“WHY are you looking at me like that?”
Astrid heard Theo chuckled. He shook his head and focused on the book he’s reading. They were sitting at the bench inside the amusement center where Luna was having the time of her life. She’s been bugging her to visit the mall and let her play at the amusement center as a reward for being the top of her class. So she had no choice but to find time to grant her wish. Good thing that Theo was free to drive them since she had to take her car to the shop for maintenance.
“Hey, what’s the matter?” she asked once more when he fell silent. His eyes were on the book but she can see that he’s smiling. “Come on, what is it?” He’s been glancing at her every now and then and it somehow makes her uncomfortable. “Do I have something on my face?”
Theo glanced up and shook his head. “I’m sorry, it’s just that...&rdq
"OMG!”Astrid laughed out loud at Martha’s overreaction when she told her about 'the' news. She was about to sip her coffee when Martha excitedly yelled.“It’s about time, girl!”“Martha, don’t get too excited. we’ve just started dating okay?”“Still!” Martha held her hand and smiled brightly. “I’m so happy for you, Astrid. At long last, you’re ready to fall in love again!”They were inside the coffee shop just across Luna’s school where she always waits for her. After her teacher’s assistant job finishes at ten, then she visits her shop for an hour and picks Luna up afterwards. Martha was supposed to be on a date but when she told her about the news, she immediately called off her date and came to see her instead. It was expected of Martha to be happy for her but she didn’t expect her to be this thrilled.&ldquo
“IS that all, sir?”Bullet has been staring at his monitor for the entire three minutes. He didn’t even hear their office secretary, asking him about his meetings for the day. The secretary had to ask multiple times before he could answer.“By the way, Miss Audrey just called. She said she won’t be able to join you to dinner tonight because she’ll be going to her grandparents.”“Noted. Thank you, Miss Mendoza,” he replied without looking at her. He just heard the door opened and then closed.When Audrey’s grandparents learned that she’s now working in their Manila-based company, they invited her to visit them in the province. She wanted him to come but he refused because he still has a lot of things to do so now, she’s been avoiding his call the entire day. He’s used to her temperament though and he knows that she’ll talk to him again when she’
BULLET crossed his arms over his chest and watched her from afar. He chose to sit at the far end corner of the restaurant where nobody can bother him. He came there right after his last meeting just to make sure that he arrives at Mandy’s before she did.Honestly, he’s not expecting Astrid to show up. He should know because he’s already used to her letting him down and not keeping her promise. Ah, why the hell did he ever come here in the first place? He was able to live a normal life for seven years and he shouldn’t be wasting his time for this.He’s not even sure if the email really came from Astrid or it was just from someone who wanted to play tricks on him because after she abandoned him and left for another man, he decided that he didn’t want to have anything to do with the woman anymore and he won’t let her in his life again, ever. So he flew to the US, changed his email address and contact number,
“HI.”Astrid was about to stand up but Bullet motioned her to stay seated. Instead, he sat down opposite her at the table. She’s not meant to stare but it was inevitable. He has always had that look that stopped women in their tracks. Yeah, he’s probably used to it, those glances and sudden pause when women look his way, accompanied by easy gaze and flirtatious smile. Though he’s always known his effect on women, he’s modest about it, which just made all the girls fall all the more.“How did you find me?” he asked without hesitation. The muscles in his face tightened but kept eye contact. His usual cheerful smile was replaced with a blank expression.“You are late,” she accused, trying her hardest not to stare.“I came here a few minutes before you arrived,” he confessed. “I just want to make sure that the email I received really came from you.”
AND then an uncomfortable silence. For Bullet, it felt like they were sent back in the time when they were still together. Astrid smiles the same smile and sometimes, he catches her staring at him the way she used to that he had to tell himself over and over that they are two different people now. It’s different now.“Have you told Luna that you’ve found me?” he asked after the waiter has cleared their table. They have just finished their dinner and now enjoying their coffee.“Not yet. I’m still gathering my courage. This is a huge deal for her and as much as possible, I want your first meeting to be simple but memorable, to say the least. She’s turning eight next month and I was thinking maybe it’s the perfect time.”He smiled. “But do you think Carl wouldn’t mind that I’ll be gatecrashing her birthday party?”“You are not gatecrashing, Bullet
“ABOUT time, man.”Bullet laughed and took a sip of his cappuccino. It took him a few months before he’s able to contact Lukas and he expected him to be mad at him but fortunately, he just smiled when he showed up at his new office just a few blocks away from the building where they used to work together. Nothing has changed in Lukas, he’s still the fun and wacky friend he had back then. And yeah, he’s still single until now, which was a shock because before he left, Lukas was actually planning to propose to his girlfriend.“So when are you gonna see her?” Lukas inquired after telling him about his new-found daughter with Astrid.“Next weekend. I’m kind of nervous, man,” he admits. “I don’t know what to do once I see her face to face.” He got his phone from his pocket and showed Luna’s pictures to Lukas. His heart started beating fast the moment he saw his
IT was the middle of the week when Theo got an unexpected visitor that morning. He just ended his second Taekwondo class that day when he saw Astrid at the lobby area of their Dojang. She’s supposed to be in class that time so he was more than shocked to see her there especially it was the first time she visited him at school.“What a surprise!”Theo’s a bit hesitant to get close to Astrid because he’s all sweaty, still in his Dobok. He had to wipe his sweat on his face and neck with his towel before standing in front of Astrid. She stood up and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. She was still wearing her uniform and seem like in a hurry.“What brought you here?”“I think I owe you an explanation, Theo.”“Explanation for what?”A lot of students are going out of Dojang, some are waving goodbye to him so he guided her to sit down at the bench beside th
“BUT I thought tomorrow’s the pool party, Mom? I already invited my friends to come by at three in the afternoon tomorrow. Should I call them and tell them that tonight’s the dinner and no more pool party tomorrow?”Astrid smiled at Luna while fixing her hair bow. “The pool party is still tomorrow, honey. But since today is your real birthday, we have to have our own little celebration.”Luna smiled. “Wow, I’m gonna have two celebrations?”“Yes.” She hugged her after making sure that her casual black dress. She then led her to the dining area and let her sit at the head of the table. She saw Luna’s face brighten up when she saw her that everything on the table were her favorites.“Wow, thanks Mom!”Nothing fancy but she tried her best to have Luna’s favorites including pizza, donuts and of course, her Aunt Martha’s red velvet cake with e
“CAN you believe this?” “Can you?” Bullet asked back as he squeezed Astrid’s hand, her engagement ring sparkling on her finger, together with her wedding band. An endearing smile lit her face as they walked hand in hand towards the fireplace. “After more than a decade, after everything that has happened, we’re here,” Astrid beemed after sipping her wine. “At last.” She then looked at her husband and suddenly, she felt this warm fuzzy feeling inside her chest. God, Bullet is now her husband. It was just like a dream. Everything was just like a dream to her now since his proposal. Bullet sat next to her on the extravagantl
AFTER SIX MONTHS... THE humble Italian diner located at the hotel rooftop was packed with guests early that evening. Though it was a simple ceremony, Carl and Michelle made sure to invite all the people closest to their hearts including Astrid, Luna and Bullet. They were surprised when they got the invitation just a week ago. In fact, everyone was surprised, especially Luna. Oh, surprised wasn’t the right term. She was ecstatic! When she saw Carl picking her up at the gate of her school, she cried, literally. According to Carl, they’ve decided to hold a simple civil wedding since they are just staying in Manila for a couple of weeks. They were already married in the states anyway and they just wanted to celebrate their marria
ASTRID was on her way out of her coffee shop when somebody blocked her way. She was busy going through her bag for her cellphone so she wasn’t able to see what’s on her way. “Oh, I’m sorry, I-” And when she looked up, she saw a huge bouquet of red American roses. She couldn’t quite figure out who’s holding them due to the size of it and she had to step closer to recognize whoever it was.“Hi.”She has already prepared a smile but when she realized that it wasn’t who she was expecting, she straightened and all the muscles in her face tightened.It was Theo. He’s all dressed up with his freshly-ironed light blue long sleeves shirt and cream
“AM I late?”Everybody glanced at him at the gate, including Luna who’s trying hard to stay awake by her mom’s side. But when she heard that voice, she quickly stood up and shrieked.“Daddy!” Luna rushed to her Dad and hugged him tight. “I knew it, you’re gonna come! I’ve been telling Mommy that you told us you’re not coming but you are just going to surprise us this Christmas eve!”“Yes, hon, you’re right.” Bullet crouched and kissed his daughter on the cheek. “Did Daddy’s plan worked?”“Yes Dad!”“Did you miss Daddy?”“Oh, I missed you so much Daddy! I’ve been telling Mommy to call you and tell you to visit but she said...” Luna had to take a deep breath before continuing. “She said that you are very busy with work and meetings and stuff that I don’t really understand.&
ASTRID was just about to turn off the moon night light on her night stand when she heard a knock at her door. It was Bullet, his hair already scruffy. His smile was quite uneasy when he entered her room.“She fell asleep even before she was able to read to me her new book.”She sat up and straightened up her blanket. ”I bet she got tired from riding her new bike around.”“Yeah, she told me about her ‘adventure’ in your backyard.”“Anyway, thank you for staying. You better go now so you can still catch the last full show.”Bullet shook his head. “I already called Audrey. Told her to take a rain check on the movie tonight.”“Why?”“Because you’re sick, that’s why.”“I feel better now, really.”He moved towards her bed and touched her forehead, just like what he did earlier. “Have yo
OH MY GOD, Astrid! What has gotten into you?She shook her head while looking at the pictures on her phone - pictures of Luna with Bullet and some stolen shots of him. She can’t remember when it happened or how it happened but one day, Astrid just found herself thinking about him all the time.And she hates it.She hates it every time he’s with them but his mind is into something else - oh yeah, someone else. She hates it whenever he promises to visit but doesn’t keep it due to ‘unforeseen’ circumstances. And she hates it when she wants to see him but he’s not available.She’s going crazy, she’s certain about it. Because if not, she wouldn’t be like this at all.This is all because of Bullet. All the flirting he’s been doing, all his sweet talks in the past months were now replaced with coldness. Now, he barely visits and when he does, he’s not his usu
"DREAM on, Mister!” Astrid laughed out loud, literally. “Why would you even think that?" she inquired.“Remember last week when we went to Lukas' night swimming birthday party?"Of course, she remembers. That was the time when she started getting confused about her own feelings. Because of Bullet, because of Theo, because of their complicated situation.“Remember when Audrey and I were getting cozy? You pulled that teacher closer, whispered in his ear and kissed him on the lips.”Astrid’s eyes widened and covered her mouth with her hands. “You saw that?” Yes, she remembered whispering to Theo and kissing him but it wasn’t because she wanted to make Bullet jealous. Alright. Maybe, half of it was true. She didn’t know how it happened but it was too late before she could even control herself.“Of course. I think everybody saw that.” He smiled but
“DO we really have to do this?”Bullet glanced at Astrid. He was about to push the doorbell button when he heard her behind him. Luna was just clinging to her Mom, smiling at him. She’s wearing the cute dress he got her on her birthday and carrying.Ever since his parents knew about Luna, they insisted to meet her as soon as possible. He’s not supposed to tell them about his daughter with Astrid yet but one of their closest friends allegedly saw the three of them together at the mall. He was even surprised to get a call from his mom asking too many questions about it that he wasn’t able to do anything but to admit it.“They are expecting us. Dad canceled his business trip today and Mom already cooked her special baked macaroni for Luna.””Wow! Baked macaroni? That’s my favorite, Daddy!”Bullet smiled and patted her hair lightly. “Yeah, your grandma made it beca
ASTRID just wanted to go home but she doesn’t want to lose face. When she got to the acoustic bar, Martha was already there. Lukas was also there, and Bullet and a beautiful young woman who seems really fond of Bullet.It’s her first time for a long time to visit such place since having Luna. It was one of the new clubs in the city which cater acoustic bands and promote fresh talents. The place is filled with smoke that’s artistically twirled, forming coils in the dimness.Acoustic music, chips, beers, murmurs and whispers. More and more people are coming inside the bar - men, women, couples, groups. There’s someone crying at the end corner of the place, some are just standing across the bar, while there are couples in hidden lounges.It was Martha’s birthday celebration and she was actually surprised when Martha told her about her and Lukas.“Are you kidding me?” she asked doubtfully. “Sinc