"YEARBOOK"

"I'm okay here, Dad, don't worry about me," Erik answered with a chuckle while speaking on the phone with his father, Fidel, who was in Canada with his mother. 

"Give me that phone, let me talk to that boy," came the voice of his mother, Aurora, which made Erik chuckle softly. 

"Mom, don't argue with Dad anymore. The two of you are all you've got there," he teased, laughing lightly while continuing to separate his white and colored laundry. 

"What exactly are you doing there, and why haven't you come back yet? It's been almost a year since you said you’d return. When are you coming back? Your grandfather won’t stop asking when his favorite grandson will be home. Your father and I don’t even know what to tell him," his mother went on, her ranting making Erik laugh softly again. 

"Mom—" 

But his mother quickly cut him off. 

"Why are you laughing at me? Hey, Enrique, have you forgotten your responsibilities here? To your grandfather's business? Your cousin is struggling to handle all the work. You should be grateful you’re not like other people who have to struggle just to find a job and work themselves to the bone for a good life. Everything is already set up for you, and yet you act like it’s nothing!" his mother continued her scolding. 

At that, Erik bit his lower lip to suppress another quiet laugh. He knew that if his mother heard it, her rant would only get longer. 

Well, he was used to it. 

That was just how his mother had always been since he was a child. And if she didn't get mad or scold him, he would know that something was wrong. 

She was right, though—it had been almost a year since he left Canada and returned to the Philippines. That was supposed to be to court and marry Keira, his childhood best friend, who was now happily married to a wealthy businessman, Charles Salveron. 

That plan had been for Nadine’s sake. 

His ex-girlfriend from Canada. 

Like him, she was also a Canadian citizen. But his family—especially his grandfather, Solomon—didn’t approve of what he had done. 

That was because Nadine used to be the girlfriend of his cousin, Albert, who had taken his own life after she broke up with him. 

He knew that Nadine wasn’t to blame for his cousin’s tragic decision. But he also couldn’t fault his family for being deeply hurt by the loss of a loved one. 

His plan had been to marry Keira so he could claim his inheritance from his grandfather, Solomon. The money he would get would then be used to pay off Nadine's father’s enormous debt to a friend. 

Did he really love Nadine that much, to the point of being willing to do something so selfish for her? 

At that thought, Erik shook his head. 

He had even planned to drag his best friend into his mess because of his own greed. 

Once again, guilt gripped his chest, an unshakable weight that always resurfaced whenever he thought about his past plans. 

He had yet to personally ask for Keira’s forgiveness. But from God? Not a single night passed without him seeking it in his prayers. 

"Enrique!" His mother’s sharp voice snapped him back to the present. "Are you even listening to me? What are you doing that makes you sound so uninterested in what I’m saying?" 

"Mom, I’m sorting out my laundry, so I can’t focus on our conversation," he replied with a chuckle. "Tell Grandpa that I'll return when the time is right. For now, I’m still busy here and enjoying being an architect." 

He heard his mother let out a deep sigh over the phone before speaking again, this time in a gentler tone. 

"Alright, fine. And I’m sorry if I scolded you again. I know this has always been your dream since you were little. Your father and I just feel like it’s a waste to pass up the good life waiting for you here. You can always practice being an architect anytime, but your grandfather's business is what you really need to focus on and learn about," she said. 

Erik smiled at her words. "I know, Mom. And don’t worry, even though I’m here, I still find ways to help Robert manage the business and the farm." 

That was true. Thanks to the internet, he could still communicate with his cousin Robert about running their grandfather’s dairy factory, as well as the farm where they sourced the milk used for producing dairy products like cheese, yogurt, butter, and many others. 

"Mom, I have to go now. I need to start doing my laundry, and after that, I have to clean the house. Saturday is the only free day I have," he informed her. 

"Alright, but you should find someone to do the cleaning and laundry for you. You already work hard all week—why do you still have to do these chores yourself?" his mother said, now sounding more concerned. 

"Oh, Mom. That’s why I love you. And I guess that’s also why Dad loves you so much," he teased. 

"Flatterer. Alright, take care of yourself there and don’t neglect your health," she reminded him before finally hanging up. 

Shaking his head with an amused smile, Erik placed his phone on his bed and continued with his tasks. After a while, he started the washing machine with his white clothes. 

He had specifically bought an automatic washer, even though their old machine from before they migrated to Canada was still working fine. 

It was just more convenient. While the laundry was running, he could cook and clean the house. It saved him a lot of time. 

Like always, he cleaned and cooked while waiting for the wash cycle to finish. Once the machine beeped, he would simply hang the clothes to dry. 

As he swept his room, his eyes landed on the old cabinet in the corner. He remembered that his mother had once placed all his old belongings there—books, notebooks, and even his high school yearbook. 

At that thought, Erik felt an odd, sudden rush of emotion in his chest. 

He walked over, opened the cabinet, and saw books, old notebooks, and posters that had once decorated his bedroom walls. But he wasn’t interested in those. 

He reached for a thick book with a hard cover. 

It was their high school yearbook. 

Flipping through the pages, he searched for his picture and his Salutatory Speech. 

A chuckle escaped him as he stared at his younger self, as if it were the first time he had ever seen an old picture of himself from high school. 

As expected, under "Ambition," it said: To be an Architect. 

No regrets—he had achieved his dream. 

Then his gaze shifted to another page, where a beautiful face greeted him, making him smile. 

Mia Licerio, their Class Valedictorian. 

The girl he could never beat in any subject, no matter how hard he tried. She was just that smart. 

Ambition: To be a Veterinarian.

A strange feeling stirred inside Erik. 

Where was Mia now? 

Where was the only girl who had never once shown admiration for him whenever she looked at him? 

It was true—she was the only girl who seemed completely immune to his charm.