Chapter 6

Althea~

“We just got off the plane. See you later, Grandpa,” I informed Lolo even though I was tired from the trip, I showed that I was excited to see them again. I ended the call. I put the cellphone back in my bag. I gave my son a small, reserved smile when our eyes met.

Raven and I were in line at Immigration. There were a lot of people, so we were sure it would take a while. I brushed aside his messy hair. He had slept well during the trip. Lucky kid. Meanwhile, I couldn’t manage to doze off because many things were troubling me. I was anxious about returning to the Philippines. I thought we would stay there for good. But fate had other plans; it really wanted me back here. There was only one thing I wanted to avoid now: crossing paths with someone again. I hoped we would never see each other again.

It was better to focus on my son now. I was curious about Raven’s calmness. My 7-year-old only child, who was known as the “troublemaker kid” by everyone because he was restless and always full of energy. Calm him down for five minutes, but soon after, he would be up to some mischief again. It was partly my fault since sometimes I neglected him because I buried myself in work.

“Are you excited to see Grandma Amelia and Grandpa Fernando, dear?” I asked with a smile.

He lifted his head. Happiness sparkled in his round, almost button-like black eyes. “Kind of,” he answered.

I stepped back. “What do you mean?” I asked, surprised.

“Because… I never met them in person. I really don’t know if they’re good or bad people. Still, I don’t trust Grandpa Fernando. He’s like Gru.” After saying that, he zipped his lips and stared straight ahead.

Gru? Who’s Gru? Oh, I remembered. The main character in the cartoon Despicable Me. I laughed and pinched my forehead. Even the grandpa was mistaken for a villain.

“Dear, don’t be like that. Your grandpa will be sad if you call him Gru,” I scolded.

He shrugged. “Mom, great grandpa doesn’t know about Gru so I can call him that.”

Frustration welled up inside me. I gently tapped his back. “Don’t do what you did to Grandpa in Belgium. Don’t make me angry again, or I won’t give you your Nintendo Switch, and I’ll ban you from playing with your Lego set,” I warned.

He tugged my shirt. He looked at me, but I didn’t respond. “Sorry, Mom. Please don’t be like that. I’m dying to have my Nintendo Switch. I missed playing it.”

“Suit yourself,” I said, pretending to be angry at him.

He hugged my waist. Once again, my motherly instincts kicked in. I couldn’t help but feel pity for him. He looked like a puppy; I wanted to pet him.

“Fine. Just be good to your grandpa,” I said. Feeling annoyed, I pushed his head away.

“Thanks, Mom!” He quickly pulled away and returned to his previous position.

I exhaled deeply. I ruffled his hair while waiting for our turn.

I wiped some beads of sweat from my forehead after I placed the four suitcases on the trolley. We were about to leave the arrival area when Raven suddenly tickled me.

I raised my eyebrows and looked at him.

“Mom, can I buy orange juice?” he asked, bouncing while waiting for my answer. At first, I didn’t want to agree, but when I saw his cute eyes, I nodded.

My mischievous son laughed. He didn’t waste time and ran away from me. I couldn’t stop his hand because he was so fast.

Lightning! What kind of mischief is my son up to now? And I didn’t even know where the shops were here. So many people. The airport was chaotic, even though it was five in the morning; you couldn’t tell if it was day or night.

I lost sight of him. Fear enveloped me. What if something bad happened to my son? Dear God, keep him safe.

I scanned the area around. I focused on finding him. I saw some food stalls but he wasn’t there. I circled the entire arrival area of NAIA Terminal 3 but failed. I couldn’t find him.

I gritted my teeth. My heart was pounding loudly. My legs weakened. I didn’t know what to do with my anxiety until I heard his sharp voice in a corner. I immediately went toward his voice. There, my son was looking at me, talking to a man — casually dressed but looking stylish and expensive in a fitted black leather jacket with a white inner shirt, paired with black ripped jeans and black sneakers. His black hair was messy and slightly curly, perfect jawline, sharp nose, hooded eyes, and fit body. He looked like a model from a men’s magazine or maybe the male lead on the cover of my favorite dark romance pocketbook.

Wait — what am I thinking? Why am I suddenly attracted to him? But somehow, he seemed a bit familiar.

“Daddy!”

That cursed word pierced my ear, bringing back all my memories from the past. This man was none other than — I was stunned for two seconds — no way! No, it couldn’t be. I just prayed we wouldn’t meet. But what was this?

“Raven!” I called my son in panic. I immediately approached him. I thought the man in front of us was a stranger. I grabbed my son’s hand.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I found daddy,” Raven answered with a wide grin. My heart rate accelerated. I hoped this man wouldn’t recognize me.

I scolded my son for not asking permission and then dragged him away from his father. I almost cried at this situation, so I quickly escaped. He still wanted to know me, but I didn’t respond. Without looking back, I went straight out of the airport. My son looked puzzled at my ignoring him. I was panting like I was hyperventilating. Luckily, my friend Riley arrived. She immediately helped me sit in the front seat. Raven sat at the back. Riley handed me a bottle of water but I refused. I leaned back and tried to calm myself. Seeing him again was like a nightmare. I didn’t want it to happen again.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Thea?” Riley Bussereau asked with concern. She was my half-Belgian, half-Filipino friend whom I met in Belgium. We worked in the same company and got close after we found out our grandfathers were friends. She was my pillar during all my problems, and I considered her like an older sister. She came back here last year because her grandmother was seriously ill. Like me, she was forced to return to the Philippines.

I nodded. “Don’t worry, it’s probably just jet lag. I’m still not used to long trips,” I explained.

She exhaled. She looked at Raven through the rearview mirror. My mischievous son was frowning and squinting his eyes. I flicked him when our eyes met in the mirror. He glared at me then looked out the window.

I shook my head and leaned my head near the window.

“Raven must have slept well, huh,” Riley commented.

“You can say that again. Just now, he made a scene at the airport, calling all sorts of people ‘daddy.’”

Riley looked at me before turning the car at a corner.

“He’s longing for a father. That’s normal for kids. Just let Raven be—”

“He’s really my dad, Mom. I feel it!” Raven interrupted us.

“Raven, you can’t call any stranger daddy unless Mom tells you who your real dad is,” I hissed.

“But the man who’s on the magazine who you said was my daddy looks like him!” he insisted. He kicked his legs in the air, throwing a tantrum again.

I remembered the day I gave him a magazine with Mikhael’s face on the cover to stop his questions about where his dad was. Damn, he really couldn’t forget. I thought I could get away with it.

“That’s not your daddy. They just look alike. Stop that!” I said. I turned my body to look at him. His lips were pouted, almost giving me a dirty look while sitting cross-legged.

Every time I see my son, it reminds me of Mikhael. They really look alike when they frown. And it annoys me when he’s in that mood. I stretched out my hand to reach him, just to give him a pinch. But I couldn’t reach him.

“Stop that, Thea. Just let Raven be. You’re just going to get high blood pressure,” my friend scolded me. There was a faint smile on her lips.

I snorted and shrugged. “Don’t tolerate that kid. He’ll only get more stubborn,” I retorted.

She didn’t answer. We traveled in silence toward New Manila, Quezon City. That was where Lolo’s house was. We would go there first before heading straight to Taguig.