Feeling author's note:

Thank you so much for reading this far.

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"Totoo, Ate? Sinabi 'yon ni Methusellah?" Seph asked you, after you narrated what happened with you, Melo, your father and his mistress at the family mart. "Akalain mo. May tinatago rin palang bait si bakla. Akala ko tuluyan nang nilamon ng impyerno 'yon, eh."

You chuckled as you reached for another shirt to fold. It's a weekend, since you've got no work and Seph haven't started yet with his job, you both decided to do the laundry. "Nagulat nga rin ako, eh. Pero at least 'di ba, may pagkukunan na tayo ng panggastos sa pamangkin mo."

"Truelabels." Like you, he took few clothes from the couch, placed them on his lap and started folding them one by one. "Pero kahit naman hindi na, may trabaho naman na ako, Ate." He giggled, even looked up as if reminiscing something so worthy of his giggles and sparkling gleeful eyes.

"Iba pa rin na may sustento galing sa tatay mismo, alam mo 'yan. Alam natin 'yan parehas," you replied, but he seemed too preoccupied with his daydreaming that he didn't seem to hear you. "Hoy!" You lightly slapped his right cheek. "Ano ba 'yang iniisip mong bata ka? Sinasabi ko sa 'yo, Seph, ha? 'Wag ko lang talaga malaman-laman na lumalandi ka na kundi magkalimutan na tayo at 'wag na 'wag mo na akong tatawaging ate! Naiintindihan mo?!"

"Oo, pards."

Wide came your eyes when he didn't call you ate, sizzum, or mamsh. And of course, it touched a nerve in you. "Hayop ka! Lumalandi ka na-"

"Correction, pards." He flipped an imaginary hair as he fiercely faced you like a model. "Ako ang nilandi! Ganda toh, noh! Chura mo! Bigwasan ko bahay bata mo, eh!"

And then there, you failed to maintain your maddened look 'cause you doubled over laughter. "Ganda 'yarn?" You laughingly poked him on his waist.

"Tanga yarn? Bulag? Wiz masightsung beauty ni wata?

"E 'di ganda na," you said. "Pero sino 'yan? Dalhin mo rito nang makilala ko. Saka...." You naughtily wiggled your brows. "Gwapo ba? Tangkad? Moreno? Athletic build? Kulot? Brown eyes? May piercing? May tattoo? Sumasayaw? Kumakanta?"

"Wiz! Ideal man mo naman 'yan, eh!" atungal ng kapatid mo bago ka hinampas ng damit na hawak nito.

You frowned.

Ever since you were in highschool, you're fascinated with the bad boy, boy next door type of guy. Many bearers of the said type had courted you, yet you were just swooned but none of them made you say yes. "Eh, ano'ng hitsura niyang boylet mo?"

"Matangkad, long hair, maputi, tapos mukhang koreano, at parang naliligo ng lampas sampu kada araw sa sobrang linis at bango niyang tignan."

"Parang?" you asked, brows furrowed. "Bakit parang? Akala ko ba jowa mo na at ikaw 'tong nilandi-"

"Ako nga 'yong nilandi," he cut you off. "Pinangunahan ko lang 'yong jowang part. Advance aketch mag-isip, eh. Do'n din naman ang punta namin."

"Pagsure?"

"Wala ka bang bilib sa ganda ko?"

"Nagtatanong-"

What you were about to say was cut short when your phone rang.

Quickly, you rose to your feet and took your phone from the bedroom which wasn't too far from the sala.

You nearly pulled a face when the lit up screen greeted you with your father's name.

Seph sat on the folding bed where you're standing near as he gave you a thrift nod and smile. If it weren't for him, your father wouldn't have to bug your life. But then, as for you, it wasn't worthy to cry over spilled milk. So, you decided to shrug off your brother's divulge over your pregnancy.

You sighed before taking the call. "Napatawag ka ho?"

"Anak," your father said, his voice sounding unwell. "Pasensya na kung naabala kita. Pero baka may magawa kang paraan para hindi na namin ibalik 'yong tatlong milyong piso na ibinigay sa amin ng mga Alejandro. Ang laki na kasi ng nabawas at ang dami pang gastusin sa bahay, malabong maibalik ko pa nang buo. Kung maibabalik ko man, kakailanganin kong ibigay lahat ng kita sa shop at isasangla ko pa 'yong pwesto at bahay namin ngayon. 'Wag kang mag-alala, 'pag nakumbinsi mo silang hindi na namin ibabalik, susustentuhan ko magiging apo ko sa 'yo."

You scoffed, along with a sudden fall of your tears. Seph was alarmed and was about to rush to your side when you gestured to him to stop.

Just when you were about to respond with something way selfish than you could imagine yourself to be, you heard a small voice from your father's line saying, "Papa, sabi ni teacher, hindi ako makakapag-exam kasi hindi pa bayad. Ano po ba 'yong babayaran? 'Yong paper ng exam ko?"

You swallowed a hard lump on your throat before you said, "Ka-kakausapin....k-ko....sila....ta-tawagan....na lang....ho....k-kita....'pag....'pag nagawan....ko na....ng....paraan....."

"Salamat, anak. Pasensya-"

Before he could even course you with a gratitude, you disconnected the call, slumped on the floor, and freed more of the tears that were trying to escape your eyes.

You felt Seph's arms around you as he kissed you on the head before he whispered, "Sorry, Ate....."

Though it wasn't really okay, you patted his shoulder and said, "Ok lang.....ano ka ba....."

It wasn't okay. Wasn't okay to hear and build another connection with your father again. But it's life and its big hand trying to round your world far from your favor, and it's nothing you could put your own spin at. Nothing that the selfless you resurfaced big time, and the next day you ended up waiting for Melo at one of the cushions by the living room of his den which didn't change even a bit since you'd been gone.

"Nasabi ku na kay Madam Milu na nanditu ka, Sirach," said to you by Panti.

"Sige. Salamat, Ate." You beamed.

Exactly when Panti vanished from your sight, Melo came.

He was wearing a pink silky robe, a pair of pink furry slip ons and on his head was a pink fleece rubber headband with a semi huge fleece ribbon placed in the middle.

"Good morning po, Madam," you greeted with a smile.

As usual, he didn't return the favor.

"What do you want?" he asked after settling himself cross legged at the one seater couch from your right. "Make it quick, I scheduled a full body home service massage. I only have fifteen minutes more to waste for you."

You took a deep, sharp breath before you spoke. "Sobrang laking tulong kung sakali sa 'kin at sa bata no'ng perang pinapabalik mo nang buo kina Papa at sa babae niya. Alam mo rin naman siguro na abot-abot 'yong pasasalamat ko sa 'yo no'ng sinabi mong sa 'kin mapupunta 'yon para may ipanggastos ako sa anak-"

"Stop beating around the bush, Torres, and tell me bluntly the due cause of what you came here for," he said as he pinned his piercing eyes on you. "You wouldn't come here unannounced just to confer me with another line of gratefulness, am I right? Neither you'd be coming here just to pay me a visit which isn't so damn viable since we aren't best of friends nor we're romantically linked."

"Sorry," you said, head bowed down with your hands ruffling the hemline of your shirt as you suddenly felt timid to tell him the reason why you came.

You knew it might appear abusing or worse shooing away the goodness he was trying to grant you with. It could even make him picture you as a mother who gives little to no care for her own child's being. Could also lead him to conclude that maybe, he was wrong to soften his heart for you and the child.

But you also knew you wouldn't want to take the comfortable life your father's kids are having and are to have, because you knew how it feels like to have nothing and you were never selfish to deprive them of it. So, you pulled all the braveness in you and faced Melo.

"Pwede bang....'wag mo nang ituloy.....'yong....pagpapabalik mo ng....perang binigay niyo.....ni Mayor Manolo.....kina Papa....?" you said, holding your breath and his gaze.

Much to your astonishment, he laughed. "Are you for real, Torres?"

Without hesitations, you nodded.

His face came serious at the very instance you nodded your head. "Sad to say, but I don't take back what I've said. You may leave." He stood from his seat and was about to walk away when you spoke.

"Kailangan kasi ng mga anak ni Papa."

He turned around to look at you with his hands and jaws clenched. "Your father fucked up your life, Torres! Why the hell is there a need for you to consider his family's welfare?! Why do you always have to put yourself at the bottom?! Why is it always them before you, when you need it more than they do?! Why can't you see that they have all the resources to provide for themselves, and you don't have any for yourself other than your fucking job as my secretary?! Why the fuck can't you see that?!"

"Kasi....tatay ko....pa rin....siya...." You started sobbing so suddenly as your knees weakened.

"Putangina! That's bullshit! He's your father, yes! But is he acting like one to you?! He isn't, is he?! So stop being a heroine! Stop saving the wrong ass 'cause the ones you should be saving is yourself!"

Pain from his remark seared through your chest. It wasn't the first time he raised his voice at you, but it was the first time he ever did-with your personal life as the reason.

He somehow made you feel that someone else-other than Seph-actually cared for you.

Someone else's willing to knock off the burdens of your world.

And that someone else had been in your plain sight all along.

"So-sorry...." you said in between sobs. "Sorry....."

"I'm sorry, too. But come hell and high water, I'm not doing what you asked me to do," he mumbled, standing in a shouting distance away from you. "If you can't save yourself.....Austin....let me....."