Looking at herself in mirror, many questions come to Cela's mind. It may sound as regret but one of the things she asks herself is why she never found the time to find Nate much earlier even if he's always in her memory.Why only now when it's already late?Nate checks his looks in the camera of his phone. He knows this meeting should never be more than friendly. It's to provide closure for that one thing that is still roaming around his head silently but will never go away by simply ignoring it. He has to face it and close it before he can move on to a wonderful life that's waiting for him. That life, he deserves it.It's Sunday morning and most of the families coming to the park are attending church services. The park is more quiet than it's usually is most days of the week.Nate arrived early."Hello!" He greeted Cela as soon he saw her enter the gate of the park. She waved at him. She looks more relax now.
"Ta-da!" Nate presents the cute set up of his car. He looks so happy and proud of it."Wow! Did you buy the entire aisle of chips?" Cela asked as bags of chips and soft drinks good for more than two people fill the back of Nate's car."I didn't know which one to get for you so I bought at least one piece each," Nate explained. Clearly, he made plans for this day."That's so considerate of you. To be honest, I love everything," she said."What's with the formality? Let's drop that," he said."What?" she asked."I mean the 'that's so considerate of you'. C'mon, these are just snacks, nothing fancy here, and it's just me," he said.Cela couldn't contain her amusement. She realized she'd be keeping her guards up to the point that it's so obvious already."I agree. There's no need for exchanging pleasantries and formalities," she said.Nate smiled. "I never imagined this moment would be possible one day," he said with a bit of seriousness in his tone."But it's happening now. Here we
"Just focus on the road," Cela told herself as she drives her car. The road is clear and the sky has no signs of possible rain but the chaos is right inside of her.She wants to stop but forces herself to continue."Soon, it will be dark and the night will take over. Another day is coming and there I will go." She thought for a moment. "Maybe I should start writing songs," she even told herself.Today was harder than she thought and brought more baggages than unloading them. Nate was right about having a lot of things that they have yet to discuss but she had to leave before it became much harder to let go.She wanted to stay much longer. She wanted to tell him how much he missed him after all these years. Now she has to deal with the enormous amount of regret brought by knowing she didn't try hard enough to do every possible thing to see him again much sooner rather than later because it's too late now.And that embrace. It was the most heartbreaking thing that happened today. Ni
Nate reached home almost the same time Cela reached his brother's house. He unloaded the chips and drinks from his car. He also thinks of having the car washed to be ready for Monday although it was cleaned just the other day.For some reason, he's delaying calling Nina but it can't be for too long."Hi, Nate." Nina greeted."I just arrived home," he said."Can we talk now? Is it a good time?" she asked."Yeah but can we do audio call only? I swear, I'm here in my house," he asked.He feels he's not ready to see her face right now but doesn't want her to think he's in some place else."It's fine with me where you want to take the call. I'm okay with audio call as well. I'm not ready to face you anyway," she said."What happened these past couple of days? I don't understand anything up to now but I am trying to think of the best reasons," he asked her straight to the point.Nina is sile
Nanny Rita has never looked so beautiful than she looks today. The happiness in her eyes are overflowing and so are the tears."Aww...don't cry. You're ruining your make-up!" Joyce said."Believe me, I'm trying my hardest not to. It's just that I never imagined this would still happen to me at my age now. Who would have thought?" Nanny Rita said."There you go again. Need I tell you a hundred times more that you are not old? You're not even 50 yet," Rolan said.Cela gave a bouquet of flowers to her beloved nanny. "I'm so happy for you and you deserve it," she said to her."I feel like I am going to get married in church but I'll save that for you," Nanny Rita said."Okay, I have a decade to wait for that so please continue praying," Cela joked."I love, guys. I want everyday to be like this," Rolan said."Stop it, Rolan. We'll be late," Cela said to prevent everyone from turning emotion
"Trees Park. Cedar Bench. Tomorrow at 5PM," Mr. Bro, the school janitor read the paper that Nate handed over to him."Shhhh….please don't read it out loud. Just give it to her," he told him."Why don't you just send her a message instead of this?" Mr. Bro asked him."Her mother or someone might see it," Nate said."I am just being careful too," Mr. Bro said."What should I do then?" Nate asked."Just tell her personally when you meet her here later," Mr. Bro suggested."What if she says she can't come? I don't know if I can handle instant rejection," he asked."Tell her slowly so she will get every details correctly then run fast before she can answer," Mr. Bro gave a ridiculous suggestion."You think that'll work?" Nate asked.The janitor nodded."Now, crumple that paper and throw the pieces here then go to your practice. It's in 10 minutes, right? Mr. Bro said."Oh shoot! I'm running late and I still need to change," Nate said.The janitor shook his head and continued to sweep the
The next morning, Cela and Nate's interrupted meeting is the biggest news in campus. Everyone can't help talking about it. In fact, no one remembers Mrs. Serrano and Lora's heated disagreement that also happened yesterday.Cela entered the classroom more quietly than even."You should've been there, guys. It's like watching a scene in a TV series live. It's intense drama," one of Lora's friends started the conversation.Lora discreetly asked her friend to stop but she refused. "It's okay. What's there to be afraid of? I am not her mother's scholar and so are you now, aren't you?" she said.Cela felt more isolated and even more traumatized than before when people in school would only talk about her parents' separation. Now, she felt they hate her mother more and dislike her too for what happened to Nate and Lora. Both were immediately removed from the scholarship program sponsored by her mother.Clearly, she has no friends in the room and they found a new reason to isolate her e
Cela found herself sitting on the bench in the waiting shed where she used to hang out with Nate. Needless to say that her feeling of joy is overwhelming. The last time she was here was the day she received the paper from Lora. She went home full of excitement and anticipation for the next day.Lora followed her to the waiting shed."Can I just have a few minutes?" Lora asked."What is it?" Cela asked."Well, first, I'd like to personally thank you for finishing the third book in such a short time," Lora started."Honestly, I didn't have to think so much about what to write there. Like what I told our staff, I based it loosely on real events with some alterations and twists. You helped too, right?" Cela said.Lora smiled. "I was actually thrilled when Ivy told me that you were searching for Nate when you began writing it so I provided everything that I knew and heard about him after high school," she said.Cela listens attentively. Of all people, Lora is Nate's last contact in sc