جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 95

ONE month to the day since they’d brought Amelie home from the hospital, the Dela Merzcid house was wrapped in the soft, honeyed gold of late afternoon. The air smelled of Yna’s slow-simmered sinigang and the ube crinkles she’d baked that morning, drifting down the hallway from the kitchen to the nursery, where the only sounds were a baby’s breathy giggles and a man’s very silly, very committed rendition of peek-a-boo. “Peek-a-boo! Peek-a-boo!” Alas cooed, leaning over the white wooden crib he’d built himself with his own two hands, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his work tie discarded in a crumpled heap on the rocking chair. He’d left the office two hours early that day, claiming an “emergency family matter” — which, as far as he was concerned, was entirely true: he’d missed Amelie’s morning nap smile, and he refused to miss her evening one too. Every time he ducked behind the crib rail and popped back up with his eyes crossed and his tongue sticking out, their daughter shrie

THE day after Janus and Shirley’s wedding, something felt different to Brenda. It wasn’t just the giddy, fluttery excitement of a new connection; it was a quiet, settled certainty that she was finally ready to close old doors and step into a whole new chapter. She and Arthur had agreed to meet at a small, upscale restaurant in Makati—one of Brenda’s long-time favorites, known for its warm modern vibe and creative Filipino fusion dishes.Brenda arrived in a simple but elegant black dress that hugged her figure perfectly, her hair swept back in soft waves. She spotted Arthur already seated at a quiet corner table, and he stood immediately the second he saw her, pulling out her chair with a warm, easy smile.“Brenda, you look absolutely stunning tonight. Truly. That dress was made for you.”A faint blush rose on her cheeks as she sat down, smiling back. “You’re not so bad yourself, Arthur. Very dapper. Thank you—for this, for dinner.” She wasn’t used to this kind of gentle, intentional