Present...

"Bakit di mo sinabi sa akin na siya pala nakasabay mo sa eroplano?" I groaned in frustration while carrying Anais' luggage and putting it on the back compartment of my car. She was just staring at me na parang ako pa ang may kasalanan. 

"Pag ako di mo tinulungan dito, uuwi kang nakayapak sa kalsada", I said warning her. 

"Eto na nga oh, I'll help you na. You're so pikon!", she said in a childish-like voice. She helped me put the rest of her stuff in my car. 

"Para kang ewan talaga. When you left, isa lang maleta mo tapos ngayon may excess baggage ka pa. Ano ba yang mga binibili mo? Buti sana kung pagkain." 

She roughly closed the trunk of my car making a loud sound. She even faked a sweat on her forehead pretending to wipe it. Kala mo naman napagod sa pagbuhat. 

"Dammit, Anais! Dahan-dahan lang please", mangiyak-ngiyak kong sabi habang hinahaplos ang bagong bili kong Range Rover. Walang hiya talaga tong si Anais eh. Bininyagan na agad. She made a peace sign and smiled sheepishly at me before entering the shotgun seat. Napa-tss nalang ako sa kaniya. 

I surveyed my car for any scratches and checked the tires before going inside the driver's seat. Ganito talaga pag bago ang sasakyan. Alagang-alaga. 

I fastened my seatbelt and turned on the engine of the car. Nagsimula na akong mag drive papunta sa bahay ni Anais. 

"Hey, you didn't answer my question yet", I said bugging her. I gave her a glance. Here eyes were closed.

"What question was that again?", she asked weakly. 

"Yung about sa kaniya..." I trailed off not being able to say his name. 

"Kanino?", Anais asked while smirking. 

"Nananadya ka ba?", asar kong tanong sa kaniya. She sat up straight and crossed her arms. 

"Girl, you need to take a chill pill. First of all, I was about to tell you a while ago na siya ang nakasabay ko sa airplane but then you ended the call. Nakasalubong ko siya on my way to the restroom. He just nodded and walked past me. Also, it's been almost two years since you broke up with him. How could he not find someone else? You nagged at him not knowing what he was going through. That must've been so hard for him", Anais said giving me a taste of my own medicine. 

Nahiya tuloy ako sa sarili ko. I felt embarrassed with how I acted earlier. Ako pa talaga ang may ganang magalit na makita siyang masaya sa piling ng iba when in fact it was I who broke up with him. The nerve of me. I'm still so selfish. Ang laki siguro ng galit niya sa akin pati na rin si Tita Sol. Kamusta na kaya siya?

I got back to my senses when I heard a honk from the car behind us and Anais shouting my name. Naka green light na pala. 

"How are you feeling?", Anais asked. "You must've been caught off guard seeing him again like this after a long time."

I bit my lip and tried to stop myself from crying. "I still love him obviously." I gulped trying to swallow what I just said. "Hindi naman madaling mawala yun eh. Pinipilit ko ang sarili kong kalimutan siya. I go on blind dates. But when I saw him a while ago, I still felt that rush in my heart like what I felt when I first saw him. It's just so stupid, you know. After pushing him away, I still have the audacity to want him back? Ang tanga ko talaga." 

"Shh, stop saying that. It's okay if you haven't moved on yet. Just take your time. You know I'll always be here, right?", Anais said comforting me. 

"What the fuck would I do without you, Anais?", I uttered. 

After a few minutes, we finally arrived at Anais' house. I just dropped her off because she wanted to rest. May jet lag pa. 12 hours din kasi ang byahe. 

Dumiretso na ako ng bahay dahil Sunday naman ngayon at wala akong trabaho.

"Ate!!!", salubong sa akin ni Zara pagkababa ko ng kotse. 

Zara often sleeps over at my house now. Isang linggo ko rin siyang hindi pinansin nung kakabreak lang namin ni Dee. I thought she was being a snake when I found out about her arranged marriage with Dee. Turns out I was foolish enough to believe Dee's father. Everything went back to normal between us after that. 

"Ate, did you check your email? We received an invite for New York fashion week!" She squealed. My eyes widened in shock. 

"Oh my gosh! Really?! Niloloko mo ba ako? Patingin nga!" I harshly grabbed her phone from her hand and read the contents of the email. Puta, totoo nga!!! 

"AAAAHHHHHH", sabay naming sigaw. We were still in the garage so our voices probably echoed in the streets. 

"Huy, ano bang nangyayari sa inyo diyan? Sa loob na kayo mag ganyan. Nakakahiya sa mga kapitbahay", sermon sa amin ni Nay Fellie na nakasilip sa may pintuan. 

Zara and I smiled at each other before going in our house. 

"Hey, dad. You're here", I greeted him. 

I call Mr. Madrigal dad now. Bumawi siya sa mga pagkukulang niya sa amin ni Zara. He gave effort for our relationship to be harmonious at para mas makilala niya ako bilang kaniyang anak. I gladly gave him a chance. Yes, it took a while for me to warm up to him but he's still my dad after all. I'm sure my mom wouldn't want me to plant a grudge on my dad. Kahit na matanda na ako, it's never too late to feel that fatherly love I've always longed for.

"Yes, anak. I thought we should all go out for lunch today after going to mass para makapag bonding naman tayo", he said. 

"Dad, isang gabi lang ako nawala sa bahay, na-miss mo na ako kaagad?", singit ni Zara. 

"You know I will never get used to being alone at home."

"You're still young, dad. Try to go out on dates. Ask your friends to set you up", I said while getting juice from the fridge. 

"Oo nga naman, dad. You don't want to be single for the rest of your life", Zara uttered while plopping herself on the couch. 

"Pass muna ako diyan. Wag niyo akong intindihin. Matanda na ako. I already have two daughters. You should be worried about yourselves. Malapit na kayong lumagpas sa kalendaryo, wala padin kayong mga boyfriend. Gusto ko na ng apo." 

"Eh dad, alam mo naman itong si ate, isang tao lang ang gusto niyang makabuntis sa kaniya", Zara said chuckling. I almost spit the juice I was drinking with what she said. Umagang kay kalat.

I gave her a death glare and bit on the apple I got from the kitchen.  

"What?", she playfully said. 

I ignored her and continued eating. Naalala ko tuloy yung nangyari kanina. May alam kaya si dad tungkol kay Dee? Business partners padin kaya sila? I have a lot of questions in my head but I didn't want to sound like I'm chasing him. 

"Ate, are you listening?" I snapped out off my thoughts when I heard Zara's voice. She looked at me with concern. 

"W-what?" 

"Sabi ko kay dad na we'll go shopping later after eating. We need to prepare outfits for fashion week!", excited niyang sabi. Right, we're going to New York! It feels surreal. Pangarap ko lang yan dati pero ngayon natupad na. 

"Wag ka na bumili dito. Let's just go there early so we can shop. There are more options of clothes there", sambit ko. 

"Kayo talaga. You make clothes but still buy from other brands", singit ni dad. Natawa nalang kami sa kaniya. 

We spent the rest of the day bonding with each other. Syempre, kasama namin sila Nay Fellie at Kuya Dan. Nagsimba muna kami bago pumunta sa mall. We never forget to go to Sunday masses. Things between Dee and I didn't end well but there are still lots of things I am grateful for and that includes the gift of family. 

"You sure di ka sasama?", tanong ko kay Zara habang nilalagay ko ang mga toiletries sa maleta ko.

 It's been a week since I saw Dee at the airport. I did everything I could to take him off my mind. I made myself busy so now, I'm flying to Singapore to check our atelier's branch there. After almost two years, the Suarez Label became known in the international scene. We expanded our business to Singapore and in the making na din ang branch namin sa Dubai. Kaya hindi na rin ako nagtaka nung nakatanggap kami ng invite for fashion week. 

"Ok lang, ate. Ikaw nalang pumunta. We still have client appointments for the next couple of days so may isa talagang maiiwan sa atin. Tsaka, kung sasama man ako ngayon, edi sana nag impake na ako. Ang late mo naman mag-aya." 

"Ano ka ba. Nung kailan ko pa sinasabi sayo na pupunta ako ng SG para tignan yung branch. Wag kang ano diyan", pang-aasar ko sa kaniya. I zipped up my Louis Vuitton suitcase and got my muted purple long cardigan from the couch. I wore a simple white halter cropped top paired with beige cargo pants. I also wore my white Fila shoes and my black Chanel quilted shoulder bag. Just a comfy ensemble for a three-hour flight. 

"Ilalagay ko na toh sa sasakyan Dani ah!" masiglang sabi ni Kuya Dan. 

"Sige, kuya. Pabuhat nalang. Salamat!" Binuhat na palabas ni Kuya Dan ang maleta ko. Lumingon ako kay Zara at Nay Fellie para magpaalam. 

"Mag-iingat ka anak ah. Pakamusta mo ako kay Lili", sambit ni Nay Fellie.

"Sige po, Nay. Nako, ano na kaya itsura ni Lili? Matagal nang hindi umuuwi yun. Minsan na nga lang kami magkausap."

"Napakabusy palagi nun. Napapabayaan na ata niya sarili niya. Sabihan mo na kumain siya sa tamang oras ha. Kung pwede lang ako sumama, nako, makakatikim sa akin yung batang yun." Zara and I chuckled at her remark. Sayang nga talaga. Expired kasi passport ni Nay Fellie at di pa niya naaasikaso kaya di pa siya makapunta sa Singapore. 

"Sige po, nay. Ako na po ang bahala kay Lili." I hugged her tightly before facing Zara.

"Oh, ikaw naman. Pumunta ka rin dito para naman di malungkot si Nay Fellie tsaka si Kuya Dan."

"Yes, ate. Don't worry", she said while smiling at me. She gave me a hug. 

"I'll see you in New York next next week. I'll get going." 

I bid the both of them my goodbyes one last time before getting in the car. Hinatid ako ni Kuya Dan sa airport. 

As soon as I stepped out of the car, I felt that unexplainable feeling again. That feeling when I saw him last week. There's nervousness, love, excitement, and most of all...guilt. 

A gush of wind run past me as I made my way to the inside of the airport while pushing my baggage cart. Nakapag check in na ako at hinihintay nalang ang boarding. Mga two hours advanced din kasi ako andito. 

"Good morning passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight PR1206 to Singapore. We are now inviting those passengers with small children, any passengers requiring special assistance, and passengers in business class, to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately ten minutes time. Thank you." 

I stood up from my seat and grabbed my carry-on luggage with me. I was able to get in the plane early because I'm in business class. I sat down on my seat beside the window. I love looking at the clouds during short flights like this. It keeps me calm and relaxed. 

A few minutes later, I felt someone sit beside me. I didn't really bother because I'm used to travelling alone. Iba't ibang tao na rin ang nakatabi ko sa eroplano. I was just scrolling on my phone habang may wifi pa. 

Mga ilang minuto pa ang lumipas bago kami nag take off. Nang nasa taas na kami, I took a photo of the window and the clouds and posted it on my stories. 

"Why do people always take photos of the view during take off?", rinig kong sabi ng katabi ko. I furrowed my brows and looked at the person beside me. My eyes widened in shock when I saw a classmate of mine back in high school. 

"Jace?", takang tanong ko.

"The one and only", he said smirking. I chuckled. 

"You didn't change at all. Ganiyan ka padin magsalita", I said. Jace used to be my competitor. Palagi kaming nagpapagalingan sa class all because of a bet he made. He wanted to show that boys are smarter than girls. Well, jokes on him. I always come first and he's just right behind me. 

"You too, actually. Except for the fact that you're famous now." 

"I never really expected to be one. I just wanted to become successful. Ang dami nang blessings na binibigay sa akin even though sometimes I feel like I don't deserve it."

He looked at me intently. "You worked hard for everything that you have right now that's why you're there", he said. I smiled at him. 

"Eh ikaw ba? What do you do now?", I asked changing the topic. 

"I'm a civil engineer. I'm actually going to Singapore for a project I'm working on."

"Wow, bigatin ka na rin pala!", sagot ko. 

"Syempre! Ako pa!", maligalig niyang sabi. 

We just talked to each other for the rest of the flight. It wasn't that boring compared to my previous flights because at least right now, kahit mag-isa ako, kilala ko naman yung katabi ko. It was fun to catch up with him. We talked about our high school days and how Anais hated his guts because she found him arrogant. 

"Pano ba yan? My service is here now", Jace said pagkarating namin ng arrivals area.

"Sure, go ahead. Parating na din siguro sundo ko." 

"Ok, then. I guess I'll just see you around. Bye." 

"Bye", I said. He smiled at me sweetly before going towards the exit with a bunch of guys. I was left looking at the people's faces to check if Lili is here. 

"Saan na ba kasi ang babaitang yun? Nauna pa akong dumating sa kaniya." I took out my phone from my bag and tried to contact her. 

"Ay pota ka!", sigaw ko nang may gumulat sa akin sa likod. I turned around and saw Lili. I surveyed her look from bottom to top. She was wearing shorts and a cropped top. Her hair is curled and has brown highlights on it. Her thick glasses were replaced with grey contacts. 

"Kanina pa ako andito. Di mo ba ako nakita?" 

"Gaga ka! I didn't even recognize you. Grabe, need ko pa palang mag migrate sa ibang bansa para mag glow up", tawa kong sabi sa kaniya. She quickly wrapped her arms around me. I gently massaged her back. 

"I missed you so much, Dani", she said in a soft voice. She pulled away from the hug and looked at me. 

"I missed you more, Lili. The house will never be the same without you. Minsan nga, ayaw ko nang umalis ng bahay dahil naaawa ako kay Nay Fellie. Palagi nalang malungkot. Umuwi ka na kasi." 

"Konting tiis pa. I'll go back for sure." 

"Anyways, you look so different now. You don't dress up like that, you don't like dying your hair and you certainly do not like putting contacts. Umamin ka nga. May nilalandi ka dito noh?"

"Dani, ano ba! Ang kalat mo padin kahit wala kang dilig!", sigaw niya sa akin. My jaw dropped with how those words just casually came out off her mouth. 

"O. M. G. Kung sino ka mang sumapi sa katawan ni Lili, umalis ka na. Di na nakakatuwa ito", I said jokingly. She chuckled at the way I acted. 

"Seriously, Lili. You've only been here for what? Almost 2 years. And like everything about you has changed." 

She sighed. "Nagbago man ako ng anyo at pananalita, ako padin toh, Dani." She tapped my shoulder. "I'm still your friend." She smiled at me widely. Her eyes were beaming with joy. Lili's like a sister me and so I was really affected when she left even though I pretended that I was okay. 

"Tara na! Gutom na ako", pag-aaya ni Lili. 

We took a cab on the way to Marina Bay Sands where I'll be staying for five days. I chose to stay here because the store is located at the mall inside the hotel. It actually opened a few months ago but then I was left in the Philippines because I had a flu so Zara went without me instead. That's why it will be my first time to see the newly built atelier.

"Ang laki naman ng kinuha mong room. Buti sana kung may kasama ka", Lili said as we entered my hotel suite. 

"You can stay here tonight if you want para naman may kasama ako." I took off my shoes and laid my body on the bed. 

"I have a shift tomorrow. Pwede ako ng Tuesday night. Punta tayo ng club! Maganda nightlife dito!", she excitedly said as she placed my other things on the table. 

"Sige" I quickly sat down. "First to five points. Ang matatalo ay manlilibre", I said while positioning my hands in front of her to play rock, paper, scissors. 

"Ikaw nga dapat ang manlilibre eh. You asked me to fetch you at the airport." She looked at me with a smug look on her face. 

"Excuse me, ikaw ang nag-aya sa club", I said teasing her. 

"Fine, fine." She took off her shoes and sat on the bed. We played rock, paper, scissors at buti nalang nanalo ako. I can save up more money for me to buy new clothes. 

"Ayan, happy ka na?", Lili said while giving me a fake smile. I laughed at her loudly and I almost fell off from the bed. Natabig ko pa yung bag ko kaya nahulog ito sa lapag. Its contents also scattered now on the floor. I stood up and got it when I saw a bunch of papers that caught my eye. I felt a lump on my throat as I remembered these letters I wrote to Dee everyday since he left. 

"Tawa, tawa ka pa ah. Sinasabi ko talaga, makakabawi din ako sa-" Lili's words were cut when she saw my eyes fixed on the papers on my hand. "Hey, are you okay?" 

"Y-yeah." I looked up at her and gave her a reassuring smile. I quickly hid the letters and put it back inside my bag. I turned away from her for a bit to brush off the tears that were starting to form in the corner of my eyes. 

"Let's go out. Akala ko ba gutom ka na?", I said changing the topic. Just when I said that, I heard her stomach grumble.

"Okay, then. Looks like my tummy is saying yes" She nodded her head in agreement. "Dun tayo sa lobby kumain. May mga restaurants dun." 

I grabbed my compact mirror from my bag and fixed my make up before heading downstairs. Pagkarating namin sa baba, biglang dumami ang tao. I remembered it's a weekend so it's normal for the place to be crowded at a time like this. 

We decided to eat at Adrift restaurant located in the lobby. It took us a while before the waitress lead us to our seats. There was a long waiting line outside. 

"Ay sa wakas, nakapasok rin. Pero kailangan pa nating mag-order tapos maghihintay ulit tayo." Lili grabbed the menu on the table and browsed on the food. I sat down in front of her. 

"Eh bakit kasi dito pa tayo kumain? Pwede naman tayong kumain sa mas konti ang tao", I reasoned out to her.

"Dani, this restaurant is one of my favorite here. Medyo pricey but it's worth it. Kaya umorder na tayo at takam na takam na ang tiyan ko sa mala-gintong pagkain dito." 

"Aba-aba! Di ka na kuripot ngayon ah"

Order me anything. Yung masarap ah." Alam naman na ni Lili kung anong masarap dito kaya siya nalang ang pina-order ko ng pagkain ko. 

"Excuse me." She raised her hand to signal the waiter to to take our order. Pagkatapos niyang ibigay ang order, tumayo siya. 

"Dani, cr lang ako ah. Kanina pa ako naiihi. Pakibantay yung bag ko ahh."

"Go ahead. No worries." I watched her run to the restroom until her silhouette was out of my sight. 

I took the chance to admire the entirety of the restaurant. It looked so classy and elegant. Nabaling ang tingin ko sa grupo ng mga lalaking nakatayo sa may entrance. I furrowed my brows when I saw a familiar man. Hindi ko masyadong makita ang mukha niya dahil nakatalikod siya sa direksyon ko at kausap niya ang kaniyang mga kasama. I got a bit shocked when he turned around and revealed his face. 

"Blaze", I uttered. 

**End of chapter**