"Mama, forgive me if I have hurt and caused you pain," Erik pleaded, holding Aurora's hand gently.In response to his gesture, tears welled up in Aurora's eyes, streaming down her cheeks. "Please forgive me too, both your father and me," she replied, tapping his hand lightly.Erik smiled and nodded, understanding the depth of her words. He stood up and embraced his mother tightly. Then, he glanced at Fidel, who smiled back at him.Though it was a simple smile, Erik knew it carried profound meaning. In an instant, he felt a weight lifted off his chest, a burden he had been carrying for a long time. And he couldn't deny that it was because of his act of forgiveness towards his mother.Yes, he loved his parents dearly. And now, as a father himself, even though he and Mia had yet to welcome their child into the world, he had gained a deeper understanding of the true meaning of life. This was why he found it easy to comprehend and accept everything his mother had done and the choices she h

"E-ELENA?"As Aunt Ising recognized the woman who was busy hanging bedsheets in the back part of the shelter, Mia couldn't help but feel a quick throb in her chest. Then she looked up at her brother Nathaniel, questioning him with her eyes. And as he seemingly understood the meaning behind her gaze, he simply shrugged his shoulders."I-Ising?"The woman whom Aunt Ising called Elena responded."W-Who is she, Sister Cecilia?" Mia couldn't resist asking the accompanying nun."She is the woman who left you and your brother here in this shelter many years ago," Sister Cecilia answered her with a kind smile.Surprised or astonished?Mia couldn't determine which of the two dominant emotions prevailed in her heart.She also couldn't speak immediately because she remained transfixed, gazing at the woman.Just like what happened to her earlier with Nathaniel, she couldn't remember anything about this woman. But despite everything, a part of her heart couldn't deny that it suddenly felt an eager

"Why don't you call Mia so she'll have an idea about our arrival," Fidel, Erik's father, suggested.They were already on their way to the province. The journey would take eight to ten hours, and it was only four o'clock in the morning when they hit the road."I don't have her number, Pa. Honestly, I'm not sure if she changed her number or if her phone is always turned off. I've tried calling her several times, but still no response," Erik replied."Well, maybe it's better this way, without her knowing that you're coming. She'll be more surprised," his mother chimed in from the backseat of the car.*****"We have a problem, Mia," Nathaniel said, peering through the door of her room."A problem?" Mia asked her brother, her attention focused on packing her belongings. She was about to return to Manila, and Nathaniel, along with Aunt Ising and even Elena, would be accompanying her."I wasn't allowed to skip today. I'm sorry, but maybe we can leave after my last class, which should be afte