Part 24

Antony led the two teenage girls out of Claire's restaurant. To be honest, he was quite surprised when he learned that his employee owned such a successful business. His mind was filled with questions, wondering why Claire continued working as an employee when her income as a restaurant owner was likely much higher. But maybe that was something Antony could ask later when they got closer.

For now, he preferred to enjoy the moment, playing chaperone to the two teenage girls walking ahead of him, their eyes glued to their phones. Antony had already scolded them several times, reminding them to be careful and not trip, but they paid no attention to him, and eventually, Antony gave up.

When they entered the bookstore, the two girls immediately headed toward the comics and novels section. Antony stayed close, concerned that they might pick out something inappropriate for their age. His ears perked up when he overheard them whispering about Claire.

"Do you think Uncle Yudhis is handsome?" Abigail asked in a low whisper. "He's always liked Aunty C. Do you think they'd make a good couple?"

"I think they're perfect for each other. Plus, aren't they both single?" Flavia agreed with her friend's idea. Antony's frown deepened as he didn't like where the conversation was going.

"Yeah, I think so too. My grandmother has been pressuring Aunty C to get married. It seems like whoever proposes to Aunty C first, my grandma won't mind," Abigail continued.

"What do you mean?" Flavia asked, confused.

"Whoever asks Aunty C to marry him first, my grandma will push for the wedding. She doesn't want her only daughter to stay single for too long. She wants grandkids from Aunty C as soon as possible. My grandma always reminds her that by the time she was Aunty C's age, she already had my dad and my uncle. So, she wants Aunty C to follow in her footsteps."

"Does Aunty C have a potential husband yet?"

"Of course not. If she did, I wouldn't be trying to set her up with Uncle Yudhis. From what I know, a lot of Uncle G's friends are interested in Aunty C, but she always turns them down."

"Do you think Aunty C will want to be with Uncle Yudhis?"

"I think she might. But doesn't your uncle like Aunty C too?"

"Uncle Al?" Flavia asked in surprise. Abigail nodded.

"Maybe we should set them up. That way, we'd be related!" Abigail suggested, and Flavia nodded enthusiastically.

"Uncle Altezza already has a girlfriend," Antony cut into their conversation.

"I have another uncle, his name's Gian. How about I set up Aunty C with him?" Flavia asked, ignoring her father's comment.

"Gian's a playboy," Antony interrupted again.

"That's okay, Uncle. Uncle Al could break up with his girlfriend at any time. And Uncle Gian, I'm sure he'll change eventually. Aunty C could be a good influence on him," Abigail answered, and Flavia nodded in agreement.

"Why are you two only considering those two among all the men out there? Don't you have any better candidates to pair with Claire?" Antony asked, his tone revealing his displeasure.

"Of course, there are other options. There's Uncle Yudhis, then Uncle G's best friend, and also..."

"Isn't there anyone else?" Antony interrupted Abigail.

"I'm still gathering more information. It seems like there's someone at your office who's been trying to get close to Aunty C," Abigail replied.

"That's not what I meant," Antony growled in frustration. It seemed the hint he was dropping wasn't registering with the two teenage girls in front of him. "You were just talking about wanting to become family, right?" Antony asked, and both Flavia and Abigail nodded. "So why don't you consider pairing Claire with someone other than Altezza and Gian?"

Abigail turned to Flavia. "Do you have any other uncles besides Uncle Altezza and Uncle Gian?" she asked innocently.

Flavia furrowed her brows, trying to think. "No, I only have two uncles and one aunt," she answered plainly.

Antony growled again. "Abigail! Flavia! Look here!" He pointed both of his index fingers at his own chest. The two teens turned their attention to Antony. "Me!" He looked straight at Abigail, his expression serious. "What I meant was, why don't you match Claire with me?"

Flavia looked like she was trying not to laugh, while Abigail struggled to maintain a serious face. "You like Aunty C?" she asked, feigning innocence. Antony quickly nodded. "But Aunty C doesn't seem to like you. Neither do I," Abigail replied flatly, causing Antony to frown.

"What do you mean? Why don't you like me?" he asked, bewildered.

"Uncle Altezza only has one girlfriend, which means he's loyal. Uncle Gian, even though he's a playboy, Via says he never cheats. So, Uncle Gian is also the loyal type. But you, you're a mix of Uncle Gian and Uncle Altezza. You're worse because you're a playboy who already has a girlfriend, yet you're still looking for someone else," Abigail explained bluntly.

"I don't have a girlfriend. And I'm not a cheater," Antony protested, clearly annoyed.

"Then what about Anastasia?" Abigail asked, her gaze challenging.

"She's not my girlfriend," Antony said, exasperated.

"If she's not your girlfriend, then why was she at your house so early in the morning, answering your phone?" Abigail asked, her tone sharp.

"I didn't know she'd be that forward. She came over, saying she'd left something behind. I had left my phone in the living room when she showed up. I didn't even see her because I had my housekeeper let her in while I was in the shower. If you don't believe me, you can call home and ask," Antony explained, frustration evident in his voice.

Abigail shrugged nonchalantly. "Either way, you're worse than Flavia's other two uncles. If you really want Aunty C, you need to end things with all the women in your life," Abigail declared.

"But I..." Antony began, but Abigail raised her hand in front of his face, signaling him to stop talking.

"I don't need any explanations. My condition is, there can't be any other women besides Aunty C," Abigail said, ending the discussion. She then grabbed her comics and pulled Flavia away from her father. The giggles they had been suppressing burst out, right in front of the cashier, who now looked at them in confusion.

"Abby, you're so mean," Flavia remarked.

"Oh, come on, just trust me. I'm sure my plan will work," Abigail replied confidently. The two teenage girls glanced back at Antony, who was standing some distance away, now running his hand through his hair in frustration.

A few moments before they had entered the bookstore:

Abigail : When we get to the bookstore, if I say Uncle Yudhis is perfect for Aunty C, you need to agree."

Flavia: What do you mean?

Abigail: We have to make your dad jealous. Like last night.

Flavia: Again? Why?

Abigail: You still want Aunty C to be your mom, right?

Flavia: Of course!!!

Abigail: Then just follow my lead.

Flavia: Alright!!?

That was the content of the message they sent to each other on their way to the bookstore.

After paying, Antony followed the two teenagers back to the second floor, where Claire was still supposed to be. She hadn't shown up yet, likely still in the room with the man named Yudhis.

Abigail and Flavia picked a place to sit and started flipping through one of the comics they had just bought. Antony had no choice but to sit beside them. It seemed like Abigail was a regular at that place, as several of the restaurant staff greeted her and even chatted with her for a bit.

Antony didn't want to get a big head, but for some reason, it seemed like the employees were deliberately gathering around Abigail's table, curious about him. He noticed their glances, both subtle and direct, aimed at him.

"Wait here for a moment, I'm going to find Aunty C," Abigail said before getting up from the table, leaving Flavia alone with her father.

Her departure left an awkward silence between the two. Even though they were father and daughter, Antony and Flavia hadn't had much interaction over the years. Without a third person there, both felt uncomfortable, unsure of how to start a conversation.

"Um..." Antony mumbled softly. "Can I ask you something?" he ventured, trying to break the ice.

My God, he thought, not even when I was a teenager trying to flirt was I this nervous. But now, sitting in front of his own daughter, he felt a level of anxiety he'd never experienced before.

Flavia looked up from her book, and Antony's heart skipped a beat.

Dear God, his little baby had grown up so much, and she was so beautiful. He studied her face closely. Her thick black eyebrows arched perfectly, a feature she inherited from her grandmother. Her almond-shaped eyes, with irises that gleamed a golden brown under the light, and her small, straight nose, paired with her full lips, made her features striking. There wasn't a trace of her mother in her.

His heart ached. Antony felt a wave of guilt wash over him.

He realized how much time he had wasted avoiding his daughter, simply because he couldn't deal with his own bitterness towards the woman he had once loved, who had betrayed and abandoned him.

He had made up so many excuses just to stay away from his only child.

He had committed a grave sin. He had punished an innocent child just because of the anger he held for his ex-wife. Yet Flavia had no idea about any of this. She had never complained, not even once.

Or maybe, Flavia had complained many times, but Antony just never really heard her?

Yes. What child doesn't crave their parents' love? Every child desires it. And no child gets to choose their parents. It was all Antony's fault for neglecting his role as a father.

Can he even make up for that? For thirteen long years, Antony had neglected his daughter while there were so many couples out there who would give anything to have a child. He had taken that gift for granted. His throat tightened, and suddenly, his eyes felt hot. It hurt. It felt as though his heart was being squeezed and pulled as hard as possible, and he had no idea who was responsible.

God, is an apology enough to make up for all his mistakes?

No. Antony knew an apology alone wouldn't suffice. He had to pay for everything he had done to Flavia. And he silently promised that for the rest of his life, he would fully dedicate himself to his daughter, giving her everything she needed and loving Flavia the way he should have from the start.

"Dad?" Flavia waved her hand in front of Antony's face, jolting him from his thoughts. He turned to see his daughter looking at him, confused. "What were you going to ask?" she reminded him.

Antony furrowed his brows. What had he intended to ask? His thoughts had wandered so much that he couldn't even remember.

"Sorry, I forgot," he admitted, embarrassed. "But... is there anything you need? I mean, is there something you've always wanted but never felt comfortable asking me for?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Flavia furrowed her brows, thinking for a moment, but then she shook her head. "I don't think so."

"If you ever want something, don't hesitate to ask me directly, okay? You don't need to ask Grandpa or Granny. Just come to me," he said, hopeful. Though Flavia initially seemed a bit puzzled, she eventually nodded.

Not long after, Abigail and Claire arrived, walking side by side with the handsome man Antony knew as Yudhis. Claire and Yudhis appeared to be chatting, with Claire's arm around Abigail's shoulder, who looked comfortable beside her.

As they approached their table, Claire introduced Yudhis to Antony. "Yudhis, you already know Flavia, right? This is her father, Mr. Antony Quirino," she said. Yudhis smiled broadly and extended his hand warmly.

"Yudhis," the man greeted with a friendly smile.

"Antony," Antony replied, his tone as cold as ever, which made Abigail furrow her brows slightly, noticing the tension.

Unfazed by the atmosphere, Abigail handed her shopping bag to Yudhis. "Uncle, Flavia and I are leaving this bag with you. We'll come back and get it after the movie," she said. Yudhis accepted the bag, still wearing that warm smile.

Antony felt annoyed by Yudhis's smile, which he thought was overly cheerful and seemed attention-seeking. "Is he hoping to get discovered by a toothpaste commercial or something?" Antony wondered, keeping his discomfort to himself.

They began walking toward the cinema. Claire was on the left, with Abigail wrapping her arm around her, while Flavia walked on Abigail's right, holding her hand tightly. Feeling the urge to get closer to his daughter, Antony dared to wrap his arm around Flavia's shoulders. At first, he sensed her stiffening, but after a few seconds, Flavia relaxed and smiled in acceptance.

Abigail eagerly approached the food counter at the cinema, with Flavia following closely behind, leaving Antony standing beside Claire. In that moment, he felt compelled to say something.

"Thank you," he whispered, though it was audible enough for Claire to hear.

Claire turned to him with a furrowed brow. "For what?" she asked.

"For everything. For accepting Flavia like this. And for suggesting that Abigail act as a bridge between us. For being a friend to Flavia while I've been neglectful as a father," Antony replied sincerely.

Claire simply nodded, no further words needed.

"It's really no problem, Sir. Flavia is a good girl, and I feel comfortable with her. She carries herself well and has a mature mindset for her age. I hope your relationship with her improves quickly," Claire said sincerely, and Antony smiled in response.

"I truly feel guilty for neglecting her all this time," he continued softly.

Antony was surprised at himself. Why was he talking so much in front of Claire, who was essentially a stranger? He wasn't usually someone who initiated conversations unless it was with family. And even more strangely, why was he discussing such sensitive matters that he wouldn't dare share with just anyone?

In front of Claire, Antony wanted to present himself in a good light. He wished to open up about himself, including the deepest secrets he had kept hidden. However, he didn't want to scare her away or make her uncomfortable, so he held back.

Claire was indeed his target, but right now, Antony's main goal was to win Flavia's heart and trust.

"I don't know and honestly don't want to know the reasons you've had for neglecting Flavia all this time. But I believe it won't take long for you to win her over," she advised.

"From what I've observed, Flavia is a very kind and forgiving girl. You just need to spend more time with her, get to know her by discussing important things. Include her in every conversation, especially if it concerns her. Don't make unilateral decisions because we don't know what she really wants or needs. And don't force her to talk if she feels reluctant," Claire added.

"Yeah. I'll try," Antony murmured, taking her words to heart.

At that moment, the two teenage girls returned, each carrying large bags of popcorn and four cold drinks.

"Aunty, help me!" Abigail said, handing one of her drinks to Claire and another one to Antony. Meanwhile, Flavia passed one box of popcorn to Claire.

"Me?" Antony asked, confused since he wasn't given a box of popcorn.

"One popcorn for two people. Me and Abigail, you and Aunty C," Flavia explained, which Abigail nodded in agreement with.

Not wanting to hear Antony's comments, Abigail started walking away, pulling Flavia along with her.

Once they reached the studio entrance, Abigail handed her ticket to the beautiful woman in uniform at the door. After the ticket was torn, Abigail passed two tickets to Antony.

"We'll sit separately," Abigail said, having intentionally booked seats in the back row. However, when Antony looked at the tickets held by the teenagers, he noticed they were in different sections.

"Why are we sitting so far apart?" Antony asked, puzzled.