"N-no..." I denied, although I knew Nate heard my sobs. "Just put me down now, please?"No. I wouldn't cry in front of Nate Sarmiento. He'd already seen me so weak in the elevator that breaking down would confirm his doubt that I wasn't capable of taking care of Elisha. I wouldn't want to give Nate a reason to kick me out of my daughter's life very soon."What happened back there?" I heard him ask after putting me down on the couch inside his office. Worry was still evident on his face. "It's a good thing that Paul called me. What if he didn't?" I just stared at his handsome face as he spoke. Why did it concern him? "You are just going to faint inside the elevator and that will scare the hotel guests if they see you..." he added.'Okay... He's not concerned about you, Hannah... He's worried that his clients will be scared if they see a passed out woman in the elevator,' I told myself.Nate was standing in front of me waiting for my answer like it was an important thing."It’s nothing,

"Mommy!" I heard Elisha calling me. When I turned around, I saw her being carried by someone on his back. I didn’t know the guy, so I panicked."Eli!" I immediately stood up."Mommy, this is Uncle Adam!" My daughter informed me even before I could ask. Elisha was very happy."Hi!" The man greeted me. "You must be, Hannah," he added with a smile, extending his right hand to me while his left hand supported Eli behind him."Hello, yes, I'm Hannah. Please hold Eli well," I worriedly said, shaking his hand very quickly for fear that Eli might fall."Don't worry, I got her well... Right, kiddo?" He even ran around to Elisha's delight."Please, please, put him down!" I begged."Yeah. Yeah, okay." He sat down so that Elisha could get down. She was still protesting though and wanted more."Eli, that's enough," I said firmly. "Are you okay? You're not hurt?" I knelt down so that I could check on Elisha better."No, mommy, I'm fine... Uncle, let's do it again!""Eli," I gave her a warning look.

I am feeling a little bit light-headed. But it's not because I am sick, dizzy or anything. It was the confusing feeling I have been feeling since this morning."Hannah," Leah said."Huh?""Are you listening to me? I've been talking non stop here but it seems like your thought’s been wandering somewhere else," my friend complained."I'm sorry, what were you saying?" I tried to give my attention to Leah."Ah, I know that!" she exclaimed after looking at me intently for about ten seconds. "You're in love!" I could almost see hearts in her eyes."Huh?""Hannah, you're in love," she repeated, grinning widely at me. "So tell me huh, is Nate Sarmiento the lucky guy?""What? No!" I refused, more confused than I was. "What are you talking about?""I went through that phase too. So don't fool me, Hannah," she still teased me. “I can’t believe the improvement! Come on, tell me the details...""What are you talking about? It’s a no. No!"I won't tell anything to Leah. All I knew was that I had be

"Mr. Sarmiento, we met at last!" Leah greeted exaggeratedly.We had already arrived at the Farm and Elisha had forced her father to wear the pink shirt and cap that Leah gave us.To say that Nate carried the attire really well was an understatement. He looked like a model who had just stepped out of a magazine cover. It seemed that whatever he would wear would fit him nicely.I felt a little bit conscious that I was wearing a shirt that was the same as the one Nate was wearing. Then there was Team Sarmiento written on my back, as if I were really a member of the family of Elisha and Nate."Hannah always talks about you!" Leah continued, and if Caleb hadn't been there I might have already strangled her neck for lying.Nate's response was just a small smile and a short greeting, obviously just forcing himself to be nice. He obviously wasn't used to casual talk with a new acquaintance that was not business related."I really don't talk about you that much," I told Nate. I felt I needed

Aunt Mercy brought us to visit my dad's grave the next day. While we were there, I asked them to leave me alone. Somehow, it was the closest I could get to my dad. I could no longer see him, no longer hug him, no longer talk to him.And no matter how hard it was for me, I had to face the truth. That I am an orphan now and will be alone in life. Even though I have been independent for a long time, the feeling was different now that I knew I had no parents anymore. I have no one to return to. And I knew that I would never see them again.But the worst feeling of all was losing dad without the chance to apologize for my mistakes. I wasn’t able to tell him that I was not mad at him, that he didn’t need to ask for my forgiveness and, just like him, I never stopped loving him either. I didn’t expect our next meeting to be like this. Then again, it’s the truth and I can no longer change it."Hannah." I heard Nate call me softly. I immediately dried my tears before looking at him. "Let's go.