Diane’s P.O.V.   Bahagyang kumunot ang noo ko. Teka, natulog ba ang dalawang ito?   O dahil sa ginawang body shot ni Karen kagabi ay pareho na silang hindi nakatulog?   Karen was laughing all-out loud while splashing some seawater to Chef Sam. Hindi naman nagpatalo ang huli at gumanti rin ito sa kanya.   Pareho silang nakayapak lang at tuwang-tuwa habang magkasama. Halos basang-basa na silang dalawa sa walang-tigil nilang kulitan at pagtatampisaw sa dagat, pero parang wala silang pakialam kung may makakita man sa kanilang dalawa.   There was also an instance where Samuel naughtily chased Karen while running on the sands and when he reached her, he blatantly carried her into his arms like she was his. Sa laki ng pangangatawan ni Samuel, sigurado akong kayang-kaya niyang buhatin ang kaibigan ko kahit isang kamay lang ang gamit. &

Diane’s P.O.V.   “Hmm… h-hindi pa kasi gising si Karen, Lorenz eh. You know her, right? It was still earlier than six and she’s not a morning person at all,” maang kong sagot while shrugging off my shoulders. “C-Can you call again later? Or… do you want me to relay your message to her?” I even straightened my posture para naman kahit papaano ay maging kapani-paniwala ang alibi ko.   Sobrang lakas ng tibok ng puso ko dahil kahit ayokong magsinungaling sa kaibigan ko, ginagawa ko na iyon ngayon. Namamasa rin ang mga kamay ko. Ang lakas ng boses ko kanina habang pinagagalitan ko si Lorenz, ngayon naman ay halos bumulong na ako.   “Oh! I get it now, Diane. Was it Liam who called you? My bad! Sorry for being insensitive here. I forgot that you’re also busy rebuilding your own love story.” Then, he smiled. “No, it’s fine. I’ll call her again later. Or maybe, I could set a date and tell Karen everything I neede

Diane’s P.O.V.   “So, where are we going now?” Karen asked me while taking care of her car infotainment system—wiping it with some tissues at her hand.   Ilalagay niya kasi roon ‘yong address na kailangan naming puntahan. Mahirap na, baka kung saan pa kami mapunta at bigla na lang kaming maligaw rito sa Batangas.   “Here,” sagot ko.   Pinakita ko naman sa kanya ang cell phone ko at agad niyang binasa ang address na nakalagay roon, habang nilalagay ‘yon sa touchscreen niyang car monitor. Hindi naman ako mapalagay dahil pagkatapos ng ilang taon ay madadalaw ko na rin ang doktorang naging malapit sa buhay ko noon.   Namamasa rin ang mga kamay ko at bahagya pang nanginginig ang mga ito. Actually, kinakabahan talaga ako and I had to take a deep breath to be comfortable.   Out of all people, I knew that Dra. Ava Manuel was the only person who could

Diane’s P.O.V. “Best, if you really have to pull-over for us to better talk about it, it’s fine with me. I can wait. Isa pa, hindi naman aalis si Dra. Ava sa bahay niya at makakapaghintay naman siya sa akin,” I told Karen while gently wiping the tears on her right cheek using my handkerchief. Karen just nodded and parked at the right side of the road kung saan walang gaanong tao at mga sasakyan. She then pushed the ‘hazard’ button, alerting those within the perimeter that we were on a hazard—either having a mechanical problem, a flat tire along the way, or whatever they think was wrong with us. In this case, Karen should pacify herself first. She was overwhelmed by too much emotions and it wasn’t good for her. Lalabo lang ang mga mata niya habang nagmamaneho and I couldn’t afford to be in another car accident. That was the last thing I could have ever

Diane’s P.O.V. Glossy white walls surrounded with landscaped paintings, double-floating bridal staircases with exotic brown columns, sophisticated elevators, and high ceilings with cascading chandeliers and remarkable drapes, greeted us from the inside. All furniture varieties were properly placed at its own position creating a minimalistic style. The mansion’s interior bespoke amenities that were even imported from other countries. It was truly breathtaking and I could say that the mansion had more than ten enviable rooms in it, other than the living room space and what I pictured out to be a chef-inspired kitchen. There was still a huge space for decorations, and generally, the overall mansion provided a natural light and ventilation. What we were breathing was indeed fresh air and there was no need for an air-conditioner. Kahit sino naman ay bigla na lang mapapanganga sa l