I thought that what I saw in my early days here in El Refugio was already the best. But seeing how beautiful this part of the hacienda got me awestruck by how it gives me peace. The flowers are neatly lined up in the vast land based on their type and color. From roses, calla lilies, daffodil, daisy, iris, gladiola, and so much more. But what caught my eye was the bed of sunflowers openly accepting the radiating rays of the sun. A colder breeze embraces me now, colder than the wind I feel from inside Waldo's house. "Ken doesn't look like a man doing flowery things," I said with a slight frown. "He looks like a model student mixed with a playboy image.""Model student, yes. Playboy, no," he answered. "He was the only one of the four of us who graduated without failing a single subject. But he's not a playboy. Ever since I've known that man way back in high school, there was only one woman in her life.""Who? Lilian?” I asked, referring to his sister. "I wish it was her, but she's not
I closed my eyes tightly as my eyes went into that habit again. A simple scrub that only takes about three minutes takes me ten minutes now. In all the years I've lived, I've never looked at my own reflection for more than a minute except when I had to put lipstick on my face. But tonight is different. I opened my eyes again and as expected, my vision was there again. Waldo kissed my lips earlier. "Get yourself together, Prescilla," I said to myself through gritted teeth. "It's just a kiss," I whispered, trying to calm myself even though it was vague. "Why did he kiss me?!" I asked in shock. I pulled out my freshly combed hair causing it to become messy again. Feeling annoyed, I found myself stomping so that somehow I could calm down. When I still didn't get anything, I decided to go out of the room I was sleeping in, a room that, if I suspected correctly, belonged to Waldo. I tried to make my every step quiet so as not to attract attention from anyone I might meet. I tried to be
I frowned when I felt the slight shaking of the bed I was lying on. I know that it wasn't an earthquake, more like a person jumping on top of the bed. I wasn't going to pay attention to that and should just go back to sleep but when someone's stiff arm wrapped around my waist I completely lost my sleepiness. "Wake up, baby. Ezra's here," he said before planting a kiss on my forehead. I slowly opened my eyes and a little girl wearing a white and pink floral dress greeted me. She was jumping lightly while a lollipop was inside her mouth. In his one hand she was holding a bunny stuffed toy with one ear. "Is she your baby, Uncle? But she's not small like Ezra," the little girl asked in confusion, comparing me to herself. "She's my baby, E. She's your Aunt Prescilla," Waldo introduced. Ezra stopped jumping and sat beside my feet. He was looking at me intently while tilting his head slightly as if searching for who I was. And I just found myself drawn to her face. I became silent and
I couldn't do anything else but be blown away by the darkness that enveloped me. There was nothing else I could do but remain in tears as I desperately searched for peace. I can find no light in the darkness that surrounds me. Not even a meager torch could tell that I would be able to get out of my rut. I closed my eyes again but now in a more careful way as if I could erase the images playing in my mind. I don't want anymore. I'm tired of repeating this feeling as if there is no end. I'm tired of being hurt again and again and crying even for no exact reason. I wish I had finished it then. I wouldn't have thought twice before and just let myself end all my problems. If only I hadn't let it slow me down... I wouldn't be in pain right now. I hope my life is peaceful. "I would have stayed long ago. I should have ended it so that there would be no problem," I said full of regret. I felt Waldo's violent shaking. He removed me from leaning against his body. He cupped my face using his
"Mind telling me what's happening?" Waldo asked as he sat next to me. I kept my eyes on Ezra who was currently sitting on the floor facing the broken center table. She's busy with the coloring books that she brought from their house. It had been thirty minutes since she started coloring yet, her attention did not falter. I've been watching him for a while now, recognizing his great resemblance to his mother. I was bewildered by the truth that Katiya already had a child. It seems like last time we were shopping together and the topic of having a child came up. Katiya's rejection of the idea of having a child is still clear in my memory. But now, what seems to be a small version of him is in front of me. Life is full of surprises indeed. May it be a positive one or negative. We will never know what is destined to happen until the time is right. I just wish that whatever reason Katiya has for leaving her child behind would not be a hindrance to giving Ezra the whole family she wish
My eyes immediately went blurry with tears. The child's cheeks are wet and his whole face is red even in both ears due to continuous crying. Even if I wanted to look away from him, I couldn't because my eyes were fixed on him. I could feel nothing but pity towards the kid. She was aiming to get my phone but Galan was stopping him. It feels like my heart is being torn into multiple pieces as I continue to watch Ezra catch her breath. Galan tried to soothe his daughter but it did not affect her. "What should I do now, Katiya?" I asked almost in a whisper. I felt like all of my energy had been sucked out of my body all of a sudden. Seeing a kid cry for her mother hurts me. If only I could accept the pain, I would have done it, but even to relieve the pain, I could not do it. "Katiya..." I got his attention. He sighed again until he finally spoke. "Give it to the boy, I'll talk to you."I feel like a thorn has been pulled out. There is no denying the feeling of relief upon hearing th
I silently watched as Waldo folded the clothes he would take with him for his departure early this morning. I remained seated at the center of his bed while he was busy organizing his stuff. It has been a week already since the secret of Katiya was unveiled in front of us. Since then, there has been nothing but tranquility in El Refugio. So far, I have no news of where Katiya is and what she plans to do now. There was no news from Galan either. I really hope that everything will be fine with them so that Ezra can be happy forever. "What are you thinking, honey?" He stopped what he was doing after lying down on the bed. But instead of taking a pillow, my thigh made him a pillow. More than half of his body was on the bed but he still looked comfortable. He looked up at me as one hand reached for mine and played with it over his chest. "I'm thinking about Katiya and her family. I hope everything will work out for them," I hopefully answered his question. “It would. That's what Gala
He took my hand, but instead of pulling me along with him to exit the room, he lifted it close to his lips and planted a kiss on the back of it. "Let's go."Without a word, I waved him off as we left the room. He led the two of us walking in such a way that he made sure I was protected even though we were not in danger yet. The empty living room of Waldo's house that I expected to see did not greet me. A total of three people were there, scattered all over the area wearing their serious faces. Galan was looking at his tablet just like how Waldo acted earlier in the room as if monitoring something through the screen. "They have an army behind them, dude," Galan said without an ounce of worry. "You look like you're enjoying this, Galan," frowned the opinion of one whose name, if I remember correctly, is Laszlo. He was sitting on the wide sofa alone as if he owned the whole thing. "We are not after war or anything here, man," commented Ken who was sprawled on the floor while leaning
Waldo's POVRegret. Hatred. Agony. Those were the key players that controlled my life for the past years. I embraced those feelings, reminiscing about the reason why I ended up lost. Echoes of cries and their wailings still visit me in my dreams, reminding me of the grief we all felt that night of her goodbye. Years may have passion but the guilt and regrets still reside in my heart. Would I be able to escape this hell of mine? I tried to get up. To turn my attention to others to forget. But everything has no effect. It's just a short-term solution and after the day I'll be back to the point of collapse and no fight. I thought I would be able to cover up entering a relationship but I only gave myself more trouble. I know that simply getting into a new relationship won't erase the traces he left behind. I'm only fooling myself, what I believe to be a lie will never be true. "I know you love me. And I love you too much. I was exhausted, Waldo, to the point that I was no longer able t
I could not distinguish if I was comfortable or if I was just simply happy being out in public with Waldo. I can't imagine or change now that the two of us are together after more than a year that our paths diverged. And I feel like he is too. I couldn't even feel the wilderness in his every natural action. He was holding my hand tightly, intertwined with his while his thumb was gently caressing the back of mine. He's been doing that for a while, ever since we got out of the car after arriving at the mall he brought me to. Me too, I can't find it in myself to complain about holding hands with him. I could even feel myself seeking the warmth of his hand. "What are we going to do here?" I asked in surprise. I quickly looked at my clothes that didn't match what Waldo brought me. I was wearing a white casual split v-neck chiffon blouse that I paired with red peg-leg pants. It's a good thing I'm wearing white sneakers and not the office sandals that will surely sink the first step I ta
I was awakened by a noise coming from around me. That sleep indicates that someone is cooking or something in the kitchen of the house. Even the cutlery I could hear making noise. But my head's still spinning, something I have never felt for over a year. Instead of getting up, I just covered myself with a blanket and buried myself deeper into my soft pillow. But I couldn't go back to sleep because of the knock on the bedroom door. I didn't answer. I just remained motionless while waiting for that person to approach. I can't get the nervousness but the surprise is that I wasn't kicked. I am satisfied that I am far from harm. But how he got in here I don't know. Despite being tucked under the blanket, the familiar smell of Waldo's perfume still stung my nose. His familiar aquatic scent that I missed. The scent that used to give me comfort knowing that he was beside me. "Wake up, honey. It's already lunchtime. You need to eat," he softly said. "How did you get in here?" I asked inst
I almost slapped my forehead when my mind spontaneously added that. Although that was true, it was refreshing that I was so quick to admit it to myself. I took his silence as an opportunity to leave that place. Unlike before when I longed for its crowded, hot, and chaotic place, now I was enveloped in irritation. I just want to get out and leave. Inhaling fresh air instead of the smell of cigarette smoke and the overwhelming smell of alcohol. With my busy feet, I hurry to find the exit from the dance floor. Even though it wasn't easy, it was as if I was taken out of my sight when I felt the touch of the cold air on my skin again. I hurriedly went to the bathroom to clean myself up. Even though I haven't been in this place for a long time, I just want to leave immediately and sleep where I'm staying. I was leaning against the sink when I got there. I didn't do anything but I felt tired. But the momentary comfort and relief were immediately interrupted when I heard the door open. Bu
"You're all set, madam," said the woman who was putting lipstick on my face earlier. I slowly opened my eyes. The first thing that greeted me was the golden necklace around my neck. That's just thin. It also has a small dove pendant which is a symbol of freedom. The necklace was a gift I bought for myself using my first salary as an assistant social media manager three months ago upon the promotion my boss gave me at that time. Next, I looked at the simple make-up that the woman put on me. That's simple and not grandiose. There was almost no color except for my slightly red cheeks. My hair was simply tied up in a ponytail. Even my white spaghetti strap bodycon dress has no design. I just don't understand why even I was invited to this event when my role in the company was small. G&E Apparel, which stands for Grace and Elegance, successfully made its way to the top. Through the help of different social media platforms, TikTok most specifically, the brand became known. So now, you've
Life became the simplest with me living all alone. At the same time, it became more fulfilling to follow what I wanted to do. And I felt peace. Finally... peace has come for me. I finally had my silence after years of being trapped by all the noise and chaos of my world. I made a noise when I dropped the plate on the breakable table in front of me. Add to that the surroundings were very quiet because I was the only person there. I sat on the seat next to the broken table at the same time as I went down there with the lid open for what I had to do today. I focused my eyes on the front of the laptop. I started reading the reviews on the social media page of the company I work for. I became a part of a social media marketing team of a small clothing brand. And since I was just newly hired, I was assigned mostly to checking reviews and comments on their social media accounts. I work home-based and that's an advantage for me. It was only a week since I started this job. Even if I won't
"Would you be fine with me?" I grinned at Katiya. He's been so busy driving that even if I want him to do it, he won't let me do it. It's been two days since we've been on the road after leaving El Refugio. I also thought that Katiya would leave after the church and return to her family. But instead of leaving me, he went with me. We've been roaming around using the car, driving endlessly while looking for the right moment to settle down. We've been sleeping inside the car parked at a public parking lot. There is no problem with me. I'm enjoying it. The only thing that is mine is what Katiya left behind. I'm sure as hell that her child's looking for her, even Galan who's been chasing her for a long time. "It's OK."And because I wasn't convinced by what I heard, I simply took his cell phone from the dashboard. Katiya kept it shut down to cut any connection we had from El Refugio. But because I wanted to send him back there for Ezra, I opened it to make sure Galan had texts there.
Harris gently faced me. Just like me, shock filled his eyes when he saw me. He did a quick scan all over me before his eyes locked on mine, staring at them in a scrutinizing way. I looked for the familiar loss of my heart close to him. But none of the feelings I used to feel when I was with him are gone. And I felt thankful realizing that now. That finally, and thankfully, I'm over this man. "Prescilla," the smile that greets him is hesitant. "What are you doing here?" I asked casually. His eyes became dim so he couldn't meet mine anymore. "I was running some errands for my wedding with Melissa."An understanding smile formed on my lips when I realized why he was being awkward answering my question. "So, you're finally tying the knots, huh? Congratulations to you," I greeted with no pretense. It seems that he is still not convinced by my act so he has to stare at me as if he is searching the contents of my mind. I tried to give him my most genuine smile to make him feel that it w
The touch of cold wind on my cheek woke me up. My eyes squinted when the sun shone directly on my face. It's not that hot yet so I'm sure it's not that popular yet. I looked around and realized I was still in the car. The seat I was sitting at was already reclined while the window on my side was open. I turned around to see if Katya was there, thinking that the woman was no longer there, but her sleeping form appeared to me. Her mouth was slightly open showing signs of her deep sleep. His two arms are crossed over his chest. I moved stealthily in order not to wake her up. Even when opening the door, I did my best not to make any noise. Only then was I able to get to know the place where we are now? "What the hell?" It didn't take me five seconds before tears started streaming from my eyes. "It just might help you." I turned to Katiya who had now gotten out of the car and was looking at me intently. "Waldo is not the only one who needs to break free from the bonds that are wrapped