I was worried about Cory all day. 

I have no idea where she went. Hindi ko siya sinundan as her request she wanted to have some space. I let her have it. Alam kong hindi naman gano'n kalaki ang Cuyo para mawala siya, but I'm worried that she might do something that will cause unlawful. I don't want her to get in trouble.

I was embarrassed with the Vilacartes. I felt like what I did is just to break their hearts into pieces. No briefing, no heads-up, they just knew it a few minutes before meeting her. Nabigla ko ba sila sa pangyayari? Does this surprise hurt them even more?

I feel like I was doing the right thing. Hayley's parents are emotional and they were trying to handle them in front of Cory. I can see Cory was shocked, surprised, and felt a little betrayed as I didn't tell her anything about it.

Meeting her biological parents was magical in my head.

Or maybe that was just me, after all.

After lunch, I tried looking for her around but had no luck. I'm not sure if she was hiding from me as I tried to go to the places we went to a couple of days ago. I had no luck finding her. I started contacting her, but I get no response every single time I tried to.

To Cory:

1:51 PM
7Nasa'n ka, Cory?

2:33 PM
Kung gusto mong mapag-isa, okay lang. Usap tayo mamaya, ha?

3:01 PM
Naiintindihan ko naman 'yong reaksyon mo. Nagulat din naman ang mga Vilacarte sa sinabi ko sa kanila. Pero gusto ko lang din ipaalam sa 'yo na gusto ka nilang makilala at makasama.

5:11 PM
Gusto mo bang puntahan kita kung nasa'n ka man ngayon?

6:32 PM
Dinner na, Cory. Hintayin kita rito sa labas ng gate. Baka kasi masaraduhan ka ng gate kapag late ka na bumalik.

I waited in front of the house, at the gate, just to let her know that I'm waiting for her. She might be tired and exhausted after being out all day. Gusto ko siyang yakapin at mag-sorry dahil hindi ko rin naisip na aabot sa ganito ang sitwasyon. It never really bothered my mind that Cory would be running away.

While waiting, I saw someone coming in and heading in my direction. My face lit up and I was hopeful that it would be her, but then it wasn't the person I was hoping to see. Dahil medyo may kadiliman na ay hindi ko nakilala kung sino 'yon. I only get to recognize who it was when she walked closer to me.

It was Hayley.

"Douglas? Nasa labas ka? Anong ginagawa mo rito?" tanong nito hangga't sa makalapit sa akin.

Nginitian ko siya. "Hinihintay ko si Cory. I don't know where she went. Hindi nga rin siya sumasagot sa mga text ko so I was just waiting for her here. Hopefully, nothing bad happened to her."

"I see..."

"Saan ka naman pupunta? Madilim na tapos ikaw lang mag-isa."

"Okay lang 'yan," aniya. "Kilala ko naman lahat ng tao rito sa street natin. Wala namang may masamang loob dito. You know that. Nandiyan lang ang Vice Mayor. Lagot sila."

Napangisi ako sa sinabi niya.

"Pero 'yon nga... I just wanted to check in lang ulit since bigla nga siyang umalis kanina... naisip kong kausapin ulit siya."

"Yeah, she's not here yet that's why I was waiting on her. I tried looking for her earlier, but I had no luck. I don't know where she went or she maybe found me, but avoiding me."

I took a deep breath. Hayley was a little quiet today.

"Hey, what's up? Ano bang gusto mong sabihin sa kanya?"

"A lot of things," aniya. "Hindi ko maisa-isa pero para maliwanagan na rin ang lahat. I heard DNA would be a great way para ma-determine talaga kung magkadugo ang isang tao, 'di ba? Pero di namin afford 'yon... so maybe she could do it for herself. Ako na magvo-volunteer magbigay ng dugo para lang mapatunayan 'yon."

"Yeah, I think that can happen... I just don't think right now would be a good idea."

"Nakaiinis ka. Kung kapatid ko pala si Ate Cory, sana sinabi mo na lang nang mas maaga. Kung ano-ano pang sinasabi ko sa kanya," sumbat nito. "Hindi nakatutuwa. O baka naman gawa-gawa mo lang 'to?"

"I wished I was joking, Hayley..." Napabitaw ako nang malalim na buntonghininga. "Pero you should be happy rin. Madalas mong kinukwento sa akin about sa "supposedly ate" mo na hindi mo nakilala kasi iniwan nga ng magulang mo sa Manila. Now she's here, you should be happy."

Napasinghal si Hayley. "Dati lang siguro 'yon. Hindi na ngayon... when we're all happy saka siya biglang susulpot. Magpakikita sa amin na para bang wala lang. She's living a life na malayong-malayo sa kung anong meron kami. She's not my sister."

"Hayley," pagtawag ko sa pangalan niya dahil hindi ko nagustuhan ang tono niya. "Hindi kita masisisi. But she's here. Alam mo ba kinukwento niya rin sa akin kung paano niya gustong makilala ang pamilya niya. When I've heard that story from her and found out na isa siyang Vilacarte, pumasok kaagad sa isipan ko ang pamilya niyo. I knew your family history and I got it all connected to her story. Siguro... hindi destiny na nagkakilala kami ni Cory ro'n sa Palawan. It was meant to happen para dalhin ko siya rito... not just to meet my parents, but her own family..."

"Kalokohan." Ngisi pa ni Hayley. Hindi ko alam kung anong tumatakbo sa isipan niya ngayon. "Maraming Vilacarte. Nagkalat din kami sa buong Palawan."

"But her story definitely suits your family story and history," I pointed out. "Marami nga Vilacarte at hindi lang dito sa Palawan, baka sa ibang panig pa ng Pilipinas. But her story is the missing piece to your puzzle. She completes it. I'm not even joking."

"Alam mo, Douglas, I was happy when I've heard na bumalik ka ng Cuyo. I can finally talk to you personally, mayayakap na ulit kita, at makakasama, pero nang makita kong may kasama kang ibang babae. That breaks me. Sinadya mo ba talagang dalhin siya rito?"

"Sadya? Oo. Dinala ko siya rito para ilibot kung saan ako lumaki. It was never my intention to put her into any situation that would harm her. Nasaktuhan lang na ang lugar na kinalakihan ko ay ang lugar kung saan nakatira din ang mga totoong magulang niya. It wasn't my fault. I was even joking about her meeting my parents because I knew she won't take any seriously. She's here for a job, not for me, or anything. Do you get that Hayley? Hindi ko siya dinala rito para i-girlfriend ko. That's not my intention. That wasn't hers, too."

"Pero baka ginamit mo rin siya to get back here in Cuyo," sagot ni Hayley. Humalukipkip pa ito. That was so off for me. I didn't know what to react.

"I didn't use her to get her here, but it was my idea to bring her here."

Natawa si Hayley. "Pareho lang 'yon! You used her para makauwi ka. Aminin mo, you've been wanting to go home, but I know you're saving up your money kaya hindi ka umuuwi. So when she came, nag-click na agad iyon sa utak mo. You took her for granted. So, why her?"

"She's your sister, Hayley. Don't do this."

She smirked. "Don't do what? Wala naman akong ginagawa, a?"

"It's like you're making me choose between you and her now," I told her directly. "I won't choose anyone. She's my friend, you're my friend."

"Douglas!" napasigaw na si Hayley sa inis. "I'm not just a friend. I know matagal na tayong magkakilala at parang nakababatang kapatid ang tingin mo sa akin, but that's the opposite thing for me. Since we were young, gusto na kita... gustong-gusto kita! And now because of her, mawawala na ang lahat. Just because she's my sister, you're gonna choose her. Paano naman ako na halos simula pagkabata ay tayo ang magkasama? You just knew her for three weeks, Douglas. Sinasayang mo lang ang oras mo sa kanya."

"Hayley..." My jaw clenched as I heard those words from her.

But she did something that shook me to the core. She put her hand on the back of my head and pulled me closer to her face and kissed me intentionally. It's like she's been wanting to do this. I can see the way she kissed me. She was needing it, too.

The next thing I knew, someone run next to us and entered the gate. I quickly shove Hayley away from me. I looked at her and her eyes are filled with tears, but I couldn't handle two women at the same time, and there was someone who needed me the most.

I went back inside leaving Hayley out. I followed the traces of Cory until she reached the door and locked me out.

"Cory," I called and continued knocking on the door. "Open the door, please. Please, Cory."

I continued knocking and calling her name, but she wasn't responding. She was quiet and that concerned me even more.

"Cory? Ano bang nangyayari? Why are you being like this?"

Still, I get no response from her.

"Dahil ba 'to sa nangyari kaninang umaga? If that makes you so upset, I'm sorry. Sana pala sinabi ko muna sa 'yo 'yon bago ko sila iniharap sa 'yo. But they were happy, excited, and glad to have you around. Nasasabik silang makausap ka kaya nagulat din sila na umalis ka kanina at hindi ka na bumalik. You can still talk to them tomorrow."

"Say that to Hayley..." sagot nito sa akin. "She doesn't want me to be here. She doesn't want me to be part of the family you thought I should be with. She only wants you, Douglas. Not me."

"Cory..."

"Just stop..." she uttered. "Hindi ko bubuksan 'tong pinto. Just let me be alone for tonight."

"I can do that pero talk to me," I asked calmly. "Marami pa tayong gagawin, 'di ba? This shouldn't stop us. At kung handa ka mang buksan ang pinto at makasama ako riyan sa loob, that would be better. I wanna help you, Cory... there's still a lot of wonders left to see..."

"Maybe I've had enough..." she uttered. "I've had enough of these beautiful wonders I saw. I'm a wrecked-lost-person..."

"Don't say that... nahanap mo nga ang daan papunta sa totoong pamilya mo, 'di ba? But I'm happy you all got reunited... I know it would take some time, but please... do this for me? Maybe if not, for them who have been longing for you for so long..."

"You don't understand, Douglas," she laughed which made me feel so bothered. "You weren't left in an orphanage as a newborn. You didn't grow up in an orphanage. You don't know what I feel like for longing for twelve years to be with my real family. You never really knew me at all... you thought you did, but all you can see is the wonders... but not how it became a wonder. It was painful, I was hurting, I was longing... and you will never know what it felt like to get lost. But I'm happy you're alive from getting drowned, but that wouldn't even happen if you weren't with me... I'm your tragedy, not your kind of wonder..."

"Cory..." I painfully uttered.

She didn't say anything or responded to me. I heard noises inside the room and I don't know what she was doing, but I hope she was doing fine.

"Cory..." I called me once again. "I hope we can still work this out... it's never too late..."

I didn't get word from her after that. Twenty minutes later, she switched off the light inside the room. It was still locked so I cannot get in. I have a spare key in my room, but if she really wants to be alone for tonight, I'll give her that

I hope tomorrow would be a different one.

When I stepped back and turned around, I saw my mom standing by the stairs and I think she saw and heard everything. I went to her and opened her arms and embraced me. Her hand caressing my back helped me compose myself.

"Don't worry... it'll be okay... it'll be fine..."

I took a deep breath. I tried to be positive, I hope it will.

***