"It's about time I meet them now," Micheal told them.

"I don't think that is a very good idea. They tried to kill you once, who knows if they won't try that again," Winnie reasoned.

"Yeah Michael, I agree with Winnie," Katherine added.

"They won't, they were only able to do it then because I never saw it coming. I wasn't prepared. This time it's different," Michael argued.

He added, "I've prolonged this for so long already, I should face them now. I should deal with it."

"Henry, I'm so sorry about what happened to you. If there's anything you want me to do just tell me," Martin told him.

"Uh actually you already helped me with something. I asked your secretary to do something for me without asking you first, I'm really sorry."

"What is it?"

"I asked her to lie to Calvin's secretary that you're out of town for business."

"Were you guys doing business with Calvin all this time?" Katherine exclaimed.

"Umm..." Martin scratched his head trying to recall for a second before turning to Michael, "How does this Calvin relates to my company?"

"He is the owner of the jewelry company that was started five years ago. He used the money from the gemstone to start the company. Calry is the name of the company. Does that ring a bell?"

"Oh that one! The CEO of that one is the Calvin you've been talking about?"

"Yeah...His contract with us was ending this month. I told your secretary to tell him that we won't be renewing it. I'm sorry to do this behind your back. I was going to consult with you and submit business proposals from even better companies which I already started reviewing. I wasn't going to allow the company to suffer a loss from my personal business."

"No, you did the right thing to not renew the contract. And this is no longer a personal business, I wouldn't allow my company to do businesses with a murder."

"Yes, thats right. It's a good thing you did that Son," Katherine nodded to agree. Michael smiled.

"Thanks Dad...And I'm also really thankful for bringing my mom today. I don't know how you found her address that fast without asking me or Winnie but I really appreciate what you did."

"Wait..he doesn't know?" Katherine asked Martin.

"Know what?" Michael asked, confused.

"Umm...she is the woman I've told you about," Martin sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

"What woman?" Michael questioned him, not getting what he was referring.

Martin coughed before saying in a quiet voice, "Uh my best friend I met two nights ago."

"Your first love??" Michael's eyes widened, "MY MOM IS YOUR FIRST LOVE???"

"What!!??" Katherine eyes widened. Martin face palmed himself.

Michael muttered a small sorry to Martin, realizing he wasn't supposed to say that out loud.

"You two were high school sweethearts?" asked Winnie, not well reading the situation.

"No, we were not." Katherine started coughing from choking on her saliva. Michael rubbed her back to soothe her.

"Yeah, we were just friends," Martin answered in dismay.

"Oh! Sorry," muttered Winnie.

"Wait...so does that mean JR is my father Jeremy???" Michael exclaimed.

"Yes, JR is the name he went by back in the days. It stood for Jeremy Raymond, his full name. How do you know about it? I haven't used it in a long time," Katherine asked him.

"Da-Martin told me. At the time I didn't think it was the story of you three," Michael told her.

Michael had thought JR came between Martin and his first love, but then that he became aware JR was his father he also felt as guilty. He suddenly felt like he was the reason those two weren't together all that time. If his mom didn't have him with Jeremy before he died maybe she would go look for Martin, didn't Martin say Katherine was telling him he was the only one he had back then. Or maybe he was reading too much into things. He dismissed the idea at the back of his head as his mind drifted back to matters at hand. Calvin and Haroon. Tomorrow I shall meet them.

* * *

Michael was helping Martin to reheat the food, they all were cold after hours they took catching up and talking about this and that.

"So..umm...you and my mom," Michael trailed off. "I would have never thought your first love was her," he laughed.

Martin sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. He seemed to be doing that a lot.

"How was she like back in the days?" Michael asked him.

"She was pretty, she still is. Almost every guy in the school had a crush on her," Martin said fondly. Michael raised his eyebrows at him, which went unnoticed by Martin who was mesmerized recalling their past.

"She had a really nice personality and a kind heart too, everyone loved her. The teachers, the students, everyone," He added.

Michael smiled. That was so his mom.

"She was also cheerful. She had this ability to uplift anyone's mood anytime. Even though she grew up as an orphan that never discouraged her to be the kind and cheerful person she was."

"Are you ever gonna tell her?" Michael questioned him, he could see how much he still loved her.

"Tell her what?" Martin asked, confused.

"That you loved her. You still do, don't you?"

"Michael-"

"I think she deserves to know."

"Aren't you bothered by it? I thought you wouldn't be happy by the fact that the first love I have been talking about is your mother."

"Why wouldn't I be? You're the best guy I know."

"Because of...of y-you know...your father, JR."

"Oh!" Michael muttered. "The truth is before knowing JR was my father I thought this guy came between you and your first love. You loved her first. You have been with her all that time and then suddenly this one cool guy walks in and boom you lost her to him. I felt sorry for you. But now I feel even more sorry to you. I can't help but think it's me and my father who came between you two, I'm sorry."

"No, He-Michael. Don't be sorry. I have always wished that things would have been different back then, that I would have confessed my love before JR did, Or that JR wouldn't have transferred to our school. But now that I have met you, I wouldn't have anything differently. Because that means I wouldn't have met you, there would have been no you, and I can't have that!" Martin looked at him with a warm sincerely smile.

"I'm glad you think that way," Michael smiled back.

"So, how was my father like?" Michael asked him, "I don't have that many memories of him, And the fews that I have are too vague."

"Unlike me who was some sort of a nerd and mostly talkative around my close friends only or unlike Katherine who was talkative and cheerful around almost everyone. He was mysterious and the coolest among the three of us. No one could tell what was in his mind, especially when we first met him. He was what nowadays you people refer as bad boys, kind of. Not the type that they do drugs or fooling around with every woman. No, in fact he was the opposite of that. He was the kind that didn't care of the bunch of girls that were swooning over him, or care to explain himself in any situation. He was the less talkative one among the three of us yet he knew how to have fun. He would suggest some dangerous activities for us to go and do, like sea diving in the middle of the night or sneaking into clubs when we were still underage," Martin smiled as he recalled their high school memories.

"He looked like someone that was fun to be around," Michael smiled.

"Oh boy he was!" Martin laughed. "I guess that's why Katherine loved him too," Martin added in a small voice. Michael almost missed that last part.

Martin eyes widened in realization, "Come to think of it, you're exactly a mixture of them two. It's no wonder you're their son. You have their good genes of course, but you also have their personalities. This is fascinating."

"Do I?"

"Yes, you're kind and cheerful like your mother. At the same time you're also mischievous and cool like your father. You also have his eyes and your mom's smile. You're also smart like them. Although they weren't as smart as me they weren't falling that far," Martin grinned at the last part.

Michael laughed at his silliness, "Thanks, It feels really nice to finally meet someone who knows my father. A lot of people I knew have only seen him in pictures."

"Don't worry, come to me anytime and I will tell you every single thing I remember about him."

"Thank you a lot."

"It's nothing really."

"Not just for that, for taking me in. For treating me like your own son all this time. For letting me experience what having my own father feels like."

Martin looked at Michael with a sad smile before taking him in for a hug. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes.

"Thank you for being my son also," he whispered in his ear.

And just then the microwave alarm beeped.

"Now let's call the others and eat, we had a long day," Martin told him as he released him from the hug.

*******************************************

~5 years ago~

"So...about this friend of yours, Winnie, do you like her?" Calvin asked Mike.

"Of course I do."

"I'm not talking about liking her that way, do you like her like 'like her'? Is she the one?"

"Maybe," Michael smiled.

"What the hell is maybe?"

"What's this sudden interest on my love life Cal?" Michael raised his eyebrow at him.

"I've always been interested in your whole life, you're my bro," he shrugged.

"Yep! And speaking of which...Haroon told me you went out with Molly?" Michael said questioningly.

Calvin cursed under his breath, "Is there anything that he never tells you?"

"Haroon liked her bro, you shouldn't have!"

"And she liked you, but none of you were ever gonna make any move on her. So why making a big deal when I do?"

"It's unsaid bro code man. You don't even like her! But your bro do,"

"Oh now I'm a bad guy?"

"You're not Cal. I know you care about us, it's just sometimes you don't think straight. But don't worry I'm always here to straighten you out. I've been busy with uni but once I finish next year you'll never even look at the direction of your future sister in laws," Michael said teasingly.

"Future sister in laws?" Calvin raised his eyebrow at him. "You mean Winnie?"

"Maybe," Michael smiled.

"I never looked at her!"

"Yeah, you sure did not!"

"I swear! At least not that way,"

"I believe you."

"So you're actually admitting you like her, and she will be our future sister in law?"

"After this trip I'm planning on asking her out," Michael smiled.

Calvin's eyes widened. He felt a throbbing pain on his chest, he unconsciously clenched his fist.

"Wait..did I hear this right? Did Mike just admit Winnie is the one?" Haroon shouted, as he stepped in the room.

"Yeah, you heard right!" Calvin answered quietly.

Haroon stared at Calvin for a second before he went to Michael and hug him, "Oh Mike, I'm so happy for you. Winnie is a real nice girl, I really liked her. And we could also tell you loved her so much! So, since when?"

"I think it was love at first sight," Michael blushed. Haroon's eyes widened at the rare sight.

"Woah! Michael Jeremy Raymond is blushing! You really do love her!! And you stayed all this time without telling us? How could you?" Haroon hit him on the shoulder playfully. "This is something to celebrate."

"Stop making a big deal out of it. It's not like we're a couple...yet," Michael smiled.

"Yeah Haroon, stop making a big deal when it's nothing. We are not even sure Winnie likes him too," Calvin said.

"She does. Who doesn't like Mike? Plus didn't you see her eyes, the way she looks at him. The way they look at each other," Haroon said, making Mike smile even widely.

Calvin abruptly stood. They all stared at him.

"I'll go bring something to eat!" He said before walking out of the room.

"There's room services, we could've just ordered," Michael said but Calvin was long gone.

Haroon sighed.