LEOPOLD stirred vegetables in the curry sauce in the skillet. The spicy aroma was warm and heavenly on a cold December afternoon. While not as heavenly as his mother’s cooking, it was one of the few dishes that Malia would eat that contained a reasonable amount of veggies like most kids her age, it was a major chore to get her to eat anything balanced.His eyes strayed to the photos on the nearby living room wall. He bought larger picture frames and materialized some photos from his cellphone so that he could display them on his walls. He missed his daughter badly.Leopold felt mix of emotions as he stirred. It was exactly three months when Lia fell into her deep slumber, and it’s already two weeks since Crow’s last job. Their mission is still on the run but it was temporarily halted since they were still waiting for his general uncle’s piece of information that could help them take down the Black Sun.He rushed to his door after hearing

THE incessant buzzing of Leopold’s alarm clock jolted the man to consciousness. His head was already spinning because of the loud noise, and he seriously considered hitting the snooze button.He thought better of it and rolled out onto his feet, not bothering to get dressed anything aside from the boxer short he wore to bed.He warmed up running in the four corners of his room. Drop forward into push-up position. As he pressed up and down, he remembered Raymund’s words last night.Leopold changed to the plank position, holding as long as he could, focusing his core muscles. The numbers on the clock jumped, as he forced his core to hold him upright.He then stretched gently in the cool December morning air. He opened up the window and stare at his backyard that is now full of plants he and Lia planted before. The plants were all still mostly in bloom. Herbs and flowers perfumed the air richly as he inhale.He was about to go for another

NAGPALINGA-LINGA si Damian sa paligid upang hanapin si Andrea. Matapos lang ang ilang sandali ay nakita niya na rin ang dalaga. Ngunit nakatalikod ito sa kaniya.Hahakbang na sana siya papalapit dito nang mapansin kung nakayakap ito sa kung sino. Nag salubong ang kilay ng binata at mabilis na tinawid ang kapirasong espasyong pagitan niya sa mga ito.Mabilis na sumulak ang dugo ng lalaki. Pakiramdam niya ng mga panahong iyon ay may aagaw kay Andrea mula sa kaniya.“Andrea!”Kaagad naman na napalingon sa kaniya ang dalaga. Napatayo si Andrea nang mapansin na magkasalubong na ang kilay ni Damian.Doon naman nakita ni Damian na si Leopold pala ang kayakap ng binata. Nakita pa niya kung paanong pasimple na pinahid ng binata ang mga luha.“Captain,” bati niya sa lalaki. Nilapitan niya pa ito upang kamayan. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”“Thank you, Enriquez.” Malungkot na tugon ni Leopold

Leopold stood rigid upright in his old mission gear, a black jumpsuit with a dark red vest. Storing some of Malia’s old things, he had found it buried in mothballs. The suit beckoned to him, like it had been quietly waiting for him to find it. Much to his surprise, it still fit like a glove the way it had the last time he took it off.He then opened a wooden box that he hid long time ago. His eyes brimmed with so much admiration as he took out his old friend. Beretta M9A3.A seventeen-round magazine gun that has a thinner vertical grip for improved control and less conspicuous concealed carry. It also has removable sights so that users can select the sight’s material and construction.Memories of his past kept on swarming onto his mind. The path that he never expected to trace back again. He loaded and unloaded his old comrade. Aimed it at the wall as if there was someone hiding behind it and the pulled the trigger. A small clank can be heard inside

PAKIRAMDAM ni Andrea ay nasasakal siya sa ginagawang pag uusap ng mga magulang ni Damian at ng kaniyang ama at lolo patungkol sa nalalapit na nilang kasal. Pumayag man siya ay mabigat pa rin sa kalooban ni Andrea ito. Hindi rin maitatatwa na hanggang ng mga oras na iyon ay inookupa pa rin ni Leopold ang buong isipan ng dalaga.Nag aalala pa rin kasi siya sa lalaki dahil batid niya na labis na apektado pa rin ito sa pagkawala ni Raymund.“Hello… earth to Andrea?” Kaagad na napatigil sa paglipad ang kaniyang isipan nang tapikin siya ni Damian sa balikat. Magkatabi kasi sila nito sa upuan habang nasa harap naman nila ang mga matatanda. “W-what?” “Itinatanong ng mommy kung gaano raw ba kalaking wedding cake ang gusto mo,” wika ni Damian. Nalipat naman sa nakangiting si Mrs. Enriquez ang tingin ni Andrea. Alanganin siyang ngumiti rito dahil mukhang kanina pa ito naghihintay ng kasagutan mula sa kaniya. “A-ah