Fit the Puzzle (Azcona Cousins #3)

27

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Chapter 27

Before I closed my laptop, I first made sure that all of my documents were saved. Halos lahat ng tao ngayon sa university ay may ginagawa. Hell week has been moved by our department chair so we have time to relax and celebrate heart's day today.

Siguro nagkataon lang pero ayos na rin na hindi pa ngayong week ang midterms namin kasi baka masiraan na talaga ako ng ulo.

Iverson reminded me of our date yesterday. Hindi lang kami dahil kasama rin ang mga parents namin. Tito Theo invited my family over for a romantic dinner as he worded. My parents still have no idea about me having a mutual connection with Brent Iverson. Tahimik lang din naman ang mga magulang niya. Although Kuya Atlas and Kuya Alex are sometimes out of their wits, they remain tight-lipped.

Si Yuliya naman kasi ay hindi mahiling mang-usisa kaya wala naman kaming problema.

"Gozum, chocolates," may humarang sa'kin habang naglalakad ako.

I stared at the guy before accepting the bar of chocolate.

"Thank you一"

"Croozian, bulaklak para sa'yo," at may dumagdag pa nga!

He did not only give me a bouquet but also a tiny bear! Ano ba 'yan, gusto ko lang naman maglakad nang matiwasay.

In exchange, I put a smile on my face and greeted them. They both looked satisfied with my casual reply. Pareho silang ngumiti, e.

The hallway became thin because of crowding. Ang dami ngayong may ngiti sa labi at tumatanggap ng flowers o chocolates. Iverson and I haven't talked about going on a date because of the dinner. Pero kung wala siguro 'yon ay yayain ko siyang mag-Tagaytay dahil maganda pa rin ang weather kahit February na.

But I still want to give him a revered moment that he could keep for the rest of his life. Bago ako bumiyahe pauwi ng Batangas ay bumili muna ako ng bulaklak. The one stem of white tulip was clad in a black sophisticated wrapper. It was already incredible in my eyes but I thought of adding some cotton flowers and dried eucalyptus to create an elegant accent to it. Medyo mahal ang presyo pero mas inisip ko 'yung magiging reaksyon ni Iverson pag tinanggap niya mamaya.

Luckily, I wore semi-formal clothes today. Alam ko kasing galante magsuot ang mga Azcona kaya kailangan ko ring makibagay kahit sa maliit na detalye lang. It's just also a sign of respect to them because they did their part in making the dinner a moment to treasure.

Alfresco dinner pala ang gusto nila. Malawak naman kasi ang garden nila at maganda rin ang mga halaman kaya bagay lang. When I looked up, I saw the glimmering warm lights. They looked fragile and expensive due to its intricate design. And as my eyes landed on the table, my eyes feasted on the food and on the earth tone colored utensils.

"Good evening po," bati ko kaagad. Si Tita Mary ang una kong nakita. Iverson was just behind her, dashing in his chestnut short sleeves button down polo and slim fit trousers. But seeing Iverson without his clear specs is something to celebrate about.

Kahit medyo malayo pa siya sa'kin ay amoy na amoy ko na agad ang mamahalin niyang pabango.

"Oh, is this for me, hija? What a lovely arrangement!"

Napako ang tingin ni Tita Mary sa hawak ko. Hilaw akong ngumiti, ayaw ibigay ang bulaklak.

Patay tayo riyan, Tita! Para dapat 'to sa anak mo!

Iverson stood beside her mother. He gazed at me and mouthed happy heart's day.

"Opo," tawa ko at mabigat sa loob na binigay sa kanya. Tita Mary was enchanted by the flower that was supposedly for Iverson. I felt sad. Nasira 'yong moment ko para batiin siya. I was also planning on asking him... gusto ko sana kumain ng lomi bago matapos ang araw na 'to.