception desk. "Thank you so much for your help! I moved out all of my stuff from my old room."

Kinuha nito ang susi na inabot ng binata. "You're welcome, Armand. I hope your stay with us will be great. I'm sure this has been explained to you by our staff when you checked in and that you can also find it online, we host some special events occasionally. I know you've been in one of them so you should expect during your stay with us."

"This is exciting! Thank you so much. You're such a big help."

"No worries!"

Nang umalis naman si Mando ay muling naiwan si Morriah sa reception desk at muling inayos ang system at nagpadala ng housekeeping staff sa inalisang kwarto ni Mando. It has been a day for her and work isn't over yet. Marami pa siyang kailangang tapusin. She knew reopening the hotel would take much of her time. She watched her parents sweat blood and tears for it so she wouldn't just give up because she was tired. She wanted to make this hotel alive again in the spirit of her beloved parents.

"Hello, everybody!" Pumintig ang tainga ni Morriah nang marinig ang pamilyar na boses ng lalaki.

Hindi sigurado ni Morriah kung si Rik nga ba ang narinig niya kaya hindi siya umalis sa pwesto nito. It could be some other guy na kaboses lang nito. If Rik was still in the town, she would've known it. Wala man lang text o tawag sa kanya. She was wondering if he was avoiding her at all or just tired of everything that has to do with her. After spending almost a day thinking about it, she wasted much of her time doing it. Hindi na niya sana pa pinag-aksayahan ng panahon ang taong iiwan din pala siya sa huli.

But Morriah raised her head when she heard knocks on the door. As soon as she found who it was, hindi niya alam kung anong mararamdaman nito. Napasinghap pa ito, pero hindi niya masyadong ipinahalata sa lalaki ang reakson niya.

"Good evening, Mo," nakangiti pagbati pa ni Rik sa kanya. Naglakad naman ito palapit sa reception desk at pinatong ang braso sa mesa. "How are you?"

Ibinaba ni Morriah ang tingin sa laptop at hindi pinansin ang lalaki sa harapan niya.

"Hey, yoohoo!" tawag pa nito sa pansin ng dalaga. "I'm here?" Kaway pa ng kamay nito sa mukha ni Morriah, pero hindi pa rin siya natinag at patuloy na hindi binalewala ang presensya ng lalaki matapos siyang pag-alalahanin nito buong araw. "What's wrong? Did I do something wrong?"

Napangisi si Morriah, pero hindi pa rin ito sumagot sa tanong ng lalaki.

Napahugot nang malalim na hiniga si Rik at ipinamulsa ang dalawang kamay. "Okay, I think I did something wrong. I know what happened last night—"

"Stop," she cut him off before he could talk about what they did last night. Napalingon si Morriah sa paligid dahil may nakarinig sa kanya. "It's not about what we did last night."

She looked at him with so much passion but hated at the moment.

He clicked his tongue. "I think I know it."

"Good."

"Okay, I apologize if I didn't come to work today."

"Rik?!" she exclaimed. "That's not what I was talking about!"

"Alright! Alright! Please do tell me because I don't know why you are mad at me right now if it wasn't for last night."

She let out a sharp breath. "You're not responding to any of my calls and messages. Where have you been all day? And yes, you've got work and I filled you and brought them to their tour today. Just so you know, you won't be getting paid today."

"I see, and I'm sorry for being M.I.A. today."

"Any explanation?" Morriah queried. "I'm your boss. I still deserve to know why my staff didn't come to work."

He smirked, nodding his head. "Alright, I was with Deni."

"Oh. . ." she muttered.

"But it's not what you think it was," he cleared out quickly. "She left Baler and I drove her to Manila earlier." 

Tumaas ang kilay ni Morriah sa sinabi nito. "Okay, but why?"

"The service she booked didn't pick her up," paliwanag pa ni Rik. "She called me and asked me if I could drive her to the airport as she realized her flight was scheduled for an earlier time. She was scammed and I couldn't let a friend spend more money so I did it."

"Driving back to Manila shouldn't be that long. I think it would only take you four hours."

"It was traffic. It took me six hours back and forth."

"You could've texted me, Rik! So I know where you are!" She groaned.

"I panicked, okay? It was so early in the morning when Deni called. I just left the hostel and left my phone there. When I got back home, my phone had no battery left so I charged it for a quick minute and saw all of your messages and calls. So, you're the first one I came to see. I'm sorry if I made you worry about me, alright? It won't happen again."

Iniwas ni Morriah ang tingin sa lalaki.

"Hey. . ." He reached out to her, wanting to get her hand. "I'm sorry. . ."

"I thought you left," sabi ni Morriah habang iwas pa rin ang tingin kay Rik.

Umangat ang kilay ni Rik sa pag-amin nito. "Huh. I didn't left. What made you think I did?"

"Because of what I did last night," she added. "I pushed you away and thought that it would be your last straw in me." Nang iangat nito ang tingin sa lalaki ay nahihiwagaan ang mga asul na mata nito. "I really don't want you to go and I'm sorry if I did that to you last night. I just couldn't bear the thought of you finding happiness with someone else other than me. . ."

"Oh, Mo. . ." he muttered. Rik went around the desk so he could hug her. "There's only one reason I came back to Baler and would always keep coming back and it was because of you."

"How can you keep coming back to me when I kept pushing you away?" she wondered.

"You're my home, Mo."

"A home shouldn't be hurting you and causing you so much pain."

"But that's what makes a home stronger, with all the pain and struggle, you will know how to challenge yourself to get over them. Even though we've been through so much pain, I would always choose you."

Nang inalis ni Rik ang pagkakayakap sa dalaga ay hinawakan nito sa magkabilang pisngi habang nakatitig sa mga mata nito.

"I love you. . ."

She couldn't utter those words until she got peace of mind about what happened to Rik.

"For my peace of mind, Rik. . . How many girls did you sleep with after our break up?"

Nag-aalinlangan pang sagutin si Rik sa tanong ng dalawa, pero ayaw nitong patuloy na magsinungaling sa babae. She loved her so much he only want happiness for her, but telling this might broke her.

"If I tell you, promise me you won't get at me."

It took her a while before she nodded her head.

"One," diretsyong sabi ni Rik. "And it was Deni back in Bali. It didn't mean anything to me. I had no hope that I would see you again and that you don't want me anymore so I did it. You know I was hurting too and Deni made me feel something at that moment, but I knew she wouldn't be like you. It only happened one time. Nothing anymore."

Napahugot na lamang nang malalim na hininga si Rik.

"Please say something. . ."

"That's all I wanted to hear."

"I'm telling you Deni and I are nothing, but friends," he cleared out.

"Yeah, I think I understand that."

"Are you mad at me?" he queried.

"I was, but it was also my fault why you were hurting so I can't be mad at you for doing that. We were nothing at that point. You didn't cheat. You didn't do anything bad. I also had no hope of seeing you again. You're living on the other side of the world and the fact that I'm stuck in Baler, I can't come to find you."

"I won't leave you."

"The future is uncertain," she muttered.

"But my love isn't," he declared. "My love for you didn't change."

At that moment, gusto na lamang yakapin ni Morriah si Rik at ginawa niya iyon nang walang pag-aalinlangan. Rik embraced her and she felt once him again. Sa tagal ng panahon na hind niya nakita ang lalaki at hindi inaasahang darating muli sila sa puntong ito. Naghiwalay lamang sa pagkakayakap ang dalawa ng may sumulpot na isang staff at nahuli silang dalawa.

"Uy!" pang-aasar pa ng staff sa kanilang dalawa. Natawa na lamang sina Morriah at Rik saka bumalik sa trabaho.

"I'll be at the bar area if you want to join me there," pag-anyaya pa ni Rik.

"Sure, I'll be there with you in a moment. I just have to finish what I was doing. . ."

"Got it, babe."

"Babe?!" she exclaimed. "Babe mo mukha mo.'

Rik chuckled. "What else should I call you?"

Morriah smiled and shrugged off. "You should go now. Remember, I'm still not paying you today."

Wala namang nagawa si Rik at tumungo na lamang sa bar area at kinamusta ang ilang staff doon.

On the other hand, iniwan muna ni Alleah si Mando sa kwarto nito para ipaalam sa mga kaibigan nito ang balita. Tumungo naman siya sa girls room kung saan ay naabutan niya sina Cara at Dominique. Nang makapasok si Alleah ay naabutan nila na nakangiti ang kaibigan.

"Anong klaseng ngiti 'yan, Ley?" takang tanong pa ni Cara.

"I've got some interesting news for you guys," panimula pa ni Alleah.

"What? Did something bad happen?" nag-aalalang tanong ni Dom.

Umiling si Alleah. "No! Mukha bang may masama akong balitang dala? Can't you see my face, Dom?" She rolled her eyes at him.

"Ay, sorry naman! Nagtatanong lang, e."

"It wasn't about me," muli nitong pagtutukloy. "Mando's back."

"What?!" Napatayo si Dom sa pagkakahiga nito sa kama ni Cara. "Are you joking me, Ley?"

Umiling muli ito. "No, I'm not! Though he won't be staying with you guys. Nando'n siya sa villa rooms. Go call Kenny. Nasa room five siya. Sinabi ko rin naman na sasabihin ko sa inyo so see him!"

"Alright! Let's go!" excited na sabi ni Dom. "I'll be back, babe." Hinalikan niya si Cara sa labi at dali-dali rin naman itong lumabas ng kwarto at pinuntahan si Kenny sa boys room.

"That's why ang laki-laki ng ngiti mo, Ley, ha!" pagpunto pa ni Cara at tinapik-tapik nito ang kama niya para paupuin siya sa tabi nito. "Anong feeling mo ngayon? May idea ka ba na mag-stay pala siya?"

Umiling si Alleah. "Wala! He only changed his decision kaning umaga."

"And because?"

Alleah only smiled.

"Because of you?"

She giggled.

"Girl!" Hampas pa ni Cara sa braso nito. "May come back na ba? So, ano na? Tell me what you are feeling! Iba kasi 'yong ngiti mo ngayon, e."

Napakibit balikat lang si Alleah. "I don't know. . ."

"Anong hindi mo alam?! Sure you would feel something!"

"Siguro I'm just happy that he stayed wit us," sabi ni Alleah. "We're in good terms now and we talked. Kung ano man 'yong pina-usapan naming dalawa, sa amin na lang muna 'yon. I don't want to jinx anything. Basta, I'm happy he chose to be with us."

"To be with you kamo," pagtatama pa ni Cara sa akin. "I'm so happy for you!" Niyakap pa ni Cara ang kaibigan.

Ilang saglit lang din ay may pumasok sa kwarto nila at dumating si Daia. Nang makita nia na magkayakap ang dalawa ay agad nitong iniwas ang tingin. Napansin naman iyon ni Alleah.

"Alam niyong dalawa, magbati na kayo. Para kayong mga tanga, e," sabi pa ni Alleah. Tumayo naman ito at lumapit kay Daia at hinatak ang kamay para [palapitin kay Cara. "Magkamay na kayong dalawa."

Pero walang aksyong ginagawa ang dalawa hangga't sa binunggo ni Alleah si Daia dahilan para matumba kay Cara at hindi siya umalis sa taas ng mga ito. All remained laughing at each other and seemingly this was the best day yet happened for Alleah in Baler.