Chapter 30:

Ganoon pa rin naman ang trato namin ni Macy sa isa't isa. But when it comes to the two other girls...they were beyond my understanding now.

"Why would I cut off Macy?" I asked, almost rolling my eyes.

"May nagawa ba siya sa pag resolba ng isyu? Diba wala? Tahimik lang?"

"That is because hindi naman siya involve. She doesn't need to pry—"

"What about the color of table cloth? Final na sa beige?" Rhiannon cut in.

I pressed my lips together and looked at her. She smiled and waited for her boyfriend’s reply.

Is she doing this on purpose? Does she still feel the need to compete with me?

Kasi kung sinasadya niya ito ay medyo nakakabastos para saakin. She could have waited a moment until we were done talking.

"Yes, babe. Final na 'yang mga 'yan," Yus said.

"Alright-y. Double check ko muna ulit bago ibigay sa'yo," she replied cheerfully and went back to check her clipboard.

There—finally, I could talk again. I took a quick breath and shifted in my seat, the rattan chair creaking slightly. They were seated to my right, chatting on the two-seater.

"I...don't know. Let me think about it na muna baka kasi...magbago pa ang takbo ng lahat,"

"Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. Reality check," Yus said.

His words were simple, but they hit harder than I expected. Tumango ako sa kaniya bago napatingin sa mga halaman na nasa malayo.

"They bring nothing but stress in your life. Pero ikaw...nasa sa'yo pa rin naman kung hahayaan mo lang sila na ganyanin ka," he added.

"Here. Tapos na ako," Rhiannon said, handing him the clipboard.

Nang medyo dumilim na ay nagsitayuan na kami. He asked if I wanted to have dinner with them, but I politely turned it down. I noticed Rhiannon sigh.

"I would eat dinner with my mother like always," I said.

"Puwede naman natin siyang isama. Mom would be delighted to have you both eat dinner with us," he said with a slightly arched right brow.

I shook my head. "Mamaya pa ang uwi ni Mommy,"

"Enjoy your dinner," I added before turning away and walking off.

Hanggang sa nakauwi na ako saamin at agad na dumiretso sa kama. I grabbed my phone, replied to a few messages, then hopped into the shower for a quick rinse.

—

Auntie Dani's surprise birthday celebration was successful. Some familiar faces showed up—people I remembered being close to Mommy as well.

After the celebration, she thanked us for putting it all together. Said it really touched her heart. Her son even made a joke saying 'you obviously know that we're going to plan your birthday, Ma'

–

I had just gotten back from our group meeting for our final project and was about to head upstairs when I heard a familiar voice.

"You really should accept that invitation. I have always told them that you will show up...and you should expose Azalea more," Auntie Dani said.

Mommy let out a sigh, sounding a little frustrated. Sumilip ako sa sala at nakita silang dalawa. They were sitting across from each other while enjoying their afternoon snacks and tea.

I had not even known Mommy took the day off—same with Auntie. Ngayon ko nalang ulit sila nakitang magkasama at magkausap magmula nang lumipas ang birthday ni Auntie.

A whole month had already passed, and in just a few weeks, final exams would be here. Kaya naman ang naging mas abala pa kami lalo sa pagpapasa ng mga kailangan ipasa.

"It is just a casual party, Serafina..." Auntie Dani added.

"I know, I know...but it's just that..." Mommy clicked her tongue, struggling to finish her sentence.

Auntie Dani chuckled at her teasingly. "My...don't tell me that you're still hoping—"

"Goodness, Danielle. Of course not!" Mommy gasped.

Auntie Dani chuckled, clearly amused. May napadaang kasambahay na papasok sa sala at nagkatinginan pa kaming dalawa. I just gave her a small smile before heading upstairs, pretending I had not just eavesdropped on their conversation.

My whole body felt tense. I suddenly thought about calling our masseuse just to help me sleep better later.

Pagkatapos kong mag shower ay pumwesto na ako sa study table at pinagpatuloy ang pag aayos ng notes. There was still one subject left to sort through, and I figured I should do it now.

Baka tamarin pa ako at makalimutan ko pa kasi.

At dinner, I kept waiting for Mommy to bring up the social gathering Auntie Dani had mentioned earlier.

Pero hanggang sa matapos ang pag kain namin ay hindi niya ito binanggit. We just talked about other things—how my day went, when our exams would be, and when enrollment for the next school year starts.

Everything felt like it passed by so quickly. Five months since I started sophomore year. Dalawang taon nalang pala ay makaka graduate na ako.

–

It was Friday night, and I was chatting with the guy from Taft when I heard a knock on my door. Tumayo agad ako at pinagbuksan ang pinto. Tapos na ako sa lahat na dapat kong gawin kaya nagpapa antok na ako.

My door was usually open, but whenever I was working on something or about to sleep, I made sure to keep it locked.

When I opened the door, I was surprised to see Mom. My eyes widened a little—it was unexpected, especially since she usually goes to bed early.

She brought up the social gathering they talked about a week ago. Muntik ko na ngang makalimutan 'yon dahil sa dami nang nasa isip ko.

She asked if I was free tomorrow night, and I immediately said ‘yes’. Tumango siya at kita ko na parang nag aalinlangan pa rin talaga siya base sa tono at hitsura niya.

It felt like she didn’t really want to go but had no choice.

At sinabi niya nga na dadalo kami kaya kung may sakaling biglaang lakad daw ako kinabukasan ay agahan ko raw ang uwi. But I was pretty sure I was free that night.

Dahil sa susunod na linggo pa ang date namin ni Taft guy. We were not yet officially dating. I mean, we hadn’t exactly defined anything.

They were just casual hangouts to get to know each other more. Siguro sa dalawang buwan na nag uusap kami ay naka limang labas na kaming dalawa. Though we didn’t talk every day.

Dahil minsan ay nakakalimutan kong mag reply dahil sa ibang ginagawa. At minsan kapag sumasagot ako ay doon naman siya hindi nakakasagot agad. Our schedules rarely lined up.

Kaya ngayon na parehas kaming available ay naging tuloy tuloy na ang pag uusap. After that short talk with her, I lay down on my bed and reached for my phone.

I couldn’t help but chuckle when I saw all the messages he sent. Hinahanap niya ako at nagtataka kung bakit bigla nalang akong hindi sumasagot.

I quickly started typing a reply, and we ended up chatting some more. My eyes slowly grew heavy, and eventually, I fell asleep with the phone still beside me—never getting to respond to his last message.

Kinaumagahan ay abala ako sa paghahanap nang susuotin para mamayang gabi. Hindi na ako nakapag handa ng susuotin kagabi dahil nakatulog agad ako.

I’ve always liked planning what to wear for events like this. I don’t know why, but it’s something I grew up doing—like second nature.

—

My eyes scanned the place. The hall was huge—tables covered in white linen were scattered neatly, lights flashed near the entrance for photo ops, and people held glasses of wine as they mingled.

I felt Mom gently take hold of my right wrist before we approached someone she knew. Tinignan ko ang ginang at nakangiti siyang nakikipag usap sa kanilang dalawa.

But it was Auntie Dani who did most of the talking. Mom kept glancing around the room whenever she could, like she was trying to keep tabs on the whole event.

"By the way, let me introduce to you this gorgeous lady. This is Azalea..." Auntie Dani turned to me with a warm smile.

The woman’s eyes widened slightly as she gave me a quick once-over. I met her gaze and smiled back.

"She is my daughter...Azalea Senia" Mommy said, her tone cheerful and proud.

"You really have good genes, Fina" The middle-aged woman chuckled.

They had just wrapped up their conversation when someone else called the woman away, so she politely excused herself.

"Let's find Lizette. I am sure that she is here. She always attends to gatherings like this," Auntie Dani said, scanning the room carefully.

It wasn’t just high-profile business people in the crowd. There were artists, architects, engineers, journalists—and even a few politicians.

I kept catching brief glances and exchanging polite eye contact with the people we walked past.

Hanggang sa huminto kami sa isang ginang na kakatapos lang makipag usap sa isang ginoo. She turned toward us, and her eyes lit up.

"Oh my gosh, Serafina! You finally showed up after so many years!" she exclaimed excitedly, leaning in for a cheek-to-cheek beso before turning to Auntie Dani.

"And you finally encouraged her to come!" she said with a grin.

"And who's this fine lady right here?" she said as she glanced at me from head to toe with parted lips.

"She is my daughter, Lizzie" Mommy said.

The woman gasped as her eyes shifted back to Mom.

"Hello, I'm Azalea" I said, smiling as I introduced myself.

"I thought I'm looking at someone familiar. I feel like bumalik ako sa pagkabata," she said with a playful laugh, and the rest of them joined in.

"Oh, you..." Mommy said, laughing softly.

"You're the exact carbon copy of your mother when she is younger except your—"

Auntie Dani cleared her throat loudly, causing Auntie Lizette to glance between the two of them, looking slightly confused for a moment.

Ngumisi siya nang makabawi. "Anyway, I would like you, hija, to meet my eldest"

May kinalabit siyang lalaki na nakatalikod saamin na nakikipag usap sa isang dalaga. She was wearing a champagne colored satin slip maxi dress.

His brows were furrowed when he looked over her mother before he turned to us.

"This is Brix," Auntie Lizette introduced him with a proud smile.

I smiled back at the tall man in front of me, but my eyes widened when he walked over and took my hand, gently pressing a kiss to the back of it.

"Hi, I'm Brix. And you are?" his voice was deep and low.

"Azalea," I simply said.

"You smell really good," he said, his compliment catching me off guard.

I chuckled. "I'm flattered, Brix"

Napatingin ako sa kamay niyang nakahawak pa rin saakin. He noticed quickly and released it, but there was an awkward pause before he motioned for me to follow him.

We left the three women talking and headed toward a long table filled with drinks. Brix grabbed a glass of white wine, while I opted for a cocktail.

"So...how old are you?" he asked.

"I'm 20. How about you?" I asked.

"I'm 23," he said.

He chuckled when he saw me take a sip. "You don’t drink?" he asked, genuinely curious.

I shook my head. "I don't. My alcohol tolerance is low,"

"Oh, that's too bad" He said, which made me confused a bit.

Why would that be bad? Is it wrong to pick a cocktail over wine these days?

Nag usap pa kami saglit. He asked if I had a boyfriend, and I told him I was currently dating someone. He just nodded and guided me toward a new group of people.

He introduced me to them, and I happily shook each of their hands. At ibang babae na nakakausap ko ay panay ang tingin saakin ng ilang beses habang nagsasalita si Brix.

Every time I caught one of their looks, I smiled back. They all looked so poised in their dresses, speaking eloquently about their careers.

"Hello! I’m Max," a voice suddenly interrupted, and I turned to see a man approaching me. "Can I take a photo of you? You’re absolutely stunning, and I’d hate to miss the chance to capture this moment."

I nodded, a little surprised. "Sure."

Lumayo nang kaonti si Brix saakin at ako naman ay mabilisan na inayos ang buhok. I posed twice for the photo, and just as Max was about to say “thank you,” I felt a hand rest on my left waist, pulling me closer to him.

"Take a photo of us," Brix said.

Max’s eyes widened slightly, but he quickly raised his camera again and snapped a picture.