To @mygreatlovemarch20, for promoting this story to the nth level haha and, of course, for being a very good friend...
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~~~ CHAPTER 31 - MOVING ON ~~~

TWO YEARS LATER

"Here's his note for you, Miss Ruiz," Miss Dela Rosa handed me a white envelope.

My attention was called by the Scholarship Department of the University of the South. When I met the In-Charge there, that was when I learned about the note. It had just been the end of the semestral break and I could literally smell the fragrance of summertime.

"Oh, another note from him! Thank you, Miss Dela Rosa," I said, smiling at her while accepting the white envelope.

"Congratulations! You've finally made it to the Dean's List this semester," she said. "Your benefactor must be very happy about it."

"Thank you, Miss," I said. "Well, I don't know if he's informed already. Thank you again, Miss Dela Rosa. Bye."

I was just outside that office when I felt the urge to read the note. I opened the envelope and I saw his beautiful penmanship on the piece of paper.

Miss Ruiz,

What can I say? You made it. You finally made it! You don't know how happy I am discovering about it. I'm very, very proud of you. Keep it up!
 
And then, of course, how could I disregard the beautiful signature under it?

S. Eliakim

His signature always fascinated me --- the cursive penmanship with the beautiful curves of the capital S and E and the neat and legible small letters that followed it. Just seeing his signature, you would tell he was quite an interesting man.

So he learned already my being part of the Dean's List this semester. It was he who said, through a note, that I had the potential of being an excellent student as he had monitored my grades. I just didn't believe it at first. But today, it was really happening. He must have the ability to tell things about the future...

Since I started my Social Welfare study at the University of the South two years ago, this amazing philanthropist had been supporting me in all my university fees. It was just I was lucky to be part of the few students, identified through some strict criteria, who were picked by the University to be sponsored by philanthropic donors, who were private individuals or institutions. It was indeed an unexpected blessing and I was lucky to be given an amazing philanthropist who never failed to pay all my financial obligations in the university and who always sent me notes of encouragement on my studies.

On one of his notes, he actually promised to meet me during my graduation next year. The thought of my graduation produced a chill in my body. One more year to go and I'd finally graduate... and I'd finally meet my amazing father figure... or grandfather figure... my benefactor.

I actually didn't have an idea how my benefactor looked like physically, but I always imagined him as a senior citizen who had already accomplished many things in life that giving his excesses to the needy became now his mission in life.

I learned from the Scholarship Department that, apart from me, he had other scholars in other parts of the country. See how generous he was?

People like him were my inspiration in finishing my degree in Social Welfare. I wanted to be like him... and all the others who shared their blessings.

Still looking at the beautiful handwriting on the piece of paper, I was smiling broadly. Why do you inspire me so much, Mr. Eliakim? Nobody inspired me this much in my studies. I was never this academically inspired before.

I remembered when I was still starting at my new university, I seemed like a lost soul at that time. I felt like everything seemed to have no more meaning... However, everything changed when the Scholarship Department informed me that I was one of those who would be given a scholarship. After a month, I received my first note from Mr. Eliakim.

Success is always possible if you have the heart for it.
 
That was very short but it was enough for me to start my life anew and try doing good in my studies. I really owed him a lot.

I was in that dreamy state when I heard a cheerful baritone voice at my side. "A letter from an admirer?"

I glanced at the direction of the voice and I saw one of the most sought-after faces in the campus, my Statistics professor, Prof. Sebastian Medina.

"Good afternoon, Sir," I greeted him. "No, it's a note from my sponsor."

He gave me a cheerful smile. "I was just kidding, Miss Ruiz."

I smiled back at him.

Prof. Medina was a young professor, actually just in his late twenties, who happened to be my Statistics professor and who assisted me once in the statistical analysis of one of my research papers. He was very accomodating and always very cheerful, not to mention his being very popular with the girls because of his good looks. I found his charming eyes as his most remarkable facial feature... eyes that seemed to dance everytime he spoke.

"Well, I've heard you've made it to the list this semester. Congratulations!" he said, extending to me his palm for a handshake.
 
I accepted it. "Thank you, Sir."

"You're doing good, huh? Keep it up, Miss Ruiz."

I then took my hand from his clasp because it seemed to me that he had no intention of releasing it. "Thanks again, Sir."

He smiled once more and started to leave. "See you around, Miss Ruiz."

I just nodded my head. He walked away and I went back staring at the piece of paper I was holding.

Mr. S. Eliakim, I really look forward meeting you.

I placed the note back in the envelope and put the white thing in my bag.

Well, goodbye second semester of my third year in Social Welfare! Welcome, summer vacation! I could finally have more time in the orphanage. Kids, here I am!

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"Come on, Thea. Let's get going now," a female voice called me from behind.

I turned my head and saw Mrs. Riviera.

"Yes, Ma'am," I said smiling. I was jubilant since it was my first day of my summer vacation. "I wonder if the kids are going to like these more than the last time." I looked at the cupcakes I personally baked and packed for the children at Marianne Orphanage. They were strawberry, vanilla, mocha, and chocolate cupcakes which were beautifully decorated. They were a sight to behold, not to mention their being mouth-watering. I made them especially for the children.

"You're the best baker I've known my whole life. It's no wonder why the kids love you so much. You kind of actually spoiled them with your cakes," the kind fifty-something woman looked at me with adoration in her eyes.

For two years now, I had been part-time working at her cake shop every early morning and late afternoon until the evening. Thanks to my interest and love of cakes that I was able to find a job related to it. While I went to the University every 9:00 am up to 3:00 pm on weekdays, I had to balance my time being a working student.

Though I had been lucky in my university fees, I still had to work for my personal necessities --- payment for my monthly apartment rent, electric and water bills, food, clothing, and other valuables.

Next school year, I would already be having my field education, more of like an internship. I was excited to have my social work practice specializing child welfare. Marianne Orphanage, a private social service agency unit managed by nuns, was one of the institutions I looked forward to work with during my field education.

Every Saturday, Mrs. Riviera would visit the Marianne Orphanage and she always tugged me along with her. With this constant visit, I came to love the orphaned kids there. I volunteered teaching them how to read and write and some other concepts that they enjoyed learning. I also helped the nuns in their activities mostly for the children and, honestly, I loved all these activities.

Today was Saturday, and as I said, first day of my summer vacation, so Mrs. Riviera and I would go to visit the kids again. The Marianne Orphanage was an orphanage that was very close to Mrs. Riviera's heart. She was one of the orphans who were under its care back when she was still a child. Thus, all through her life, she devoted much of her time to the orphanage that once accepted her and helped her become the person that she was now. She happened to be a friend of Kara's mother. So you have an idea now why I came to be here.

Mrs. Riviera, from being an orphan, became a successful entrepreneur in the biggest city in the South, the place where I was now settling for two years already... and you bet, a place that was very far away from my past...

Well, anyway, aside from being a benefactor to the Marianne Orphanage, Mrs. Riviera was at the same time very active to charity works. She even had me accompany her every time she went to these events. That only made me love helping and serving underprivileged children more.

I could feel that Mrs. Riviera's heart was close to orphans like her. That was why, the moment she knew about me, she instantly 'fell in love with me' as she said. Sometimes, she even would insist me to call her mommy but I refused. I just had to refuse. What would her husband and her grown-up children think if they'd know I was calling Mrs. Riviera mommy? But, more than that, I had my reasons why I couldn't call her that... 

"So, you ready now?" Mrs. Riviera's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Yup," I replied as I held the packages of cupcakes in my hands. She helped me in some of those in getting into the car.

"Javier's visiting today, isn't he?" she asked me when her driver started the engine.

I nodded. Yes, Javier would be coming this afternoon to see me. As usual, he was the same persistent Javier Suarez who never stopped offering his love.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"So, how's university this week?" Mother Clarita, the orphanage mistress, asked me while we were sitting on a bench near a tree in the playground with some of the children playing in the background.

"It's stressful as ever, Mother, but I'm doing good. We've just had our final exams, they were so hard I tell you, but I made it to the Dean's List this time," I announced happily.

"Oh, congratulations, dear!" she hugged me tightly and I felt I lost all air to breath because of her embrace.

She had become my confidante, especially about my studies, since I came to this place. Her cheerful nature always made me wonder with amazement. Mother Clarita was almost 80 years old but she was still as active as a five-year old. Okay, I was just exaggerating. Not so much as a five-year-old kid but she always had the energy to care for and play with the children in the orphanage.

And she cared for me so much, too. She would always say I was her favorite volunteer worker.

When she finally released me, I said, "Well, it's the start of my summer break today... so I can help now in the preparation for the upcoming anniversary of the orphanage."

"That's great, dear! Oh, I'm nervous thinking about these preparations. Glad you're here."

"Well, thank you, Mother. Yeah, thinking about these preparations really is nerve-wracking. But, at least, even if we're on the rack, these kids are so adorable that they just keep us inspired, right? Just seeing these kids make me so happy, Mother," I fessed up, giving the nun a smile.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that from you," she expressed happily. "By the way, will you, by any means, be able to be with us this evening? I'm sure the kids would love it, too." Her thin, wrinkly hand touched mine.

"Why, Mother? Any special occasion this evening?"

She nodded with a twinkle in her eye. "We'll be receiving VIP guests here. They've been donating for half a year now and they will come to see the kids and the orphanage for the first time. Do you think you can dally 'til 7:00 pm, dear Thea?"

"Why in the evening? Can't they visit at daytime?"

"Well, the main donor, the superior of this group, is a very busy man. I believe he has a tight schedule in his visit here in the South," she explained. "So, can you dally 'til 7:00 pm?"

Oh, I would love to! But, I had accepted Javier's invitation for dinner. I couldn't turn him down this time especially if I had turned him down many times before.

"Mother, I do like to be here but I can't. I'll be meeting a friend this afternoon and I promised dinner with him. I'm so sorry. Maybe next time when I don't have a prior engagement?" I said apologetically, clutching her hand.

"Oh, that's sad... Anyway, can I just save some of your cupcakes for the guests?"

"Sure, sure, Mother!"

"Thank you, dear." Mother Clarita hugged me.

Mrs. Riviera appeared afterwards and that became my cue that it was time for us to leave.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"It's so nice to see you again, Thea," Javier greeted me when we saw each other in the cake shop. Indeed, looking at him, I realized he was very handsome and always very gentle to me that it made me wonder why I previously closed my heart for him.

I received the bouquet of flowers he gave me and I couldn't explain why there was always a feeling of uneasiness in me every time I saw flowers.

Flowers... they remind me of a particular flower plantation... and a particular lagoon bank... They always gave me a nostalgic feeling... like missing a place...

"You don't like the flowers?" he asked curiously, probably discerning my unexplainable feelings for flowers.

I gave him a kind of glance telling him that his statement was a nonsense. "Girls love flowers, Javier, so thank you."

He breathed hard in relief. "Thought you didn't like them."

I led him to a vacant table near the counter. Few people were only there taking snacks in some of the tables. Most of them were familiar to me because they were like our regular customers. They also knew I was the pastry chef every weekend. They knew I didn't entertain guys around; hence, seeing me with Javier made their heads turn towards our direction.

I pretended not to take notice of them and their amazed expression upon seeing me with a guy.

When Javier and I were seated, that was only the time that I realized I was still wearing an apron over my blouse and jeans. "Oh, sorry, I forgot I'm still wearing this," I apologized taking the pink apron off me.

"It's nothing. You're always a knockout in any attire, Thea," Javier commented staring at me.

I didn't give him a reply on that. Instead, I changed the topic. "How was your flight?" Javier's province, where I previously resided, was actually almost a two-hour flight away from here.

"It was the usual," he pronounced.

As I sat across him, my mind flashed back to the time when I met Javier again. I met him in one of the charity events that Mrs. Riviera and I attended.

Well, as I said, Mrs. Riviera was an active philanthropist and she knew about my love of helping people. She was also very fond of me that she always brought me to those events. We reached even the farthest of places.  At first, I lost consciousness twice in those travels... That was why she discovered about my phobia in travelling until she persuaded me to submit myself to counseling.

I NEVER did.

Because of the stubborn mind that I had, I never did.

Instead, I just kept on travelling... I did it again and again and again... Not only did I travel with Mrs. Riviera, I also travelled with my professors and classmates, visiting charity agencies, meeting charity workers and beneficiaries, conducting case studies... until I could actually say to myself NOW that I had finally overcome the fear of long-distance travelling. For me, it was just a matter of controlling my brain. I had endured so much in my life, starting from my eighth year on earth and onwards, I could even say I had already mastered the art of pain. I would even call myself the Mistress of Pain because I had learned to control everything in me. I knew now exactly how to control my brain.

But the most remarkable of all, I had known and mastered myself how to control my heart.

So, Javier... yeah, Javier. He was, by the way, no longer the son of just the mayor in Sta. Fe but now the governor's son. His father won as governor in the recent elections. We met in one of those charity events. I tried to hide myself from him at first because I had tried to hide away from my past. I didn't want somebody from my past reappear again in my life because I was too damn afraid that it would lead me back to a particular person...

Thankfully, Javier proved to be somebody who was willing to bring out the new Althea in me. He never asked why I left. I just told him I needed to leave the Sarmientos so I could have a life of my own. He never asked questions. I accepted him into my life as a friend with one condition that he kept our meeting-again a secret to everybody in the Palacio de Sarmiento.

We had some catching up and I learned that he was to graduate next year with a degree in Political Science. He planned to pursue law afterwards.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Javier waited for me in the cake shop until the end of my duty. He stayed with me in the kitchen and he entertained me with his stories. He was a very eloquent speaker... really suitable for law studies. He was sitting on a stool near my working area and he looked very cute there as he smiled and talked like talking was his only passion.

It was almost 6:00 pm when I was done with my work. To get myself ready for our dinner, I told him to wait for me in the shop as I had to change first. Anyway, my apartment was just a three-minute walk from the shop.

Javier, just like before and just like what he was doing all this time, patiently waited for me.

I changed into a turquoise short dress and Javier brought me to a restaurant. This was our fifth time to go out on a date. Like before, he was very vocal with his feelings. And now, I was starting to consider him...

We had one thing in common... we loved charity works.

So, why not? There's no harm in trying, right? Just a little more time and I'll already be giving in to him.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"I'll come back next month, Thea," Javier stated as we were standing on my doorstep. He was already bidding his good bye.

"Sure," I mused. "Well, thanks for tonight."

"No, thank you very much for tonight," he said, catching me by surprise when he leaned to kiss my cheek.

"J-Javier..." I touched my cheek that he just kissed.

"You don't know how much you make me happy, Thea. Thank you." He backed away a little farther from me as if to see the whole view of me. "You're very beautiful," he said eyeing me from head to feet.

"Oh, don't flatter me too much, Javier," I said smiling. I looked at my wrist watch and saw the time. "It's getting late. You need to go now," I reminded him.

"Really hate time," he muttered. "Well, I've to catch my flight now."

"Yes. Bye, Javier."

"See you, Thea."

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

I was about to sleep when I received a call from somebody in the capital.

"Hello, Kara!"

"So, how was it with Javier?" she directly asked me.

"It was okay." I smiled at the thought of her. Until now, this girl who was still going strong with Serge was curious with my lovelife.

"Okay? What kind of remark is that?"

"Javier and I are friends and---"

"Right, friends! Well, yeah, what's the rush, right? I absolutely believe that you need to give yourself more time. There's no need for you to rush on things. When it's meant to be, it will be, right?"

"Yes," I said, more like a whisper. Love shouldn't be rushed. More importantly, it shouldn't be forced.

"I love you, Thea," she spoke and I could tell the intense emotions embedded on that statement. "I miss you. Hope to see you soon."

"I love and miss you, too," I replied.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

The week that followed was a very busy one. I had to work at the shop and help the nuns and Mrs. Riviera prepare for the upcoming Foundation Day of Marianne Orphanage, the biggest orphanage in the South. There were so many activities that were planned for the children and everything had to be made sure to be realized in a day.

Aside from those activities, the nuns were at the same time expecting some benefactors from the different parts of the country during the Foundation Day. Not only that, the nuns were also assigning me to escort some of these benefactors to the different areas of the orphanage during that scheduled day. I had to promise to them that I would be there the whole day.

Most of all, I had to bake the cakes for dessert for the luncheon because, according to Mother Clarita, one very important benefactor quite fell in love with my cupcake the last time that he or she visited the orphanage so that he or she requested its baker to prepare the same cupcakes. Would you believe it? So you see, I had a mountain of work to do. But I loved all these tasks. They kept me pumped up.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"I'm glad your boyfriend isn't visiting you today, dear," Mother Clarita told me in the morning of the Foundation Day.

"Boyfriend?" I echoed, very confused.

"The guy who visited you last week, remember?"

"Oh, Javier! He's not my boyfriend, Mother. He's just a friend."

"Oh, I thought---"

"I don't have a boyfriend, Mother Clarita," I said, picking a pink balloon. I was helping some of the other volunteers decorating the function hall. "Now, why would you be glad that Javier isn't visiting me today?"

"Well, you might not be around today and I can't allow it," the nun said firmly as she stood by my side. "Besides, I'd like you to meet someone today. Remember the benefactor who fell in love with your cupcakes? You'll meet him today," she said smiling.

Him? A guy?

"Mother, it's enough for me that somebody appreciates my cake. Would it really be important to meet him? That might not be important to him..." I pushed the stick of the pink balloon on a basket of flowers.

"He actually requested me to meet the baker of those cupcakes," Mother Clarita smiled at me. "It's time for you to meet some fine man, dear. You've been so engrossed with your studies and work. Besides, you still don't have a boyfriend---"

"Mother, are you playing Cupid right now?" I said, teasing her.

"No, dear. It's just that when I first saw him, I don't know why but my heart remembers you right away. When he said he loved your cupcake and that he wanted to meet the baker, don't you think it's a sign, dear?"

"A sign of what, Mother?"

"God's ways, my dear."

Trying to decipher what she meant, I looked confusedly at her.

And, I couldn't understand why my heart skipped a beat. It had been a long time already since I felt the same familiar beating.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

The guests were expected to arrive at exactly or before ten o'clock. A short program was to be held afterwards which was to be followed by the luncheon. Later, games were to be conducted to the children while the guests would have a tour around the vicinity.

In the meantime, while the guests hadn't arrived yet, I stayed in the kitchen to complete the cakes.

"Most of the guests have arrived," Mrs. Riviera announced  when she entered the kitchen door. "Mother Clarita is looking for you, Thea."

"Yes, I'll be out, Ma'am, right after I take these guys from the oven," I said referring to the cupcakes, same cupcakes that one particular benefactor loved.

"Okay, I'll go ahead and tell Mother Clarita that you're almost done here." Mrs. Riviera went outside.

At the mention of the guests, I immediately felt the skipping of my heart again. Oh, what was the matter with me? Had I drunk a lot of coffee this morning? Why did I feel strange palpitations in my chest?

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

I took off my apron, went to the rest room to check on my appearance in the mirror. I was wearing a white short sundress. Its hemline rested two inches above my knees. I chose white for today because I just felt white suited the event. My hair just hang loosely on my back.

Looking at my twenty-year-old self, soon to be twenty-one this summer, I would say that I was a bit different now --- already mature enough with life and fully aware of what I wanted with my life, at present, and in the future.

I went outside finally and headed to the function hall where the guests were welcomed. A lot of people were already there. Most of them were unfamiliar to me. They all looked well-off. I even spotted two celebrities. Wow, I didn't know they were benefactors of the orphanage.

I found Mother Clarita talking with some of them. When she saw me, she waved her hand, commanding me to get closer to her.

She was talking to a couple with both white hair. The man and woman looked like wealthy philanthropists. They immediately greeted me with a smile when I stood beside Mother Clarita.

"Mr. and Mrs Muñoz, this is Miss Althea Ruiz. She will be escorting you later during the tour. Dear, these are the famous Mr. and Mrs. Fernando Muñoz. They have been donating in our orphanage for twenty years already."

Wow. Twenty years.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mr. Muñoz," I greeted as I handshook each of them.

So, Mr. Muñoz was the lover of my cupcakes? A man with white hair, actually almost balding, had a sweet tooth? Unbelievable! Wasn't a man of his age supposed to stay away from sweets? No matter what, I almost chuckled at the thought. But, well, looking at this man, it made me think of Mr. Eliakim. I really imagined Mr. Eliakim to be just like him. My inner self was chuckling again. Here I was imagining Mr. Eliakim to be this old man.

"Miss Ruiz, we actually would like to see the playground later because our grandson gave us an idea about a playhouse," the old man began.

"Yes, yes, so we would like to see if we could add a playhouse in there," the woman continued.

Their statements brought me back from daydreaming. "Oh, that would be very nice!" I then imagined the happy faces of the children whom I learned to love. Definitely, they would love the idea, too.

I was in that state, smiling to the couple, when I heard someone, who just joined our circle, clearing his throat.

His.

A man.

Then, I heard Mother Clarita's voice saying, "Mr. Sarmiento, our dessert chef is finally here."

Mr. Sarmiento?

My heart skipped again for the nth time today!

I looked up at the towering figure who had just stood at my left and, immediately, two familiar dark eyes met mine. Just like the last time, it was the kind of stare that could make you feel as if you had just fallen into a dangerous trap you could never escape.

My heart fell out from my chest!

No, this couldn't be... This couldn't be!!!

Sometimes, fate just loves to play games with you... You make yourself ready or else...

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

A/N

Oh, the meeting... Sorry that I have to stop there, guys... Don't kill me for this, please.

Now, let me explain why it isn't possible for me to update twice a week. First, I work eight hours a weekday. Second, my only free time in writing is before bedtime. Third, my brain needs a lot of thinking before completing a chapter. Ideas don't just come out that easily, you know. Lastly, I'm gonna have to look after my baby girl on weekends. Yup, I'm a proud mother!

Thank you, guys, for understanding.

Don't forget to VOTE, COMMENT, and SHARE!

Lovelots,
(sapphiregirl22)  ~_^