1. Dreaded Time

“This year’s most anticipated wedding between actress Olive Concepcion and famous business personality and Hotelier Nate Sarmiento is set to be held this coming Sunday. For more of this story, here is Ynez Solis…” 

"Mommy, I'm sleepy." 

From the celebrity news that I am watching, my attention shifted to my baby playing next to me.

Elisha was yawning and her beautiful eyes were already half closed. 

I smiled before carrying my daughter in my arms. "Okay, let's get you to bed now, my love…" 

I carefully laid Elisha on the bed in the only room of our small apartment. I then hugged her and kissed her gently on the forehead. 

"Good night, mommy. I love you…" 

"I love you too, Eli. Good night." I waited for her to fall asleep completely before I went out to turn off the TV that I had left open in the living room. 

The news about Nate and Olive was over. I sighed. I am happy for my best friend, Olive. But I am also afraid that their marriage would change her mind and think of taking back the baby she left in my care four years ago. 

Elisha isn't my child. She is Olive's daughter with Nate. The daughter that Nate Sarmiento didn't like back then. He wanted Olive to get an abortion. But I didn't want my friend to commit such a grave mistake. 

So, what I did was, I convinced Olive  to continue the pregnancy and just give me the baby after her delivery. Fortunately, Olive agreed. But because she was a rising actress then, her sudden exit from show business was not easy. 

The reason she gave then was that she would study abroad again. But the truth was, we just went to a distant province where Olive could give birth secretly. Nate, who was desperate not to have the child, agreed to a long-distance relationship. 

I gladly took the newborn Elisha and became her mother and father at the same time. Olive never showed herself again after giving birth to her baby. She returned to the limelight like nothing happened in the first place, totally abandoning her child in the process. 

That was okay for me. I wouldn't have wanted it another way. 

It was also good so that Elisha's quiet life would not be disturbed. I love her so much. And though I am planning on telling Elisha that I am not her mommy, I'm hoping it wouldn't be too soon. 

I have no regrets about my decision. I would forever thank God that Elisha came into my life. She completed my life in a way no one else could, in a way no one else would. 

How could I ever forget when I was forced to move out from my very own home when my father remarried? I was just eighteen then. It's been tough for me. Five years after that, I had Elisha. And another four years later, I was completely happy having my own little girl calling me mommy.

 

But now that Nate and Olive are getting married, I can't help but worry that one day they will knock on my door and take the child they didn't want before. I can't allow that. I am Elisha's parent. They never were. 

After turning off the TV, I also got ready to go to sleep. I made sure the doors were locked first before I went to lie beside Elisha. 

But I had just laid my back down when I heard a car stop in front of my apartment.

I glanced at the wall clock and learned that it was already ten o'clock in the evening. The car also left immediately, so I just shrugged it off. 

Then I heard the knocks on my front door. I hesitantly got up. Who would visit me at this time of the night? The knocking on the door continued and became impatient as I got closer. 

"Who's there?" I asked, grabbing a vase. The knocking stopped. "Who's there?" I repeated. 

"Hannah," the other person behind the door answered. I wished I didn't know that voice so well. "It's me, Olive." 

I froze. I was just thinking about my friend showing up on my doorstep a while ago. 

"Hannah?" 

I needed to give my full strength to open the door. For a while, I even thought of not opening it at all and pretending I am not Hannah. 

"Liv," I whispered when I opened the door, a cool wind blew in my face and I knew from Olive's point of view, I looked like I had just seen a ghost. 

"May I come in, Hannah?" Olive kept looking behind her as if someone was running after her. 

And I couldn't help but wonder why she looked so flustered. In her hands were two big bags like she had run away. 

"Y-yes." I eased the door open. "Of course." 

"Thanks." She entered and immediately closed the door behind her. "I'm sorry for crashing here." She seemed like she was about to cry as both of her hands were on her mouth, already fighting a sob. 

"Liv, you know you are always welcome in my house," I said, a bit lying on that, since Elisha came, I was no longer sure if I wanted Olive around. I did not want Elisha to know her even though I planned to tell my little girl that she was her real mother. "Tell me what happened?" When I turned on the light, I saw a large bruise on her left eye, it was not even open. 

"It's Nate," the crying and trembling Olive began after she sat down. 

"Did he do this to you?" I asked. Anger rose in my heart for Elisha's father. Olive just looked at me, stunned at first, then nodded. "I thought you were getting married on Sunday? How could he do this to you, Liv?" 

Olive did not respond. She continued crying like crazy. She looked anxious. 

"Liv." I held her hands. "Tell me what happened." 

"Hannah." She looked into my eyes then let go like she was hesitating about telling me.

"You know you can trust me, right?" I lowered my voice when I realized that Elisha was sleeping. 

"Hannah, I'm pregnant," she confessed. 

I was not able to answer immediately. Then it hit me. The last time I saw Olive as worried as that was when she learned she was pregnant with Elisha. She had also run away from Nate because he didn't want the baby. 

Five years later, here is Olive again with the same baby problem. But had Nate gone physical this time? Was he that mad to hurt Olive? 

"Nate knew and he wanted you to abort the baby again?" I guessed. I  was very angry with her boyfriend. Heartless jerk, that's what he is!

"No," Olive shook her head. "It's nothing like that. In fact, he wants the baby." 

"Then why? Why did he hurt you?" 

"It's not his Hannah." She bowed her head, too afraid to meet my eyes. "He just found out and he was so mad at me. He had turned into a monster. He'd kill me, Hannah. That's why I ran away." 

"Oh my…" I mumbled.

"Please, let me stay here. Just until Josh books us a ticket to London," she begged. 

"Who is Josh?" 

"My baby's father," she admitted, embarrassed at me. "I know what you're thinking. I'm not a slut, Hannah. I truly loved Nate. But I met Josh. It's him I love now." 

"What about your wedding?" Suddenly, I also wanted to get angry with Olive for agreeing to marry Nate and then be a runaway bride. Worst, would elope with someone else. 

"I'm sure Nate can handle it very well... But you won't tell me to come back and marry him, right? Hannah--" She stopped when I didn't answer. "Hannah, he'd kill me." 

"Why did you even agree to marry him if you no longer love him?" 

"You must understand. This wedding thing's already one year in the making. I only met Josh six months ago. Don't look at me like that, Hannah. When you meet the right person, you will know." 

I rolled her eyes. Olive said it was like she was not worried at all about the impact of her abandonment of her marriage. As usual, she's going for her escape and will leave Nate to fix the mess. 

Not that I feel sorry for Nate. I didn't even know him other than Olive's heartless boyfriend, the crazy man who wanted Elisha aborted, and the man behind the country's most successful hotel brand... 

"I love Josh," Olive continued. 

"I can see that. Did Nate know?" 

"I told him." 

"Oh." 

"Mommy?" 

Olive and I turned around at the same time. Elisha was standing behind us, rubbing her eyes. 

And just like that, it happened. The most dreaded time of my life, when I have to tell Elisha about her mother.