Chapter 5

Eva's life took a remarkable turn when she met Jack. Day by day, Jack would make her feel loved and special. He would always have something up his sleeve to surprise Eva and make her smile. At this point, Eva was so sure she made the right decision when she said to Jack. It's her day off, and she wanted to surprise Jack with a home-cooked meal. She knew that Jack doesn't have enough time to eat when he wakes up in the morning to go to work. She thought it was the least she could do.

On her way to Jack's office, Eva saw a woman; she could be the same age as her mom, walking alone in the street. Something inside her ache. The woman was carrying a plastic basket and something heavy at the top of her head. Eva decided to pull over.

"Excuse me," Eva called the woman's attention. "Let me give you a ride. Come on." She happily offered.

"Oh, no. It's okay. I manage." The woman politely refused.

"No, Ma'am. I insist." Eva got out of the car and helped the woman with her belongings. That's when Eva realized what she's carrying was a homemade dish. It looks like she is about to sell them in the street. "Where do you live, Ma'am?" Eva asked instead.

"No, I have to sell those. I need the money for my sick husband." The woman replied. By the way, she talks, it is evident that she didn't have formal education.

"I'll pay for all of them so you can go home to your husband." Eva happily offered. "Then we'll go to the grocery store. You can buy him food, medicine, and vitamins." The woman stared at her. When Eva looked at her eyes, she felt like she was looking in the mirror.

"Why are you doing this?" The woman asked. It's the same question Eva was asking herself.

"I don't. I just feel like I have to." She answered honestly.

Just like what Eva promised, she paid for everything that the woman was carrying. They also went to the grocery and drug store to buy vitamins and medicine, as well as grocery stocks. When they arrived at the woman's home, Eva felt terrible for them. They don't even have a decent door. Her husband can't stand on his own anymore.

"How long have you been staying here?" Eva asked them.

"We've been here since we were together." The woman answered. "I am Martha, by the way. This is my husband, Ben."

"I'm Eva." She introduced herself while smiling.

"What do you, sir?" Eva asked Ben, who is currently sitting in his worn-out wheelchair.

"I used to work in a construction firm. One day, she was about to give birth; I fell from the third floor of our site. It was a miracle that I'm still alive." Ben explained.

"Where's your son or daughter?" She asked again. Her curiosity to know more about the couples made her forgot where she was supposed to go.

"My wife left her outside an orphanage. We can't keep her. We can't even put food in our mouths. We don't have a choice." Ben admitted. He was crying. He missed his lost daughter.

"I can help you find her if you want." Eva held Ben's hand. "I want to help you find her. I can see you would have been an amazing dad. I was left outside an orphanage too. I never met my birth parents. Luckily I was adopted by a wonderful woman. I hope your daughter was lucky like me."

"You will help us? I want to see her." Ben cried even harder. Martha was just standing by the door watching her husband. She witnessed how he wept for their daughter every night on the first ten years after they gave her away. He blamed himself for losing their child. "I don't care if she's mad at us; it's my fault. I got paralyzed. I just want to see how she was for the past 22 years." Eva was stunned. Their daughter was her age. What a coincidence, she thought.

"Yes, I will help you find your daughter."

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Giselle was busy putting on her makeup in front of her vanity mirror. She's inspired, excited, and happy. For the first time in her life, she is going out on a date. Giselle picked her prettiest dress to match the mood of the day.

"You're cheery. Do you have a date?" Her dad asked her. He was standing outside her door.

"Yes, dad, I am going out on a date, and I'm happy to say that he is a gentleman," Giselle responded happily to her father's query.

"I'm happy for you, sweetheart. When can I meet him?" Her father asked her

"Well, I want to get to know him more first," Giselle answered. "Don't worry, dad, when you meet him, you'd know that I'm sure of him."

"I can't believe you're already old enough to get married." Her dad said emotionally. "I still remember the day you were born. You are so tiny, so fragile, yet so precious."

"Dad, calm down." Giselle jokingly said. "I'm not getting married yet."

"I know, but you're already taking the first step." He protested. "You can't blame me; you're still my little girl."

"I love you, dad." Giselle hugged her father tightly.

Giselle laughed at their house with happiness in her heart. She knows that she is giving her time and attention to a man who is worth it. Giselle arrived at the restaurant they agreed upon. Giselle scanned the people inside the establishment and found the man he was looking for. He looked so handsome on his light pink polo shirt and cream-colored khaki pants.

"Sorry, did you wait for too long?" Giselle apologized.

"If it's you I'm waiting for? I'm willing to wait, however long it takes." Lindon said as he held Giselle's hand. This gesture made Giselle's heart skip a beat.

"Lindon, what are you—what is it?" Giselle asked as she stuttered.

"I never met a woman as wonderful as you. I've seen how you take care of OM Eva, your family. Everybody but yourself." Lindon's hand was cold. It made Giselle thought that he was just as nervous as she is. "It made me wonder how great you will be as a mother."

"Oh, uhm—" Giselle was overwhelmed with emotions. The butterflies in her stomach are dancing in a lovely melody.

"I don't want to waste any more time, Giselle. I want you to be my girl." Lindon took her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on it. Giselle didn't know how to answer, so she kissed him passionately instead.

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Eva was still confused when she finally arrived at Jack's office. While carrying the bag of food, she marched towards the front door. It was a four-story building with a large sign of the company name. It is a well-established architectural firm with hundreds of offices around the country. Jack is one of their top architectures.

Jack's colleagues already knew Eva allowed her to go straight to Jack's office. And she had no idea of what she's going to see. A woman is standing behind Jack, who is facing the window.

"I love you, Jack. You know that." The woman said. Both of them had their back on Eva. "We both know that you enjoy more than the others. I'm the only one who can make you happy and satisfied."

She placed her hand on Jack's shoulder. He was caressing it as if trying to seduce the man. She doesn't even care if they're in the office. It took Jack a while before he answered her. He faced the woman with a blank stare and slightly shoved her aside.

"Don't you have self-respect?" Jack said. His words were like daggers stabbing the woman's heart. "We never had a relationship. We hook up, and that's it. Now it's time we stop hooking up."

"Why? Is there another woman?" She asked as her voice cracked.

"Not another woman." Jack paused and smiled. "I just found the one. Now, leave. I don't want to see your face anymore."

The woman left with teary eyes, but when she saw Eva standing by the door, her anger arise.

"Is the woman you're referring to?" She angrily pointed a finger at Eva. "She's the one?"

"I said leave!" Jack yelled at her. She was dumbfounded and felt ashamed.

When the woman left, Jack apologized to Eva. He explained who she is and what was his relationship with her. It was the first time Eva saw Jack angry. But she tried to put herself in his shoes so she could understand.

"I'm sorry, you had to see me like that." Jack apologized again. "I just don't want anyone to ruin what we have."

"I know, and I appreciate that. Anyway, I brought you lunch." Eva changed the subject to lighten up the mood. "I know you don't often get the chance to have a homemade meal, so I thought I should bring you this."

"God, it smells delicious!" Jack kissed Eva on her cheek. "Oh, I'm hungry!"

Eva watched as Jack eats his lunch. She could feel his satisfaction and contentment. As their relationship progresses, Eva started to notice how simple Jack is. It's different than what people thought about him. He laughs easily, gets amazed easily. He even believes in old superstition. Jack is not the typical supermodel.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. I'm starting to get conscious about my look." Jack complain like a child.

"I just love looking at you," Eva admitted. "I'm so lucky to get to know you, the real you. Not the one in front of the cameras.

"You're falling in with me, aren't you?" Jack teased.

"Yeah, actually, I think I do," Eva responded honestly.

Jack was caught off guard by what Eva said. He didn't expect to hear those words from her. It made his heart flipped and a smile form on his lips. He felt happy.