We started walking going to Ate Sheanel's house after I locked the gate. We are silently walking but it's comfortable.

Mabuti nalang pala at naisipan kong mag-long sleeves dahil sakto na malamig ang hangin dito sa labas.

"Won't you tell me your plans yet?" Napalingon ako sa kanya. Ano nga bang plano ko?

"Just go with the flow?" Naiiling nalang siya sa sagot ko. Hilaw naman akong napatawa habang kinakamot ang leeg ko.

"Honestly, I don't have a plan yet. I'm sorry again for dragging you into this," paghingi ko ng paumanhin.

"It's really fine. Hindi naman ako busy ngayon. And I think everything will be fine," ngumiti ito sa kain kaya ngumiti na lamang din ako.

Nakarating kami sa tapat ng bahay nila Miles kaya agad akong nag-doorbell. Hindi naman nagtagal ay may nagbukas na iyon.

"Gel," bati ni Miles pagkabukas niya ng gate. Ngumiti at kumaway naman ako sa kanya na lagi kong ginagawa tuwing nakikita ko siya.

"Welcome back, Miles!" Natawa nalang ito sa akin bago binalingan ng tingin ang kasama ko.

"And who is he? Boyfriend m--" naputol ang sasabihin niya dahil biglang sumingit si Ate Sheneal.

"Angieal! Come inside and let's just all talk there. Come on," hinila na ako nito kaya tinignan ko si Hayden at Miles. He seemed to understand that's why he called Hayden too to come inside their house.

"Good evening po, Tito Michael," bati ko sa padre de pamilya. Ngiting ngiti naman si Ate Sheneal sa tabi ko. Naka-angkla ang kamay niya sa kamay ko.

"Halina't maupo kayo. Dito tayo sa hapag magkwentuhan," gayon nga ang ginawa namin.

Pinapagitnaan ako ni Miles at Hayden habang nasa sentro si Tito Michael at nasa harap naman ni Miles si Ate Sheneal. Palipat lipat ang tingin nito sa aming tatlo habang nakangiti.

Nakahanda na ang lahat sa hapag. Nang maalala ko na bitbit ko pa rin pala ang cake na ginawa ko.

"By the way, here's the cake I made for your family, Ate Sheneal." Sabay abot sa kanya ng fruit cake na nakapatong sa hita ko.

"You're really good, Aingeal. Thank you for this," inabot nito ang ake at agad pumunta sa kusina nila para ihanda iyon. Naiwan naman kaming apat.

"May I know who's the man you are with, Aingeal?" Tito Michael asked politely as we are waiting for Ate Sheanel.

"Oh, I'm sorry. He's Hayden po, Tito. Hayden, he's Miles father, Tito Michael," pagpapakilala ko. Bumati naman si Hayden sa kanya.

"And I'm Sheneal, Miles' mother." Pagsingit ni Ate Sheneal nang dumating siya at inilapag ang cake sa gitna.

"Nice to meet you all. Thank you for this invitation," he smiles at them before we began to eat.

Kabado naman ako dahil alam kong ilang minuto lang ay magtatanong na si Ate Sheneal. Pasimple naman akong sinisiko ni Miles kaya pasimple din akong tumingin sa gawi niya.

"Bakit?" I mouthed.

"It's Guia," he mouthed too referring to his phone vibrating in his lap. Nailing nalang ako dahil hindi niya talaga iyon masasagot dahil nasa harapan namin si Ate Sheneal.

"So Aingeal," I straightened my back as soon as Ate Sheneal spoke. I also noticed that Miles did it too.

"Po?"

"Is he the one you're telling me a while na boyfriend mo?" Nasamid ako bigla dahil sa sinabi niya. Agad naman akong inabutan ni Hayden ang baso na may laman na tubig na siya ring kaagad kong ininom.

"Sorry. Uh…" holy cow carabao, should I say yes? Or should I just tell them the truth? I unconsciously looked at Hayden and he just smiled at me.

"Yes po Ate," natawa ito sa naging sagot ko. I'm clueless why she laughed.

"Why are you nervous, darling? It's fine though. And about Miles," napalunok naman ang katabi ko dahil siya ang target naman ngayon ng mama niya.

"How about me, Mom? What's wrong with me?" Para ngang mas kinakabahan pa si Miles kaysa sa akin.

"Do you think you can keep it forever?" I saw droplets of sweats in his forehead. Before I could laugh to his reaction, I just choose to look at Hayden.

"I want to go home already," I mouthed to him. He smiled at me before he raised his eyebrows while his eyes is looking to my plate. Oh, I think I got what he means. I nodded at him before I continued eating my food.

"Don't scare your son, Sheneal. Look at him, there's droplets of sweats in his forehead already," natatawang ani ni Tito na siyang pasimple ko rin na ikinatawa.

"I'm not even scaring him. After all, I have a surprise to him," ngumiti ng pagkatamis-tamis ang nanay niya sa kanya.

"Ha?" Naguguluhan na sambit ni Miles.

"Come inside, hija. Join us here,"

"What the heck?" Miles whispered as soon as he saw who's the woman who just came.

"Welcome to our abode, Guia hija. Come here and sit beside me," nahihiya man ay lumapit pa rin ang napakagandang babae.

She's glancing to Miles and so he is. I smiled at her since I already know her. She seems to relax a little when she saw me.

"Mom? You knew all along?" Itinaas lamang ni Ate Sheneal ang kilay niya sa anak samantalang si Tito Michael ay natatawa nalang sa mag-ina.

"Kumain lang kayo Aingeal at Hayden. Huwag niyong pansinin ang mag-ina,"

"Your father knows, why can't I?" Parang nagtatampo pa na sabi nito.

"You told Mom about it, Dad?" Baling nito sa ama na tahimik na kumain. He just shrugged as an answer to his son.

"Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Because I thought you'll be angry to me," dahil sa sagot ng anak ay natawa si Ate Sheneal. Hindi lang tawa dahil humalakhak talaga siya. We are all looking at her. What's wrong with her?

"Mom! Plus the fact that you want Aingeal for me!" He frustratingly said. Tumigil na rin sa wakas sa pagtawa si Ate Sheneal.

"Isn't a blessing in disguise? You two met each other's soulmates. And son," she put down her utensils and look at him and me.

"I treat Aingeal as my daughter too. I'm treating Aingeal like how Lola Fely treat her. And I want you two to have partners before I could even get old. Yes, my original plan is to ship the two of you but since you two already have partners in life and I guess your father is right, I should just support you and that is what I will do from now on,"

Tahimik lang kami at nakikinig kay Ate Sheneal. I didn't know that she is already treating me as her own child. But it makes me feel guilty because I only treat them as people who are just passing by.

They will not stay with me. I know that they are all temporary. In the end, I will only gave myself.

"So Hayden and Guia, please don't make these two hardheaded cry, okay? And please do tell me if Miles hurt you, Guia," aapila na sana si Miles pero tinignan lamang siya ng masama ni Ate Sheneal.

Nagpatuloy na kami sa pagkain pagkatapos ng seremonya ni Ate Sheneal. Magkahalo ang tawa at asar sa hapag-kainan. Mostly ay si Miles ang naaasar sa sariling ina.

Pagkaraan ay pinayagan na rin kaming umuwi ni Ate Sheneal. Si Guia ay matutulog sa kanila dahil desisyon na rin iyon ni Tito. Gabi na kasi at delikado sa daan.

"Mag-iingat kayo sa daan, Aingeal ha?" Ilang beses na iyang ipinaalala sa amin ni Ate Sheneal kaya ilang ulit na rin napahinga ng malalim si Tito Michael sa tabi niya.

"Hayden, ihatid mo siya hanggang sa bahay niya ha?"

"No worries, Tita. We'll go ahead now," we said goodbye to them and finally, we will be able to go home.

"I'm tired," reklamo ko habang pinaglalaruan ang bato na pinulot ko kanina. Ilang metro pa ang lalakarin namin bago makarating sa bahay.

Nagulat ako nang biglang lumuhod si Hayden sa harap ko pero nakatalikod siya.

"Come here," he said tapping his back.

"Ayos lang ako Hayden," kahit naman inaantok na ako ay kaya ko pa naman maglakad hanggang sa bahay. Ganito nga rin ako tuwing galing sa eskwelahan o sa kompanya pero kinakaya ko naman umuwi.

"Don't be a hardheaded, Aingeal. Come here," napakamot nalang ako sa leeg ko dahil nakakahiya naman kung magpapabuhat pa ako sa kanya.

"Nakakahiya," finally, I uttered and he look at me.

"Don't be," I sigh as a sign that he defeated me.

And with the crescent moon and the twinkling stars above us, I obeyed him. I guess it's not bad though since he is the one who insisted it.