Pagkatapos ng huling consultation ko ay nag-rounds ulit ako. I checked all my patients that are admitted. Si Riri ulit ang pinakahuli at nang pumunta ako sa kwarto niya ay natutulog siya at binabantayan lang ng nurse niya.

Pinauna ko na si Leal kanina para makapagpahinga na siya. Siguradong gusto niya nang kainin ang mga binigay ni Iouis. Mukhang excited pa naman 'yon.

Instead of going home, I decided to clean my clinic. Pwede naman akong mag-request sa maintenance ngunit gusto ko ring may ginagawa ako. At isa pa, tuwing naglilinis ako ay kumakalma ang isipan ko.

I finished cleaning around seven. I moved some things around my office kaya mas natagalan. Ang lounge naman ay nilinisan ko lang.

I took my things and went out. Tahimik na ang hallway, siguradong wala na ang ibang doktor. Kaya noong may sumulpot na malaking bulto ay napaigtad ako.

I held my chest, startled on what I saw. The dark figure eventually turned into a visible one. Kung nagulat ako kanina sa anino ay mas nagulat ako ngayon sa nakikita.

It's Iouis.

"What are you doing here?" Tanong ko nang tumigil siya sa harapan ko.

He raised a brow and shrugged. "Napadaan lang."

I wanted to pry and ask more questions. Siguradong nagsisinungaling siya. Nasa ibang building si Riri at puro mga offices ng mga doktor ang nandito. Kaunting doktor na lang din ang naririto dahil maagang natatapos ang mga consultations. The doctors are either out or at the wards, checking their patients.

Tumango na lang ako at napatingin sa gilid. This is awkward. I mean... hindi ba siya magpapatuloy sa paglalakad? Bakit nakatayo lang siya sa harapan ko?

Hindi niya namang sinabing ako ang pinunta niya. If he has an immediate concern about Riri, he should've said it by now... or a nurse could've paged me... pero wala...

"Uh... salamat sa mga binigay mo," I said and finally got the strength to look at him. "It's unnecessary but well-appreciated."

I smiled and nodded. Hindi ko na hinintay ang sagot niya at naglakad na palayo.

We were walking in the opposite direction. 'Yon ang dahilan kung bakit kami nagkasalubong. Ngunit... bakit nasa tabi ko na siya ulit? Don't tell me he lost his sense of direction? He's supposed to be walking in the opposite direction!

Then it dawned on me... maybe there's a different reason why he's here!

I turned to him with a glare. Kung totoo ang hinala ko ay dapat lumayo-layo na talaga ako sa kaniya.

"It was you, isn't it! You're the one who tipped the reporters!" I said accusingly. Natigil siya sa paglalakad, bakas ang gulat at pagkalito sa mukha. "I heard that your Mom wants you to get married so now you're trying to stick close to me so they'll think it's me! So she would stop pestering you!"

He raised a brow, now looking taken aback. He crossed his arms and smirked. Parang nagsisisi tuloy ako sa sinabi. Maybe I should've asked him instead of accusing him.

"You have a high self-esteem, Doc," he said with a hidden mocking undertone. "Trust me, I didn't plan any of that. It just so happens that we were at the parking lot at the same time... and also now."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. Gusto ko na lang matawa. Noong nakaraan ay masama ang loob ko dahil sa nakaraan namin. I was guilty and ashamed. But now, I'm accusing him. Mataas nga siguro ang self-esteem ko.

"Sorry..." bulong ko, biglang nahiya sa ginawa.

Akala ko ay sinasadya niyang mapalapit sa akin para kung may makakita, mas mapapatunayan ang mga issue tungkol sa amin. I thought that this is his way of escaping his Mom's clutches.

I mean... for a man like him who's at the peak of his career, I understand why he's trying to either hide his private life... or why he's faking it.

At this point, hindi na ako sigurado kung totoong may asawa na nga si Iouis o wala... o kung may girlfriend nga siya o wala... there are so many possibilities!

It's either his marriage with Izarra and their daughter is a secret... para protektahan sila... after all, the nature of his work requires extra protection for his family.

Or it could also be that he and Izarra were once married but are no longer together. Maybe they're just co-parenting. Or maybe they were never married. Maybe Izarra is now married to another man but she and Iouis are co-parenting.

Or maybe Izarra is Riri's mother, but Iouis found someone else. Baka may anak lang talaga sila ni Izarra pero iba ang ka-"long term, serious" relationship ni Iouis.

Maybe that explains why Iouis doesn't have a wedding band on his finger. Baka may ibang pamilya nga si Izarra at ganoon din si Iouis. Maybe he wants to focus on Riri.

It's either he has a secret girlfriend, which is also his long term, serious partner. Or... he doesn't have one... but his mother wants him to have one.

Huh, since when did I become a theorist? Aaminin ko, curious na curious na ako. Isang pitik na lang ay kakapalan ko na talaga ang mukha at magtatanong na.

"Tss... you should stop worrying about those articles... they're just rumors." If scoffing and eye-rolls were adjectives, those two are the appropriate words to describe how he spoke.

"You already have a boyfriend," dagdag pa niya sabay sulyap sa akin. "O baka nagagalit?" Now his tone is mocking. Parang nananadya.

"What are you talking about?" I hissed as we entered the elevator. Sumandal ako sa isang gilid at ganoon din siya ngunit sa kabilang side.

"Ah... of course! You don't want your ex to know about your current relationships." Tumango-tango pa siya sabay ngisi. Parang namimikon talaga! "I understand..."

Sandali akong nagulat dahil sa narinig. Bago pa ako makapag-isip ng isasagot ay bumukas na ang elevator. He stepped out first and I wanted to chase after him to explain my side.

Ngunit bago pa ako tuluyang makalabas ng elevator ay hinarap niya ulit ako. Nagulat ako sa biglaan niyang paggalaw kaya napaatras ako.

"And for your information, I know how to efficiently solve issues without dragging other people's name," he said with a steely edge to his voice. "Nor lying..."

He turned his back after that. The elevator closed and I was left inside. Napayuko na lang ako, gustong umupo sa sahig at mag-emote.

But I stood there, waiting for time to pass. The elevator didn't move, but I also didn't press the open button. Kaya laking gulat ko na lang nang bumukas ulit ang pintuan.

I saw Iouis' sharp gaze as the elevator's door widened. His arms were crossed and his eyebrow raised. Kulang na lang ay pagalitan niya ako at hatakin palabas.

"What are you doing? Come out now." His words were merely suggestions but I followed immediately like a cadet to his senior.

Sabay kaming naglakad sa lobby ng hospital. Wala nang masyadong tao ngunit maaliwalas ang paligid.

"If you're that worried about the articles, I'll have them taken down." He stepped forward and turned to me.

I couldn't take the intensity of his gaze so I looked away for a moment. Napalunok ako, hindi kaya ang biglaang pagbilis ng puso ko.

It's a bittersweet kind of feeling. There's this intoxicating anticipation and hope... laced with a tugging ache and yearning... he's so close but so far.

"Mauna ka na. There might be some paparazzis hiding outside," he said with an encouraging nod. Gusto ko mang magpaalam ay tanging pagtango lang ang kaya ko. "Get home safely, Cara."

This time, I was the one who turned my back. And for some reason, I couldn't stop myself from smiling.

Maybe it's the small interaction. It's a weird feeling. Or maybe it's the fact that for the first time since we broke up, he called me Cara.

He wasn't teasing me... nor trying to fake-flirt with me... he didn't say it to pretend that we just met... he said it as if he meant it.

And for someone like me, that was more than enough.

The following morning, I was more energetic than usual. I did my rounds and released some patients. Isa sa mga pasyente kong may go-signal na para umuwi ay si Riri.

Ang nurse niya lang at si Euxine ang naroroon. Pwede naman akong umalis na ngunit hinintay ko si Riri na matapos sa pagbibihis.

"Auntie Doc! We'll still see each other, right?" Ani Riri sabay takbo papunta sa akin.

She's wearing a striped light-blue and white polo and white skirts. Porma pa lang ay halatang anak nga ni Iouis. Napangiti tuloy ako. I can still remember being confused if he's actually an intern at Papa's firm or a loyal member of a golf and yacht club.

Pinisil ko ang pisngi ni Riri at napangiti naman siya. Her eyes are mesmerizing. I want to hug her. She's really like a ball of sunshine.

"Are you waiting for me, Auntie Doc?" Kuryosong tanong ni Riri at hinawakan na ang kamay ko. We walked towards the door while Euxine and her nurse are behind us.

Tumango ako at nginitian siya. It has also become my ritual to escort my patients when they leave. Hindi naman talaga kailangan pero gusto ko lang. I like talking to them.

Plus, I also don't want them to think that I only care about them when they're in the hospital. I want them to know that it's more than that.

We waited at the lobby for a few minutes. Hindi nagtagal ay pumarada ang isang puting Range Rover na SUV. Halatang bago pa. Hindi na ako magugulat kung kabibili lang nito ng may-ari.

"That's Papi, Auntie Doc!" Bumitaw si Riri sa akin at tumakbo palapit sa sasakyan. Hahabulin ko na sana siya ngunit bumalik din naman siya sa tabi ko.

Akala ko ay mananatili siya sa tabi ko ngunit hinatak lang ako palapit sa sasakyan.

And like what Riri said, Iouis came out of the car. Natatandaan ko pa noon na ang sasakyan niya ay Alfa Romeo na kulay gray. I wonder where it is now... and I wonder why I'm wondering about this!

And I wonder why I'm suddenly conscious about my looks! Ano naman ngayon kung hindi pa ako nakakapag-suklay? Hindi naman required ang beauty sa pagiging doctor, ah! As long as I'm doing well in my job, I'm good!

"Hey..." Iouis greeted with a nod before carrying Riri.

Riri showered Iouis' face with kisses. Napangiti naman si Iouis at napapikit pa. They look so fond of each other. Being able to witness this scene is such a bittersweet thing.

Masaya ako para kay Iouis at Riri. They're lucky to have each other. Kitang-kita ang pagmamahal nila sa isa't isa. But at the same time, there's this part of me that's heartbroken.

And... I couldn't help but think that... what if I'm part of them? What if I'm not just this doctor who's standing in front of them? What if I'm part of the hug? What if I get to greet Iouis with a kiss too? What if...

Nabalik ako sa wisyo nang tinawag ako ni Riri. After a glance at Iouis, I realized that they have matching outfits. Ang pinagkaiba nga lang ay sa ibabaw ng polo ni Iouis ay isang dark-blue turtleneck na sweater.

May zipper sa leeg ng kaniyang sweater at nakabukas iyon kaya kitang-kita ang polo niya, magkatulad talaga sila ni Riri. Lumalabas din ang cuff ng polo niya mula sa sweaters. White pants din ang suot niya.

"Auntie Doc! Look! We're all matchy-matchy!" Riri's eyes lit up as she clapped.

Napatingin din ako sa suot. I'm wearing a light-blue and white polo dress! It's also Ralph Lauren! Katulad ng sa kanila!

I bit my lower lip as I forced a smile. My eyes met with Iouis' and I saw how his brow raised. Tinaasan ko rin siya ng kilay.

Oo, may parte sa akin na natutuwa na terno kaming tatlo. Oo, sa imahinasyon ko, kami ni Iouis... at... anak naman si Riri... oo, nakakahiya ang mga pinag-iisip ko! Damn this!

Hindi ako 'to! Fuck, Caramel! May pamilya na 'yong tao! Hindi lang asawa ang aagawin mo! Pati anak! 'Wag ganiyan, Caramel! Mahiya ka naman!

"Look at you three! You look cute!" Sambit ni Euxine at napapalakpak din. Just like Riri, her eyes lit up too. Magtiyahin nga!

"I'll take a picture! Ang cute!" Bago pa ako makasagot ay kinuha niya na ang kaniyang phone. Riri pulled my white coat so I had no choice but to stand near them.

Karga-karga pa rin ni Iouis si Riri at nasa harapan din ako ni Iouis kaya magkatabi kami ni Riri. I wanted to smile but I could only give a half one.

Kung lalakihan ko ang ngiti, siguradong magi-guilty lang ako. I would also feel shameful... that I like a married man... and for all these hopeful thoughts I have...

Maybe it's okay to still like him... ang importante, hindi ko gagalawan... as long as I don't take advantage of this situation to get close to him. I may be a hopeless romantic, but I'm no home-wrecker.

I am better than that... plus, Riri and Iouis deserves a happy family... dapat talaga tigilan ko na 'to...

Maybe I should refer Riri to another doctor?

"Bye, Auntie Doc! I'll see you soon!" Riri opened her arms so I hugged her. There was nothing wrong with hugging her... except for the fact that Iouis is still carrying her.

Pagkatapos akong yakapin ni Riri ay bumaba na rin naman siya sa mga braso ni Iouis. She waved at me before going inside the car. Pinagbuksan siya ni Iouis at bago tuluyang makapasok sa sasakyan ay kumaway ulit sa akin.

I waved back at Riri until a massive body covered my view. I looked up to Iouis and smiled.

"I hope that when I see her again, she's conscious." Sabay kaming natawa ni Iouis. Natigil lang iyon nang umubo-ubo si Euxine.

She hugged me too before going inside the car. Ako ang nakaharap sa sasakyan habang si Iouis ay nakaharap sa akin. Kaya noong kumindat si Euxine bago siya pumasok ay ako lang ang nakakita.

"Thank you, Cara... Dr. Maldevaron," Iouis said in a serious tone before nodding at me.

"Just call if you need anything... I mean for Riri..." napakagat-labi ako. Buti na lang at napigilan ko ang sarili na patuloy magsalita. I would've rambled stupidly if I didn't shut my mouth.

I saw the corner of his mouth rise, but it returned to his serious resting face. He nodded again before going inside the car.

"Gusto mo talaga ng mga half-European, Doc?" I rolled my eyes at Leal. Katatapos lang namin mag-lunch break at may ilang oras pa bago magsimula ang una kong consultation.

"Okay naman si Attorney, ah! Actually, more than okay, Doc! Okay na okay na kahit hindi na siya magtanong ay I do agad!" Sabay kaming natawa.

Sandali akong kinabahan dahil sa sinabi niya. I waited for her to hand me her iPad but she didn't. Akala ko ay napunta kami sa topikong ito dahil may bago na namang mga articles.

Hindi na ako magugulat kung may issue na na may anak kami. We were out in daylight! Kasama pa namin si Riri. Tapos terno pa kami ng damit!

Pero wala! No new article to overthink about! A picture of me, Iouis, and Riri would be a bigger scoop for tabloids. Kahit hindi naman totoo, kung may picture mas kapani-paniwala!

If there were new articles, they should be out now. Tabloid companies won't waste time in publishing an article about a well-known bachelor having a child.

"Joke lang, Doc! Nakita kasi kayo ng kaibigan kong nurse kahapon... sabay daw kayong umuwi! Nag-date kayo, diba?"

Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay. Anong diba? Wala naman akong may sinabi, ah!

"Tapos, Doc! Isa pa!" Umalis siya sa upuan niya at mas lumapit sa akin. It was as if what she's about to say is something really important... or juicy...

"The articles about the two of you... wala na! Nawala na parang bula!" She made a popping sound and did some hand gestures.

"Kaya mas pinag-uusapan kayo ngayon sa Twitter! Akala siguro nila, walang may makakapansin..."

Kumunot naman ang noo ko. I opened my computer and typed my name and Iouis'. Tama nga si Leal at wala nang article tungkol sa amin! Pati 'yong article na tungkol lang sa akin ay wala na rin.

Yes, there were some articles about me but not from tabloid companies! The ones left are about my medical missions and projects. Nothing juicy... and nothing sensational!

Ganoon din kay Iouis! All the articles left are professional ones! Wala ni isa ang may topiko tungkol sa mga dating-dating!

"Pero back to half-European men..." si Leal ulit. She has this dreamy look on her face. "Kaso si Dr. James... iba ang kamandag! Minsan, kapag nag-e-English, lumalabas ang British accent niya! Hu-hu! So gwapo talaga!"

Napasimangot pa si Leal, mukhang fangirl na heartbroken. Ngunit agad ding nawala 'yon at napalitan ng panibagong ngisi.

"Pero grabe rin kasi si Attorney! Ang seryoso na hindi ko alam! Parang part ng appeal niya, Doc! Tapos, ugh! Kahapon, grabe talaga! Nautal ako sa kaniya, Doc! Alam mo namang hindi ako nauutal at tinatablan ng kaba diba? Parang matutunaw ako, Doc!"

Natawa na lang ako dahil sa mga pinagsasabi niya. Patuloy siya sa pagsalita at kahit gusto ko mang makinig, ang isipan ko ay bumalik sa pag-uusap namin ni Iouis kahapon.

He said something about having the articles removed... ito na ba 'yon? If this is what he meant... then damn! Ang bilis niyang kumilos.

Maybe if it wasn't for our conversation yesterday, the articles would still be out. Maybe I was the only one who cares. Maybe he wasn't fazed by all of this drama...

I mean... if he has a stable family, this won't shake a damn thing... but yeah, I guess I'm the only one who's affected. Naawa na lang siya siguro sa akin.

I continued with my day as if I'm not bothered. I just let the thoughts come and go and it's effective. I guess this is what I should be doing... hayaan ko lang dahil nawawala rin naman...

"Doc, tumawag pala ang secretary ng Papa mo... tumawag ka raw sa kaniya pagkatapos ng trabaho," pag-iimporma ni Leal.

Tumango ako at nagpaalam na. Pagkarating sa condo ay naglinis at nagluto kaagad ako. I only called Papa when I was about to sleep. If it was urgent, he would've called himself.

"Cami," Papa greeted with a smile. Naka-tshirt na lang siya, halatang matutulog na. "It's getting late so I'll get straight to the point."

"Are you and Attorney Euro back together?"

He asked straight to the point so I'm gonna answer directly too. "Hindi. Why Papa? If you're worried about your deal with the Euros, don't worry, walang threat..."

Papa pursed his lips while shaking his head. He was about to say something but I spoke first.

"We're not together, okay? I broke up with him, remember? Even if it's okay for me to do something, wala na akong babalikan, Papa..."

Napalunok ako at nag-iwas ng tingin. Laptop man ang kaharap ko, parang bigla akong nahirapan sa pagtingin kay Papa. It felt like I'm in college all over again... at Papa's office... discussing my relationship with Iouis...

"I'm sorry," he said in a whisper. "I heard from Elena that she's planning to marry Iouis off but he won't budge... akala ko ikaw..."

I scoffed. Why would Elene Euro marry his son off to me? That's against their rule about their partners, right? Kung ipapakasal niya si Iouis sa akin, edi walang silbi ang sinakripisyo ko noon!

"Is this why you called? To talk about the man whose heart I broke because you told me so?"

I noticed my tone getting high and uncontrolled. I apologized to Papa quickly. Hindi ko namalayan ang mga nararamdaman.

Plus, it's not Papa's fault. He and my sisters may have influenced my decision-making, but I was still the one who decided. I could've done something else, but I didn't... so at the end of the day, sa akin pa rin ang sisi...

Papa shook his head and smiled kindly at me. It's not all the time that I get to see Papa vulnerable. Kadalasan ay walang emosyon ang kaniyang mukha... maliban na lang ngayon.

I can see pity and guilt in his eyes. I didn't want to press further on that topic so I kept quiet. I can sense that he still wants to talk about something else.

"There's a legal-medical conference at Palawan... can you represent our firm?"

Tama nga ako. I may not be working under our firm nor a lawyer, but Papa still sends me to these conferences. May ibang mga empleyado rin naman siyang pinapasama pero palagi talaga akong kasama!

"I saw your department head and the hospital director and I... brought it up... I think they're planning to send you too! It's like hitting two birds with one stone, Cami..."

Pinanliitan ko ng mga mata si Papa ngunit ngitian niya lang ako. I sighed.

"I'll attend on behalf of the hospital... and the firm... but not for the firm alone."

Ibig sabihin, pupunta lang ako kapag in-assign talaga sa akin sa trabaho. Pero kung para lang talaga sa firm, hindi.

And as if on cue, an email notification popped. I clicked it and saw that it's from the hospital director!

Binasa ko 'yon at ang sabi ay i-a-adjust naman daw ang schedule ko. Ang the main reason why they want me to represent the hospital is because of my intensive volunteer background. They want me to share some of my case studies!

"Don't tell me magkasama kayo ng hospital director?" Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. Babae pa naman ang director!

"Cami, I know that look," Papa said with a warning tone. "We're actually on-call with other hospital and law firm heads... casual talk lang tungkol sa mga ipapadala namin..."

I sighed. "Tell the director that I said yes then..."

May ngiting-tagumpay si Papa. Sandali siyang may kinausap sa isa pang laptop bago tumingin sa akin.

"And Cami... just so you know... he'll be there."

Papa didn't have to elaborate for me to understand. The fact that he said his words in a careful tone is enough to tell me whom he's referring to.

I bade Papa good night and went to bed.

Hindi na nakakagulat na pupunta rin si Iouis. Of course, who wouldn't invite the most sought-after lawyer from Europe?